People planning an autumn break in Mallorca this year will be able to learn more about their destination on two new guided tours.

The Balearic Tourist Board announced that it would be offering the itineraries in Palma from mid September to end October.

Visitors will be invited to see 29 different courtyards in the capital city, which are recognised for their architectural and historical importance.

The tours will feature ancient manor houses and other important buildings that are rarely open to the public, such as Can Bordils, which was rebuilt in the 13th century and boasts a number of renaissance elements.

Can Frontera was once a palace and now serves as a five-star hotel, while Can Berga features a courtyard that is accessed by a portal arch decorated with works by sculptor Joan Deya Berga.

Guided tours will be available six days a week and will start from Plaza de Cort and Casal Sollerich.

For hotels in Mallorca visit yourmajorca.net - they also have a Majorca map online.

Plaza de Cort

More than half a million gay tourists are expected to visit Mallorca this year reports reservasgays.com. This could have a positive effect on the island’s economy as the average gay tourist spends up to fifty euros a day more than a heterosexual one, and their visits are not limited to the peak summer seasons.

Juan Manel Ordinas, co-owner of the Pegasus Hotel, does not think that the figures are correct, “It’s certain that the numbers of gay visitors are increasing, but I think the numbers have been inflated.”

Gay tourism has seen a growth in popularity in Mallorca, and subsequently the island has seen an increase in the amount of specialist Mallorca hotels and services.  However the owners of Kfé cafe in Gomila in Palma have not seen a higher demand this year from their clients.

“There is less business than in previous years” said Tito, one of the owners of the cafe, although he doesn’t know if this is due to tourism or the fact that to be gay has become more socially normal “The reason why people go to specialist gay bars is because it feels less aggressive and more protective of values, to be gay is more acceptable these days and for this reason they do not need to go to specialist bars and clubs so much, they can diversify more”, explained Tito.

‘Gay Friendly’ bars don’t always need the rainbow flag to identify them, it’s the individual gay person who decides where they are comfortable and it doesn’t matter to them if the premises have been labelled ‘Gay Friendly’ or not”.

Kristin Hansen, the creator of Mallorca Gay Map is adamant that Mallorca has enormous potential as a destination for gay tourists. “Mallorca has a great choice of hotels from basic to luxury standard, as well as being on the routes for many airlines”, however Mallorca is yet to match popular gay tourist destinations Sitges, Ibiza and Mykonos.

“The problem comes from the mentality of the local people. They are not prepared to see men or women walking hand in hand in the street or kissing. Many homosexuals in Mallorca are still ‘in the closet’ for fear of not being accepted”, he said. Kristin believes that “The future of gay tourism in Mallorca lies in leaving behind the segregation of gay from straight in order for everyone to mix and not just using the specialist hotels, bars and clubs”.

Juan Manel of the Pegasus Hotel was not so sure. “It’s clear that there are tourists of every sort, and some would prefer to go unnoticed in regular hotels, but others actually prefer a homosexual environment”. A report stated that the majority of gay tourists preferred to go to places which were sympathetic to their sexual orientation. “If someone belongs to this group, and there is a specialised service for them, it’s the normal thing to choose it”. Juan Manel did not think that specialising in gay tourism created a ghetto either, “It creates a comfortable atmosphere for the client, that’s all. Religious, political and social factors will always exist that will make gay people feel uncomfortable, and we are many years away from a society where everyone can feel equal in establishments which are not specialised”, concluded Juan Manel.

For a Majorca map visit yourmajorca.net

The percentage of people who book their holidays and trips away via the internet increases every year, and with ticketless flights, reviews of hotels from previous guests and currency delivered to your home, the impression might be that booking a trip a few days before departure is the norm.

Not for UK tourists, according to research undertaken by leading online travel site Expedia.

In fact, many British people still book their overseas trips months ahead - but then they are the most organised tourists in Europe!

Before the recession, the trend was to book different parts of a holiday with different online travel firms, ensuring each part of the trip was done at the best price - but with some small companies going under Expedia note that more people are booking both flights and hotels at the same time.

And it’s not just the recession that’s caused the shift back to booking with the same company, the recent Icelandic volcano left many travellers stranded while those who had booked with well established tour operators such as Thomson and Thomas Cook were well looked after and alternative ways home organised on their behalf.

And it’s in times like this that tourists realise that cheap isn’t always good - but a resource like Expedia does allow money to be saved while booking all or some parts of a trip with one company.

Take Malta for example. There are plenty of different options for booking holidays in Malta available, and different parts of the trip can be booked seperately - or all with someone like Expedia.

Hotels can be viewed and reviews from people who have stayed there be seen, and a little extra research can be done to see which area might be most suitable. Valletta for history, Mellieha for a good beach for example. Both areas have a wide choice of accommodation and any of the Malta hotels can be booked with the one resource.

Malta

Flights are slightly different for the island. In recent years the low cost carriers have started to fly in and out of Malta, and not all of them are represented on travel sites that do the other components of a trip. Search Expedia for example for return flights and it might not bring up Ryanair who were the first budget airline to fly to the island, and provide flights from both Luton and Bournemouth.

So for the cost conscious it might be worth checking their site to see how much their Malta flights are.

But overall booking everything with one company does have its benefits, with hotels, car hire, flights, holidays and travel insurance all possible, and for Malta holidays Expedia is able to offer all these at a good price.

More details about the island are at yourmalta.com and there are other free to use articles

Euroweekly news report:

MALLORCA is the second best summer destination to find holiday sex, with 35.9 per cent, while Ibiza took first place with 71.3 per cent. The study carried out by a condom company involving 2,000 men and women in Spain aged 18 to 25 reveals a general preference for the islands with Tenerife and the Canary Islands taking third and fourth position for favourite summer sex destinations with 29.7% and 26.7 respectively.

Top of the list also feature Valencia (23.3%), Cadiz (23.3%), Alicante (21.8%) and Cataluña (18%). But hard to get people from Málaga, Cantabria, Murcia and Almeria forced the lowest scores in Spain.

Contrary to popular belief 77.6 per cent of Spaniards admit that they have as much (or as little) sex in the summer months as they do in winter.

Sixty per cent admitted having had sex with someone they met while on holiday. Of these 7.3 per cent – the majority of these men – say they have done this with more than five people.

Almost one in two women claim they have never had holiday sex, while only a third of men concur.

More than a third of Spaniards have had sexual relations on the beach, but 15.2 per cent haven’t for fear of being seen.

Majorca, last year’s number one, is now fourth in the sales list with Florida and Turkey before it.

Other Canary Islands have seen bigger rises in sales, particularly Fuerteventura (250%), Gran Canaria (100%) and Lanzarote (40%).

Menorca

The Algarve, Menorca, Shaem el Sheikh, Zakynthos and Mexico are also within the top ten.

“Whilst early booking trends indicated that this summer was all about the Eastern Mediterranean, the improved strength of the Pound against the Euro has resulted in a last minute surge of bookings to destinations throughout the Western Mediterranean and the Canary Islands,” said Monarch Travel Group Tour Operations Managing Director Hugh Morgan.

“After the challenges of the past 12 months, confidence has clearly been restored in the market and it’s great to see holiday durations lengthening from last year’s seven and 10 night durations to the traditional 14 night breaks.”

Tenerife, Spain
Tenerife, the number one destination for British travellers, is the largest of the seven Canary Islands, and also Spain’s busiest resort – the island receives 10 million visitors each year. The island’s crowning glory is the Pico del Teide, the third largest volcano in the world, which rises 3718 metres from the base of the island. From its peak, travellers have a remarkable view of the island’s 350km of coastline, tropical vegetation, volcanic craters and lava formations. Tenerife’s wild nature is undoubtedly the island’s best feature, but the island is also well known for its beautiful beaches. The island has a rich birdlife, and many travellers consider the bird park ”Loro Parque“ a mandatory stop. The Carnival of Santa Cruz – one of the world’s largest carnivals – takes place every year in February.

Cyprus
Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and while many associate its name with historical and political divisiveness, millions of tourists visit the island each year for its spectacular sights and attractions. As a result of its turbulent history, Cyprus has evolved into an intriguing and alluring blend of Greek and Turkish identities. The Tomb of the Kings, a network of underground tombs dating back to the 4th Century BC, are one of the island’s most prominent attractions, and the island’s many medieval forts and citrus groves are beautiful to behold. The Karpas Peninsula is also renowned for its breathtaking beaches.

Majorca, Spain
Majorca is part of the Balearic Islands archipelago and is one of Europe’s most popular island destinations. The island is well known for its nightlife and numerous clubs and bars, particularly in the town centre of Playa de Palma and El Arenal. Visitors are drawn to the island’s turquoise blue bays, pristine sandy beaches, antique ruins and historical buildings, such as the Cathedral La Seu and the Palacio Real de la Almudaina in Palma. It pays to escape the island’s touristic heart and venture out into the wild, however; those who do will discover the true essence of Majorca, in the form of idyllic villages, local markets and the traditional Majorcan way of life.

Gran Canaria, Spain
Located 125 miles off the coast of West Africa, the Spanish island of Gran Canaria is often referred to as a mini continent, due to its many different climates. In the south, the climate is tropical and dry; in the north, it is subtropical and dry. The result is a glorious diversity of plant and animal life, giving nature enthusiasts plenty to explore during their stay. Hikers will also appreciate the 2,000 metre high Pozo de las Nieves mountain in the centre of Gran Canaria, which attracts climbers from around the world. Another of the island’s main attractions is the dune beach, located near Maspalomas, a town in the south of the island. Culture lovers should visit the capital Las Palmas in the north of Gran Canaria which has magnificent buildings, such as the Cathedral Santa Ana. Another highlight is the old fortress Castillo de la Luz that is currently used as a museum.

Lanzarote
Lanzarote is the fourth largest island in the Canary Island chain, and was the first of the islands to be settled in 1100 BC. At first glance, Lanzarote’s sparse, volcanic landscape may seem bleak, but for those willing to look a little closer, many amazing attractions are to be found. Lanzarote’s beaches are particularly well noted, and visitors to the Timanfaya National Park can witness the otherworldly beauty of the island’s volcanic craters and lava fields. Unique experiences abound; guests will certainly enjoy the park’s El Diablo restaurant, where food is cooked directly over a volcanic vent, or a trek through the ‘Tunnel of Atlantis’ – the world’s largest submerged volcanic tunnel.

Crete
The island of Crete is probably best known for its legends ties to Greek legends such as the Minotaur and the tragic tale of Icarus and Daedalus. The ruins of the Minoan palace of Knossos, of Venetian fortresses and former trading ports all point to the island’s rich history and cultural legacy. Yet this ancient island has much to offer the modern world as well: Cretan art, literature and music styles (typically performed with a lyre) are very distinct, and have contributed greatly to the diversity and evolution of Greek culture. Visitors to Crete would be remiss if they did not explore the island’s many ruins and heritage sites, and the island’s fresh produce and Mediterranean cuisine will provide a tantalizing treat for the senses.

Palma Majorca - Some Great Tapas Bars Are Here

The Guardian in the UK recently reviewed the best Tapas Bars in Palma - to see their top ten click here

The Tapas Club

Fifteen minutes’ stroll out of the centre of town lies the Portixol area; a once run-down fishing quarter that has been spangled up with renovated fishermens’ cottages, a smart hotel and a cluster of excellent restaurants around a small beach. In a prime spot at the far end of the beach, the Tapas Club offers cocktails and plates of tapas arranged artfully on the gleaming bar. If it’s too hot outside, lounge on the cushioned area inside, while ordering up mojito and mejillones (Spanish mussels) combos.

Paseo del Portixol, +34 971 248 604, Tapas from €3

Bodega Bellver

Tucked up a side street around the corner from the theatre, Bellver is about as far away from Palma’s gleaming 21st- century tapas bars as it’s possible to imagine. Dark and shadowy, with shelves lined with dusty bottles and wine barrels, and rickety wooden tables scattered around the small space, it is steeped in history, atmosphere and the smell of spicy pork frying on the tiny grill beside the bar. Order up icy beers and pinchos and settle into a slice of unchanged Mallorquin life.

• Calle Serinya 2, +34 971 247 96, Pinchos from €5

Bon Lloc

A veggie institution in Palma for 20 years, eating at Bon Lloc is also about what’s fresh and available on the day. The set menu is created according to what is available from the market in the morning, with three main choices and two desserts. Chef Juanjo Ramirez uses organic ingredients where possible to create dishes such as spelt and seaweed spaghetti, and polenta with tomato, rocket and coriander. Reservations essential.

• Sant Feliu 7, +34 971 781 617, lunch only, two courses, €13.50.

Tast

Popular with locals and always busy, this is an ideal place for a quick refuel if you’re on a shopping trip in the centre of town. Plates have coloured rims according to price and you can help yourself to the cold tapas on the bar, or order from the very reasonably priced menu of pintxos, tapas and raciones. Pintxos (small kebabs) are particularly good and the patatas bravas are crispy, hot and smothered in a chile-tomato sauce that is delicious.

• Calle Union 28, +34 971 72 98 78; tapas from €2

For a Majorca map including Palma visit yourmajorca.net

As The Independent in the UK report:

As I floated through the open hatchway into the engine room, it was almost as if the scene had been frozen in time. The ship’s charts were still in the rack and the phone was on the hook, but seaweed waved gracefully around the wreck, now home to octopus and fireworms.

On the seabed lay some Royal Navy china, smashed into pieces when the Lady Davinia, formerly HMS Greetham, was sunk. As I picked up one piece for a closer look, I was amused to discover it had been made in the Wedgwood factory just 15 minutes from where I grew up. Now 64 years later, it was half-buried in the sand, waiting to be rediscovered.

Just 15 metres above me, the busy cafés of Sliema, on Malta’s east coast near the capital Valletta, were full of tourists relaxing in the sunshine.

The Mediterranean island, along with neighbouring Gozo, was last year voted the best diving destination in Europe by readers of Diver magazine in America, thanks to its clear, warm waters, and more than 30 underwater sites, with reefs, fish, caves and lagoons as well as the numerous wrecks. There’s also a long diving season (from Easter through to November), and plenty of English-speaking instructors, so it’s ideal for beginners from the UK.

It was all a long way from the swimming pool in Waterloo, London, where I’d started my dive training with the London Hellfins Scuba Diving Club. Although you can do the complete course in Malta, I wanted to get the theory lessons and pool training needed for the British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) qualification done in the rainy UK, rather than being cooped up in a classroom while the sun shone outside.

The chlorine-scented pool that I’d practised in seemed a world away as I headed to my hotel, the Maritim Antonine Hotel & Spa in Mellieha, in the north of Malta.

Mellieha Malta

While the UK froze, the sun was shining on the small hillside town, dominated by its huge baroque church, which is still the focal point of life on the island – although, for younger Maltese, it often seems to be a meeting point to start a night out.

Mellieha is also home to one of the island’s best restaurants: Giuseppi’s Wine Bar. Despite the uninspiring name – and its less-than-obvious entrance on St Helen Street – the seafood and local fish on the menu are spectacular, thanks to local chef Michael Diacono.

Over some Maltese wine, it was time for a quick introduction to the island by dive instructor Dave, who moved here three years ago from Lowestoft, enticed by the laid-back way of life, the year-round sunshine, and the fantastic choice of dive sites. He revealed it’s the wrecks that make Maltese diving so special. And according to Dave, even on the rare occasions when there’s bad weather in Malta, or when the wind makes the sea too rough for diving in one place, there is always a more sheltered option to try less than an hour’s drive away.

The next morning, I shoehorned myself into a short pink wetsuit and some fetching black Neoprene boots as Dave led me into the calm waters of Qawra Bay, just along the coast from Mellieha, for my first ocean dive.

Things got off to a slow start when it turned out I was too light to sink, but, after a brief pause to fill my pockets with lead, I headed slowly down past shelves of seagrass towards the reef – while trying to keep an eye on my oxygen and my dive buddy, look out for landmarks to guide myself, stay balanced without shooting down to the seabed or up to the surface too fast, and still find the time to enjoy the scenery.

Once I’d worked out how to balance these various factors, I relaxed. After spotting a flying gurnard with its stunning iridescent blue markings hidden in the sand, I started to forget the strangeness of being completely surrounded by water.

The sea around Malta is home to grouper, rainbow wrasse and parrot fish, not to mention eels and more elusive barracudas and seahorses. Whether I dived one of the many wrecks or among the rock reefs and soft corals, there was plenty of underwater company, with shoals of brightly coloured fish darting over to investigate this curious bubble-blowing intruder.

With each dive I had more tests to pass, but also more exciting sites to explore. On Manoel Island, a spit of land opposite the capital Valletta, we strode off the sea wall to investigate a bombed barge, the Water Lighter X127.

Valletta Malta

Also known as the Carolita, she was sunk during the Second World War (probably after being mistaken for a submarine), and I could still make out the gaping hole left by the bomb that had finished her off.

The next day we explored the Lady Davinia. I got kitted up on the quayside, much to the amusement of a couple of local fishermen as I waddled to the shore weighed down with tank, lead and unwieldy flippers before vanishing under the waves. And when I emerged from the dive, my fifth, I was a certified Ocean Diver.

After swimming alongside them during the day, it felt almost rude to tuck into fish every evening. But specialities such as octopus carpaccio at harbourside restaurants around the island were too mouth-watering to miss.

Peppino’s in St Julian’s Bay, near Sliema, has tempted celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Madonna and Daniel Craig in the past, while they filmed in Malta (which has doubled as places such as Troy and Lebanon on film).

Meanwhile, in St Paul’s Bay, a short drive from Mellieha, Tarragon Restaurant has already started winning local awards for its modern twist on Malta’s classic favourites, such as black tiger prawns in champagne tempura.

For such a tiny island, there’s plenty to see on dry land. And as I could only safely dive for a couple of hours every day, I did plenty of exploring – when I could drag myself away from the Malta hotels rooftop pool and the hot stone massages of its underground spa.

All roads lead to Valletta, around a half-hour drive from Mellieha. The fortified city, a grid of cobbled streets and steep steps, was built in the 16th century by the Knights of St John – otherwise known as the Knights Hospitaller.

Given the island as their base by a 16th-century king of Spain, and charged with protecting it against the Ottomans, they then built the new walled capital as a fortress to keep out the Turks.

The city is a Unesco World Heritage site, and walking through the streets takes you through centuries of history. Many of the façades of the auberges, the knights’ grand former palaces, are unchanged, and you can visit the Grand Master’s Palace, home to the Maltese government.

Most memorable for me, though, was the former capital of Mdina, the walled fortress in the centre of the island. Unlike Valletta’s wide, planned streets, the twisting alleyways date from around the time of the Arab occupation of the island in the ninth century.

The city is closed to all but residents’ cars. As I ambled to the bastion walls, past the Nunnery of St Benedict and the 700-year-old palazzos and casas of the Maltese nobility, nothing broke the quiet except the echoing clop of horse and carriage.

All too soon, though, it was time for my last dip: at Cirkewwa, in the island’s far north. One of the best beginner sites, the water here is astonishingly clear, and, although I couldn’t stray below 20 metres, the seabed at 36 metres looked temptingly close. One of the string of small underwater caves contained a statue of the Virgin Mary, and there was a natural stone arch in the rocks to swim through.

For information on diving Malta holidays visit yourmalta.com - they also have airlines with details of flights to Malta.

It’s the excuse we all needed to indulge in that well-earned break - scientists say holidays can help us live longer.

A new study has linked travel with increased happiness and better health suggesting trips could even be prescribed in the future as a way to beat depression.

The Australian research identified how travel can affect three different elements of happiness, meaning the joy of a holiday extends well beyond those days spent lazing on the beach and could help prolong our lives.

Dr Sebastian Filep, an expert in travel and wellbeing at Victoria University, found that motivations for travel, experiences at the destination and the post-holiday reflection all contributed to the pleasure of a jaunt abroad.

The first caused positive emotions in the traveller, the second gave them a sense of purpose and the third a sense of involvement - all key ingredients of happiness.

The in-depth analysis was undertaken with 60 different travellers and a further 200 backpackers for a chapter in a forthcoming book, Tourists, Tourism and the Good Life.

The results conclude that travelling really does make people happier, which improves our health and helps us live longer.

The full process from booking and organising the break to remembering the trip and looking at holiday snaps helps people feel better about their lives.

‘I see an opportunity for a greater connection between tourism and health where holidays become a more important factor in leading a healthy lifestyle,’ said Dr Filep.

‘We know from studies in the US that experiencing positive emotions reduces the risk for cardiovascular disease, or that optimists live longer than pessimists.

‘So happiness is good for overall physical and mental health and holidays are a good vehicle for experiencing happiness.’

Dr Filep even went as far as to say that: ‘Holidays may possibly lead to people living longer, as holidays make people happy.’

Although he is not advocating prescribing trips over anti-depressants, he did think they could play a part in the treatment of depression.

‘I see holidays as part of the overall treatment for making people happy because we now have research evidence that demonstrates a clear link between holidays and happiness,’ he said.

‘Happiness is the opposite of depression. If thinking about a holiday, going on a holiday and remembering a holiday plays a role in making people happy, than I certainly think prescribing holidays or travel could help beat depression.’

For more details about Lanzarote holidays visit yourlanzarote.net - included is a Lanzarote map

People considering a late summer break this year have been offered a number of reasons to choose Spain’s Balearic Islands as their destination.

The tourist board representing the archipelago pointed out that one of the region’s main advantages is its weather, with 300 days of sunshine every year.

Beach lovers will be spoilt for choice in the Balearics, with Salines in Ibiza, Cala Pregonda in Menorca and Es Trenc in Mallorca among the seafront hotspots being recommended.

People who enjoy a bit of celebrity spotting will be in with a good chance of seeing some famous faces on the Spanish islands, according to the tourist board.

Michelle Obama recently visited Mallorca, while Kate Moss regularly enjoys breaks in Ibiza and Formentera and both Claudia Schiffer and Elle Macpherson own villas in the region.

Travellers who enjoy outdoor activities were encouraged to try some of the sports on offer in the Balearics, with both Majorca and Ibiza boasting an extensive network of cycling routes and most islands providing facilities to go scuba diving.