The Mediterranean Sea

19 August 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  8 minutes

Ships near Blue Lagoon - Malta © larrylurex

Ships near Blue Lagoon – Malta © larrylurex

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant. The sea is technically a part of the Atlantic Ocean, although it is usually identified as a completely separate body of water.   read more…

Bilbao, center for culture and politics in the Basque Country

5 August 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Architecture Reading Time:  13 minutes

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao © Ardfern

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao © Ardfern

Bilbao is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain. Bilbao lies within one of Spain’s largest metropolitan areas; the comarca of Greater Bilbao has an estimated population of 875,552, making it the fifth most populated conurbation in the country. Bilbao is situated in the north-central part of Spain, some 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south of the Bay of Biscay, where the estuary of Bilbao is formed. Its main urban core is surrounded by two small mountain ranges with an average elevation of 400 metres (1,300 ft).   read more…

Theme Week Balearic Islands – Majorca

23 July 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  12 minutes

Building of the Consell Insular - Palma de Mallorca © Olaf Tausch

Building of the Consell Insular – Palma de Mallorca © Olaf Tausch

Majorca is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea, one of the Balearic Islands. It is the largest by area and second most populated island of Spain (after Tenerife in the Canary Islands). The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Cabrera Archipelago is administratively grouped with Majorca (in the municipality of Palma). Like the other Balearic Islands of Ibiza, Formentera and Minorca, the island is a highly popular holiday destination, particularly for tourists from Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Scandinavian countries.   read more…

Theme Week Balearic Islands – Ibiza

22 July 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Architecture, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  9 minutes

Ibiza Town © Forbfruit/cc-by-sa-3.0

Ibiza Town © Forbfruit/cc-by-sa-3.0

Ibiza is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza Town (Catalan:Vila d’Eivissa or simply Vila), Santa Eulària des Riu and Sant Antoni de Portmany. Its highest point, called Sa Talaiassa or Sa Talaia, is 475 m/1,558 ft above sea level.   read more…

Theme Week Balearic Islands – Cabrera

21 July 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Castell de Cabrera © J. Gomà

Castell de Cabrera © J. Gomà

Cabrera is an uninhabited islet in the Balearic Islands. The highest point is Na Picamosques (172 m). Cabrera is the largest island of the small archipelago that includes (from south to north) the islands of Estells de Fora, L’Imperial, Illa de ses Bledes, Na Redona, Conillera, L’Esponja, Na Plana, Illot Pla, Na Pobra, and Na Foradada. Cabrera, which had been a former Santa Catalina, Palma de Mallorca district, was declared a National Park in April 1991. The Cabrera National Park is now administratively grouped with the municipality of Palma de Mallorca.   read more…

Theme Week Balearic Islands – Formentera

20 July 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Lake Pudent © ximateix!

Lake Pudent © ximateix!

Formentera is the smaller and more southerly island of the Illes Pitiüses group, comprising Ibiza and Formentera, as well as various small islets. Formentera is renowned across Europe for many pristine white beaches and the fact that nude sunbathing is allowed on most of its beaches.   read more…

Theme Week Balearic Islands – Minorca

19 July 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Architecture, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  7 minutes

Grau-Maó © Andrómeda7

Grau-Maó © Andrómeda7

Minorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca. Minorca has a population of approximately 94,383 inhabitants.   read more…

Theme Week Balearic Islands

18 July 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Bon voyage, Theme Weeks Reading Time:  7 minutes

Port of Ciudadela - Menorca © J. Braun

Port of Ciudadela – Menorca © J. Braun

The Balearic Islands are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza, and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital city. The co-official languages in the Balearic Islands are Catalan and Spanish. The main islands of the autonomous community are Majorca (Mallorca), Menorca (Menorca), Ibiza (Eivissa) and Formentera, all of which are popular tourist destinations. Among the minor islands is Cabrera, which is the location of the Parc Nacional de l’Arxipèlag de Cabrera. The islands can be further grouped, with Majorca, Menorca, and Cabrera as the Gymnesian Islands, and Ibiza and Formentera as the Pine Islands.   read more…

Pablo Picasso’s hometown Málaga

21 May 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

Constitution Square © tadekk

Constitution Square © tadekk

Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,305 in 2009, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe. It lies on the Costa del Sol (Coast of the Sun) of the Mediterranean Sea, about 100 km (62.14 mi) east of the Strait of Gibraltar and about 130 km (80.78 mi) north of Africa.   read more…

Return to TopReturn to Top