Viator Travel Blog

While white sand beaches with azure waters and billowing palms are nice, they’re far from unusual. For those looking for a truly unique coastal experience, the following beaches provide just that. Barking sand, star-shaped fossils and natural underground hot springs are just a few of the strange experiences you can have on the following weird beaches.

It’s that time of year again, when music concerts swap sticky dive bar floors for well-tramped grass and enormous open-air stages. 2012’s festival season is finally upon us and to get in the mood, here are 10 of the world’s best. From America to Australia via Europe and Japan, just about every artist you can think of, is bringing their music to the great outdoors this year and the only question is, which one do you go to first?

During the one hour flight towards Santiago de Compostela from Madrid, the landscape changes from dusty squares to chartreuse fields and jagged-edged mountains; however, it’s only upon landing that the difference between the Spanish capital and Santiago de Compostela, located in the Autonomous region of Galicia in Spain’s far northwest corner, really shows.

Whether your layover is a quick break or an entire 24 hours, venturing outside the airport in one of these ten European multi-faceted cities will make your layover just as memorable as your final destination.

Here are our picks for the best European cities for layovers.

With its tumultuous history of feuding Royals and battling troops, its no surprise that Europe harbors an impressive array of castles and palaces, many of which boast spectacular locations. From the official residence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth to the real-life Sleeping Beauty Castle, here are 12 of the most beautiful Castles and Palaces in Europe.

Meet Aitor Delgado, one of Viator’s local experts in Vitoria, Spain with a license and passion for providing visitors with private tours of his beautiful region.

You’ll find all kinds of activities listed below, including musical field trips in Austria, island-hopping in Scotland, royal history lessons in Russia, castle visits in Portugal and Ireland, and enjoying a little luxury in Monaco. Join us for this tour of the Top 25 Things to Do in Europe!

There are different ways people bring in the New Year around the world.

Let’s take a trip, shall we?

Oh, Spanish cuisine, how confusing you can be: tortillas aren’t flat flour or corn crepes, but rather potato-and-egg omelets; authentic paella is relatively hard to come by outside of the Community of Valencia; and the word “taco” has positively nothing to do with a combination of meat, cheese and lettuce.

The confusion doesn’t stop there, either, I’m afraid. But as a veteran eater of Spanish cuisine, I’m here to break down two critical culinary customs for you, sharing some of my favorite Madrid foodie spots along the way. Grab a glass of Rioja wine and a few slices of manchego cheese, because things are about to get painfully mouth-watering.

Once you’ve had your fill of Barcelona’s ancient architecture, world-class cuisine and hedonistic nightlife, venture outside of the Catalonian capital, where you’ll find plenty of sights to keep you occupied. From mountain-top panoramas to sipping cava in a family-run vineyard, here are 8 destinations that make great day trips from Barcelona.