EUROQUEST SideTracks

The Canary Islands, we have argued, are good for more than sun & beach - and Las Palmas de GC, capital of Gran Canaria & the archipelago's only metropolis with over half a million inhabitants, is a great destination for alternative visitors any time of year, but particularly during the busy carnival season. We have previously written about the special charms of Carnival in Las Palmas as well as Gran Canaria's third largest city, Arucas. At the heart of local Las Palmas, however, and in fact of the entire center of Carnival action, lies the neighborhood of Santa catalina at the northern end of Las Palmas. It is here that global meets local, where homeless coexist with hip beach goers, and carnival revelers are seen next to surfers on the Atlantic Coast. Not seldom may one and the same person play all these various roles at different times of day & year - but it is all possible here in the district of Santa catalina, from the port on one end to the yellow sands...

Most visitors to Gran Canaria arrive on the island as part of a package deal vacation and are rushed to their hotels in the South near the tourist resorts of Maspalomas and Playa del Ingles. Many thus fail to look beyond the usual routine of Sun and Beach, unable to savor the true local spirit of Gran Canaria. In previous Sidetracks articles we covered some alternative trajectories for a culturally enriching stay in the Canary Islands, including our post on a Cultural-Immersion Carnival in Las Palmas over a year ago. In two subsequent articles, we would like to shed further light on Treasures off the Beaten Track Destinations on the island of Gran Canaria. Both focus on the less touristy North of the Island and offer viable alternatives to mass tourism and monotonous beach vacations. And both are centered in and around Las Palmas de GC, the administrative and cultural capital of the Eastern Canary Islands (Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura & Lanzarote). See the full gallery o...

New Orleans is back - there can be no doubt about it. Everywhere construction is taking place, restoring the city to its former glory following the destruction of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. As we explored in our first article, most visitors will focus on the traditional tourist areas around the French Quarter and Canal Street in Downtown New Orleans. Even in those key neighborhoods, we argued, alternative visitor experiences are possible and highly rewarding. Yet given the impact of destruction by Katrina almost 6 years ago and the enormous community response since then, hardly any neighborhood visit in New Orleans could be more sobering yet uplifting and enriching than to the Lower Ninth Ward. For that reason we would like to take a closer look at a day out in the ward not involving "sighseeing" or tourist activities but rather charity work, community spirit and being part of grassroots movements in the neighborhood. See the full gallery on posterous The Lower Nin...

"Laissez les bons temps rouler" has always been the slogan associated with the "Big Easy". Lately, times have not been too good on the Gulf of Mexico - from the destructive powers of Katrina in 2005 to last year's oil spill in the Gulf, the area has had to endure catastrophes and challenges galore recently. But New Orleans is back, and this time we hope it is bound to stay. Many parts of the city have recovered, residents have returned and visitors are flocking back to enjoy the laid-back attitude of the Big Easy. Business is not quite back to normal, and some aspects of life in New Orleans have changed irreversibly, whereas other aspects have remained unchanged. For that reason, New Orleans is a perfect destination for alternative visitors to the Southern U.S., particularly those that dare to venture beyond the bars on Bourbon Street and the most touristic sections of the French Quarter. Euroquest Sidetracks therefore will cover the Big Easy in two separat...

Most visitors flying into the Levante region of Spain head right to the beaches of the Costa Blanca or may pay a visit to Alicante along the way. Yet this part of the COMUNIDAD VALENCIANA has much more to offer than beaches and sunshine, in particular further inland away from the coast. As we have covered repeatedly on previous editions of Euroquest Sidetracks, there is plenty of unchartered territory left to discover in and around Alicante - and ELCHE, with 250000 inhabitants the area's 3rd largest city after Valencia and Alicante, should certainly rank high on the list of places to see for alternative visitors to Spain. A gem of a medieval and baroque city in sparkling clean and refurbished condition, ELCHE boasts not one but TWO UNESCO World-Heritage sites - its famous "Palmeral" (Grove of Palm Trees) and the "MISTERI D"ELX" (Mystery of Elche) play in August. So this week we'd like to take a closer look at this unique, beautiful and quintessenti...

ALICANTE - Guapa, Guapa y Guapa - is the new catch phrase chosen by Alicante Tourist Authorities for their new 2011 campaign, along with the subheading "Quiereme como yo te quiero a ti" (Love me as much as I love you). In deed, Alicante has come a long ways over the past decade or two in revamping its image from an ugly portside duckling to a shining Mediterranean jewel. Much remains to be done, but overall, the city is certainly on the right track. Despite hords of Northern European vacationers taking the city by storm in the summer, Alicante remains quintessentially Spanish with its own infrastructure, traditions and celebrations. No better way to pay tribute to the spirit and beauty of Alicante than to introduce one of its major local festivals, the "Porrat de San Anton". Spain is known for its many festivities year-round from the bull run of San Fermines in Pamplona to the Fallas fireworks in Valencia. Yet many holidays and festivals are of a more loca...

When I first set foot into the Barrio de San Pere in Barcelona, I was pleasantly surprised at how quiet, authentic and unpretetious it is compared to the overcrowded tourist areas of the Ramblas, Plaza Catalunya and the Barrio Gotico nearby. Although only a mere 5 to 10 minutes walk from the main attractions of central Barcelona, the San Pere neighborhood has managed to retain its local charm, quaintness and authenticity. For that reason, this week Euroquest Sidetracks would like to take a closer look at this often neglected part of the Catalan Capital and explore it as part of an alternative itinerary to Barcelona, one that is infused with local culture and experiences. See the full gallery on posterous The Barrio de San Pere is located between the Barrio Gotico to the West, the trendy Born district further south & the Ciudadela Park to the Southwest featuring numerous monuments from the World Expo of 1888, making Barcelona rank among the few cities to host the World E...