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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Continue reading... Cyprus Thunderball

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

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

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

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

During the summer months the resort of Alcudia on the northern coast of Mallorca transforms into a buzzing beach location, fringed with a huge selection of luxury hotels, bars, restaurants, cafes and one of the best sandy beaches on the island. Once the peak months of the summer are gone, everything starts to move at a slightly slower pace, although the resort doesn't quite return to the peaceful, quiet rural zone it once was before tourism discovered it.

Continue reading... Alcudia Fair in October

September is a wonderful month to spend some time in Cyprus and this year was no different. The very hot days of the high summer are gone and milder weather, together with a wide selection of cultural events, make the island a pleasant place to spend a week or two.

Continue reading... September Events in Cyprus

For anyone visiting the island of Madeira during the middle of October, the town of Ribeira Brava provides the chance to experience some traditional local music and culture.

Continue reading... Autumn events on Madeira

During September the island of Fuerteventura celebrated one of its most important annual festivals.

Continue reading... Fuerteventuras Lady of the Rock

The smaller island of Gomera, off the coast of Tenerife hosted its first Gomera Rock festival in August this year.

Continue reading... Tenerife Gomera Rock festival

The night clubs are well known but dancing of a different type took centre stage on Ibiza during August.

Continue reading... Dance and Celebrate on Ibiza

Reputed to have the world's best climate, Gran Canaria is a tourist destination with so much to offer, entertainment and marvellous beaches, antiquities and culture, outdoor sports and nature. More than just an island paradise, GranCanaria is an experience to savor.

Continue reading... Gran Canaria Much MoreThan Paradise

The island of Kos celebrates a series of cultural events during the summer, with many having their roots in the ancient past that defines this island. Local produce is also important to this island and several events profile the traditional products of local farmers and producers. These include the fish and wine festivals during early August in the port of Mastichari and the Ouzo Festival in Kefalos. Also during August is an evening of traditional Greek dancing in the harbour area of Kefalos and a celebration of dance and traditional music at the harbour in Kardamena.

Continue reading... Honey and Wine Festivals on Kos

Visitors to the Greek island of Kefalonia during August have the choice of a number of traditional local events during their stay, with wine featuring prominently.

Continue reading... August Wine Events in Kefalonia

The town of Polis lies 20miles north of Paphos in the north west of Cyprus. It is a popular town with visitors to the island and the local community provides an interesting selection of artistic and cultural events for tourists to enjoy during there stay in the area.

Continue reading... Summer Nights in Polis near Paphos

Starting on the 3rd of July 2009, the 18th Canaries Jazz Festival kicks off with performances on Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. Acts from all over the world are playing during the week long festival and on the second day concerts are taking place on 4 different islands in the group.

Continue reading... Canaries Jazz Festival

The festival is being organised by the Cyprus Centre of International Theatre, which was founded in 1977 to promote theatre on the island. During the month of July eight different theatre groups will be welcomed to the island with performances taking place at venues in Paphos, Limassol and Nicosia. Prices for each performance are 17 Euros.

Continue reading... Paphos venue for celebration of Drama

Festival MED takes places in the cosmopolitan town of Loule between 24th and 28th June 2009. This will be the sixth time the MED has been organised and it has quickly gained a reputation as one of the most highly-regarded World Music festivals. Seventeen acts have been confirmed for the festival this year including Stewart Copeland, former drummer from The Police, and Orquestra Buena Vista Social Club. Two main stages and three smaller stages will be home to the acts in a celebration of world music that also includes other attractions. Events supplementing the music include theatre and street entertainment, exhibitions of art together with gastronomy and handicrafts exhibitions.

Continue reading... Algarve hosts Festival med in June

The area around Paphos in the south of Cyprus has changed during the last 25 years on the back of better provisions for tourists and an increasing popularity of the area for second-home investors. Control of development is still a concern with conservationists but at least the authorities can see the issues created when developers are given too much of a free rein. What Paphos has to offer, apart from its own cultural attractions, is its proximity to two areas of outstanding natural beauty.

Continue reading... Paphos a gateway to the real Cyprus

The annual Kataklysmos Fair starts on 5th June in Larnaca, Cyprus with a performance of Greek dancing and music on the seafront stage, followed by a fireworks display. The word "kataklysmos" means flood and the celebration is unique to Cyprus, coinciding with the Greek Pentacost. The celebrations are thought to link back the birth of Aphrodite who emerged from the waves and turned the ground around her into a sea of flowers. The flood is celebrated as something that cleanses mankind and enables new life, and is a event marked in a similar manner in many cultures around the world.

Continue reading... Annual Kataklysmos Fair in Larnaca

Theatre productions, film showings, conferences, even a tea dance; these are just some of the events that form part of a special Agatha Christie week in Tenerife starting on 5th June 2009.

Continue reading... Agatha Christie Week in Tenerife

The popularity of Egyptian resort location Sharm el Sheikh seems to be continuing while some other destinations are feeling the effects of the global slowdown. Reports suggest that visitor volumes to Sharm are showing increases of up to 20 per cent this year and building development projects are underway to cope with the extra tourists.

Continue reading... New developments open in Sharm el Sheikh

Hilton Hotels Corporation is obviously placing a huge amount of faith in the future of this part of Turkey, having announced plans for 11 new hotel contracts last year, which effectively doubles their footprint in Turkey. Ongoing plans are reported to include 40 hotel openings in Turkey over the next 5 years.

Continue reading... New Hilton Dalaman Resort on track for Summer opening

A varied mix of over forty events are planned across the seven islands, featuring cultural performances of music, film and theatre, sporting competitions and traditional celebrations.

Continue reading... Plans Announced for Canaries Celebration Day

For wine regions around the world the harvesting of a new vintage is the most important period of the year and many, including the Spanish region of Andalucia, celebrate with a range of traditional festivals.

Continue reading... Celebrate the New Vintage in Andalucia