The Atlantic beaches of Gambia are soft, sandy and superb for sunbathing. But the country has so much more to offer than its captivating coast. On a typical day near the coast, you can both chill on a white beach, go for a boat trip along the Hallehein river and explore the rich forest with its stunning flora and fauna. All that without stress. But it's the cultural wealth and warm hearts of the natives that make Gambia a place you'll want to return to.

Continue reading... Get to know the spiritual wealth of Gambia

For cinema lovers, Orlando is the place to be this April. As a result of its moderate climate and year-round sunshine, this area has a long film history. But now is the time to book flights to Florida, because the Florida Film Festival 2010 is promising to be an unforgettable experience.

Continue reading... Film Fanatics visit Florida

If you were lucky enough to be enjoying a holiday on Mallorca during February, then you might have liked to investigate some of the many carnival events taking place across the island.

Continue reading... Mallorca February Fiesta

If you've ever wondered what the main reasons are that make thousands of winter holiday fans book flights to Hurghada in Egypt, then you've probably quickly come up with sun and sand. And you'd have been right. So what else, if anything, does this resort have to offer that makes it stand out from other winter sun destinations?

Continue reading... Reasons to visit Hurghada

Just when you think the carnival celebrations are over on Lanzarote and the streets of Arrecife have returned to normality, then things kick off again in another resort.

Continue reading... More February Celebrations on Lanzarote

The start of February traditionally sees one of the first professional races of the European season taking place on the island of Mallorca. Many of the top European riders use the event to test their form and get used to racing with new teammates. This year the event clashed with another top level race taking place in Qatar, with several teams attracted to the warmer desert weather as a place to start their 2010 campaign.

Continue reading... Pro Cyclists in Mallorca Race

Serious athletes and people who just run for fun are catered for in this year's half marathon race to be held during April in the town of Pollenca on the north coast of Mallorca.

Continue reading... Run for Fun in Mallorca

When you drive into Palma de Mallorca from the east you pass by one of the city's largest but perhaps most perplexing buildings. The huge La Seu Cathedral sits almost uncomfortably on the sea front with busy roads passing close by and only a man-made lake and a narrow strip of parkland separating it from the lines of traffic. It's size also makes it look unwieldy against the surrounding architecture, almost as if it was placed there temporarily until a more fitting location could be found.

Continue reading... Palma's La Seu Cathedral

If you were lucky enough to be enjoying the warmer weather on Cyprus in January then various music and motoring events may have been of interest to you.

Continue reading... Motor Show and Music Sundays in Cyprus

After losing to a dominant Barcelona in their home game against the Spanish champions on 10th January, Tenerife's footballing heroes were up against it once again at the end of February when Spain's second most powerful team Real Madrid headed across the Atlantic to take on the home team. Despite dropping further and further down Spain's equivalent of the UK Premier division as the season goes on, Tenerife's local football fans are making the most of the promotion they gained last year to welcome some of the world's best footballers to their doorstep.

Continue reading... More Big Football On Tenerife

The general slow down in many industry sectors across Europe is not being taken lying down by the tourism authorities responsible for the Balearic islands that include Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca.

Continue reading... Menorca Benefits from Tourism Investment

One of the biggest carnivals on Gran Canaria has the green light to go ahead having been given assurances by its local mayor that proper finances would be available.

Continue reading... Maspalomas Carnival Get Go Ahead

If you happened to be spending a break on Malta during the second half of February then carnival tradition and sporting excellence awaited as two of the island's main annual events took place before the end of the month.

Continue reading... Malta in February

For many people, primarily those who have never been there, Mallorca creates the impression of being a typical beach-based resort, often filled with rowdy twenty-somethings on a cheap week away, but for those who have visited the island and ventured away from the one of two resorts that seem to make the holiday headlines, Mallorca is a real jewel in the Mediterranean.

Continue reading... Mallorca Has Hidden Charms

The tourist authorities of the island of Madeira have recently published a listing of some of their most significant cultural events for 2010.

Continue reading... Madeira Publicises 2010 Events

Forgive us for mentioning carnival events yet again, but for our travellers to Lanzarote, here is a review of the island's carnival events which kicked off on Saturday the 13th of February. There were also some events in the period leading up to this date including a children's fiesta and a series of plays.

Continue reading... Lanzarote Prepares To Celebrate

The rest of Europe may be settling back for a quiet few weeks to help get over the Christmas excesses but the Algarve region of Portugal is still busy at this time of year. The southern coast of Portugal is a long strip of beaches, holidays resorts and golf courses that attract visitors all year round and especially during January and February when its mild weather can provide a welcome break from the harsher winter days of the UK.

Continue reading... January Algarve Events

Beaches and nightclubs may grab most of the holiday headlines when Ibiza is mentioned but during January and March the island's Flower Power and Hippy era is centre stage at two of the island's festivals.

Continue reading... Flower Power On Ibiza

Colourful costumes, street parades, plenty of parties and of course great food and drink are the ingredients for most carnival events and things are not too different on Ibiza. For five days during February the main towns on the island seem to stop work and get down to the serious business of letting their hair down. If you can't quite imagine what goes on there, then think back to the best fancy dress party you ever went to and multiply it by a factor of ten. Everyone, whether part of an organised group in the parade or just watching from the pavements, is encouraged to dress as brightly, even as outrageously, as possible.

Continue reading... Ibiza Celebrations

During the Summer months, many of our passengers on flights to Ibiza travel to the island to enjoy the thriving nightlife as much as the sun and beaches. The six months or more between the time when most of the clubs close in October through to their reopening in May and June may seem a lifetime, but many will already be planning their trips at this time of year to get the best deals.

Continue reading... Ibiza Summer 2010

The opening date for the newest luxury hotel in Antalya, Turkey has been set for March 2010.

Continue reading... New Luxury Hotel For Antalya

We've already posted information about several of the big carnival events planned for the Canary Islands and the Balearics but Greece is another country that celebrates at this time of year.

Continue reading... Greek Carnival in Crete

The carnival season is an important time of the year in Gran Canaria and because the resort of Maspalomas and the capital Las Palmas are the two biggest towns on the island, it is not surprising that the most spectacular carnivals are held there. We will cover those events in more detail as they approach, but there are also other towns on the island that host their own programmes.

Continue reading... Gran Canaria Celebrations

For an alternative winter sun getaway why not consider Funchal on the island of Madeira. The typical winter sun locations like Malta, Egypt or the Canary Islands like Tenerife, Gran Canaria or Lanzarote are all popular destinations for those seeking to spend a week or two escaping from the UK winter weather, but the island of Madeira is also a great option.

Continue reading... Funchal For February

During the early part of the year, between January and April most of the towns, villages and cities on Fuerteventura put on some form of carnival celebration. The typical Fuerteventuran carnival includes a street parade, fair ground rides, plenty of food and drink and the endless beat of music from live bands. There are also Carnival Queens in many towns.

Continue reading... Fuerteventura Carnivals in 2010

Most people choose to fly to Tenerife for their holidays, but for the 3000 passengers on one of the world's biggest cruise ships, Santa Cruz de Tenerife was a stopping point on their sea voyage that started in Barcelona during December 2009 and had already visited Casablanca before leaving the Mediterranean to head for the Canaries.

Continue reading... Tenerife Welcomes World's Biggest Cruise Ship

Recently we reported on a series of Flamenco concerts taking place in the Canary Islands during February. Perhaps it's that time of year but there was also a brace of Flamenco concerts which took place in Faro on the Algarve at the 6th Flamenco Festival in early February.

Continue reading... Flamenco in Faro

Gran Canaria's 11th International Film Festival is held between the 12th and 20th March 2010. The event which has graced the island since the year 2000 claims not to be seeking to duplicate its more famous counterparts in places like Cannes. The organisers are aiming a whole different segment of the cinema market and are looking to support the creative sector of the independent film industry. Don't expect to find any of the mainstream films that grace the cinemas up and down the country every week, the productions on show at this festival will be more leftfield, more unusual, more boundary-breaking than normal. They even describe some of the entries as bizarre and marginal.

Continue reading... Gran Canaria Film festival

If anyone doubted the importance to the Portuguese of sport and getting into the great outdoors, then a visit to the Algarve in Portugal during February will have put those doubts to rest. Of course the weather in the region is a crucial factor, with dry, mild conditions during the early part of the year permitting sporting events that could only take place during summer in the UK. Another factor is the attitude of the local communities towards sporting activities and events. Whether these be football tournaments, water sports events in the sea or motorsport competitions, there seems to be an endless stream of options for both spectating and taking part.

Continue reading... February Sports Bonanza on The Algarve

If we are talking about the January weather in the UK too much, it's because it seems to be the only talking point around at the moment but also because it provides a stark contrast to the conditions in many of our winter sun destinations.

Continue reading... A Far Cry From Fuerteventura

Dance music fans have their favourite venues around Europe where the world's top DJs and dance music performers typically appear. These include of course Ibiza during the summer months but also, in the earlier part of the year, several other holiday resorts get their chance to promote dance music events featuring the stars.

Continue reading... Dance Music in Malta, Sharm and Cyprus

The events that are currently in full swing on Tenerife may not be everyone's cup of tea. The excitement and revelery of the annual carnival is the highlight of the year for many, but for others a selection of quieter more sedate events may be preferred.

Continue reading... Classical Times on Tenerife

When Malta puts on events, they are normally very ambitious. For such a small island you do wonder where they get all this desire to host big promotions. From music concerts and sporting events to international trade fairs and cultural celebrations, things are not done by halves in Malta.

Continue reading... Chess, Opera, Jazz and Pop on Malta

Due to there location, several thousand miles from the European mainland and the balance of resident and tourist population, the islands of the Canaries rarely benefit from visiting pop stars and celebrity performers. Premier music concerts featuring big stars are few and far between on the islands. In the past performers like Rod Stewart, Gloria Estefan and Elton John have all played on Tenerife. Even Michael Jackson included Tenerife in his "Dangerous" tour during 1993, when 45,000 people watched him on stage in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Continue reading... Celebrity Musicians in Tenerife

While many towns and cities across Spain are gearing up for their annual carnivals during February and March, the island of Mallorca steals a march on them with its Fiesta of San Sebastian during January.

Continue reading... Celebrate San Sebastian in Mallorca

The Spanish music style of Flamenco is the kind of music played during traditional dances with performers dressed in stylish costume. The ladies wear long flowing skirts while the men dress in outfits that symbolise the attire normally associated with bullfighting. But in Spain, Flamenco is better known as a form of music rather than a dance. The castanets, or palillos as they are known locally, are small-hand held percussion instruments usually played in pairs.

Continue reading... Shake Out Your Castanets in The Canaries

We've been writing about the forthcoming carnival events in our various holiday destinations for quite a while now. The celebrations in the various resorts are spread over several weeks during February and March, with the majority of the larger events being held on the weekend of 13th and 14th of February.

Continue reading... Carnival - The Big One

There may have been a big freeze across northern Europe at the beginning of January but the attractions for tourists soaking up the sun in Gran Canaria were added to on 8th January when the Canary Islands Music Festival started in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Continue reading... Canary Islands Music Festival Schedule

If you go to the Canary Islands for a winter break, don't be surprised to find the locals with a healthy appetite for watching football. The islands currently have several successful teams, one that competes in the top Spanish League and others that play more locally.

Continue reading... Canaries Football Spotlight

When you fly to Lanzarote the aircraft will arrive at the island's main airport in Arrecife. The airport is conveniently situated midway along the east coast making transfers to most of the island's main tourist hotspots relatively short, in fact as the whole island is only around 35 miles long, transfer distances are rarely more than 20 miles.

Continue reading... Arrecife Carnival on Lanzarote

The Mediterranean resort of Antalya in Turkey claims to have grown its January tourist numbers by over 30 per cent in 2010 compared to the same month in 2009. This claim is based on the number of tourists arriving at Antalya airport during the month.

Continue reading... Antalya Tourist Numbers Climb

The operators of Antalya airport in Turkey, which acts as a gateway for tourists travelling to this part of the Turkish Mediterranean coastline, have announced a series of improvements including an improved domestic terminal which is set to open before the end of March.

Continue reading... Antalya Airport Improvements

The southern coast of Portugal, better know as the Algarve region, is staking it's claim as one of Europe's top surfing locations. There are now numerous surf-friendly locations along the coast and a series of events for both amateurs and professionals.

Continue reading... Algarve's Surfing Crown

Tree blossom brings a welcome boost of colour to UK trees in spring, but for Mediterranean islands like Mallorca and Menorca, as well as the islands of the Canaries, spring blossom arrives a little earlier in February thanks to the almond trees.

Continue reading... Almond Blossom In February

Tourists on Gran Canaria during December may have been lucky enough to witness one of the more unusual events on the island.

Continue reading... Gran Canaria Winter Solstice

There is no doubt that Christmas is the theme highest on the events list for December on Tenerife with concerts and carol services being held all over the island in the run up to the Christmas break.

Continue reading... December What's On For Tenerife

Since beach volleyball became part of the Olympics in 1996, its popularity has boomed. In October last year, Tenerife hosted a top level mens tournament at Siam Park.

Continue reading... International Volleyball in Tenerife

The Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheikh is best known as a winter sun destination and a favourite location for Scuba divers, but other, more unusual, events also find their place there.

Continue reading... Unusual Events in Sharm

Football fans are always treated to a feast of action over the Christmas period when most of the top UK clubs have a series of games. In Europe too, the New Year also sees renewed interest in the game and football fans who travelled to the island of Mallorca during January had a chance to watch some of mainland Europe's top players.

Continue reading... Top Flight Football in Mallorca

Tenerife is dependent on tourism for much of its commercial activity and is working hard to overcome the issues presented by the recession. Resort improvements and hotel renovations are taking place all over the island. Reduced consumer spending power has meant a drop in tourist numbers for many destinations across Europe, with some places seeing as much as a quarter of previous trade disappearing.

Continue reading... Tenerife Counts Tourism Figures

As well as many tourists from Britain, the Canary Islands are also popular with Scandinavian visitors, who probably also value the region's mild winter weather as means of escape from their naturally cold climate at home. Take the Swedish for example who have a shorter working week than anywhere else in Europe and, according to a 2008 study, take an average 33 days annual leave each year, much higher than the European average of 25.2 days. The Danes and Germans are both calculated to have 30 days annual leave, while in the UK, workers have to make do with a meagre 24.7 days, ranking them only 13th in Europe. Estonia and Cyprus come bottom with only 20 days per year.

Continue reading... St Lucia Day on Gran Canaria

Discovering that you're one of the top ten contenders in line for Britain's most prestigious sports award might be enough to persuade most people to venture up the motorway to Sheffield. For Jenson Button and Mark Cavendish the journey to the BBC awards night was a little longer, as earlier in the month they were both on the island of Lanzarote getting in some warm weather training.

Continue reading... Sports Celebrities in Lanzarote

Winter breaks to the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh are proving very popular this season and flythomascook.com had some very competitive prices for journeys during January 2010.

Continue reading... Sharm Flights In January

Add running to your next holiday. More and more people seem to be turning to the sport of running as a method of keeping fit and healthy. As far as equipment is concerned running comes a close second to swimming for not needing any expensive or specialist kit.

Continue reading... Running on Malta and Ibiza

One of the more unusual sporting events on Lanzarote this year saw over 700 competitors setting off on the 23rd January from the African coast and racing the 100 miles or so to Lanzarote. The cash prize for the first one home was a healthy 6000 Euros, so competition was fierce with only the very fittest and fastest in with a chance of winning.

Continue reading... Race to Lanzarote

An unusual exhibition that uses art to highlight awareness of whales and the impact of environmental changes on their habitat first saw the light of day at Loro Parque on Tenerife in 2008 but a new larger version of the exhibition opened at the Tenerife Espacio de las Artes in Santa Cruz at the beginning of September 09. This new location gave the public until 4th October to go and see the amazing sculptures.

Continue reading... End of Orca Expo in Tenerife

In Cyprus the resort of Larnaca always does its best to make use of the great weather it benefits from. Outdoor activities are the norm here from dance festivals to concerts and theatre performances. If it can take place outdoors, then in Larnaca it always does.

Continue reading... Life in the Open Air in Larnaca

Barely a day goes by in Larnaca without some kind of cultural, artistic or sporting event taking place, even during the quieter months of the holiday season. We have already reported on the classical music concerts being performed by the island's Symphony Orchestra and the visit by one of China's best-known international dance troupes, both were in early October.

Continue reading... October Culture in Larnaca

The sun is already shining on Mallorca and the island hasn't even got to its main event of the year yet. Just like all Spanish towns, Palma's biggest festive event took place, not on 25th December, but on 6th January.

Continue reading... New Year Arts in Mallorca

If you travel to the island of Menorca during January for a quiet winter sun break and you may stumble across an unexpected national celebration.

Continue reading... Celebrate National Day On Menorca

The holiday island of Lanzarote organised a group of marathons with a difference in October 2009, where musical accompaniment was the main feature of running events aimed at athletes of all abilities.

Continue reading... Music Marathon on Lanzarote

Cycling around the roads of Lanzarote may be the choice of professional racing teams for their pre-season training camps or keen amateur cyclists escaping the uncertain conditions of a wet British spring, but Lanzarote has more to offer than just road-based routes.

Continue reading... Mountain Bike Around Lanzarote

The social calendar during December on the island of Malta has a familiar British ring to it and that's no surprise given Malta's history and its long associated with Britain.

Continue reading... December Events in Malta

If you are visiting Mallorca and like to eat out in the best restaurants then a visit to one of the island's top eateries ought to be on your schedule.

Continue reading... Michelin Star Restaurants in Mallorca

The island of Mallorca and its capital Palma , like many places in Spain, prepare for a traditional Christmas and New Year that centres around four main events. Christmas Eve is important with concerts and Midnight Masses held in many churches, including the famous Seu Cathedral in Palma itself. Christmas Day is a time for relaxation and spending time with family. New Years Eve sees another excuse for celebration, with parties and fireworks displays illuminating the island's skies and then finally the celebration of the Epiphany on January 6th sees children receiving gifts in much the same way as UK children do on Christmas Day.

Continue reading... Mallorca Beyond New Year

A spectacular kite flying day took place in San Antonio, Ibiza on the 25th January 2009. This traditional event is part of the town's month-long fiesta programme and sees hundreds of kites, of all shapes and sizes, take to the air from the town's beaches.

Continue reading... Ibiza Kite Flying Day

When the big nightclubs on Ibiza are approaching the end of their long season the island is gearing up for a ten day Jetski festival that will attract riders from all over Europe.

Continue reading... Jetski Festival in Ibiza

Ask anyone to name the islands in the Canaries and most would, without much trouble, come up with the main four islands of Tenerife , Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. After all that's where most of the holiday companies and airline operators provide services for. However there are actually 8 main islands, the others being La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Graciosa, the smallest of the inhabited islands of the Chinijo Archipelago off Lanzarote.

Continue reading... La Gomera In The Canaries

Body Boarding or Boogie Boarding is not a new sport, in fact this easier version of surfing is claimed to have been invented in California almost 40 years ago. But don't be fooled, those Californians have a habit of picking an ancient custom and skill, adding a twist and claiming it as their own. The Californian surfboard designer who carved his first body board from a chunk of polystyrene foam was in fact doing exactly what Polynesian natives had done thousands of years earlier to allow them to float and surf the waves around their islands.

Continue reading... Boogie Boarding Lanzarote

One of the best ways to experience the true Gran Canaria is to take part in the annual carnival that started this year on the 26th January 2010.

Continue reading... Las Palmas Carnival

Rapidly turning into Turkey's hottest new kid on the block in terms of tourism, Belek is a region on the coast of southern Turkey which includes the town of Belek itself, the city of Antalya and the stunning Aspendos amphitheatre. Here the coastline is scattered with "blue flag" quality beaches, newly developed tourist centres and a variety of historic and cultural attractions.

Continue reading... Glorious Golf in Belek

The 17th December, was the shortest day of the year in Funchal on the island of Madeira in 2009, dusk arrived at 4 minutes to five in the afternoon only 600 minutes after sunrise. Compare that to London whose shortest day came a day or two later and was only 470 minutes long. So a winter break on the island of Madeira will not only provide more sun and warmer temperatures, but the days will be over two hours longer too.

Continue reading... Funchal's Shortest Day

Visitors to the island of Fuerteventura may be interested in going along to a new monthly market that aims to promote the produce of local farmers. Alongside tourism, Fuerteventura's next commercial strength is its agriculture, with farmers using the island's clement weather to grow everything from wheat crops, to tomatoes, onions, garlic and even bananas. Much of this activity takes place away from the main tourist areas and unless people make a specific effort, this side of the island can easily be missed.

Continue reading... Fuerteventura's Biosphere Market

On Cyprus the event calendars for the resorts of Paphos and Larnaca are never quiet for long and looking back through the end of the year to January 2010 and beyond that seems to ring true. These holiday destinations in the Eastern Mediterranean always have plenty going on in terms of music concerts, theatre performances, local traditions and sporting events.

Continue reading... End Of Year Events On Cyprus

While much of Britain still experienced cold, snowy weather and temperatures in Scotland plummeted to as low as minus sixteen, we thought a round up of the weather in our key winter sun destinations would warm you up a little.

Continue reading... Festive Weather Round Up

In Cyprus the towns of Larnaca and Paphos are favourites of both British tourists and ex-pats who have gone there to live and enjoy the milder climate. As you might expect the Christmas cultures of the towns are both a mix of Greek Cypriot traditions and those more modern derivatives that the mix of nationalities brings to the area.

Continue reading... December Culture in Larnaca and Paphos

The Gran Canaria International Marathon took place on the 24th January 2010. Local council and tourism authorities saw the potential of hosting an international marathon race after witnessing what they called the "magnetic" effect of similar races in other Spanish cities. They quoted the success of cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Saragossa and Palma de Mallorca as some of those that have put on marathon races and attracted huge crowds in addition to the runners themselves. For Gran Canaria the obvious choice was to make the most of the island's mild winter weather and entice runners to take part in one of the only European marathons to be held during January.

Continue reading... Countdown to Gran Canaria Marathon

The Corfu Trail was established as a way of seeing some of the forgotten highlights of the island. The full length of the trail is over 80 miles, so would present a serious challenge even to an experienced walker, but taken in sections or with the help of a guided trip, it will take walkers to some of the prettiest villages on the island and through some of the most spectacular scenery.

Continue reading... Walk The Trail in Corfu

January and February are both popular months for golfers taking a trip to the Algarve in Portugal. The resorts that are within easy reach of Faro airport offer perfect conditions at the start of the year, when many UK courses could be difficult to play or even closed due to the weather conditions.

Continue reading... Fly To Faro For January Golf

Ibiza is one of those holiday islands that enjoys a bit of a break from September onwards. The busy summer crowds have subsided and the vast sandy beaches are more easily admired. The tourists who take their holidays in September, having waited until the school-age children have returned home, have been able to enjoy a more peaceful time on the island. Once October arrives everything eases back to a slower pace, the international nightclubs that Ibiza is famous for have had their end of season parties and the islands is given back to the locals for a few months.

Continue reading... Christmas on Ibiza

The Spanish islands of Mallorca, Menorca and the Canaries are not the only places to hold their carnivals in the early part of the year. The town of Rethymno in Crete also stages a spectacular carnival programme that runs throughout the whole of February.

Continue reading... February Carnival in Crete

During January Tenerife hosts the Festival de Musica de Canarias, a celebration of classical music that first started in 1985.

Continue reading... Music Festival in Tenerife

The Turkish travel industry has been enjoying some golden times recently, times, which in the light of lower tourist numbers in many other established regions, are even more impressive.

Continue reading... Brits Boost Turkish Tourism Figures

Some of the big sporting events in Lanzarote during 2010 have been announced and are already attracting entries from competitors.

Continue reading... Sport 2010 on Lanzarote

November saw Tenerife showing off its motor racing heritage with roads full of rally cars as various events for modern and historic vehicles make use of the island's spectacular road network.

Continue reading... Rally Cars on Tenerife

The island of Tenerife offers photogenic landscapes all year round, but once the busy beaches of the summer take on a quieter Autumn feel the island reveals a slightly different side to the many photographers who attempt to capture the beauty of the island through their lenses. A special exhibition is taking place in Tenerife at the moment to showcase the works of hundreds of photographers. FotoNoviembre, as it names suggests, started during early November, runs through the whole month and on to 10th January.

Continue reading... Photography Exhibitions on Tenerife

The first weekend of December saw the skies of Tenerife filled with colourful paragliders as the island hosted an international competition.

Continue reading... Paragliders in Tenerife

The famous Disney Parks near Orlando in Florida are a lure to children and their parents at all times of the year, but at Christmas they take on an added attraction as the magic of the festive season provides a reason for the parks to put on extra special events.

Continue reading... Christmas Spectaculars in Orlando

We have just read an article that questioned whether Menorca effectively "died" during November, meaning did everything shut down following the end of the summer season. The conclusion was a resounding "no", with there being plenty to interest visitors on this beautiful island during Autumn. Of course there are fewer people on Menorca once the main summer season slows down, in fact the people count may drop to as low as 30 per cent of the summer peak, but that just means more space and a more relaxing environment for everyone.

Continue reading... Menorca During November

The Turkish holiday resort of Antalya hosted its first ever folk festival during early December this year.

Continue reading... Antalya Hosts First Folk Festival

When we report on big music concerts in some of the resorts we fly to, it's often the older stars that are performing. Earlier this year Rod Stewart performed in Tenerife and Alice Cooper played a concert this summer in Cyprus.

Continue reading... Tom Jones Performs Concert in Malta

Once again Gran Canaria briefly became home to over 200 yachts as the fleet for the annual ARC trans-atlantic yacht race assembled in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria ahead of the event.

Continue reading... Transatlantic Yachts in Gran Canaria

The small island of La Gomera, one of the less well known of the Canaries that lies just off the west coast of Tenerife, is the start point for a rowing challenge that calls itself the 'World's Toughest Rowing Race'.

Continue reading... Rowers depart Canaries on Marathon Journey

There are all kinds of festive events on the calendar for Malta in the run up to Christmas.

Continue reading... Christmas Events on Malta

There is plenty of activity to interest the tourist visiting Cyprus at this time of year. The first thing travellers to Larnaca will notice will be the improved airport facilities that were opened to the public on 10th November. Phase One of the new developments were unveiled by the company who assumed control of the airport back in 2006.

Continue reading... Cyprus During November

Sunny weather and a fresh breeze treated competitors and spectators to a spectacular start of the 2009 ARC Sailing event in Gran Canaria.

Continue reading... Fleet Departs Gran Canaria on Atlantic Voyage

Continue reading... Florida Festivals in Autumn

Lanzarote's Open de Canarias de Ala Delta hang gliding competition took place between the 6th and 12th December this year.

Continue reading... International Hang Gliding on Lanzarote

The month of November on the island of Madeira is certainly one when food seems to take the centre stage.

Continue reading... Madeira Food Focus

You are never too far away from a classical music performance in the town of Palma de Mallorca. The cultural roots of this town are deep in Mallorca and all forms of music are frequently represented on the event calendar. From the annual Chopin Piano Festival in Valldemossa to the outdoor summer concerts at the towering Bellver Castle in Palma, Mallorca has more than its share of inspirational venues too.

Continue reading... Mallorca Gets Classical

The Challenge, or to give it its full name the Malta International Challenge Marathon, took place again in November for the 19th time. The format of this popular running event is very different to that of your typical London or New York marathons. In this race the distance to be covered was split into three more manageable pieces and tackled over consecutive days. It gave runners more chance to see different parts of this remarkable island whilst at the same time making the challenge of running a marathon slightly more accessible.

Continue reading... Malta Marathon Challenge

Visitors to Mallorca during the peak months of the summer more often than not stay in their resorts for the duration of their stay. But for those coming to the island during December there are plenty of reasons to take a trip into the capital Palma, to experience the sights and sounds as the Mallorcan Christmas approaches. In terms of music there are many different Christmas concerts, during the early part of the month there was also a varied choice of concerts in different musical styles, that provided something for everyone.

Continue reading... Music Variety in Mallorca During December

The normally quiet town of La Oratova on Tenerife opened its doors to the La Semana de Juventud y Cultura or Youth and Culture Week that concluded on 23rd October.

Continue reading... Tenerife Youth Culture Week

Whilst many European holiday resorts go through a quite spell before the start of the festive holiday period in mid December, Tenerife still has plenty of activities and events to interest visitors during November and early December.

Continue reading... Forthcoming Events on Tenerife

We knew that Turkey was gaining in popularity as more people discovered the attractions of the Mugla area on the southern coast on the country. The coastline has a number of established holiday resorts with others developing rapidly under the close control of the local tourist authorities. The weather in this part of the Mediterranean is amongst the best in Europe as far as warm sunny days go.

Continue reading... Turkey Celebrates Successful Travel Year

If you are looking for a high energy New Year party followed by some peaceful relaxation in the sun away from the cold, wet weather that is currently shrouding the UK, then Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt may be just the ticket.

Continue reading... Plan your New Year Party in Sharm

As a holiday island that relies on tourism for much of its commercial activity, the authorities in Mallorca have a responsibility to their business community to provide a continuing stream of events and attractions that help bring visitors to the island all year round. Mallorca has slowly developed a tried and tested seasonal shift that sees the springtime favouring the activities of cyclists and athletes, who come to the island for warm weather training. Then the long summer panders to the millions of sun and beach lovers who enjoy the island's many perfect resorts. Autumn sees a switch to sailing and also culture that brings art and music festivals to the island. At the end of the year Christmas provides a perfect bridge to the golfing season that takes over in the New Year.

Continue reading... Mallorca's Seasonal Shift

For many the Christmas period presents the perfect opportunity to take a short break and get away for a little rest and relaxation. For some a cosy chalet in snow covered mountains is the ideal break while others yearn for some warm sunshine. Being only a short flight from the UK, Lanzarote offers the combination of convenience and value for British tourists seeking some warmer weather.

Continue reading... Lanzarote Christmas

The normally quiet town of Inca, lying 17 miles north east of Palma on the island of Mallorca, suddenly became the centre of attention during November. The Autumn fairs of Inca are traditional events that go back many years and attract huge crowds over the 4 weekends which started on 24th October.

Continue reading... Dijous Bo on Mallorca

The Canaries version of the WOMAD Festival took place from 12th to 15th November in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Continue reading... WOMAD Festival in Gran Canaria

The small island of Gozo, which sits off the North Western corner of Malta, hosted its annual Festival Mediterranea at the end of October and beginning of November.

Continue reading... Festival Mediterranea on Gozo

For the first time Banjul,in The Gambia, will host its Fine Arts Festival to run for two weeks from 4th January 2010. The organiser of the event, Yusupha Kula, claims to be taking a small, local art show and transforming into a fine art festival that will attract up to 150,000 visitors and showcase talented and emerging artists from all over the world.

Continue reading... Banjul Fine Arts Festival

When promoters were looking for the perfect place to host a Christmas Fair in Palma de Mallorca, the unique Poble Espanyol (Spanish Village) was always going to be a frontrunner. This unique open air museum, village and shopping centre was an obvious choice for somewhere that could be transformed at Christmas into something very special.

Continue reading... Special Authentic Christmas in Palma Mallorca

New Years Eve celebrations seem to be getting bigger and bigger every year. London now stages a major public fireworks display, centred on the London Eye on the Thames, while TV news broadcasts always show the New Year being welcomed in different parts of the world. These reports usually show fireworks displays in Edinburgh, Paris, Sydney, Copacabana beach, Hong Kong and or the million or so revelers who converge on Times Square in New York. The New York celebrations are interesting as they first started in 1904 to commemorate the opening of the New York Times' new offices, when 200,000 people came to enjoy an all-day party put on by the newspaper. It is now estimated that 1 billion people worldwide watch the Times Square celebrations.

Continue reading... New Years Eve on the Algarve

If many resorts, even winter sun destinations, seem very quite during November and December, then those looking for a little more activity may be interested in a visit to Portugal's Algarve region. Although the weather there may not quite be able to compete with the Canary Islands or the resorts of Egypt and Gambia for reliable warm sunny days, it certainly will not be as cold or as wet as the UK during those months.

Continue reading... The Algarve During November and December

Flights to Lanzarote donated by Thomas Cook helped a team of three that triumphed in a charity jail break challenge during November.

Continue reading... Thomas Cook Flights Assist Charity Jailbreak

December is now upon us and Christmas celebrations are starting to begin in earnest with many countries seeing traditional Christmas fairs and markets springing up in their towns and villages.

Continue reading... Christmas Fairs and Markets

With the festive season just a few weeks away, plans for getting away for some seasonal sun may be uppermost in the minds of those who prefer to spend the period in a warmer climate.

Continue reading... Christmas Getaway

Imagine the traditional Christmas scene and snowy forests or icy lakes may spring to mind. Well the festive season on Portugal's Algarve coast is highly unlikely to feature either of those, benefitting as it does from mild, dry weather right through the months of November, December and January. Of course you may be unlucky enough to catch a stray band of rain or be subjected to one of the onshore Atlantic breezes but largely the weather will be mild and sunny.

Continue reading... Christmas on The Algarve

Plan ahead now if you have Disney's World Marathon Weekend in mind for January. The Walt Disney World Resort in Florida will be the stage for a 4 day running festival planned to take place between 7th and 10th January 2010. Taking alongside the running events is a health and fitness expo or exhibition. With an accent on family fun, the marathon weekend runs start on Friday with a short 5 kilometer race for all the family.

Continue reading... Disney World Marathon Week

Tourists heading for Gran Canaria early in 2010 will be interested to know about some of the important dates on the events calendar for the island.

Continue reading... Planning for 2010 in Gran Canaria

November and December are the perfect months to explore the lesser known areas of Mallorca. Hire a car, hop onto a bus or use Mallorca's rejuvenated rail network to travel to some of the islands traditional towns and villages. Many visitors to Mallorca stay in the beach resorts either side of the capital Palma, the coastal areas in the north around Alcudia and Pollenca or the beach resorts on the east coast like Cala Millor or Porto Christo.

Continue reading... Exploring Mallorca

The islands of Tenerife and Lanzarote are no strangers to the international film industry. Tenerife hosts an international film festival, the next edition of which happens in June 2010 and the islands have also been used numerous times in films such as The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy and also several episodes of Dr Who.

Continue reading... Film Crew in the Canaries

The island of Fuerteventura has a long history of successful agriculture, so what better way to sample some of that produce than to try some traditional Fuerteventuran dishes during your visit.

Continue reading... Fuerteventura Food Tradition

Does the name Meadowlark ring any bells with you? Maybe not, but if you were a watcher of children's TV back in the 1970's the name may start to awaken some fond memories of your carefree childhood days. Meadowlark was one of the happy-go-lucky characters in the children's Hanna-Barbera cartoon representation of the famous Harlem Globetrotters basketball team. That team became a worldwide phenomenon at the time and the current members of the team are still pleasing audiences around the world today. Their recent international tour included visits to the islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife. The team made one of their final appearances of the current tour when they performed in Monastir , Tunisia on the 16th October at the Pavillion Salle Couverter.

Continue reading... Harlem Globetrotters on Tour

The Mallorca Festival of Music has now concluded, its two final concerts were held in October and November.

Continue reading... Mallorca Festival of Music

Choir festivals and competitions are a feature of the social calendar for a number of holiday destinations around Europe. This year it started on the 29th October with Malta's 4th International Choir Competition and Festival taking place using various locations around the island. Malta is fortunate to have an expansive choice of concert venues, with there being 365 churches on the island.

Continue reading... Choir Competition and Festival on Malta

If you were due to be on holiday in Tenerife during the first weekend of November and were upset about not being able to get to Stamford Bridge to watch Chelsea play Manchester City or to Upton park to watch West Ham play Everton, then you could try a little local football on your holiday island.

Continue reading... Premier League Football on Tenerife

Mention International Film Festivals and places like Cannes, Berlin, Edinburgh and Moscow spring to mind. But there are many other festivals celebrating the work of filmmakers and the island of Madeira hosts its own event which has slowly been growing in stature since it first started four years ago.

Continue reading... Funchal International Cinema Festival

In Europe the Autumn period seems to be the time when many areas host festivals celebrating local produce and cuisine. A little research has revealed that food fairs are now held in many popular tourist areas at the end of the summer season and serve to provide visitors with a taste of local cuisine and traditions.

Continue reading... Food Fairs in Autumn

For anyone interested in ancient history and the legacy left by over five hundred years of Roman civilization, Tunisia has some remarkable offerings.

Continue reading... Roman History in Tunisia

A beach together with a bucket and spade will normally lead to some sort of sand castle eventually, but have you ever seen a professional sand sculptor in action? They are able to create things you would not have thought possible. We've seen them in places like the beaches of Cannes and Mallorca, but now Antalya in Turkey has its own Sand Sculpture festival which has proved to be very popular.

Continue reading... Sand Castles in Antalya

The town of Sa Pobla is one of the larger towns in Northern Mallorca, but being situated around 20 miles to the north of Palma and set inland it doesn't receive much attention from tourists visiting the island. This is a town populated largely by native Mallorcans, without the abundance of holiday homes that are a feature of some of the more picturesque parts of the island. The main industry around Sa Pobla is agriculture and the flat countryside around the town is a patchwork of well cultivated fields growing all kinds of produce.

Continue reading... Sa Pobla Autumn Fair

During October the St Peters Singers, a fifty strong chamber choir from Leeds, England performed a number of concerts during a short tour of the island of Mallorca.

Continue reading... St Peters Singers in Palma

One of the more esoteric events on Tenerife this Autumn was the Tenerife Tattoo Fest, which took place for the second time this year on the 7th and 8th November.

Continue reading... Tenerife Tattoo Fest

There were two International sporting events that featured on the events calendar of the island of Lanzarote during November.

Continue reading... Lanzarote Sports November

The fifth annual Volta Menorca is a three day off-road mountain bike challenge that was held this year on the 10th, 11th and 12th of October.

Continue reading... Volta Menorca 2009

There were two International sporting events that featured on the events calendar of the island of Lanzarote during November.

Continue reading... Lanzarote Sports November

Colourful skies were promised at the annual Fuerteventura Kite Festival in November this year.

Continue reading... Fuerteventura Kite Festival

Plan ahead now if you have Disney's World Marathon Weekend in mind for January. The Walt Disney World Resort in Florida will be the stage for a 4 day running festival planned to take place between 7th and 10th January 2010. Taking alongside the running events is a health and fitness expo or exhibition. With an accent on family fun, the marathon weekend runs start on Friday with a short 5 kilometer race for all the family.

Continue reading... Disney World Marathon Week

Hold onto your hats during early November in Cyprus for a car verses boat challenge.

Continue reading... Cyprus Thunderball

This local festival first started back in 2006, despite its name which would indicate it dates back much further than that. The content however does look back many years to the ancient traditions of an island that has plenty of history to recall.

Continue reading... Ayia Napa Medieval Festival

Once again Gran Canaria briefly becomes home to over 200 yachts as the fleet for the annual ARC trans-atlantic yacht race assembles in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria ahead of the event.

Continue reading... Transatlantic Yachts in Gran Canaria

You don't have to go to Germany to enjoy the traditional German Oktoberfest celebrations. The state of Florida is just one of many in the United States that is hosting its own versions of the traditional beer festival.

Continue reading... Oktoberfest in Florida

Although Bodrum itself is in a bay and doesn't have a sand beach, the Bodrum peninsula has gorgeous, sandy beaches at Bitez and Gumbet with tons of watersports attractions for every age and ability. You can swim in absolutely pristine, calm seas. Divers and snorkelers will be drawn to the areas numerous reefs, caves and splendid rock formations. Divers can also find multicolored sponges and an astonishing array of other aquatic life.

Continue reading... Bodrum A Place to Experience

Malta's annual Rolex Middle Sea Yacht Race set sail from Valletta on the 17th of October 2009. Around 80 yachts took part in this year's 600 mile race. The excitement and buzz that surrounds international yacht racing came to the harbour at Valletta and the start and finish celebrations were a wonderful spectacle for anyone on Malta during the week of the race.

Continue reading... Malta Middle Sea Yacht Race in October

The Teatro das Figuras in Faro was the venue for a Dance Gala evening on the 10th of October 2009.

Continue reading... International Dance Gala in Faro

The world famous club scene on Ibiza approached the big closing party season in late September.

Continue reading... Ibiza Clubs Round Off 2009 Season

Gran Canaria in October is much the same as Gran Canaria in September and November. The usual warm Autumn weather, lots of tourists arriving on the island for a late summer break and plenty of things going on. However the first weekend of October this year did seem to have an unusual combination of events on the calendar.

Continue reading... Cheese, Rock and Art Celebrations

With the Canary Islands being surrounded by Atlantic Ocean you would expect much of their commercial and leisure activities to involve water, but that is not always the case. However during October this year a group of hardy athletes tackled a challenging journey across the waters between two of the islands.

Continue reading... Lanzarote to Fuerteventura Swim

You may have heard of the Suwannee river in the lyrics of the song made famous by Al Jolson but did you know anything about this beautiful location in Florida?

Continue reading... Suwannee River Music Festival

Anyone flying to Florida for a break during September is bound have warm weather on their mind, but there's more to a holiday there than just sun and sand.

Continue reading... Fun and Festivals in Florida during September

New plans for upgrading the airport at Chania on Crete are being made public at last. The Chania airport in western Crete is one of two operational charter flight airports at the moment. The other is at Heraklion, on the central northern coast and is the larger of the two, although there are plans to upgrade the airport at Sitia in eastern Crete to provide a third airport in the future.

Continue reading... Crete Airport Upgrade Plans

Visitors to Florida during the month of October have a choice of local festivals to try out as an alternative to lazy days on the beach.

Continue reading... Florida Festivals in October

Almost 20 years after his last performance on the island, Leonard Cohen returned to Mallorca to give a concert at the Palma Arena.

Continue reading... Leonard Cohen in Palma

As the summer parties and cultural festivals came to an end, the island of Kefalonia continued to entertain its visitors with several artistic celebrations.

Continue reading... Autumn Festivals on Kefalonia

With professional cyclists competing in the 21 stage Tour of Spain, or Vuelta a Espana, the island of Ibiza was putting together final preparations for its own, smaller scale, event.

Continue reading... Cycle Tour of Ibiza in October