Visitors to Athens Greece will soon have to add one more destination to their must-see list: The Ellinikon which, among other things, will be home to Europe’s largest coastal park, virtually doubling the amount of greenspace in Athens. Greece is a nation festooned with monumental sights and ancient classics so it’s hard to imagine anything new in this bastion of antiquities, but Ellinikon will have plenty of new to offer visitors. In addition to a 500-acre coastal park, the development will be joined by a beachfront Mandarin Oriental hotel, 50-story residential tower, two shopping malls, a sports complex, casino, and a marina designed to accommodate mega-yachts. Just 25 minutes from the Athens airport and only 20 minutes from the Acropolis and the center of Athens, the Ellinikon’s reinvention of the Greek coastline promises to be transformational to the Riviera and to Athens.
The Algarve Wins ‘Europe’s Leading Beach Destination’ At World Travel Awards 2023
02.10.2023 - 11:27 / forbes.com
For the tenth time, the Algarve, in southern Portugal, has been voted as “Europe's Leading Beach Destination” at the 2023 World Travel Awards. No other destination has won this award, which honors travel and tourism, so many times. The other top shortlisted beach destinations included: Cannes, France; Corfu, Greece; Costa Navarino, Greece; Mallorca, Spain; Marbella, Spain; Porto Santo Island, Madeira and Sardinia, Italy.
This year, the World Travel Awards commemorated its 30th anniversary of rewarding travel excellence in Batumi, Georgia. World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. The year-long, worldwide voting process is online with the votes come from qualified executives working within travel and tourism and the consumer travel buyer.
Home to over 100 beaches, the renowned Algarve region in Portugal has some of Europe's most beautiful coastline, stretching over 200 kilometers. And the beaches are among the cleanest in the world too. There are 88 blue flag beaches in the Algarve, one of the largest concentration of Blue Flags in Europe. Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised voluntary awards for beaches, marinas and sustainable tourism boats. In order to qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria must be met and maintained.
Speaking about winning the award, President of the Algarve Tourism Bureau André Gomes said: “The Algarve has beaches to suit all tastes. From long, sandy beaches protected by golden cliffs to small bays nestled between rocks and the calm waters of the east coast beaches like Manta Rota and Altura, which are perfect for families. Meanwhile, the west coast beaches of Amado, Bordeira and Monte Clerigo have some of the most scenic and uncrowded in the country and are a go-to destination for surfers. There also famous beach resort towns such as Albufeira, Lagos and Vilamoura, all with fine beaches.”
Among the many gorgeous beaches, Praia do Vale dos Homens is in the heart of the Vicentine Plain, an extensive area of farmland and pine forests. This 500 meter long peaceful beach, framed by high sea cliffs, is reached by a huge wooden staircase. Thanks to the way the rocks lie in the sea, rock pools form at low tide allowing for peaceful bathing and the opportunity to see anemones, limpets, barnacles, gobies, prawns and starfish.
There’s also lots to do alongside relaxing on and exploring beaches. The Algarve is renowned for its rich heritage, a blend of Moorish and Portuguese influences that can be seen in its architecture, cuisine and traditions. Visitors to the Algarve can explore historic towns like Lagos and
Discover Europe's newest UNESCO World Heritage Sites
UNESCO has added 42 World Heritage Sites to its list of the planet’s natural and cultural sights worth special protection — the biggest group of new entries in more than two decades. The European listings alone span the mighty and the minute, from a gorge-carved landscape in Greece to a charmingly vintage planetarium in the Netherlands.
Gibraltar: Where British Culture Meets Sunny Southern Europe
Fondly referred to as 'The Rock', the limestone monolith that dominates Gibraltar is a fascinating geological feature marking the entrance to the Mediterranean, but its cultural significance is just as intriguing. A British Overseas Territory, Gibraltar is a slice of Britain bathed in the warmth of Southern Europe.
The World’s 50 Best Bars 2023 Have Just Been Announced
The World's 50 Best Bars have just been announced—and you can consider this your official bucket list of exceptional drinking dens around the world.
‘50 Best’ Announces World’s Top Bars For 2023
The annual list of the world’s ‘50 Best’ Bars, was announced today in Singapore, to celebrate the excellence of the international drinks sector and pay tribute to the visionary bartenders, enterprising bar owners and trailblazing brands that lead the charge in shaping cocktail culture around the world. The complete list is below.
American adds 8 new routes, 1 new destination in Northeast-focused expansion
American Airlines is betting that a trip to New England might be in the cards for you this summer.
Evolyn: The high-speed rail startup with mystery investors coming for Eurostar’s crown
Eurostar rival Evolyn is expected to run its first trains in 2025.
AmaWaterways Unveils New Grand 2025 European Itineraries
AmaWaterways is offering a new selection of combination cruises in Europe for 2025, which connects two popular 7-night cruises along two different rivers to provide travelers with an extended cruise experience.
The Luxury of Time With AmaWaterways’ Grand River Cruises
Longer vacations are trending within the travel industry, not only offering your clients unforgettable getaways to their dream destinations, but also presenting you with an opportunity to increase your commissions. In response to increasing consumer demand for longer vacations, AmaWaterways has introduced a collection of specially curated 14-night Grand River Cruises.
Six perfect unsung city breaks in Europe – from Ghent to Naples
The Netherlands’ second city is a winner for those weary of its more famous (and oversubscribed) rival. Sure, there’s water – it’s Europe’s largest port, after all – with rivers, canals and harbours at every turn. But this sprawling metropolis doesn’t yield its pleasures as easily as Amsterdam, largely because second world war bombing destroyed most of the historic centre. Its pioneering postwar architecture is, however, what makes “Manhattan on the Maas” so fascinating. Treasures include the 1970s Cube Houses designed by Piet Blom, the landmark cable-stayed Erasmus Bridge, the 1960 retro-futuristic Euromast and eclectic buildings in the leafily landscaped Museumpark. Alongside design museum Het Nieuwe Instituut and the Kunsthal gallery, a must-visit is The Depot, an ambitious €94m bowl-shaped “storage facility” for the city’s art collection, its rooftop cafe boasting panoramic views. Equally compelling is Delfshaven, which escaped bombing, and is now home to waterside pubs, a microbrewery and tucked-away restaurants.
‘I loved drifting along the canals’: readers’ best unsung city breaks in Europe
Take a little staircase down from an old tollbooth on one of Leiden’s 88 bridges and hop on to one of the electric tour boats. I loved drifting along the canals of this stunning old Dutch city past townhouses as fine as any in Amsterdam, the botanical gardens, windmills, university buildings and the 17th-century observatory. Except in summer, ducks, swans and local wild swimmers outnumber tourists. You can scout out the best waterside terrace cafes for lunch, daydream about living on one of the many well-kept houseboats with their flower-filled decks, and plan excursions by water further afield; the city canals link up along the waterways for countryside day cruises to Delft, Haarlem or the coast.Maartje
I stayed just outside of a major city's center to save money on a hotel. It was the biggest mistake of my entire trip.
During the peak summer season, my group of four — me, two seniors, and a 10-year-old — planned to spend a few days exploring Venice after a cruise.