Although the economic crisis has left its mark in the capital, as some buildings along its central streets have become noticeably decadent, Athens is well worth visiting, and enjoyment is to be had in its marked array of contrasts.

If you’re on a weekend getaway, the best thing is to organise your short stay by touring specific districts in the capital. And, the easiest, fastest and cheapest way to get around is undoubtedly by metro.

1. Plaka

One of the most authentic districts in Athens, with a rich Byzantine and Ottoman legacy. Indeed, this is the city’s oldest quarter and all the historical architecture is strictly protected.

Its siting at the foot of the Acropolis, its quaint, Bohemian atmosphere, its narrow, cobbled streets and the absence of cars make this one of the favourite districts among sightseers. It is a veritable oasis in the heart of a chaotic city.

Plaka is full of street markets, shops and bars. It is the ideal area for buying traditional products and antiquities, or for tasting local cuisine. However, keep an eye on the prices! This quarter is your springboard for seeing ancient monuments, notably theAcropolis,the Acropolis Museum and the Roman Agora.

2. Monastiraki

Northwest ofPlaka, between theAgoraand theAcropolis, lies one of the city’s major commercial hubs. Monastiraki is also the name of one of the oldest and most centrally located metro stops in Athens. It also features the added value of an unusual display – the archaeological finds that emerged during the construction of the underground.

The city was also the site of a Turkish settlement for over 300 years, so that nowadays you can still see the influence of that culture in such spots as the Tzistarakis Mosque or the Turkish baths.

Landmarks in the historica lMonastiraki Square include such emblematic buildings as the Church of the Pantanassa, the Tower of the Winds and Hadrian’s Library, in addition to the Pazari or flea market with the most diverse wares on display in its open-air stalls.

Adrianou Street is a pleasure to stroll along, as it is lined solid with interesting shops and bars. Highly recommended is Collage, a cafe-restaurant where you can eat great food, listen to live music or sip a fine cocktail on their terrace, soaking up the cool ambience all the while.

3. Gazi

This is the most stimulating, switched-on area of the city. It revolves around Technopolis, its cultural centre, the largest in Greece, housed in a former gasworks. The district started coming to the fore after the 2004 Olympic Games. This is the most chameleon-like district of Athens with a proliferation of endless pop-ups. The cultural and leisure activities hosted here draw the most avant-garde, cosmopolitan movements to this part of town.

Gazi has undergone marked changes. Where prostitutes and illegal immigrants once roamed, we now see haute couture fashion parades, while brothels have given way to cultural centres. The once abandoned 19th-century buildings have been refurbished as innovative restaurants noteworthy for their striking post-industrial decor. Standout examples are Hoxton and Gazi College.

For enthusiasts of vintage decoration and second-hand objects, Gazi is teeming with stores to browse through.

4. Anafiotika

This quarter has an unusual history. In the 19th century, King Otto of Greece commissioned his palace to be refurbished by prestigious architects from the Cyclades Islands. They chose to settle in the Anafiotika quarter but, feeling homesick for their native land, they decided to build their new homes in the traditional Cycladic-island style. The result is that we can now admire the typical blue-and-white houses lining cobbled streets with a pronounced seafaring air. Together with the squares, viewpoints and gardens, the complex has become one of the most picturesque areas in Athens. It stands out as a pretty “island” in the urban sprawl, affording idyllic views of the city and acting as a vantage point for gazing at some unforgettable sunsets.

5. Kolonaki

This is the city’s chic district with its upmarket luxury and designer stores. The neoclassical and Modernist architecture endows the area with a distinguished, stately air which becomes evident as soon as you set foot in it.

Located here are some of the city’s trendiest bars, pubs and discos. Mind The Gap is ideal for having a bite or your first drink of the evening, while Dybbuk is perfect for dancing to good music until daybreak. Athenians love enjoying their social life, both during the day and by night, a fact we became aware of when experiencing the congenial atmosphere in the local venues, which always seem to be packed.

This district is adjacent to the famous Syntagma Square and is distributed around the foot of Lycabettus Hill, an excellent vantage point for taking in 360° views of the city.

Athens is a destination that should take pride of place on your calendar! Make sure you book your Vueling soon!

Text by Tensi Sánchez of ilovebilbao.com

Images by Aurora Loudeiro

Jaffa or Yafo, as it is known in Hebrew, is one of the oldest ports in the world. According to the Bible, it was founded by Japheth, one of the sons of Noah, after the Great Flood and it was from here, too, that Jonah set sail on his voyage, before being swallowed by a whale. Myths, legends and stories attenuated by the passage of time – the fact is that Jaffa is one of the most charming spots on Israel’s seaboard. Its narrow streets, craft stalls and views of Tel Aviv make this a magical place to wander through leisurely.

History, Artists and Street Markets

Various excavations in the area have unearthed remains dating back to 2,000 BC, making Jaffa one of the oldest active ports in the world.

After a period of splendour and its flourishing under the Ottomans, Jaffa went into a period of decline on account of the growth experienced by neighbouring Tel Aviv, which absorbed it in 1948. Today, however, it has become one of the city’s most vibrant districts.

The entrance to Jaffa is dominated by the Clock-tower, built in 1921 to mark the 25th anniversary of the Turkish sultan at the time. Radiating out from the tower are a number of streets that make up the street market. In Jaffa you can find souvenirs, craftwork and even second-hand objects. Be sure to visit the flea market, held every Sunday morning between Yefet street and the Jerusalem Boulevard. Their wares range from brick-a-brac to mid-century designer jewellery, furniture and crockery. If you won’t be visiting the quarter on a Sunday, however, rest assured all the streets make up one big bazaar where you can always pick up the odd gem any day of the week.

What’s more, the streets surrounding the market feature quaint, vintage-style restaurants with terraces where you can dip into a hummus or salad for just a few shekels.

Hub of Artists

While prices are no longer the way they once were, Jaffa is a still favourite haunt of local artists. Situated in the north of the district is the so-called Artists’ Quarter, a compact area of old Arab houses and narrow alleyways which have been turned into artists’ studios and craft workshops. One of the best known venues is the Ilana Goor Museum, an 18th-century building owned by this Jewish artist. It boasts a vast collection of ethnic art, as well as works by such established figures as Henry Moore, Diego Giacometti and Joseph Albers. And, if you’re lucky, you might bump into Ilana herself as she walks her dog through the museum.

The other major venue in Jaffa is the Old Jaffa Museum of Antiquities. Housed in a lovely 18th-century building, it features exhibits unearthed during excavations in the area itself.

A Mix of Religions

A stone’s throw from the Ilana Goor Museum stands the so-called House of Simon the Tanner where, according to the New Testament “Acts of the Apostles”, St Peter stayed. Israel is a land where various religions coexist, so don’t be surprised to find mosques, synagogues and churches in the same street. Indeed, the Catholic St. Peter's Monastery stands in Kedumim Square, underneath which we find a visitors centre, housed on the site of excavations from the Roman period. Immediately behind it and overlooking the sea is the Monastery of St Nicholas, dating from 1667, the seat of the area’s Armenian community. The quarter also has synagogues and two important mosques, notably the Sea Mosque, where fishermen traditionally go to pray, and the Mahmoudiya, dating from 1812, which serves the local Muslim community.

Make a Wish

There are two things you should not fail to do before leaving Jaffa. First, stroll through the Gan Ha-Pisga, a park sited atop Old Jaffa hill, with spectacular views over the Tel Aviv coastline.

And, lastly, you should cross the Wishing Bridge and make a wish of your own. However, make sure you do so while touching your sign of the Zodiac on the bronze statue while gazing out over the sea. It’s certain to come true.

Take a Vueling to Tel Aviv and discover the oldest port in the world.

Text by Aleix Palau for Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Aleix Palau, amira_a

Our free days are a pleasant surprise on the calendar and the best way to get the most out of them is to board a plane bound for some fresh, entertaining and getatable destination. That spot is Gran Canaria, a whirlwind of sensations, halfway between Europe, Africa and America.

Gran Canaria is just a two-hour flight from the Iberian Peninsula. So, getting there is really easy. A comfortable trip with no stopovers will convey you to that diverse land which emerged millions of years ago from submerged volcanoes in the depths of the Atlantic.

One of the perks offered by a Gran Canaria getaway is, of course, the winter sun. Temperatures on the island remain a constant 24 degrees all year around, enabling you to make the most of any outing to Las Canteras, Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés or Puerto de Mogán, some of the best known and famous beaches.

The Gran Canaria seaboard is the perfect setting for letting off steam by engaging in watersports, but, if what you’re after is making forays into the island’s interior, you should make a point of visiting the towns of Teror, Agüimes, Tejeda and Artenara, or such stunning spots as the Guayadeque Gorge, an ancient pre-Hispanic settlement which nowadays is noted for its striking, cosy cave houses.

Any trip to Gran Canaria should include a visit to the island’s summit, a central area in the Biosphere Reserve where the Roque Nublo and Roque Bentayga outcrops stand. Oh, and remember to get your camera ready. There, you will literally feel like you have arrived in heaven when the weather phenomenon known as the “sea of clouds” spreads out at your feet, as if you were the main subject in a painting set against the memorable scenery of steep mountains and deep gorges.

The north coast of Gran Canaria features some must-see sites such as Puerto de Las Nieves and the Valle de Agaete, a lush garden with tropical fruit housing the only coffee plantation in Europe. Gáldar awaits you with the majesty of the Cueva Pintada (Painted Cave), the largest native Canarian archaeological site, while Arucas, for its part, is the headquarters of Arehucas Rum, a peerless drink which has livened up the festivities of many generations of Canary Islanders.

Well worth visiting is Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, a carefree capital with a wealth of cultural activities. Its Vegueta district is the city’s historic centre and you are urged to venture into the monumental area to see close-up the Cathedral of Santa Ana, Museo Canario, Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno and Christopher Columbus House Museum, a beautiful enclave where the Genoese navigator stopped over on his way to discovering America and which highlights the relationship between the Canary Islands and the New World.

If you’re up for an intense day of shopping at more than reasonable prices, the Calle Mayor de Triana is the ideal spot for it. Large, national and international firms and prestigious brands have stores in this shopping area, and the latter is a pleasure on the eyes, as the district features picturesque buildings in various architectural styles.

Gran Canaria is a lively island, an urban travel destination where you can soak up the atmosphere of its street markets and craft stalls, as well as the various events held there during the year. The last quarter of 2016 will see such long-awaited events as the start of the ARC Transatlantic Race, the Underwater Photography Contest, the Bethlehem built of sand on Las Canteras beach or the Gran Canaria Walking Festival, a grand event for trekking enthusiasts which in this upcoming fifth edition will be including new routes and a night itinerary for star-gazing on the Cumbre de Tejeda.

All these offerings make Gran Canaria a unique destination for an exciting long weekend or warm autumn or winter holiday. Here, time flies by and the island has lots of travel plans to be savoured in advance.

Why wait to experience all this first-hand? Check out our flights here.

Images by Patronato Turismo Gran Canaria

The upcoming 14th International Beefeater In-Edit Music Documentary Festival will be featuring the best music documentaries from the past and present. This time around, what caught our attention is the large number of punk-related documentaries. No wonder, as we happen to be celebrating the fortieth anniversary of this genre. You heard it – forty years have passed since a group of mates got together and crafted a band to start a riot. And, indeed they did. The Sex Pistols lit the fuse in late 1976 and, just two years later, the musical paradigm had changed radically. The system was transformed from a scene dominated by intellectualised, ultra-professional hard rock and progressive rock bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Genesis or Emerson, Lake and Palmer, into another, totally alternative and largely amateur scene. And, London was the nerve centre of this new circus act.

Some documentaries dealing with this genre will feature at this year’s In-Edit Festival. Check out the programme here. Following is a rundown of the documentaries in which London acted as the backdrop. It’s amazing to see what the City was like at such a major turning point in its history, just when it it seemed more like a time bomb on the verge of blowing up, on account of the wrangling between different political trends and the high unemployment rate, particularly among young people. Remind you of anything?

Jubilee (Derek Jarman, 1978)

Rather than a documentary, this is actually a feature film, albeit 100% punk. Its director skilfully captured the spirit of the moment in this marvellous dystopian movie in which Elizabeth I travels 400 years into the future and lands in a desolate, nihilist Britannia where gangs of evil girls and killer police roam the streets.

The Filth And The Fury (Julien Temple, 2000)

Set at the pinnacle of this documentary genre, this film was a watershed in its day. It does true-to-life justice to the story of the Sex Pistols, the band which caused a sea change that rocked the foundations of the music industry in just one and a half years. The documentary is crammed with references to the punk scene in London. Highly recommended.

Rough Cut Ready Dubbed (Hasan Shah and Dom Shaw, 1982)

This film documents the post-punk period (1979-1982), which saw a convergence between various urban tribes, notably the Mods, Rockers, Punks and Skinheads. The editing is markedly punk, while it’s interesting to see the prevailing looks and the way the folks moved in their milieu. The main characters are scene celebrities (press, musicians, DJs, etc.) and the movie is recorded in Super 8. Stills in motion from a fleeting period marked by upheaval.

Rude Boy (Jack Hazan & David Mingay, 1980)

Set in London in 1978 and early 1979, with The Clash as co-protagonists. The movie opens by setting the scene in the electoral context that London was steeped in at the time, with nationalist, anti-communist and even xenophobes on one side, and anti-racist and anti-Nazi protests on the other. The film blends fiction with documentary and also chronicles tours by The Clash.

Punk: Attitude (Don Letts, 2005)

This documentary makes the perfect introduction to the genre for the uninitiated. It features a huge gamut of celebrities who were involved in some capacity, notably Captain Sensible (The Damned), Mick Jones (The Clash) and Siouxsie Sioux (…and the Banshees), brought together by the hardened documentalist and DJ who mediated between punks and Rastafarians in the first year of London punk.

Four Accessories For the Punk Experience in London

1. Dr. Martens Boots

Worn by many of the lads that feature in the In-Edit documentaries. Nowadays you can buy them at the official Dr. Martens Store, and also at the Camden and Portobello street markets, sold by the odd specialty stall.

2. Second-hand Punk Records

If your thing is vinyl, with mangy, well-bent edges, the best deals can be found at All Ages Records in Camden.

3. Pubs

A number of pubs became part of the haunts of the punk movement in the 70s and early 80s, particularly those in the vicinity of the 100 club on Oxford Street, or The Roxy, in Covent Garden. If you still feel the urge to down a few pints among leather jackets with studs and crests, we recommend you head for The Elephant’s Head in Camden.

4. Garments

As much as some voice the opinion that punks were anti-everything – and even anti-fashion – we all know that was not true. The Sex Pistols were the first to be put through the fashion wringer. They were the living mannequins of Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood, who owned the Sex punk boutique at 430 King’s Road. Today, such designers as Westwood herself or Jean Paul Gaultier still display punk influences. There are currently a number of stores that carry iconic garments, but we recommend a futuristic update of this trend at Cyberdog.

Be sure to put on tight leather pants and spike your hair.  Discover the wild side of London – check out our flights here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS