Monaco on the French Riviera

13 October 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera Reading Time:  11 minutes

© Georges DICK

© Georges DICK

Monaco is a sovereign city state, located on the French Riviera in Western Europe. Bordered by France on three sides, with one side bordering the Mediterranean Sea, its center is about 16 km (9.9 mi) from Italy, and is only 15 km (9.3 mi) north east of Nice, France. It has an area of 1.98 km2 (0.76 sq mi), and a population of 35,986, making Monaco the second smallest and the most densely populated country in the world. Monaco has a land border of only 4.4 km (2.7 mi), a coastline of 4.1 km (2.5 mi), and a width that varies between 1.7 km (1.1 mi) and 349 metres (382 yards). The highest point in the country is a narrow pathway named Chemin des Révoires on the slopes of Mont Agel, in the Les Révoires district, which is 161 metres (528 feet) above sea level. Monaco’s most populated Quartier is Monte Carlo, and the most populated Ward is Larvotto/Bas Moulins. After a recent expansion of Port Hercules, Monaco’s total area is 2.05 km2 (0.79 sq mi), with new plans to extend the district of Fontvieille, with land reclaimed from the Mediterranean Sea.   read more…

The Costa Smeralda on the northeast coast of Sardinia

4 April 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

Costa Smeralda - Palau Panorama © Sardinianguy88

Costa Smeralda – Palau Panorama © Sardinianguy88

The Costa Smeralda (English: Emerald Coast) is a coastal area and tourist destination in northern Sardinia, 55 km (34 mi) long and covering more than 30 km2 (12 sq mi). With white sand beaches, a golf club, private jet and helicopter service, and hotels costing up to US$2,000-3,000 per night in the peak season, the area has drawn celebrities, business leaders and other affluent visitors.   read more…

Ischia in the Gulf of Naples

17 December 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  10 minutes

S Angelo d'Ischia © ischia-hotel.net

S Angelo d’Ischia © ischia-hotel.net

Ischia is a volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It lies at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, about 30 km from the city of Naples. It is the largest of the Phlegrean Islands (the four picturesque islands are Procida, Vivara, Capri and Nisida). Roughly trapezoidal in shape, it measures around 10 km east to west and 7 km north to south and has about 34 kilometres (21 mi) of coastline and a surface area of 46.3 square kilometres (17.9 sq mi). It is almost entirely mountainous, the highest peak being Mount Epomeo at 788 m. The island has a population of over 60,000 people.   read more…

Porto Cervo on the Costa Smeralda

14 December 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

© Stahlkocher/GFDL

© Stahlkocher/GFDL

Porto Cervo is an Italian seaside resort in northern Sardinia. It is a frazione of the comune of Arzachena, in the province of Olbia-Tempio. The village is the main centre of the Costa Smeralda, on the gulf of the same name. It was created by Prince Karim Aga Khan. Porto Cervo has a resident population of less than 200 inhabitants. Porto Cervo is home to the Monte di Mola (MdM) art gallery, which is the most important gallery on the Costa Smeralda.   read more…

Sanary-sur-Mer on the southern French Mediterranean coast

13 December 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera Reading Time:  7 minutes

© Patrick Verdier

© Patrick Verdier

Sanary-sur-Mer is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in southeastern France. It is located in coastal Provence on the Mediterranean Sea 13 km (8.1 mi) from Toulon and 49 km (30 mi) from Marseille. It can be reached from Paris by TGV train in less than 4 hours. In high season there are direct flights to nearby Toulon from London, Oslo, Brussels and Rotterdam.   read more…

Mykonos in the South Aegean

24 November 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Elias Beach © Squirmy2000

Elias Beach © Squirmy2000

Mykonos is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of 85.5 km2 (33 sq mi) and rises to an elevation of 341 m (1,119 ft) at its highest point. There are 9,320 inhabitants. most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, which lies on the west coast. The town is also known as Chora. Tourism is a major industry. Archaeological finds indicate that the Ionians settled on Mykonos in the early part of the 11th century BCE. In ancient times, Mykonos, due to its proximity to the then highly populated island of Delos (situated about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) away), became very important as a supply island and possibly as a getaway location for Delian citizens.   read more…

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…

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