Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by JUAN RAMON RODRIGUEZ SOSA

Hiking in Tenerife

The point is that there is so much more to the landscape of this magical island. For one it is home of Pico Del Teide, which is Spain’s tallest peak, at a towering 3718m. It has incredible forestry and rock formations, volcanic colours as you go inland, so definitely pack your walking boots. The basic rule if you are looking for a more unique and cultured experience is to head away from the south-western resorts. The capital of Tenerife is a prime example and is actually largely untainted by tourism, being right up on the north east of the island. It has the most incredible carnivals second only to perhaps Rio De Janerio, with amazing traditional fiesta spirit.

The English Tenerife

If however you are looking for white sand, neon lights, night clubs, foam parties and banging tunes, get yourself down south to Los Cristianos, Playa de Las Américas or Costa Adeje. You will be able to buy pie and chips, and even a full English breakfast! Also down in the southern region, you can go to one of two of Tenerife’s incredible waterparks. Siam Park is a Thai themed park with a multitude of thrilling slides, or Aqualand where you can even get to see a dolphin show. Other more animal orientated water activities are the submarine safari, where you can go dolphin and whale spotting in a transparent submarine. Spectacular underwater scenes where bottlenose dolphins and pilot whales are known to migrate, also white and sperm whales are known to have been sighed.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Javier Sanchez Portero

Culture in Tenerife

For a more ‘intellectual’ attraction you could go to the region of Chacona and visit The Gumar Pyramids. The pyramids are not, as you at first may think, ancient like the Giza Pyramid in Egypt. They are in fact the subject of serious controversy, implying that they may be as recent as the 19th century. It is said that there were many such constructions throughout Tenerife, but they have been systematically taken apart for cheap building materials. The site of the Gumar Pyramids used to contain 9 structures, but today only has 6. Excavations have as yet only been inconclusive.

On the south coast, you can go to Icod De los Vinos and visit Cueva Del Viento (Cave of Winds) which is the largest volcanic cavity in the world. Also this is where you can find the ancient and mystical Dragon Tree, which is said to be over 800 years old. It is called a ‘Dragon Tree’ as when the leaves are cut they secrete a red resin which is said to be the dried blood of dragons. This apparently has healing properties, and in the past it was extracted on an industrial scale to make varnishes and lacquers, and as a result, the Dragon Tree is a protected species.

Daryl loves to discover places off the beaten track and stays in tenerife villas all the time, but you could also find him in a ibiza villa from time to time.

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Oberstdorf is the gateway to the five ski areas (Nebelhorn, Söllereck, Fellhorn / Kanzelwand, Ifen, Walmendingerhorn) which together have “only” 50 km of slopes, but this may just be ideal for a long weekend.

Right above the city rises 2224 metres high mountain of Nebelhorn with the skiing season lasting until May. It is a good place for snowboarders and freestyle enthusiasts. On the other side, six kilometers from the city you can get into the main and largest site of Fellhorn / Kanzelwand that overflows to the Austrian valley Kleinwalsertal. It offers a nice mix of shorter and longer rugged trails with modern comfortable lifts.

Söllereck and Ifen offers rather easier descents and are suitable especially for families with children. The smallest of the local centres is Walmendingerhorn primarily offering a unique experience of skiing in deep snow.

Oberstdorf is naturally very attractive, from Nebelhorn you can enjoy amazing views of 400 Alpine peaks.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by BildSpracheundCo.de

Fares are different in each of five centres, e.g. one-day ski pass to Nebelhorn will cost €37.50 for adults and €14 for children. In the centre of Ifen you will pay €32 for adults and €14 for children.

Oberstdorf ski resort offers all kinds of services at the highest level including spa and wellness activities, rich cultural program and great restaurants and bars. Right on the slopes you will find children’s areas, fun parks, several snowboard parks and a range of extreme sports. Practically under each lift you will find parking place, but you can travel by skibus for free. In addition, a resort offers the longest downhill slope in Germany.

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The history of the city and its monuments
The first mention of the town Bovec dates back to the 11th century. Perhaps the most valuable historical monument in the town of Bovec is the Church of St. Leonard from 15th century, which has recently been renovated. Other sights of the city were extensively damaged during the World War I. As the memory of this period there is a museum dedicated to objects of the World War I, situated right in the city centre.

Sports activities and excursions into the beautiful natural attractions
Bovec is mainly a winter resort but also an important starting point for many hiking trails leading trough the Julian Alps. A ski resort is situated on the slopes of Kanin mountain (2587). Even in summer the local lift is in operation. You shouldn’t miss a tour to the nearby waterfall Boka, which is – with its height of 1000 meters – one of the highest waterfalls in Slovenia. It is located 5.5 km from the town of Bovec. In summer you can additionally try here such as canoeing, rafting on the emerald-green Soča River, skydiving, horseback riding, playing tennis and fishing, or even hang-gliding from the Bovec airport.

Tourist information
There are many accommodation facilities in the town of Bovec. In addition to guest houses and hotels there is also a campsite available. You can use the post office, pharmacy, wellness center and ski services as well.

To Bovec you can get using air transport. The nearest international airport is located in Ljubljana. Another option is by bus or car. Train connections are not possible here.

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It is obviously desirable to maintain this natural wealth into the future. The part of the Pyrenees even got to the UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to its uniqueness. It is an area around Mont Perdu, which limestone massif rises to a height of 3352 meters above sea level. The total area covers 31,189 hectares, although it was initially smaller. The first entry was made in 1997, and the protected area was enlarge three years later. It is also a place of the oldest Spanish National Park with long name Parque Nacional Valle de Ordesa – Monte Perdido, founded in 1918 on an area of ​​20.5km2 and later extended. On the French side it has a younger partner, the Pyrénées National Park established in 1967.

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On the Spanish side there are two largest and deepest canyons in Europe. On the French side you will find three great glacials. These geological formations are accompanied by mysterious caves, clear water lakes, deep forests and colorful meadows.

In terms of human life, the landscape of Mont Perdu is such a kind of window to the past. The farmers live in almost the same way of life as before, that was formerly common in all mountainous areas of Europe.

The most impressive canyons are mainly Ordesa, Pineta and Añisclo. You can choose from many hiking trails of varying difficulty, from very easy ones to the downright climbing. But you have to be prepared that the hiking trails can be challenging and sometimes a bit awkward. This applies to certain trails called “fajas” that lead over ledges along the canyon, but more to the trails “clavijas” that leads through the steel steps at the steep rock walls.

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Everywhere you see something interesting and very diverse, ranging from bare rock to almost impenetrable vegetation.

The highest summits of Pyrenees are Pico d’Aneto or Pic de Néthou (3,404 metres), Posets peak (3,375 metres), Mont Perdu or Monte Perdido (3,355 metres). You will find here also the highest waterfall – The Gavarnie, which is the tallest waterfall in France, and one of the most impressive and highest waterfalls in Europe.

Pyrenees contains three national parks – Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park (Spain), Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park (Spain) and Pyrénées National Park (France).

In winter the mountains are great place for alpine skiing.

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Eltz Castle, Germany by Isaac Wedin

Luckily, in more than eight centuries the castle was only attacked once. As a result much of the original castle is still fully intact. Even the floors are still composed of the original plaster that was composed of animal hair, ox blood, quick line, Clay as well as camphor.

There are many things to see and do when it comes to visiting the Eltz Castle. Perhaps most popular destination within the castle is its collection of armor which dates back to 16th century. Since the castle is now mostly a museum, it is open to the public since the end of March till the beginning of November. And while there are many other castles within Germany to visit, Eltz Castle is nowhere near as crowded as some of the others.

You will of course have to pay an entrance fee to get into the castle (the basic adult admission is €9.00). However, you will find that there are no regularly scheduled tours in English. As a result, you will have basically two options; you can follow a standard tour which is done in German and referred to in English facts sheet, or you can wait until there are enough visitors to create an English-speaking tour.

Eltz Castle, Germany by Michael

But there is more to visiting Eltz Castle than just checking out the inside of the castle. The castle itself is surrounded by enchanted woods, which are filled with a number of excellent hiking paths. One of these paths will even take you to the nearby castle of Pyrmont which will take you about 2,5 hours to reach. Nearby, you will also find the oldest city in the entire country, Trier, which is only 45 miles away.

If you plan on visiting Eltz Castle while you are in Germany, that make sure that you set aside at least a full day for the experience. You will definitely be glad you did, because choosing to visit the castle is definitely worthwhile.

For more information about Elz Castle, visit the official site: burg-eltz.de

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Needless to say, the Sierra Nevada National Park is a very impressive destination within the country. It boasts more than 20 different peaks that tower more than 3000 meters above sea level. The tallest of all the peaks located within the park but also within continental Spain is that of Mulhacén, which tops out at 3,479 meters above the sea. This is followed by the 3,396 meter tall peak of Veleta, as well as Alcazaba which sits at 3,371 meters.

Sierra Nevada National Park, Spain by Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble

There are also a number of rivers and lakes that can be found throughout the park. The most popular rivers in the region is that of the Genil and Fardes. These two rivers can be found on the north face of the mountain range and feed into the Guadalquivir basin below. Along the western and southern faces, you will find the Poqueira, Ízbor, Dúrcal, as well as Trevélez rivers which make their way down into the Mediterranean Sea. With regards to the lakes, there are more than 50 of them located high within the mountains.

The fauna that can be found within the Sierra Nevada National Park are extremely unique on account of its isolation from the colder northern regions of Europe. It was during the last Ice Age when a number of critical species moved into the area in order to escape from the freezing climate of the North. After the Ice Age when the temperature started to warm back up, many of these started to make their way into the higher altitudes of the mountains.

Throughout the park you will find a number of different animals including wild boar, Spanish ibex, badgers, wildcats as well as martens. Overhead, it is not uncommon to see the Golden Eagle as well as the Bonelli’s Eagle. Even at night time, you will hear the calls of the Eurasian Eagle owl as well as the little owl.

Trevelez, Sierra Nevada National Park, Spain by Andrew Hurley

There are also a number of important plant species that can be found within the park. Today, there are more than 2100 different plant species. A total of 116 of these plant species have already been classified as being threatened and nearly extinct. Sixty of these threatened plant species are endemic to the reserve. One of the most notorious of these plants is known locally as the Snow Star.

As far as things to do when visiting the Sierra Nevada National Park, you are bound to find something that will keep you busy regardless of the time of year. In the wintertime, the park is well known as a popular ski destination. It has been home to a number of ski championships and has also received recognition as being in the southernmost ski destination in all of Europe.

During the summer months, many people make their way to the national Park in order to go hiking. There are many popular destinations within the park including the summits of Veleta and Mulhacén. In order to make your adventure a little more comfortable, there are a number of cabins that can be located throughout the mountain range. The staffed cabins are available for small fee while the unstaffed cabins are free of charge.

All in all, you will be able to enjoy weeks of adventure and excitement when you choose to visit the Sierra Nevada National Park.

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