Europe Explored » balearic island https://europeexplored.com Travel through the most beautiful places in Europe Sun, 08 Sep 2013 13:36:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=3.6 This Summer’s Hottest Beach Destinations https://europeexplored.com/2012/04/27/this-summers-hottest-beach-destinations/ https://europeexplored.com/2012/04/27/this-summers-hottest-beach-destinations/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:40:17 +0000 Claire https://europeexplored.com/?p=7205 The arrival of summer for many means going on holiday to warmer climes, spending leisurely days of relaxation, fun, and even some excitement. This year, why not head to one of the hottest summer destinations in Europe, live it up, and return tanned and refreshed? Here are our picks: Ibiza, Spain Ibiza may be known […]

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The arrival of summer for many means going on holiday to warmer climes, spending leisurely days of relaxation, fun, and even some excitement. This year, why not head to one of the hottest summer destinations in Europe, live it up, and return tanned and refreshed? Here are our picks:

Ibiza, Spain

Ibiza may be known as the party capital of the world, and a must-do vacation for the New Year, but it’s also one of the best summer destinations. The Balearic Island has a pleasant May climate, with clear days and temperatures in the mid-twenties. From June to September, the weather is warm and pleasant. Beach temperatures range from the mid to late twenties, making it a perfect place to laze around and get tanned in the mornings, and partying in the evenings. The northern region has olive groves and wooded areas, and is truly stunning. The beaches are packed till August, and less crowded from September onwards, so if you cherish your peace and quiet, that’s when you should plan your trip.

Ibiza, Spain
Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by David Sim

St Tropez, France

St Tropez is one of the oldest tourist attractions in Europe, and where the A-list crowd prefers to go. This tourist attraction owes its popularity to the influx of artists and musicians after the Second World War. It is known for its sunny beaches (with public tanning areas and private huts as well. The beaches also offer plenty of activities including windsurfing, sailing, yachting, diving and other water sports. These beaches combine glamour, leisure, nightlife and other activities to make an irresistible package.

St Tropez, France
Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Michael Gwyther-Jones

Malta

Malta, Gozo and Comino offers plenty of beautiful places for swimming. Sandy beaches are a popular choice, especially for families with children, but swimming is very popular on rocky beaches as well. Beach clubs and swimming pools are an excellent opportunity for those who like comfort. If you do not want to be surrounded by a crowd of people on the sandy beaches, it is better to visit them on weekdays.

Paradise Bay is probably one of the most beautiful beach scenery in Malta – the beach is located in a beautiful bay near the town of Cirkewwa. You can use chairs, umbrellas and enjoy a meal in a beach restaurant. Beach itself is small, but suitable for snorkelling.

Blue Lagoon, Comino, Malta
Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Shepard4711

Sardinia, Italy

Sardinia is one of the two islands that lie off the western coast of Italy (Sicily being the other), and is not as crowded as the other Italian hotspots. It has stunning white beaches punctuated by the little coves. Apart from the obvious attraction of Mediterranean weather, Sardinia offers several attractions for the discerning tourist: from the Nuraghi (prehistoric cone-shaped buildings) to Nora, the archaeological sites where Carthiginian remains have been uncovered; from the Roman remains in Cagliari to the hillsides, meadows and hamlets of Barbagia.

Sardinia, Italy
Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by claire rowland

Santorini, Greece

Santorini in Greece, with its beaches, little hamlets and even an active volcano, is one of the hottest summer vacation spots in Europe. Traditional buildings (from as early as the 16th century), wineries, ruins and restored villas, and villages with their cobbled pathways, cafes and restaurants offer travellers a holiday they can cherish. The weather is mild from April to June, and September and October are the best times to visit the island. The sunsets here are known to be among the most spectacular in the world, sitting in perfect isolation on the outer ring of the Cyclades.

Santorini, Greece
Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Lyn Gateley

While all these destinations can be stunning, it’s your interests and tastes that can make your holiday perfect. Choose what works best for you, pack your designer swimwear and head off on a holiday you’ll remember and boast about for years to come!

This article was brought to you by the people at Beach Cafe – online retailers and specialist in designer swimwear and travel tips.


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Menorca – colourful island of Spain https://europeexplored.com/2011/10/12/menorca-colourful-island-of-spain/ https://europeexplored.com/2011/10/12/menorca-colourful-island-of-spain/#comments Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:42:10 +0000 Claire https://europeexplored.com/?p=5114 Quite overshadowed by the fame of its larger “sister” Mallorca, is another Balearic Island – Menorca, lying only 40 km to the northeast. However it is equally beautiful island, rich in diverse landscapes, unspoiled nature and offering excellent recreational opportunities in coastal villages boasting a unique buildings and atmosphere. Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, […]

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Quite overshadowed by the fame of its larger “sister” Mallorca, is another Balearic Island – Menorca, lying only 40 km to the northeast. However it is equally beautiful island, rich in diverse landscapes, unspoiled nature and offering excellent recreational opportunities in coastal villages boasting a unique buildings and atmosphere.

Menorca - colourful island of Spain
Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by hugos007

Menorca boasts several “Best”, it is not only the second largest and geologically the oldest island of the Balearic Island, but also the easternmost and northernmost situated island. Covers an area of ​​702 km2, which is a mere fifth of Mallorca. From west to east is approximately 50 kilometres long and from south to north just 17 kilometres wide. In the north of the island there is the wild and unspoilt area called Tramuntana. South of the island known as Migiorn is characterized by reddish soil plains with snow-white beaches and rocky cliffs. Inland of the island is full of fields, pastures and picturesque villages where the time has stopped years ago. They are a far away from a lively tourist centers on the coast. Inland also houses the island’s highest peak, Monte Toro which is soaring to an altitude of 358 meters.

Many visitors of Menorca, talk about it as a “green island”. The green color is really typical for the island, lush green vegetation surrounding you at every step. This is due to high humidity. There are trees that managed to adapt to the quality of soil and climate. These are mainly oak, pine and wild olive trees. Along the roads you can see prickly pear or cactus figs. In addition, there are about 250 kinds of medicinal aromatic herbs and rare Menorca’s flowers Socarell and Daphne.

Menorca - colourful island of Spain
Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Jaume Meneses

Green colour on Menorca is certainly the major, but not the only colour which the visitors encounter with here. The island is surrounded by azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea, warmed by the golden rays of the sun. There are red-brown rocks and along the coast you can see the villages with bright white houses.

Menorca has a rich history as well, in the past a number of nationalities have changed here, which left traces not only in architecture, gastronomy, nomenclature, but also in the style of life of local residents. So Menorca still retains its unique character and is quite different from the other Balearic islands. The Romans named it Balearis Menor, which means “small island”, which subsequently evolved the present name of Menorca.

Menorca - colourful island of Spain
Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Miguel Perez

Local residents are working hard to save the virgin nature on the island and preserve it for future generations. In 1991, almost half of the island has been declared a protected area, two years later has Menorca been even declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. As a result is a good balance between man and nature. On the island there are 19 protected areas under the highest level of protection. These areas are home to many animal species like small mammals, reptiles, insects and birds.

The construction of the high hotels is not allowed here and all accommodation structures have to meet certain standards. Thanks to it they all fit nicely into the landscape and does not affect its character. Menorca offers 60,000 hotel beds, which is in comparison with other tourist destinations very few. The number of tourists who can visit the island is so limited and hoteliers, of course, use this situation and raise the prices. All services on Menorca are significantly more expensive than in mainland Spain.

Coast of Menorca is very rugged, about 200 kilometres long and is made up of picturesque beaches, which are separated by rocky cliffs. Very interesting are the rocky bays having the shape of the fjord, a typical example is the area of ​​Cales Coves. The longest and of course the most popular beach on the island is a sandy beach Son Bou, reaching a length of over two kilometers. But will certainly find the beach that suits your needs and thoughts.

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