Steve's World Blog Information and articles on cities, towns and villages around the world.

May 10, 2010

Santa Pola Alicante

Filed under: Costa Blanca,History,Holidays,Spain — Tags: , , , — needahand @ 11:19 am
The Port at Santa Pola

The Port at Santa Pola

A popular coastal town located to the south of Alicante on the Costa Blanca, Spain, Santa Pola has a population of around 30,000 and a municipal area of 58 square kilometres. Possibly visited by Greeks and Phoenicians even before the arrival of the Romans, it later became Portus Ilicitanus under the Romans. Important over the centuries for fishing and salt production, Santa Pola saw the arrival of tourism in the second half of the 20th century, this added with property development saw the town grow in size to its present dimensions. Attracting mostly Spanish holidaymakers, Santa Pola has miles of sandy beaches and a large marina and port, the southern beach areas are especially popular for kitesurfing and windsurfing, with weather conditions ideal for these sports. From the port you can take a boat trip to the nearby island of Tabarca where there are some great opportunities for scuba diving or just simply enjoying the beaches and the sunshine in tranquil conditions. Santa Pola is situated just off the N-332 between Alicante and Guardamar del Segura.

Mogan Gran Canaria

Filed under: Canary Islands,Holidays,Spain — Tags: , , — needahand @ 9:16 am

An inland town and municipality in the south west of Gran Canaria, Mogan is a charming residencial town which is situated about 12 km from the coast and the town’s seaside area Puerto de Mogan. The municipality comprises area of mountains and valleys with barren sections in the north and agricultural areas nearer to the coast. Reached from Puerto de Mogan via the GC-200 which is dotted with numerous small villages such as El Palmito, Los Navarros and Molino de Viento. Mogan and the southern areas of Gran Canaria experience a very dry climate with long hours of sunshine.

Mogan Map.

May 9, 2010

Porto Colom Majorca

Filed under: Balearic Islands,Holidays,Spain — Tags: , , , — needahand @ 3:41 pm

Founded in the 13th century, the small fishing village of Porto Colom on the south-east coast of Majorca, is now a popular but generally unspoilt holiday resort, which retains much of its traditional charm. The picturesque natural harbour is one of the best on the island, and is dotted with local fishing craft, which still ply their trade along this coast. The fine beach at Cala Marcal is safe and clean and great for families, offering the usual facilities, and enjoying the splendid Majorca weather. Porto Colom has a reasonable choice of facilities and is renowned for its seafood restaurants, supplying meals of freshly caught fish. The town has a regular bus service with the capital Palma de Mallorca. Porto Colom Map.

April 18, 2010

Portimao Portugal

Filed under: Algarve,Holidays,Portugal — Tags: , , , — needahand @ 4:35 pm

Tracing its origins back to the times of the ancient Phoenicians, the city of Portimao is the 2nd largest city in the Algarve region of Portugal (after Faro). A busy commercial port and tourist centre, Portimao is an ideal base for touring the Algarve, beimng within a hour’s drive of Faro International Airport and being close to some excellent sandy beaches including Praia da Rocha, Praia da Vau and Alvor. Perfect for a fishing or golfing holiday, Portimao harbour is the place to book deep-sea fishing trips and boat trips around the port and to neighbouring resorts. Golfing facilities are plentiful with fine courses such as the Alto Golf and Country Club and the Penina Golf Resort situated nearby. The are of course is renowned for its climate and the weather in Portimao is ideal for family holidays as well as being just the job for golfers all year round, with long hours of sunshine and low rainfall. Portimao can be reached from the A-22 motorway and is about 65 kilometres from Faro. Portimao Map.

April 17, 2010

Marbella Costa del Sol

Filed under: Costa del Sol,Holidays,Spain — Tags: , , — needahand @ 5:11 pm

Famous as a playground of the rich and famous, the resort of Marbella located on the Costa del Sol, Andalucia, Spain has a population of over 125,000, which of course increases considerably during the busy summer months, and a municipal area of some 114 square kilometres. Situated in the province of Malaga, Marbella and its neighbour Puerto Banus, has long been a sought after destination for wealthy visitors from Northern Europe. Marbella is also popular with golfers, and there are numerous fine courses in the immediate areas around the resort, other sports which thrive in the town include tennis and all sorts of water sports. Only as long ago as the 1940’s, Marbella was just a small fishing village with less than one thousand residents, it grew when Prince Max Egon zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg bought land in the area and opened the Marbella Club Hotel, attracting a higher class of visitors to this part of Spain. Marbella has some 27 kilometres of coastline and over 20 beaches to explore and enjoy, the climate is fantastic with the weather in Marbella being sunny and dry for most months of the year and very reliable between the months of May and October. Marbella is around fifty kilometres from Malaga and its International Airport. Marbella Map.

Swanage Dorset

Filed under: England,Holidays,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , — needahand @ 2:10 pm

One of Dorset’s more popular seaside resorts, the town of Swanage has been attracting holidaymakers since Victorian times and became even more popular after the introduction of the railway by the London and South Western Railway Company in 1885. It has survived as a traditional English seaside resort mostly due to its unspoilt nature and the beauty of its surrounding coastline, being part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site of Dorset, which alone attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world. Swanage today has a population of just over 10,000, and its economy revolves mostly around tourism, though it was previously significant for both fishing and quarrying, its being the prime location for many centuries for the production of Purbeck stone and Purbeck marble. As a holiday resort its attractions include its sandy beach, its excellent climate and its beautiful coast, with the renowned Old Harry Rocks located nearby, other attractions include Corfe Castle, Studland Bay, Lulworth Cove, Durlston Country Park, Durlston Bay, Peveril Point and the Swanage Lighthouse, it is a good base for touring many of Dorset’s other attractive towns and villages and beautiful unspoilt countryside. Swanage can be reached by way of the A351 and is about 7 miles from Poole.

Map of Swanage Dorset

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