Beautiful Places On Earth

Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago located in the mid Atlantic Ocean. The archipelago consists of 2 populated islands, Madeira Island and Porto Santo Island as well as 2 groups of unpopulated islands, Desertas and Selvagens Islands. Madeira is formed from a massive volcano eruption on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean over 5 million years ago. How much do you know about Madeira? Prior to writing this post, I only know that Cristiano Ronaldo is born and raised in Madeira!

Madeira is known for its subtropical climate throughout the year and has attracted visitors mainly from Germany, United Kingdom, Scandinavia and other European Union countries. Madeira Island is the largest island of the group. Once on the Madeira Island, you can visit the Levadas, an impressive irrigation system of aqueducts built to bring water from the mountains to cropland. Hiking all the way up the Levadas leads you to the top of Serra De Aua, in which one can see the highest point of the island, Pico Ruivo. You should also go to see the famous Cabo Girao, one of the highest sea cliffs in Europe. Do not miss out on the Reid’s Palace located in Funchal, the capital city of the Madeira. The Island of Porto Santo which boasts a 9 kilometers long beach is another attraction.

Madeira Island

The best period in the year to visit Madeira is mid September. This is the time when grapes ripen and the famous Festa Do Vinho is also held during this month. One can also spend his or her New Year Eve on the Madeira Island. There is fireworks display every New Year Eve and it is the biggest fireworks display in the world according to Guinness Book of Records in 2007.

Have you started to feel like there are no other places on earth worthy a visit? If you do, then you should really consider visiting Skeleton Coast, Namibia. Skeleton Coast is one of the most beautiful and yet the most unusual places to visit on earth! The Skeleton Coast is the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean coast of Namibia. It is mostly the northern part of Namib Desert, which is considered to be the second oldest desert in the world after the Atacama Desert in Chile.

How Skeleton Coast got its name? Immense fogs and strong winds coupled with rocks offshore have sunk or beached many ships over the years. Skeleton Coast is the site of many shipwrecks. More than a thousand ships of various sizes found on the shore here. Besides, there are also bleached whale and seal bones covering the shore due to active whaling industry in the past. The Namib Desert is also one of the driest deserts on this planet. There are a huge group of high, red sand dunes surrounding the famous Sossusvlei. These sand dunes can be as tall as 300 meters and are among the tallest sand dunes in the world!

Skeleton Coast in Namibia, Africa

Another attraction of Skeleton Coast is at Cape Cross Seal Reserve, the cape fur seal colony. You can see thousands of them lazing on the shore in this clip!

Cape Cross Seal Reserve at Skeleton Coast

Panama Canal remains one of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken in the 20th century. The Panama Canal is a ship canal joining the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Before Panama Canal was constructed, a ship had to travel all the way south to Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of South America in order to sail across the 2 oceans. The concept to build a canal in Panama was first proposed by King Carlos I of Spain in 1524. However, it was the French who first attempted to construct the canal in 1880. The attempt failed and was taken over by the United States in the early 1900s, then completed and opened in 1914. By the time the Panama Canal was completed, a total of 27,500 workmen are expected to have died during the construction.

A trip through the Panama Canal is highly recommended if you are visiting Panama. The cruise will take you from Panama City on the Pacific Ocean, traveling some 80 kilometers to the Colon City on Atlantic Ocean or vice versa. Along the way, one can enjoy sceneries along the canal as well as passing through several artificial lakes and 3 sets of locks. The following video shows a time lapse journey through the Panama Canal from the Atlantic to Pacific Ocean onboard a cruise ship.

Panama Canal time lapse

The best time to visit Panama Canal is from December to April each year, when it is the dry season in Panama.

For those of you who love ecotourism, Fernando de Noronha which is located in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco is a relatively unknown and less crowded destination to go. Fernando de Noronha is an archipelago of 21 islands in the Atlantic Ocean; around 354 kilometers offshore from the Brazilian coast.

Without doubt, Fernando de Noronha is a popular scuba diving spot. Its tropical climate all year round and rich form of marine life coupled with deep clear water surrounding the island make Fernando de Noronha one of the best diving spots in the world.

Galapacos tortoise which is the largest living tortoise in the world is also one of the main attractions in Fernando de Noronha. These tortoises can weigh up to 300 kilograms and their life expectancy in the wild is estimated to be 100 to 150 years. Visitors can also watch dolphins at Baia dos Dolfinhos.

There are daily flights from Recife and Natal to Fernando de Noronha. The best traveling period is from November to April each year during the non-raining season. I would advise you to plan well ahead for your Fernando de Noronha trip as the Brazilian government has set limitation to the number of visit per day in view to protect the ecosystem of the archipelago.

Fernando de Noronha

Essaouira means “the beautifully designed”. It is a small seaport city in the western of Morocco, facing the Atlantic Ocean. The present city of Essaouira was designed by a captured and enslaved French architect for Sultan Sidi Mohammed during the late 18th century.

The Medina of Essaouira is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. It is a well preserved example of an 18th century European fortified seaport town translated to a North African context. The medina is walled and contains many narrow streets. It contains historical buildings such as mosques and palaces. It is a suitable place to recuperate after you had just visited Marrakech, Fez and Tangier.

Essaouira today has become a famous kitesurfing and windsurfing spot. Surfers from all over the world flock here because there is powerful wind from Atlantic Ocean blowing onto the protected and waveless bay of Essaouira, suitable for surfing. Besides, camel excursions are also available on the beach and into the interior desert area.

Essaouira – the best city in Morocco