This is part of our global guide to the Best Places to Go in 2024—find more travel inspiration here.
Sailing the Aegean Sustainably—Just Like the Ancients Did
26.10.2023 - 16:13 / cntraveler.com
Tall sailing ships seem to turn back the clock, evoking a bygone time when merchants, admirals, and pirates ruled the seas. Wildly evocative, with billowing white sails overhead and hulls directed toward points unknown, their dynamic form captures not only the wind, but the imagination.
Star Clippers’ four-masted Star Flyer most certainly captured mine. I huddled on its deck with fellow fledgling seafarers on a balmy August evening this past summer, readying to be blown about the Aegean as we sailed, truly sailed, out of the Greek port of Piraeus. Watching the ship’s crew hoist the first of its 16 sails, I began to spiral down the helix of my Hellenic DNA, imagining how my paternal ancestors—who hailed from the Greek isles of Syros and Zakynthos—must have likewise navigated these seas over centuries, praying for the favor of the Anemoi, the wind gods of Greek mythology. With Vangelis’s stirring “Conquest of Paradise” piping through the ship's speakers, starlight piercing the night sky, the unfurling of some 36,000 square feet of sails was inspiring. It was romantic. It was transporting. But most of all, it was necessary.
As Greece reels from a series of devastating wildfires (some of which required mass tourist evacuations from cruise port darling Rhodes in July), and recovers from its longest heat wave on record, traveling to the country this summer came with a new call to responsibility. Was there a way to explore the Greek isles without adding to the impact of an escalating climate crisis? I thought back to the way goods and people used to travel: by sea and by sail. Indeed, sometimes, when it comes to sustainability, what’s old is new again.
That adage is especially true in Greece. With its string of jewel-like islands beckoning travelers with attractive beaches and ancient culture, it’s no wonder this is cruise country. Nearly a third of the world’s cruise ships carrying over four million passengers called on the Greek islands last year—and that’s just a fraction of the more than 30 million cruise passengers that sail the seven seas annually. But the cruise industry comes with a dirty underbelly, tied to rampant waste production, port overtourism, and carbon emissions generated by the heavy fuel oil (HFO), or bunker fuel, that cruise ships primarily use.
“Bunker fuel is pretty much the dirtiest type of transportation fuel,” explains Dr. Mark Jacobson, director of the Atmosphere/Energy program at Stanford University, and author of No Miracles Needed: How Today’s Technology Can Save Our Climate and Clean Our Air.
Like the ship itself, the elegant staterooms aboard Star Clippers' Star Flyer evoke a bygone era.
Today, the maritime industry—including cruise and cargo ships—is behind nearly 3% of
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cntraveler.com
15.11.2023 / 01:16
Ios Greek Island: Where to Eat, Stay, and Play on the Most-Underrated of the Cyclades
The Cycladic island of Ios is a rocky, mountainous environment of winding roads sometimes blocked by herds of bleating goats and sleepy villages hugging cerulean coastlines. In the 1960s, backpackers discovered the nearly untouched island and it became known as a hippie haven, hosting all-night beach parties, with a handful of cheap bars operating in the Chora (main town). A few decades later, nearby Santorini and Mykonos began to outshine their neighbor, attracting hordes of tourists each summer and investing in new developments. Meanwhile, Ios only got electricity across the entire island in the 1970s and most residents here are goat herders or farmers. Today, Mykonos has taken the nightlife crown and both it and Santorini have become severely over-touristed. Ios on the other hand, remains a quiet, mostly undeveloped paradise.
forbes.com
13.11.2023 / 17:57
A Refresh And New Experiences Come To The Storied Miami Resort Acqualina
Acqualina Resort & Residences is my favorite hotel in Miami for the perfect family vacation. My two children love staying there and always beg to go back.
lonelyplanet.com
12.11.2023 / 17:29
Lonely Planet's guide to Athens
Founded in 508 BCE, Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world and it's regularly touted as one of the Mediterranean’s best capital cities to visit. From the iconic Parthenon and the unique street art rivaling that of Berlin to the city's glittering coastline, there’s so much to see and do in this ancient capital.
insider.com
12.11.2023 / 16:19
I spent 4 days in Athens, Greece. Here are 10 things that were worth it and 5 I'd skip next time.
In October, I traveled to Athens, Greece, for the first time since I was 18 months old.
euronews.com
11.11.2023 / 01:59
Which digital nomad visas offer the longest stays, lowest fees and easiest applications?
The popularity of digital nomad visas is on the rise, according to a new report from the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).
euronews.com
11.11.2023 / 01:59
Riding the rails: Which country travels the most by train in Europe?
Increasing the use of public transport and minimising car dependency are two significant ways to help Europe reach ambition climate and energy-saving targets. At the heart of achieving both is the continent's railways.
forbes.com
09.11.2023 / 20:05
The Best European Cities To Learn A Language, According To Surveys
With a new year approaching and new resolutions in mind, learning a language is one of those items that often appears on many personal lists. Travel experts and language institutions regularly publish surveys on the best destinations to do so, echoing the simple fact that in our interconnected, “globalized” world, the ability to communicate in more than one language opens new opportunities, experiences and understanding.
skift.com
08.11.2023 / 16:05
What 275 Vintage Posters Say About the Future of Travel
In 50 years, tourists will visit the same famous attractions they went to a century before. Companies will invest in marketing for countries where there’s a rising middle class and access. Those are two patterns I noticed when I explored a collection of nearly 300 vintage travel posters at New York City’s Swann Auction Galleries.
euronews.com
08.11.2023 / 00:43
Overtourism, climate crisis and COVID bounceback: The hot topics as the industry gathers at WTM
Extreme weather events, high interest and geopolitical uncertainty are just some of the new headwinds facing the travel industry today.
euronews.com
08.11.2023 / 00:43
Northern Lights dazzle across Europe’s skies from Italy to Bulgaria: Why are they so visible?
They’re normally the holy grail of a winter holiday, but last night people living in more southern parts of Europe were left awestruck as the Northern Lights visited them at home.
breakingtravelnews.com
06.11.2023 / 17:05
How much did the British spend on holidays in Greece in the last 10 years?
With a solid Greek presence from the political leadership of tourism and entrepreneurs in the sector, the world’s largest tourism exhibition, World Travel Market, opens on November 6 at the London exhibition centre, Excel London.