Located 75 miles south of San Francisco, Santa Cruz is a vibrant and laidback city on the central coast of California. Settled by Spanish Missionaries in the late 18th century, Santa Cruz has become a coastal paradise for surfers, students, and lovers of nature. Nestled between Wilder Ranch State Park and Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, University of California, Santa Cruz, is the city’s leading research institution.
Ballestas Islands are a group of rocky islands off the coast of Paracas in Peru’s Ica Region, within the marine ecosystem influenced by the cold Humboldt Current. The islands consist of North, Central, and South Ballestas and are protected as part of the National Reserve System of Islands, Islets and Guano Points. Their steep rock faces, arches, caves, and eroded formations rise directly from the Pacific Ocean. The islands are best known for their concentration of marine wildlife.
Kansas offers a diverse range of experiences that capture the essence of the American Midwest. Visitors can explore the state's rich cultural heritage at the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka, where a guided tour reveals the building's intricate architecture and historical significance.
One of Turkey's popular holiday vacation spots, Antalya is an engaging city. The region is immersed in sunshine for 300 days of the year, making it a hot spot for sunbathing, swimming and activities like wind-surfing, water-skiing, sailing, mountain climbing and caving.
Mountain Zebra National Park lies in the Eastern Cape near Cradock, protecting a rugged section of the Great Karoo. The park’s landscape includes open grassland, rocky mountains, valleys, and dry plateaus, with vegetation adapted to the region’s semi-arid conditions. It was established to protect the Cape mountain zebra, a species that was once severely reduced in number.
Periyar is a forested highland destination in Kerala’s Idukki district, centered on the Periyar Tiger Reserve and the town of Thekkady. Set within the Western Ghats, the region combines wooded hills, evergreen forests, grasslands, streams, and the large Periyar Lake. The tiger reserve covers about 925 square kilometres and supports an extensive range of wildlife. Its landscape is particularly associated with Asian elephants, Bengal tigers, gaur, sambar deer, wild dogs, and rich birdlife.
Portovenere, in the region of Cinque Terre, is a characteristic medieval village situated at the far west of the gulf. With its colored, narrow high houses, the Genoese Castle, the St. Pietro Church on the steep cliff, it unites history with charm. It is a picturesque village, established during the Roman period on a rocky peninsula surrounded by the sea and 3 small islands: Palamaria, Tino and Tinetto. Legend tells of a "Beauty goddess" who was fascinated by a this great natural masterpiece.
Places to visit: San Pietro church (1277), Byron's Grotto, the castle and San Lorenzo church. Recommended: Fresh fish at dinner on the quay.
Other Popular Destinations in Italy
Rome
Often called the Eternal City, Rome stands alone as Italy's most visited destination. The third most populated city in the European Union, Rome boasts ancient sites, yet has a modern flair — an exhilarating mix of the Old World and the new.
Venice
Welcome to Venice, with its network of canals, rich history and composition of over 100 small islands in the Adriatic Sea. Fine art, stunning architecture, white limestone bridges, moving about via watercraft... Venice is a singular experience and an astonishing masterpiece of civilization.