A popular town and seaside resort located in the county of Devon, England, Teignmouth stands on the River Teign estuary to the north of Torquay. With a population of around 14,000, Teignmouth is just a small town, though its numbers of course grow during the summer season as thousands of holidaymakers descend on the resort for their summer vacation. For many centuries just a small fishing village, Teignmouth became popular as a holiday destination during Victorian times, after the arrival of the railway line connecting it with neighbouring towns as well as London and Penzance. The fine weather experienced by the town was of course the major draw, but bathing in the healthy sea waters was much the rage during the Victorian era. Historically Teignmouth is famous as being the last place in England to be invaded by a foreign power (1690). The port of Teignmouth has had significance since the 13th century, and handled grain, timber and clay, the first quay was built during the 18th century. These days tourism is the major industry for the town and it has plenty of hotels and guest houses for those wishing to visit the town.
September 2, 2010
Paignton Devon a Brief History
A lovely seaside town located in the town of Devon in south-west England, Paignton has a population of around 48,000 and lies on Torbay between the equally popular resorts of Torquay and Brixham. For many centuries just a small fishing village Paignton traces its history back to the times of the ancient Celts, though it is first recorded as a settlement in the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was called Peynton, a name derived from the Celtic language meaning “town of Paega”. Paignton mostly grew as a town during the 19th century when a new harbour was constructed (1847) to improve the towns seabound communications, and the railway arrived, linking the town with London via Torquay. The town grew considerably after this taking in several surrounding villages such as Preston and Goodrington. Becoming popular as a seaside resort during the Victorian period due to its fine weather and healthy atmosphere, Paignton has its pier erected in 1879, in the height of the British seaside resort era in the 1960’s the Festival Theatre opened to provide entertainment for its many visitors. Paignton has plenty of guest houses and hotels, should you wish to stay overnight or for a holiday and such establishments as the Preston Sands Hotel should prove adequate for your needs, larger hotels are of course available as are holiday cottages in the surrounding villages, which may be your preferred accommodation. When staying in Paignton you should take a day out to visit the nearby Dartmoor National Park, a large area of great natural beauty with many charming little villages and some interesting archaeological sites. Paignton can be reached by road by way of the A380, can be reached by rail, and is also within easy driving distance of Exeter airport, it is about 20 miles from Exeter, only 8 miles from Newton Abbot and its racecourse, and just 2 miles from Torquay.
August 20, 2010
The Sol Calas de Mallorca Resort
Sol Calas de Mallorca Resort
One of the most attractive and popular holiday destinations on the island of Mallorca, the Sol Calas de Mallorca Resort would be an ideal choice for your stay on the island. Set in twenty five thousand square metres of landscaped gardens and offering 875 rooms in either of three accommodation blocks (Sol Mastines, Sol Chihuahuas and Sol Balmoral), the Sol Calas de Mallorca is certainly a beautiful place to enjoy the wonderful Mallorca weather and atmosphere. Overlooking 2 of the three beaches of Calas de Mallorca on the east coast of the island this hotel resort has several swimming pools and children’s play areas, each of the hotel blocks has its own restaurant, lounge and pool, and stages for both daytime and night time entertainment. The resort of Calas de Mallorca itself has some excellent facilities and is a tranquil place away from the hustle and bustle of Mallorca’s major resorts, it is situated in the Manacor district, and is around sixty seven kilometres from the airport at Palma de Mallorca. Rooms in the Sol Calas de Mallorca Resort are offered from around 38 euros per night (£32) a great price for a desirable location. Calas de Mallorca is on Mallorca’s east coast, between the resorts of Porto Colom and Porto Cristo.
August 14, 2010
Santo Tomas Hotel Menorca
Santo Tomas Hotel Menorca
When visiting the beautiful holiday island of Menorca in the Spanish Balearic Islands, you will be looking for a nice resort for your stay. For a peaceful family holiday you might well consider the tranquil Santo Tomas, located between Son Bou and Cala Galdana on the south coast of the island. If you are needing a hotel for your stay you could book the Santo Tomas Hotel which is situated right beside the sea and beach and in an ideal spot for enjoying the sandy beaches, the clear waters, the fine hotel facilities and the wonderful Santo Tomas weather conditions, which should certainly help top up your tan if you visit between May and October. The Santo Tomas Hotel has all the facilities that you would need from a modern hotel including both indoor and outdoor swimming pools, so you can swim even in the cooler winter months when the weather is not so good. You can also relax in the Jacuzzi, or take a steam bath or sauna, afterwards enjoy a meal in the buffet restaurant offering International cuisines. Rooms in the Santo Tomas Hotel are offered from around 83 euros (£70), and the hotel is within a half hours drive of Mahon airport making the hotel easy to access.
August 2, 2010
S Algar and Punta Prima Menorca
The two most popular coastal resorts in the south-east of Menorca in the Balearic Islands of Spain, S’Algar and Punta Prima were also amongst the earliest resorts to be developed on the island. S’Algar in particular was one of the pioneers in Menorca travel accommodation and luckily was not spoilt by what was kept low-rise and low key, with mostly detached villa style properties and plenty of green areas. Punta Prima has a better beach than S’Algar and is thus more suitable for family holidays, unfortunately though, it does suffer from dangerous sea currents, so warnings must be heeded when swimming. Numerous ships have foundered off this part of the Menorca coast over the centuries making it good scuba diving territory, windsurfers are also attracted to this area which offers great conditions for their sport. Menorca Map.
July 30, 2010
Hotel Bon Repos Calella Costa Brava
Hotel Bon Repos Calella Costa Brava
If you are planning a visit to the Costa Brava coastal resort of Calella this year, you might want to consider the Bon Repos Hotel for your accommodation requirements. Handily situated just 350 metres from the main beach of Calella, the Bon Repos is also convenient for the town centre and the main amenities of this popular resort. Offering a superb outside pool and Jacuzzi, the Bon Repos also has a fine restaurant, lounge, bar and entertainment programme. A good base for touring the Costa Brava and Costa del Maresme and also handy for Barcelona which is only 54 kilometres away, Calella has some fine sandy beaches, terrific weather conditions, good choice of bars and restaurants and plenty of sports and water sports facilities. Rooms are offered in the Bon Repos Calella from just 23 euros per night, a very economical option for your stay in this area. The closest airport for the hotel and resort is Girona airport, which is just 45 kilometres distant, about a half hours drive.
Puerto Rico Gran Canaria
For the best family holidays on Gran Canaria in the Spanish Canary Islands, you need look little further than the resort of Puerto Rico. Though at times Puerto Rico receives some negative press, it has everything needed for a splendid family beach style holiday with 2 calm and safe swimming beaches, with all the usual facilities, sun loungers, parasols, lifeguards, toilets, beach bars, restaurants etc. Puerto Rico has some excellent water sports facilities including jet-skiing, swimming, fishing, scuba diving and windsurfing. Puerto Rico, similar to all the southern resorts of Gran Canaria, benefits from a terrific all year round climate, with the weather in Puerto Rico comprising wall-to-wall sunshine throughout the year (actually more pleasant during the traditional winter months). Night time entertainment is second to none on the islands with a huge choice of bars, restaurants and clubs in which to wine, dine and while away the evening hours, in the daytime there are boat trips to be enjoyed, coach trips to the island’s attractions such as Palmitos Park or Holiday World, and beaches to laze on and enjoy the sun. What more could you want in a Family holiday? Puerto Rico Map.
July 28, 2010
Funchal Cliff Bay Hotel Madeira
Cliff Bay Hotel Funchal
A good choice for your accommodation in Funchal on the island of Madeira, the 5 Star Cliff Bay Hotel is located on a picturesque headland looking out on the Atlantic Ocean. The Cliff Bay has over 200 rooms all with bathroom, balcony, TV, safe, internet, air-con, and tea/coffee machine. The hotel has a fantastic range of facilities including 3 bars, 3 restaurants, indoor and outdoor pools for swimming whatever the weather, gymnasium, steam rooms, Jacuzzi etc, it also provides a shuttle bus to and from Madeira airport if you are not using a car hire vehicle. Funchal is the capital city of Madeira and has everything you would need for a perfect holiday on this popular Portuguese island. Rooms are offered in the Cliff Bay Hotel Funchal from around 94 euros per night. Funchal is situated on the south coast of Madeira and is also the location of the island’s airport.
July 20, 2010
Hotel Playa Sol Cadaques Costa Brava
Hotel Playa Sol Cadaques
A popular located right on the seafront in Cadaques, the 3 Star Playa Sol Hotel could well be your first choice for accommodation in this Costa Brava resort, though there are other hotels such as the Octavia, La Tarongeta and the Hotel Blaumar to choose from. You may prefer the Playa Sol’s beachside location, being situated on a small bay right beside a nice sandy beach, and you may appreciate its being handy for Cadaques town centre which is only about five minutes stroll away, in any case you will be attracted to the Playa Sol hotel’s friendly family run atmosphere and fine facilities to make your stay in this resort a pleasure. In a somewhat isolated position, Cadaques is perfect for a peaceful holiday away from the bustling crowds of some of the better known and busier Costa Brava resorts further south, and while it is visited all year round, the weather in Cadaques can get a bit windy and wild during the winter, so summer holidays are definitely more popular than winter breaks. Cadaques is ideal for visiting the Cap de Creus National Park and is also great for hikers, who visit this beautiful area to enjoy the spectacular coastline of the Costa Brava. Also ideal for water sports, this is an especially popular area for windsurfers, scuba divers and kitesurfers. Other nearby areas include Portlligat and Roses. Cadaques Map.
July 19, 2010
Hotel Blaumar Cadaques Costa Brava
Hotel Blaumar Cadaques Spain
If you are visiting the northern Costa Brava resort of Cadaques this year you might want to consider the three star Hotel Blaumar for you accommodation in the area. Situated only ten minutes walk from the centre of Cadaques this small family run hotel is a popular choice for those visiting the resort. Boasting a lovely sun terrace and superb outdoor swimming pool the Hotel Blaumar will surely provide everything you need for a relaxing holiday in Cadaques. In a somewhat isolated position, Cadaques is ideal for a tranquil holiday away from the crowds of some of the better known Costa Brava resorts, and while it is popular all year round, the weather in Cadaques can get a bit wild and windy during the winter months, so summer holidays are more sensible than winter breaks. Cadaques is perfect for visiting the Cap de Creus National Park and is also great for walkers and hikers, who visit this unspoilt area to enjoy the spectacular coastline of the Costa Brava. Also ideal for water sports, this is an especially popular area for scuba divers.
July 15, 2010
Torrejoven Hotel Punta Prima
Torrejoven Hotel Punta Prima Torrevieja
One of the more popular hotels in the Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa area of the Costa Blanca, the Torrejoven is located on the main N332 road at the Punta Prima roundabout, about 4 km south of the bustling town of Torrevieja. Ideal for visiting the beaches and facilities of the Orihuela Costa, the Torrejoven Hotel has 110 rooms on 6 floors, it has an outside swimming pool, conference rooms, Lift, Internet Centre, Garden/Terrace, Billiards, Darts, Outdoor Swimming Pool, Solarium, restaurant, bar, disco etc. A very cheap option for your accommodation in this area the Torrejoven can be booked for around 20 pounds per night. The hotel resort of Punta Prima is at the northern end of the Orihuela Costa (very popular with Brits and Irish) on the Spanish mainland, it has good sandy beaches and plenty of restaurants, bars and shops, the facilities of Torrevieja are just a short drive from Punta Prima and the resort of Benidorm is only an hour and a quarter away. Punta Prima enjoys superb weather right through the year and sun is pretty much guaranteed between May and October.
July 13, 2010
Indalo and Oasis Hotels Mojacar
Indalo Hotel Mojacar
For those of you heading to Mojacar on the Costa Almeria, Spain, this year there are a couple of excellent hotels that you might want to consider for your accommodation needs in this popular resort. The first is the Mojacar Indalo Hotel which is situated overlooking the beach in the Mojacar Playa area of the resort, this fine hotel offers 308 rooms and a fine range of facilities including swimming pool, sun lounging areas, buffet restaurant, bars, parking, tennis court, billiards, sauna, gym etc, it is handy for visiting the old town of Mojacar and the surrounding Costa Almeria resorts. The second hotel is the Oasis Mojacar (Best Oasis Tropical), offering 398 rooms, plus some wonderful facilities including indoor and outdoor pools, tennis, paddle, gym, sauna, laundry, restaurant, bar, café, spa, massage and much more. Both the Mojacar Indalo and the Oasis Mojacar offer a wonderful opportunity for your stay in the area, where the weather is fabulous all year round and rain very scarce, there are of course lots of other Mojacar hotels to choose from, but you should find everything you need in these two. Mojacar is situated around eighty kilometres from the city of Almeria and its airport, so just an hours drive will get you there.