Andreas Brokalakis

The gorge of Patsos is located close to the village of Patsos (hence the name) in Rethymnon prefecture, island of Crete, Greece. The gorge is also known to the locals as Aghios Antonios gorge, named by a little church carved in the rocks at the entrance of the gorge. The gorge has been formed by rain and spring waters and it is quite narrow, full of trees and vegetation. This makes its crossing...

Askifou plateau is located in the heart of the White Mountains sierra in western Crete, approximately 50 km from the city of Chania. At an altitude of around 1200m, the plateau is surrounded by many of the high peaks of the White Mountains (most of which are above 2000m of altitude) and in winter time it is often covered in snow, creating a magnificent spectacle, especially when someone overloo...

Buenos Aires surely is one attractive city that calls you to explore it. Among its numerous barrios (neighborhoods), San Telmo stands out being one of the oldest and most emblematic ones. San Telmo is the place where some of the first houses and mansions where built by european immigrants and to this day it still maintains much of its original architecture, with historic mansions, cobbled stre...

As ones approaches Essaouira from one of the main roads that connect it either with Marrakesh or Casablanca, it gives the impression of a modern european city. Leaving the car in side though and entering the fortified walls of the old city, this impression is put to rest and a magnificent morrocan medina unfolds. In comparison with other medinas in the country, the location of the city by the o...

Seitan Limania is one tiny secluded beach with turquoise waters surrounded by an amazing landscape. Until recently, almost nobody knew it and even fewer people visited it - most of them with boats. But with the rising of social media, this small paradise became one of the most photographed and sought after prizes to post in the popular media accounts and therefore now, literally thousands of pe...

Omalos plateau is one of the highest plateaus in Crete at an altitude of 1080m above sea level. It is located in the heart of the White Mountains sierra and it is surrounded by seven of their peaks. One of them is the iconic Gigilos. From far away, Gigilos seems the wildest of all, however it has the easiest trail to reach the peak and therefore it is the summit that is most accessible. Gigilo...

Imbros Gorge is one of the many gorges that can be found in the White Mountains sierra at the south-western part of the island of Crete, Greece. The gorge is part of the E4 European hiking path and it is easily accessible and properly marked. The name of the gorge comes from the village that marks its beginning, Imbros. The village is located on the road that connects Chania with Chora Sfakion...

Klima is a rather unique fishing village in the island of Milos because of its architecture. It is built in a way that the houses seem to be so close to the sea that the water almost gets in. The specific architecture is called "Syrmata" and the ground floor that is almost in the sea used to house the boats of the fishermen, who lived in the upper floor. The colorful paintings of the doors and...

Livaditis waterfall is a 60 meter high waterfall (considered to be the biggest in the Balkans area in terms of quantity and volume of water) located in a pristine forest between the cities of Drama and Ksanthi in northern Greece.To reach the trail that leads to the waterfall, you drive past the village of Livaditis and then towards the village of Erymanthos. It is a 2km gravel road that leads t...

In the Magellan Strait is Isla Magdalena, a small island which has the largest colony of penguins in south Chile. The island is a protected area (Natural Monument) hosting more than 60000 pairs of magellanic penguins and numerous seabirds. Being a protected area, it is uninhabited by humans and therefore it can be visited only with an appointed guide. There is a limited duration of about one h...

Omalos plateau is at the center of the White Mountains sierra in western Crete. It is located 38km south of Chania at an altitude above 1000m. All around the plateau, several of the high peaks of the sierra stand creating an impressive scenery. Above the plateau, at an altitude of 1680m, lies the mountain shelter Kalergi. Kalergi is the most popular and well-organized shelter of Crete. It is b...

Kampos is a village on the western side of the island on the road linking Sfinari to the world famous beach of Elafonisi. Kampos is built at an altitude of approximately 250m above sea level and from the central square of the village starts a trail that crosses a gorge and eventually reaches a secluded beach, Platanakia. The gorge is the westernmost gorge in the island of Crete. The trail follo...

Mauritius is a tropical island in the Indian ocean. The island is surrounded by a riff making its coastline an amazing place to be. The waters are generally calm as the riff invisibly protects the coastline and once you dive, they are full of marine life. So what better way to explore the island taking a catamaran and spend the day exploring its coast, diving at sea and visiting the paradise ne...

The city of Ghent lies between Brussels and touristic city of Bruges. It is often overlooked by travelers who choose to visit its more famous neighbors. One may say that this has been a good thing about the city since it has based its development in other areas beyond tourism. It is a prominent cultural hub and a major university town with thousands of students giving it a very lively vibe. Th...

The Quebrada de Cafayate (or Quebrada de las Conchas) is an impressive canyon spanning more than 60kms between the cities of Cafayate and Salta in northwest Argentina. The canyon is crossed by the famous Route 68 and is definitely one of the most scenic drives that you can do in Argentina. The canyon itself is home to impressive rock formations and multihued sandstone. It has been carved by the...

The northern most edge of the island of Kythera is Cape Spathi. This is where the impressive lighthouse of Moudari is located. The lighthouse is 25 meters high and very well preserved. The overall area is of amazing beauty as the view from cape Spathi towards the Peloponnese is incredible. The best time to be there is during the sunset when the colors have an orange shade and the sun falls beh...

El Anfiteatro (the amphitheater) is a natural amphitheater carved from red stone. This wonder of nature gets its name from its tall walls (20 meters high) shaped in a form similar to an amphitheater. As a result the acoustics of the place (especially if you position yourself near the center) are excellent and you can either try yourself to fill it with sounds or let be carried out by the music ...

The bridge of Portitsa is one of the most unique bridges in Greece as it is the only bridge that stands at the entrance of a very narrow gorge, thus creating a impressive scenery. Inside the Pindos mountain range, the valley of Kanavi between the mountains of Spilaio and Lykotrypa ends up in a deep gorge formed by two massive vertical rocks. The gorge is named Portitsa, which in greek means "li...

Lake of Krios or Viena beach is located on the west side of Cape Krios and it is the most remote beach of the coastline in the Palaiochora area (the closest city from the beach). The beach is mainly rocky, with sand in some places. It is protected by a large wall of rocks, that forms a small enclosed bay resembling a lake. The beach is situated in the exact location of the ancient Hellenistic o...

The southern side of the island of Crete has the most beautiful and secluded beaches. The catch is that most of them are not easily accessible and/or may lack facilities. I consider this to be their greatest advantage and really enjoy those beaches that have fewer visitors and not the "pollution" of beach clubs, speed boats and other similar activities that ruin the tranquility of the place. Ha...

The gorge of Aghia Irini takes its name from the village located near its entrance. Aghia Irini is a small village on the road from Chania to Sougia, approximately 43km from the city of Chania. The gorge is one of the most popular gorges in Crete, attracting several thousands of hikers each summer when it is accessible to the general public. The trail that crosses the gorge is clearly marked, ...

Sahara desert may be considered one of the most hostile environments on earth, however once you are there, there is such a seduction that it impossible to understand. Especially, watching the sunset and sunrise inside the sea of sand of the desert is an enchanting experience. In order to do this, the best way is to actually stay deep inside the desert, far away from villages, roads or other hum...

A "medina" is typically called the historical district in many north African arabic cities. As such when traveling in Morocco, in most important cities, you will encounter a medina. The medina of Fez is one of the most important ones because of its historic and cultural significance, that led to its proclamation by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site. The medina of Fez is a huge maze, ful...

Skinakas Observatory is a joint research facility of the University of Crete and the Foundation of Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH). Its prime objective is to conduct fundamental research in Astrophysics and to promote it along with enjoying the wonders of the night sky among students and general public in Greece. It currently houses two fully functional telescopes: a 1.3m modified R...