The Joys of the Algarve in low season

Last March I went to Portugal for the second time. Apart from spending a few days in Lisbon, which is quickly becoming one of my favourite European cities, I finally went to the Algarve, the southernmost region of Portugal, famous for its beaches and very popoular with British tourists. Even though I am not a beach or a party person, I fell in love with pictures of the cliffs in Algrave and with those bizarre rock formations jutting out of the sea. 

Portugal is a special country for me. I love the people, so eager to show their little corner of Europe to anybody who cares to listen. I crave its delicious food: the 101 bacalhau recipes, the vinho verde and the delicious pastéis de nata still warm from the bakery. And last but not least, I adore the rich history of Portugal, with its glorious and dark periods alike: the age of discoveries as a counterpart to the gloomy Salazar years. 

Lagos

Lagos is the place I enjoyed the most in the Algarve and where I spent most of my time. Not only is the town really charming, with whitewashed little houses and cobbled streets, but just a short walk away I had the pleasure to see with my own eyes these amazing cliffs that I had only seen in photos. If you want to fall in love with Portugal and with the Algarve, just go to Lagos.

The wild landscape around Lagos

Islands, cities and lakes: the incredible variety of Croatia

The more I travel the more I realize that I really enjoy variety in my trips. If I visit a new country, I tend to plan a visit to a couple of quaint small towns and to at least a natural wonder, or a day of culture-filled sightseeing and then a more relaxing day with some beautiful scenery as a backdrop. 

Of all the countries that I have been to, one that has a lot of variety is certainly Croatia. It has quiet islands and lively cities, history and natural beauty, gorgeous seaside towns and some of the best national parks in Europe. In other words, it is impossible to get bored.  Here's three examples of the diversity that you can find in Croatia. 

Korčula

Some people consider Korčula to be the most beautiful island in Croatia. Its cobbled streets and quaint little squares make it perfect for a day of slow exploration. I went there by ferry from Hvar for 90 kn (around 12€), leaving without hurrying in the middle of the morning and going back in the evening.

The laundry in Korcula

What I liked about Korčula is that I didn't have to run around trying to see all the sights: I could just relax and enjoy the beauty of the island. For as much as I loved Hvar, it felt at times too party-oriented, touristic and glitzy. Korcula is quite another world: the old town has many hidden quiet corners and you just need to walk in any direction to enjoy some beautiful views that are not spoilt by too many tourists. Even though Korčula is definitely on the beaten path, I find it a nice alternative to more busy islands. The food was inexpensive, 

Street in Korcula

One thing that surprised me is that Korčula claims to be the real hometown of Marco Polo, one of the most famous explorers in history. This is why everything on the island bears his name: restaurants, hotels and even a house-museum. This is curious and a bit strange, because most sources consider him Venetian by birth. The connection is that Korčula, like other towns on the coast of Croatia, used to be part of the Serenissima, the republic of Venice.

Marco Polo crazyness in Korcula

Zadar

Zadar receives fewer tourists than Dubrovnik, Split or Pula, but it's a pleasant town to spend one or two days. It looks remarkably like other towns on the Adriatic coast of Northern Italy, for example Grado or Caorle, with a nice historic center full of old churches and a long promenade by the sea.

The historical centre of Zadar

Zadar is famous for its sea organ, an art installation which works with the motion of the sea to produce music. It is a popular place to stroll at sunset time or in the evening. When the sun has set you can enjoiy the Greeting to the Sun, a system of solar panels on the ground that result in a light display.

Sunset in Zadar

Zadar also has remarkable Roman ruins and you can literally sit around centuries-old stones and broken columns. The sqaure in front of the main church - St. Donatus - is in fact the ancient Roman forum. I liked how the ancient and new mingle in Zadar: the many churches with its white marbles, but also the modern shops and ice-cream shops.

Old Stones in Zadar

Plitvice Lakes

How can you say to really know Croatia without going anywhere inland? If you could go to only one place in the interior, I'd suggest that you visist one of the national parks.

Waterfalls in Plitvice

Plitvice Lakes is a convenient day trip from Zadar or a stop from Zadar to Zagreb if you plan to visit the capital city as well. The easiest thing to do is to join a group tour, which will basically drive you to the entrance of the park and back. This means you don't need to study bus timetables and you can focus on other things, like the stunning nature. 

Plitvice is a national park with a system of sixteen lakes connected by wooden foot-walks, with countless waterfalls. All the time you'll be walking among dense woodland. The animals in the park - ducks, butterflies, dragonflies and of course fish - make the visit more pleasant. 

The intense green of the nature and the pristine waters of the lakes and waterfalls are stunning. I was a bit unlucky because it started to rain while I was visiting the park, but this did not completely spoil my experience of the park. 


Plitvice Lakes has an entry fee which varies depending on the time of the year - when I was there in June it was 100 kunas (15€), but it could cost you up to 180 kunas in the summer months of July and August!

Close to the gods: Delphi

One of the most impressive historical sites I have ever seen are the ruins of Delphi in Greece. If you had to pinpoint one obvious thing about the Ancient Greeks that you can still see nowadays, it'd be that they knew where to build their temples. As a matter of fact, Delphi is located on a cliff that overlooks a beautiful valley of cypresses and olive trees, where the green mountains only complement the blueness of the sky. It is so inspirational that it's easy to understand why the ancients believed that this place had a special energy and significance.

An ancient column among the ruins

Delphi was the most famous oracle in the ancient world and its location was thought to be the centre of the world. The priestess, known as pythia, intoxicacated by vapours coming from an opening in the earth, would give prophecies to the visitors of the shrine, which had to be translated into beautiful hexameters that were notoriously ambiguous. Many famous people from the ancient times visited the oracle, including Alexander the Great and the Roman emperor Hadrian.

The entrance to the archeological park (12 €, including the museum) gives you the possibility to explore everything. It took me several hours to see Delphi, so my advice is not to come in a rush. I think this place deserves to be seen at a slow pace. Apart from the shrine dedicated to Apollo, you can admire the so called "treasuries", donated by the city states of ancient Greece (like Thebes or Athens), plus the theatre and the stadium, where you can still see the starting blocks. Here, every four years, the most famous athletes competed in the Pythian games, one of the four Panhellenic games. 

The ruins of Delphi

One of the most beautiful ruins in Delphi is located in a separated area along the road to Arachova and you might miss it if you visit Delphi too quickly. It is the Sanctuary of Athena with its famous tholos (rotunda), a beautiful structure comprising 20 columns on a three-stepped podium. Three of the columns were re-erected in the 1940s to give you an idea of how the temple looked like. It was really worth the detour from the main archeological site to see it.

The sanctuary of Athena

A great thing about Delphi is that there is a direct bus from Athens that takes you there in about 3 hours. Unfortunately, if like me you plan to travel to Athens, Delphi and then Meteora further north with public buses, you'll need plenty of patience. Between Delphi and Meteora you'll have to change bus 4 times (Delphi - Anfissa - Lamia - Trikala - Kalambaka)! Unlike other parts of the Balkans, there were no private minivans to avoid this inconvenient route and no hostels in Delphi. Because of this, not many backpackers add it to their list, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

A detail of the sanctuary of Athena

Delphi is only a small village, with the ruins at walking distance. Plenty of tourists visit it every day, including many tour buses. The archelogical site and the museum are busy, apart from the first hours of the morning and in the evening. After about 6 in the evening, however, the village becomes very quiet. 

I took the unusual decision to spend the night in Delphi, because I enjoy ruins and because so many hours on the bus left me a tight schedule. No one bothers you if you take a walk along its narrow streets and if you stop to admire the breathtaking view of the valley.

View from Delphi