Top Things to do in Nafplio, the Ancient Capital of Greece
Known as a best-kept secret by nearby Athenians coming on Weekends, Nafplio, which used to be the capital of Greece one point after the independence, is one heck of a beautiful city. It is such a strategic point that it has 3 fortresses stretched on hills around the area. The Palamidi fortress is the biggest and makes a nice hike going up a set of stairs all the way to the top, where there are stunning views down to Nafplio, the Argolic Golf and the other fortress, the Akronafplia Fortress. the town of Nafplio itself provides a very nice walk around its incredibly beautiful streets lined up with little Greek restaurants, with nice Balconies along Amalias street and Vasileos Konstantinou Street. I really enjoyed going around the Akronafplia Fortress, a nice walk of about 1km that passes by Arvanitia Beach, a little stretch of pebble beach with crystal blue waters, providing an excellent base for a quick swim on a hot afternoon. The walk continues around the Akronafplia Fortress […]
Read More...→How to Stop Dreaming, Get Set and Start Traveling!
We live in societies where television has converted the population in a massive audience to consume other people’s stories. Movies, TV Shows, Youtube channels and even internet consumption has created this effect of being a spectator. However, when it is about our own lives, we are the main actors and it is our own story that we are building every day. To my eyes, it is not an option to live life behind a screen through others people’s adventures. So consider this: If traveling really is a dream of yours, whatever might be stopping you at the moment, you must stop traveling through other’s stories and become the main actor of your own adventures, no matter what! What is stopping you from doing so right now could be obstacles that seem too hard to overcome for the time being, but the truth is I see very few obstacles that justify not traveling at all. Money is usually a big one for most people before they […]
Read More...→Visit Crete: 2 to 3 Days Itinerary in Chania
Ever since I came to Chania 15 years ago as a novice traveler, I’ve been bragging about it as my favorite city in Greece. So being here again after such a long time definitely brought excitement to rediscover it. Chania offers a different feeling of the typical islands of the Cyclades with their white and blue architecture. Chania has a Phoenician, Venetian and Ottoman background where many remnants are still visible today. But its history goes even further with traces that are harder to see, such as its Minoan roots that date over 3500 years. Some open-air Minoan Archaeological sites can be found in the center of the old town. The most scenic part is concentrated around the Venetian port, which ads an interesting taste of Ottoman occupation, especially with the mosque of Kioustsouk Hasan situated right on the port on the eastern side. For me, the Venetian port makes it the most pittoresque port of all Greece and one of my favorite of Europe! sitting […]
Read More...→Visiting Ancient Olympia from Katakolo in the Greek Peloponnese
I’ve already rated Greece as the number one in my ranking Map of the most beautiful Countries, as well as one of the best in terms of Historically Rich destinations around the world. Ancient Olympia is one of those places that was on my list and this year it was time to pay it a visit. Birthplace of the Olympic games, Ancient Olympia was the chosen location to build the famous games which were hosted from 776 BC and have been played there for 1169 years before it was destroyed by an earthquake and later rediscovered by German archeologist. Since its opening to the public, it has become a popular touristic place to visit while in Greece, mostly for its significance more than what is left. In fact, very little is left. It seems more like a graveyard of stones laying everywhere than an actual Olympic site. Nevertheless, it is impressive to imagine that such an important sports traditions have been hosted here for so long. Several tours are […]
Read More...→Visiting Valletta, Malta: World Capital of Balconies
Malta is one of those European countries that “awe’s” me as soon as I set foot on its streets. The proof that a city doesn’t need any fancy activities to make it a great one. A short walk around Valletta, Malta’s tiny capital of less than 10000 people, will convince anybody that preserving its authenticity and showcasing its historical traits is the secret to making any city a great one! I’ve been in Malta for the first time in 10 years ago, and it hasn’t changed that much since then, except for the obvious restorations of the walls. At the time I had the opportunity to dig deeper into the suburbs of Valletta and all around the Island, which is definitely worth it! Mdina is the other highlight that I wish I had time to visit again, but this time I was on a short visit to the country and I would concentrate on the Capital only. Beautiful view of Valletta from the Mediterranean Sea […]
Read More...→Menorca: The Baleares Islands Best Kept Secret
You know the feeling when you go to the cinema to see a movie you have hardly heard of and see it with little expectations? And When you finally leave you are amazed by it? Well that’s what happened to me when I visited Mao, the capital of Menorca, the lesser known island of the 3 Baleares island. If you haven’t heard of Menorca you probably have of its bigger brothers who will surely ring a bell. Mallorca’s beaches and Ibiza’s Party have stolen the show for many years, but Menorca definitely deserves some credit as an amazing destination. My guess is the more people end up going, the more it will gather attention in the next few years which will help it grow exponentially, at the expense of its “little town” charm. Already, the mainstream cloth shops such as Zara, Mango, and Stradivarius have found home inside its old center, so make sure you hurry to pay this one a visit before Mcdonald and Burger […]
Read More...→Malaga: The Flawless Spanish City that Has it All – City Guide
Sunny Malaga has grown exponentially in the past 20 years to become one of the top 5 agglomerations in Spain. And for a good reason! Its location is just perfect, providing comfortable Andalusian weather all year round, with a nice sea breeze, as well as access to Spain’s best ski resorts around Granada just about an hour away. Culturally, it is rich with Andalusian culture which is to my eyes the most authentic in Spain and the easiest to flavor as a tourist. Being the birthplace of Pablo Picasso, it is easy to see how Malaga reserves a special attribute to culture, offering art museums and many architectural sites throughout the city. Its Alcazaba (a.k.a the little Alhambra) is also a great little extra to sample the Moorish era if you don’t have time to make it to Granada and provides a pleasant afternoon visit right in the center of old Malaga. What makes Malaga attractive to me is the fact that is it a great […]
Read More...→Cadiz: Oldest City in Western Europe
Ever since I visited the Romain ruins in Cartagena where I was told there was an even older city than Cartagena in Spain, I have had my eye on coming back to Cadiz to explore it more profoundly. Some claim it is as old as 3000 years old, built by the Phoenicians at the 8th century B.C. there is a lot of history around the small city, set as a port town fortified with walls and forts on a small peninsula. It breaths Andalusia at every corner, with orange trees lining the narrow streets and balconies on houses built and stacked so close together it wins the title of the densest city in Spain. Even Cristopher Colombus came here as a starting point on two of his first voyages to the Americas! Plaza de la Cathedral is the heart of the city, but there are also 3 other squares which form the epicenter of Cadiz. The others are Plaza San Juan de Dios, plaza de […]
Read More...→Tangier: The Moroccan Doors to Africa
Tangier used to be an important gateway to Europe (or to Africa) and seems to have caught up on its lack of interest for travelers which traditionally valued more others cities in the country such as Marrakech, Fes, Tetouan or Essaouira. This was the case when I first came to Tanger back in 2003. The city was known for high crime and was not recommended by most book guides out there, considering it a port of arrival rather than a touristic destination. That was the case for me at the time, having spent only 2 days in the cities before rushing south to more “attractive” destinations. However, this year’s visit surprised me. 15 years later, the Medina definitely has been pumped up with restorations to make it more appealing to the touristic eye. Most of the highlights will be around the Medina (historic old town) so it won’t be necessary to venture too far. However the Medina is set up on a cliff, with the […]
Read More...→Anchoring in Madeira Island, Portugal
Madeira, this Portugues island in the Atlantic received a lot of attention when Cristiano Ronaldo, who was born on the island, came to fame. Its a popular stop for cruise ships and sailboats doing the crossing between Europe and the Americas all the way back to the 15th century due to its strategic location. And it is considered nowadays one of the most beautiful cities in Portugal! Its the second time I’ve been to Funchal the Capital of Madeira. Easy to visit on foot in a single afternoon, it’s a refreshing city that reminds colonial cities of the Canary Islands, but with a Portuguese flavor. when I come here I like to skip commercial streets and head straight to the old town (Zona Velha) and this is exactly what I did on this trip. I actually discovered through foursquare a very nice cafe, the most highly rated on the island is called Barreirinha Bar Cafe. Its located on an amazing viewpoint at the very end […]
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