Film Fanatics visit Florida

silhouette of roller coaster

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.

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January Algarve Events

Portuguese Meat of pig and bread

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.

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Ibiza Celebrations

smoking grilled sardines

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.

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Greek Carnival in Crete

A night shot of Retymno on Crete, Greece

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.

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Funchal For February

Typical old houses on Madeira island

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.

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Fuerteventura Carnivals in 2010

Portrait of a beautiful woman in medieval era dress. Shot in a studio.

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.

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Celebrate San Sebastian in Mallorca

Palma de Mallorca; view over the rooftops; from the old city walls towars the cathedral La Seu; horizontal format

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.

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Arrecife Carnival on Lanzarote

View on the lagoon in Arrecife

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.

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Music Marathon on Lanzarote

A group of elementary children racing across their school parking lot.

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.

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Michelin Star Restaurants in Mallorca

beautifully served table in a restaurant

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.

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Madeira Food Focus

Breast of Chicken with Morels Baby Leeks and Madeira Cream

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

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Dijous Bo on Mallorca

 Spanish chorizo

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.

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Festival Mediterranea on Gozo

Ggantija Temple Remains in Gozo

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.

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Special Authentic Christmas in Palma Mallorca

Red Christmas bells

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.

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The Algarve During November and December

Souvenirs handmade

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.

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Christmas Fairs and Markets

Christmas gingerbread handmade

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.

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Fuerteventura Food Tradition

cheese

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.

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Food Fairs in Autumn

 spanish smoked gammon at spring fair in barcelona, spain, catalonia

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.

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Sa Pobla Autumn Fair

Traditional horse carriage in Malaga. Spain. Touristic transport

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.

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Oktoberfest in Florida

mugs of dark strong beer on bavarian beer festival

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.

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Bodrum A Place to Experience

Gullets in Bodrum, Turkey

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.

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Autumn Festivals on Kefalonia

The harbour at Fiskardo on the greek island of Kefalonia

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

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Events on the Algarve During Autumn

show jumping.girl riding horse and jumping

There may be a smaller selection of events taking place on the Algarve during Autumn, but there's still a choice that should satisfy anyone on holiday there during that period.

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Alcudia Fair in October

Alcudia on the island Majorca in spain

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.

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Fuerteventuras Lady of the Rock

carnival dancer

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

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Dance and Celebrate on Ibiza

traditional folk dance costumes with castanets

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

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Gran Canaria gets the Cheese

Table with several kind of cheese, pear, grape

Popular tourist destination Gran Canaria was selected to host the World Cheese Awards in 2009.

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The Beaches of Corfu

empty beach corfu

Corfu has many gorgeous beaches including Agios Georgios (Saint George) North on the west coast. This beach has a large sweeping sandy cove and is perfect for kids to make sandcastles and play in the tame surf. Confusingly, there is also Agios Georgious South (Saint George's Bay South ) which is also on the west coast. This more southerly beach has a long sandy dune and is located on the south west of the island, about 45 minutes from the airport. The bay is surrounded by olive groves and boasts a truly splendid sandy beach.

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Corfu - Part 2

Wonderful nature scene. Wild, yellow sand beach on Corfu Island (Greece)

Corfu has many gorgeous beaches including Agios Georgios (Saint George) North on the west coast. This beach has a large sweeping sandy cove and is perfect for kids to make sandcastles and play in the tame surf. Confusingly, there is also Agios Georgious South (Saint George's Bay South)which is also on the west coast. This more southerly beach has a long sandy dune and is located on the south west of the island, about 45 minutes from the airport. The bay is surrounded by olive groves and boasts a truly splendid sandy beach.

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Honey and Wine Festivals on Kos

Join in the celebrations at the Honey Festival in Kos

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.

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Lanzarote - Part 1

Playa de Puerto Muelas Lanzarote

The eastern most island of the Canaries, Lanzarote is a place of spectacular natural beauty. This unspoilt volcanic island will bowl you over with its extraordinary rock formations, mountains, seascapes and desert plains. With so much to enjoy here, Lanzarote is a superb beach break for a relaxing or active holiday.

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Kos Part 1

Panoramic View of a Kos beach, Greece

The birthplace of ancient healer Hippocrates,Kos has everything for a healthy holiday: fresh air; sunny skies; clear seawater; and great food. Additionally, the idyllic beauty of this island paradise is perfect for relaxing holidays as well as sporty and cultural getaways. You can experience so much in Kos as the island has everything one would desire for a great beach and cultural holiday all in a splendid setting.

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August Wine Events in Kefalonia

Fishing Boat at Kefalonia

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.

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Escape To Malta

St Joseph's Church, Vittoriosa, Malta

Sunny, picturesque Malta has been invaded by the Romans, Turks, Knights, and then the British. Now it's time for you to enjoy this sun drenched island country in the Mediterranean and the culture, food and hospitality of this very special slice of paradise.

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Open Air Festival in Malta

Morena performing at the Farsons Beer Festival 2008. She represented Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest 2007

One of Malta's biggest annual festivals takes place over ten days starting on Friday 24th July 09.

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Faro Part 1

Se Cathedral, faro

Most tourists simply pass through Faro airport en route to their resort destinations in other parts of the Algarve. But if you're hankering for a cultural city break with wonderful food and year-round sun, then Faro is a delightful retreat.

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Desert in Gran Canaria

Dunes of Maspalomas in Gran Canaria

Of course the Canary Islands are not that far from the West African coast and the Sahara Desert but you wouldn't expect to find a desert in Gran Canaria. Amazingly there is one - well sort of. In the south of the island of Gran Canaria are the Dunas de Maspalomas or the Maspalomas Dunes. This is a protected area of land over 300 hectares in size that resembles the deserts of Africa. The fine sand is formed from ground shells and the shifting dunes themselves reach heights of 10m.

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Annual Kataklysmos Fair in Larnaca

Seaside in Larnaca 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.

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Larnaca - Cyprus - Part 1

Larnaca Marina

With an abundance of ancient ruins, rich cultural traditions and panoramic beaches, Larnaca is an irresistable holiday destination. Holidaying in Larnaca means never having to choose between a beach vacation and a cultural experience because Larnaca is blessed with both: truly magnificent beaches and some of the ancient world's most riveting historical sites.

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Festival in the Old Town of Tavira

Old Town Tavira on the Algarve near Faro Portugal

Travel half an hour East from Faro on the Algarve and you will arrive at the old town of Tavira, a place that ranks alongside Lagos in architectural significance on this stretch of the Portuguese coast.

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A Return to Corfu

Beach of Corfu

If you've ever been to Corfu, or Kerkyra, during your younger years then you probably spent most of your time either on the beach or in a bar or nightclub, but a return to the island later in life may reveal a different side. Traditional holiday hot spots for the twentysomethings include Benitses on the East coat and Kavos in the extreme south. Both have the benefit of the sheltered and warmer waters that lie between Corfu and the mainlands of Albania and Greece which are visible in the distance on a clear day.

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The Perfect Golf Holiday

golf in the sun

Just imagine all the ingredients required for a perfect golf holiday coming together nicely.

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