Volcanoes, nature, sport, gastronomy, tradition, architecture… It would be difficult to find another destination offering as much as Tenerife, whose privileged situation also makes it a perfect island to visit at any time of the year.

Distributed across the provinces of Huelva, Seville and Cádiz stretches one of the most emblematic national parks in both Spain and Europe. The Doñana National Park and Nature Reserve, made up of 108,086 hectares of National Park and 53,835 hectares of Nature Reserve, is a jewel coveted by nature enthusiasts, ecosystem devotees and even lovers of outdoor activities. In the following we reveal the secrets to an in-depth encounter with this vast and wonderful natural enclave.

An Ecotourist Paradise

You enjoy roaming through natural surroundings and soaking up their charms? Here you will find a variety of ecosystems to indulge in –preserves, pine groves, lagoons, marshes, wetlands, beaches and dunes will escort you on your journey through Doñana, and in them a rich variety of fauna and flora.

The park’s flora includes over 900 different species, prominent being the large-fruited juniper, cork oak, stone pine, oleander, broom, thyme, rosemary, brambleand a long list of others. Noteworthy among the fauna of Doñana, of which there are over 500 species, is the Iberian lynx, one of the most strictly protected species in the park, as well as a plethora of bird life, which we deal with below.

Birds, Birds and More Birds

While the fauna of Doñana is not limited to its bird life, birds are undoubtedly the leading lights of the park’s fauna, the lynx notwithstanding. They are also the reason most visitors come to this nature reserve. This national park is a longstanding favourite among ornithologists as a huge variety of migratory birds make a stopover at Doñana en route to warmer climes. Large numbers of birds also spend the winter in the park’s wetlands. Visiting the park in autumn or winter will bring you within sight of birds from northern Europe, while doing so in spring will afford views of those coming from Africa.

Planning Your Visit

There are various ways of touring Doñana, although you should take into account at all times that there are certain restrictions on moving about. The first thing to remember is that the nature reserve has fewer restrictions and is more accessible than the national park, to which access is more limited. The easiest and most popular means is to take an all-terrain minibus with a guide, as this is a way of seeing large areas of the park in comfort. A second option is by boat, which you get in Sanlúcar de Barrameda and which takes you along the Guadalquivir, with stops at various points along the river.

Lastly, there are other options that require more of an effort but which are bound to bring you into closer contact with nature, like hiking along the trails on foot or by bicycle. However, you are advised to first enquire at one of the visitor’s centres dotted around the park where you can get information on the various routes.

From Autumn To Spring

The best period to visit Doñana ranges from autumn – when the dry summer season comes to an end and the first migratory birds start flying in – until spring. In summer the park is rather too arid as most of the wetlands dry out during that season.

A Stopover at El Rocío

Whether or not it is time for the shrine pilgrimage, you should not fail to visit El Rocío on your Doñana route. The village is famous for its vastly popular shrine pilgrimage in honour of the Virgin Mary, which takes place at the Pentecost weekend and attracts throngs of people each year. Except when the festivity is in full swing, this village is a backwater of peace and quiet. There you should visit El Rocío shrine and take in the splendid views of the lagoon.

Book your Vueling to Jerez de la Frontera, located 35 kilometres from the Doñana National Park, and discover all the charm of this magnificent nature reserve.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Nacho Pintos, Calvin Smith, Mr. Theklan, Porphyrio, Vince Smith

The province of Bolzano, also known as Alto Adige and South Tyrol, culturally half-Italian and half-Austrian, is home to one of Italy’s best known mountain ranges, the Dolomites. They make up a spectacular landscape in which valleys alternate with characteristically shaped mountains that seem to rake the sky. They also change colour with the passage of the sun, to the delight of visitors – during the day, they are white, while at dawn and dusk they take on a splendid reddish tinge. Le Corbusier himself was enthralled with their magic and called the Dolomites “the most beautiful architectural work on earth”. Protected by seven parks, they were listed as a World Heritage Site in 2009.

The Dolomites provide the perfect backdrop for doing open-air sport like skiing or climbing and are also an ideal arena for enthusiasts of nature watching or those in search of inspiration. You are most likely to find inspiration in the Messner Mountain Museum, a network ofsix museums located in unique spots in the South Tyrol.They are themed around mountaineering, rock climbing and the culture of mountain dwellers.

The figure behind such a special museum concept as this – intimately linked to nature – is the unique, exceptional Italian, Reinhold Messner. Considered one of the best climbers of all time, his track record includes scaling all fourteen eight-thousands without oxygen. In 1978, Messner and his Austrian companion Peter Habeler were the first mountaineers to conquer Everest without supplemental oxygen. This heralded the start of a long career in summiting. In 1991, Messner’s intrepidness and thirst for new experiences led him to take part in the first expedition to cross Antarctica without outside support.

He currently leads a tranquil life centred around writing and the Messner Mountain Museum, an original collection of museums made up of the following spaces:

MMM Corones. Situated on the summit of Kronplatz, the story of mountaineering unfolds here. Designed by the architect Zaha Hadid, the museum was carved out of the mountainside. All that is visible from the outside is the three-pronged observation platform on the summit, with stunning views of Mt Peitlerkofel, Mt Heiligkreuzkofel, Ortler and the South Tyrol.

MMM Firmian. Near Bolzano stands Sigmundskron Castle, home to this museum themed around the relationship between man and the mountain. It is worth visiting it if only for its views of the Alps and the Dolomites.

MMM Dolomites. Also known as the “Museum in the Clouds”, it is located in an old bunker from the First World War on the 2,181-metre-high summit of Mt Rite, between Pieve di Cadore and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The museum is devoted to rock climbing, and conceptualised as a tribute to the Dolomites and everyone who has climbed them.

MMM Juval. Located in Juval Castle, it is dedicated to the “magic of the mountain”. The interior houses an exhibition of artworks featuring a Tibetan collection and masks from the five continents. The museum can only be visited as a guided tour, while in July and August it is closed, as it is the summer residence of the Messner family.

MMM Ripa. Another castle – in this instance, Bruneck Castle – houses this museum dedicated to mountain cultures. Not for nothing is the name of this space derived from the Tibetan words ri (mountain) and pa (man).

MMM Ortles. In the village of Solda, this simple stone building is half buried underground, with pasture thatch forming the rooftop of this unusual museum. The central theme is the world of ice and the subjects of skiing, ice-climbing and expeditions to the Poles.

Now that you have the keys to some of the marvels awaiting you in the South Tyrol, all that’s left is to book your Vueling to Verona – about an hour and a half’s drive from Bolzano – and discover it for yourself.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by Messner Mountain Museum and Zaha Hadid Architects (© Inexhibit)

Any sojourn in Madrid should include a brief escape to one of its best known parks, El Retiro. This huge green area, opened to the public in 1868, is not only effectively the city’s lung. It is also a well-trod social meeting point for many a Madrilenian, and tourists too. It also provides an immersion in nature, and is a well-known venue for sport and for hosting contemporary art exhibitions. Following is a rundown of the main reasons for counting this park among the highlights of your visit to Spain’s capital.

1. A Short Walk From Downtown Madrid

Having a 125-hectare park in a big city is quite a luxury – having it just a stone’s throw away is even more so. Indeed, any day of sightseeing in Madrid can easily be rounded off by taking a pleasant stroll through these splendid gardens, relaxing on the grass as you take in your natural surroundings or having some refreshment at one of the kiosks in the park. What more could you ask for?

2. Put a Garden in Your Life

Like any great green expanse, El Retiro boasts several landscaped areas in different styles which are well worth visiting. The most prominent ones are La Rosaleda, the French Parterre – site of the Ciprés Calvo (Bald Cypress), Madrid’s oldest tree – and the gardens of Vivaces, Cecilio Rodríguez and El Arquitecto Herrero Palacios.

3. Nature and Much More

To take literally the saying, no todo el monte es orégano (“not all the hills are oregano”, although this actually means “it’s not all plain sailing”), in this case not all of El Retiro are trees. Among the many sights you will across on your walks there is the Crystal Palace and the Velázquez Palace, annexes of the Reina Sofía National Art Museum which both act as exhibition areas. The park’s walkways and squares are also adorned with a large number of statues and fountains and you should also make a point of seeing its centrepiece, the “Estanque Grande” (Great Lake), surmounted by a statue of Alfonso XII.

4. One Big Outdoor Gym

El Retiro is a great spot for doing sport. At any time, but particularly at weekends, it is common to see people doing all kinds of sport in the park, from running to tai chi, yoga, kung fu, cycling, skating and even rowing on the Estanque Grande. Don’t hesitate to put on your sporting gear and take the chance to get fit in such agreeable surroundings as these.

5. In Search of Lucifer

If you happen to go to El Retiro with a local, it’s more than likely he or she will end up taking you to one of its landmark pavilions, especially the one housing theFountain of the Fallen Angel.This sculpture, the work of Ricardo Bellver, is one of the few extant depictions of Lucifer, which is why it tends to attract numerous passers-by. Executed in 1877, it was inspired by some verses in John Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667).

6. A Romantic Boat Ride

A perennial classic is the Estanque Grande, the veritable nerve centre of El Retiro. Here you can boldly treat your partner to a romantic ride in one of the rowing boats moored along the jetty.

Now that you know some of the reasons why you should include El Retiro on your Madrid itinerary, you can book your Vueling and look forward to experiencing it first-hand.

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Images by bjaglin, Alex Bikfalvi, Teo Ruiz