Santiago de Compostela is a historic enclave in the north-east of the Iberian Peninsula and, in the Middle Ages, it became a major centre of Christian pilgrimage. Both the clergy and laymen and women journeyed to the city from all corners of Europe at some time in their lives to visit the remains of James the Apostle, which were unearthed in the current Santiago Cathedral in 813 and preserved there ever since.

Nowadays the city is a popular destination all year around. The Road is a big draw, and not only for the more devout, as it attracts both amateur and professional sportspeople and even hikers and sporadic walkers. Here, we are going to deal with the latter group. The fact is that more and more families elect to do a few stretches of the Road to Santiago. We are going to focus on refreshing activities to engage in once you have completed the route. Everyone can have fun here, so you won’t want to miss out on it.

Before embarking on that, however, it is worth going for a walk around Santiago. One way of gauging the city’s pulse is by getting a feel for its size. We recommend you take a ride on the tourist train, which goes around the whole historic centre. It will lead you past landmark buildings, uncover gardens and provide you with panoramic views of the monumental area and the Cathedral. The summer schedule (July and August) is from 11 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. and the train leaves every half an hour. You can get it in the Plaza de Obradoiro and the route lasts 45 minutes. The price for children is 4 euros, while infants under 4 years old can ride for free.

Cool Off!

Santiago has several swimming pools – both indoor and outdoor – where you can swim, play and sunbathe. Of all the pools, the Piscinas do Sar comes highly recommended, with its bathing area adjacent to the multi-purpose Fontes do Sar, which has a children’s pool (covered in winter and outdoor in July and August).

If you instead prefer being immersed in natural surroundings, a few minutes from the city lie the River Beaches with all kinds of amenities. Set in a nature spot conducive to relaxation, the swimming area of Seira is one of the main tourist spots in the Concello (municipality) de Rois, particularly in summer. There you can do watersports and chill out in perfect harmony with nature. It has green spaces and picnic areas. Also suitable for children is the Furelos swimming area (Melide).

Also worth visiting are the beaches on the rías (estuaries) with their fine sand and calm waters, ideal for children. The nearest estuary beaches are just over half an hour away.

Eat and Eat

Children are welcome in the city’s restaurants and cafés. However, to ensure the best possible service and peace and quiet, it is advisable to avoid the peak hours.

Santiago Turismo offers a selection of restaurants and cafés for those touring with children. Some feature children’s menus, others are spacious and quiet and several have pleasant open-air terraces and even swings. The ambience and decor in some instances is specifically suited to children.

Accommodation

Camping is a good option in summer. Located on one of the hills overlooking the city, and just a 15-minute walk from the monumental area, is the As Cancelas urban campsite. It has bungalows with great views of Santiago, is sited in a very pleasant tree-lined setting and has a swimming pool and other amenities.

Another option for family overnights are the numerous rural tourism lodgings in the vicinity of Santiago de Compostela. Conducive to contact with nature and catering for children, they are the ideal accommodation for youngsters. Almost all of them have cots and some even have rooms full of toys and special facilities designed for keeping children entertained on rainy days.

The city of Santiago proper also has a broad selection of accommodations, ranging from the big hotel chains to house or apartment rentals and small hotels in the monumental centre with a charm of their own, often located in historic buildings with a delightful atmosphere.

Why wait to discover Santiago de Compostela with the family? Check out our flights here.

Text and images by Turismo de Santiago, Área Santiago

I could spend hours singing the praises of this wonderful Balearic island, but these lines are dedicated to its gastronomic facet, its rich larder and its restaurants. Among the preparatory tasks all travellers should undertake is to research the flavours they are likely to encounter at their destination. Experiencing tourism on one’s palette is a way of coming to grips with local culture.

Thus, Minorca cannot be fully grasped without accounting for its cheeses (DO – Queso de Mahón-Menorca). They are hand crafted using cloth, and painted with oil and red pepper. Drop in on cheese factories like S’Arangi (Es Mercadal) or Son Mercer de Baix (Ferreries). Likewise, their sausage: carn i xulla (raw and cured lean pork and bacon), sobrasada, botifarró (blood sausage) and camot/cuixot/camaiot (similar to botifarró, but stuffed in skin). And, needless to say, their Gin Xoringuer, a traditional distillation that goes into the making of pomada and gin amb llimonada. Also de rigueur are their wines which, after a merely cursory presence at the beginning, are experiencing a sweet resurgence under the label “Vi de la terra Illa de Menorca”. The stores of El Paladar offer some fine examples of all kinds of local produce.

And, don’t forget to try some of the wines at Hort de Sant Patrici, Sa Forana, Binifadet… whenever you sit down to any of their tables. They are highly distinct from one another, from creative cuisine to jam-packed menus, but they all have one thing in common – a desire to offer local produce and dishes of yesteryear that are still current today.

Binifadet – Among Vineyards

Sign up for a guided tour, purchase some wine and enjoy a hearty breakfast on your morning jaunt in Sant Lluís, hard by Mahón. Local cheeses, toast with sobrasada and wine marmalade, carré (spare ribs of lamb) and fresh white hake.

Biniarroca – Among Gardens

A charming rural hotel in Sant Lluís with a restaurant among the most highly recommended on the island. During the day, their porch and gardens are areas where time stands still to the warmth of a cup of coffee. By night, the setting is cuisine based on Minorcan produce with fine service. The accommodation is a wise choice – you will feel very much at home.

Terra Bistró – In the Harbour

This establishment has been open for just one year. It is based on well presented, locally sourced produce and dishes, set in cosy premises and at reasonable prices. Try the botifarró with onion confit and tomato jam, or black calamari and mussel rice. Go for a table on their terrace, and make sure you order one of their homemade desserts.

Rías Baixas and Loar – a Break on the Journey

We stopped off at Ferreries, on the road to Ciutadella. We had heard of a restaurant which combines the best Galician seafood with Minorcan cuisine – Rías Baixas. An ad hoc feast based on fried fish (sea and vegetables), mussels and aubergines stuffed with prawns. Stewed lobster and delicious sweets. Also scrumptious is the menu of the day at the Cala Galdana del Hotel Loar restaurant, where locals pack the tables for lunch each day to savour the island’s traditional fare. À la carte is also available. Comfortable accommodation if you fancy spending the night inland.

Mon – Felip Llufriú and Guillem Pons’ Personal Enterprise

We reached Ciutadella and were blown away first by the cuisine, and then by the locale. The project was once housed in Can Faustino. A quiet establishment with views of the kitchen where you can savour such dishes as marinated rock fish on melba toast and escalibada (smoky grilled aubergine), crawfish in three portions – pincers tartare, ceviche (lemon-and-garlic marinade) of the tail, and soup with the heads – or local cochinillo (suckling pig) with bitter orange and pungents obrasada. Creativity and produce. Indispensable. (Passeig de San Nicolau, 4 - Tel. 971381718.)

Ses Voltes – Casual Roof Terrace in the Heart of Ciutadella

For those seeking a fine cuisine alternative at good prices and for all tastes. Here they feature a huge menu of salads, pasta, rice, meat and fish and an interesting pizza section. They also offer local dishes such as scrambled eggs with sobrasada and milhojas de cuixot.

Torralbenc – Haute Cuisine with the Paco Morales Signature

A privileged spot, a rewarding peace, splendid cuisine. At Torralbenc you can fly on the wings of a royale of cured Mahón cheese – a mysterious and tasty perfect-imperfect – steak tartare and a dessert called “orange” which makes you cry. Great wines and great service.

Further Suggestions for Sleeping… and Continuing to Eat

The Artiem hotels (Audax, Carlos III and Capri), part of a sustainability project called Aportam! were founded with the concerted aim of providing local produce among their culinary offerings. Having ensaimadas and local sponge cake for breakfast, and homemade sausage for dinner, is a real luxury.

For something more rural, Sant Ignasi lies just a stone’s throw away from Ciutadella. They also feature an interesting restaurant concept and a stunning terrace where you can have a relaxing breakfast with a big variety of homemade jams.

We wind up the journey and the day having a drink to a DJ rhythm on the spectacular roof terrace at the Barceló Hamilton in Es Castell, a hotel for those seeking an “adults only” option with views of the Mediterranean.

I bet we have dispelled any doubts you may have had. Check out our flights here.

Text by Silvia Artaza of Gastronomistas.com

Images bySilvia Artazaand establishments

Barcelona is clearly a favourite shopping destination. The string of stores is endless, and design plays an important role in them. The good thing about shops in Barcelona is that you can find anything, from second-hand bargains in Els Encants to sophisticated luxury goods in the Passeig de Gràcia. Here, then, is a rundown of different areas in the city to save you from perishing in your endeavour to hunt down your much coveted Christmas presents.

Diagonal

The Diagonal has become a large, attractive, comfortable and glamorous promenade abuzz with commercial, tourist, gastronomic and urban activity. On a stroll along the avenue you can delight in the best brands and interior design stores, designer furniture and premium accessories. It boasts the leading shopping malls, iconic buildings and personalised “made in Barcelona” attention for shoppers. The avenue is lined with shops of all kinds, specialising in beauty care, accessories, home furnishings, jewellery, fashion, children’s goods and four large department stores – El Corte Inglés Diagonal, El Corte Inglés Plaça de Francesc Macià, L’Illa Diagonal and Pedralbes Centre.

Eixample

On a walk through the streets of this district you can spot myriad examples of Modernist buildings, architectural gems in their own right. Here, the shopping is noteworthy for its quality, glamour, specialisation and variety of products and establishments, featuring both world-famous designer stores and centuries-old shops redolent with history and tradition. Craftwork, beauty care, accessories, gourmet delicatessen, home furnishings, jewellery, fashion, children’s goods and shoe shops are the forte of this shopping area.

Casco Antiguo (Inner City)

Prominent here are shops featuring antiques, craftwork, beauty care, accessories, delicatessen, home furnishings, jewellery, fashion, children’s goods, shoe stores and the five leading department stores – El Corte Inglés, on the Avinguda Portal de l’Àngel, La Rambla and Plaça Catalunya and, in the harbour area, El Triangle and Maremagnum. This is the area with the most history in the city. It starts at the Plaça Catalunya, in the centre, proceeds along La Rambla, Barcelona’s most popular and colourful promenade, and into the districts of El Raval and the Gothic Quarter, where traditional and modern commercial establishments rub shoulders with cultural centres, not to mention the shopping centres and department stores. 

Born

With its more than two thousand years of history, El Born quarter is an area of contrasts, with history and culture coexisting side by side with trendy shops, culinary offerings, fashion and art. Prominent are the establishments offering antiques, craftwork, beauty care, accessories, delicatessen, jewellery and fashion.

Shopping Centres

Apart from shops, Barcelona boasts a large number of shopping centres and department stores offering goods of all kinds. They are ideal spots to shop when time is scarce, and they also provide leisure and catering facilities for spending time, either alone or with the family. In addition to those mentioned in the previous sections, the other must-visit shopping centres in the city are Diagonal Mar Shopping, La Maquinista and Las Arenas, the latter housed in a former bullring.

Retail Hubs

The city’s retail hubs stretch across all districts, where modern establishments are interspersed with long-standing traditional stores. A visit to these stores provides an enjoyment of Mediterranean-style shopping, which is essentially a family venture, with personalised attention based on a friendly demeanour and the professional service that comes through long tradition. All kinds of goods are available through these channels.

Additionally, this year, as part of the Barcelona Christmas Shopping campaign set up by Turisme de Barcelona, you can win one of the three trips for two people to come and shop in Barcelona over the Christmas season. If you visit this website, you can gain access to discounts in over 50 stores in the city and look up all the festive activities on the shopping agenda.

Don’t miss out on the chance to enjoy one of the greatest pleasures in your favourite city – check out our flights here.

Turisme de Barcelona

Despite being a small redoubt in the middle of the Mediterranean consisting of the inhabited islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino and three uninhabited, Cominotto, Filfla and St. Paul, the Maltese archipelago concentrates a great historical and cultural wealth. Some of their spots are part of the World’s Heritage Site, such as the city of Valletta, the Hypogeum of Hal Saflieni (the only underground temple in the world) and the Megalithic Temples.

One of its universal symbol is the Cross of Malta, that with its eight points represents the eight different nationalities of the Malta’s Order of the Knights and its eight principles to be respected: spirituality, simplicity, humility, compassion, justice, mercy, sincerity and endurance.

Valletta, its capital, is named in honor of Jean Parísto of Vallette, Grand Master of the Order of the Knights of St. John, who managed the reconstruction after the Turks expulsion in 1565.

If there is one Malta can boast about, it is the large number of churches built mainly in the XVII and XVII centuries. There are more than 300 but the most outstanding one is St. John of Valetta. It houses in its interior one of Caravaggio’s masterpieces, The Beheading of Saint John.

An island that is a real movie set. Here have been shot great epic movies like Troy, Ágora or Gladiator. Amenábar chose Fort Ricasoli in Kalkara to represent Ágora’s Alejandria, which also served as a stage set for Gladiator’s Roman Colosseum. Another highlight for the filming of this movie is the Grand Harbour of Velletta, Mediterranean's largest natural harbor.

Next to Spinola Bay in St Julians and in the port of Marsaxlokk there are the best places to enjoy one of Malta’s most characteristic images: the harbor with its traditional colorful boats, the djhajsa and the luzzu, flooding its banks. Traditionally painted in bright colors you will notice in that in the sides they have the ornaments of Osiris Eye, a charm to bring good luck.

Among the straight streets of the old town, Republic Street clearly stands out, it is the main shopping street and thoroughfare in the city, named to commemorate Malta's independence from Britain in 1964. It was Exactly on the 21st of September, a day celebrated with great festivities.

The street combines great palaces like the Gran Maestre, Casa Rocca Piccola and the Museum of Archaeology. Its ancient ocher buildings also stand out at night when lit to bring out its beauty.

You can also enjoy their outdoor markets, like the one set up every day on Merchants Street. And on Sunday, the big market at the gates of the city of Saint James' Ditch. In the fishing village of Marsaxlokk they have one of the most traditional ones, where you discover the authentic taste of Malta. They are the best places to get an idea of the Maltese way of life.

Some of the tours you can do in Malta

Delve into the underground cave of Ghar Dalam

The underground cave of Ghar Dalam (the dark cave) was the home, 6,000 years ago, of the Neolithic inhabitants. Now you can see the remainings of some prehistoric animal ossuaries like hippos, deers and elephants showing that the island was sometime part of the continent.

Dingli Cliffs

Found on the west coast of the island. Its impressive cliffs are ideal for lovers of mountain climbing and rappelling, especially in Ghar Lapsi under the Dingli cliffs.

Mdina

About 10 miles from Veletta there is the town known as "The city of Silence" with medieval narrow streets that draw a maze. It was once the capital of the country and still retainins many spectacular churches and palaces in which to read the history of the island.

Looking for peace: Gozo and Camino

The other two islands of the Maltese archipelago are the ideal destination to enjoy peaceful days in a natural setting. Islands in the hills and valleys where you can walk through their rural trails and creeks leading into the sea. Its crystal clear waters are ideal for water sports such as windsurfing and diving.

In Comino, a small island that actually lives up to its name, you will find exotic beaches, including the famous Blue Lagoon.

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