Greece and its islands are a paradise for tourists where culture, mythology, art, cuisine and incredible landscapes blend perfectly. But if people go to Santorini or Crete looking for a relaxing and peaceful holidays, they go to Mykonos in search of its leisure and its famous beach parties, like it happens for instance in Ibiza.

Mecca of gay tourism, people live without prejudice in Mykonos; it is a happy, carefree and cosmopolitan island as many people who visited Mykonos at the time as a tourist, and stayed falling in love of its style and life quality.

The facades of the houses in the tourist areas are painted twice a year of pure white and make a wonderful contrast to the blue, yellow or deep red of some domes or details in the houses, in a neat appearance.

During the day you can relax on the pristine beaches of Kalo Livadi, Agrari, Elia, Psarou, Paranga Gialos, Ornos or Kalafatis, and, when the night falls, enjoy their wide leisure offer.

Two of the most popular beaches are Paradise and Super Paradise, about 6 miles southwest of Chora; nice beaches with good infrastructures, particularly famous for its parties. When evening comes, the entire beach becomes a huge outdoor club where house music and lounge turn up the volume in different bars and people dance until dawn. Here is the Paradise Club, one of the most popular clubs on the island, especially for the younger public, with the best techno, pop rock and dance music.

Out of Paradise and Super Paradise, there is a great deal of small clubs or large macro-discos throughout the island:

Caprice Bar
caprice.gr

It has been in Alefkandra for years, one of the most beautiful areas of Mykonos, also known as Little Venice, with its low houses with porches that almost reach the water.

Cavo Paradiso
cavoparadiso.gr

With a privileged location on a cliff overlooking the sea, Cavo Paradise is the place for electronic music lovers. The best dj’s come around here during July and August!

Skandinavian
skandinavianbar.com

Located downtown and with two floors; the ground floor is occupied with bars with terraces and there is a dance floor upstairs where house and the most commercial hits sound.

Astra Bar
www.astra-mykonos.com

One of the classics of the Greek night. Its doors opened in 1987 and its decor is stunning. Since then, the Astra Bar is a place, not as big as the famous clubs of the island, but where you can find good music and an atmosphere away from the tourists. Sometimes they bring djs and boast their taste for good music.

Picture Little Venice by Zitumassin | Picture Mikonos by Sailko

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Majorca is one of the largest islands in the Mediterranean. Its exceptionally good climate makes it one of the most popular destinations, and it has more to offer families than neighbouring Ibiza. Here are some places the youngest members of the family may enjoy.

Family Outings
Cuevas dels Hams in Porto Cristo
Majorca is brimming with magical spots and natural spaces that will pleasantly surprise you, such as the spectacular and beautifully maintained  Hams caves near the town of Porto, which were first opened to the public in 1910. It’s an easy drive on good roads, and the play of coloured lights inside the caves will delight your children.

Excursion to the Cúber Reservoir
A great place to take small children, the Cúber reservoir is in a lovely setting at foot of the island’s tallest mountain, the Puig Major. To walk around the perimeter of the reservoir takes a bit more than two hours, starting at kilometre 33.8 of the Sóller-Pollença road, where there is a small parking lot. A little higher up the mountain there’s another parking lot in the Font des Noguer recreational area where the walk begins, and you can enjoy the views as well as the flora and fauna.

Beaches for Babies
The island boasts numerous coves with beaches, but not all are easily accessible or suitable for taking very small children and babies. Cala Ferrera is an exception. It’s just 1,500 metres from the centre of Cala d’Or, and very popular with holidaymakers. There’s a restaurant on the beach itself, with stairs and a boardwalk to the sand. Cala Serena is quieter and semi-developed, and shallow waters make it ideal for children. Cala Esmeralda (also known as Caló des Corrals) in the middle of the Cala d'Or residential and hotel district. Its white sands are ringed with vegetation and rocks. Cala Sa Nau is another charming beach some 13 km from Porto Colom, and boasts a charming restaurant on the smallish but very attractive beach. Cala Marçal, in Felanitx, is distinguished by its large parking lot and its Wi-Fi zone. It is very clean and has good services, including showers, as well as several places to eat.

Changing of the Guard at the Palacio de la Almudaina
At midday on the last Saturday of each month there is a colourful changing of the guard ceremony by the Palma 47^th Light Infantry division in front of the Palacio de la Almudaina. The soldiers wear elaborate dress uniforms designed in 1808 for the volunteer corps. The palace was once the official residence of the viceroys of Majorca.

Where to Eat
The Ca’l Dimoni in Algaida is to be recommended for its limited but excellent offering of typical Majorcan dishes such as torradas (grilled sausages and meat), and probably the best arroz brut (“dirty rice” with meat and veg) on the island. Prices are reasonable and the quality is tops. When dessert is served, the famous Dimoni de Ca’l Dimoni or masked demon makes jokes and hands out sweets to the children. Francesco, the owner of the Café El Trotamundos (Calle Annibal, 18. Palma de Majorca), in Palma’s friendly  and traditional Santa Catalina neighbourhood, is serious about the quality of the food and service at her cafeteria, and the fresh toasted panini are a favourite with her youngest customers. There’s even a play area for the children.

Where to Sleep
Pirates Village (Avenida del Rey Jaime I, 114. Santa Ponsa) A pirate-themed hotel, is it designed especially for families with children. It has a special swimming  pool for smaller children, and water slides for older ones. As well as a children’s activity programme. It’s near the beaches of Santa Ponsa and Caló d’en Pellicer. 

Why don’t take a trip to Majorca with the family? Have a look at our flights here!

Text by Isabel y Luis Comunicación

Photos: Fundación Turismo Palma de Mallorca 365, Turisme Petit, Cuevas dels Hams.

What do we know about Malta? We know it's one of the smallest countries in Europe, that it's an island with a pleasant Mediterranean climate all year round... Malta is an attractive and fascinating destination waiting to be discovered. A country with many hidden gems in its tiny surface area of just 316 square kilometres. What gems? Ok, here are 10 reasons to visit Malta.

The first thing that struck us at the Port of Hamburg and, apparently it’s really trendy at the moment, are the so-called beach parties. On the terraces and in the bars close to the port they have set up hammocks, palm trees and spread the floors with sand. All of thiswith a view to replicating, as far as the cold climate of this city will permit, the cafés of Ibiza and their sunsets. Chill-out lounges, mojitos and caipiriñas in bars such asHamburg del Mar (in St.-Pauli-Landungsbrücken/Parkdeck) or the HCBC.

One of Hamburg’s best attractions is its Fischmarkt, or the Hamburg Fish Market (at Große Elbstraße 137). This is a huge, bustling open-air market that is set up beside the historic covered fish market where they also hold concerts you can go to with the whole family. It will call for an early rise if you want to pick up the best produce, as it only opens on Sunday mornings between 0500 and 0900.

Wandering through the port you will come across the huge ‘City of Warehouses’ or Warehouse District of Hamburg, the Speicherstadt, with its cobbled streets, criss-crossed by canals and red brick buildings. It was built between 1883 and 1927 and in its early days it had one of the biggest warehouses in the world, where merchandise arriving from at the port was dealt with. Now you will find it home to restaurants and museums.

The Port of Hamburg is undergoing big changes. In one huge area still under development, a key urban planning programme has been designed to rebuild the zone, called HafenCity and where they are building homes and offices. Rising above all these buildings will be the Elbphilharmonie, the impressiveElba Philharmonic that is expected to be inaugurated in 2014. On top of one of the old port warehouses they are building what looks like a glass crown that will be home to a concert hall with room for more than 2,000 spectators.

We were told that Hamburg has two brands of beer made in the city. One of these is the Astra beer which is made in St Pauli and which is easily recognisable thanks to its logo of a red heart which is also a port symbol. The other beer made in the city is Holsten which is produced in the district of Altona-Nord.

We really liked these 3 places for eating out:

1. Bullerei with its pleasant terrace and a healthy mid-week menu.

2. Fischhandel with its high, shared tables in Colonnaden street offers one cheap, balanced plate of food which is what everyone asks for and only costs 6.50 €. You place your order inside and they let you know when it’s ready by ringing a bell. We had a huge bowl of fussini with vegetables, wild mushrooms and a good portion of fish that tasted heavenly. When you finish eating, everyone takes their plates back inside which means they save waiting at tables in order for them to keep the prices down.

3. Gröninger Privatbrauerei serves typical Bavarian dishes: huge ham knuckles, cold cuts such as leberkäse, the traditional sauerkraut (pickled cabbage salad) or bratkartoffeln (sautéed potatoes). Prepare to loosen your belt as their portions are enormous. And the place is very warm and picturesque with enormous wooden tables to rub shoulders with other diners.

Without a doubt, the most famous street in Hamburg is the Reeperbahn in Sankt Pauli with its sex shops, strip clubs and all sorts of bars. It was here that the Beatles launched their career in 1960. They played their first concert at the Indra Club but the place where they really started to make a name for themselves was at the Star Club. The place no longer exists but there is a plaque that commemorates their presence in the city. Here’s a link to the whole route that remembers the period the Liverpool boys spent in Hamburg.

Also very well-known for its football team, the FC St Pauli is much loved by all Hamburgers and has a pirate skull for its logo. You can buy t-shirts and all sorts of gadgets at the FC St Pauli shop beside the football stadium or at another, more central shop on the Reeperbahn itself at No. 63-65.

Außenalster is one of the man-made lakes that forms the River Alster in the heart of the city. It is one of the favourite places to enjoy a sunny day and the meeting place for residents of Hamburg where they go to do different sports and activities.

Why not take a trip to Hamburg? Have a look at our flights here!