Capo Sant'Andrea, Elba, Italy

Capo Sant’Andrea on Elba: a small island in an island

A narrow and tortuous road descends towards the sea, with a few houses surrounded by thriving and unspoilt nature... In Capo Sant’Andrea, the chestnut trees sweep right down almost to the coastline, a sign of the perfect combination of sea and mountains. This should not be surprising, as the area is located right at the feet of the highest mountains on Elba: Monte Capanne, Monte Cote and Monte Giove. Where the road ends is a beach with very fine sand and a small docking area with fishermen’s rowing boats. The scenery is beautiful: the water is so clear the seabed can be seen even in the deepest parts. At the sides of this splendid beach, a pathway dug out of the rocks leads to some rocks which are unique in the world; not the usual seaside rocks, but dunes in unusual shapes formed by orthoclase crystals set in granite magma which solidified seven million years ago – an ideal place to sunbathe in an almost lunar atmosphere.

Much can be said about Capo Sant’Andrea. Not by chance was it chosen as a settlement by the Etruscans; its geographical conformation and unique granite rocks provide good protection against attacks, defending from the wind off the sea, and are both a gateway to the Tyrrhenian and at the same time a refuge. These illustrious ancestors of ours came to Capo Sant’Andrea, which was then covered in forest and rich in water, to work the iron extracted in the eastern part of the island, as the abundance of wood enabled the furnaces to be properly and safely stoked. Even today, searching among the vines and shrubs, away from the tourist trail, one can still find traces of “skimming”, residues of the fusion process used by the Etruscans to purify iron. Later on, the Romans came across the sea, as proven by the discovery of two wrecks in Capo Sant’Andrea itself, from among the many which surely perished. The first of these two wrecks is right on the tip, at a depth of about 10 metres, and the second is about 45 metres below sea level. Many of the items found in the waters around Capo Sant’Andrea can now be admired in the small but interesting archaeological museum in Marciana.

The position of Capo Sant’Andrea, its orographical conformation and weather conditions – which are unique in their kind – make the entire area almost an “island in an island”, a place rich in treasures to be discovered. The seaside at Capo Sant’Andrea can be enjoyed as anywhere else on the island, on the two beaches at Capo Sant’Andrea and Cotoncello, or one can enjoy the adventure of reaching the coastline and the most beautiful rocks on Elba, also enjoying the fascinating world of the mountains between swims. Walking along the ancient pathways, restored and indicated by CAI and the Mountain Communities, which wind their way from the coastline to Monte Giove (which reaches a height of about 800 metres), an enormous range of flora and fauna can be encountered, providing unforgettable experiences to those who enjoy new challenges. Walking along the paths means discovering cyclamen, violets, flowering heather, anemones and juniper bushes; taking in the intense perfume of helichrysum and lavender, rosemary and mint; experiencing the fluttering flight of the red-legged partridge or surprising flocks of grazing mountain sheep, or even coming across an abandoned goat-pen or the remains of prehistoric settlements.

Source: http://www.elba.org/en/cosa-vedere/capo-sant-andrea.php

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Plage de Piémanson, France

Mingle with flamingos, Camargue horses and nudists. With the Atlantic Ocean to its west, the Mediterranean to its south and the English Channel up north, France has no  shortage of picturesque beaches.

For sheer scale, gloriously unspoilt wilderness and nude bathing, however, Plage de Piémanson ranks among the finest. Part of Parc Naturel Régional de Camargue, this obscure beach has tawny sand that stretches forever. Clear Mediterranean waves lap at the shore. Tourists roast under the sun, many of them French and German, some of them nude.

To get there, you’ll have to drive through colonies of pink flamingoes. Also keep an eye out for Camargue horses, an ancient breed of white horse native to the region that roams wild in the reserve.

Best Quiet Beaches between Nice, France and Malaga Spain

We are traveling from Nice to Spain for about 2 months between July and August. We are looking for advice on quiet beaches between Nice France and Malaga, Spain. We are early 40's couple with two girls age 11 and 13. We have been reading a lot of the threads on here and researching what others have said about this area. Like many others, we are asking if people can tell us what they think the best beach areas are between these two areas? We have read the other posts with people not being specific enough about what they like in a beach, so we have come up with our list of what we like in a beach. Also, we have been to Nice many times and like the beaches there although the main thing we don't like in Nice is that the water gets deep after only a few meters off shore. We have read from others that it helps to say what we like in a beach. So here is what we like in a beach:

1. Clean sand or rocks

2. Clean light colored water

3. Small waves

4. Shallow water if possible

5. Quiet beaches with an easy going non-party crowd meaning no drunk or loud party persons and no club DJs blasting their music

6. Clean bathrooms

7. A Free beach so were not renting 4 loungers a day, especially when they are lined up in rows
8. Easy beach access -we can walk down a slope, but we don't want to see our kids climb down a cliff side to get to the beach

9. Not to many critters walking/flying around i.e. sand fleas, flys, mosquitoes

11. In the water Not to many jellyfish or seaweed so that we don't have to feel like we constantly have to watch what is swimming around with us.

We don't need a lot of other things going on such as museums so we don't mind it being off the beaten path. We also work during part of the day via the internet so we can not really stay at any campsites. We also avoid resorts and just rent vacation rentals.

I know that we probably can't get that all but I would rather be too specific than too general. Thanks

Source: http://globaltravelclubs.net/index.php/top-desination/top-50-best-beaches-in-the-world/174-plage-de-piemanson-france

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Venice Beach, California, United States

Venice Beach California is located in the western part of Los Angeles. It has gained fame because of its colorful boardwalks, bohemian residential areas and stunning beaches and canals. Tobacco mogul Abbot Kinney founded it in the year 1905. His goal was to create a resort town that would resemble Venice Italy. He seems to have succeeded. Today, Venice Beach California is often referred to as The Venice of America. Abbot Kinney Boulevard, the street named in his honor, is filled with an interesting selection of one-of-a-kind shops and restaurants.

Throughout the years, Venice Beach California has received notoriety for a variety of reasons. It was here that B.H. Delay, the famous movie aviator and airport owner created the first lighted airport in the United States. He also created the first aerial police station in the nation. Delay was also known to perform movie aerial stunts in Venice Beach California.

Venice was once home to an amusement area known as Pacific Ocean Park. However, due to competition from other parks such as Disney, the area was torn down, and residential property was built in its place. Today, the area is now known as Dog town. It is home to the skateboarding pioneers known as the Z-Boys, who were featured in the film Dog Town and Z-Boys.

In the year 1925, Venice Beach California became annexed to Los Angeles. Given the iconoclastic nature of the Venice Beach California culture, there have been many movements in favor of seceding from Los Angeles.

There are many highly unique aspects to Venice Beach California. The impressive Venice Beach Family Clinic is the largest free medical clinic in the country. Compared to much of the Southern California car culture, Venice Beach is extremely pedestrian-friendly. In fact, some houses have entrances from pedestrian-only streets.

Venice Beach California is well known as a celebrity hangout. The city's famous residents include actresses Julia Roberts and Angelica Huston and actor Nicholas Cage. During the actor Robert Downey Jr. kept an apartment on the boardwalk. Arnold Schwarzenegger is the majority owner of a restaurant in Venice called Schatzi's on Main.

If you are planning a visit to Venice Beach California, be sure to spend some time on the boardwalk. On weekends, enjoy the street performers as they perform their magic. On any given day, these may include instrumental musicians, singers, jugglers, acrobats, mimes, comics, magicians, prophets, fortunetellers, and other types of entertainers. In fact, the people themselves are a form of entertainment. Watch them stroll by with their multi-colored hairdos, painted faces, strange tattoos, and outlandish clothing. In some cases, it may be their lack of clothing that you may find interesting. For recreation, there are courts for basketball, handball, shuffleboard and paddle tennis.

Do to the counter culture atmosphere of the town, if you are looking for an expensive, luxury hotel in Venice Beach California, you should probably look for a room in near bySanta Monica or Marina Del Rey. However, if you want to totally immerse yourself in the Venice Beach experience, you should seek to find a hotel in Venice Beach California itself. You will have many to choose from. The city's popularity makes it easy to find a hotel in Venice Beach California.

Those of you who are on a tight budget will be pleased to discover that it's easy to find cheap accommodations Venice Beach California. Hotels within a block of the beach can run from $35 to $250 nightly. If you are on a really tight budget, cheap accommodations Venice Beach California can go for as little as $10 to $15 nightly at the Venice Beach Hostel. These cheap accommodations Venice Beach California can allow you to experience the true Venice Beach Bohemian lifestyle.

Source: http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/california/venice-beach

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