Gateway to the Atlantic and trade with Africa, Porto has a special beauty that you perceive walking the streets. Despite their current romantic decay, the  early-century modernist buildings that rise  on the sides will take you to better times when the city had its maximum commercial splendor.

Enjoy  the terraces and restaurants of lively Ribeira

The historic center of Porto is also one of the most beautiful and colorful areas, a labyrinth of narrow medieval streets and alleys.
The Ribeira Square is in front of the Chapel of Our Lady of Ô, surrounded by bustling cafes. Come to eat to the traditional restaurants in Rua da Fonte Tauria. here you can take the Funicular Guindais aka Dos Guindais, or go up to the highest part of town in the district of Batalha.

The most emblematic of the six bridges of Porto is the Luís I, which crosses the city and Gaia, where the cellars of the famous port wine are. It was designed by a disciple of Eiffel,  Belgian engineer Teofilo Seyrig, so the two metal structures are works very similar in style

It can be crossed to visit Gaia, a town full of wine cellars the boardwalks of its two floors. On the top floor passes the subway line and on the lower one, passes cars and other vehicles.

Porto Wine Cellars

Crossing the bridge, you get to Gaia. Here is where port wine gets older, right next to the city, and you will find most wineries that are producing it. But do not stay only with the idea of ​​their wine; Porto is very interesting to try sardines, fresh saloios cheeses or Cabreiro  and some of their delicious desserts.

Another interesting option is to cross the Douro River on typical Rabelo boats, formerly transporting Porto wine. You will be fascinated by the magnificent views.

Livraria Lello. One of the most beautiful in Europe

It is no wonder that it chose to this library to film some scenes from the Harry Potter saga. It breathes a magical atmosphere. Its art deco details and neogothic style, the access ladder to the top floor, the large stained glass windows of the roof or the wooden bridge that crosses it, make this place more than a simple library to buy books.

The Livraria Lello e Irmao, called Livraria Lello to simplify, located in the Centre of the city in a beautiful building of neo-Gothic style, it is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe and is, with the bookstore Bertrand in Lisbon, one of the oldest in Portugal. Located in the Centre of the city, in a beautiful neo-Gothic style building.

Maus Hábitos

Maus Hábitos or bad habits is not a conventional place. Since 2001, year when Porto was European Capital of Culture, this mix of restaurant, bar and art gallery gives adequate room for the expression of all kinds of artists and organises workshops. Additionally, you can enjoy a mix of traditional and modern Portuguese cuisine overlooking the old town or you can relax in its gorgeous courtyard garden.

Image: Małgorzata Kaczor

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

On our latest escape to London we came across some foodie venues that were surprising and unexpected to say the least – porridge, cereals, crisps… The UK capital has bars specialising in these goodies and are a MUST-VISIT.

A Café Dedicated To Porridge

One of the trends of the year? Yes, porridge. Some may be puzzled by all the buzz surrounding what was once a breakfast associated with the more deprived, as attested in the famous work, Oliver Twist. However, people have succumbed to its charms in droves, particularly on account of its health benefits. So much so that the first ever porridge bar has opened in London. Here, you can choose from over 25 recipes of this modish delight for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Served with fruit, custard, all kinds of milk, and also bacon, eggs or meat… They also feature a large variety of seeds to round off the healthy experience. An ideal, energy-packed way to start the day and to explore one of the most emblematic specialities of British cuisine. Needless to say, this café is located in the ultra-cool Shoreditch district.

A Restaurant Starring Crisps

You’re a crisp fiend, are you? Well, get on a flight to London, which already has its own restaurant extolling this highly addictive speciality and it’s called Hipchips. The chef behind the concept is Scott Davies and his hangout is in the heart of Soho. Make no mistake – here, there are no industrial-grade bags; the crisps are made from a variety of different coloured potatoes: “vintage”, like (the red) Highland Burgundy 1936, Pink Fir Apple and (mauve) Shetland Black. They are served with sauce for dipping and come in six savoury and even sweet varieties, like the Nutella or cheesecake. A portion costs just over 5 euros.

Chocolate Paradise

Dark Sugars Chocolate Shop is an earthly paradise. That’s it. The shop sets out to showcase the evolution of chocolate from the raw state to all finished products imaginable. Here, you can taste pure cocoa, craft chocolates and truffles and hot chocolate beverages. There are even vegan options. The raw material is imported from the finest plantations in Africa and South America. Oh-my-God!

A Bar Which Compiles the World’s Most Emblematic Cereals

Are you a devotee of Special K? Or Cheerios? Froot Loops, maybe, or perhaps Frosties? You are especially attached to a cereal you tried in some other country which you were never able to find again? Cereal Killer Café unlocks the solution to each of these issues, as this is the only place in the world which has compiled so many cereal varieties. They have over 100 behind the counter from all over the world and you can eat them here in original bowls any time of day, bathed in over 30 different varieties of milk and accompanied with bits of fruit, chocolate… or any of the dozens of toppings on offer. A venue which is decked out – you might have guessed – in an assortment of eye-catching cereal boxes. The decor is a tribute to the 80s and 90s. A journey into the past, seen through the eyes of a child.

Extolling Coffee

Tap Coffee is London’s temple of coffee. A cosy, modern ambience where you can taste excellent coffee, ground and filtered on the spot, after having made your choice of variety and origin of the beans (Kenya, Colombia, Brazil, Rwanda, among others) and type of serving (long, short, milk, cold, hot…). Here, all the ingredients that go into making the coffee are of the finest quality, while the formulas are observed down to the minutest detail, to ensure the beverage is refined and perfect. It is not cheap (over 3.5 euros per cup) but, if you’re a coffee lover, this is your corner.

Book your Vueling to London and enjoy venturing into some of these unique sites, designed to lure enthusiasts of foodie experiences.

Text and photos by Laia Zieger of Gastronomistas.com

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

These simple constructions are a beacon for sailors. Powerful flashes of light ringing the coast help ships navigate and indicate the distance separating them from land. These lighthouses (or “Pharos” in old English, while in Spanish the word is faro) owe their name to the tower lighthouse of Pharos off the coast of Egypt. They have become veritable places of pilgrimage, providing amazing 360° panoramas of everything around them. The island of Fuerteventura, with its nearly 326 kilometres of coastline, is encircled by five such faros, linked by a route which affords travellers a lofty vantage point over the wonderful scenery surrounding this Canary island.

Faro de la Entallada – the African Viewpoint

Situated on the island’s east coast, 6 kilometres from the resort of Las Playitas – a wonderful seafaring enclave with volcanic sand – its unusual architecture makes this the most original lighthouse on the island. It is located at the closest point on the Canary Islands to Africa, some 100 kilometres away. To get to the top of cliff, be sure to keep your wits about you as the road is narrow, with hairpin bends. You can drive there, but do so with the utmost care. Once you get to the top, however, you will encounter a splendid, 200-metre-high balcony over the ocean, with views of the Cuchillos de Vigán (Vigán Knives) Natural Monument, lava fields which have sculpted a spectacular mountain chain. Built in 1952, the lighthouse has a 12-metre-high tower and two side buildings rendered in lime and red pumice stone, imbuing the ensemble with a lot of character.

Jandía Lighthouse – the Southernmost on the Island

Located at the southernmost tip of Fuerteventura, enveloped in a volcanic landscape with steep cliffs, Punta de Jandía is accessible either by private vehicle – preferably a four-wheel drive – or a public, 4x4 minibus which plies the route running from Morro Jable to Puertito de la Cruz, a village of 20 houses and two restaurants where it is said you can get the best fish soup on the island – I can vouch for this. This hamlet of houses built in traditional style leads you to the Jandía Lighthouse, set atop the finely tapered tip of the island. If you look at the sea, you can spot the delicate ripples set up by the ocean currents coming from both the Barlovento coast on the one side, and the Sotavento coast on the other. Built in 1864, the lighthouse is now home to the Jandía Nature Park Interpretation Centre.

Tostón Lighthouse – the Finest Sunset

Located at Punta Ballena, 5 km north of the picturesque fishing village of El Cotillo, is the Tostón Lighthouse, which went into operation in 1897. Together with the Martiño lighthouse, on the Isla de Lobos, and the Pechiguera lighthouse, in Lanzarote, it forms a triangle illuminating the Bocaina Strait separating Fuerteventura from Lanzarote. The site of the Traditional Fishing Museum, it is made up of three towers built in different periods, one of which is brightly coloured, with a formidable presence. It is no overstatement to say that it affords one of the most stunning sunsets on the island. The lighthouse is surrounded by little coves with calm, crystal-clear water, ideal for having a dip at the day’s end.

Morro Jable – the Island’s Modern Lighthouse

The most picturesque spot in Morro Jable, a village in the south of Fuerteventura dominated by its British and German inhabitants, is Matorral Beach, with over four kilometres of white sand fanning out from the village centre. This magnificent beach, perfectly suited to hiring a pedal boat – they really round off your holiday nicely, believe me – is the site of the modern Morro Jable Lighthouse, which began operating in 1996. It is a simple, slender reinforced concrete tower about 60 metres high. It can be accessed from the village or beach along tracks which are well signposted, as it stands in a protected Scientific Interest Site, the Saladar de Jandía wetlands, an unusual coastal ecosystem which is flooded at high tide.

San Martiño Lighthouse – the Trekkers’ Choice

The San Martiño lighthouse, built in 1865, stands on the Isla de Lobos, a picturesque rock located a few kilometres off the coast of Corralejo which can be reached by a regular ferry service. The only way of getting to the lighthouse is by walking along one of two signposted footpaths – one hugging the coastline and the other leading into the interior. The walk is suitable for visitors of all ages and your arrival at the lighthouse, after a steep but short final stretch, is ineffably rewarding. A plaque pays tribute to the novelist, Josefina Pla, who was born on the island. A breathtaking 360° panorama.

Texto de Teresa Vallbona