Canary Islands are not only the sea, beaches and cocktails. They are also the charred history of this part of the earth, the fire-breathing vents and salt mines. Especially hot temper among the rest of the islands, the land of Lanzarote is famous. Earlier on this land, volcanic eruptions occurred with an enviable regularity. Now, here tourists go to see the power of fire and magma and even look into the "underworld".
In Timanfaya weaklings do not go. Although this park of volcanic activity placed on the island Lanzarote, has long been trampled on by the boots of thousands of inquisitive, it is still capable of causing a mystical fear in those who ventured to come here. Black sand, the open craters of volcanoes, the muzzle of fire, the rocks warm to the touch, stones from bright yellow to purple. Everything creates sensations of a different reality. The last time when local mountains erupted lava was in the eighteenth century. At the same time, about thirty craters awoke. This eruption lasted six years. Lava and ash then covered one third of the island. Since then, most of the inhabitants of the island moved to the neighboring Gran Canaria, and part of Lanzarote is recognized as a biosphere reserve, its flora and fauna are protected by UNESCO.Photo pureluxuryvillaslanzarote.com
The horror experienced by eyewitnesses of the fiery performance is known from the records of a certain priest who refused to leave the troubled land even during an intense eruption. He carefully recorded what was happening around. Among his records there are testimonies of how the earth was splitting and mountains were rising on an equal place, as lava was burying villages and towns and about how with a terrible crash, hissing and sparks the hot interior of the earth met with a raging ocean. The chronicle tells that the inhabitants of the village Tinajo, among the raging elements, conducted a religious procession, installed a cross on the path of the lava, and that miraculously stopped short of reaching it. Then the grateful villagers erected a chapel in honor of their new patron Virgin Virgen de los Volcanes.Photo simple.wikipedia.org
Since then, the volcanoes are asleep. And the dug-out land of Timanfaya became the visiting card of the island and a bait for scientific and idle expeditions. Wander for fun between frozen lava will not work. For travelers there are certain routes with a park with signs. You can cross the route on foot, by bus and by camel. In any case, all roads lead to one of the lively attractions - a restaurant with the loud name "Devil". Acuity in the senses is added by the fact that it is built over the hottest volcano on the island, and all the food in it is cooked on natural geothermal heat that breaks out from under the ground. In a vertical brazier fry meat and caught fish off the coast of the island. Near him for the tourists are satisfied with the performances. The visitors are pushed to the cleft in the ground. After it is stuffed with straw, it flashes, after which the fire is extinguished with cold water. Everything is very similar to the current geyser. Tourists are delighted and try to evade the hot spray. All this is done with one purpose - to demonstrate that the volcanoes of the park of Timanfai are not asleep at all and already at a depth of fifteen meters the real "passions" boil with a temperature of six hundred degrees Celsius.Photo nl.m.wikipedia.org
The rules for visiting the park are strict enough. This is connected both with the unique ecosystem and with the safety of tourists. Away from the verified trails are quite sharp stones, the fall on which does not bode well. The most problematic is to make a walk on it. Not only is it possible to move among frozen lava along a strictly designated route, not everyone can get to it. First you should get a written permission from the park rangers for this. To do this, you need to find the site of the Timanfaya Park and fill out a questionnaire. The queue of those wishing to walk on foot is so great that it is advised to sign up for a tour in a few months. Before the beginning of the excursion it is necessary to arrive in advance. Then form two pedestrian groups - Hispanic and for those who speak English. Conductors are professional geologists. Each group consists of only ten people. One who does not have time, goes to the bus and looks at the frozen beauty through the glass. In addition, each of the visitors should have high shoes, a hat, sunscreen and a bottle of water. In bad weather conditions, a three-hour excursion is canceled. Children under sixteen do not take such a walk. Photo planettraveller.blog
However, the island Lanzarote is capable of capturing not only its fire-breathing park. Due to volcanic activity, caves were formed here, which are still being investigated by scientists. There is also a fortress on the island, which once served as a defense pad for pirates and a castle. In it from time to time the work of famous artists are exhibited. For connoisseurs of flora, there is a park of cacti. There are many beaches on the island. However, some of them are quite windy.
Kyrgyzstan is called Middle Asian Switzerland. Mountains, rivers, waterfalls, caves, cols and green meadows aren’t a speck inferior in terms of aesthetics to European ones yet travelers haven't duly appreciated this country so far. Across-the-board exploration of the land by the state’s guests has only just begun. And alongside hotels that are being swiftly erected, ordinary yurts are still offered for residence to feel local natural.
To build a settlement on flatland - is this such a hard trick to pull off? A completely different story is when land is self-willed and rock-ribbed both directly and metaphorically speaking. People have been trying to master land and have own say in in-rock urban development for centuries. But only those who succeded in finding common ground with Earth managed to create true novels in stone.
When I, as a little girl, for the first time passed my hand over trimmed bush, my palm got scratched with sharp edges of twigs and lasting arborvitae fragrance hit my nose. Mesmerized, I was not able to take my eyes away from the cones, balls and squares that surrounded me in the park of a small resort town. I felt like being inside a fairy tale, where behind the leaves I could notice a smile of the Cheshire Cat.
The Times newspaper edition recognized Ålesund as the most beautiful town in Norway. It is not without reason: wayward sea, mesmerizing northern nature, famous fjords, fabulous multi-coloured houses in the Art Nouveau style and the legendary Trolls' Path, beckon those wishing to see the stunning wild landscapes.
Lighthouse - this word evokes beautiful associations: sea adventures, storms, huge ships. And we do not want to dispel these thoughts, but rather to add fuel to the fire. There is a great amount of them in the world, they are striking by their beauty and inimitable. Today we are sharing with you the quintet of amazing lighthouses!
Each of us wants to escape rush of a city from time to time and lie low somewhere far from everything and anything. And it better be a place where one can listen to whisper of waves, feel light breeze and forever make friends with inimitably loud silence that muffles every disturbing thought…
As a child I could spend hours gazing at the sky and spying majestic flocks of birds winging their way south. For a kid this movement was a real magic. Today my bookshelf hosts almost no books about magic, though I am still excited about feathered tribes travelling in hope to land on their winter grounds.
Ice and snow has long been used by artists to create different figures and objects, and only 1960, this age-old skill became a new trend of a land art! The largest number of winter artworks is created during special festivals about which we will tell our readers.
The cold season brings not only such important things as wrapping into a reindeer sweater, drinking hot chocolate and once again reviewing Christmas comedies. Thus, sport has not been canceled yet, so OUTLLOK compiled top five ski resort bucket list for you to cheer up and get out of your winter sleep.
We are continuing our narration about the most breath-taking national reservations in Africa! There are five more primordial world areas where time hardly slowed down its running being afraid of worrying the natural harmony…
Icy island of Greenland was first discovered by the Norwegian Vikings. This fact is surprising since this nomadic tribe had enough courage to penetrate into the harsh Arctic climate. We will not delve into searching for reasons which led warlike people to edge of the earth, but supply the modern traveller with the list of core Arctic attractions with a unique Greenlandic touch.
Insanely beautiful, raw and refined Africa is exactly the place where one should plunge into a whirlpool of wild nature, taking over an unusual role of a guest in the abode of animals, not vice versa... Here you can free your mind from all artificial and imaginary stuff, feeling like a tiny speck in the vast and exciting world...
Nature and heritage are above and beyond temporary drawbacks in infrastructure and services of Kyrgyzstan, which in terms of tourism is approaching to Georgia and Armenia. Let's consider this through the example of the cosy city of Karakol.
A thing that for tourists is a reason to click photo cameras in amazement, for local citizens is a source for constant concern and even grave danger. A chain of fire-breathing volcanoes, banded with salt lakes and thermal geysers, is believed to be one of the most astonishing spots on the planet. But one thing is to have a look and leave and completely another – to constantly ‘sit on a powderkeg’.
When, if not now to conquer summits, overcome seas and climb on the rocks? People often make great efforts to enjoy the comfort through the whole lifetime. But sometimes our soul needs some romance, so OUTLOOK presents seven unique canyons.
It has been known since olden times that wine-making process is a true art that is within the power only of the ones sincerely in love with their trade. Let alone beauty of masterpieces created by skillful hands – grape gardens, scattered in various nooks of the world, that impress with grandeur and adorn this planet, ornamenting it with bright juicy colors.
At the bare mention of the word lake, our imagination pictures soothing, nostalgia-laden images of quite pond cosily embraced by the grassy hills. OUTLOOK prepared a selection of the most spectacular lakes, which will change your understanding of this work of nature. Each of them has something to surprise, whether it is unusual water shade, or frightening ability to petrify living creatures.
Ordering coffee, we usually refer to it just as Americano, Espresso or Latte... However, good coffee shops that offer really high-quality coffee, would ask you to specify a type of coffee beans and the country of origin. And at this point many visitors usually feel at deadlock.
Facet of Botswana diamonds shine brightly. But aside from gemstones every woman in the world dreams about, there are many other treasures in this African nook. Today let us have a look at this country for ourselves...
After the legendary Frenchman Jacques-Yves Cousteau and his colleagues invented and perfected self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, scuba diving firmly entered the list of the most popular, but unfortunately, unsafe hobbies. OUTLOOK warns and talks about the most extreme places to do scuba diving.