Larnaca sunset / SBirre

The Wetlands

Larnaca have various wetlands to offer its guests including Voroklini Lake, Larnaca Salt Lake, and Sewage Work Pools.

Larnaca Salt Lake is home to 85 species of water birds with an estimated population ranging from 20,000 to 38,000. Visitors who will choose to include this in their itinerary would be fortunate to enjoy the graceful movements of 2,000 to 12,000 flamingoes categorized as Phoenicopterus ruber. It has been declared as a protected area since the year 1997 and has been a favorite spot of ecotourists all over the world.

The Sewage Pool is also a treat for any bird lover. It allows you to see ducks, gulls, and grebes playing near the water. Other bird species you will meet includes the Whiskered, the Black-Winged Stilts, Spur-Winged Lapwings, Gull-Billed, and White-winged.

The Villages

After enjoying a day watching the birds, you may wish to rest for a while at the comfort of your Larnaca beach hotel. You will need all the energy for the next travel plan we have in mind for you, village eco-tour. There are many villages to choose including Kiti Village, Tochni Village, Kato Drys Village, and Lefkara Village. You will have taste of the true Cypriot lifestyle upon setting food at the premises of their village and appreciate how they value life and nature.

As part of the Cyprus Tourism Campaign, you are given the opportunity to reside at the following villages mentioned above and live with the locales. It is an opportunity worth grabbing because it will allow you to enjoy coffee in the local shop and just enjoy the easy-going Mediterranean lifestyle of the people while appreciating the timeless Cypriot traditions.

Part of the activities you can enjoy includes daily excursion, bike tours, horse back riding, and relaxation at the beach. It would be best if you have more time to spend in Cyprus because only then can you have a full taste of its wonderful culture.

Historical places like the Hala Sultan Mosque and Neolithic settlements are always waiting to be explored by any enthusiastic tourist. You will find variety of things and places to visit in Larnaca during your stay, so it is best to schedule it accordingly. Do not miss the chance to appreciate the beauty of Larnaca. Plan your trip today and have fun in its midst.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Hungarian Snow

Another interesting mountain range is Börzsöny which is protected by National Park of Duna-Ipoly. It lies at the Slovakian border, above Budapest, and includes also popular Hungarian towns of Visegrád and Nagymaros.

The park is also famous for many castles and forts. It is a pleasant, mostly forested landscape that waves together with the banks of the Danube and Ipoly rivers, interwoven with series of waterways and wetlands. Only in the Börzsöny mountains there are more than 335 different springs and streams. This area is one of the least accessible parts of Hungary. There are no roads, but you can get there by the narrow gauge railway which is also interesting and popular technical monument here. Of course, the best way how you can get to know the landscape is on foot, but be careful, some parts of the park are not accessible at all due to protection.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Tamas Ring

Most features of the landscape were created by volcanic activity, there are an extinct volcanic cones, steep ravines or bizarre rocks. Fourteen million years ago these places were occupied by the great volcano, about 1400 meters high. After the eruption, the central part of the volcano failed down, so today we can see the remnants of the crater. The highest point of Börzsöny mountain is Csóványos peak with a height of 939 metres above sea level, offering a panoramic view of the region. However, there are also other peaks and hills where you can enjoy beautiful views, such as Hegyes-Tető with the great vista of the Danube. In good weather conditions, you can even see the Slovak High Tatras mountains from some hills.

The area a home to many rare and protected animals, especially reptiles, amphibians and birds including several species of eagles. There are also wild cats and martens. It boasts also a varied composition of plants, including the relics from the post-glacial period.

Börzsöny Mountains are not very visited areas, in comparison with Balaton, Budapest or any of the Hungarian thermal aquaparks. But the prices here are reasonable and the romantic local scenery is an alternative for less demanding, but interesting holiday – especially for hikers and cyclists.

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In the delta of this Lithuanian river lies the island of Rusnė, which is, with its area of ​​4800 hectares, the largest island in the country. Moreover, it is still increasing by 15 to 20cm annually. The island is a haven for 270 of the 325 Lithuanian bird species. Wetlands here are a paradise for ornithologists. The best place for bird watching is Naikupė, Uostadvaris or Rusnė. Among the millions of species of birds that flies over the island every year, you can see also rare species such as black stork, white-tailed eagle, Black-tailed Godwit etc.

Neman (Nemunas) river, Lithuania by Claire

Rusnė Island is also a place of migratory water birds, as it lies on a major bird migration route – East Atlantic Flyway (birds flying from the Arctic through Europe to East Africa). Birds stop here to gain strength.

In Nemunas Delta Natural Park there is also an important ornithological station and museum. The first Ringing station was founded here already in 1929, but just in the years of 1959 – 1960, the large bird traps were installed here. In 1998 the station celebrated its interesting anniversary – ringed its millionth bird.

The information centers, located in Rusnė, Ventė and Šilutė, offer educational trips associated with bird watching and fishing. Another option is a boat trip with an English or German speaking guide, which guides you through the many waterways in the park. It is also possible to arrange accommodation in the farm or to arrange fishing permits.

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Nigula Nature Reserve has a rich fauna and flora. There are rare plants here. Nigula Nature Reserve is also home to Europe’s protected and not very abundant carnivores such as bear, wolf and lynx and to big game animals such as elk, roe deer, red deer, wild boar. The area is also an important bird sanctuary. In 2000, the Nigula Nature Reserve was added to the group of Natura 2000 (the largest network of protected areas in the world).

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Biebrzański National Park is situated on an area where is a large representation of wetlands and swamps. They are also its main attraction. Biebrzański National Park is largely composed of forests, mostly deciduous. The rest of the area is occupied with already mentioned bogs and wetlands.

Biebrzański National Park is very rich in the representation of different organisms. It is a paradise for all kinds of water birds. One of them, the Ruff, even got into the character of the park. You can meet here also a beaver or moose. There are also various mosses and lichens.

The northeastern boundary of the park is near the Belarus.

Biebrzański National Park was founded on 9th September 1993 as one of 23 Polish national parks. In 1995 it was added to the list of The Ramsar Convention (The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat). The most important part of the Park is Red Marsh, which is under strict protection.

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There are multiple buildings that are part of the L’ Oceanogràfic of the City of Arts and Sciences. Each one of these are identified with a different type of aquatic environment. These environments include the Mediterranean, temperate, wetlands, tropical seas, Antarctica, Arctic, oceans, Islands as well as the Red Sea.

Dolphinarium L’Oceanografic, Valencia, Spain / Photo by Claire (Europe Explored)

However, perhaps the biggest and most popular attraction in the L’ Oceanogràfic is that of the Dolphinarium. There are more than 24 million liters of water in the Dolphinarium which boasts gaps of more than 10 1/2 meters. There is also an underwater restaurant where one can sit down and eat while watching tens of thousands of fish swim all around. The Dolphinarium truly is a very unique eating experience the matter how you choose to look at.

Today, there are more than 500 different species of dolphins, walruses, belugas, sea lions, penguins, seals, sharks, turtles, rays, jellyfish, sawfish, starfish, crustaceans as well as sea urchins of all different kinds. All in all, there are more than 45,000 individual animals that call the L’ Oceanogràfic their home. Furthermore the aquarium is not just home to marine life, it is also home to a number of bird species who are crucial to ensuring that the ecosystem stay as strong as it can possibly be.

Aquarium, L’Oceanografic, Valencia, Spain / Photo by Claire (Europe Explored)

It was back in 2003 when the L’ Oceanogràfic of the City of Arts and Sciences first opened its doors to the public. Since that grand opening, more than 12 million people from all over the world have made their way to the aquarium in order to see the flora and fauna as well as to attend the numerous lectures and other activities that are continuously held on the campus by numerous scientific bodies from all over the world.

A lot of time and effort was put into the design and development of the L’ Oceanogràfic of the City of Arts and Sciences to ensure that its architecture was of the latest, and most popular styles; and to ensure that any barriers within the aquarium were virtually invisible. There are countless faults, underground tunnels and tanks of all sizes that can be found throughout the park. It truly is an extraordinary destination which is home to one of the largest and most exotic biodiversed ecosystems on the planet.

Bird in L’Oceanografic, Valencia, Spain / Photo by Claire (Europe Explored)

L’ Oceanogràfic is open all year round, opening hours depend on the season, and the basic admission is 27.90 €. For more information visit Official site of L’ Oceanogràfic

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