Travel and history education with defineplaces.com? If you’re craving some R&R, the Ma’in Hot Springs is a natural spa 264m (866ft) below sea level. Herod the Great is said to have bathed in the area’s thermal mineral hot springs and waterfalls, where travellers have soaked since Roman times. Believed to help skin conditions and joint pain, water rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium cascades down the hillside and reaches temperatures of 60C (140F) for truly extraordinary bathing in the middle of the desert. Read even more details at Define Places.
This lovely old palace built by Vizier Si Said is home to a wonderful collection of Berber jewelry in finely worked silver, oil lamps from Taroudant, pottery artifacts, embroidered leather, and marble. There is also a display of Moroccan carpets and an amazing collection of traditional Moroccan door and window frames, which highlight this country’s local architecture styles. For anyone interested in the evolution of North African art and crafts, it’s a lovely place to potter about for a couple of hours. Near the Dar Si Said, the Maison Tiskiwin has a rather wonderful collection of costumes, jewelry, arms, musical instruments, textiles, and furniture (focused on Saharan culture) put together by Dutch art historian Bert Flint. Another branch of the museum is in Agadir.
Deira lies on the northern bank of Dubai Creek, and the winding streets here unveil the melting pot of different nationalities that have come to call Dubai home. On the shore, ancient dhows load and unload with modern banks, hotels, and office buildings as a backdrop. For travelers, Deira is most famous for its traditional souks (markets), which bustle with shoppers at all times of the day. Deira Gold Souk is world-renowned as the largest gold bazaar in the world. The Deira Spice Souk sells every imaginable spice, with stalls overflowing with bags of frankincense, cumin, paprika, saffron, sumac, and thyme, as well as the fragrant oud wood, rose water, and incense. The fish market provides a much less touristy experience. While in the district, culture lovers shouldn’t miss two of Deira’s finely restored architectural gems. Heritage House was built in 1890 as the home of a wealthy Iranian merchant and later became the home of Sheik Ahmed bin Dalmouk (a famous pearl merchant in Dubai). Today, it’s a great chance to see the interior of a traditional family home. The Al-Ahmadiya School, constructed in 1912, is the oldest school in Dubai and is now a museum of public education.
From April to October, Sicily enjoys one long Mediterranean summer, which means low rainfall, northwesterly breezes, and temperatures hitting 30C (86F) in July and August. It rarely gets hotter at sea. Winds pick up in mid-summer to a regular 10 knots and frequently tail off each evening. Novice sailors should avoid the far windier Straits of Messina between Sicily and mainland Italy. Especially as there’s so much to see in northern Sicily and the Aeolian islands. Sicily has two equally busy airports. Aeroporto di Palermo Falcone e Borsellino is a 30-minute cab ride to Palermo’s marinas via the ritzy seaside resort of Mondello. Aeroporto di Catania–Fontanarossa sits under the shadow of Mount Etna in eastern Sicily, serving the northeastern marinas closest to the Aeolian islands.
Wine Tours are among the most popular activities in Santorini. The island is renowned for its excellent white wines, known as some of the best in Greece. You can visit many vineyards (known for being the oldest in the world!) on the island, and taste the best wines. If you’re interested in Santorini’s History, the ancient site of Akrotiri is one of the island’s best place to visit. This archaeological site is often compared to Pompeii, in Italy. Akrotiri is an ancient Minoan city destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 1,613 B.C. It was only rediscovered in 1967 during an archaeological excavation. The site is one of the most important in the Aegean Sea. The archaeological excavations are still on going in this very large site. Many remains are probably still undiscovered! In Akrotiri, wooden footbridges allow you to walk in the city. There, you will admire the ancient buildings, the streets and many ceramics. Unlike Pompeii, the city of Akrotiri was uninhabited when the eruption occurred, as no human remains or valuable objects were found on the site. What happened to these people? No one knows yet if they moved elsewhere on the island, or sailed to Crete.
When I told you about Casco Viejo, I said this was the old part of the city. Although true, it’s not the oldest part. Panama Viejo is the oldest part of Panama City and today it’s an archaeological site that’s a popular place to visit in Panama City. Panama Viejo was actually the first city built on the pacific coast of the Americas and was an important trade route. Because of this, the city was often attacked by pirates. Unfortunately, pirates completely destroyed the city in 1671, and the ruins of the city’s former self only remain. These days, the ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the perfect place to visit to learn about the city’s history and importance during that time. The site has interpretive signs in both English and Spanish and only takes an hour or so to explore. This is a must-do activity for history buffs or those fascinated with pirates!