Author: Renata

The world is my oyster: I'm Renata, founder and editor of this travel blog. bye:myself - no, that's not a typo, it's referring to me saying bye to my comfort zone and heading for new shores solo. Having been a solo traveller, flashpacker, and poverty jet setter for ages made me an avid and savvy planner and organizer of worldwide travel. Since I've been an author and journalist practically all my life, I love to put my travel experience into writing to encourage, inspire, and assist you. Looking forward to meeting you somewhere on this planet!

EL MEDANO – where not only the wind will blow you away

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Since, after almost an entire week in Tenerife, I hadn’t been to the beach, I urgently needed to add some lazy hours of sweet nothing. After having explored the island’s northern hinterland, I really didn’t feel like letting the tourist ghettos on the south coast put an ugly stain on the positive’n’pure impression Tenerife had made. Fortunately, the wind blew me to a small surfer town on the east coast, and although I’m not a surfer, El Medano, with its beautiful coastline, laid-back atmosphere, and great fish restaurants, actually did blow my mind.

El Medano in Tenerife
Not only windsurfers enjoy El Médano’s wild waters.
This Way to the Whole Story ->

Day Trip to San Cristobal de La Laguna and the National Park of Anaga

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Do you guys want to see where Disney & Co. get their inspiration and their decoration ideas from? Then follow me on a day trip to the picturesque town of San Cristobal de la Laguna – mostly just referred to as La Laguna – from where we’ll take the bus uphill to the enchanted forests of Anaga. Quick, call Snow White, and then it’s hi ho hi ho off to Anaga we go!

Mural created by Matías Mata aka Sabotaje al Montaje. in San Cristobal de la Laguna in Tenerife
Hardly anyone is talking about La Laguna’s artsy side. This is my favorite mural, created by Matías Mata aka Sabotaje al Montaje.
This Way to the Whole Story ->

CANDELARIA, Home of the Canarian Virgin Mary and the Guanches

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Candelaria is a town on the eastern coast of Tenerife and, for devoted Catholics, mainly a place of adoration of the Canarian patron, the Virgin of Candelaria, but it has already been the cradle of the indigenous Guanches and part of their Kingdom of Güímar thousands of years ago.

View of the city of Candelaria, the home of

You see, this charming town looks back at so much amazing history, and I’m happy to introduce this beautiful yet often overlooked place in this post.

This Way to the Whole Story ->

Guide to PUERTO DE LA CRUZ – a Town Full of Contrasts

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Way back in Tenerife’s early years of tourism, the former fishing village Puerto de la Cruz was apparently destined to become this major mass tourism resort. Sadly, in some spots, merciless planners succeeded so that the town has to endure some of those horrific, soulless high-rising prefab buildings. But as mass tourism finally moved mostly to the south coast, Puerto de la Cruz got somehow stuck between its old charm and the ugly remains from the second half of the 20th century. It remained in a peculiar limbo between idyllic beaches and striking urban art. There is the old and the new, the borrowed and the blue – all in all, Puerto de la Cruz is a place of many contrasts, which makes it the perfect base on Tenerife’s northern coast.

View of Parque Maritimo Cesar Manrique, Puerto de la Cruz
When the waters are too rough, you can always go for a swim at the Parque Maritimo, created by Canarian superstar Cesar Manrique.
This Way to the Whole Story ->

TAGANANA – Over The Hills And Far Away in Tenerife

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Instead of joining the tourist crowds on large beaches, are you looking for small bays to swim’n’sunbathe? Do you prefer to enjoy local cuisine and homemade wine in a small tavern over wild party nights? Would you like to be enchanted by picturesque mountain ridges and dense, fairytale-like forests?
Then, I have the perfect place for you: A bit over 20 kilometers north of the capital Santa Cruz, Tenerife keeps one of its greatest treasures, namely the mountain village of Taganana – a place over the hills and far away.

View of Taganana, the other side of Tenerife
Lush vegetation and rugged mountain ridges above blue waters: The secluded village of Taganana consists of pure beauty.
This Way to the Whole Story ->

Solo Female Travel to Morocco – All Your Questions Answered

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Ready to step into mystic tales from 1001 night? Planning your trip to Morocco but you aren’t sure if a female globetrotter should travel there solo? Relax, in this post, I have you covered. I’m answering all your questions – even those you didn’t know you had.
So pour yourself a glass of mint tea and prepare for a wonderful journey.

Fez train station.
Exploring Morocco by train is reliable and comfortable – and perfect also for solo-travelling women.
This Way to the Whole Story ->

Rocking it in METEORA: Monasteries and Beyond

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I must admit that till the moment I began to plan my trip to Greece, to me, Meteora was not a mesmerizing place packed with monasteries.

Holy Trinity Monastery at Meteora, Greece
The Holy Trinity Monastery is not the largest of the six remaining cloisters, however, the most picturesquely positioned one.

It was just the name of my favorite CD by one of my favorite bands, Linkin Park.

Since last Christmas, I know better; much better: Meteora is a rock formation in central Greece, about 350 kilometers north of Athens. It is famous for one of the largest complexes of monasteries.

So my initial rock-band reference was not that mistaken, after all: Meteora is rocking – big time!

This Way to the Whole Story ->

ARUBA: The Powerful Murals of San Nicolas

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While Aruba is famous for its beaches, far too few people venture to the hidden gem San Nicolas in the south of the island where you get to see some of the most powerful murals.

Street Art by ChemiS in San Nicolas in Aruba
He’s looking at you, kid.

In this post, I’m introducing some of San Nicolas’ most impressive pieces that you can explore self-guided or on an organized tour.

This Way to the Whole Story ->

Guide to PARACAS and the ISLAS BALLESTAS

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Here comes a guide to Paracas which is actually only a short promenade along the shore. However, it’s a great gateway to natural treasures like the Islas Ballestas, Peru’s Galapagos Islands.

Going by boat to the Islas Ballestas off the shore of Paracas
Paying birds and beasts a visit.

Every morning, the tour boats leave the village and show the visitors the undisturbed wildlife on these rocks. Sea lions, flocks of different birds, and even groups of penguins are greeting from the shores.

This Way to the Whole Story ->

Guide to AREQUIPA and the COLCA CANYON

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This is a guide to the white city of Arequipa from where a day trip to the Colca Canyon is indispensable.

Catedral de Arequipe
In front of the Catedral de Arequipa, protests from the workers of the mines surrounding Arequipa. They are digging for ore, silver, and gold – a trade, that destroys nature and the workers.

After all, it’s like they say: El Condor Pasa….

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