Mes: febrero 2020

Hoi An and its beautiful Old Town, one of the jewels of Vietnam

Hoi An and its beautiful Old Town, one of the jewels of Vietnam

The center of Vietnam has one of the jewels of the country and of all of Southeast Asia: Hoi An. An ancient village with more than 2000 thousand years of history through which the Kingdom of Cham, great enemy of the Empire of Angkor Wat, 

Chester, the walled and magical english city, England

Chester, the walled and magical english city, England

There are cities that when you visit, you fall in love because they have something magical in the environment, a special aura that makes them unique and unforgettable. And the historic Chester is one of them. Perhaps because it seems that it is anchored in 

Taxco de Alarcón, charming magical town in Guerrero, Mexico

Taxco de Alarcón, charming magical town in Guerrero, Mexico

The Magic Town of Taxco de Alarcón, known as the Theater City, in recognition of the dramatist Juan Ruiz de Alarcón, annually celebrates the Alarconian Days and turns the city into a space for performing arts.

Your visitors can find countless sites that transport them to the past. Winding cobbled streets and alleys guide your steps to ancient temples framed with parks, squares and picturesque mansions.

Santa Prisca

It is undoubtedly the heart of this city, its talavera dome and its two pink quarry towers built in a mixture of Mexican Churrigueresque and Baroque architectural styles, they are the classic postcard of this Guerrero destination, a construction full of mysteries and legends …

Monumental statue of Christ

It is another iconic element in the taxqueño landscape, in the Atachi Hill is a beautiful viewpoint from where you can see the entire silver city; This statue is twenty meters high and was built with 52 pieces of pink quarry.

Holy Week in Taxco

It is one of the most recognized pagan-liturgical celebrations in Mexico, during these days you can see vivid and impressive processions in the streets.

The National Silver Fair takes place in the month of November and is a celebration of Taxco’s silver tradition, where artisans and jewelers participate in the National Silverware Contest; a week of cultural, artistic and entertainment events.

This magical town saw the birth of the cuetlaxóchitl flower that was later recognized as “Christmas Eve flower”, a symbol of Christmas worldwide.

This crop receives its tribute in December during the Cuetlaxóchitl Fair with botany, gastronomy and art events.

Characteristics:

It is part of the Magic Towns program since 2002.

Since 2012 Taxco joins the “Ciudad Luz” circuit, being number 61 in the world for the design of the urban lighting of its historical monuments, including the majestic Parish of Santa Prisca.

Since 2013, two Taxco hotels have the distinctive “Treasures of Mexico” that places them on a competitive level in the luxury segment.

In pre-Hispanic times there existed to the south of the current town of Taxco an indigenous settlement founded by Tlahuicas with the name of Tachco, whose meaning in Nahuatl is «place of the ball game».

Taxco’s silverware draws on ancient resources linked to the art and culture of Mexico. His designs are inspired by colonial baroque and art nouveau.

Attractive

Parish of Santa Prisca and San Sebastián
Borda House
Chapel of the Holy Trinity
Former Convent of San Bernardino de Siena
House of Tears Museum
Tianguis silver
Museum of Viceroyalty Art, Humboldt House
Sanctuary of the Lord of the Holy Veracruz
Cacahuamilpa Grottoes
Blue pools of Atzala
Ixcateopan de Cuauhtémoc
Cacalotenango Waterfall
Nayaá House

Holidays:

San Antonio Abad Day is celebrated in January when the blessing of animals takes place in the parish atrium and a great fair with music and fireworks is held.

«Alarconian Days» is always held in the month of May, with parties and cultural events.

Jumil Day: It is celebrated on November 1 with a gastronomic fair on the hill of Huizteco and the dishes that can be prepared with this insect are exhibited.

National Silver Fair: It is held at the end of November and beginning of December with presentations of artisanal and cultural events.

Location:

From Cuernavaca it is possible to reach Taxco through federal highway number 95, at a distance of 106 km. Federal highway number 95 communicates with Iguala and Chilpancingo at 33 and 138 km respectively; as well as with Acapulco 275 km by the same route.

Bárcena Mayor. A town of legends, the oldest in Cantabria

Bárcena Mayor. A town of legends, the oldest in Cantabria

From Bárcena Mayor, we can only say that it is one of those magical and surprising places, since being in one of the most inaccessible valleys of the Cantabrian Mountains, it is considered one of the oldest in Cantabria and even in Spain. This medieval 

San Gimignano, the village of medieval towers in Tuscany, Italy

San Gimignano, the village of medieval towers in Tuscany, Italy

San Gimignano is a medieval town located in the hills of the region of Tuscany. This place, also called «The City of a Thousand Towers» is just 60 km from Florence. That’s why if you are in the Florentine capital and want to know this 

The exuberant magic of Marrakech,city of a thousand colors

The exuberant magic of Marrakech,city of a thousand colors

A trip to Marrakech is always a success. At first glance Marrakech manages to blend in with the desert sands thanks to the reddish ocher of its buildings and walls. Although it is known as the Red City, the truth is that Marrakech is the city of a thousand colors.

Unlike Chefchaouen which is located in the northwestern part of the country of Morocco. It is known for the spectacular blue buildings of different shades of its old town, as well as for its cobbled and sloping alleyways, full of looms and leather goods.

However, the nuances soon arise, as the city rises before a great palm oasis, a green spot in the middle of the aridity, and is framed between the high peaks of the Atlas, which peaks its snowy peaks through the streets of the city.

Marrakech was founded in 1062 as an Almoravid settlement and transformed into an imperial city of the Almohads who made it its capital, embellishing it in 1157 with the Kutubia mosque, one of the most beautiful monuments of the Maghreb.

Before visiting this artistic jewel, it is convenient to discover the soul of the city: the Djemaa el Fna square. «Better than Arzak and the Roca brothers, come, come and try …»

A square with its own life

Heart throbbing in the city, this square stopped in time has two faces. From sunrise to sunset it is the scenario that all kinds of artists and lifeguards share.

The first to take place are the women who tattoo with henna or henna, which are followed by snake charmers, salt-bankers, swallowers, water heaters, corkscrews, chiropractors.

In the late afternoon, smoke from the stove and the smell of spices announce the arrival of food stalls at Djemaa el Fna, where whole families and tourists share a table and conversation.

Towards the Old Core

Strolling aimlessly through the medina you will arrive safely at the Kutubia mosque, oriented by its slender minaret that would inspire that of the Giralda in Seville and is visible from many places, thanks to an old ordinance still in force, which prohibits others Old town buildings exceed palm trees in height.

The Kutubia is the brightest heritage of the Almohad period and a beautiful corner, since the surrounding gardens, with orange trees and ponds, are ideal for taking a break from the hustle and bustle of Djemaa el Fna and the transfer of the souks.

Before leaving the old center of Marrakech it will also be worth visiting the Dar Si Saïd Museum, with luxuriously decorated rooms where handicrafts from southern Morocco are exhibited, and especially the Madrasa of Ben Youssef.

We travel this frantic city from the Djemaa El Fna square to the most important monuments and souks of one of the most visited cities in Morocco.

Djemaa El Fna Square

From the terraces of the cafes that surround it you get a wide view of the throbbing center of Marrakech. From the sunrise to the door of the sun is the scenario that all kinds of artists, hustlers, tourists and locals share.

La Menara

Outside the Medina is the imperial garden, a park erected in the twelfth century for the enjoyment of the sultans, converted today into a peaceful garden. Walled, with olive trees and fruit trees, it has a pavilion of the s. XIX. In the background, the tops of the Atlas.

Sahara Desert

To the southeast of Marrakech lies the immense Sahara, with its orange dunes, dotted by oases and some fortified enclosure (ksar). Touring the desert is an unforgettable experience that allows you to know the way of life of the Bedouins.

Zocos neighborhood

This labyrinth of merchandise, organized by guilds (wrought iron, wickerwork, furs, leather goods, textiles), is accessed from Djemaa Square by Samarine Street. The most advisable thing is to get carried away by the inertia of its streets, talk with the vendors and taste and smell the delights of its stores.

Madrasa Ben Youssef

The visit to this Koranic school, one of the largest in the Maghreb, shows the delicacy of Islamic art, founded in the fourteenth century, which has been restored and today sports its marble floors, zellij tiles, plaster stucco and magnificent works in wood.

Ouarzazate

With its magnificent natural scenery and cinema, it is the starting point of the best routes through the Great Atlas, the last stop before the dunes and the fertile oases that dot the Sahara for those who want to enter the desert.