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<channel>
	<title>Flavour of vacation &#187; century</title>
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		<title>Romeo and Juliet</title>
		<link>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/romeo-and-juliet/</link>
		<comments>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/romeo-and-juliet/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:05:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[attraction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[balcony]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[benefit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[benefit of tourism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brand]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brand name]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bronze]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bronze statue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[century]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[community trust]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[course]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[courtyard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Everyone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[experience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fast cars]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[hunting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[interesting things]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Italy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Juliet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lamborgini]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[local community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lots of fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love story]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[luck]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[name]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nothing]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[rail journeys]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[romance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[romantic stories]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Romeo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[romeo and juliet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[romeo and juliet story]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[scenery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[someone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spot]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[temptation]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[tomb]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tourism]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[tourist attraction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trust]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Verona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[verona italy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winter olympic]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.virtualtraverse.com/?p=120</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Who doesn&#8217;t know about the famous and romantic stories of Romeo and Juliet? I guess everyone knows about them and their love story. The story took place in Italy, and don&#8217;t you know that the balcony of Juliet house does exist. Its in Verona, Italy, if you do happen to be in there, there&#8217;s nothing [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/julihous.jpg"><img src="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/julihous-150x150.jpg" alt="" title="julihous" width="150" height="150" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-122" /></a>Who doesn&#8217;t know about the famous and romantic stories of Romeo and Juliet? I guess everyone knows about them and their love story. The story took place in Italy, and don&#8217;t you know that the balcony of Juliet house does exist. Its in Verona, Italy, if you do happen to be in there, there&#8217;s nothing wrong spending some time to see the living story.</p>
<p>Juliet&#8217;s house build in the 12th century. Many tourists who come to visit to simply enjoy the scenery or look at the wall of Juliet which is so phenomenal.<br />
<span id="more-120"></span><br />
There are many parts of the house that became a tourist attraction, like a balcony, a statue of Juliet, and Juliet walls of course. Inside the house, you could see the bed and her pretty dress. Replica of the tomb of Juliet&#8217;s also in here.</p>
<p>Instead of Romeo and Juliet story, Italy also about winter olympic, wine, and fast cars such as brand name ferari and lamborgini. Experience <a href="http://www.pageandmoy.co.uk/search-results/rail-journeys/europe/southern-europe/italy/" target="_blank">rail journeys in Italy</a> with lots of fun and pleasure, not to mention the food temptation in there.</p>
<p>The balcony is a fairly new part of the house because it was built in 1937 for the benefit of tourism. Not in vain, the balcony became one of the mandatory spot tourists coming. So also with you, if it comes to Juliet&#8217;s house, do not miss standing on the balcony. There, you can feel as if a Juliet who is waiting for her Romeo come.</p>
<p>Besides enjoying Juliet&#8217;s balcony, take a photo with the bronze statue of Juliet in the courtyard, too. There are interesting things from this statue, many visitors who come hunting for Juliet touches the chest. This relates to the local community trust. That said, if someone touches the chest of her will have good luck, especially for the romance.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Religious India Vacation</title>
		<link>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/religious-india-vacation/</link>
		<comments>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/religious-india-vacation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:27:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[age]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arrival]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ashoka]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[attention]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[belief]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[birth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[birthplace]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bodhgaya]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bodhi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bodhi tree]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Buddha]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[buddha gautama]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[buddhist belief]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Kushinagar]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[mahabodhi temple]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Maudgalyayana]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Nalanda]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[penance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[perfection]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[period]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pilgrimage]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[presence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rajgir]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[religious tourism]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Samath]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[state]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[tourism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tourist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tourist towns]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Tushita]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[visit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[year]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.virtualtraverse.com/?p=108</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[India save a million amazing sights. Starting from the natural attractions of the mountains and countryside, beautiful tourist towns, and no less interesting objects of religious tourism.
Religious resort town visited by many tourists, perhaps is Lumbini, birthplace of Gautama Buddha. For Buddhists, Lumbini became one of the places you should not miss during a visit [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>India save a million amazing sights. Starting from the natural attractions of the mountains and countryside, beautiful tourist towns, and no less interesting objects of religious tourism.</p>
<p>Religious resort town visited by many tourists, perhaps is Lumbini, birthplace of Gautama Buddha. For Buddhists, Lumbini became one of the places you should not miss during a visit to India. The reason, according to the historical Buddha Gautama was born into the royal family in the year 556 BC in Lumbini, Nepal near India borders.<br />
<span id="more-108"></span><br />
It is said that Gautama Buddha&#8217;s birth was followed by the emergence of signs such as growth of the tree. By King Ashoka, the ruler of the Buddhist period, established a stupa and a pillar to commemorate the Buddha Gautama. Construction of King Ashoka stupa made ​​after visiting the birthplace of Buddha&#8217;s two centuries later. Although the current state of the stupa in ruins, but did not dampen the tourists to remember.</p>
<p>Another place that is not less interesting is the Bodhgaya. That said, this is where Gautama Buddha reach perfection after doing penance under a Bodhi tree at the age of 29 years. In this city there is also the Mahabodhi Temple was built in the 3rd century by Emperor Ashoka. Others said the temple was built between the 5th century and the 7th.</p>
<p>The next place that you could spent your <a href="http://www.justyou.co.uk/" target="_blank">Holidays for singles</a> is Samath, India Ganges River valley, where the Buddha taught the faith and all aspects Budhaan. Another shrine is visited by many Shravasti. In this city the Buddha do many great miracles. Another important city Sankashaya. According to Buddhist belief, Gautama Buddha is believed descended from Tushita heaven. The city is the only Buddhist shrine that does not have a temple or monastery.</p>
<p>Nalanda also become an important pilgrimage site. Not because it is blessed with the presence of the Buddha, but because of the university&#8217;s famous monastery, Rajgir also has its own charm, the Buddha had to come and teach.</p>
<p>Important events of Buddha&#8217;s arrival to Rajgir was when the Buddha passed two of his disciples, Shariputra and Maudgalyayana. That said, Sariputra was awarded the extraordinary intelligence. While Maudgalyayana power to perform miracles. Kushinagar is also the center of attention, especially Buddhist tourists who visit India. Because, this is where Gautama Buddha reach all-contemplation.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Echoes of the Ancients</title>
		<link>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/echoes-of-the-ancients/</link>
		<comments>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/echoes-of-the-ancients/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:31:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[advance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adventure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adventure worth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aeolian islands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Agrigento]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ancient greeks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[appeal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arab architecture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[architecture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[avola]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[awe]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[beat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beauty]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[century]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Sicilian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sicilian sun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sicily]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[smoking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smudge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soccer in the streets]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[someone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[span]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.virtualtraverse.com/?p=31</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Standing in the Sicilian sun with your feet washed by the waves of the Tyrrhenian Sea, it’s easy to forget that there’s more to the tri-corner island than beauty. The beaches are magnificent—turquoise waters stretching out to the horizon, soft sand, gentle waves and some of the clearest water in the world. In the distance, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/sicily.jpg"><img src="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/sicily-150x150.jpg" alt="" title="sicily" width="150" height="150" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-33" /></a>Standing in the Sicilian sun with your feet washed by the waves of the Tyrrhenian Sea, it’s easy to forget that there’s more to the tri-corner island than beauty. The beaches are magnificent—turquoise waters stretching out to the horizon, soft sand, gentle waves and some of the clearest water in the world. In the distance, on the rockier portions of the coast, volcanic rock juts out of the sea, its dark color and jagged edge adding drama to the vista. </p>
<p>Inland, the hills rise up and greet the sun, patched with golden fields of grain, vibrant citrus orchards, and the vineyards that produce Sicily’s fragrant nero d’avola wines. The skies are blue, the weather is warm, and somewhere, a few steps down a narrow street, someone is rolling fresh pasta to tempt you back from the shore. <span id="more-31"></span></p>
<p>There’s no mistaking Sicily for part of mainland Italy. Though Sicily has been officially part of Italy for nearly 150 years, it has also been ruled in turn by Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and Normans, and the island has kept the flavors of each passing wave of conquerors. Only a few blocks beyond the monuments to Vittorio Emanuele II outside the train station in Palermo are palaces and churches with the domes, mosaics, and geometric loveliness of medieval Arab architecture. </p>
<p>Baroque details line graceful, decaying buildings that shade sprawling markets and tanned children playing soccer in the streets. Most visitors come to Sicily for the weather: the climate is warm year-round, and in the summer months the sunshine is constant and temperatures hover around 86 degrees Fahrenheit. But in Sicily, history, culture, and natural wonders are layered on so thick that the trouble is in choosing the adventure, not finding it. </p>
<p>One adventure worth having, though, is a voyage to the Aeolian Islands off the north coast. The ancient Greeks and Romans called these islands the home of the winds, and their breezes offer some relief from the constant beat of the sun. One boasts the forge of the fire god himself: Vulcano, a volcanic island reachable by ferry or hydrofoil with sulfur baths and dark umber beaches. </p>
<p>Here, the intrepid and long-winded can climb to the top of the sleeping volcano that spewed forth much of the island and peer into the crater once said to be the entrance to Hades. Though it hasn’t erupted in a century, Vulcano’s main crater is far from extinct, its peak smoking with sulfur from multiple exhaust holes and the giant divot of its mouth still muddy-looking and dangerous. </p>
<p>The rock that surrounds the crater is as brittle and sharp as ceramic. Signs warn that hikers should spend no more than a few minutes at the top, lest the fumes intoxicate or poison them. Still, with the wind blowing freely on the sweat spent making it up, the feeling and the view are well worth the scorching hour-long climb.</p>
<p>While the ancient Greeks assigned their gods’ homes on the outer islands, though, they worshiped them on Sicily itself. And after experiencing Vulcano’s primordial power, you can remind yourself of the force of human culture in the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento. Here a complex of Greek temples was hewn from the native red sandstone and erected on a ridge overlooking the countryside, with the hazy cerulean smudge of the Mediterranean visible below the swell of the fields. Modern Agrigento rises to one side, and majestic sandstone forms cascade down the slope, linked by a pale road the Romans called the Sacred Way. </p>
<p>Each temple has its own appeal. The temple to Hera offers the best view and perhaps the most picturesque profile, perched atop the high point on the temples’ ridge. The sanctuary to Concordia is nearly intact despite the twenty-odd centuries since its construction, and dark shadows hide its inner depths even at the height of the day. </p>
<p>The temple of Zeus, meanwhile, is massive and almost completely destroyed, its ruins now poetically crumbling courtyards and staircases among the aloes and olive trees. The temple of Heracles demands humility, one row of its massive columns still standing and each one three times as wide around as the arm span of the average man. Together, the complex inspires awe—after two millennia, its structures are not only standing, but ethereally beautiful and seemingly indestructible. </p>
<p>Sicily’s mysteries are too many and too varied to explore in one short trip. But like the striking beauty of the island itself and the cultural marks so many have made on it, the memory of them will surely endure.<br />
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		<title>Victoria Falls</title>
		<link>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/victoria-falls/</link>
		<comments>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/victoria-falls/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:25:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.virtualtraverse.com/?p=27</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Take the Zambezi, one of Southern Africa&#8217;s largest rivers. Let it loose across the floodplains of Angola and Zambia, tributaries swelling it until the river is as large as a racing track. Once the waterway is flowing with full force over the basalt plateau of southern Zambia, cut a 1700-meter wide gash in the valley [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/devils-pool-victoria-falls.jpg"><img src="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/devils-pool-victoria-falls-150x150.jpg" alt="" title="devils-pool-victoria-falls" width="150" height="150" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-39" /></a>Take the Zambezi, one of Southern Africa&#8217;s largest rivers. Let it loose across the floodplains of Angola and Zambia, tributaries swelling it until the river is as large as a racing track. Once the waterway is flowing with full force over the basalt plateau of southern Zambia, cut a 1700-meter wide gash in the valley and watch the entire width of the river come pouring down an 180-meter face of rock into a narrow gorge. That is Victoria Falls, one of the most monumental waterfalls in the world. </p>
<p>The falls’ indigenous name, Mosi-oa-Tunya, means “the smoke that thunders”. And indeed, it roars, it throws up spray, it crashes and it swirls – Victoria Falls is an overwhelming sight, twice the height of Niagara Falls. So spectacular, in fact, that it already was a popular tourist attraction in 1905, when the railway from then-Rhodesia to Cape Town was completed under British colonial rule. Now a World Heritage Site, Victoria Falls attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, some content to simply take in the natural wonder, others, like me, daring (or brainless) enough to bungee jump over the gorges, too. <span id="more-27"></span></p>
<p>While in Zambia on a work assignment, I took the first opportunity to escape from the dreary capital, Lusaka, and visit Victoria Falls, which are a six-hour bus ride away through flat, dry savannah. In fact, African public transportation schedules being what they are (“when it is full o&#8217;clock” is as close as it gets to a departure time), it took me and my friend Leila most of our Saturday to reach the characterless town of Livingstone, then the park.</p>
<p>We first heard the low rumble. Then we came across the life-size statue of David Livingstone, the Scottish explorer of Doctor-Livingstone-I-presume fame. As the first European to have seen the falls in the mid-19th century, he named them in honor of his monarch, Queen Victoria. A little further down the path, we caught our first glimpse of the cataracts. Stretching as far as the eye could see, curtains of furious white water tumbled down, divided by the rocks jutting from the crest of the falls. A massive cloud of spray rose from the gorge, hiding the depths of the chasm. </p>
<p>As we walked down the path that paralleled the falls and led to a narrow footbridge spanning the gorge, we noticed that all the people coming in our direction were soaked. Continuing beneath the protection of the trees, we began to feel fine drops, which, once on the bridge, turned into a literal upside-down rain, so thick was the spray. “Hence the clever stand renting out raincoats back there!” shouted Leila, as she started to run towards the other end. But the sun playing on the drizzle had created a beautiful rainbow, a sharp circle leaping over the walkway and plunging into the gorge. Later, as the sun descended over the far side of the falls, the light turned the haze into a golden cloud. </p>
<p>The next day, we made our way to the bungee jumping center on Victoria Bridge, which spans the second gorge a few hundred meters downstream, linking Zambia with Zimbabwe. As we reached the entrance, 120 meters above the rocks and rapids of the Zambezi way below, my knees went weak. How could my so-called friend have talked me into hurling myself off that bridge? </p>
<p>Feeling hollow inside, I trudged to the jumping platform, amid the traffic of indifferent African women carrying bundles on their heads. As the instructors strapped my gear on, they directed a steady stream of chatter at their (idiotically consenting) “victim”, to distract me from what was coming. I had picked the gorge swing, so I was to step off the structure, not drop headfirst. “Look straight ahead, not down, and when we count to three, just walk,” they told me. </p>
<p>One-two-three, the solid ground underfoot gone, a startled cry of surprise, a few endless, terrifying seconds of free fall, then I was swinging silently in the peaceful morning air, suspended alone above boiling green waters, far from the crowds of onlookers way above. Once I had been hoisted back onto the bridge, I felt relieved to have gone first. </p>
<p>My friend was almost in tears as the instructors gently pushed her into the void. She screamed all the way down. Bounced up. Fell again, still screaming. Later, she swore that she would “never again” perform such a jump, but it was too late &#8211; we had both earned our bragging rights in one of the world’s most amazing natural sites. </p>
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		<title>Costa del Sol</title>
		<link>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/costa-del-sol/</link>
		<comments>http://www.virtualtraverse.com/costa-del-sol/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Mar 2010 04:17:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.virtualtraverse.com/?p=21</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It isn&#8217;t very difficult to see why southern Spain&#8217;s Costa del Sol is such a hit with European holidaymakers. With its white-sand beaches and mountainside citrus groves, this stretch of Malaga coastline is a marvelous slice of pure Mediterranean, boasting an average of over 300 sunny days a year. In the past sixty years, the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/costa-del-sol.jpg"><img src="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/costa-del-sol-150x150.jpg" alt="" title="costa-del-sol" width="150" height="150" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-43" /></a>It isn&#8217;t very difficult to see why southern Spain&#8217;s Costa del Sol is such a hit with European holidaymakers. With its white-sand beaches and mountainside citrus groves, this stretch of Malaga coastline is a marvelous slice of pure Mediterranean, boasting an average of over 300 sunny days a year. In the past sixty years, the region has gone from backwater to big-time; today, the geography of the coast is a litany of high-end resort towns, like Marbella and Torre del Mar, which cater to the wealthier crowd.</p>
<p>Despite the Costa del Sol&#8217;s reputation as a seaside playground for the rich and famous, visitors willing to go beyond the beach may find themselves surprised by how much the region has to offer. They run the gamut from outdoorsy to intellectual, from windsurfing all the way to wine tasting. Malaga&#8217;s coast offers an array of adventures to suit every palate, each one flavored with the Costa del Sol&#8217;s unique Andalusia-meets-Mediterranean charm.<span id="more-21"></span></p>
<p>For history-hungry travelers, Nerja Cave, located near the town of the same name, is a good place to start. In 1959, the first cavers to access this 5 km-long system discovered skeletal remains and tools dating back to the Paleolithic era. Visitors can tour the cave&#8217;s main chamber and look at some of the excavated artifacts. In addition, the cave, which supposedly possesses excellent acoustics, occasionally hosts classical music performances, though this practice is becoming less common due to conservation concerns.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;d rather be out in the fresh air, lace up your hiking boots and head to Sierra de las Nieves national park. The park, which lies in the mountainous hinterland about 18 kilometers north of the seaside resort town of Marbella, offers hiking and biking in over 200 square kilometers of slopes and virgin pine forest. The park is also famous for its many vertical caves, a few of which plunge to depths of over 1000 meters. Due to its higher altitude, the park does sometimes experience snowfall during the winter months, so check the weather before heading out and come prepared for the cold.</p>
<p>When it comes to watersports in the Costa del Sol, windsurfing is king. Spain&#8217;s southern coast is a veritable windsurfing Mecca; on any given day, dozens of sails dot the horizons at the Costa&#8217;s major beaches as groups of surfers skim and spin their way across the water. Equipment rental shops line most beaches, and most resorts have windsurfing clubs where beginners can pick up the basics in the relatively calm waters. More experienced surfers in search of a challenge can make the hour-and-a-half trek southwest to Tarifa, where aficionados from around the globe gather to try their skills on the strong winds and currents from the Strait of Gibraltar.</p>
<p>In addition to the sights of the region itself, the Costa del Sol is also convenient to some of the Iberian Peninsula’s most famous destinations. The city of Granada is a day trip away; beach-weary travelers can take a break from the sun and explore the Alhambra, the magnificent 14th century palace that once housed Granada&#8217;s Moorish rulers. On the off chance that visitors finish their tour with any time left to spare, a stroll around the maze-like cobblestone streets and open-air spice stalls of old Granada offers enough captivating sights and sounds to keep anyone occupied for days.</p>
<p>For a slightly different excursion, Gibraltar, a British overseas territory located at the edge of the Iberian peninsula, is about an hour and ten minutes&#8217; drive from Marbella. The iconic Rock of Gibraltar, a peak that looms up from the center of the territory, offers Europe&#8217;s best view of the African continent as well as the chance to meet Gibraltar&#8217;s well-known Barbary ape population. Because Gibraltar is British territory, visitors need to bring their passports in order to enter.</p>
<p>Finding budget-friendly accommodations in the Costa del Sol can be a bit challenging, but it&#8217;s certainly possible. While top-tier resorts like Marbella&#8217;s are pricey beyond belief, less exorbitant resorts in towns such as Torremolinos sometimes offer fairly reasonable package deals. If that doesn&#8217;t work, try looking for accommodations a few kilometers inland; if you&#8217;re willing to stay a little further from the coast, you&#8217;ll have an easier time escaping the resorts&#8217; high prices.</p>
<p>Alternatively, if you&#8217;re traveling with a group, it may actually be cheaper to rent a house, especially if you&#8217;re planning on staying in the area for a while. Because the Costa del Sol is such a popular destination, many travelers from other European countries buy second homes in the area, often renting them out when they&#8217;re not using them. Plan your trip well in advance and try to negotiate the rental price with the owners and you may well be able to score a bargain, a rare enough event on these shores.<a href="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/costa-del-sol.jpg"><img src="http://www.virtualtraverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/costa-del-sol-150x150.jpg" alt="" title="costa-del-sol" width="150" height="150" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-43" /></a></p>
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