March 13th, 2010
One of the busiest tourist centres on Portugal’s Algarve coastline, Lagos was in fact one the capital of the region and its harbour welcomed in the great Henry the Navigator as he returned from his historic voyages. The ancient fortress and sections of the old city walls survived the devastating Lisbon earthquake of 1755, as did a couple of its churches. In the old town, you will still find narrow, cobbled streets, which look much as they have for centuries. To view the best of the town’s attractions head for the Praça da Republica, the centre of life in Lagos. Modern day Lagos is a bustling holiday resort, popular with the younger set, it offers a superb sandy beach, plenty of bars, shops and restaurants, a good choice of facilities and a wonderful climate, with Lagos weather ideal for summer holidays and also suitable for winter breaks and sporting holidays. Lagos is at the western end of the Algarve, near to Portimao, and provides a good base for exploring this part of the region, other towns worth a visit include Sagres and Portimao.
Map.
Tags: lagos, lisbon, portimao, sagres
Posted in Algarve, Holidays, Portugal | Comments Off
March 13th, 2010
One of the popular coastal resorts of the southern Costa Brava, Malgrat de Mar is actually situated on a stretch of coast known as the Costa del Maresme. The town has a resident population of around 20,000 and a municipal district of 9.05 square kilometres. The modern resort is well known for its excellent sandy beaches (such as L’Astillero) which are backed by hotels and apartment complexes, there are a good choice of bars and restaurants which become very busy during the summer season when the climate is fine and sunny. The original village developed during the 13th and 14th centuries when it was known Vilanova de Palafolls, the original dwellings were erected on a hill called “Es Castell”, for many centuries Malgrat de Mar relied on fishing for its economic survival and this continued until the 1950’s and 1960’s when the explosion of tourism changed the face of the town forever, and the population grew from under 4,000 to its present level. In the old town there are still some well preserved older buildings showing evidence of its long history, the 16th century church of Sant Nicolau is often referred to as the “Cathedral of the Coast” due to its large size. Malgrat de Mar is located between Blanes and Pineda de Mar and can be reached from the N-11 or the C-32 motorway.
Map.
Tags: blanes, catalonia, costa del maresme, malgrat de mar, pineda de mar
Posted in Costa Brava, Spain, Travel | Comments Off
March 13th, 2010
Three of the larger towns in the county of Hertfordshire, England, Letchworth, Hitchin and Baldock could not be more different. Letchworth formerly just a small village, was joined with the villages of Norton and Willan to form Letchworth Garden City, one of Ebenezer Howard’s ‘new towns’ in 1903. Set out as part of his dream of a city surrounded by countryside, with every house having its own garden, Letchworth never quite lived up to Howard’s ideals. On the other side of the historic coin, Hitchin was a settlement of the Hicci tribe way back in the 7th century, its name seems to have derived from the local River Hiz (pronounced Hitch). The town later prospered due to the wool trade and was a staging post for coaches travelling north from London. Local legend tells that Henry VIII almost died in a fire in Hitchin, though he managed to escape across the aforementioned River Hiz. Not quite so old, but historic nonetheless, Baldock was founded by the Knights Templar during the 12th century, the town grew around the crossroads of the Icknield Way and the Great North Road, and, like Hitchin, became a coaching post for travellers to and from London. Baldock developed since the 16th century as an important brewing and malting centre, with three major breweries operating in the town, which was also renowned for its large number of pubs!
Tags: baldock, hertfordshire, hitchin, letchworth, london
Posted in England, Uncategorized, United Kingdom | Comments Off
March 12th, 2010
The most westerly city on the Costa de la Luz, Spain, Huelva was founded by the Phoenicians in around 1000 BC. Originally known as Onoba, Huelva was later controlled by the Romans and became part of the province of Hispania Baetica, the Romans established a mint there and coins were produced bearing the name “Onuba”. In the 15th century the explorer Christopher Columbus sailed from nearby Palos de la Frontera, and the discovery of the Americas brought increased wealth to Huelva, though it was generally overshadowed by the more important city of Seville. Significant mineral deposits in the region led to Huelva becoming the home of the well known Rio Tinto Company, a British mining concern which set up shop in the Odiel estuary and subsequently exported its products throughout the civilised world. Huelva fell into decline after being devastated by the great Lisbon earthquake of 1755, though it has always been a significant port for the region. Located on a stretch of coast known as the Costa de la Luz (Coast of Light), Huelva is experiencing an increase in tourist activity as this less well known piece of coast attracts more and more visitors to its virgin beaches, as yet untouched by mass development. Enjoying a wonderful climate with Huelva weather being somewhat cooler than the neighbouring Costa del Sol, enjoying cooling Atlantic breezes and having a similar climate to Portugal’s Algarve to the south-west. Huelva is located just off the A-45 motoway between the Portuguese border and the city of Seville. Map.
Tags: andalucia, costa de la luz, huelva, seville
Posted in Algarve, History, Portugal, Spain | Comments Off
March 12th, 2010
Second largest of the Balearic Islands of Spain, Ibiza has much to offer travellers of all ages and tastes, known as the clubbers capital of Europe, away from the main resorts it is still a mostly rural island with large areas of unspoilt countryside and huge areas of fig, almond and olive groves. Ibiza travel can be a pleasurable experience whether you are seeking a cultural sojourn or a traditional beach holiday, for culture and history you can head for the capital Ibiza Town (Eivissa), founded by the Phoenicians in the seventh century BC, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, its Dalt Vila (Upper Town) is a joy to behold, and is the oldest part of the city, visit the 16th century cathedral located on what has been the site of religious buildings since 283 AD, and the ancient fortifications also dating from the 16th century in their present form. For beaches, and Ibiza has over 50, head for the beautiful west coast, where unspoilt beaches lay in picturesque coves, or the area around Santa Eulalia where you can also visit the famous Hippy Market at Es Cana or simply enjoy the delightful Ibiza weather. Clubbers can head for San Antonio, where this former fishing village offers a wide choice of clubs and discos. Ibiza travel should be fun, try a little of everything to get an idea of what this beautiful island has to offer. Ibiza Map.
Tags: ibiza, ibiza town, map, san antonio, weather
Posted in Balearic Islands, Spain, Travel | Comments Off
March 12th, 2010
One of the Vega Baja villages of the Costa Blanca, Spain, Hurchillo is a charming little village with a population of less than one thousand. A chance to see a piece of the real Spain away from the busy Costa Blanca coastline, Hurchillo is reached via the road from Orihuela, and is a bout 9 kilometres from that town. A maze of charming cobbled streets welcomes visitors, together with the smiling faces of its people who are very friendly. Not to be out gunned by its bigger and better known neighbours, Hurchillo has its own village square and church and also its own feast day and fiestas during which it honours the Patrona Nuestra Señora de Montserrat. Damaged like so many other villages in the earthquake of 1829, Hurchillo relies mostly on citrus farming for its economic survival. Other villages worth visiting around Hurchillo include Bigastro, Beniel, Jacarilla and Cox.
Tags: bigastro, cox, hurchillo, orihuela, vega baja
Posted in Costa Blanca, Spain | Comments Off
March 11th, 2010
Probably originating from a Saxon wharf on the River Thames, called Maiden Hythe, Maidenhead developed in its early days as the hamlet of Elentone (located about a mile away from present day Maidenhead), it had just 50 inhabitants when the Domesday Book was compiled, it was built some distance from the river as in rainy weather flooding is common in this area, and it did not begin to grow until the first bridge was built over the River Thames in 1255 by order of Henry III. The present day bridge was constructed in 1777 and cost nineteen thousand pounds at the time. The current spelling of the name was first used in 1724 and by this time Maidenhead was an important watering town for visitors passing through from London to Bath and many coaching inns sprang up in and around the town, other trades such as blacksmiths also flourished and at one time it had 4 breweries. The railway arrived in 1838 and this caused further growth for the town and established it as a commuter town for those working in London, it is still a popular commuter town to this day. Modern day Maidenhead has a population of just under 60,000 and is a busy town well known for its football club Maidenhead United, other sporting facilities include the Maidenhead Golf Club. Interestin places to visit near to Maidenhead include the village of Cookham which is a pretty village also on the River Thames and famous as the birthplace of artist Sir Stanley Spencer. Maidenhead is situated on the A4 and can also be easily accessed from the M4 motorway.
Tags: berkshire, cookham, golf, maidenhead
Posted in England, History, United Kingdom | Comments Off
March 11th, 2010
The well known Tenerife resort of Los Gigantes is situated in the west of the island near to the town of Puerto de Santiago. Getting its name from the huge steep cliffs beside which the resort stands, Los Gigantes has its own small black sand beach, some decent hotels and the usual holiday facilities expected of a package tour destination, the weather is a little cooler than the southern resorts. The coastline around Los Gigantes is quite spectacular with cliffs rising to around 800m in places, being at the southern end of the Teno mountains. Los Gigantes is an ideal spot for a more laid back peaceful holiday, being somewhat less crowded than the better known resorts of Los Cristianos and Playa de las Americas to the south, there is however still a good choice of bars and restaurants and plenty of entertainment on offer, especially in some of the bigger hotels. Los Gigantes can be reached from the TF-47 highway, it is approximately ninety kilometres from the nearest airport at Reina Sofia. Los Gigantes Map.
Tags: los cristianos, los gigantes, playa de las americas, puerto santiago
Posted in Canary Islands, Holidays, Spain | Comments Off
March 11th, 2010
Just south of Ayamonte on the border between the Costa de la Luz in south-western Spain and the Algarve Portugal, the relatively new resort of Isla Canela is joined to the Spanish mainland only by a causeway which links it to the town of Ayamonte. Long popular with Spanish tourists, Isla Canela boasts over seven kilometres of superb beaches, an 18 hole golf course, and some wonderful protected wetlands which are home to a wide variety of bird species. Isla Canela looks across the River Guadiana to Portugal and shares a similar climate to the resorts of the Algarve, with Isla Canela weather being perfect for summer holidays though cooler than the Costa del Sol to the north-east. A great area for water sports, this coast gets plenty of wind from the Atlantic Ocean and is good for windsurfing and similar sports. Don’t expect a bustling resort or a vibrant nightlife scene whilst visiting but do expect a peaceful holiday with plenty of time to relax. Isla Canela Map.
Tags: ayamonte, costa de la luz, isla canela
Posted in Algarve, Portugal, Spain, Travel | Comments Off
March 10th, 2010
One of the Costa Brava’s best loved beach resorts, Playa de Aro is situated between the towns of Sant Feliu de Guixols and Palamos around 35 km from the provincial capital Girona. Apart from the obvious attraction of its 2 mile long beach, Playa de Aro can also offer visitors a wonderful water park in the form of the Aquadiver Waterworld, the Magic Park amusement extravaganza, a Pitch n Putt golf course and a ten pin bowling alley, together with one of the best nightlife scenes along this popular part of the coastline. The sun is of course another major attraction with Playa de Aro weather offering some 2,500 hours of sunshine each year, the best months being from May to October. To get away from the crowds of the main resort you can enjoy the coastal path where you can enjoy some delightful scenery and discover some isolated bays and coves. Playa de Aro offers a great choice of hotels and is located off the C-31 south of Palamos.
Tags: girona, palamos, playa de aro, sant feliu de guixols
Posted in Costa Brava, Holidays, Spain | Comments Off