Green pastures and sharp cliffs are the regular landscape of Wales, a land full of myths and legends. At Snowdonia, northeast of Wales, it is said that King Arthur was born. Here you can find the tallest mountain in England and Wales, and the highest lake in Wales. It is located exactly at Snowdon – which refers to ‘snowy hill’ in old English – is the highest point of the park, which is named after it.

The best way to discover Wales is follow the coastline path, the longest in the world. To fully enjoy this wonderful natural environment, a 1.350 kilometers long path was inaugurate in May, 2012, Wales Coastal Path, which follows stunning landscapes.

It’s easy to get to the Welsh coastline. You should take into account that everybody around here doesn’t live further than one hour away to the beach. This is one of the most recommended destinations to nature lovers, as it goes by 11 natural parks and many other natural reserves, this route is accessible to hikers and parts of it are also accessible by bike, trolleys or people with reduced mobility.

Wales Coastal Path right from Chepstow (South Wales) to the mouth of river Dee, in the north, that is by the border between Wales and the Cheshire Country, in England. The route follows all the Welsh coastline in a path that will take you to the Gower peninsula – with sandy beaches by the area of Pembrokeshire-, the strait of Menai in the isle of Anglesey – that links to the land by an iron suspension bridge -, the seafront in Cardiff bay, the cliffs in Porthcawl or the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Along the way, you can enjoy rich and varied wildness species. The cliffs, bays and sandy beaches are great viewpoints to sight sea birds like guillemots, puffins, razorbills, gulls, glaucous and shearwaters. The popular Cardigan Bay is famous for the dolphins, gray whales and porpoises that visit the shore often to play with the waves.

Picture from Wales Coastal Path by Hogyn Lleol | Strumble Head by Hogyn Lleol | Pembroke by JKMMX

A place well worth discovering! Check out our flights here.

Finisterre means the end of the world and so was considered by different cultures in ancient times, still believed that the earth was flat. This point, where is located the well-known Cape Finisterre , is the most western one to where pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago can arrive. They burned their clothes on the cliff and throwt their ashes into the sea as a symbol of purification.

The drive journey to Costa da Morte is the most suitable way to enjoy the magnificent views of the area . Before arriving at Faro Finisterre is a turnoff to the right that leads to Mount Facho, which houses the chapel of San Guillermo , related to beliefs about fertility. On the outskirts of this city stands the Church of Santa María das Areas , Romanesque style. This parish church houses Cristo dos Barbas Douradas , by which professes great devotion. Between Finisterre and Cabo da Nave it is the wild beach Mar de Fora , and open to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by sharp cliffs. It is one of the most beautiful beaches of the coast.

A bit more to the south of Finisterre, we find a fishing village in the municipality of Dumbría O Ézaro , which houses a waterfall which has the distinction of being the only one in Europe that flows directly into the sea . It is recommended go and see it in winter as its volume rises as a result of heavy rains that increase its power and beauty.

Can not help but mention the seafood cuisine that is abundant in this Galician coast’s area. Finisterre is the realm of seafood and fish: barnacles, lobsters, scallops, clams, razor clams, cockles, sea bass … are some of the endless list of marine products that may be tested in these lands. Beef product is also of extreme quality, hence the famous Galician beef.

Don’t you feel like going to this land? Some of the best scenery in Galicia make this trip a visual feast!

Imagen de ricardo

By Blanca Frontera

Makes you want to go, right? Do it! Check out our prices here!

Windmills, wooden shoes, dykes, bicycles, canals, Gouda cheese –all of these symbolise the Netherlands, but the tulip has an even greater claim to emblematic status, and, along with other flowers, is one of the country’s main exports.

The tulip’s name is derived fromdulband, an old Persian word for “turban”, and the flower was originally cultivated in the region comprising today’s Turkey, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, where it had religious connotations and adorned the tents and palaces of sultans.

The Flemish scholar and pioneering horticulturalist Carolus Clusius (1526-1609) was the first person to manage to cultivate tulips in Europe, and is regarded as the founder of the Dutch tulip industry.

The tulip was initially a luxury item for which large sums were paid, and in the 17^th C. a speculative “tulip bubble” expanded to gigantic proportions –a sale of 40 bulbs for 100,000 florins was recorded in a year when a Dutch workman earned about 150 florins a year. But the bubble soon burst.

Today, entire fields carpeted with the colourful flowers adorn the Netherlands, especially in the northeast, the Kop van Noord-Holland region, and Bollenstreek with its famous Keukenhof, the world’s largest floral park, with as many as seven million tulip bulbs sprouting every spring.

This year’s National Tulip Day falls on Saturday, 17^th January. It is regarded at the start of the tulip season, which finishes when late tulips are picked and the end of April. It is celebrated throughout the Netherlands, but Amsterdam’s Damm square is the place to be.

Tulip growers show their best early flowers there, turning the square into a mosaic of colours and textures, to the delight of tulip fanciers, including many foreign visitors, who are regaled with bouquets to take home.

In the course of the tulip season Dutch growers will sell more than 1,700 million flowers. Most of them to export markets.

Serious tulip fans should also visit Amsterdam’s Tulip Museum, which tells the story of the tulip in its historical context. The museum is in the Jordaan neighbourhood, just across the bridge from the Anne Frank house.

Check out or flights here!

Report by Scanner FM

Photograph by Kang-min Liu

Budapest is said to be one of the most beautiful capitals in Europe, and with good reason. The rise of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1867 and the subsequent union between the cities of Buda and Pest turned the newfound metropolis into one of the continent’s leading magnets. Aside from its grand avenues, luxury palaces and bridges over the Danube, its appeal lies in its 118 springs spouting 70 million litres of water a day, at temperatures that vary from 20°C to 78°C.

The Spa City

Budapest has more thermal and medicinal water wells than any other world capital, earning it the title of “Spa City” in 1934. However, the properties of those waters have been known since ancient times. The Romans built thermal complexes during the period they settled there, as did the Ottoman Turks. Vestiges such as the Turkish baths have been preserved until today and are still operating at full steam.

However, the real boom in spa resorts took place in the early-20th century, coinciding with an upsurge in the city’s development and the foresight behind the decision to harness these waters for treating all kinds of diseases.

Planning Your Visit

Nowadays thousands of Budapesters and tourists from all over Hungary and the rest of the world come to delight in the city’s waters. There are obviously more spa guests in summer, but any time of the year is suitable for having a dip.

Each spa has its house rules, but most of them hire towels, have lockers for storing your clothes, and provide swimming caps. Check out the website of each establishment when planning your visit. While most resorts are mixed, some have different days or times of the day for men and women.

Here are the five thermal baths you simply cannot fail to visit:

Gellert

Remember that famous Danone advertisement from the early nineties, in which some hard-bodied models were swimming in a dream pool? Well, the pool in question happens to be the main one in the historic Gellert spa baths. Built in 1918, it is one of the city’s most elegant. It boasts 9 therapeutic pools, including a thermal bath, a bubble pool, a paddling pool and even a wave pool, flanked by statues and adorned with mosaics and stained glass windows.

It is also one of the more expensive baths. Admission varies from 3,800 to 4,200 forints (€13.20 to €14.60), but you simply can’t leave the city without visiting it.

Széchenyi

Inaugurated in 1913, it is one of the largest thermal bath complexes in Europe and the most popular one in Budapest among tourists. This does not, however, detract one bit from its charm. Bathing in one of the large outdoor thermal pools at Széchenyi is a wonderful experience. And, as it is the only spa in the Pest side of the river, you can sightsee this area before heading to the baths.

The admission fee depends on the services you hire, varying from 2,900 to 3,750 Hungarian forints (€10.10 to €13.05).

Rudas

Built by the Ottoman Turks in 1550, the Rudas Baths feature an octagonal pool covered by a dome, transporting one to A Thousand and One Nights. This spa is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for men only, and on Tuesdays for women (wearing a swimming costume is not required). Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are mixed. One option is to visit the spa baths on Friday or Saturday evening and extend your stay into the night at the Romkert, open from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. It is an open-air disco where you will be dancing at the foot of Mt Gellért.

Király

Together with Rudas, the Király are the most famous Turkish thermal baths. Opened in 1565, they resemble the Rudas Baths, although on a smaller scale, so you are advised to book ahead and take your own towels with you. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are set aside for men and indeed this spa has become one of the major gathering places for gays. Király is also among the more economical baths in Budapest: 1,300 HUF (€4.50).

Lukács

Specialising in digestive disorders, the Lukács are famous for having been a meeting place for intellectuals in the 1950s and for being one of most popular resorts among tourists. With its seven pools set in a beautiful park, this is one of the best spots for coming into touch with Budapest society.

Now all that’s left is to pack your swimsuit and get ready for a dip. Check out our flights here.

Text by Aleix Palau for Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS