18 | SPRING HAS SPRUNG Conitnued from page 17... vineyards,


Val d’Orcia Cypresses,


www.nitravelnews.com natural thermal


baths and timeless villages. In the province of Siena, since 2004 the Val d’Orcia has been


among the Italian beauties listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The landscape, much loved and painted by Renaissance artists and painters of the Sienese School, is characterised by its hills and lush vegetations, surrounding farms and medieval villages. These include Montepulciano,


Montalcino, Pienza and


San Quirico d’Orcia. For picture-perfect views, stop by the Chapel of the Madonna di Vitaleta, a small church surrounded by wheat fields and rows of cypress trees on the road from San Quirico to Pienza. Between stops, be sure to take a break at one of the many natural thermal baths in the area, from Bagni di San Filippo to San Casciano. Val d’Orcia is also renowned for its food and wine specialities. The pecorino cheese of Pienza is a must: it is said that as early as the 15th century, Lorenzo de’ Medici used to visit the area to stock up on this cheese. Meat lovers are sure to love a Chianina steak, from a breed of cattle that has roamed the area for at least two thousand years. Finally, the Val d’Orcia is home to two wines that are enjoyed around the world: Brunello di Montalcino and Nobile di Montepulciano. Palermo Sicilian capital and crossroads of cultures and traditions, Palermo will cause you to fall in love with its exhilarating colours, fragrances and flavours


Palermo is a city teeming with churches, monuments and priceless works of art,


animated by noisy working-class neighbourhoods adjoining sumptuous aristocratic buildings. Icing on the cake is the pleasant climate in all seasons, a breathtaking ocean view and a compelling culinary tradition. Matera


One of the oldest cities in the world, nature, history and culture come together in Matera A place rich in scenery, unique architectural


works, views of incomparable charm, Matera has captivated many artists, including Carlo Levi and Giovanni Pascoli, and continues to enchant with its Sassi, a World Heritage Site. Worthy of a long visit, it enraptures the heart.


SPRING INTO... The Canary Islands


THE Canary Islands are a European archipelago, located right in the Atlantic Ocean, and made up of seven islands: Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro. They are part of one of the most peculiar regions on the planet: Macaronesia. This exceptional geographic location, combined with the unbeatable climate, has given rise to striking volcanoes, ancient forests, virgin beaches, sand dunes, dizzying cliffs, natural ponds, lively seas and clear and protected


sky, making up one of the most valuable ecosystems in the world, which also contains exceptional and rich biodiversity. That is why, when you set foot in the Canary Islands, you will feel a true burst of emotions that will have an everlasting impact on you. The seven islands offer you a unique nature area with mild temperatures all year round to allow you the most intense experience ever. Lanzarote’s volcanic landscapes awaken unique sensations in us. They are inspiring, enigmatic, mysterious… They trap us in an intimate connection that is difficult to explain. They fill us with energy. Why is this? Is it because we are seeing the power of nature? Because they are taking us back to our origins?


Questions that are instinctively answered when we find ourselves in Timanfaya National Park, the island’s maximum expression of volcanism and one of the most representative in the Canary Islands Archipelago. A jagged, harsh, wild landscape where the most sepulchral silence is especially noticeable.


The


Montañas del Fuego (Mountains of Fire) can be visited on a guided bus tour, during which we are awestruck by a colourful horizon, occupied by volcanic cones, lava fields, whimsically-shaped rocks… Nature has chosen a special palette of colours for this scenery, mixing reds and oranges with ochres, greys and blacks. Very close to the entrance to the National


Park is the Echadero de los Camellos, where you can climb up onto a camel and


experience a ride around the volcanoes, feeling the breeze and hearing the crunching of fragments of lava, surrounded by a striking landscape. And that’s not all, as volcanism can be seen everywhere in Lanzarote: at the coast, in the fields, in the inland villages… However, in spite of the extreme conditions of the environment, several generations of islanders have managed to make the most of this apparently sterile land. Yes, only ‘apparently’, because this island hides many surprises under its volcanic cloak. In Lanzarote, we can also enter a fascinating underground world created by eruptions. Volcanic tunnels and caves that can be visited thanks to respectful, sustainable action. Spaces such as Los Jameos del Agua, which the amazing artist César Manrique had a hand in, and the Cueva de los Verdes are clear examples that provide us with a chance to discover some secrets from the entrails of the earth.


March/April 2023


Just like the other Canary Islands, Gran Canaria is blessed with an enviable climate, an eternal springtime that invites you to experience its rich natural and scenic diversity intensely, its lovely fishing and inland villages, its traditions, culture and history. And also the modernity of the tourist resorts and urban hubs, like Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The lively, cosmopolitan city is home to one of the most precious gems the island has to offer and that also surprises visitors. Would you like to see it for yourself? Gran Canaria adds to its incredible offer with a variety of cultural, recreational and sporting activities, as well as a wide array of accommodation, restaurants, shops and well-being centres.


An eternal springtime that invites you to experience its rich natural and scenic diversity intensely, its lovely fishing and inland villages, its traditions, culture and history.


What beach are we going to today? Without a doubt, the beaches are first on the list of attractions Gran Canaria has to offer. There are enough to suit every taste: large, lively, quiet, coves, with golden or dark sand, or volcanic rock, and… Surprise! The island is home to one of the best urban beaches in Europe.


The biggest beaches are in the south with calm waters and mostly with golden sand. Being near the main tourist areas, they are


close to all kinds of services, as well as being easy to access.


The ones in the north are quite different: small coves with dark sand or volcanic rock, more waves, and some that are difficult to reach, although there’s also the option of cooling down in one of the lovely natural pools. These are beautiful, wild beaches, capable of getting us to connect with nature in its purest form.


Gran Canaria is more than sun and beaches.


It’s also nature and beautiful agricultural landscapes, like the one that spreads across the heart of the island, presided by the Roque Nublo, a striking volcanic monolith that can be reached via a trail that is apt for almost everyone. From this natural vantage point, the views are incredible.


The crowning jewel of the grandiose cliffs in the northwest of the island, a landscape known as the ‘dragon’s tail’, is the Tamadaba Natural Park, one of the best preserved primitive Canary Island pine forests in the Canary Islands, along with the one in the Inagua Reserve, which is home to the Gran Canaria blue chaffinch, a small bird that lives exclusively on this island. These and many other attractions of great scenic value are to be found in the biosphere reserve, a large territory that occupies a significant part of the island’s surface area. The nature, the traditional work done in these areas, the accommodation and the rural tourist activities all coexist under a respectful, sustainable strategy that aims to guarantee their conservation. Natural and rural spaces, that can be visited thanks to the extensive network of trails crossing the endemic pine forests and ravines alongside large freshwater reservoirs or lava flows… Surroundings in which we also find charming villages and hamlets where we can stop and recover our strength with some of the local cuisine or simply have a chat with friendly, hospitable locals.


www.hellocanaryislands.com


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