Travel & Luxury Lifestyle

Ask true beach lovers to name a favorite swath of surf and sand, and the answer changes with the tides. Luckily our planet is covered in oceans, seas, and lakes, which means there’s a beach to indulge any whim. From pearly crescents covered in shells to turquoise bays teeming with Skittles-colored fish, they’re not all created equal.   Here are 20 of the best: 1. Playa del Amor, Marietas Islands, Mexico: A swim through an opening nearly invisible from the sea reveals what locals call the “hidden beach,” encircled by an impressive rock ring forming a natural oculus for the sun and sky. Only six visitors at a time can visit “Love Beach” via approved tour operators such as Punta Mita Adventures. 2. Cathedrals Beach, Ribadeo, Spain: For a church visit like no other, head to Ribadeo, on Spain’s northwest Galician coast, where wave-carved, hundred-foot rock arches resembling flying buttresses of Gothic cathedrals line the sand. Walk among them at low tide, but

Tirana Albania's capital city View from Tirana city Tirana (Albanian: Tiranë ; regional Gheg Albanian: Tirona ) is the capital and largest city of Albania and as well the heart of Albania's cultural, economic and governmental activity. It is located on the western center of the country surrounded by hills with the Dajti Mountain on the east and a slight valley opening on the north-west overlooking the Adriatic Sea in the distance. The city is located some 700 kilometres (430 miles) north of Athens, 290 km (180 mi) west of Skopje, 250 km (160 mi) south-east of Pristina and 160 km (99 mi) south of Podgorica. Tirana is a city with a rich history dating from the Paleolithic times back 10,000 to 30,000 years ago to the present day. The oldest settlement located in the area of the city was the Cave of Pellumbas, in today's village of Pellumbas. As argued by various archaeologists, Tirana and its suburbs are filled with ancient Illyrian toponyms as its precincts are some

Albania adventure part 4 (Shkodra) Legends and history full of miracles Castle of Rozafa Shkodër is a city and municipality in northwestern Albania. It is one of the oldest and most historic places in the Balkan peninsula, as well as an important cultural and economic centre. In classical times, Shkodër was known under the name of Scodra and was the capital of the Illyrian Labeates. During many different epochs it has retained its status as a major city in the wider region, due to its geostrategic positioning close to the Adriatic Sea and the Italian port cities, but also with land-routes to other important cities and towns in neighbouring regions. Its importance is heightened by the Lake Shkodër to the west of the city — the largest lake in Southern Europe — that straddles Albania and Montenegro. With a population of 77.075, it is the largest city in north of the country, while Shkodër County had a population of 215,347 as of 2011. History: Antiquity Shkodër is

Krujë Town with the best history A view from the tower of Kruja Krujë is a town and a municipality in north central Albania. Located between Mount Krujë and the Ishëm River, the city is only 20 km north from the capital of Albania, Tirana. Krujë was inhabited by the ancient Illyrian tribe of the Albani. In 1190 Krujë became the capital of the first autonomous Albanian state in the middle ages, the Principality of Arbër. Later it was the capital of the Kingdom of Albania, while in the early 15th century Krujë was conquered by the Ottoman Empire, but then recaptured in 1443 by Skanderbeg, leader of the League of Lezhë, who successfully defended it against three Ottoman sieges until his death in 1468. The Ottomans took control of the town after the fourth siege in 1478, and incorporated it in their territories. A 1906 local revolt against the Ottoman Empire was followed by the 1912 Declaration of Independence of Albania. In the mid-1910s Krujë was one of the battlefields of t

Albania adventure part 2 (Berat) The most beautiful castle is located in this town rich of history A beautiful view of the Berat castle Berat is a city and a municipality located in south-central Albania, and the capital of the County of Berat and also one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. In July 2008, the old town called Mangalem district , was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The municipality was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Berat, Otllak, Roshnik, Sinjë and Velabisht, that became municipal units. The seat of the municipality is the city Berat. The total population is 60,031 (2011 census), in a total area of 379.98 km 2 (146.71 sq mi). The population of the former municipality at the 2011 census was 32,606. Name origin:   The name of the city in Albanian is "Berat" or "Berati", which is probably derived from the Old Slavonic Бѣлградъ or " Bel(i)grad&qu

Adventure in Albania part 1 A short story of traveling into this not very known land, the beauties and history within this land. Map of Albania Where is Albania?   Albania, is a country in Southeastern Europe. It has a population of 3.03 million as of 2016. Tirana is the nation's capital and largest city, followed by Durrës and Vlorë. Albania is located in the south-western part of the Balkan peninsula, bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east, and Greece to the south and southeast. The country has a coastline on the northern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, the Adriatic Sea to the west and the Ionian Sea to the southwest where the Albanian Riviera begins. Albania is less than 72 km (45 mi) from Italy, across the Strait of Otranto which connects the Adriatic Sea to the Ionian Sea. In antiquity, the modern area of Albania was home to several Illyrian, Thracian, and Greek tribes, as well as several Greek colonie