19/02/2012 by Dave.

By: Dan Williams

The Island of Malta has had an interesting past and is still an interesting place to visit, with more and more people choosing it over the traditional Mediterranean resorts.

Eclectic is a word you will find in most descriptions of this small Mediterranean island, with it usually referring to the mix of cultures that gives this island its unusual identity. Malta is situated around 200 miles from Tunisia and slightly further away from Libya but its closest European neighbour is Sicily, which lies a short 50 miles away across the Strait of Sicily.

The history of the island would be enough for anyone interested to merit a visit there. The island claims to have the oldest free standing man made structures found anywhere in the world. The Megalithic Temples, identified in 6 locations on the island, are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are believed to date back to between 3000 and 3600BC. That is around the same time that Stonehenge was thought to be constructed in Britain. In more modern times the island has been inhabited and ruled by various civilizations including the Ancient Greeks, the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, various Arabian and Sicilian rulers before the Knights of St John were given control of the island in 1530 after they had been forced to leave Rhodes by the Ottoman Empire. It is from this period that many of the islands best preserved monuments still remain. These included harbours, watchtowers and other fortifications. Next Napoleon took control of Malta, before British rule eventually started in 1814. The strategic position of Malta became an important factor during the Second World War when the island was vigorously defended but suffered heavy damage, especially during the siege of Valletta.

The Republic of Malta is now an independent state and a member of the EU and uses the Euro as its currency. Its current status, currency, location and weather make it a perfect place for a holiday, with only is lack of sandy beaches being a disadvantage. There are a few sandy beaches and more are being made artificially but they do tend to become crowded quite quickly. Favoured spots include Golden Bay and Ghajn Tuffieha which are close together in the West of the island but both are quite small in comparison to signature beaches of other European resorts.

Flights to Malta arrive at Malta International Airport near Luqa which is 5 miles south of Valletta and there is also the option of travelling to the island by Ferry from various Italian ports.

Valletta is the hub of everything that happens on Malta and provides a good base for a stay on the island. Most places of interest are within a short journey by taxi or bus and there is a wide choice of hotels. Another popular place to the west of Valletta is Sliema which is also a coastal town with more in the way of tourist facilities. There is a long promenade with plenty of café and restaurants to choose from. The younger set tend to prefer districts such as Paceville, which lies to the north of St Julian’s and provides plenty of bars and nightclubs. The small harbour at Portomaso is home to luxury yachts and cruisers, with highly quality apartments.

Visitor attractions on the island include Fort Rinella, built by the British in the late nineteenth century, the Baroque Gateway at Mdina and the buildings on St John Street in Valletta. Sporting activities centre on the National Sports Centre at Ta’Qali, which was originally an airport base for the British Royal Air Force in addition to the other site at Luqa. It is now a leisure area, concert venue, picnic area.

Author Resource:->  Dan Williams is travel writer with a love of history. Malta is an island with a colourful past and low cost flights to Malta from the UK are a great way to get to the island and sample what it has to offer. Sites like http://book.flythomascook.com are a good place to start looking for cheap flights.

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19/02/2012 by Dave.

By: Dan Williams

There are over 2000 Greek islands in total that lie in the Ionian Sea on the west of the mainland, though the south past Crete and into the Aegean Sea to the east. Despite all these islands around a third of the country’s population lies I the city of Athens and around 10 per cent live on the various islands.

Many of the islands are tiny and uninhabited but the larger ones like Corfu, Kefallonia, Crete, Rhodes and Evvoia are famous in their own right.

Crete is the largest and most southerly of the islands and benefits from a mixed terrain of sandy beaches and mountainous regions. It has a rich history following thousands of year’s worth of invasions and occupations by various groups. Besides attracting holidaymakers with it bustling beach resorts, the island mountain ranges provide some wonderful routes for walkers.

The next largest island is the surprisingly little known Evvoia ( or Euboea) which lies in the northern reaches of the Aegean. This island has a population of only 220,000 people, about a third the population of Crete and has largely been untouched by tourism to date. The coastline of the island closely mirrors that of the mainland and it’s obvious that the two were joined in the past. Volcanic activity separated the two, although the two short bridges in the capital Chalkida, one which has existed since 410 BC, join the island to the mainland.

For tourism the islands of Corfu, Kefallonia and Zante ( or Zakynthos) have much higher profiles. All three lie in the Ionian Sea with Kefallonia being the biggest, Corfu the most visited and Zante perhaps the most beautiful.

The main Zakythos Town was almost levelled by a series of 4 earthquakes in 1953. It has been reported that over 27,000 homes were destroyed on Zante and surrounding islands, and 455 people were killed. Of course earthquakes are not uncommon in this part of Europe. In 1908 an earthquake and subsequent maremoto or tsunami killed over 100,000 in southern Italy and Sicily. Even as recently as 2006 a sequence of moderate tremors started lasting for over a week. Citizens on the islands were obviously terrified and became more fearful as the tremors got stronger, however seismologists confidently predicted that the situation would not get worse and in fact no properties were badly damaged.

Following the 1953 disaster the town of Zakynthos has been completely rebuilt using traditional and sympathetic designs and the place now has a pleasing and elegant feel. The same cannot be said for every part of the island although authorities and preservation groups are working hard to avoid the worst aspects of mass tourism.

The area most affected by tourism is Laganas, a town on the eastern coast of the island that sits at the centre of a 9 mile stretch of sandy beach. The place attracts a younger set of visitors and the trinket shops, bars and nightclubs keep the place busy all day and most of the night.

However just 12 kilometers around the coast to the east and you could be in a different world. The beach at Gerakas has been voted as one of the best beaches in Europe and it remains strangely quiet except perhaps during the peak periods. It’s almost as if the islanders of Zante want to keep this place a secret. Instead of development slowly making its mark here, all buildings and signs of development are gradually being removed. Beach traders no longer walk the shoreline and the beach bar has been taken down and rebuilt away from the beach front. Conservationists guard the beach and ensure that the nesting grounds of Loggerhead turtles are not affected by tourists. During the nesting periods a maximum stay of 3 hours is enforced on visitors and the beach is closed to everyone between the hours of dusk and dawn. It really is a remarkable place considering you can see the lights of Laganas across the bay.

Author Resource:->  Zakynthos is one of the best Ionian islands for visitors. Dan Williams has visited several times and rates it highly. Dan reviews online resources like http://book.flythomascook.com/ for finding flights to Zakynthos and suggests trying the wide choice of villa and hotel accommodation on the island.

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19/02/2012 by Dave.

By: Tony Maniscalco

Crete, the largest and most southerly of the Greek islands, offers beautiful weather, stunning scenery, the world famous hospitality of its local people and, quite simply, some of the most superb places to go walking in Greece.

Samaria Gorge

At around 18 kilometres in length, the Samaria Gorge is the longest in Europe and is one of the biggest tourist attractions on the island, playing host to thousands of visitors between May and October each year. Situated in the prefecture of Chania in south west Crete, the gorge runs from the Omalos Plateau in the White Mountains to the village of Agia Roumeli on the southern coast. Taking between four and seven hours to walk, the route covers some quite rough terrain but is still suitable for the inexperienced, although walkers are recommended to wear sensible walking boots. Those taking part in the guided walk during the summer months, especially during July and August, are also advised to take plenty of sun screen and drinking water along with them, although there are places en route where you can buy bottled water. With steep cliffs and forests of pine and cypress, the landscape is breathtakingly beautiful and the gorge is also home to around 450 different species of plants (all of which are protected and may not be picked or removed from the gorge). If you are lucky, you might also catch sight of one of Crete’s famous inhabitants, the increasingly rare Agrimia, or Kri Kri goats as they are commonly known. With other endemic species in and around the gorge, this is a wonderful place to visit and it certainly represents one of the highlights for anyone walking in Greece.

Deliana Gorge

The walk along the Deliana Gorge is an unchallenging one, but one which is rewarding for those walking in Greece due to its beautiful scenery. During the cooler times of the year, a stream runs alongside the path and down the rocks, accompanying your walk with a soft tinkling sound. You are likely to see many goats during your walk, but most visitors come here to see the Griffon vultures which can be spotted throughout the year. The walk through the gorge and back again is not a long one and is only likely to take around two hours in total depending on your fitness or walking ability.

Arkoudospilios Cave

The walk to the Arkoudospilios Cave on the Akrotiri Peninsula in the municipality of Chania is about two kilometres and affords some spectacular views. Starting at the monasteries of Gouverneto and Agias Triadas and following a footpath which often features steep drops to one side, you will come to the cave where there stands a large stalagmite in the shape of a bear bowed over a cistern. Several different legends account for the significance of the animal. Some believe that it was once alive and that it used to drink the water from the cistern, leaving nothing for the local inhabitants and the monks. When one of the monks prayed to the Virgin for help, it is said that the beast was petrified and has stood in its position in the centre of the cave ever since. Others believe that the goddess Artemis, who was worshipped by the Pelasgians in the form of a bear, was worshipped here and that the stalagmite is a sacred representation of her. The footpath which continues from the cave also leads to the ruins of the Monastery Katholiko and the church of St John the Hermit. As you stand underneath the towering rock face in this extremely isolated place, it is not hard to imagine why the monks who used it many years ago sought their sanctuary here. With so much spectacular beauty along this route, walking in Greece will not only be enjoyable for the senses, but an experience which will open you up to wanting to learn more about this fascinating and stunning island.

Author Resource:->  Tony Maniscalco is the Marketing Manager for Ramblers Worldwide Holidays. Join us on Turkey walks (http://www.ramblersholidays.co.uk/Holiday_Search.aspx?Search=2&utm_campaign=MAP_Turkey&utm_source=ramblers&utm_medium=web) to see the country’s finest scenery.

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