Travel blog
Among all the tourist attractions of Austria, a unique town whose beauty is incomparable stands out, we refer to the town of Hallstatt, surrounded on one side by beautiful mountains of incomparable size and on the other side by a large lake of crystalline water. …
The most beautiful natural landscape in the interior of Croatia, the Plitvice Lakes National Park (in Croatian: Nacionalni Park Plitvička jezera), is well worth a visit during our stay in Dubrovnik. It is not a nearby excursion, since it is more than 400 kilometers away, …
The Amalfi or Amalfi coast, with its natural and architectural landscape of great beauty, has attracted poets, artists and travelers from all over the world.
In fact, it has been a place of exchange between the Islamic world and the West, rich in contrasts, the Mediterranean sun and steep cliffs, lush vegetation and caves in the sea.
It is located in the Tyrrhenian Sea, exactly in the Gulf of Salerno, in the Campania region.
Surrounded still today by an aura of mystery linked to the ancient local culture, the Amalfi Coast has been considered a Natural Heritage by UNESCO since 1997.
The cataloging of universal heritage rewards the beauty of the coast, but also the architecture of cities such as Amalfi and Ravello.
The balance with nature is remarkable, and the respect of the cultivation areas, from the vineyards and terraced gardens on the low slopes, to the grazing lands in the highlands.
It makes the Amalfi Coast live up to other natural areas recognized as Tuscany.
The foundation of the Amalfi Republic, one of the Italian seafaring republics that dominated the Mediterranean around the 12th century, gave Amalfi the historic capital of the republic.
The Amalfi Coast has been a tourist destination since Roman times. The international jet set together with numerous artists and public personalities has historically chosen the Amalfi coast.
Giovanni Boccaccio (citing the coast in his summit work the Decameron)
Richard Wagner (who was inspired by Ravello to create the Parsifal scenery)
The actress Greta Garbo or John Steinbeck (who in 1953 wrote Positano)
Roberto Rossellini, one of the most representative Italian directors of neorealism, directed Paisà or Viaggio in Italy (Travel in Italy) with Ingrid Bergman.
You have to take advantage of spring temperatures to escape to one of the most beautiful areas of the Mediterranean.
Amalfi Harbor
It houses an imposing 10th-century cathedral and its streets are full of entertainment with many restaurants and shops
Villa Ruffolo
Built in the 18th century, it has been the residence of nobles and kings. It is essential visit in Ravello.
Ravello
It is one of the jewels of the route along the Amalfi Coast because of its privileged location and the beauty of its center and surrounding villas.
Positano
Its painted terracotta, pink and peach houses contrast with the brightness of the Cathedral’s majolica tiles.
Salerno
Sixty kilometers separate it from Naples. It is the largest population in the area and is located in the south of the Amalfi coast.
Vietri sul Mare
This population is closely linked to the manufacture of the tiles that decorate many of the domes of the churches in the area.
Minori
Next to the nearby Cetara, there are two resorts of great importance in the area. They house two churches decorated with majolica.
Smeraldo Grotto
The clear waters and the geological formations are allied in this place located very close to Amalfi.
Amalfi
The importance of this town in the Middle Ages can be seen as soon as you step on it, with its imposing 10th-century cathedral and the bell tower dating from 1200.
Furore
Boosted in the foothills of the Lattari Mountains, a small fjord at its feet forms one of the most picturesque beaches in the area.
Praiano
The white houses of this town of great canning tradition are focused on the sea. At its feet extends Marina di Praia, a fabulous beach that is reached by a steep road; The old fishermen’s houses have been refurbished and today they are bars and restaurants where the most delicious fish are served.
By Train: If you wish to reach the Amalfi Coast with trains you can take a train from the railway company “Vesuviana” that connects Naples with Sorrento in just over 1 hour.
By Bus: From Sorrento numerous and frequent buses leave to all the towns of the Peninsula and the Amalfi Coast.
Ferries: There are ferries that connect Sorrento with many other nearby towns such as Naples, Amalfi or Positano. The frequency of these ferries is low, maybe a couple a day, at defined but variable schedules.
By Car: Although you can get here by car, sometimes it is not a good option, as it is a very trafficked area, the roads are narrow, many queues are caused and places where parking in the villages are scarce and expensive.
Have it only as an alternative if you are going to spend many days here.
Nature is capricious and sometimes gives us the possibility of contemplating surprising places that we could not even imagine in dreams. Another wonderful place in Turkey, as well as the Pamukkale, the cotton castle, is one of those places that are not forgotten. Do not …
Hagia Sophia was an old Orthodox basilica that was later converted into a mosque, although today, since 1935, it is a museum in the city of Istanbul. Its history also tells us the history of the city, and its architecture borders on the impossible. Brief …
Machu Picchu is one of the 7 wonders of the world most visited by tourists. It was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and is on the Unesco World Heritage List since 1983.
It has beautiful stone-based constructions, which were carved with great precision and detail, it is the most important work for the Incas for having been built on a rugged and inaccessible mountain.
Divided into two large sectors, urban and agricultural separated by a large wall that descends the hillside until it reaches the banks of the Vilcanota river.
There are few places that offer you the magic and the special connection with the environment. With the first step in Machu Picchu, you will know that it is a wonder of wonders.
One more reason to realize how impressive the Incas were at the time of making their constructions. Nature and history together to dazzle us.
Because of its location, it was a place that was kept hidden from the sight of the Spaniards, so it is an intact wonder until Hiram Bingham decided to tell the world that here in Cusco, there was paradise.
The first thing that has to be done is to arrive to the city of Cusco by any of the known modalities (see how to get to Cusco). Once there you can choose between one of the following options:
Inca Trail
Recommended for those, who want a little more adventure, has its start at KM 82 of the railway that goes from Cusco to Machu Picchu, this tour has a duration of 4 days and 3 nights, time in which one can travel the Ancient and enigmatic stone path or Inca trail.
Access to the Inca Trail is done in groups of no less than 10 people and accompanied by qualified guides who will help you in any event that may arise.
There is also another shorter route with a duration of 2 days and 1 night, which starts at Km 104.
Via train
Other options to get to Machu Picchu is using the railway tracks.
For which, one must first acquire the train ticket one month in advance to secure the space, you can book it at the San Pedro train station or at the Poroy train station itself.
The trip takes approximately 4 hours, to the town of Aguas Calientes or Machu Picchu town.
The craft market of Machu Picchu is one of the most important and beautiful in Peru for producing decorative, luxury and utilitarian items of very high quality.
In creativity, design and presentation they have an expression of Inca, colonial and contemporary art, the exhibition-sale being surprising.
A good alternative is to spend the night in Ollantaytambo instead of in Aguas Calientes. Many visitors arrive in Peru with the dream of going to Cusco and visiting Machu Picchu.
Many wish to return the next day because the time is short to visit the entire citadel of Machu Picchu and sunrise is recommended in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu town) and in the morning go up to the tourist complex of Machu Picchu, there are hotels for different types Budget
Machu Picchu has hotels of different categories, 1 to 5 stars, all provide quality services that will help make your stay as pleasant as possible.
The archaeological zone is located on the left bank of the Vilcanota river, in the Kusi Chaka gorge, to the mouth of the Aobamba river.
In the district of Machu Picchu, province of Urubamba, department of northwest Cusco at 112.5 km. northeast of the city of Cusco in Peru.
The Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu is located in a humid subtropical area where vegetation predominates and where there is rainfall for much of the year.
The entrance time to the citadel of Machu Picchu is from 06:00 to 16:00 hours, the departure time is until 17:00 hours with a capacity of 2500 visitors per day.
San Cristóbal is the capital of the Galapagos Islands. Next to Santa Cruz Island, it is the most visited since most commercial flights from the mainland land at its airport. It is not the largest (that is Isabela) nor the most populated (which is Santa …
Chefchaouen is located in the northwestern part of the country of Morocco. Its whitewashed streets of blue and white irregular layout invite you to discover each of its corners. To reach the town of Chefchaouen is to know another of the essential places that the …
The city of Ephesus is one of the 12 Ionian cities located in the Aegean Sea, and in the helena era it became an important commercial, cultural and cult center although it was with the romans when he lived his time of maximum splendor.
Proof of this is the Temple of Artemis, goddess of fertility and hunting, which was one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World although today only a few stones remain.
For Christians it also has its importance as it houses the House in which the Virgin Mary lived her last years taken care of by Saint John the Evangelist and because she was visited several times by Saint Paul. Today, Ephesus is the best preserved city in Ancient Asia Minor, an authentic open-air museum, essential on a route through Turkey.
Selcuk, in the province of Izmir, has become an important tourist center thanks to its proximity (less than 3 kilometers) with Ephesus. It also has some of its own attractions such as the aforementioned House of the Virgin Mary, the Museum of Ephesus, the 11th century Basilica of St. John the Evangelist or the Mosque of Isa Bey. It is also worth walking through its souk and taking the pulse of the local population.
¿How to get?
The closest airport to Ephesus is Izmir International Airport, Adnan Menderes Airport, is about 65 kilometers from Selcuk (about 45 minutes by car) and connects it with the main tourist spots in the country. More practical is the bus station, we make all the trips within the country by bus. We arrive at Selcuk from Pamukkale (about 4 hours to travel a little less than 200 kilometers) and leave for Istanbul on another night bus.
¿Where to sleep?
In Selcuk there is a wide variety of accommodation for all tastes and budgets, it is located on the outskirts of the city, about 4 kilometers from the center, it has new rooms with bathrooms at a very good price but the best are its facilities with swimming pool and A chill out area. They will even pick you up at the station.
How to visit its ruins
As we have already mentioned, the ruins of Ephesus are about 3 kilometers from Selcuk, if we stay there it is enough to take a taxi to get closer to them, but in our case we walk from the hotel, but not before getting lost on a couple of occasions , and although it took us a little longer than expected, this helped us avoid tourist buses and be able to enjoy the visit practically alone.
Ephesus rose between the Bulbul and Panayir mountains, the first excavations date from the 19th century and were carried out by English archaeologists.
The ruins that we can visit today are incredibly preserved and can be accessed through two doors, the main one, closest to the Theater and the secondary, which we access and the one we recommend since we will see the most points in the end Featured The visit can last about 2-3 hours if we walk in peace.
We continue the visit through the gate of Hercules and the Trajana fountain, dedicated to the Emperor. It is worth leaving the main road and approaching the terraced houses or terraces, to enjoy the mosaics, frescoes and latrine areas.
Back on the main road we begin to walk along the Via de los Curetos, one of the most prominent points of Ephesus, it is a Roman road, flanked on both sides by dozens of columns and where you can see the old sewer and the remains of public toilets.
Finally, the most important building in Ephesus, The Library of Celsus
It was built in honor of Tiberio Julio Celso Polemeano, to be used as well as a library as a monumental tomb. Inside, up to 12,000 manuscripts were saved.
It has two floors of Corinthian-style columns, and was chaired by four statues representing wisdom, knowledge, intelligence and virtue.
The reading room was built in such a way that it seemed larger and oriented east to take advantage of the maximum hours of sunlight.
No doubt his image is something we will not forget about our trip through Turkey
In all itineraries through Peru Ica appears, not so much the city, as the desert and oasis of Huacachina that are located a few kilometers away. It is a place, no doubt, curious, unique, spectacular. Everything about the desert and oasis of Huacachina We arrive …