City Break Archives | Page 10 of 16

Best Things to Do in CHANIA – And the Finest Beaches Just a Short Walk Away

Posted on2024-05-032025-08-16AuthorRenata20 Comments

The glorious city of Chania is located rather in the west of the island of Crete and unites all the best features every visitor is looking for: There is the everchanging history that’s reflected in magnificent structures from different epochs and cultures and showcased in grand museums. There is the joy of life that you feel even in the smallest alley, that you taste in Crete’s delicious cuisine and enjoy with every sip of Retsina’n’Raki. However, one of the best features of Chania are the beautiful beaches which are just a short walk away from the city center.

Chania on the island of Crete — View of the famous Venetian harbor of Chania.

Hence, if you are looking for the perfect base to explore’n’enjoy the island of Crete, look no further, you’ve found it in Chania.

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SINGAPORE – first-timers guide to a powerful city-state

Posted on2024-04-172025-08-10AuthorRenata46 Comments

Since Singapore – undisputably one of my favorite cities in the world – can be a bit overwhelming for first-timers, I’ve put together a guide that will help you to enjoy this powerful city-state right from the beginning.

Singapore icons, introduced in bye:myself's first-timers guide to the city-state — Only two of many iconic landmarks in the city-state of Singapore.

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Street Art in SEVILLE: Arte Para Todos in the San Pablo District

Posted on2024-04-022024-04-02AuthorRenata2 Comments

Seville is one of those many Spanish cities where you can spend days just walking around. Squeezing through picturesque cobblestone alleys, enjoying tapas, bloodred wine, and passionate Flamenco. Visiting the Cathedral, the Alcazar, and the Plaza de España.
But apart from the many world-famous landmarks, Seville has some less glorious barrios located on the outskirts.
One of them is San Pablo located northeast of the center.
Instead of magnificent Andalusian and Moorish architecture, you’ll walk between rather sad housing projects. Nevertheless, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your stroll through San Pablo since it’s also home to the art project Arte Para Todos and therewith to the best street art in all of Seville.

Mural by Veronica Werckmeister, street art at the San Pablo district in Sevilla — Expectedly, there is also a mural depicting a fierce Flamenco dancer.

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24 hours in BARCELONA

Posted on2024-03-272025-08-03AuthorRenataLeave a comment

Recently, I was lucky enough to spend an entire week in Barcelona, however, since it’s Spain’s second-largest airport, chances are that you’ll have to stay there just for up to 24 hours on a layover.

Roof of the Palau Güell in Barcelona — Gaudí’s amazing chimneys on the roof of the Palau Güell just off the Rambla.

Although this is far too short for one of Europe’s most fascinating metropoles, in this guide, I show you how to make the best of it.

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Seven Days in BARCELONA And Ten Reasons Not to Miss Out on a Visit

Posted on2024-03-262025-08-03AuthorRenata30 Comments

As international travel picked up again, one of the first trips I did was to spend seven days in Barcelona, Catalonia’s exciting capital. Barcelona is one of the most-visited cities in Europe, and in this post, I’m listing ten valid reasons why you have to visit this gem, too.

View of Barcelona from the Parque Güell — Some of Barcelona’s highlights in one single picture: The Parque Güell, the Sagrada Familia, the Mediterranean Sea.

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Best of HERAKLION – Your Perfect Base in the East of Crete

Posted on2024-03-172025-08-17AuthorRenata9 Comments

Bright lights, big city: Although Crete’s capital Heraklion has only 200,000 inhabitants – which still makes it the island’s largest city – it surely has some swag, and its rough vitality can definitely compete with the fierce energy of Athens. Now, add some amazing history, the proximity of some beautiful beaches, and major hubs like an international airport, a busy seaport, and a bus station from where you can get to all of Crete’s most captivating spots – and there you have it: Heraklion, your perfect base in the East of Crete.

View of Heraklion, the perfect base in the east of Crete — Welcome to Heraklion, Crete’s exciting capital city.

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Day Trip to RETHYMNO

Posted on2024-03-142025-08-17AuthorRenata2 Comments

Located about halfway between the Cretan capital of Heraklion and the glorious coast town of Chania, idyllic Rethymno is kind of a smaller version of the latter: The same historic old town, a Venetian harbor, picturesque alleys, and fascinating Ottoman heritage make Crete’s third-largest city one of the most popular destinations for vacationers. But due to its favorable location, Rethymno is also the ideal place for a lovely day trip.

Venetian harbor of Rethymno — Today, Rethymno’s Venetian Harbor also serves as a fishing port

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One Day in SANTA CRUZ de TENERIFE

Posted on2024-03-132025-09-21AuthorRenata9 Comments

I urgently need to make a correction to this post. No, I didn’t make a typo. Oh no, there are no grammatical or spelling errors – at least, that’s what I hope. I was simply entirely misjudging Santa Cruz when I first created this post.
Was it the bad weather?
Was it the exhaustion after a few weeks on the road?
Whatever it was that drove me to portray Santa Cruz as not worth seeing, I was wrong.
So very wrong!

Street in Santa Cruz de Tenerife — View of the iconic belfry of the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción from the picturesque Calle Antonio Domínguez Alfonso.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the city on another trip to Tenerife, and what can I say, I thought it was a great place: Lively and yet not stressful, with lots of shops, excellent restaurants, beautiful squares, and a pleasant promenade along the sea, the city scored highly at second glance. And since I was hunting for the best street art, this time I also went to parts of the city that usually aren’t on the tourist agenda.

Charming alleys, friendly residents, lots of local vibes, and yes, the best street art in Tenerife convinced me: Santa Cruz is not only absolutely worth a day’s visit. The city, which is connected to a comprehensive public transport network, can also be an excellent base and starting point for exploring the entire island.

So again: Sorry, Santa Cruz, I totally stand corrected!

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RIO DE JANEIRO – a refined guide to a rough city

Posted on2024-03-092025-08-15AuthorRenata Green38 Comments

Instead of being Brazil’s rough and tough bad boy, Rio de Janeiro could be the most beautiful city on the planet. There are the ocean, the beaches, the hills, the vegetation, the views….I could go on and on.

Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, a smooth place in a rough city — The world-famous Copacabana

But then there is the poverty, the violence, the hopelessness, the corruption, the dirt….I could go on and on.
And I do. In this refined guide to a rough city.

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

Posted on2024-03-052025-09-15AuthorRenata19 Comments

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.

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