Author Archives: IAM SAM

Best Hidden Gems: Ploumanac’h – Brittany – France

Ploumanac’h is a town in the commune of Perros-Guirec, in the Brittany region of the Côtes-d’Armor department in the west of France.  The Pink Granite Coast, so-called because of the colour of its rocks, is one of the most beautiful … Read More

Best Hidden Gems: Mellieha – Malta

Perched on a series of hills to the north-west of Malta lies the small town of Mellieħa.  Its elevated maritime position, being surrounded on three sides by the Blue Mediterranean Sea, gives it magnificent views all around.  It is about 150 … Read More

Best Hidden Gems: Dinant – Belgium

Many visitors are attracted to the region, summer and winter alike, drawn not just by Dinant itself, birthplace of Adolphe Sax, the jovial inventor of the saxophone, but also by a network of close on 2,000km of signposted trails, a … Read More

Best Hidden Gems: Burano – Italy

All visitors of Burano remain intrigued by the many colours and the coloured housesthat are reflected into the green waters of channels, by the Oblique Bell Tower, by the tranquility and the calmness with which the elderly ladies embroider original Burano lace by … Read More

Best Hidden Gems: Coimbra – Portugal

The City of Coimbra has its own very special mystique, the result of a past full of important events and of the memories of the many thousands of Portuguese who, dispersed around the country or abroad, remember the carefree, easygoing, hopeful years spent here … Read More

Best Hidden Gems: Hvar – Croatia

The city of Hvar is a unique fusion of luxurious Mediterranean nature, rich cultural and historical heritage, and mundane, tourist present. It is situated in picturesque nature, facing the southern, side of the world that has given it all Mediterranean attraction and cheerfulness; … Read More

Best Hidden Gems: Portofino – Italy

A small village, Portofino, stretches crescent-shaped along the edge of this calm bay.” Thus wrote Guy de Maupassant when describing Portofino, tiny sea village on theItalian Riviera circumscribed by the green of the Natural Regional Park and Marine Reserve. This splendid sea … Read More

Best Hidden Gems: Piran – Slovenia

One of the most photogenic cities in the Mediterranean, Piran has preserved its unsurpassed charm. Enter the picturesque Piran, get to know its rich history and culture, and listen to the stories of our people. The proximity to the sea and … Read More

Best Hidden Gems: Alberobello – Italy

The trulli, the characteristic cone-roofed houses of Alberobello, Apulia, make up one of the 50 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Italy. The name derives from the late Greek word for dome (τρούλος; in Italian, cupola), and refers to the ancient stone houses with … Read More

Best Hidden Gems: Santana – Madeira – Portugal

Santana (from Portuguese Santa Ana, meaning Saint Anne) is a municipality along the northern coast of the island of Madeira. Santana is known for the traditional homes constructed with sloping triangular rooftops, and protected with straw. These were mainly rural homes, used by … Read More