Travel
A journey you’ll never forget: the Camino de Santiago from Sarria
When you decide to take on your first Camino de Santiago challenge, you will be preparing yourself for a journey that will live with you forever. You will not only challenge yourself physically, but also see many beautiful sights and have so many new experiences.
Traditionally a pilgrimage, the Camino de Santiago is now a modern pilgrimage loved by those seeking a spiritual break from our busy world as much as hiking, cycling and cultural enthusiasts.
The Camino de Santiago is a large network of routes from many different starting locations, all of which are spectacular in their own special way. But for those on their first journey, the Camino Frances starting at Sarria with santiago ways is a perfect way for beginners to start.
Sarria, a place full of history and culture
Sarria is around 111km from Santiago, just over the minimum distance that is required for pilgrims to be eligible for the traditional ‘compostela’ certificate that verifies they have completed the Camino de Santiago.
It is a great way to really capture the essence of the Camino. The route takes you through beautiful towns and cities and charming medieval villages and inspiring landscapes.
In the centre of Sarria you have the chance to see beautiful churches,chapels, monasteries and pilgrim hospitals. The main street, rea Maior, is a gorgeous picturesque place and the Church of Santa Marina, the Castle and the Fortress of Sarria are well worth a visit.
From here there is a relaxed hike to Portomarin, 22 km away along country roads past traditional Galician granaries. Highly recommended is a quick stop to the Romanesque church at Barbadelo.
A beautiful green landscape and fantastic local cuisine
One of the best things about this route, is the beautiful forests, farmlands and rustic villages, and stonewall lined trails and paths typical of the Galician landscape.
Leaving Portomarin, the route crosses the Miño River and ascends to the Sierra de Ligonde. Heading through to Palas de Rei, you will see many quaint typical country villages, such as Gonzar and Ventas de Narón.
The next stage from Arzua to Amenal passes through beautiful forests and more quiet villages. You will also be able to see the famous statue of Santiago in the Chapel of St. Irene.
At each overnight stop there are quaint bed and breakfasts to stop at, and many lovely little local restaurants and eateries, so you can not only experience the stunning surroundings, but also get a taste of Northern Spain as well. If you want to split up any of the journeys, so you can take in a little more and ease the day’s hiking that is also possible. The pace and itinerary can be planned to how you like it
A great sense of achievement as you reach Santiago de Compostela
As you reach the final day of your pilgrimage or challenge you will feel a growing sense of achievement, and maybe even share that experience with other travellers on the route. A quick stock at Lavacolla, on the outskirts of Santiago de Compostela, where traditionally pilgrims would wash in the river to prepare for their arrival in the city. As you approach along the Monte do Gozo hill you will be able to see your final destination, the Cathedral, in the distance.
Arriving at your journey’s end in Santiago
The architecture here is incredible. You will easily find yourself captivated by the historic centre, it is no surprise that it have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You must arrive in time to participate in the Pilgrim’s Mass. Here you can also receive the ‘compostela’ certificate, and take a little time to visit the city and local area.
You may even wish to relax there for a day or two before heading home and really take in the feel of the place. A day trip to Finisterre or the Cies Islands comes highly recommended.
One thing is for certain, you will never forget the memories you have made, the friends and people met on your journey or the difference you now feel spiritually. In fact you may find yourself hooked and already planning to walk one of the other Camino de Santiago walks.
Many of us have fond memories of family holidays as children. What we tend to not remember as adults, however, is the amount of complaining and moaning that children often do on holidays. If you’ve been dreading taking the family on a trip because you’re worried how they will behave, this guide is for you. Here are five simple tips for making your next holiday with the kids as stress-free as possible.
Take Your Time
Children’s brains work very differently from our adult brains. They take in their surroundings in a different way, they interact with the world differently and, of course, they physically take longer to do many things. One of the most important pieces of advice for avoiding your kids losing patience with their situation, and you with them, is to allow them to go at their own pace. Not only will your kids enjoy things more at their own pace, you will also find it easier to keep your cool if you factor in the need for rest stops and toilet breaks into your schedule.
Plan Book Things Ahead
When you’re travelling as an adult, exploring away from the obvious paths is often one of the main attractions. However, when you’re with kids, as much as they love to explore, it can become very stressful. The problem lies in the fact that you are in unfamiliar surroundings. Even the most cool-headed of us can’t help but worry if we get lost in a strange place with our children in tow.
Instead, you should plan out what you are going to do in advance, including planning for how you will get there. Make sure to factor in plenty of time to account for unexpected stoppages. If there are events or activities that you want to attend which will have limited spaces, book these as far in advance as possible.
Invest in Apps (and a Case)
Smartphones are wonderful devices, and they can do a lot for the modern traveller. Our smartphones have GPS software to help us if we get lost, translator apps to help us communicate with others, and recipe apps tell us how to make the most of local ingredients. On top of all this, however, your smartphone also has another very important hidden function; it is perfect for keeping young minds occupied.
When children act out on holiday, it is very often in response to them becoming bored. If you can keep them entertained and occupied as much as possible, they will have no reason to throw tantrums or to become upset. However, children, especially younger children, can easily become frustrated at their games. Make sure that your phone has a case capable of protecting it when it’s dropped or thrown.
Stay in a Villa
Choosing the right accommodation when you travel with children is one of the hardest decisions that you have to make. A hotel room will be quite crowded with more than a few people, and not every child and their siblings will be able to stay in another room together. Villas are a fantastic choice when you are travelling with family. They offer you the kind of space that a whole house does (often more), but you are paying considerably less for every metre than you would at a hotel.
Another serious advantage of staying in a villa is that they allow you to stay near to the places and attractions that you want to see, while themselves being located in relatively rural areas. The result is that you get the benefits of being away from civilisation, and often other tourists, while also having fully furnished accommodation, with all the amenities you’re used to at home.
A Santorini Greece Villa from bluevillas.com is the perfect example of why villas are such a great option for many areas. If you look at the map on their website showing the distribution of villas, you can see that there are villas available within an easy travelling difference of all of Santorini’s major population centres. Blue Villas offer villas around the world. They are a company with a solid reputation and an extensive history. Many people still view villas as prohibitively expensive. They are in fact becoming more affordable all the time!
Prepare for All Climates
If there’s one thing that children are not renowned for, it is their foresight. In fact, by some people’s reckoning, children are downright awful at making predictions about the future. Which is to say, if it isn’t raining when they wake up, most children won’t take it upon themselves to bring their raincoat. In order to avoid any fuss or any attempts at turning the car around, make sure that you pack clothing and gear suitable for any kind of climate you are likely to encounter.
Holidaying with kids can be tricky. However, by taking a few simple steps yourself, and doing everything you can to make sure that they keep themselves amused and entertained, you can enjoy your holiday with children who behave like angels.
With spring break currently in full force and summer just around the corner, you and your family may be using the free time to plan for a big vacation during the extended summer holidays.
If going to Disneyland or another theme park sounds too typical or superficial, then you can look at the options for short-term educational tours.
Centered around the concept of offering a diverse range of educational fun for the whole family, these tours can prove to be the perfect mix of knowledge and joy for all ages.
To help you form an informed opinion about taking an education tour, here are a few reasons why such a tour could be a fun, enthralling and unique travelling experience for your family.
It Can Provide Firsthand Experiences
Developed with the very thought of teaching through different aspects, an educational tour lets you and your family learn new things during your travels.
You are no longer limited to using your imagination to interpret someone else’s words or using your vision to appreciate a picture on your screen. Instead of only reading about faraway places and their various traits, you can actually experience them firsthand by living through them together with your family. This allows you to use all of your senses to experience things as they are in real life.
This lets you and your family have a greater understanding of what it actually feels like to be in a place instead of just reading about it. That by itself enables all of you to use that experience in a variety of aspects such as work, school and personal life.
It Lets You Appreciate What is There in the World
Whether you are learning about the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu or getting Spanish lessons from locals in Ecuador, an educational tour can introduce you to newfound appreciation and understanding of different cultures and places.
This makes sure that you are no longer limited to filtered sources of information. You can learn the basics of several languages, study the topics of various cultures, and absorb the knowledge of how life is in different places of the world.
It lets you and your family develop empathy for the planet and its inhabitants, and that allows you to make better decisions in your everyday lives.
It Makes You More Confident
Traveling to different places and learning about the life there doesn’t only educate you from a perspective of knowledge, but it also helps you grow from a personal aspect.
Since you and your family members are able to learn through different experiences of various people and explore sights that you have never traveled before, all of you get to grow more confident, perceptive and knowledgeable from the experience.
As such, you are ready to take on any challenges that life throws your way. The older people in your family could learn to apply these skills at their workplace, while younger members could use this assertiveness during their school and college with ease. All in all, it helps you boost your performance, and lets you apply your newly gained education in various aspects of life.
Sat in the Mediterranean Sea, one of the Balearic Islands, Ibiza is an absolute jewel of a location. Visitors to the island talk of the amazing experiences they had there and there is a vibe like nowhere else on earth.
This is why Ibiza is one of the best locations to arrange an event. Whether is a private party for friends and family, a stunning White Isle wedding for a hundred of your favorite people, or even a full blown professional event for one thousands with the best entertainment money can buy, Ibiza is the best place to host a party of any size. It will certainly be a party no one will forget.
Don’t think of Ibiza just as the party capital of the world. The island has many facets as a destination and is great for chilling out or doing business too. Here are some of the top reasons why you should make your next big event happen in Ibiza.
- You can’t beat the weather
As one of the Balearic islands, set in the Mediterranean Sea, you would expect the weather to be amazing, and it is.
Ibiza sees over 300 days of sunshine each year, for 10 hours a day. Not only that the temperature sits at over 20°C (68°F) for 8 months of the year, and in the summer months it will go over 30°C (86°F). Of course being an island, the hottest days are tempered by cooling sea breezes.
This is perfect for any event, especially if you are looking to host your event outdoors you will almost certainly be guaranteed the clear weather. Of course the added benefit is that between planning and organising you can always head to the beach yourself and work on your tan.
2. There are some amazing locations not found anywhere else in the world
The coastline of Ibiza is around 210 kilometres, with 57 different beaches. For a beach party or at least a party overlooking the sea (and that world famous Ibiza sunset) there are plenty of options.
If you really want to wow your guests, there is so much choice of upmarket venues too, from luxurious beach clubs, private villas and restaurants. The hardest part will be choosing between them!
Don’t forget, there are even some more unusual venues, like the caves cut into the coastline, and you can even head inland too. There are some stunning places available in the centre of the island that are accessible from all the different coastal towns and villages.
3. Ibiza knows how to organise a party
Ibiza has been the party capital of the world for almost 40 years. And with that comes experience and the knowledge on how to make an event a success. Any self respecting Ibiza party planner will have a phone book full of the best local and international contacts for everything from event logistics and booking performers to creative marketing.
If you are new to event planning in Ibiza, this experience is worth its weight in gold so don’t overlook it if you want peace of mind and a successful evening you can actually enjoy.
4. Did someone say ‘boat party’ ?
If you really want to throw the party of the year for you and a few (hundred?) friends – then look no further than a boat party.
Being an island with unbelievable crystal blue waters and plenty of boat hire options, it is easier than you might think to throw a party on a boat. It will be pretty special and certainly not a party that will be forgotten in a hurry.
5. The food is fantastic and the chefs are genius
One of the other great benefits of being on an island, is access to the freshest and greatest variety of seafood you could possibly hope for. And the way it is cooked, from traditional local dishes to the more well known is so fresh and tasty your guests will be amazed.
And there is no shortage of talents chefs to help prepare the catering for your party – whether for 10 people or 200. Do not panic if seafood is not the best option for your guests, there is every type of cuisine available here is you want it.
6. Arrive for the event, stay for the holiday
By hosting an event in Ibiza, the people you invite not only get to attend a great night’s entertainment, they can stay on in one of the many luxury hotels and enjoy some true rest and relaxation by the pool and on the beach. Or you can even arrange multiple follow up events if you want to and really maximise your networking.
Ibiza is so well known, not only for it’s amazing party scene but also for the quieter and chilled feel. So choosing the island as the place to throw a party is a great idea to persuade people to come. And the island is so picturesque you can sit back and enjoy all the free publicity on social media!
7. Travel links and accommodation on Ibiza is great
With so many visitors flooding the island every year, Ibiza is completely geared up for transport and logistics. Ibiza is surprisingly large to get around, but because there are plenty of transport options, from taxi to car hire, getting about (and getting supplies delivered for your event!) is somewhat easier than you might expect given that most visitors and supplies often have to come from the mainland.
Accomodation wise, there is something available for every taste and budget. From quiet inland villas to great exclusives hotel, right down to budget options there is a lot to choose from across the island.
Of course choosing a location for an event that is accessible is important, but people will travel across the island to go to a good event, and they have the means to do so. Added to this, the international airport on Ibiza caters for thousands of visitors every week.
