Helsinki is a city of the sea; weirdly it was built alongside a series of oddly shaped peninsulas and islands jutting into the Gulf of Finland. Back in the 1800’s there was a huge fire which destroyed most of the buildings in and around Helsinki, so everything has had to be remade, as a result everything is more modern, Helsinki has some of the purest neoclassical architecture in the world. Helsinki is the meeting point of western and Eastern Europe, the fact is reflected in its cosmopolitan image, its influx of Russians and Estonians and its generally multilingual population. Helsinki is a beautiful city and is the perfect place for sitting back and relaxing with a bit of people watching.

Helsinki’s Market Square – Kauppatori, Finland by Eoghan OLionnain

Coming ashore

Helsinki is a very busy cruise destination and trust me, as soon as you dock here, you can see why so many people would want to come here. you can dock at three destinations, these are; katajaokka quay, this has a shop, toilets and a taxi station, it’s not too far from the city centre from here you can easily walk there, south harbour has a terminal at Olympia quay, there’s shopping, info desks, currency exchange and a taxi rank here, it’s about a 15 minute walk into the main part of town from here. The final port is hernasaari harbour which has shops, an info desk, taxi rank and even internet access, it’s much further away from the main part of town than any other harbour, so you may have to consider going in a taxi.

What to do in Helsinki

Helsinki has so much stuff to do; you’ll find it hard to fit everything in that you want to do! Here are the two things that you must do in my experience; you must come to the Helsinki zoo (korkeasaari elaintarha) there are snow leopards and reindeer enjoying the cold climate all year round, there are wonders of creatures here that love the cold, it’s a real different zoo and extremely good to bring the kids to. But if you love exploring and you love history then you must come to suomenlinna, which is Finland’s castle. It is now a unesco world heritage site and had museums, gardens, parks and much more, it makes a great day out. Learn all about the history of Finland from the Russians, the British to the Crimean war.

Helsinki Zoo, Finland by Pete

Where to eat

What can I say about the food at Helsinki? It’s incredible that’s what! There are two places to eat that I would extremely recommend and these are:

Havis

Havis is just across the street from the main market square; this restaurant specializes in traditional Scandinavian dishes with the slight twist to certain meals. You must start with the blue mussel soup and then move onto specialities such as the slow fried whitefish. Vegetarians will love the mushroom crepes with glazed vegetables; there is also a daily vegetarian special. The dessert menu is the best; it includes traditional Finnish standards like strawberry milk and doughnuts with coffee pudding, absolutely divine.

Zucchini

Zucchini is perfect for a vegetarian lunch or just a coffee; it’s the place to come to relax. There are pizzas, pasta, soup, salad and much more and all are made fresh to order and are extremely tasty. The atmosphere here gives of the homely vibe, it’s great to just sit here and people watch.

I would love to come back to Helsinki another day, maybe more in style next time by going on Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth in 2014. You have to come to Helsinki on a cruise; it feels like that’s the way you have to come.

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A Shoreline in Majorca, Spain / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Andrew Havis

Majorca’s Beaches

Majorca has more than its fair share of sun, sea and sand – in fact, it’s known for having some of the best beaches in the Mediterranean. The only problem for visitors is which beach to choose. Magaluf in the south west is every popular, with 900 metres of beach, a new promenade and lots of bars and restaurants. It’s great for singles and young couples as the area is known for its nightlife. In fact, it’s the island’s nightclub capital. Families may prefer somewhere a bit quieter.

You can find a great family beach at Alcudia. Not only is the sand as fine as that on a golf course, but there’s a children’s playground and shallow water. Lots of watersports and restaurants on the beach make this the perfect place for a day out. With three beaches, Palma Nova is another good option. If you’re not bothered about watersports then Cala Tuent in the north east and Calas de Mallorca in the south east both offer plenty of space for sun worshippers – and nice scenery too!

Palma Majorca, Spain / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by John Burke

Exploring the Capital

If you want to spend some time out of the sun, there’s still plenty to do in Majorca. Palma is a good place to start. You can pick up transport around the island from Plaça d’Espanya which is underneath a large park. Kids will enjoy the themed play areas while you wait. Included in Palma’s chequered history is a period of Moorish rule and one of its most famous sights, La Seu, is a cathedral built on top of what used to be a mosque. This heritage is also on show in the warren-like Old City whose narrow streets are well worth exploring and the Arab Baths, though in disrepair, are well worth a look.

Outside the capital are other historic and picturesque sights, so be sure to leave the beach for a sightseeing trip at some point during your stay.

Marian Jaime writes for Suntransfers who offer transfers from Majorca airport to get your holiday off to a fabulous start.

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