The West of Ireland is famous for its extraordinary scenery. Areas such as the Ring of Kerry, Connemara and the Burren are all remarkable and unique examples of this. Despite being a relatively small part of the world, the West is an extraordinarily diverse region. This means that you can cover a lot of ground, and see a lot of memorable sights, in a short time.
Traveling around the West of Ireland can be a breathtaking experience. You have endless great options for places to include in a trip. This article features our “Best of the West.” We’ve selected a few of the “classic” destinations and a few less heralded spots that are also well worth getting to.
The Phoenicians, Moors, Romans, and Christians successively fought over Southern Portugal due to its strategic position near both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Several centuries later, a wall of tourist development extending from Faro west to the beaches of Lagos obscures the past while inland you will discover delightful swathes of unspoiled landscapes.
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Practical guide for visitors to the Riviera Maya
Riviera Maya has hundreds of incredible places to visit and.
One of the most common activities is to visit the virgin beaches that surround the site in places like Tulum and Playa del Carmen, where you will love to spend a pleasant time and have an enjoyable experience while feeling the sand between your toes and the sea breeze shaking your hair.
You have to know that in Riviera Maya there are many more activities to do and places to discover than going to the beach to take a bath. It is one of the most visited sites with historical relevance by all the travelers of the south of Mexico. Besides beautiful places and landscapes of heart attacks, visiting Riviera Maya will leave you with a desire to continue knowing this small Mexican paradise full of culture and INCREDIBLE places that you will understand in this Practical guide for visitors to the Riviera Maya.
These are the places you can’t miss in the Riviera Maya.
Tulum is an archaeological zone full of exciting places and beautiful landscapes that will steal your heart as soon as you see the first ruin of the site.
The great Castle is one of the places you can not miss. This is located on the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea with an impressive view, which you can access via huge wooden stairs to paradise beach … same that will show you at the first moment because it is called this way.
This site has a rather peculiar history since the Castle is located at the tip of the ancient Mayan city was considered an observatory and warning house against the pirate attacks of foreigners and other rival colonies that will come to the beach.
If you want to know more about this history, I advise you to hire a tour guide (it’s not the same as me telling you here to see it for yourself on the site while they offer you a detailed explanation of each of the areas that make up the place).
Two Cenote Eyes
It’s called Cenote Dos Ojos since it’s divided into two main underground water systems, Ojo Uno and Ojo dos, which, seen from the satellite, can be seen as twin eyes. It’s a great place for cave diving!
This large cenote is located near Playa del Carmen. Upon entering the site, you will be able to appreciate the caves and underwater caves that are considered the largest underground water systems on earth.
Entering this cenote is not easy and is, to some extent, a bit risky, so we recommend you do it if you consider yourself an expert in diving or have a guide who knows exactly what to do at the site. The depth of one of the caves is 450 meters in diameter, and depth is about 10 meters.
Very close to Tulum is the Sian Ka’an biosphere reserve, which is in a protected state because it has been declared a world cultural heritage site and is home to hundreds of water birds and thousands of species of plants and other wonders for which the price of admission to this site is a little high.
Within this site, you will find a lagoon, mangrove, and an exciting variety of ecosystems; later, you will be able to visit the nearby beaches and have the opportunity to meet one of the largest and most important ecological reserves in the world.
Within this reserve, you can see different species that will completely call your attention, among the jaguar, the peccary, the tapir, the manatee, and the other 500 species among birds and mammals that live on the surfaces of this incredible lung of Mexico.
These two eco-parks are ideal for a vacation in contact with nature at its best. Besides getting to know the diverse species for which these parks are home, Xel-Ha, unlike Xcaret, has many more activities you can do in the water, so, if you are a swimmer, snorkeler and scuba diver, this is the ideal park for you. At Xcaret you can live more closely with your experiences with the animals and local fauna; Also, one of the most exciting activities in this place is to visit the largest coral reef aquarium in Quintana Roo. You can also visit the butterfly farm and have incredible experiences in the Sea Turtle area, where you will know everything about them.
Both places are just a few hours away from Cancun and the cities of the Riviera Maya, so getting a Cancun Car Rental service this time can be your best method of transportation.
Have you ever visited a place that has played with your mind to the point of believing that there are things in a place where they are not? Or of illusions in such a way that you believe that what you are seeing is real?
The 3D Wonder Museum is ideal for getting to know this type of art, where you will have great fun and be able to challenge your mind while enjoying taking pictures in the paintings and 3D prints, an ideal activity for the whole family.
To get to this museum, you will have to travel to Playa del Carmen. And, it is such a central place that you will be able to get there quickly from your hotel once you have arrived with your Cancun Airport Transfers service to the hotel because this is where your adventure begins.
A very short time away from the impressive Isla Mujeres or starting from Cancun, you will find Isla Contoy. One of the characteristics that make this island unique and particular in the air and unlike those in the surroundings is that there is no light, no signal and the island has almost no inhabitants, besides being a protected and preserved site, which is only allowed entry to 200 people per day.
One piece of advice we can give you is to wake up very early in the morning to board a ferry or boat and get to know the island, since the passes are finished very quickly, and the visits end in the afternoon, which will not give you much time to get to know the place if you arrive late.
About 90 aquatic and terrestrial animals live in this place, so you can not miss the opportunity to know this beautiful place, the incredible species that live here, and swim in the crystal clear waters by which this beautiful island is surrounded.
You haven’t really known how colorful a reef can be if you haven’t visited Cozumel, this site is considered a paradise for anyone who wants to know a little more about marine life and all the exciting things you can find there.
If you are a diving fan, you will love this site.
Also inside this small island, you know one of the main attractions as El Cielo, a great place to observe starfish resting under the sea.
IMPORTANT
You can’t take one of these stars. You can’t take them out of the sea or take them home as a souvenir and let them dry out because it is considered a crime within the place as it is a highly protected area.
Iceland is an incredible country, but it doesn’t come without its challenges. Being so far north of the globe, it has witnessed a plethora of interesting natural phenomenons. From volcanoes to glaciers to hot springs. Because of this, it means many of their roads are somewhat dangerous. Not all, of course, but it’s worth going into detail about.
The reason why Icelandic roads are somewhat notorious is because there’s really no better way to see Iceland. There are roads that run the circumference of several integral natural wonders, whilst there are other dangerous gravel roads that should be anticipated ahead of taking them on. This article will go into the different types of roads in this distant, whimsical country.
Ring Road
The Ring Road is perhaps the most important to know about if you want to see the major attractions. Ring Road, which is also known as Route 1 / N1, is a national road that circles around most of Iceland in one easy-to-follow road. It literally covers all four corners, hitting most of the coastal cities.
The Ring Road is 1,332 Kilometres long in total. Many see the start of the Ring Road as being Reykjavik, where the main national airport is, and it goes north to Blönduós and Akureyri. The road then rotates to the eastern city of Egilsstaðir, all the way down to Höfn, and finally cruises along the south coast back to Selfoss.
To see the whole of the Ring Road would essentially be to see most of Iceland. This isn’t really feasible for a 1 week holiday. If you want to stand a chance of actually enjoying each place you stop off at, without being in a rush, 2 weeks or more would be advisable.
Golden Circle
Whilst the Golden Circle isn’t necessarily a part of the Ring Road, they both have the same starting point. The Golden Circle is much shorter in length (300km), and is more busy as a tourist route. The Golden Circle is famous because in a short period of space, you will see many attractions. Some notable ones being the Thingvellir National Park, the Great Geysir, as well as the Gullfoss waterfall.
F-road
This is the main reason behind the notoriety of Icelandic roads. Whilst off-road driving is completely illegal in Iceland, the experience itself can still be achieved via driving f-roads. F-roads are essentially dangerous, non-tarmacked roads that access the highlands of Iceland. These can be great to get to some landmarks and sightseeing spots.
You are only allowed to drive on the f-roads in a 4×4 vehicle. This is extremely important. Car insurance companies will not cover you if you’re travelling on these restricted roads with a 2-wheel vehicle — not to mention it would be reckless.
Another extremely important part of f-roads is that they’re not accessible all year round. They are deemed too dangerous in winter conditions, and so you can only travel on them from June onwards for a few months.
Gravel roads
So, let’s assume you plan to avoid f-roads in their entirety because you’re worried, or you’re going in winter. Sticking strictly to the Ring Road (described above) will still leave you longing for a 4×4 regardless. Around 20% of the 1.3k+ km Ring Road remains gravel. Gravel roads are not necessarily dangerous, but they’re bumpy and they may force you to drive very slowly. The better your suspension and the bigger your tires, the faster you will be able to drive.
South Road
Driving along the south coast isn’t just one road, but it’s a popular route nonetheless. This is where you will find the 65m tall Seljalandsfoss waterfall. A bit further along is Skógafoss, another 60m waterfall, which comes from Eyjafjallajokull and Myrdalsjokull — two glaciers. You can actually climb up this waterfall in 370 steps, giving you an incredible view and a very different perspective of the landmark.
Along the south road, many will stop off at Sólheimajökull, which is a glacier tongue with a snow cap that covers a volcano. Of course, many of these hikes are better done with a tour guide who will keep you safe and informed. The south road will also take you into the Golden Circle eventually as you head west, where you can see sites such as the Thingvellir National Park and hotsprings.
As we can see, Iceland is more than just a bunch of interesting landmarks. The journeys between them is also part of the experience. From bumpy f-roads to the convenient Golden Circle, there is no better way to see Iceland than to drive it yourself. The sites you want to see will then determine which type of car you will get. You can still lap the country on the Ring Road in a tiny 2-door, 2-wheel drive car — or if you want to get stuck into the highlands, then a 4-wheel drive will be necessary. Many also opt for a campervan, so they can save money on hotels and fully experience the nature by camping out in it. A 4×4 campervan rental becomes a practical and safe choice in this situation. It can also provide the essentials and luxuries that hotels offer.
I live in one of the most adventure-friendly towns – if not countries – in the world: Queenstown, New Zealand. So it’s no surprise then that my day-to-day life (and consequently this blog) is filled with quite a bit of adventure.
Kia Ora - I'm Matt. Adventurer, Instagrammer and New Zealand travel planning expert living in Queenstown, NZ. Founder of Planit NZ - New Zealand's largest travel planning & booking website.
Hello! I’m Matt. Thanks for checking out my blog. Be sure to follow me on Instagram for loads more New Zealand travel inspiration. Comment on one of my photos so I know you came from here!
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