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Côte d’Azur, the Mediterranean Paradise
The Côte d´Azur is the name of the Mediterranean coast located in the southeast region of France, which is also known as the French Riviera. This French region is one of the most preferred coastal areas by travelers looking for a beach break, as well as being home to many international celebrities. Photo: Tobi 87 Since the days of ancient Greece, travelers and traders have admired this beautiful area not only because of its beautiful landscapes, but also because of its unlimited source of light and colors. The Scottish writer Tobias Smollett, after his many travels around the coasts of the Mediterranean in Italy and France, was the person who revealed the existence of a piece of paradise, where the light was extremely intense and the sun shone more strongly than anywhere else on earth, known then as the French Riviera. European royals families, after getting to know about such place, blessed by the best climate in the world, decided to spend the long, cold winter season in Côte d´Azur. The origin of the term Côte d´Azur comes from the book La Côte d’azur, released in 1887, which the famous French poet Liégeard Stéphen wrote by the Mediterranean waters of this coast. This way of calling this region became the most popular since then until today. Countless artists such as Claude Monet, Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso fell in love with this coastal area because of its incomparable scenery, great weather and its colors and light that have been an important source of their inspiration. All you knew about the French Riviera was that it is the...
The Top 3 Artificial Beaches in Europe
The Top 3 Artificial Beaches in Europe
Costa Brava and Costa Dorada – Experience beautiful Catalonia beyond Barcelona!
Many people, who think of travelling to Spain on holiday, have Barcelona as one of their main destinations, which although beautiful and charming, it is only one of the many destinations in the region of Catalonia. Today we’ll discover Costa Brava and Costa Dorada. Photo: Horrabin Costa Brava The Costa Brava, which literally means “the wild coast”, is a beautiful 160km coastline located in northern Catalonia. Being part of the province of Gerona, Costa Brava offers countless white sandy beaches, breathtaking landscapes and a sun that never stops shining that make this Catalan region the perfect destination for a romantic or family holiday. Some of the major towns that compose Costa Brava are San Feliu de Guixols, Cadaqués, Lloret de Mar and Tossa de Mar, among many others. These towns are ideal places to enjoy medieval architecture, beaches, water sports and an unsurpassed cuisine, which entice tourists from all around the world. In Costa Brava the weather is simply great for any activity or sport outdoors, whether going golfing, hiking into the mountains, riding bicycles or walking on the beautiful beaches, you’ll always find the right place to do it, no matter if it is on the many nature reserves in the area, or in the depths of the sea. The natural beauty of its landscapes is simply unmatched. Don’t miss the Marine Reserve from Medes Islands. Other important reserves are the Parque Natural dels Aiguamolls and the Parque Natural del Cap de Creus. Charming places like the former fishing village of Cadaqués, which became famous by the works of Dali, seem to be frozen in time, while we...
Only-apartments joins the Vacation Rental Managers Association (VRMA)
We’re pleased to announce that we have joined VRMA as supplier members. VRMA is the voice of professional trade association of our industry worldwide and aims to promote holiday rentals as a sector as well as encouraging good business practices. Amongst many other benefits, we’re looking forward to meeting other VRMA members (perhaps some of you!) at future events, and discussing the hot topics and trends. We’ll certainly be sharing what we find out with you...
Travel while still cheap: Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a city that charms everyone who visits it, because of its magnificent walled area, which gives the holiday makers a sense of what it once was a very important Adriatic port. Throughout the centuries, the city has been shaping a strong personality, which despite wars and a great earthquake, it remains as one of the most beautiful cities on the Mediterranean coast. Besides in 1979, Dubrovnik was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is a guarantee that you are going to enjoy your next vacations on a truly amazing place. Although this Croatian coast is not a best-kept holiday destination anymore, it is a great place to come with family and friends and have a fantastic time without spending too much. However I guarantee you, this is not going to last for long, so if you want to enjoy all the beauty of the Mediterranean coast on the cheap, you better hurry and start planning your trip already. Photo: Łukasz Bolikowski So in order to make the most out of Dubrovnik, here are some hotspots in the city that you’ll want to visit: St. John Fortress St. John Fortress, also called the Mulo tower (which means “spring”), was built to protect the port of the city. Although the fortress was built during the 14th century, it has been subsequently amended on several occasions. In this building, you will find the maritime museum, which displays the navigation and fishing activities of the city from medieval times through models, charts and naval and marine instruments. Right there you’ll also find the city aquarium, which displays samples of the maritime...
Beaches in Tel Aviv
If you plan on visiting Tel Aviv, you should not miss visiting the city’s beautiful beaches. You will be surprised by the variety of beaches as well as the gorgeous views of the skyline that you will have from the water. What better way is there to unwind after a day of sightseeing, then to relax in the warm sand and sun, cool off with a dip in the Mediterranean, and enjoy the sound of waves crashing all around you? Tel Aviv has a long strip of sandy beaches lining the city’s west coast (14 km long), and the majority of them are free. And it is amazingly easy to get there, since you can walk to most of them. If you do not feel like walking, just hop in a taxi for a short ride. © happyjed1 HaTzuk Beach This is undoubtedly the nicest beach in Tel Aviv. It is also, however, the only one that charges an admission. There are two parts of the beach that are connected with a promenade. They have really good facilities as well as an outdoor gym and places to rent umbrellas and beach chairs. It is a very family friendly beach with small pools of water children love to play in on the south side and a playground that offers shade on the north side. If you need a break, visit one of the lovely cafes there for a cool drink or meal. It is located in the northern side of the city and easiest to reach by taxi. Metzitzim Beach This beach was immortalized by a 1972 Israeli film...
The Turkish Riviera: Enjoying the pleasant Mediterranean weather
Have you ever been to Turkey? Yeah, I know. You probably have visited the famous Blue Mosque, taken a cruise on the Bosphorus, dined at Galata Tower, gone shopping in the grand Bazaar and visited the Hagia Sophia. But if you´ve only visited the beautiful Istanbul you´ve seen just a small part of a country full of paradises. For those travelers hungry for new adventures in exotic places, we present you the Turkish Riviera. Photo: yilmaz ovunc Located in the Southwest region of the country, the Turquoise Coast as it is also called, includes Mugla and Antalya, as well as some parts of Izmir and Aydın. This beautiful region has countless archaeological and cultural treasures that added to its pleasant Mediterranean weather make the perfect place for your next summer holiday. Over a thousand kilometers of beach in front of two of the most beautiful seas in the world: the Mediterranean and the Aegean, the Turkish Riviera is a very popular tourist destination, that opens Turkey’s doors to the world. The Turkish Riviera has been blessed to have, among its many attractions, two of the seven wonders of the ancient world: the Temple of Artemis and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. Because of its peculiar ancestral character, its cosmopolitan environment and its proximity to the Taurus Mountains, Antalya is one of the most important tourist attractions of the Turkish Riviera. Its white-sand beaches, crystal clear waters, green mountains and a relaxed atmosphere are just some of the reasons why this city is the most preferred tourist destination in the region. Marmaris is a natural harbor, which has everything you´d expect to...
Shakespeare in the Park 2013
Central Park is the most famous urban park in the United States and possibly in the whole world. Its well-deserved reputation is partly, due to the many cultural activities that take place in it all year long. The central park is also adorned with a large number of historical monuments, which beautify community spaces, while highlighting the cultural heritage of the city. Foto: TimeOut New York Monuments and special areas in the park honor important people in arts and politics. A good example of it is William Shakespeare, who not only has a reserved space, the “Shakespeare Garden”, but also an entire festival dedicated to exalt his life and works, which are among the most famous anywhere in the world. Shakespeare in the Park is a summer theater festival held every year at Delacore Theater in Central Park. A lot of the shows offer free entrance, which is one of the reasons of its total success. This festival is definitely one of the major summer festivals in the Big Apple, not only because of the quality of its shows, but also because of the performances by movie stars such as Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Anne Hathaway and Natalie Portman, just to name a few stars of previous editions of the festival. The 2013 schedule includes… The comedy of Errors The Comedy of Errors is the first comedy and shorter work ever written by Shakespeare. The play is based on the adventures of two identical pairs of twins who were separated as children and now live in rival cities. These boys are experts in creating many confusing situations that are...
Tour de France 2013
Few sporting events, if any at all, have such a spectacular and beautiful final stage as the Tour de France does. This cycling race which mostly takes place during the month of July through all of France has its end at the Champs-Elysées, in Paris, an impressive stage that is quite fitting for the importance of this event. The Tour de France is a cycling race that has been taking place since 1903. Le Tour, as it´s commonly known, gathers the best cyclists in the world, who prepare themselves all year long to be able to compete at the top of the leaderboard. Flat stages, mountain stages, single and team time trials… the different stages make up a varied route that crowns the most regular and complete cyclist at the end of the whole event. Photo: Josh Hallett This year, the Tour starts on the island of Corsica, in the city of Bastia, and the 19 teams that are taking part in it have arrived from many different places, such as Kazakhstan, United States or Luxembourg among many others. This year´s edition is made up by 21 stages, some of them in emblematic spots from the history of the race, such as the Mont Ventoux and Alpe d´Huez, the former on July 14th, French National Day, a very important day for the Tour every year. The Tour will go through the Côte d´Azur, the Pyrenees, Normandy and Mont Saint-Michel, the centre of France, the French Alps and will end up in Paris. 21 fascinating stages that will culminate in the beautiful French capital. That´s why it´s not just a sporting...
