Since cheap holiday packages became available in the 1970’s the Costa del Sol in southern Spain has been a favourite with British travellers. With easy connections and great value for money, backed up by a warm and sunny climate, it’s the perfect destination for a week or two in the sun.

But amongst the holiday apartments, water parks, restaurants and beaches there are great historic sights within easy reach if you want to explore.

The Rock.

Jutting out from the southern most tip of Spain is the unique British enclave of Gibraltar. Affectionately known as Gib or the Rock to its residents and regular visitors the Rock stands at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea making it an important Naval Base for centuries. The Rock can be seen for miles as you drive down the coast, jutting out to sea and hiding a myriad of secret sites to investigate.

Getting about.

The rock itself rising above the port and town famous for its duty free shopping is the centre of the cultural and historical sites and local firms offer tours to all the important areas for an inclusive price. There is also a cable car, which takes guests to the top of the rock but getting around is more restricted on foot.

Protecting the port.

Halfway up is an 8^th century Moorish castle, housing a prison in its keep to this day. Tour drivers will chart the history of the flag that flies over the castle and its changes from Spanish to British over the years. Miles of Siege Tunnels used to house barracks and military lookouts are carved deep into the rock and those open to the public chart their use during military conflicts over the centuries.

Nature on show.

Naturally formed limestone caves crowded with stalactites and stalagmites can be visited at St Michaels Caves. The larger caverns were used as a hospital in the world wars and are used as classical concert venues today. The amazing formations are beautifully lit so your photographs will capture the wonder of the sight.

Gibraltar is the only place in Europe where Barbary Apes they can be found. They roam free and are incredibly bold providing a lot of entertainment, running and jumping onto fences, walls and roofs including those of the tour buses and cars. Take heed to the warnings however, these are wild animals and could harm you if you feed them or go too near them when they are nursing their young.

Moorish Malaga

Back on the Costa instead of just using Malaga as your airport venue, its well worth having a day in the town to explore the historic sites. A settlement since Phoenician and Roman times and the capital of Moorish Granada, Malaga is alive with history and sites include the old Moorish Castle or Alcazaba built between the 8^th and 11^th century. The site was originally the location for a roman amphitheatre, partially excavated by the entrance. The ruins of later Moorish Castle from the 14^th Century stand directly behind the Alcazaba. For a complete history of the area visit Museo Arqueologico for displays of Phoenician, Roman and Moorish artifacts.

Linda Endersby is a freelance writer who worked in the travel industry for 19 years and enjoys writing about the places she’s visited as well as indulging in her passion for books in her other role as a children’s bookseller.

Living in New York was a dream come true for me: as a teenager I would stare bleakly out on the wet Yorkshire landscape and fantasise about living in an apartment in the city that by reputation never sleeps.

So I made it a reality by opting to go to college in the US, choosing to go Rutgers, a large University campus just outside of NYC in the more suburban land of New Jersey. I didn’t quite get my apartment overlooking the Hudson, but every weekend I travelled to the city, which will always hold my heart, and explored every nook and cranny.

Unlike most of my expat friends I didn’t invest in a car in the time I lived in the States; instead I relied on hiring a large traditional vehicle when I wanted to visit more out of the way places. Car hire in the US is easy and cheap to arrange as a foreigner, so it always seemed like the simplest option.

New York City can keep you busy for an eternity, but I would recommend you also explore the city’s surrounding areas and find some treats that your average tourist might never locate.

I am biased, but I for anyone looking to sample real life America, I would advise hopping in a car and travelling to my old university campus in New Brunswick. Sorority and fraternity houses dominate every block near the old school and the cultural feel of it is such a contrast to that generated by standing at a British university campus. Grab a coffee and sit in the shade outside Au Bon Pain and watch student life unfold in front of you. It sounds simple, but it gives a taste for the vibrancy of the American student way of life, which is entirely different to the British.

If you want a comparison, a short drive takes you to the decadence of Princeton. I would often find myself here after a night spent in NYC dancing, as the 5am train would terminate outside the pearly gates of one of America’s finest institutions, and I would wake with a jolt, once again realising I had missed my stop and it was a long wait with a hot cup of coffee to finally get home to my dormitory and bed.

For anyone travelling to New York, I would urge you to stray outside Manhattan’s boundary. The Bronx offers some beautiful churches and incredible jazz nights. Whilst its reputation scares off most tourists, so long as you are sensible there is no reason not to visit this borough, which is brimming with culture, colour and culinary delights. For the best pizza I have ever eaten in the city, take a trip to 186^th Street for a piece of thick cut Sicilian pie, dripping with eggplant and melted mozzarella. Based in the market, it is the only place you can grab a seat and watch the world dance by.

For me, trying to live in a city rather than ‘visit’ is a much more captivating holiday, so ditch the guide books, pack your inquisitive spirit and explore the lifestyle of the New York City inhabitants.

Author: Jane Blackmore is a freelance writer, blogger and editor. When not hitting the keyboard, she entertains her three young children and relaxes in the evening with a simple G&T.

Image By Nouhailler on Flickr Creative Commons

According to the Word Tourism Organization, a record-setting one billion people took some kind of trip abroad in 2012. That could mean the whole world really needed to take a break from itself! A more likely reason, however, is probably the increasing number of transportation/lodging deals that range from reasonable to a downright cheap, coupled with how the World Wide Web has made the landscapes and cultures even the most faraway lands feel less foreign with only a few clicks of the mouse.

Travel blogs, customizable postcards, and social media tools have made it much easier to share these travel experiences with friends and family as well. Even with today’s skyrocketing cost-of-living standards, the market value of one picture is holding steady at the rate of 1,000 words. So if you’re the type of traveler attracted by the new and exotic, or just want to needle co-workers who are stuck back in Cubicle-ville, here are some destination ideas based on their visual “wow” factor.

Waterfalls

Waterfalls evoke images of exotic tropic paradises. But the best ones in the world, according to Johnny T. Cheng’s World-of-Waterfalls site, span all continents and climates. Because waterfalls are fairly ubiquitous, you don’t have to safari into Zimbabwe to witness the famed Victoria Falls, or learn to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius so you can dress warmly enough to see the breathtaking beauty of Gullfoss in Haukadalur, Iceland. Cheng’s site actually provides a country-by-country guide, as well as regional categories for the U.S., for anyone wanting to document themselves standing near churning water falling from dizzying heights before crashing into a foamy spray.

Geysers

While not nearly as commonplace as waterfalls, geysers can also be found on all six of the inhabited continents. OK, technically there are none on the actual landmass of Australia judging from the geyser distribution map included by the good folks at Environmental Graffiti in their rundown of “World’s Most Incredible.” But Australia’s nearby neighbor in the Oceania region, New Zealand, features one of the most beautiful color palettes created by geysers in its Taupo Volcanic Zone found on the North Island. The United States is very fortunate to be home to the world’s largest geyser location, Yellowstone National Park, which houses more than half of the entire world’s steam-spewing springs.

Coral Reefs

Spend enough time lolling about on a beach blanket watching the waves roll up to your tippy-toes, and you might start wondering what the world looks like underneath the surf. Any oceanside resort worth its sea-salt will provide instruction and equipment for snorkeling and scuba diving. (It shouldn’t be too hard to rent underwater digital cameras either. Now, that’s a postcard picture guaranteed to amaze!) If you’ve already caught the deep-sea diving bug, you know that the best coral reefs are like underwater cities in terms of quantity and diversity of marine life. Sadly, they are also some of the most endangered of Earth’s ecosystems. While that might create a sense of urgency to witness one of these natural wonders, make sure you follow guidelines for responsible and respectful reef diving practices.

Northern Lights

Yes, it will likely be cold. It will definitely be dark. But there’s nothing like seeing the aurora borealis to make you ponder universal miracles. Besides, anyone can go to the Bahamas. Isn’t there a kind of rugged cache to say you’re taking your vacation in the Scandinavian countries? Go to Iceland and hit the trifecta of northern lights, geysers and waterfalls all in one island country approximately the same size as Kentucky!

Sort Sol

With all due respect to the legendary swallows of Capistrano, this is the ornithological event to see and capture for posterity. The name comes from the Danish language and means “black sun.” Now, we’ve all stared in appreciation of the choreography demonstrated by flocks of birds, but the seasonal gatherings of starlings can number in the hundreds of thousands. While sort sol is primarily associated with the Jutland region of Denmark during the spring and autumn, OpenTravel.com has photo documentation of the phenomenon occurring in Scotland as well.

Chris Lenois is a marketing consultant and freelance writer on traveling tips and advice for Vistaprint.