International Travel

Archive for the ‘Spain’ Category

The Costa del Sol has been a holiday hotspot for the past 30 years. British and German tourists have flocked here in the droves in order to soak up the sun, head to the beaches and generally enjoy everything that the Costa del Sol has to offer.

But the Costa del Sol has changed in recent years. There are now more options for those who are looking for a change to the package holiday.

Early in 2010 DDG World opened their health spa retreat in Casares which offers luxury spa break holidays on the Costa del Sol. The idea is that you visit the retreat, relax and unwind among sub tropical land.

The retreat covers around 4 hectares of land and is situated slightly inland close to the town of Casares. Casares is a well known town and dates back to Roman times. A real must see while staying at the retreat.

The retreat break allows you to escape from the stresses and strains of everyday life and re-discover yourself. While at the retreat there is much to do including spa treatments, tennis, swimming, horse riding, yoga, meditation, walking, swimming or just relaxing with a book listening to the Cicadas in the trees and soaking up the gorgeous Spanish sunshine.

There is also a choice of accommodation on offer including five, one bedroom casas and one designer villa which can sleep up to 12 people.

The retreat is ideal for those looking for a romantic break and is also idea as a honeymoon location.

Whatever you decide you want, the DDG World retreat will definitely provide you with a spa holiday you will not forget.

There´s much more to the little island of Lanzarote than just package holidays alone.  As this cool Canary Island has also become a hot favourite with independent travellers too in recent years.  A sector that has been stimulated by the recent introduction of more cheap flights to Lanzarote from budget airlines such as Ryanair.  Who continue to add new low cost services from the UK.

Lanzarote is just a four hour flight from mainland Europe, which goes some way towards explaining its popularity with British tourists.  And boasts an enviable year round climate that delivers sunshine even during the depths of winter.  Making it possible to enjoy a break here at any time of the year.

There are nearly one hundred beaches to explore, with the best located outside of the main resorts.  Amongst the better known are Arrieta, a delightful former fishing village with a lovely beach, Playa La Garita.  Which is flanked by a couple of decent reataurants.  And Famara in the north, which is a popular haunt with surfers and kiteboarders.  Thanks to the fact that wind and wave conditions on this coastline are much stronger.   Lanzarote even has a couple of black sand beaches, such as Playa Quemanda which literally translates as burnt beach.  But unlike on other Canary Islands the vast majority of the beaches here have golden sand.

The main resorts are Puerto del Carmen, Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise.  And this is where holidaymakers will find the bulk of the best accommodation.  With Playa Blanca especially home to the largest selection of apartments and villas in Lanzarote.  Whilst Puerto del Carmen is home to a big range of apartment complexes.

Wherever people stay they should rent a vehicle and take a tour of the island.  Car hire in Lanzarote costs from as little as €13 per day and there are a huge number of sights to take in.  Starting in the north of the island – long regarded as the real heart of Lanzarote – with the majestic Mirador del Rio and the pretty village of Haria, which can be found deep in the Valley of 1000 Palms.

Heading towards the south visitors shouldn’t miss the unique volcanic wine fields of Lanzarote as well as the Fire Mountains.  Which is the local’s name for the volcanic region that was created during the 18^thcentury by very large scale eruptions that went on for over six years.

Like the Seville region, the province of Cordoba is landlocked, though that should not be a reason for the more adventurous traveller to not visit either for they both are fascinating.  The region of Cordoba is split by the mighty Rio Guadalquivir on which lies the ancient city of Cordoba, founded by the Romans, though it flourished under the Moorish occupation and this is evident in the architecture found all over the city.

Built on a sharp bend of the river which is crossed by the Roman bridge, the El Puente Romano, the city was once a port.  When the Moors were replaced by the Christians, the city’s beauty was left untouched and the Christian cathedral was built within the mosque, the Mezquita. The Mezquita dates back to the 12 century and symbolises the power of the Moorish Islamic influence on this region of Andalucia. Built in 785AD by Abd al Rahman, the mosque has been added to over the generations by both Christian and Islamic faiths as they each controlled this area.

At the centre of Cordoba is the old Jewish quarter where little has changed in centuries, narrow streets and garden plazas, tapas bars and restaurants, an ideal area to explore and relax in the Spanish way. The bull fighting museum and the cool and refreshing fountains and gardens of the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos are well worth a visit both being open from Tuesday to Sunday.

Move outside of the city into the area of Cordoba, and you’ll find it quite unoccupied, most of the population live in the city itself while the remainder are spread out in this large unexploited region. Summers here are dry and hot, so the best time of the year to visit is during the cooler spring and autumn months, where you will find villages that still hold on to their Spanish values, something that has almost all but disappeared from the Costas to the south.