On the coast between Aveiro and Porto, Esmoriz is a resort that is beginning to make a name for itself. Surfers are already coming round, as the town’s main beach has reliable beach breaks good for novices as well as old hands. There are surf camps where you can pass a whole week perfecting you …
Amarante is a dreamy town in upland countryside in the North of Portugal. To the east looms the vast mass of the Serra do Marão, while the Tâmega Valley is lined with high hills with a mantle of woodland. The postcard image in Amarante is the São Gonçalo bridge on the Tâmega beside the Renaissance …
One of the fastest growing cities in Canada, Vaughan is just north of Toronto, and although it is a suburb of the large city, it is a city in its own right. Vaughan has a long history that dates back to 1792, but it wasn’t until its massive expansion after 1991 that put the city …
In the Porto District, Paredes is a town and municipality on the edge of the Sousa River Valley. It’s a picturesque rural corner of northern Portugal, with vine-covered hills, and farms growing succulent casca de carvalho melons. Cutting through this region is the Romanesque Route, so there are some atmospheric monuments from the medieval period: …
The seaside town of Câmara de Lobos was one of Madeira’s earliest settlements in the 15th century. There’s a pair of churches from these times, and a cove where caravels would have been anchored 600 years ago. Those have been replaced by humble fishing boats, and despite the influx of tourists the town still makes …
The town of São João da Madeira in the Aveiro District often polls as one of Portugal’s most liveable places. There’s isn’t a lot of history here and this working town isn’t loaded with sights. But what São João da Madeira does have is volumes of industrial heritage, as the source of Portugal’s hats, footwear …
On Madeira’s east coast, Machico was where the island’s discoverers first landed in 1419. The beach they arrived at looks very different now as the stones were replaced with Moroccan sand in 2008. You can divide your time between the ocean and land in Machico. On the water you’ll embark on a motorboat to spot …
Terni is a delightful city in the heart of the southern part of Umbria in central Italy. This charming city has a population of approximately 111,000 and is self-styled as the City of Lovers. The Nera River runs centrally through Terni and has been an important source of trade in eras past. In ancient times, …
Ferrara is a fantastic tourist destination located in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. With great links to Bologna, Venice and Ravenna, plus sitting only 50km from the coast, Ferrara is a wonderful base from which to explore this part of Italy. As the capital of the Province of Ferrara, the city has a population …
New Mexico is a southwestern state, with a rich history that is shared across a variety of cultures, including Native American, and Mexican Indian. The New Mexico landscape is simply stunning, inhabited by deserts and mountains, as well as National forests. The climate in New Mexico is semiarid, which means that the summers are long …