The It’s Not

What makes sandy beaches so popular?

admin — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:06:32 +0000

Most people prefer sandy beaches as opposed to rocky or shingle beaches because they are more pleasing to the eye. They are nicer to walk on and are easier on the feet, particularly on your shoes. However, sandy beaches tend to be much more of a nuisance due to the fact that removing all of the sand off your skin and clothes is near impossible when you depart the beach.

Sand is dirty but easier to walk on

Sand tends to attract dirt and pollution to a much greater extend than pebbles or stones. This is because chemicals, such as oil and sewage, becomes trapped inside these tiny sand crystals, polluting the local environment. Comparatively, shingle beaches are usually considerably cleaner because hazardous materials are easily washed away.

However, think of how difficult it would be to play a game of football, cricket or beach ball on an uneven, pebbly beach? Dry, sandy beaches are ideal for ball games because the surface is flat and there is ample space (unless it is a particularly busy day at a major resort).

Sandy beaches are far better for sunbathing

It would be hard for anyone to disagree with the fact that shingle beaches are notoriously uncomfortable for sunbathing and, as such, attract far few visitors in the summer than sandy beaches.

The soft, smooth feel of fine sand is ideal for sunbathing and soaking up the summer sun near a Punch and Judy exhibition stand. Likewise, the sea off sandy beaches is better for paddling and swimming because it is more comfortable for the feet. Pebbly beaches with large waves can be dangerous for certain types of activities, such as surfing, where the force of the sea can throw pebbles up into the water from the ground, which can cause injuries.

For some reason, many people assume that most British beaches are pebbly or rocky. In fact, large swathes of the British coast, from Dorset to Cornwall and much of East Anglia, have excellent sandy beaches. The only issue is that the sea temperature, which rarely climbs above 17 degrees Celcius, is rarely warm enough for comfortable swimming.

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Chess In The Middle Of The Sea – A Fantastic Beach Attraction

admin — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:03:03 +0000

A day out on the beach will be incomplete without lots of games and entertainment. It does not matter whether you are chilling out with friends or having a great time with your family members. Having nothing to play on the beach can make the trip very boring. Most individuals focus on balls, Frisbees and other such stuff when planning games on the beach. However, I was very surprised to find two persons engrossed in a chess match on the beach.

What it the big deal with playing chess on the beach? Well, the two persons in question had waded into the water and had placed a waterproof set isle of lewis chess set on a lifejacket and were enjoying the game with waves lapping all around them.

Well, this was an obvious attraction and all those who visited the beach spent some time watching the duo and shouting suggestions like ’B2 to C5, dammit’. I was really curious to find out how they managed to keep the pieces on the board with the constant movement of the waves.

It turned out that they had used magnetic strips to hold the pieces in place until it was moved by hand. More than the game, fact that duo was looking so cool sitting on water and pondering their next chess move made a huge impression on the visitors. Of course, it was sheer luck that another group playing volleyball in the water did not slam the ball into the chess set. Not only would it have affected the game, it would have sent the pieces to the bottom.

In my opinion, the extra thought and planning that went into the activity made it the perfect one for the beach. There is no doubt that the two persons would have returned home feeling really relaxed after having received so many compliments on their brave venture.

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Chess In The Middle Of The Sea – A Fantastic Beach Attraction

admin — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 07:03:02 +0000

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A guide to the Greek island of Kos

admin — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:33:04 +0000

Kos is a popular Greek island, famous for once belonging to a large mountain chain until it broke away after a series of earthquakes. The island hosts more than 100 kilometres of coastline and offers some of Europe’s most impressive beaches. The island has emerged as a major tourism centre in recent years, with high numbers of visitors from northern and western Europe.

The island can be easily reached via the main airport from the Greek capital of Athens. There are also frequent services operating from Germany and Italy with Ryanair and some fares can be purchased for as little as 30 Euros. There is also a ferry from the Greek Islands of Rhodes, Pireaus and Leros and less frequent services from Santorini. On the island itself, a limited bus service runs at various times and a taxi from the airport to a hotel costs a minimum of 15 Euros, even if the journey is just one mile. There is also a scooter service that can be rented from just 10 Euros per day.

In terms of attractions, the island is relatively low key in regards to nightlife. The vast majority of tourists visiting Kos come here to relax on the beautiful sandy beaches or indulge in a horseriding with equine liability. There are also a number of prestigious hotels, including the Aegean Houses Hotel, which is situated just 300 metres from the beach. For families, the Ampravis Hotel is situated on a hill and is within walking distance to the pretty settlement of Kos Town.

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Top attractions to visit in Lanzarote

admin — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:03:52 +0000

Lanzarote belongs to the Spanish Canary Islands in the eastern north Atlantic Ocean, close to the African continent. A high level of tourism from European countries generates a significant volume of economic activity for the island. The coastline is characterised by pristine beaches and turquoise sea, while the interior comprises of parched, desolate landscapes and dramatic mountain peaks (where trekkers may require asbestos compensation from the minerals) . There is a wide range of holiday resorts across the island, most of which are situated along the coast.

One of the most popular tourist attractions in the island is the Timanfaya National Park, which hosts an historic volcanic site that encompasses more than 20 percent of the island’s area. The park includes the Mountains of Fire (Montanas del Fuego), which boasts an impressive restaurant that offers an outstanding view of the entire park. The park’s Visitors'Centre also provides an audio and visual exhibition of the island’s history, including the origins of the volcano and recent volcanic activity in the area.

Meanwhile, for museum enthusiasts, the Whales and Dolphins Museum is an excellent place for a family excursion. It provides detailed information about the island’s aquatic wildlife and how wales and dolphins have evolved through time. The Agricola Museum also offers an insight into Lanzarote’s agricultural history and how life was for colonists and farmers. The Green’s Cave (otherwise known as the Cueva de los Verdes) provides a special guided tour of caverns and tunnels created by a river of lava deep underground. The tour costs just 8 Euros and usually runs from between 10am and 6pm.

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Keeping Your Spirits Up in the Sand

admin — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 21:33:14 +0000

You haven’t had a beach holiday until you have experienced the grind of walking along the beach with sand stuck up your bikini bottoms or trunks.

In this unfortunate situation the only thing to do is to walk (or crunch) into the sea and waves, and hope that the lovely waters, whether gentle or rushing, will wash your pants free from that gritty mess.

Little kids don’t seem to mind. Have you noticed the way that toddlers and slightly older kids will happily roll around in the sand, dig pits to bury each other in, throw sand at each other, and basically become completely covered with the stuff, but they don’t seem to mind. They don’t walk around stiff legged, trying not to pretend that a Jurassic beach has begun to evolve between their legs. They don’t want to twitch at their bikini bottoms or shorts every minute or so.

Kids get the best of a beach in every way. We all indulge them in ice creams, fizzy drinks, unhealthy beef burgers, and most importantly, lots and lots of fun and games, both in the waves and on the sand.

But, there is one important way that we adults on the beach can also have our perks. Our picnic baskets can contain lots of kid-free goodies such as miniature spirits bottles tucked away amongst the sarnies and yoghurts.

So while we are handing around the healthy fruit and veg and sandwiches, keep an eye on the adult bonuses that will make us forget the sandy, grinding walk. Just don’t let the sand-free kiddies find them first!

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Beach Trip 2011 - Rhodes Rhodes Rhodes!

admin — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 10:34:04 +0000

Whether you love them or hate them; beach holidays will always be with us. I love them and intend to continue celebrating them till someone either shuts me up or blows up the internet. In the meantime I will continue to share my experiences, my love of the ITSA and the somewhat random disasters that have occurred when on holiday. Take this fireworks display in Florida last year as an example. It was on the beach I was near but strayed a bit too far afield…

This year the one thing on everyone’s minds (apart from their ITSA accessories) is how much money they’re likely to spend whilst on holiday. Taking our mobile phones with us on holiday has become a habit extremely hard to break. Who can blame us? Let’s face it when we’re on holiday the first thing we want to do is take lots of pictures, upload them to the internet and make everyone back home jealous. Whatever happened to just enjoying ourselves? Well even I have to admit that I’m slyly snapping photos whenever I’m away and uploading them to Facebook or YouTube as often as possible. It’s a curse. However I have had to be very careful when using the internet in the last few years due to the outrageous roaming charges that have been hiked up at every opportunity by my service provider. As a report published on The Guardian online shows, this will change shortly but I still recommend doing some research before you travel to ensure you get the best deals. Look for the best worldwide roaming plans available and you should be all right.

This summer I’ve decided to go to Greece again – despite the economic troubles it’s having. I last went in 2009 and had the best time on Rhodes island; an absolutely beautiful spot in the Adriatic where the waters are blue and green and you wonder why on earth we bother to live in such cold conditions most of the year. Well, probably so we can enjoy the beach a lot more when we are away. The grass is always greener on the other side and I have the suspicion that if I lived by the beach I would start taking it for granted. Whilst it has become more touristic over the years, Rhodes still has miles of empty coastline waiting to be explored by eager beach enthusiasts. The sea life is incredible and snorkelling even just in the shallows will reveal a whole other world underneath that you could never hope to see in the UK.

I intend to be armed with my phone this year though having switched to a new provider that will allow me to gloat endlessly when I’m on the white beaches of northern Rhodes. The exchange rate may not be the best at the moment, but at least I know I will not be paying through the nose for uploading and sharing my photos and videos.

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Beach Vacations – Plan For The Warm Season

admin — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:03:19 +0000

My recent vacation which centered around a world famous beach turned out to be a complete disastrous simply because I had overlooked a minor point. I had booked 4×4 cars for my family and we landed up at the beach Very eager to jump into the water and have a big splash.

However, we were very surprised to find that the beach was virtually empty. Even the nearby restaurants were half closed and were not interested in catering to the public. Do you want to know why? Well, I had made the mistake of planning the vacation in the winter. The water was cold. The sand was cold. The wind was cold.

We were prepared for a sunny holiday and did not have any protection from the cold. The entire vacation turned out to be a horribly damn squib. I had to come up with numerous alternative arrangements so that my family would have wonderful time despite the fact that the beach was not an option.

If you want to understand why you should plan your beach vacation during the hot season, just visit a beach during the rainy or winter season. The water will be very cold and the sea will be so rough that you will be scared of venturing into the water.

What is more, the fact that tourism season is yet to start will mean that the amenities and facilities in and around the beach will not be active. We had a tough time buying a snack during our stay on the beach. Thankfully, the town had many other attractions and I was in a position to keep my family happy despite the disaster.

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Best Beaches – So Difficult To Choose

admin — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 13:03:12 +0000

Choosing the best art club amongst the numerous art clubs UK is comparatively an easier task as opposed to choosing the best beach in the country. Why? It is easy to differentiate good from bad beaches without any difficulty. A beach that has soft sand, adequate facilities nearby and pure clean water is automatically a good beach. On the other hand, a beach that is populated by antisocial elements and which makes you feel as if you are sitting in front of a huge drain is best avoided.

However, choosing the best possible beach amongst the numerous good beaches in the country is a very difficult task. A beach that is situated close to an amusement park will automatically become the best one around for children. On the other hand, a beach that is situated near a very cozy and comfy restaurant is a good option for young couples who want to spend a romantic time together with the sound of the waves and the surf in the background.

A family will be interested in those beaches that have affordable accommodation nearby. The problem of transportation automatically comes down and the head of the family can plan the vacation without any worries about emergencies and contingencies.

Hence, keep your individual specific requirements in mind when you are reading articles and reviews of different beaches in and around your country. What is good for others may not be good enough for you. On the other hand, what is not so good for others may end up as the best possible option for you and your family.

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Stay Clear of Tsunamis

admin — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 14:33:19 +0000

With the growing number of tsunamis around the world, beach vacationers are sure to think of it once before they make it there. I think it is these thoughts that have made many vacationers cancel there plans for beach and instead go for Road trips California. Even though people might talk about in the lighter note, but we know in our hearts that this is one of nature’s more destructive force and there is nothing that we humans can do to stop it once it’s on its way. The fact that it happens with very little warning makes it a lot more destructive. Recently I was reading about the flooding on the Mississippi River. Even though millions of dollars were lost, many lives were saved only because of the advanced warning system. In such a situation it is very important for vacationers to plan their beach vacation spot very carefully. Leaving everything on fate is not the brightest idea. Man would still be riding horses if cars could be made by fate.

To decide a beach vacation spot that would have relatively lesser danger from tsunami, one would need to understand what causes a tsunami. There are multiple reasons why a tsunami can happen. Tsunamis are sea-waves that mostly happen in connection with earthquakes. Deep beneath the ocean floor there are tectonic plates that collide, causing an earthquake and subsequently triggering a tsunami. This has been one of the common reasons for recent tsunamis; however this is not the only reason for the same. Tsunamis can happen due to ocean landslides triggered by an earth quake. Underwater volcanoes can also cause tsunamis, though it has not happened in the recent times.

All we need to do is to stay away from the beaches that are close to the tectonic plates. Just stay away from the beaches which have a history of earthquakes. In case if you are in a beach and have experienced the slightest of an earthquake, just flee for your life, since even if the earthquake was little in your area, it might not have been the same underwater. Also always keep yourself updated with the local weather system. This will also help you to be alert. You don’t want to lose yours and your family’s life due to ignorance.

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