One August morning in 2014,  Stephen Curry, one of the world’s best basketball players, looked out of the window in the hotel where he was staying in the south of the island, together with the American national team, and wrote a message for posterity on the social networks: “Gran Canaria, God’s creation” was the immortalising phrase he wrote while taking in the scenery. He thus confirmed, decades later, that what the writer and journalist Domingo Doreste had said about his land of birth being a miniature continent was still true. The key to this is the combination of factors which make Gran Canaria a unique destination for nature lovers.

In 2005, almost half the island’s surface area was designated a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, a tribute to the incalculable wealth of its species and a state of conservation which has kept human impact on the environment to a bare minimum. Indeed, man’s traces in the protected nature areas open to visitors is hardly perceptible. Each strip of land, whether on the coastline or in the mountains, reveals a genuine flourish of beauty.

One of the must-visit landmarks is Caldera de Tejeda, which affords stunning views of the north-west of the island. It is home to both Roque Nublo and Roque Bentayga, two basalt monoliths regarded as emblematic by the islanders. The summit is presided over by El Pico de las Nieves, at an altitude of 1,949 metres. This great height often puts it above the cloud level, setting up an effect known as the “sea of clouds”.

This spectacular backdrop, swathed in silence, exerts a great pull on visitors seeking direct contact with the living legacy of Macaronesia, the ensemble of five archipelagoes in the North Atlantic, made up of the Canary Islands, the Azores, the Cape Verde Islands, Madeira and the Savage Islands. The flora of Gran Canaria is one of the island’s great draws and has aroused interest among the scientific community for centuries. Over a hundred plant species are indigenous to this island alone, while another five hundred species are endemic to the Archipelago. Laurel forests and towering pines are conducive to immersing oneself in an environment blessed with a privileged climate. If you’re fond of botany, be sure to visit the Jardín Viera y Clavijo – also known as the Jardín Canario (Canary Island Garden) – given over primarily to flowers and plants endemic to the seven Canary Islands.

The indigenous fauna scattered across the island is also interesting. In addition to lizards, perenquenes (Canary wall geckos) and such iconic birds as the blue chaffinch, Gran Canaria is home to almost fifty types of nesting birds. The sea is another of its fortes. The waters surrounding the island feature a broad variety of fish, notably the comber, grouper, island grouper, cow bream and white seabream, among many others. It is also quite common to spot dolphins and whales coasting along at a safe distance.

Gran Canaria’s biodiversity can be seen in all its splendour from the Red de Miradores, a network of viewpoints comprising 31 observation platforms affording the best possible views and where you can take great photos. Further, if you’re an enthusiast of trekking, climbing or cycling, Gran Canaria offers endless opportunities in the form of routes with various difficulty ratings.

Accommodation at stunning sites is provided by a good range of rural hotels and houses spread across the whole island. Small spiritual retreats, where you can dispel all stress, located in gorges and other concealed tracts of land, guaranteed to enhance your experience of Gran Canaria.

Come and live it out for yourself. Check out our flights here.

Photos by Patronato Turismo Gran Canaria

You’ve spent the whole day traipsing about the city, tracking down the legacy of the Habsburgs in Vienna, soaking up its architectural gems, like Schönbrunn Palace, and visiting such splendid museums as the Albertina. The heat is oppressive – recall that it is not always cold in Vienna and in summer it bears its brighter side, as long as it doesn’t rain. You are also starting to become fatigued. Maybe it’s time to take a breather and chill out on your visit to Europe’s “musical capital”. You have heard a lot about the city’s magnificent cafés and the weighty tradition surrounding them, but what increasingly draws your attention is the sheer number of ice-cream parlours scattered about the Austrian capital. Time to check out whether Viennese ice-creams have anything on the popular Italian ice-creams. And, you are amazed to find that the Italian fare has found a stiff competitor in Vienna!

In a nutshell, this could be the experience of many tourists or other travellers passing through the city on discovering the Viennese penchant for this refreshing confectionery. You might wonder how ice-creams ever arrived here in the first place, and how they got to be so good. After doing a bit of research into the history of ice-cream, the first thing you realise is how muddled are the references when it comes to establishing a place and time when that creamy delight first appeared on the scene. However, it transpires that it first came to light in Mesopotamia around 4,000 BC in the form of boiled rice mixed with spices and milk, all wrapped in snow. This is one of the diverse forms the original recipe seems to have acquired. It was the Italians who spread it across Europe, while the French started adding some fresh ingredients to the blend. What all the sources consulted coincide in is that ice-cream reached Vienna in the 19th century, brought here by northern Italians, and that the city played an important role in applying new techniques to ice-cream making. It would not be amiss to conclude that the Viennese flair for crafting confectionery, added to the skills of the Italians when making ice-cream, inevitably led to such a successful final outcome.

So, if you’re planning to escape to Vienna, be sure to add to your to-do list the task of venturing into the heart of its myriad ice-cream parlours and trying out their refreshing delicacies. The city is said to have the largest concentration of ice-cream parlours in Europe. Among the most popular venues are Eissalon am Schwedenplatz (located in the Schwedenplatz), Zanoni & Zanoni,which is at Lugeck 7, and the Gelateria Hoher Markt,on Hoher Markt. Another well-known chain of parlours is Paolo Bortolotti, which has three venues on Mariahilferstrasse. And if, in addition to getting tasty ice-cream, you would like it served up in an ambience charged with design, then Eis Greissler is your spot. When it comes to choice, there are even vegan ice-creams to be had – the place to go is Veganista, located in the Seventh District.

Incidentally, for those of you who are fans of Empress Elisabeth – better known asSissi,whose presence is one of the leading draws on any visit to Vienna – one snippet of her lifestyle claims that, as part of her unusual and limited diet, she regarded violet ice-cream as one of her few favourite foods. So, you might want to try that original flavour.

Venture on a getaway to Vienna to savour their tempting ice-creams. Book your Vueling here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

History has been generous with Périgueux. This town, emblematic of the Aquitaine region, is fortunate enough to boast well preserved remains of its Gallo-Roman and medieval past, making it a unique spot. Situated on the banks of the river Isle, Périgueux makes for a great getaway, on account of both its stunning heritage and as a place to indulge in culinary delights, notably its foie gras. Périgueux, the ancient Vesunna Petrucoriorum, was one of the most important Roman centres in southern France. This is evinced in the extant remains of that civilisation, noteworthy being the Roman wall and the amphitheatre, with a capacity of 20,000 spectators, which must have rivalled Nimes or Arles. Well worth visiting is the Vesunna Gallo-Roman Museum, built around a grand Roman villa from the 1st century AD, the so-called domus des Bouquets (Domus of Vesunna). Judging by its sheer size – it covers an area of 4,000 square metres – it must have belonged to a high-ranking official of the region. Thanks to a system of walkways, the interior of the villa can be viewed from above, without impinging on the original surfaces.

A few metres from the old Gallo-Roman wall, which had some buildings set on top of it, lie vestiges of the town’s medieval past, including those of the 12th-century Château Barrière, destroyed in a fire in the 16th century, and the church of Saint-Étienne de la Cité, Périgueux’s original cathedral – up until the Wars of Religion – during which two of its four domes and the campanile were destroyed.

Touring Medieval and Renaissance Périgueux

It seems that God Himself stopped on the summit of Le Puy-Saint-Front, where man ended up building a cathedral of the same name over a former Merovingian and Carolingian church. This formidable cathedral, which rivets your gaze upwards as soon as you get near it, is a compulsory stopover for pilgrims on the Road to Santiago. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1998. Saint-Front Cathedral is unique in that its fabric reveals exotic Byzantine flourishes at times, as well as the legacy of Sacré-Cœur on Montmartre, Paris, at others. Its interior is not quite as striking, although it does harbour the odd exceptional detail, such as the chandelier that lit the wedding of Napoleon III and countess Eugénie de Montijo in Paris.

Medieval Périgueux, with the Mataguerre Tower as the last bastion of its ancient wall, is also graced with Renaissance buildings featuring such characteristic elements of this style as inner courts and staircases. Among the most emblematic buildings is the 16th-century House of the Patissier and the Saint Front Residence, a mansion located on the Rue de la Constitution.

Gastronomy in Périgueux

At the foot of the Cathedral lies the Place de la Clautre where local farmers sell their produce in a street market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. A few streets away, two open-air markets feature two of the products that are never in short supply in the pantries of Périgueux’s inhabitants – meat and foie gras.

It is a delightful experience to wander through the maze of medieval alleyways and then book a table at one of the small bistros or restaurants where you can treat yourself to local fare. One such eatery is the refined L’Eden, on Rue de l’Aubergerie, one of the most picturesque thoroughfares in the capital of the former Périgord.

Ready to discover the charm of Périgueux? Check out your Vueling to Bordeaux here.

Text and images by Tus Destinos

Photos by Tus Destinos and Alban GILBERT - CRTA

A maze of cobbled streets where you can easily get lost; white houses, prominent among them the traditional cármenes (Moorish-style houses); historical vestiges which transport us back to their Moorish origins, and what are possibly the best views of the Alhambra, make the Albaicín a must-visit quarter for sightseers in Granada. In short, while on one bank of the river Darro stands the main reason for visiting this beautiful city – the Alhambra and Generalife – on the other bank lies the other reason for coming here – the Albaicín.

Our first piece of advice when visiting this quarter of Moorish Andalusian origin is that you should take things leisurely, as it is packed with captivating, inspirational nooks and crannies that need time to soak up. Not for nothing was it designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

Traces of its Moorish Past

Its steep, narrow, winding streets, where you can easily lose your bearings, is one of the first signs of the quarter’s Moorish past. But, there are many other reminiscences of what was one of the Albaicín’s periods of greatest growth and splendour – the Nasrid dynasty. These include the 11th-centuryZirid Wall,which runs between the Albaicín and neighbouring Sacromonte, the entrance gates, like those of Puerta Nueva (New Gate), Arco de las Pesas (Gate of Weights)–located in the Plaza Larga –Puerta de Fajalauza,on the Cuesta de San Gregorio Alto, and Puerta de Elvira, on the street of the same name. Similarly, the 11th-century Arab Baths, on the Carrera del Darro, known locally as the Bañuelo or “Little Bath”, and the Palace of Dar al-Horra, the 15th-century residence of Boabdil’s mother and queen. Even some of the local churches feature surprises from the past, as in the Church of San Salvador, located in the Plaza de Abad, the interior of which features an ablutionary font from the former Great Mosque of the Albaicín.

Also from those times are vestiges of former water distribution channels and the aljibes (cisterns), of which twenty-five still remain, notably the Aljibe del Rey (King’s Cistern), located between the Zirid Wall and the Placeta del Cristo de las Azucenas.

Another of the Albaicín’s traditional buildings are the so-called cármenes granadinos, which also date from the Nasrid period. This type of Moorish house is typically free-standing and surrounded by a high wall, with a small orchard or garden inside. A noteworthy example is the Carmen de Aben Humeya, on the Cuesta de las Tomasas, which is now a restaurant.

To round off this venture into the past, we recommend visiting the streets of Calderería Vieja and Calderería Nueva, in the lower part of the quarter. They are lined with shops and tea houses with a special charm that will transport you to the lands lying south of the Strait of Gibraltar.

The Finest Sunsets in Granada

One thing you simply must do in this city is head for one of the miradores or vantage points in the Albaicín to watch the sun setting, as the views are really stunning. The two best and most popular lookouts are the Mirador de San Cristóbal, said to afford the finest vistas of the Alhambra and Generalife, the Vega of Granada and the Sierra Nevada, and the Mirador de San Nicolás, which became popular after a visit to the city by Bill Clinton. However, be prepared for the crowds, as throngs of people tend to come here to enjoy the dusk sights.

Succumb to the charms of one of Granada’s most beautiful quarters – check out your Vueling here.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Rocío Garro, Alper Çuğun, Isa Ruiz, Julia Kostecka, Esteban Chiner