Europe is a continent composed not only of different interesting countries, it is also a multitude of islands scattered around the continent.
Huge, isolated plateaus studded with glaciers, geysers, and volcanoes? You’re in Iceland. Just as on the high cliffs of Svalbard Islands in Norway, you’ll have the unusual opportunity to live with the Midnight Sun or to see the Aurora Borealis, an amazing spectacle you’ll never forget. And Svalbard will give you the opportunity to meet its fauna, polar bears, reindeers, even the arctic fox.
The imprint of the fierce Vikings marks the Faroe Isles (Denmark), and the outer islands of Scotland (United Kingdom): Orkney, Shetland, and the Hebrides. These islands, peaceful harbours all, allow you to observe Nordic fauna, such as polar bears, seals, and whales.
Denmark boasts the pretty Isle of Bornhholm. Similarly in Finland, on one of the 6,500 Aland Islands, as well as on Sweden’s Öland Island, also called the Pearl of Sweden, or Gotland Island, the sunniest in Sweden.
The romantic atmosphere on the islands of Sylt and Rügen or Usedom (Germany) is utterly seductive. If you choose to stay right next door, on the island of Wolin, you’ll be in Poland. The Wadden Sea is listed by UNESCO. The Wadden Islands spreading between Holland and Denmark, are very popular vacation spots thanks to their pristine condition.
In Ireland, benefit from the famous Irish welcome on the west coast, with its disarmingly beautiful scenery, at the Ring of Kerry, or the lovely Dingle Peninsula.
The north of Ireland has a remarkably steep coast where you can explore the Glens of Antrim, Celtic and extremely mysterious. Don’t miss the Giant’s Causeway, to wonder whether it’s the work of Nature or that of the legendary giant!
Ireland has its own islands to discover as well, among which are the still very traditional Aran Islands.
Off the coast, recharge your batteries on the Isle of Man, the Isle of Wight, and the Channel Islands. They all promise active vacations in picture-postcard settings.
On the Atlantic coast of France, experience the proud character of the isle of Ouessant, by bike or by foot, the fascinating islands of Belle Isle en Mer, Noirmoutiers, Yeu, Ré, and Oléron.
Love the sun, gentle in winter and scorching in summer? Then you’ll love the Mediterranean! Destinations where people come to rejuvenate in the winter, in the summer these islands are the go-to place for the young and jet setters as well as for families.
Off of Spain, the Balearic Islands offer simultaneously magnificent back country and cultural attractions, but if you’re after lively entertainment, Ibiza is your next destination. A similar marriage of cities bathed in history, of scrubland and of cliffs plunging into crystal clear, turquoise water exists in Malta.
Greece and its multitude of islands in the Aegean Sea will sweep party animals into a whirlwind of nocturnal activities, but when day comes, you’ll be face-to-face with history, in the cradle of western civilization. Each island holds treasures, both archaeological and cultural. In Crete you can visit the ruins of the palace of Minos, surrounded by pine glades, olive orchards, and cypress. At Santorini, imagine the legendary Atlantis, standing on the edge of the cliffs, facing the sea and a submerged volcano, your back to the blindingly white walls and bright blue domes of the villages, the churches topped by bell towers.
Farther south, Cyprus entices with its archaeological sites, Byzantine monasteries, and loads of beaches, one of which, mind you, was the birthplace of Aphrodite! Search the waves; perhaps the goddess will deign to appear to you in the foam that laps at the shore?
Italy certainly has treasures in store! In Sicily the lure of the beaches fights with the pull of archaeological sites. In Syracuse you can visit an amphitheatre facing the sea, with Mount Etna in the background, always ready to offer the spectacle of an eruption.
Sardinia is an island of rare beauty, surrounded by incredibly clear water. Along its coast and that of Corsica, the Madeleine Archipelago (Italy) is a national park.
Corsica (France) shares the same coastal beaut as Sardinia. The Greeks called it “Kallisté” (the most beautiful). Today its second name is “Isle of Beauty”.
In the Adriatic, off the coast of Croatia, is a veritable diamond mine: more than 1,000 islands sparkle in magnificent blue water.
Portugal boasts the island of Madeira, a mountain pinned in the middle of the ocean, bursting with exotic flowers, or to the Azores, where you can watch whales and dolphins.
The Canary Islands (Spain) are nicknamed “Sun of Europe”: seven islands with different kinds of landscape.
You’ll be in France, as strange as it may seem, on the islands of Martinique, Guadeloupe, and St. Barths. If you opt for St. Martin, it’s a double whammy: on one half of the island you’ll be in France, and on the other, in Holland.
http://www.spain.info/
http://www.visitestonia.com/
http://uk.franceguide.com/
http://www.discoverireland.com/gb/
http://www.enit.it/default.asp?Lang=UK
http://www.visitportugal.com/Cultures/en-US/default.html
http://www.visitbritain.com/
http://www.visitnorway.com/
http://www.visitgreece.gr/?langID=2