Planning to give yourself and your partner a treat for Valentine’s Day? While Rome and Paris tend to be the favourites as far as romantic flings are concerned, why not flout the norm and opt for a place where natural beauty is the ideal setting for enjoying love? This time around, we recommend La Palma, an island situated in the north-west corner of the Canary Island archipelago and widely known as the “beautiful isle” for its lovely scenery. Here are some tips for getting the most out of this beautiful nature reserve where you can also enjoy the added value of a pleasant, mild climate at this time of year.

Journey to the Heart of the Island

The length and breadth of La Palma is made for sightseeing, redolent with spectacular landscapes of volcanic origin which boast the well-earned accolade of Biosphere Reserve, awarded by UNESCO. Covering 708 square kilometres, it is comparatively easy to tour by car, although you will come across a large number of slopes, so just take it easy. The reward is that you will encounter numerous vantage points on the way where you can soak up the spectacular views, like the Cumbrecita in El Paso, Los Andenes viewpoint, El Roque de Los Muchachos in Garafía – one of the most spectacular – and La Concepción viewpoint, with views over the city of Santa Cruz de La Palma.

If you happen to be a sports enthusiast, be sure to hire a mountain bike and ride along the myriad forest trails criss-crossing the island – you will not be disappointed. Another option is to secure some sturdy footwear and choose a route through this ramblers’ paradise, which has nearly one thousand kilometres of waymarked footpaths. They stretch across the whole island, from La Crestería or Route of the Volcanoes to the Camino de la Costa (Coastal Route) fringing the island, or the Ruta de los Puertos (Route of the Ports), which links Santa Cruz de La Palma to the Puerto de Tazacorte.

Sundown at the Seaside

Nothing like the seaside for being lulled by romantic charm, as well as taking in the marvellous scenery. While the beaches of La Palma are not that well known, the island actually boasts a number of secluded seaside spots where you can get away from it all and enjoy intimate moments with the immense Atlantic Ocean before you. Among our favourites is the beach of Los Nogales, accessed by going down some 300 steps, which you will have to climb back up when you leave! Then there is that of Bujarén, in Garafía – suitable only for those with no fear of heights – and La Zamora, where you can enjoy a picture postcard sunset with your loved one. What more could you ask for?

A Charming Hotel

No romantic escapade would be complete without a resting place with a charm of its own. The Hotel Hacienda de Abajo, located in the heart of the historic centre of Tazacorte, is a reconverted sugar mill and the perfect spot for chilling out after a lengthy sightseeing day on the Beautiful Isle. We recommend checking out their bath house, where you can enjoy a good massage, and make a point of refueling in their magnificent restaurant.

Book your Vueling to La Palma here and celebrate Valentine’s Day in style!

Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Image by Ivan Borisov

These days street food is really trendy among most European countries. What used to be considered unhygienic now sweeps away everyone in Europe and gets new supporterss all the time.

In fact, it’s difficult to imagine other countries without street food stalls. In the United States, for instance, food trucks are an institution, even a showcase for new entrepreneurs cookers sometimes, who use these stalls to introduce themselves before they can get a place in an actual restaurant. In other countries, like Turkey, China, Nigeria and Pakistan, or around Latin America countries, street food is part of the daily life.

To eat in a street food stall is such an experience anytime you travel; that’s the way to try the most popular food in the country without the finery of a restaurant, hanging out with locals and getting to meet them, and is much cheaper.

The exotic Marrakech is the culinary capital in Morocco, and the main spot is the famous Jemaa el-Fnaa square and the surroundings, where there is activity all the time.

By the morning, stalls with fruit juices share space with tattoo artists or snake - and tourists - charmers. For about 4 dirhams, you can try orange juice freshly served that will help you on dealing with the warm weather.

Early at night, it’s time for the stalls full of tables and cooking tools. The grill i son and the square of Jemaa el-Fna becomes a big dinning room. There is a sea of smoky food trucks offering all kinds of food at all sorts of prices. Un mar de humeantes puestos callejeros con ofertas para todos los gustos y bolsillos. From the delicious lamb kebabs or chicken, cookies and sweets made of honey, almonds and dates are sold at stalls all around the square.

The spots are numbered (but messy) and you can find many recommendations, like the fresh fish at 14, best mint tea at 5 or the spot number 31, famous for serving the best sausages.

The golden rule for a traveller says, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” and you can apply that here, too. Not all the food stalls have the greatest quality, though. Ideally, then, you should go wherever you see Moroccans eating.

This is a list of what you can find at food trucks and stalls in Marrakech.

- The crunchy bread (Khobz) is one of the basic elements on Moroccan gastronomy, usually cooked in a wood oven. Among the different kinds of bread, there is the baghrir (like a crêpe, a fluffy pancake with holes), harsha (made of semolina) or rghaif (semi-crispy rectangular bread), usually accompanied or fill in some garrison.

-Tajine, is a lamb stew with lemon and spices.

- Merguez, a spicy sausage with an intense flavour.

- The steamed lambs head or the snails’ soup are two of the most “exotic” options to the traveller looking for new gastronomic adventures. They are considered true delicacies among locals, but not the favourites for the tourists.

- Morocco is one of the largest exporters of sardines, and you can find this fish at most food stalls. They are cooked in the grill and usually filled with a spicy chermoula paste, which has tomato, cilantro, chili, lemon and garlic.

- For the veggies, the smoky and tasty fried eggplant slices can a good choice.

- Sweets like briwat ( fried triangles filled with almonds) and shebakia (sesame cookies in a flower shape).

- All kinds of nuts! Dates, sugared almonds, walnuts, raisins and figs.

- To drink, mint tea is good anytime, this is the most famous drink in Morocco, often referred “Moroccan or Berber whisky”, as a joke and because it looks similar even, obviously, mint tea has no alcohol.

So you feel like visiting Marrakech, do you? Book your flights here!

Looking for a different kind of destination to get away? Keen to discover somewhere new? Pack your bag and head to these cities which you've probably never visited.

Walpurgis Night – the night of witches or, in German, Walpurgisnacht– is held at the transit from 30 April to 1 May in much of central and northern Europe. May 1 is the feast of St Walpurga, the patron saint of countrywomen and servants, and patroness of conjurers. Legend has it that this is the last time witches can celebrate their heathen festivals after the darkness of winter, and they have the whole night to do so.

One of the most popular sites for this ritual is Brocken, the highest summit in the Harz Mountains (some 50 km from Leipzig, Germany). This peak is often shrouded in dense fog, endowing it with an air of mystery. It even gives rise to an unusual effect known as the Brocken Spectre – an optical illusion that can appear in any fog-clad mountains, by which an enlarged shadow of the observer, surrounded by an iridescent halo, is reflected onto the clouds. The effect is actually created by the diffraction of cloud droplets. This also helped to magnify the legend of the witches in the place mentioned by the German writer, Goethe, at the beginning of his best-known work, Faust, when he describes the scene of the witches’ night celebration on the slopes of the Harz mountains. On Walpurgisnacht, participants assemble at Brocken around a large bonfire and spend the night singing and dancing. The festive ritual is purported to drive off evil spirits. Witches’ night is celebrated at all villages in the Harz Mountains, where the inhabitants dress up as witches and demons, while street markets, fireworks, parades and concerts are organised. Check out the programme listing all the Walpurgis Night activities in Harz.

The Harz Mountains – Following in the Witches’ Footsteps

Accounts from the Harz are not limited to witches. This mountain range in Lower Saxony is an impressive nature reserve featuring some of the really beautiful spots. The mountain trails wind their way between steep cliffs and valleys, ash forests, and networks of villages, palaces and castles dating from the time of the Saxon Dynasty. It is northern Germany’s resort of choice for cross-country skiing and hiking, traversing the natural habitats of the red brocket, deer, lynx and wild boar, as well as the white-throated dipper, black stork and peregrine falcon.

The Harz is criss-crossed by a network of over 8,000 kilometres of well-signposted nature trails, making it a paradise for hikers. While the Harz National Park itself is practically uninhabited, you will come across a few hamlets and restaurants offering genuine, typical German cuisine – the stellar dish of the region is roast potatoes with spices. One of the trekking routes, known as Harzer Hexenstieg (Witches’ Route), is a trail running some 100 kilometres from Osterode, through Brocken, as far as Thale. Halfway along the trail, at a place called Torfhaus, the witches’ trail forks along a stretch known as “Goethe”. Indeed, the poet and playwright walked this same route some 200 years ago.

Fairytale Villages in the Harz Region

The Harz Mountains are also dotted with some charming 16th-century villages, rich in history and legend. Of these, we have highlighted the following:

Goslar. At the foot of the Harz range lies this picturesque medieval town, known as the “Rome of the North”. It was the residence of German kings and emperors until 1253. The historic town and the old Rammelsberg mines, situated on the edge of the town, are listed as World Heritage sites. Also listed by UNESCO is the nearby Upper Harz Water Regale (Oberharzer Wasserregal), one of the world’s largest and most important pre-Industrial Revolution energy-management systems. Its 107 dams and reservoirs and over 300 kilometres of water channels provide a stunning backdrop for the Harz mountain hiking trails.

Wernigerode. This, the nearest town to Brocken is noteworthy for its striking hilltop castle and its medieval houses elaborately adorned with wood carvings.

Thale. Situated in the picturesque Bode Gorge, overlooked by the Hexentanzplatz, a lofty hilltop which can be reached by cable car. Hexentanzplatz, meaning “witches’ dance-floor”, was once a place of worship in Saxon times, sacred to the forest and mountain goddesses. Here you will find various landmarks associated with witches’ legends, in addition to the Walpurgishalle Museum.

Quedlinburg. Just 10 kilometres from Thale lies Quedlinburg, the first capital of Germany and an important town during the Middle Ages. It currently holds the largest concentration of half-timbered buildings in the country. An interesting fact is that this town was ruled by women for 800 years.

You aren’t scared, are you? Come and see it for yourself. Check out our flights here.

Text by Scanner FM

Images by Olli Henze | Σ64 | Mundus Gregorius | GerturdK | Mathias Liebing |  JuTe CLZ | Marco Hamersma