One of the highlights of the Algarve region of Portugal is the historic town of Lagos, former headquarters of the famous explorer Henry the Navigator. Crammed with historic buildings despite being severely damaged in the great earthquake of 1755, Lagos has some of its old city walls, a 17th century castle and many interesting post earthquake buildings and monuments. Also a well known area for surfing, this part of the Algarve coast is windswept and battered by the Atlantic Ocean, with numerous prime locations between Lagos and Sagres in the extreme west. For beach lovers, Lagos is perfect as there are lots of wonderful beaches in the area and some charming little seaside resorts nearby, this is of course as well as the delightful Lagos weather which alone attracts many visitors. Despite this, the old town is the main draw, best explored by foot, visitors can wander the narrow winding streets taking in the atmosphere and imagining what the place was like when Portugal was a major seafaring nation. The port area dates from Roman times and was at that time called Lacobriga, it would have been a major trading town, servicing ships going along this busy coast. Later controlled by the Moors, it came back into Christian hands in 1241 and enjoyed the boom created by Portugal’s growing Empire in Africa and South America. Present day Lagos has a population of around 18,000 most of which is concentrated near to the coast, the main industry is tourism. Lagos is around 65 kilometres from Faro and its airport so you may need to hire a car should you wish to visit. Lagos Map.
January 22, 2010
December 7, 2009
Megalithic Structures of Menorca
Menorca is beyond a shadow of a doubt the most abundant in megalithic sites of all the Spanish Balearics, having many hundreds of stone structures dating from the Talaiotic period (2000BC – 1000BC) many of these ancient sites are still in a good state of repair and well worth the effort needed to see them. The majority of the finest megalithic sites are situated in the south of the island below the route of the ME-1, Mahon to Ciutadella carraigeway, many are decently signposted, others are much trickier to find and require some exploration and a good map, if you are doing the full tour you will need a decent guide book and a detailed road map of the island. Some of the finest and best known sites on Menorca include Torralba d’en Salort, for a great example of a taula (“T” shaped stone structure), Naveta d’es Tudons for a superb example of a naveta (upturned boat type stone structure) and Son Mercer de Baix for the most ancient settlement on Menorca. To have the required freedom to tour these and many other sites you would be best advised to rent a car hire vehicle for at least a couple of days of your stay, this will give you the opportunity to tour the island without any constraints. While touring the historic sites you can also pop in and see a few of the more “out of the way” coves and beaches, or perhaps take a morning for a game of golf at Son Parc in the north and then visit Monte Toro (Bull mountain), Menorca highest peak.
December 2, 2009
Towns of Catalonia Tortosa
One of the only towns of any significance in southern Catalonia, Tortosa boasts a 10th century castle, some ancient fortified walls and a long history of conflict. Standing on the banks of the River Ebro, which has many times been the boundary between warring factions, Tortosa was originally established by the ancient Iberians who called it Dertosa, further changes were made by the Romans and even later by the Moors who held control of the town between the eighth and thirteenth centuries. The 10th century mosque built by the Moors was flattened and replaced by a Gothic cathedral after the reconquest. Much damage was sustained by Tortosa during the Spanish Civil War, and little of the old town remains, casualties were high and are still remembered by the inhabitants. Today Tortosa is more peaceful and is a popular day trip location enjoying pleasant weather, near by is the River Ebro Natural Park a significant wetland area, amongst other things the River Ebro is famous for catfish fishing, with these tough fish reaching huge sizes in this area. Map of Tortosa.
November 30, 2009
L’Escala Costa Brava
A smallish but popular coastal resort on the Bay of Roses, L’Escala is one of the many attractive Costa Brava resorts of the Catalonia region of north-eastern Spain. Having a resident population of just over 8,000, L’Escala has an ancient fishing port surrounded by the narrow streets of its old delightful old town. A historic area, the neighbouring Empuries (St Marti d’Empuries) boasts one of the oldest Greek settlements in Spain, also featuring later Roman parts giving evidence of their time on the Iberian Peninsular. Especially important for fishing and the salting of fish, L’Escala is well known for its anchovies and its sardines, and a number of its many fiestas are dedicated to this industry. As a tourist resort L’Escala has two distinct areas, the old town (favoured by Spanish tourists) and the newer area of Riells (favoured by International tourists). The town has a decent range of amenities and a couple of small beaches near the old town and a larger ‘blue flag’ beach in the Riells district. For nature lovers and culture seekers there are plenty of places to visit and for sports enthusiasts there is a wide choice of facilities. L’Escala Map.
November 25, 2009
Sagunt Costa del Azahar
An important ancient city in the Comunitat de Valencia, Spain, Sagunt (Sagunto) is located in the fertile region of Camp de Morvedre. Built on a raised hill site approximately 25 kilometres north of the city of Valencia, Sagunt was founded as a fortified settlement by the ancient Iberians (early Spanish peoples) in the fifth century BC, some of the original settlement remains, notably limestone slabs from the Temple of Diana. The year 219 BC is the most notable for Sagunt, as it was then that Hannibal and his Carthaginian troops put the town under a siege which lasted some months and ended with the town being severely damaged and its people put to death. This directly led to the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage, leading to the defeat of the Carthaginians and the occupation of Spain by the Romans. Sagunt is located on the Costa del Azahar and can be reached via the A-7 motorway or from the A-23. Map of Sagunt.
November 20, 2009
Watford Hertfordshire
First mentioned in Anglo Saxon chronicles of 1007, the town of Watford, in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, was never listed in the Domesday Book, and remained a small rural community ruled by a succession of feudal lords for many centuries, becoming a market town during the 18th century. The Industrial Revolution of the late 18th and 19th centuries brought industry to the town, accelerated by the arrival of both the Grand Union Canal and the railway. As the factories and mills fell into ruin and disappeared, Watford became an important commercial centre for the Home Counties. Watford these days has a population of just under 80,000 and is well known for its football club Watford FC, and its chairman musician Elton John who grew up in the area. Watford Map.