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.
Archive for the ‘Spain’ Category
Los Gigantes Tenerife
Thursday, March 11th, 2010Isla Canela Costa de la Luz
Thursday, March 11th, 2010Just 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.
Playa de Aro Costa Brava
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010One 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.
Fuengirola Costa del Sol
Thursday, March 4th, 2010A popular beach resort located on the Costa del Sol coastline of Andalucia, southern Spain, Fuengirola attracts thousands of holidaymakers throughout the year, who arrive to make use of the fabulous sandy beaches, fine sporting facilities, good quality hotels and vibrant nightlife scene. Fuengirola began its life as a holiday resort back in the 1960’s and continued to expand until the present day, perhaps a little too much as along with Torremolinos and Benalmadena, has a bit of a reputation as a concrete jungle. The majority of visitors however spend the bulk of their stay in the resort, enjoying the five mile long sandy beach and basking in the terrific Fuengirola weather which the resort experiences. There is plenty of choice in accommodation with dozens of hotels on offer, there is also a wide variety of privately owned accommodation (apartments and villas) making it fairly simple to book a stay in the town.
History of Lloret de Mar Catalonia
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010One of the oldest established and best known coastal resorts along the Costa Brava in Spain, Lloret de Mar has the appearance of a modern holiday resort with some great family orientated facilities. The town however has a long and distinguished history with settlements recorded in the area since the times of the ancient Iberians way back in the third and fourth centuries BC. The Romans considered it important enough to establish a trading post in Lloret de Mar (although of course it was not called this at the time) during their time in the region, and much later a castle was built for the protection of its inhabitants, enabling them to live closer to the sea, a previously dangerous area due to pirate attacks. From about the early 11th century it took on its present name of Lloret which is though to have come from the Latin for ‘place of laurels’. After Spanish exploits in the New World, Lloret de Mar became an important area for shipbuilding and trade, its sailors heading off for such places as Uruguay, Argentina and Cuba, bringing back many riches making the town wealthy and establishing its ‘Americanos’ as these travellers became known. The 20th century saw the arrival of tourism in Lloret de Mar and it is this modern industry which predominates in the town today. The fine beaches, great weather and excellent facilities are what attract visitors to present day Lloret de Mar.
Salou and Cambrils Costa Dorada
Monday, February 22nd, 2010
Salou Costa Dorada
Two of the best loved resorts on the Costa Dorada coastline of Catalonia, Spain, Cambrils and Salou could not be more different. Salou, the typical Spanish holiday resort, aimed at package holidays and especially British tourists, Cambrils the traditional Spanish fishing town, retaining much of its old charm and attracting a larger number of Spanish nationals rather than International tourists. Cambrils has plenty of sand for the traditional beach style holiday, but is especially renowned for its seafood restaurants which are supplied by local fishermen who land their daily catch in the harbour much as they have done for many centuries. Cambrils has a long history, but has hung on to its traditions and not been spoilt by over-development, the old town still has narrow cobbled streets and the air of a Catalonian fishing village. Despite its modern look and feel, Salou too has a long history and was actually first settled by the Greeks over 2,000 years ago, it was also a Roman settlement as the Romans set out from nearby Tarragona to conquer the Iberian Peninsular, it grew as a tourist resort during the 1960’s and expanded with little regard to aesthetics, becoming a sprawling mess of apartment blocks and high-rise hotels. Salou is still popular however, with those seeking a particular style of holidays and being provided with everything they need in that regard – lots of entertainment, plenty of sandy beaches, amusements and sports activities, in fact there is so much to do that obtaining a car hire vehicle is advisable to get the most from your visit. Salou is the location of the large Port Aventura theme park, one of the largest of its kind in Europe. Both resorts enjoy a wonderful climate which is of course one of the major draws for tourists, the weather in Salou and Cambrils is generally warm and sunny in the summer months and mild during the winter. Map of Salou.
Villajoyosa Benidorm Costa Blanca
Saturday, February 20th, 2010Well worth a visit if you are travelling around the northern Costa Blanca in Spain, the town of Villajoyosa, located a few kilometres south of the huge holiday resort of Benidorm, is one of the prettiest in the region. Well known for its multi-coloured houses, Villajoyosa is an old fishing village, turned holiday resort, it has several fine beaches and a charming fishing harbour, where you can watch the locally caught fish, landed and auctioned off. Whilst in Villajoyosa be sure to visit the chocolate factory and the chocolate museum, for this is one of Spain’s major chocolate producing towns, its turron and chocolate delicacies well known throughout Europe. If you can pick your time to visit, try to coincide with a local fiesta, so that you can join in with local customs, the Fiesta de San Isidore is held in May, and in September, a fiesta in honour of the Archangel Michael takes place. If you are visiting between May and October you can expect the Villajoyosa weather to be sunny and dry, as the town experiences over 300 sunny days each year. The nearest airport for Villajoyosa is at Alicante, if you are hiring a car and need a road map you will find a useful one here: Alicante Airport Map.