The Costa Brava on the Catalan coast of Spain is made up of several neighbouring villages and resort towns as well as the celebrated city of Barcelona. Beautiful beaches, a stunning natural landscape and a temperate climate have all contributed to the Costa Brava becoming a holiday hotspot for those seeking fun in the sun. What makes the Costa Brava interesting is that while several parts of the coast have become clichéd tourist destinations, there are still also several hidden gems dotted along the coastline that are ripe for exploring.
Take for instance Tossa de Mar. This romantic marine town holds its own as one of the Costa Brava’s most beautiful cities. A visit here wouldn’t be complete without a stroll around the Old Town and its city wall – the only one that has been maintained on the Catalan Coast. Pause for a few moments and enjoy the sun, sand and sangria whilst watching the world pass by.
Many holidaymakers will choose to stay in Blanes for its excellent shopping or Lloret de Mar for its eclectic nightlife, but go off the beaten path and in between the two you’ll find little known Cala Sant Francesc, a small hidden beach that’s popular with locals. Head here for a truly authentic Spanish experience. Be sure to stop for a bite to eat at Restaurant Cala Bona where you’ll find delicious Mediterranean cuisine and very affordable prices. What’s great about this Spanish region is that you can choose to base yourself at any one of the many cheap Costa Brava hotels then set out to explore all the hidden gems the area has to offer.
This post is part of a monthly Spanish Series sponsored by www.hotels4u.com, where you’ll find plenty of Costa Brava hotels suitable for all tastes and budgets.
Travel Photo of the Week: Renmark, South Australia, Australia
Renmark is a small country town situated on the banks of the mighty Murray River in South Australia. It had been a travel destination I had wanted to visit for some time to see the magnificent red cliffs of nearby Paringa. We visited Renmark on the way home from our 2008 Central Australian trip and fell in love with the area. We enjoyed this view of the river, cliffs and surrounding flood plains from an easily accessed lookout. We were surprised to only see the one houseboat in this stretch of river and expected numerous houseboats and speed boats with water skiers, but it was very peaceful. Maybe we were out of season?
I’ve recently had the pleasure to review one of the available MP3 audio tours from the ‘Iconic Guides‘ collection. Iconic Guides is a newly launched online business offering extremely high quality audios from historic destinations around the world. Dr Benedict Davies is a freelance writer and the founder of Iconic Guides and Della Phillips is the well-known and highly experienced voiceover artist used for the audios.
The ‘Tomb of Tutankhamun’ MP3 Audio Tour comprises 8 audios and each MP3 is relevant to a supplied PDF numbered plan of the tomb. The total tour time is approximately 27mins. The audio is made up of the following:
The discovery of the Tomb
An Introduction to the Tomb
The Antechamber
The Burial Chamber & the King’s Sarcophagus
The Wall Decoration of the Burial Chamber
The Treasury
Tutankhamum, Child of the Revolution
The Amduat
The audios provide an unprecedented level of detailed information into the cultural, artistic and architectural heritage of the Tomb of Tutankhamun. This is an excellent way to learn about the site without having to tag along with numerous tourists listening to a tour guide, or lug around that travel guide book!
A detailed ‘How-To‘ explains how you can purchase and download the guides.
Juan-les-Pins is situated between Nice and Cannes on the French Riviera. Offering visitors beautiful beaches cut with small inlets. It also offers many nightclubs, a casino and restaurants, making it one of popular travel destinations in Europe.
Juan-les-Pins is most famous for its annual jazz festival during July and has in fact just celebrated its 50th year.
During 1857 the Jardin Botanique de la Villa Thuret was created, a renowned 8.5 acre botanical garden on the grounds of Villa Thuret. The garden is open during the week and entry is free.
The Traveler IQ challenge ranks geographic knowledge of cities such as: Punta Cana, Willemstad or Columbia by comparing results against 5,473,834 other travelers.
The Costa Brava on the Catalan coast of Spain is made up of several neighbouring villages and resort towns as well as the celebrated city of Barcelona. Beautiful beaches, a stunning natural landscape and a temperate climate have all contributed to the Costa Brava becoming a holiday hotspot for those seeking fun in the sun. What makes the Costa Brava interesting is that while several parts of the coast have become clichéd tourist destinations, there are still also several hidden gems dotted along the coastline that are ripe for exploring.
The discovery of the Tomb
Entries (RSS)