Sunday, July 22, 2012

Travel Spain: Girona and the Dali Triangle

Girona and the "Dali Triangle" are destinations known to the lucky few who travel Spain. This area in Catalonia is one of the undiscovered gems of Spain. Girona is about 100 km from Barcelona, but no one who chooses to travel Spain should miss this lovely area. Easily accessible by train, bus or even automobile from Barcelona, this destination recalls some of spain's most interesting history and one of its greatest artistic minds.

Girona is an beautiful, quaint town with an long history. The town was inhabited by Romans, Jews and Moors at different times in Spain's history, and traces of each group can be seen in this lovely city. The local dialect is Catalan, not Spanish, but the language of the lovely sights will speak to all visitors.

The Old Quarter is the center of the town's historic district, filled with medieval arches and dark, winding passageways that recall a different era. Filled with churches, lovely old houses and cobblestone drives, this picturesque section of town has homes dating from the middle ages and several lovely cathedrals.

The old Jewish neighborhood, called El Call is particularly interesting to explore. An old roman tower and the Jewish History Museum are of interest to many, as is the town's art museum featuring over 1000 years of artworks.

A promenade similar to the one in Barcelona, "La Rambla" will bring to mind a simpler time. This lovely street with overhanging trees, shops, little cafes and great restaurants has changed a little since medieval times, but it's charm hasn't lessened.

Nearby, visitors can explore "Dali's Triangle," a region just north of Girona and continuing to several destinations important in the life of this controversial artist. In Figueres, visitors can tour the third most visited museum, the Dali designed Museum-Theater. Fancifully designed by the artist himself, this building features large white eggs on the roof, a bright red color and loaves of bread made of glazed ceramics on the outside walls. Inside, visitors can view several of Dali's most famous works, including "Rainy Taxi." Dali is buried on site.

In the fishing village of Port Lligat visitors can view Dali's home. In this isolated hamlet, Dali built several homes together for himself and his wife, Gala. Some of the original décor is intact, including one of his famous "lip sofas." Of course, the nearby Club Med was not built in Dali's time, but it could make for an enjoyable stopover.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Make Your Holiday In Gran Canaria An Unforgettable Adventure

There are many things to do in Gran Canaria, if you are tired of the beach and water sports. The place has a lot more to offer. This mini continent is gifted with all the things you can see all over the world. From adventurous sports to shopping to family entertainment, you will surely have the vacation that you deserve.

Gran Canaria is known to be a beach hub but it is starting to be popular when it comes to adventurous sports such as rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking, excursions and karting. There are many rock formations ready to be explored by enthusiasts such as rock needles, gullies and cauldron like Roque Nublo that has 12 routes, Ayacata and vertical cliffs of Tamadaba. But if you are into mountain biking, there are many challenging paths that you can try, whether on your own or with a guide.

There are also many things to do in Gran Canaria for the whole family. There are theme parks that you can visit. Sioux City is a theme park with Wild West theme. You can do horse-riding and watch exciting shows. And on Friday nights, you can enjoy a fantastic barbecue dinner while you watch a real wild west show.

You can also have camel rides in Fataga where you can also learn different things about camels. Cocodrilo Park in Aguimes, will let you see 300 crocodiles, many tropical fishes and a cacti garden all in one place.

Do you want to experience Venice? Look no further. The island has its own version of Venice in Puerto de Morgan. This town is compared to Venice because of its canals. You can relax after an adventure in the mountains and you will surely be greeted by friendly residents. This town is also equipped with many bars, restaurants and cafes in case you want to deluge yourself with food and drinks.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Gran Canaria - Top Ten Reasons to Visit

Gran Canaria is probably the most interesting of the Canary Islands. Here are 10 excellent reasons to visit

1. Beautiful Scenery. Gran Canaria is often described as a mini continent because it has such an amazing diversity of scenery. The island is only 40km long but has tropical forests, volcanoes, a desert and golden beaches. It also has a wonderful range of plants with masses of bougainvillaea as well as banana, avocado, orange, date and coffee plantations.

2. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Las Palmas is the capital of Gran Canaria and has a beautiful historic centre which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city dates back to 1478. As well as its historic centre it is a large city and great for shopping.

3. Maspalomas sand dunes. These look like something from a Lawrence of Arabia film and you can even go camel trekking.

4. Playa del Ingles. If its parties and nightclubs you are looking for this is the place to head for. One of the biggest resorts in Spain.

5. Puerto de Mogan. This is a beautiful little port town filled with colourful bougainvillaea and buildings with bright paintwork.

6. Cruz de Tejeda. Take a drive through the wonderful mountain scenery at the interior of Gran Canaria. Lots of amazing views to admire including the view of Mount Tiede on the neighbouring island of Tenerife.

7. Agaete. Vegetation on the north of the island is much lusher than the south and the vegetation and lovely rock coast can be admired from the pretty coastal town of Agaete.

8. Water sports. Gran Canaria is an excellent base for surfing, diving, fishing, sailing in Catamarans and admiring the fish from a glass-bottomed boat.

9. Jardin Canario. A beautiful exotic garden not far from the city of Las Palmas. Full of cacti and succulents and lots of palm trees. The plants of the Canary Islands can be seen here.

10. Sunshine. Of course one of the main reasons so many people come to the Canary Islands is the all year round sunshine.