On France’s Atlantic coast, a remarkable natural phenomenon has created one of the world’s most unusual roads. The Passage du Gois, a 4.125-kilometer (2.6-mile) causeway connecting the mainland town of Beauvoir-sur-Mer to the island of Noirmoutier, completely disappears underwater twice daily when high tide sweeps over it. With water levels reaching up to 4 meters (13 feet) during high tide, this remarkable road offers travelers a unique but time-sensitive journey.
The Passage du Gois wasn’t …
From unforgettable hikes to exploring the Amazon Rainforest, here are five Peruvian attractions you need to consider in addition to world-renowned Machu Picchu.
If you’re heading to Peru, you won’t want to miss one of the new Wonders of the World–Machu Picchu. You’re sure to be amazed by the remnants of the ancient Incan citadel and ponder at how advanced civilization was for the 15th century. Yet, if you are at a loss as far …
In Rajasthan, it’s the colors that strike you first.
It’s the vibrant, striking colors worn by the residents of this ancient – and very proud – region, called “Land of Kings” because of a royal history like no other part of India. The land in which they live is a dry, often-monochromatic desert. But the history of Rajasthan is anything but monochromatic. It pulses with the ebbs and tides of a tumultuous history. And even …
Tianzi Mountain and Yuanjiajie in Hunan Province, China, offer visitors a surreal landscape that served as inspiration for the floating mountains in James Cameron’s blockbuster movie “Avatar.” The enormous limestone pinnacles, draped in vegetation and often veiled in mist, create an otherworldly atmosphere. The unique landscape of towering sandstone pillars, some reaching heights of over 3,000 feet, offer views that indeed seem to belong to another planet entirely.
The area was once a vast sea. …
There isn’t a single wisp of smoke curling out of the top of Mount Vesuvius as we walk up its stony brown slopes.
A few birds are twittering in the bushes, but we leave we them behind as the path rises above fertile ground. It’s silent, except for the scrunch of feet on clinker. It’s too quiet, too calm. Are we about to get taken out in an unexpected rumble of smoke, ash, flames and …
Castellfollit de la Roca is one of the smallest towns in Catalonia, Spain, but the views it offers is nothing short of dramatic. This remarkable village is precariously perched on the top of a slender basalt crag rising 160 feet above the Fluvià and Toronell rivers flowing below. Stretching nearly a kilometer in length, the basalt cliff that forms the foundation of Castellfollit de la Roca is the result of volcanic activity. The area was …
The autobahn, a German term translating to “automobile road” or “motorway,” is Germany’s vast network of high-speed, limited-access highways. Renowned for its absence of a general speed limits on specific sections, the autobahn emerged in the early 20th century as a vision for advanced infrastructure and efficient transportation. The first autobahn section opened in 1932, and the network expanded significantly during the Nazi regime. After World War II, the autobahn continued to grow, and the …
The Dutch say ‘April doet wat hij wil’ (‘April does what it wants’) to describe the weather in the Netherlands during the early spring. It’s true, the weather in April can be unpredictable, but for flower enthusiasts, photographers, and anyone with an appreciation for nature, Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands is a destination that encourages you to brave the weather, if not ignore it. This horticultural wonder virtually explodes with color during tulip season, a …
The best way to see the National Parks during the busy summer tourist season is simply not to do it. Stay home. Come back in the fall, when there are fewer visitors and lower temperatures. But if summer travel is your only option, as it was for my husband and me, follow these tips to beat the crowds— and the heat.
Start Early: Many National Parks actually close their parking lots during the day, either …
Thirteen minutes—that’s all it took to arrive in Barcelona and encounter one of its greatest claims to fame—the slickest pickpockets in Europe. If you’re going to hit, best get hit by a professional, I always say. And they’re at their slickest and quickest on the underground trains at Barcelona Sants railway station. Barcelona treats its notoriety as a pickpocketer’s playground with a zesty inverted snobbery, with the landlord of the apartment I was renting cheerfully …
One of the most iconic attractions of Canada is the CN Tower. The closer you get to Downtown Toronto the more impressive it looks. But what does “CN Tower” stand for? It’s simple, really – Canada’s National Tower. It initially started as a hub for telecommunications and resembles a huge antennae/needle structure amongst the skyscrapers. The entrance and ticket office are located on Bremner Boulevard on the side of the Rogers Centre and before Ripley’s …
For an area famous as the driest place in the world, Chile’s Atacama Desert boasts a surprising amount of activities involving water. Which is fabulous when the temperature tops a sizzling 35 degrees (91deg F) and you’re dying to cool off in a lagoon or a refreshing river.
The Atacama, in the north of the country, is a place full of contrasts, and my favorite is the unusual opportunities to get wet in the desert. …
Just a stone’s throw north of Tampa on Florida’s Gulf Coast is Tarpon Springs—an enclave that, with a hint of imagination, mirrors the charm of distant Mykonos. The town’s fortunes started in 1887 with the arrival of railroad service north all the way to New York, but sprang to life at the dawn of the 20th century by the discovery of rich sponge beds just offshore. The arrival of Greek sponge divers in 1905 from …
Any trip to San Diego is likely filled with visits to the beach, perhaps the World-Famous San Diego Zoo, maybe even Sea World, or the museums of Balboa Park. Once you’ve checked off the ‘must-do’ tourist items on any San Diego sightseeing list, how about some off-the-radar stops popular with locals to grab a little peace and quiet and re-center?
#1 Self Realization Temple and Gardens — Encinitas
Located 20 miles north of Downtown San …
