Welcome to our Ireland Travel Guide, which will provide with all the detail you need to know in planning your trip to Ireland.

By Ireland , we mean the 32 Counties of the Island of Ireland, which are the 26 Counties of the Republic of Ireland and the 6 Counties of Northern Ireland.

All statistics refer to the Island of Ireland (32 Counties).

This information is designed to make your stay in the Ireland an experience that you will treasure forever.

Even if you have visited Ireland before, we feel you will enhance your stay with a browse through our Ireland Travel Information guide.

You can of course access the more detailed areas of our website to read about specific places and subjects.

BRIEF HISTORY

Evidence of human settlement in Ireland goes back to Megalithic times to between 5000-6000 B.C. Newgrange, Loughcrew and other settlements suggests that Irish ancestors came from southern Europe, possibly the Iberian Peninsula.

The arrival of Celtic tribes to the island in about the 4th century B.C. is acknowledged as fact. Various invasions by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century concluded when King Brian Boru defeated the Danes in 1014 at the Battle of Clontarf.

However, the British occupation of Ireland began in the 12th century and initiated more than seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh repressions together with a disastrous Famine in the 1840’s. A badly planned 1916 Easter Monday rebellion –    Easter Rising – resulted in several years of guerrilla warfare that eventually in 1921 created independence from the UK for 26 southern counties; the six (6) northern ( Ulster) counties remained part of the United Kingdom and still do. This in turn triggered the Irish Civil War of 19221-1923 and eventually led to The Troubles, a virtual civil war between the Nationalist and Loyalist communities in the 6 Counties of Northern Ireland from 1969 to 1998.

In 1948, Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealth and declared the 26 counties as the Republic of Ireland; it joined the European Community in 1973, now called the European Union (EU). In 2002, Ireland adopted the Euro as its currency.

Successive Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of Ireland and have co-operated with Britain against terrorist groups. In 1998, the Good Friday Agreement signalled peace in Northern Ireland and eventually led to the current Northern Ireland Assembly where power sharing operates in a devolved local government reporting to the British Government.

The Republic of Ireland is administered by a democratically elected Government . This is currently led by a Fianna Fail/Green Party Coalition, headed by Taoiseach (Leader or Prime Minister) Brian Cowen.

GETTING THERE

By air: Ireland has four main airports, Dublin, Belfast, Shannon and Cork.  The main airport is Dublin and this is home to the national carrier, Aer Lingus. They fly to and from UK and European airports daily. They also have a transatlantic service between various US destinations and have route sharing- programmes with an internal American carrier, Jet Blue . International services also operated to Dublin, Cork and Belfast. Aer Lingus also operate internal services to Kerry, Cork and Shannon .

Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, is based at Dublin Airport and offers services between Dublin and all EU countries as well as internal routes. In addition, all major European flag carriers operate services to Dublin along with us carriers Delta Airlines, Continental and US Air have services to Dublin and Shannon Airports.

Please click here, for more information on Ireland Airports.

By sea: Dublin is served by two ports, Dublin Port at North Wall, near the centre of the city and Dun Laoire to the south. Both offer daily sailings by Irish Ferries and Stena Line from the UK ports of Holyhead and Liverpool.

Belfast offers similar services to the same ports in addition to a service to Cairnryan Scotland. Larne, further north in County Antrim, has services to Cairnryan and Stranraer Scotland.

Cork has Services from Roscoff, in France, via Brittany Ferries.

Rosslare , in County Wexford, offers Irish Ferries services from Cherbourg France and Stena Line from Swansea in the UK.

ACCOMMODATION

Ireland has a wide variety of accommodation, from Five Star Hotels to Farmhouse Accommodation. There is also a wide range in standards of accommodation and in price. Knowing where you are staying is essential for anyone planning a visist to the Emerald Isle.

Click here to find out more about the various types of Accommodation in Ireland.

GEOGRAPHY and DEMOGRAPHICS

Ireland lies of the coast of the North West of Europe.

Geographic Co-ordinates : 53 00 N, 8 00 W

Area : 84,412 sq km (32,591 sq miles)

Coastline : 3,700 km (2,300 sq miles)

Population : 4,109,086 (ROI) 1,872,362 (N.I.)

Currency: Euro (ROI).   Sterling (N.I.)

Highest point : Carrauntoohil, County Kerry, 3,414 ft (1,041mt)

Climate : Temperate ocean climate; mild winters and cool summers; high precipitation and mainly overcast.

Religions : Roman Catholic 73 %, balance mainly Protestant (mostly located in Northern Ireland).

Geographic regions :  The island of Ireland is divided into four provinces, Leinster, Munster, Connaught and Ulster, which in total constitute 32 counties.

Connacht : Connacht is located in the West of Ireland and covers a total area of 17,713 square kilometres. It encompasses 5 counties: Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo.

Leinster : Leinster is a region in the East of Ireland which has a land area of 19,774 square kilometres. It has 12 counties, more than any other province. These are Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow.

Munster : Munster is the province of the South of Ireland and covers 24,607 square kilometres. There are 6 counties in Munster: Clare, Cork, Limerick, Kerry, Tipperary, Waterford.

Ulster : Ulster is located in the North of Ireland and covers 24,481 square kilometres. It encompasses 9 counties (three of which are part of the Republic of Ireland): Antrim, Armagh, Cavan, Derry, Donegal, Down, Fermanagh, Monaghan, Tyrone.

Tourist Regions
The country is divided into 8 Regions for Tourism and this is controlled by Failte Ireland.

	Northern Ireland
	North West
	The West
	East Coast & Midlands
	Shannon Region
	South West
	South East
	Dublin

Counties of Ireland
Ireland is divided into 32 counties of which 26 make up the Republic and 6 make up Northern Ireland. Click here to view Ireland Counties Map and then click on your county of interest. The Peace process has been greatly received by all and travelling to and from Northern Ireland is no longer an issue.

Flag of Ireland

The Irish flag dates from the 1800′s and it is reputed to have been designed by Thomas Francis Meaghar from Waterford. It is based on the French flag and is known as the Tricolour. The Green represents the country’s Republican traditions, the Orange the Unionists tradition from Northern Ireland and the White represents Unity.

Irish Language – Gaelic
The main spoken language of Ireland is English, while more and more people would like this to change. The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs estimated in 2007 that 17,000 people lived in areas where Irish was the community language, and a further 10,000 in areas where it is partly the community language. But since Irish is an obligatory subject in schools, many more are reasonably fluent second-language speakers. Where Irish is spoken as a native language they are called Gaeltacht regions. These regions are known collectively as the Gaeltachtaí. These are in County Galway (Contae na Gaillimhe), including Connemara (Conamara), the Aran Islands (na hOileáin Árann), Carraroe (An Cheathrú Rua) and Spiddal (An Spidéal); on the west coast of County Donegal (Contae Dhún na nGall); in the part which is known as Tyrconnell (Tír Chonaill); and Dingle Peninsula (Corca Dhuibhne) in County Kerry (Contae Chiarraí). Smaller ones also exist in Mayo (Contae Mhaigh Eo), Meath (Contae na Mí), Waterford (Contae Phort Láirge), and Cork (Contae Chorcaí).

Currency
Ireland is part of the European Union and as such now uses the Euro (€) as it’s currency. Most banks have a Bureau de Change facility where you can convert your money.

Electricity
The electricity in Ireland is 240 V AC at 50Hz Using Three Pin plugs.

Transportation
The road system in Ireland has greatly improved over the last ten years. Although raod sizes are not comparable to Europe and USA they are adequate for the traffic volume. Please beware if travelling around Dublin on the M50 as recently they have introduced a barrier free toll system. Check out M50 Toll Charges for more info.
Irish motorists drive on the left hand side of the road and the following is Speed Limits
120 km/h (75 mph) for motorways
100 km/h (62 mph) for National Routes (Primary and Secondary) that are not motorway status.
80 km/h (50 mph) for local and regional roads.
50 km/h (31 mph) in built up areas.
Click here for a Road Map of Ireland

For further information on Transportation in Ireland please click here.

Communications

Country Code Telephone prefix: 353

Internet Country Domain: .ie

Emergency No: 999/112

National TV/Radio Broadcaster: RTE

Private National TV Broadcaster: TV3

Irish Language National TV Broadcaster: TG4

National Postal Service: An Post

Telephone/Broadband Service: Eircom, ESAT/BT

Mobile/Cell Phone Services: Vodafone, O2, 3

Foreign Embassies in Ireland

Please click here for a list of addresses and contact numbers for Foreign Embassies in Ireland.

Cities of Ireland
There are 11 cities in Ireland which are great for a weekend break with plenty to see and do!

Dublin City
Belfast City
Cork City
Galway City
Limerick City
Waterford City
Derry City
Newry City
Kilkenny City
Armagh City

Towns of Ireland

Although there are only a few cities in Ireland, there are hundreds of towns and villages spread across the island. All of these towns/villages are unique in their own way, and guarantee to have something special to offer the visiting tourist. This can range from amazing and beautiful natural scenery, to ancient and fascinating historical sites, not to mention lively festivals and events! Truly, the towns of Ireland are sure to have something for everyone.

Please click here for our individual guides to over 200 Towns and Villages of Ireland.

Rivers of Ireland
The rivers in Ireland are famous for their fishing quality. The main cities have the following rivers flowing through them;

Dublin – Liffey , Belfast – Lagan, Cork – Lee , Galway – Corrib , Limerick – Shannon, Waterford – Suir (more info on Ireland Rivers)

Lakes of Ireland

Ireland is well known for its many beautiful and scenic lakes. Some of the main Lakes of Ireland include Lough Neagh in the heart of Northern Ireland and Lough Corrib in the West of Ireland. These lakes provide recreation and employment for many of the Irish living on their shores.

Mountains of Ireland

The mountains of Ireland are many but most are of relatively low levels compared to other ranges in the British Isles and Europe. The highest mountain being Carrauntuohil Killarney – County Kerry standing at 3414 ft – 1050 metres high.

Beaches of Ireland

One of the main attractions to visitors of Ireland are the many beaches dotted along the island’s beautiful rugged coastline. Ireland’s beaches provide some amazing scenery which is hard found anywhere else in the world.

Please click here for more on the Beaches of Ireland.

Peninsulas and Headlands

The Peninsulas and Headlands of Ireland feature some of island’s incredible natural beauty. The ocean views from atop these protruding pieces of land are truly breathtaking to behold. Many of these Peninsulas and Headlands also provide some of the best walking trails to be found anywhere.

Please click here to find out more about the Peninsulas and Headlands of Ireland.

Top Tourist Attractions of Ireland

The wide range of attractions available to tourists in Ireland is truly astounding, and it is no wonder that several million people visit the Emerald Isle on an annual basis. Indeed, there is something for everyone, be they in search of history, culture , scenery, etc. But what are the top attractions Ireland has to offer?

Click here to see just a few of the Top Tourist Attractions of Ireland.

Activities in Ireland

One of the main reasons for the boom in Ireland’s tourism industry in the last few years is the massive range of activities available to the visiting tourist. From golf to fishing to surfing, Ireland caters for everyone. Indeed, when it comes to entertainment, the Irish have a lot to offer in terms of recreation.

Click here to learn more about Activities in Ireland, what they are and where to find them.

Irish Culture Guide

From a cultural perpsective, Ireland is one of the most exciting and vibrant countries in the world. Indeed, Ireland has a rich history of literature, poetry and art, and this is illustrated by the numerous theatres, museums and galleries dotted all over the island.

Please click here for more information on Irish Culture.

TOP EVENTS and FESTIVALS of IRELAND

Ireland is probably the best party country in the world. No matter what time of the year one visits Ireland there is a festival on.

It could be anything from beauty festivals to matchmaking, culture, sports, drinking or eating events.

It could be steam threshing, vintage cars, motor rallies, Gaelic games, fishing, writing, painting, walking, cycling, windsurfing, potholing, bog snorkelling and farting competitions!.

It could be music festivals, horse fairs, sailing regattas, comedy festivals, Irish dancing and even religious festivals (with drink, of course!).

The famous Moher cliffs walk, County Clare

– The roads are often in poor condition, so if you go self-drive, go slowly or go 4×4. Or both.
- Ireland is not cheap and you can be overcharged in touristy places where some restaurants and hotels fleece unwary travellers. A superb point that we can capture within our Travel to Ireland Guide here.
- The weather is often wet, but wait a moment and it’ll change.

The Ring of Kerry standing stones.

Ireland climate guide:
Best: May – Sept Worst: Jan, Feb [cold, dull, rain, wind]

Length of stay:
Minimum worthwhile stay, not incl. flights: a long weekend, in and around Dublin.
Max: up to 3 weeks if you want a quiet, countrified get-away-from-it-all kind of holiday.

Dublin Cathedral, Ireland

Ireland main attractions:
Dublin, a lively, beautiful Georgian city; see Dublin travel guide.
Most tourists head straight for County Kerry. This is a spectacular area of mountains and lakes. Killarney is the most scenic spot in Kerry.

Ross Castle, Killarney, County Kerry

Then there’s the Aran Islands, across the mouth of Galway Bay, where you can see rural Ireland as it was centuries ago; the traditional way of life of the Aran islanders has not been subject to modernisation and Irish is still spoken there. You can reach the islands by ferry from Galway.

Kylemore Abbey, County Galway

Connemara in County Galway has a wonderful landscape of moorland and mountains and still supports pockets of Irish speakers.
Clonmacnois, County Offaly, has a fascinating early monastic site.
Literary buffs will want to continue north into County Sligo and visit Yeats country including the famous Ben Bulben and the grave of the great poet.
Glendalough lies in a pretty valley in County Wicklow and is the well-preserved site of an early Christian settlement and includes a round tower and St Kevin’s Church and many ancient crosses.

Ireland’s County Wicklow National Park and the Round Tower.

Ireland Activities:
Walking: Ireland is brilliant walking country and there are 2,000 miles of unspoiled, marked trails such as the 215 km Kerry Way [134 miles] and the 127 km [80 miles] Wicklow Way.
The Wicklow hike is easy to get to and offers landscapes from mountains, lakes, glacial valleys and mountain streams to forests and farmland. The Wicklow Way starts in Dublin’s south suburb of Rathfarnham and heads southwest across the Dublin, through the hill country of County Wicklow and ends in the tiny village of Clonegal.
Fishing: You can fish almost anywhere along Ireland’s vast coastline and in the many rivers and lakes e.g. Lough Derg, Erne and Gill. Fishing permits cost IR£5 but you need a national licence for salmon and sea trout.
Mountain biking: Hire bikes are available. You can mountain bike in the great walking areas, hills, rough tracks or dedicated areas such as Ballinastoe, Coillte mountain in Co. Wicklow.
Mountain-climbing: Mt Gabriel on the Mizen head Peninsula, Hungry Hill on the Beara Peninsula, and Croagh Patrick near Westport.

Climbing Ireland’s highest mountain, Carrauntoohil, County Kerry.

Horse Riding: all kinds of horsey holidays are on offer, and all utilising quiet, pretty trails and beaches, many in the south-west. Or…for a truly ethnic experience what about a horse-drawn caravan holiday!
Sailing/kayaking: very popular round the west coast, especially between Cork Harbour and the Dingle Peninsula, the coast north and south of Dublin and on the larger lakes.
Windsurfing: Steady year-round wind and good waves make this sport popular too.
Surfing: try the waves in Easkey in County Sligo, Castlegregory and Barleycove on the Mizen Head Peninsula.
Self-Drive Inland Boating: Ireland has over 400 miles of navigable rivers, lakes and canals that you can explore by yourself with minimal instruction on a narrow boat, with plenty of moorings and marinas en route.
Or take go on a cruise boat a let someone else do the driving.
Scuba: Yes, strange but true! From March to October hardy divers explore the rocky coasts and colourful fish courtesy of the Gulf Stream.

Six Arches Bridge, County Kerry.

A Guide to Beautiful Gardens of Spain

Spain has some of the most beautiful gardens in the world. This is an incomplete list of places and gardens that are some of the best in Spain. There are many more, but these are those that are in the principal tourist areas on the peninsula.

1. Aranjuez – The Royal Palace Gardens

The royal palace of Aranjuez was first constructed in a small scale during the time of Felipe II. He would spend the spring in this little town because the temperature was very mild and it was a beautiful place. During the reign of Felipe V, the present palace was finished. The palace started with the Renaissance style, but many transformations during the years now give it a neoclassic look. The palace is enormous, with various wings and huge plazas within the palace. One can easily get lost here.

The palace is beside the Tajo River and the river has been used to supply the many beautiful fountains in the marvelous gardens surrounding the palace. The formal gardens are very extensive and it is a pleasure to promenade in these gardens. There are many fountains with beautiful marble statues. One can see the river running along the edges of the gardens, giving a very soothing sound. There is a parterre garden with a fountain of Hercules that was designed at the beginning of the 19th century. The Garden of the Island has a large garden is the oldest garden and was remodeled by Juan Bautista de Toledo (the architect of Felipe II) in the 16th century. The Garden of the Prince is the most modern and was constructed in the second half of the 18th century.

2. Barcelona – Park Guell

Count Eusebi Guell was a prominent industrialist in Barcelona and he decided to build a garden city with 60 houses on a hill called Montaña Pelada (Bare Mountain). The venture was not successful and only two houses were built (not by Gaudi), and Guell convinced Gaudi to buy one of them (designed by Ramon Berenguer). This house is now the Casa-Museu Gaudi, which contains furniture designed by Gaudi and other personal effects of the architect. The park was designed by Gaudi and built between 1900 and 1914. The city has owned the park since 1923.

At the entrance to the park there is a main staircase that has a dragon fountain that is made of broken bits of glazed ceramic tile. This leads to the Salon of the Hundred Columns, which was supposed to be a market place. The columns really number only 84 and are Doric in form. The ceiling of the Salon has tiled mosaics with designs on the ceiling. On top of the salon is a public square with a very large undulating bench in the form of a sea serpent that has backrests adorned with the broken bits of glazed tile. The bench was made by the architect Josep Maria Jujol. At the top of the park is the Closed Chapel, which has a large cross on top of it. This place has very good views of the city. The park was declared a Patrimony of Mankind by the UNESCO in 1984.

3. Barcelona – The Ciutadella Park

The Ciutadella Park is located near the port, in the Ribera district. It started out as a fortress in 1714 when Philip V became the first Bourbon king and his man the Duke of Berwick ordered its construction. In 1869 it was decided to turn this into a park and the fortress was demolished. The park was going to be used for the Universal Exhibition of 1888 and the architects of the park were Josep Fontsere and Elies Rogent. The gardens were the work of the French landscape architect Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier. The park has the former Arsenal, which is now the Catalan Parliament building. There is a spectacular and monumental waterfall, called the Cascada, that was designed by Fontsere with the help of a student called Gaudi. The cascading waterfall has sculptures of horses and winged dragons. The backdrop of the fountain is a triumphal arch that is topped with a sculpture of a manned chariot of four horses. All of these have the Baroque style.

There is a large lake, a big outdoor stone sculpture of a mammoth, and many sculptures by 19th and 20th century Catalan sculptors. One of these sculptures is of a woman in distress and is called Desconsol, done by Josep Llimona. This sculpture stands in a pool in front of the Catalan Parliament. The Barcelona Zoo is in the park too. A building that was built for the 1888 Exhibition is the Castle of the Three Dragons, now the Zoological Museum, and a work of Lluis Domenech i Montaner. Another building is the Geology Museum, in a Neo-classic building. Just outside the park is the Arch of Triumph, which was the entrance to the 1888 Exhibition. This is done in red brick and looks like a Mudejar construction. The architect was Josep Vilaseca. The top has a beautiful frieze done by Josep Limona and has winged angels.

4. Barcelona – The Cervantes Rose Garden

Barcelona has such beautiful architecture, museums, and monuments that few guide books even mention any gardens in Barcelona. Well, there is one beautiful garden that calls attention and can be visited by lovers of nature, gardens, and flowers. The Cervantes Rose Garden sits on a hill (San Pedro Martir) that is planted with 2000 species and varieties of roses. There are about 10,000 rose bushes that come from all over the world. The garden occupies four hectares of land and was designed in 1965. There are gravel paths and grass that surround the roses and there are also benches where one can sit and admire the flowers. One can inhale the marvelous perfume of the roses and touch them lovingly, since there are no barriers that separate the visitors from the flowers. There are arbors where the roses climb the wood frames and form a canopy.

Close to the entrance of the park, there is the white statue of a nude woman on one knee who seems to be contemplating the roses. It is a beautiful statue and makes one think. The gardens are quiet and one can think and admire the flowers. Few tourists ever visit this beautiful garden, so it is not overrun by people.

Every year it hosts the International New Rose Competition in May and the winning rose bushes are planted in spaces that show previous winners. New hybrids take a lot of work to produce them, so this competition shows off all the new varieties.

5. Ciudad Real – Gassett Park

Jose Ortega y Gassett was a famous Spanish philosopher and author, who lived between 1883 and 1955. This beautiful park is named after him. This is a big park that has a long walkway that is shaded with trees. The park has thousands of rose bushes and there are fountains and arbors where people can rest. It is a favorite place for mothers to bring their children. There is a monument called La Cruz de los Casados, which has a cross on top of a Corinthian column, built in 1929. It reminds people of the legend of the tragic love between Don Sancho and Doña Blanca, as written in Don Quixote.

6. Cordoba – Gardens of the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos

The gardens of the Alcazar are some of the most beautiful gardens in Spain. It has several pools and fountains. The Paseo de los Reyes is a walkway in the garden that has statues of the kings who lived in the Alcazar. The end of the walkway has the statues of the Catholic Kings and Columbus, because it was here that Columbus talked with Queen Isabela several times. The gardens are watered by flooding, which come from the times of the Moors. There are beautiful shrubs and flowers in the gardens and the gardens are constantly manicured by professional gardeners.

7. Cordoba – Palacio de Viana Patios

The Palacio de Viana is a National Artistic and Historic Monument, as well as an Artistic Garden. The building and gardens occupy an area of 6500 square meters, and half of the space is taken by the gardens. This is one of the biggest private palaces in Spain that can be seen by the public. There are 12 patios and the artwork and furniture in the palace is impressive. One can see the evolution of Cordoba architecture from the 14th century to today because there were constant additions to the original palace, until the palace occupied the whole block.

The owners of the palace have been families of the aristocracy. Among them have been Miguel Ruiz, the treasurer of Andalusia and Murcia. The last was the Marques de Viana, Don Fausto Saavedra y Collado. In 1980 the Caja Provincial de Ahorro de Córdoba bought the property and opened it as a museum to preserve it.

Every patio is different and each one has a different theme and name. The patios have beautiful trees, shrubs, fountains, small pools, and flowers.

8. Elche – El Huerto del Cura

This garden was designed by the priest Jose Castaño Sanchez, who built the gardens at the end of the 19th century. The gardens are named National Artistic Gardens. There are palm trees, bamboo, cactus, flowers, and little ponds in the gardens. At several places there are replicas of La Dama de Elche. The gardens have the custom of naming one of the trees after a famous visitor. One famous visitor in 1894 was the Empress Sissy of Austria. They named one palm tree after her and this tree is the most famous now in the garden because from the main trunk, there have grown eight new trunks. The gardens are an enjoyable place to visit.

9. Granada – The Generalife Gardens

The Generalife Gardens are probably the best known gardens in Spain. They are huge and one can enjoy walking through them. At the entrance, there is a large open air patio that is sloping to a stage, where concerts and other public performances are held. Everywhere in the gardens there are little fountains that splash water. The sound of running water was very soothing to the Moors and they engineered a system to bring large amounts of water from the Darro River upstream from the city of Granada to the Alhambra fortress, so that they could withstand sieges and also use the water in the palaces and gardens. The gardens are surrounded by a forest of trees, and one can see the channels where the water runs.

The gardens are very well tended by 35 professional gardeners and one can see them at work while one wanders through the gardens. There are many rose plants and other aromatic plants and shrubs because the Moors liked to have perfumed gardens, which are a delight to the senses. Many of one’s senses are engaged in these beautiful gardens, the sense of sight, smell, and hearing. What is interesting is that the gardens are divided into smaller gardens by huge green hedges, which have cutouts so that one can see adjacent gardens. The Water Stairway is a series of round patios with hand rails that bring water in small channels. The patios and the hand rails with the water go downhill.

One needs at least an hour to see all of these gardens in the Generalife. One can spend much more time here taking pictures of everything. One can really appreciate what the Moors built here. The designs are all to human scale and there is pure genius in the designs. The human scale is probably what makes the palaces so beautiful and engaging. One can imagine how life would be if one lived in these palaces.

10. Granada – The Fuente del Triunfo Gardens

There is a park adjacent to the Avenida de la Constitucion called the Fuente del Triunfo. The park goes up the hill and near the end of the park is a huge column with the statue of the Virgin on top. Behind this is a wall of impressive fountains, that run only in the afternoons. The fountains are lit up at night.

11. Lloret de Mar – Gardens of Santa Clotilde

These gardens are not too far from the Playa de Fenals. The gardens were built from the top of a hill all the way down to a cliff beside the sea. They are in the style of the Italian Renaissance and built in 1919, covering an area of 24,000 square meters. The owner of these gardens was the Marques de Roviralta, who lived between 1891 and 1979. He was a doctor and had this vision to build the gardens. His mansion still stands on top of the hill and his family still occupies it. He found a young architect by the name of Nicolau Maria Rubio I Tuduri (1891-1981), who had been a disciple of the famous French architect Nicolas Forestier, the latter architect being the architect of the Bois de Boulogne in Paris and the Maria Luisa Park in Seville.

Many of the walkways in the gardens are lined with Italian cypress trees. There are other evergreen trees such as Mediterranean pines and also cedar trees. There are many Roman style statues made of marble in the gardens, and also many bronze statues of sirens done by the sculptress Maria Limona. There are many small ponds and fountains that let water fall down the sides of the hill, beside steps that are adorned with plants on the sides of the steps.

The regional government of Catalunya declared these gardens of national interest in 1995 and the architect Artur Bossy has recently remodeled the gardens to give them their original form. These are probably the most beautiful gardens in the Costa Brava.

12. Madrid – El Retiro Park

El Retiro Park is located in the center of Madrid and is quite big, occupying a space of 12 hectares. In 1935 it was declared a Garden of Historic-Artistic Importance. It was constructed in 1632 by King Felipe IV as part of his Buen Retiro Palace. Retiro means retreat, because the palace was supposed to be a country retreat. At that time the area was out in the countryside. The king hired many Italian artists and the park was conceived as an Italian Baroque park. Later the Bourbon kings came and they wanted formal French gardens, so the park was remodeled to this new style. The palace and gardens were destroyed during the War of the Spanish Succession and the French invasion of 1808. The gardens were restored during the time of Fernando VII and Isabel II. Later came the Revolution of September, 1868, when the Town Council of Madrid took the land for itself. It was then that the park was opened up to the public.

One of the features of the park is the large artificial lake (El Estanque del Retiro) that is located by the monument to Alfonso XII. This little lake is used for sailing and rowing by visitors to the park. The monument was constructed by King Alfonso’s mother in 1922 and has a semicircular colonnade with an equestrian statue of the king in front.

There is also the Palace of Velazquez that was used to house the Exhibition of Mining in 1883. The style of the palace is Mudejar, with brick facing and plenty of decorative ceramic tile everywhere. The architect was Francisco Velazquez Bosco. Beside it is the Crystal Palace, built in 1887 to house an exhibition about the Philippines, which was a colony of Spain at that time. It was conceived as a tropical greenhouse for exotic tropical plants and its designer was also Francisco Velazquez Bosco. He copied the Crystal Palace of London. Both palaces are now used for art and other exhibitions. There is a little artificial lake in front of the Crystal Palace.

There is a Rose Garden that has many showy roses during spring. There is a famous statue called the Fallen Angel, done by the sculptor Ricardo Bellver y Ramon in 1885, and which interprets Milton’s Paradise Lost, showing Lucifer falling from heaven. Another famous statue is the Equestrian Monument to General Martinez Campos, done by the sculptor Mariano Benlliure. General Campos led a successful revolution in 1874 against the First Spanish Republic and restored the Bourbon Dynasty.

There is a walkway that is known as the Paseo de las Estatuas (Statue Walk), whose official name is the Paseo de la Argentina. It has many statues of the kings and these were done between 1750 and 1753. The main entrance to the park is beside the Alcala Gate, at the Plaza de la Independencia. The Forest of the Departed (Bosque de los Ausentes) is a somber memorial monument to remember the 191 victims of the March 11, 2004, train attacks on Madrid.

This park is gorgeous and is a very enjoyable place to visit and see beautiful gardens and enjoy nature. During weekends it is filled with Madrileños and their families having fun.

13. Madrid – The Sabatini Gardens

The Sabatini Gardens are located by the north wing of the Royal Palace and were designed by Francesco Sabatini. He was an Italian architect of the 18th century who designed much of the Royal Palace, being the court architect. The gardens were not built at that time however. These gardens were built in 1933 where the royal stables were. There is a large reflecting pool that is surrounded by Roman statues. The gardens are formal in style in the neoclassic style, with symmetrical designs that include fountains and many bushes, trees, and flowers. Many of the bushes and trees have been trimmed to have symmetrical shapes, and they include cypresses and pine trees. There are many benches where one can sit and relax. It is a very quiet and beautiful place.

14. Madrid – The Royal Botanic Gardens

Beside the Prado Museum on the Paseo del Prado, there is the Plaza of Murillo, where the entrance to the Royal Botanic Gardens is.

In 1755 King Fernando VI ordered the gardens, but it was during the reign of the next king, Carlos III, when the gardens were finished at their present site in 1774. The architects were Francesco Sabatini and Juan de Villanueva. Sabatini was the king’s architect and Villanueva designed the Prado Museum. The aim of the gardens was to teach botany, and there are three greenhouses which exhibit many tropical plants. The gardens were closed for many years and were finally restored and reopened in 1981.

Today there are many trees from the original garden from the 18th century. In total there are more than 30,000 different species of plants in the gardens. Every tree is labeled correctly, so one can learn while roaming the gardens.

The gardens are laid out in the formal style, using very geometrical patterns. The flowers are spectacular in spring and one can see many beautiful flowering trees. In spring there are tulips of many different colors planted in geometric patterns in the parterres. People who enjoy nature and flowers will really enjoy these beautiful gardens.

15. Malaga – The Malaga Park

The city park lies beside the port and goes from the Plaza de la Marina to the Plaza del General Torrijos. At the Plaza del General Torrijos, there is a beautiful fountain called the Fuente de las Tres Gracias (Fountain of the Three Graces), which is a French design of the 19th century. The park was constructed in 1897 and conceived as a botanical garden and has been remodeled in 2007, so it is now more than a hundred years old. New walkways have been added, statues have been cleaned, a new pond has been constructed, overgrown shrubbery has been removed, and many thousands of new plants and flowers have been planted. Alongside the main road there are two promenades that are bordered with palm trees and shade trees. There are many benches located throughout the park.

The preliminary plans were drafted by the Marquis of Larios and the architects were Rivera, Guerrero Strachan, Rucoba and Crooke were amongst those that took part in the long design and development phase. Joaquin de Rucoba was the architect who oversaw the building of the park. The park was designed as a Mediterranean garden with touches of the Renaissance and the Baroque. The land it sits on was reclaimed from the sea. Many of the trees and shrubs have small signs identifying them. Many of the statues and sculptures are also identified.

There is a walkway parallel to the Paseo de los Curas that has a lot of shade because of the canopy created by trees on both sides of this wide walkway. The new pond comes from an overflowing fountain and is bordered by rocks and flowers. There is a big mural with angels in relief. At one end of the park is a children’s play area. Across the street, one can see the City Hall, the Bank of Spain (the most beautiful building in the city in Art Deco style), and the University building, which has an art gallery that is free to visitors.

The park is 800 meters long and occupies a space of 30,000 square meters. It contains plants from every continent, mainly from tropical and subtropical countries. Among the unique plants and trees are Sago Palms, Canary Island Dragon Trees, Canary Island Pine, Fire Tree, Tropical Pandan Trees, Barbary Trees, Chorisias, Cedars from Lebanon, and Bird of Paradise Trees. There are many more species in the park. Many of the trees were donations from the Marquis of Larios.

Across the street and beside the City Hall are the Gardens of Pedro Luis Alonso, which most people think belongs to the park. This smaller park was named for the first mayor of Malaga after the Spanish Civil War, and was designed by Strachan. The design is Spanish-Muslim and French, with paths bordered with symmetrical shrubs, orange trees and a beautiful aviary. There are also ponds and springs. During spring one can smell the perfume wafting through the park from the new blossoms.

Just below the Alcazaba are the Gardens of Puerta Oscura. These were designed by the architect Guerrero Strachan and run along the hill, below the walls of the fortress. It has many interesting trees and plants, with small terraces, fountains, bowers, and footpaths. One can get a good view of the big park and the port from this hillside.

16. Malaga – The Botanical Gardens of La Concepcion

This huge tropical garden is located on the outskirts of Malaga, on the road going up to Antequera and Granada. In the late 19th century the Loring family was the richest and most prominent family in Malaga, and they built a summer residence where the park is now. Jorge Loring Oyarzabal and Amalia Heredia Livermore came from the richest families of Malaga and they bought the land on which the gardens stand in 1855. Seven years before this, they were married and went on an extended honeymoon of 6 months in Europe. They saw many beautiful gardens and decided to create one of their own when they returned to Malaga. The land they bought was located on the outskirts of the city and comprised of 49 hectares. At that time the Lorings were the richest family in Spain.

Jorge Loring, the Marquis of Casa Loring, was one of the best known businessmen in Malaga. He constructed the railway line between Malaga and Cordoba , and he founded the newspaper “El Correo de Andalucia”. He also was one of the owners of the Banco de Malaga. His father was George Loring James, from Massachussets, who went to Malaga and started a business there. Jorge Loring was an engineer, beside being a businessman, and was a very cultured man.

Amalia Heredia was the granddaughter of an English consul. Her father was Manuel Agustin Heredia Martinez, one of the richest businessmen in Malaga, who founded the iron industry in the city. She and Jorge belonged to the most prominent families of Malaga.

They hired Jacint Chamousset, a noted French gardener, to design the tropical gardens that they wanted. He selected the plants and he received several prizes for the design of the garden. The garden is designed as an English garden. Beside the gardens is a mansion that the Lorings built, that has recently been restored. In this house, the Lorings entertained the cream of European society.

Amalia was ahead of her time and was extremely educated. She was a beauty with brains, a real intellectual. Royalty, intellectuals, writers, and artists were attracted by Amalia and Jorge and came to visit them in their house. Among visitors was the Empress Sissy of Austria. La Concepcion quickly became famous for its gardens and also for the archaeological collection that the Lorings put in the small Loring Museum. This building has the Doric style. The archaeological remains were found in Cartama and Amalia had them brought to the gardens. The most famous remain is the Lex Flavia Malacitana, a bronze piece the has the Roman laws that governed Malaga in the year 80 AD, and which now is in the National Archaeology Museum in Madrid.

After the death of the Loring couple, the family went into economic decline and the estate was bought by the Echevarria family in 1911. In 1990 the City of Malaga bought the whole estate from this family and opened the gardens to the public in 1994.

In 1943 the gardens of La Concepcion were recognized as a garden of historical-artistic importance. There are more than 1000 species in the gardens. Among them are ficus, magnolias, pines, cypresses, cedars, and many of the trees are more than 100 years old. The palm tree collection is one of the best in Europe, with more than 100 species. The gardens are probably the largest tropical plant gardens in Europe. They are simply beautiful and unique in Europe.

Among the highlights of the garden are the Wisteria Walk, an arcaded area formed by wisterias that hang over a large trellis. This is spectacular in March and April, when the flowers bloom. The Lorings used to use this area as an outside dining room. The tallest tree in Malaga is a Monkey Puzzle tree that has a height of 45 meters. It comes from Norfolk Island in South East Queensland. There are plants from the Philippines, Australia, India, Mexico, Java, China, Formosa, and Japan. Most of them are signposted, so it is an educational experience to see the tropical gardens. Sometimes one feels that one is in a tropical rain forest as one visits the gardens. The guide explains everything during the tour. There is plenty of running water around the gardens, that water the trees and plants. There is also a Canarian Palm Tree Walk that leads to a lookout point, where one can see the city of Malaga.

17. Malaga – Villa Padierna Hotel in Estepona

Near the swimming pool one can find the gardens of this beautiful hotel. The owner of the hotel owns one of the biggest and best collections of Roman statuary in Spain, most of them from Italy and Spain. These are displayed in the gardens. The gardens have little fountains that overflow and flow in small shallow channels towards the swimming pool. These are of Arab design, similar to the Generalife Gardens in Granada. The murmuring of the water as it flows gives one a feeling of peace. The trees and shrubs are planted so that long vistas are created, with statues of Roman goddesses at the ends of the vistas. There are jasmine and dama de noche (a very fragrant version of jasmine), so that the gardens are perfumed. This is another Arab touch. The gardens were planned by the English architect Ed Gilbert, who also designed the Tuscan building of the hotel, as well as doing the hotel’s interior design. A truly stunning combination!

18. Malaga – Puente Romano Hotel in Marbella

Many years ago when the Puente Romano Hotel was newly built, it was said that the person who designed the gardens was the most famous landscape architect of Switzerland. The garden is a semi tropical garden, full of flowers, shrubs, trees, gurgling brooks, fountains, and waterfalls. It looked like the Garden of Eden, in the imagination of many. Today the trees and plants are more mature, but still beautiful. When one strolls the gardens, one can easily decompress from modern life in these beautiful gardens.

19. Malaga – Kempinski Palace Hotel in Estepona

This hotel has 70,000 square meters of tropical gardens, set among the swimming pools and decorative pools and waterfalls. There are numerous cascades that are quite dramatic.

20. Oviedo – Campo de San Francisco

This is a very large park downtown that is filled with sculptures, flowers, paved walkways, large trees, and fountains. The area occupied by the park is 60,000 square meters. This is a very pleasant place to relax and take a walk. There are many comfortable and clean benches to rest on. There is a tourist office at one corner, on Calle Uria. Originally the land was a farm that belonged to the Monastery of San Francisco (no longer there). Later the land was expropriated by the government in 1816 and turned over to the city. Later the University used it as a botanical garden. There is a Fountain of Frogs and a duck pond, among many other things in the park. There is also a monument to José Tartiere Lenegre that was sculpted by Víctor Hevia in 1933. There is a statue to San Francisco de Asis, a copy of the one made by Pedro de Mena. The legend says that the saint passed the city in the 13th century during his pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

21. San Sebastian – Alderdi-Eder Park

This park is downtown, by the beach. On the other side of the park are apartment buildings which are the third most expensive real estate in Spain, after Calle Serrano in Madrid and the Paseo de Gracia in Barcelona. This is where the rich live.

This particular park is one of the most beautiful parks in Spain. There are many tamarind trees, which have leaves that resemble asparagus ferns. These trees are unlike other tamarind trees in Spain. There are many small sculptures in the park and beautiful plantings of flowers. One of the sculptures is of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. There are also sculptures of lions and angels. There are palm trees that are ringed by flowers at the base. There were also small fountains in the park. There were many park benches painted in white. The beauty of this park is impressive.

22. San Sebastian – The Miramar Palace

There is a small hill between the Ondarreta Beach and the La Concha Beach, and it contains the Miramar Palace. It was built for Queen Maria Cristina in the form of an English “cottage” in 1888 by the English architect Selden Wornum. The palace was completed by Benito Olasagasti and Jose Goicoa.

Today the city owns it and it is where official city receptions are held. The palace is surrounded by beautiful gardens with impressive flower plantings and one can get the best views of the city from this hill. The gardens have many hortensias (hydrangeas), which seem to thrive in the humid weather and are quite big.

23. Segovia – La Granja

The Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso is located in Segovia. The palace was built by Felipe V, the first Bourbon king in Spain who came from France. Felipe V fell in love with the area where the palace was built and ordered the palace to be built as his retirement home. The palace was started in 1720 and finished in 1723. The French architect Rene Carlier, who worked on the palace and gardens of Versailles, was the main designer of the gardens. The style was late baroque. The main sculptors of the gardens were Rene Fermin and Jean Thierry.

What makes La Granja impressive are the gardens, probably the most extensive of the royal palaces in Spain. The main garden comes down a small hill towards the palace, and it is full of fountains that have a lot of water that flow towards the palace by gravity. The palace overlooks the gardens and from inside the palace one has a good view of the gardens. There are many different gardens and beautiful paths to explore. The fountains are turned on only once a week. The fountains have sculptures that have mythological themes and there are reflecting pools and cascades. The gardens were designed to give specific vistas and the forested areas and clearings were designed to help guide one’s eyes to these beautiful vistas. There are festivals when all the fountains are turned on to their full splendor, and these are those of San Fernando (May 30), Santiago (July 25), and San Luis (August 25).

24. Seville – The Alcazar Gardens

The Jardin del Estanque is a tank full of water with a fountain with the figure of Mercury. On one side is a pavilion and a building that goes to the Gothic Palace. This has a raised viewing gallery with round arches on marble columns. There is one garden after another. Among the gardens are the Jardin de la Danza, Jardin de Troya, Jardin de la Galera, Jardin de las Flores, Jardin del Principe, Jardin de las Damas, Jardin del Laberinto Viejo, and the Jardin de la Alcoba. All are beautiful, with many fountains. The gardens have many lemon and orange trees and are also planted with jasmine, so the gardens are perfumed, which is a wonderful sensation when one walks in the gardens. There is a very large area that contains the New Gardens, built in the 19th century in the English style. The gardens include the Jardin del Retiro and the Jardin de los Poetas. All the gardens should be viewed with plenty of time to be able to appreciate all their details.

25. Seville – Maria Luisa Park

The Maria Luisa Park is the largest park in Seville and one of the most beautiful in Europe. It has a very interesting history. Maria Luisa Fernanda was the younger sister of Queen Isabella II during the 19th century. She lived between 1832 and 1897. She was the youngest daughter of King Ferdinand VII of Spain.

Isabella II married Fernando I, her first cousin, who was supposedly gay. King Louis Phillipe of France had a plan to get the Spanish throne for his grandchildren. He married his youngest son Antoine (1824-1890), the Duke of Montpensier, to Maria Luisa Fernanda. He thought that Isabella II would have no children, so the Spanish throne would pass to her younger sister Maria Luisa Fernanda. He was wrong and Isabella II did have children (many think by a man other than her husband), so Maria Luisa Fernanda did not inherit the Spanish throne.

Maria Luisa Fernanda and Antoine had nine children. Later she and her husband, the Duke of Montpensier moved to Seville and lived in the Palace of San Telmo in the year 1848, after the French Revolution of 1848. The Duke would plot against Isabella II, his sister- in-law. When Isabella II was exiled in 1868, Maria Luisa Fernanda and her family had to follow her in exile. After her husband died in 1890, Maria Luisa Fernanda returned to Seville. Her daughter Mercedes married Alfonso XII, the son of Isabel II and became queen consort.

It was in the gardens of the Palace of San Telmo that King Alfonso XII declared his love for Maria de las Mercedes and had their love affair.

In 1893 Maria Luisa Fernanda left half of her gardens of her Palace of San Telmo to the city of Seville. After Maria Luisa Fernanda died in 1897, she was buried at El Escorial. However, the city of Seville did not take the gardens under their management until the Iberoamerican Exhibition of 1929.

Before the 1929 Iberoamerican Exposition, the city of Seville hired the famous French landscape architect Nicolas Forestier to redesign the gardens, now named after Maria Luisa Fernanda. Forestier was the landscape architect who designed the Bois de Boulogne in Paris.

The Plaza de España is one of the park’s most popular attractions and was the centerpiece of the expo. The architect was Anibal Gonzalez, from Seville, and it is a mixture of Art Deco and Mudejar. There is a moat that has four bridges across it. The palace has two large towers and there are sections with benches with beautiful tile work (azulejos) that represent each of the

provinces of Spain. In the center of the plaza is a very large and beautiful fountain. The Spanish like to be photographed at the benches of their provinces.

At another end of the park is the Plaza de America, which is also called the Plaza de las Palomas (Plaza of the Doves) because of the many doves that live there. It has many fountains, ponds, and gardens. There is a beautiful Mudejar building called the Pabellon Mudejar, which contains the Museum of Popular Arts and Customs. Across from it is a neo-Renaissance building, which now contains the Archaeological Museum, famous for its Roman statues and remains from Italica, the museum being one of the best in the country. The museum also has the Phoenician statue of Astarte-Tanit, the virgin goddess. The plaza’s gardens have palm trees and roses.

For the expo, there was a building constructed for every country in the Americas. Many of these buildings are now museums or consulates. One of the most famous is the building of Guatemala, beside the Avenida de las Palmeras.

The park has a plaza dedicated to the poet Gustovo Adolfo Becquer. There is a statue of him done by the sculptor Coullaut Valera. The poet wrote about themes of love. The park has many orange trees, palm trees, elms, and Mediterranean pine trees. There are also many ponds and the people of Seville enjoy this park everyday. They like to browse here with their families or go jogging for exercise.

26. Valladolid – Campo Grande

These are large gardens between the train station and the Plaza de Zorrilla, which were made in the 16th century. The gardens are in the shape of a triangle and have an area of 115,000 square meters. It started as a neoclassic garden, but was then transformed in 1877 into a Romantic type of garden. The garden is full of trees (62 different species), fountains, flowers, and sculptures. There is a pond where there are swans, geese, and ducks. A peacock walks the grounds. One of the sculptures that are interesting is a life size bronze statue called “The Photographer of Campo Grande”, showing a photographer taking a picture. It was made in 1994 by the artist Eduardo Cuadrado, a native of the city. There is a fountain called the Fountain of Fame, dedicated to Miguel Iscar. It shows a young woman with extended wings blowing a large trumpet to the sky. The fountain was constructed by the architect Antonio Iturralde Montel and the sculptor of the young woman was Mariano Chicote Recio. This fountain was inaugurated in 1883.

27. Zaragoza – Primo de Rivera Park

This is the biggest park in the city, named after Primo de Rivera, a politician from the 1920s. There are landscaped gardens, very Italian in design. At the top of a hill is a giant statue of Jaime the Conqueror, one of the kings of Aragon. Below the statue is a very impressive fountain that cascades all the way down the hill in beautiful designs, surrounded by a double staircase. At night everything is lighted.

Stretching sun-drenched and untamed to the south of the wild and majestic Pyrenees, this passionate nation works a mysterious magic. Spain is littered with hundreds of glittering beaches; flamenco bailaors (dancers) swirl in flounces of colour; and toreros (bullfighters) strut their stuff in the bullrings. Summer holidaymakers gather around great pans of steaming paella (at its tasty best in Valencia) and pitchers of sangria. Anyhow, Travel Guide to Spain will get you around to most prominent and best rejoicing places at Spain.
Beyond these clichéd images, a vast, unexpected panorama unfolds before you. Emerald green mountains seem to slide into the wild blue Atlantic in the north. Proud, solitary castles and medieval towns are strewn across the interior. White villages glitter in inland Andalucía. Rugged mountain ranges such as the Sierra Nevada (Europe’s most southerly ski resort) are draped across the country. The Celtic music of Cantabria, Asturias & Galicia reminds one of the misty lands of Brittany, Scotland and Ireland.

From its Roman relics to Muslim palaces, from baroque cathedrals and Modernista constructions, the country is a treasure chest of artistic and architectural marvels across a matchless cultural palette. More than 30 years of democracy and rapid economic development have spurred Spain’s cities to bedeck themselves with sparkling new ornaments. An army of local and international architects has left a slew of daring signature buildings in Barcelona, Bilbao and Madrid, to name a few.

Up and down the country, a zest for life creates an intense, hedonistic vibe in its effervescent cities. Indeed, if there is one thing Spaniards love, it is to eat, drink and be merry, whether gobbling up tapas over fine wine in Madrid and the south, or its elaborate Basque Country equivalent, pintxos, over cider in the north.

Cheap flights to faraway destinations and the explosion of worldwide adventure specialists have created an upsurge in the number of holidaymakers forgoing relaxing beach breaks to pursue the adrenalin rush instead on an adventure holiday.

But while an adventure holiday is undoubtedly more rewarding for the mind, body and soul, inherent risks are attached, and consequently there are right and wrong ways to go about choosing, booking and preparing for a trip.

Choosing an Adventure Holiday

What kind of adventure holiday will awaken your senses: white water rafting in the Himalayas, bungee jumping in Queenstown, or a charity trek up Kilimanjaro, perhaps? The world is now an adrenalin-hunter’s paradise, so to discover your limitless options, key in ‘adventure holidays’ on Google, invest in a relevant guidebook or magazine subscription, or visit a reputable adventure travel agent or operator.

Before you settle on a holiday destination – regardless of whether you’re travelling independently or with a company – check Visa and inoculation requirements with the Foreign Office (www.fco.gov.uk) and that the country you’re travelling to is both safe and politically stable. You may not be insured if you go against Foreign Office advice.

Booking an Adventure Holiday

Booking an activity or adventure holiday with an established and reputable company will give you peace of mind that your planned escapade has been thoroughly researched and approved, that the instructors, staff and guides you liaise with have necessary qualifications, and that any equipment you use will be safety-checked. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t fire questions, however; if there’s any element of the trip you’re concerned about, ask.

Many adventure-seekers prefer to holiday independently, without the back up of a travel company or guide. If you’re one of them, prepare thoroughly and don’t assume that if you’re fit nothing will go wrong. On a road trip by bike, for example, the biggest danger will be traffic; on a mountain trek, altitude sickness can be life threatening. Have a contingency plan in place if something does go wrong, keep emergency numbers and insurance documents on you at all times, and use recommended and safety-checked equipment to minimise injury risk. Always carry a first-aid kit, and take medicines with you as an extra caution.

Another popular option for modern-day adventure holiday seekers is to head to one of the Adventure Capitals of the World – Queenstown, Himalayas, Cusco – and book up high-risk activities, such as bungee jumping, canyoning, rafting and skydiving, on arrival. In all these places, extensive research is a must.

Before you go: How to Prepare and Pack

An adventure holiday needs a little more thought than a beach break. First off, you’ll need to be fit for the trip. Sport-specific training is key: mountain biking and trekking require leg and cardiovascular strength while kayaking and rafting rely on a strong, upper body. Check with your operator, or do your own research, to find out what preparation exercises are best for your chosen style of adventure. Being fit can – and often does – make the difference between loving and loathing a trip.

If you’ve booked an entirely new experience – rock climbing, scuba diving, surfing or horse riding, for example – it pays to get an introduction to the sport before you go. A taster session will give you an idea of the muscles you need to prepare, the clothes and equipment you need to pack and the skills you may want to hone before travel. Again, ask your operator for the names of local and reputable clubs and courses, or look in the phone directory (but do a risk assessment before you book).

Only take what you need, but pack what is advised. Technical clothing, geared to your adventure, will enhance comfort and enjoyment, so is worth the investment. A rash vest or wetsuit will be necessary for water-based activities, padded cycling shorts are a must for mountain biking, and tried-and-tested hiking boots are essential for trekking, for example. Trip organisers should give you a checklist of compulsory items of clothing and equipment; pack them all to avoid regret.

Getting the Right Insurance

Insurance companies have their own definitions of what sports are dangerous, high-risk and low-risk, so check that you will be covered for every type of activity or sport you intend to do on the adventure holiday. Some companies will simply not insure certain activities: snowboarding off-piste without a guide, for example.

Within most sports there are levels of insurance, too. For example: high-altitude trekking needs higher cover than low-altitude trekking, so watch out for the smallprint. If you already have an annual standard travel insurance policy, you will almost certainly need to upgrade for an adventure holiday.

When you’re travelling and wanting to take pictures, there are several things you need to keep in mind at all times, and the main one – of course – is your own safety. Obviously, your camera is important, too, but that can be replaced – you can’t. Your safety is paramount. A lot of the tips here are simply common sense, but all of them are designed to make sure you get home safely – and hopefully with the shots you wanted.

Be Aware of Your Surroundings

When you’re in a foreign country, or even somewhere in your own country that you don’t know, you don’t have the local knowledge to be aware of what’s a bad or dangerous area. You might have gone out walking, looking for scenes that would make good pictures, and not given any thought to where you are. You need to keep alert, keep your senses sharp. You could be somewhere that will put you at the mercy of thieves, or possibly where you can be attacked by animals. Before you go out, ask some questions and do a little research! It could make a huge difference.

It’s a maxim that applies to road safety, too. The perfect shot might be from the middle of the road. You glance left and see nothing coming, step out – only to be hit by a car. Remember, in most countries the traffic goes the other way. Stay aware of that, check several times before you walk; it could save your life.

A good camera case is essential, but it’s a great help if you have one that doesn’t seem to advertise the fact that you’re walking round with an expensive camera. Keep it plain and simple, if possible. Keep the camera on the front of your body, where you can see it, not slung over your back where it’s just a magnet for thieves. If you have gear in other bags – lenses, or even film – keep them closed tight, and also on the front of your body. The less obtrusive your equipment, the safer it will be.

That doesn’t mean you can forget about it. Make sure your insurance covers your camera and other equipment, and only take along what you need for that trip, rather than everything. Apart from anything else, your hands and body will thank you!

Breakages

Although your camera case shouldn’t stand out, it should be strong. Almost inevitably, at some point you’re going to drop it, so you want something that can withstand life’s bumps and drops, something well-padded and secure. Some cameras do have shockproof casings, but many still don’t, so you need to take precautions, and always remember to return the camera to the case when you’re not using it.

Personal Safety

In the event of a mugging – and they done happen – don’t try and fight to hold on to your camera. Let it go, even though you’ll probably never see it again. It’s not worth your life, and in many parts of the globe, life is cheap. As long as it’s insured, all you’ve lost are the pictures you’ve taken, and you’re worth a lot more than that.

Repovesi National Park is an outstanding success story of nature conservation. It is the embodiment of all that is best in the backwoods of southern Finland, yet it lies just a couple hours’ drive northeast of Helsinki.

Here you will find pine-covered rocky outcrops, sheer cliffs, lush fertile hollows, limpid pools, expanses of open lake water and a plenitude of wildlife. It wasn’t always like that.

The Repovesi area was once a site for intensive commercial forestry but now it is a nature reserve free to revert to its primeval state. It is already an area of copious biodiversity. It is also easily accessible from population centres, a mixed blessing that accounts for its growing recreational role.

The process by which Repovesi National Park was created is worth a mention for it had a touch of wisdom and generosity by no means commonplace in environmental matters.

A crucial step was the decision of the UPM-Kymmene Corporation, a forest industry giant, to donate some 600 hectares of land to the state and to place a nature conservation order on another 1,200 hectares of its own adjacent forests for use in the same way as the National Park.

Repovesi thus became the first nature conservation project in Finland jointly midwifed by the private and public sectors. The public player, in the form of the municipality of Valkeala, had been developing the Repovesi reserve since the early 1980s, marking out hiking routes and providing resting places, information display boards and landing stages for small boats.

It goes without saying that the big challenge facing the reserve will be handling a growing, year-round stream of visitors all possessing the right and the freedom to enjoy the wilds to the full. This will require of them a personal sense of responsibility and respect for nature.

In a sense, Repovesi and all such places have the backing of the Finnish Constitution, which states that the environment is the responsibility of all. That’s a conviction emphatically appropriate in such precious and vulnerable territory.

Finland is the big surprise of the Nordic countries, a natural wonderland with more trees than people and more islands than any other nation in the world. With endless miles of wilderness and 188,000 lakes on their doorstep, the Finns are uniquely in tune with their surroundings. Even committed urbanites retreat to wooden cottages in the country during the brief, warm summers to swim and fish in the lakes and gather wild berries and mushrooms in the woods, before unwinding with a sauna and a glass of kossu (Finnish vodka).

Finnish culture
The culture of the Finns has been shaped by the historic tug-of-war between Sweden and Russia, a story written large in the language and customs of Karelia and the Swedish-speaking regions of Åland and Ostrobothnia. Even the Finnish language is something of an anomaly, more closely related to Hungarian than to any other language. In the far north, Lapland is dominated by the hardy culture of the Sámi, rugged reindeer herders who have been following a semi-nomadic existence for thousands of years. Finland’s most famous contribution to world culture is the sauna – the country has a staggering 1.6 million of them. This Finland Travel Guide will let you know each aspect of your Finland Travel and Tour.

Wilderness wonderland
Around 10% of Finland is covered by water and 69% of the country is covered by forests, providing a natural adventure playground for trekkers, mountain-bikers, cross-country skiers, fishermen and watersports enthusiasts. Around 8,000 sq km (3,088 sq miles) are protected by Finland’s 35 national parks, providing fantastic opportunities to spot birds, reindeer, elks and bears.

Modern Finland
In modern times, the Finns have become famous for their technological innovations – this is the home of Nokia – and their flair for design. The reputations of architect Alvar Aalto and the Marimekko design studio extend far beyond these shores. The Finns are also famous for their party spirit, celebrated with gusto during Finland’s festivals and the endless days of midsummer, when the sun barely dips below the horizon. During the snow-dazzled winters, life continues at full pace with the aid of snow tyres, skis and dog sleds.

Flights to Cyprus from the United Kingdom

Flights to Cyprus from the UK arrive at either Larnaca or Paphos airports and take approximately 4 hours (note that there is a two-hour time difference).

Which airlines fly to Cyprus?

There are Monarch flights to Larnaca from Gatwick, Luton, Manchester and Birmingham. flythomascook flies to Larnaca from Glasgow, Newcastle, Stansted, Bristol and East Midlands. Jet2 flights leave from Leeds and Cyprus Airways flies from Heathrow to Lanarca. Cyprus Airways flies to Paphos from Heathrow and Thomson Flights depart from Luton, Newcastle and East Midlands. Jet2 has cheap flights to Paphos from Leeds, easyJet flies there from Gatwick and Manchester, and flyglobespan offers flights from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. There are flythomascook flights to Paphos from Stansted, Birmingham, Cardiff and Bristol.

For those Cyprus devotees who know and love the island this introduction may have little to offer other than as a reminder of just what the island is all about. For those not yet familiar with Cyprus, the best (and often used) adjectives that would top the list when writing copy such as this, would undoubtedly include ‘sun-kissed’,'sharply contrasting’,'unhurried’, ‘irresistible’, ‘fascinating’ and such like.

This is not to suggest that the island is perfect. Like any venue it has its ‘warts and all’ negative points but, on balance, we suggest that many thousands of visitors have been delighted for every one that has encountered any failings. The people themselves, at the root of Cyprus’s famous hospitality, are a fascinating blend of Roman, Byzantine, Greek and British influenced characteristics and traits.

The Cypriots, however, are proud of their individuality and warmth of character.

They will welcome strangers into their homes and lives much quicker than those from the countries which influenced Cyprus over the years. The heady mix of Mediterranean weather and cuisine, a low cost of living, and the ease with which one can communicate, makes Cyprus such a favorite among the West Europeans, particularly the British.

In many parts of Cyprus you will find a life style little changed from centuries ago, when the pace of life was slower and simple pleasures were gained from an equally simple life.

Wherever you travel in Cyprus you will not be far from blossoms, fruit and the sights and sounds of the Mediterranean.

Cyprus has made sure it caters for more sophisticated demands with widespread facilities for fishing, golf, cycling, sailing/yachting, swimming, nature treks, and water sports.

There can be few more pleasurable experiences than sitting in the open air on a balmy Cyprus night enjoying a full scale ‘meze’ in the company of Greek friends.

Eat, drink and be merry, indeed.

Although Greek is the national language of Cyprus, English is spoken almost everywhere with the exception of some remote villages.

Just bathe in a certain spot when Aphrodite’s rocks stand out of the sea and legend says you will live five years longer.

According to Homer Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of love and beauty, was born from the soft sea foam near Paphos.

In Paphos itself, take a trip back through Christianity at the St. Paul Pillar and St.Solomon Catacombs Enjoy the picturesque harbour and castle.