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Pomáz

Pomáz (German: Paumasch) is a town in the Danube Bend region. It is on the HÉV (commuter train) line Budapest–Szentendre northwest from Budapest. Its neighbor towns are Budakalász (south), Csobánka (west) and Szentendre (north). A popular place to start trips in the Pilis mountains.

Understand
Pomáz is the entrance of the Pilis. The village in the valley of Dera-stream with more than 16,000 inhabitants. The nearby volcanic mountains, the Nagy-Csikóvár and the Kőhegy Mountain, and the Holdvilág-árok (ditch) attract day-trippers.

By train
From Budapest you can take the HÉV (commuter train) H5 line. The ride takes 32 min from Batthyány Square, 24 min from Szentlélek Square (Árpád Bridge). For the part within Budapest (last stop is Békásmegyer), you need a single ticket or a valid pass for Budapest public transport; for the rest you have to buy a suburban ticket. You should buy the Budapest ticket/pass before boarding the train in all cases; the suburban ticket should be bought advance if there is a working ticket vending machine, an open ticket office or reseller available (as of February 2019, there are TVMs at all suburban stops/stations except for Budakalász, and also almost all urban ones, see map). TVMs accept forint coins and notes, as well as conventional and contactless bank cards. You will pay €1.5-2 in forints. HÉV timetable

By bus
You can take a bus from the Pest end of Árpád híd, but these buses are not coming to Pomáz, they are going on route 11, so you must walk or arrange transport for the rest 2-3 km. The easier way is the HÉV.

By car
By car it is easy to access from the route 11.

Get around
The bus going to Dobogókő stops several times between the HÉV station and the northern end of Pomáz. Also there are private companies running transportation services within Pomáz with vans, but they are more expensive.

See
Most sights are in the main square, the biggest attraction is the Wattay-Teleki-castle. It has been renovated as a home for a music school. It is open for visitors.

You can take a walk in the forest in Csikóváralja: it's a very popular weekend destination for people of Budapest. A very good restaurant waits for you after the trip.

Do
The bus to the Pilis Mountains leave from the HÉV station of Pomáz very often. You can go to Dobogókő or other nice places for a day trip or longer (it's not difficult to find a tourist house or any other place to spend the night). For the bus timetable, visit menetrendek.hu (write Pomáz and Dobogókő).

Drink
There are a few pubs in Pomáz, but for real evening entertainment you must go to Budapest.

Eat

Also here are a couple of traditional Hungarian restaurants like Kincsem restaurant.

Sleep
There are a couple accommodation possibilities in Pomáz, for more options try Budapest or Szentendre. There are a few couchsurfers in Pomáz.

Go next

 * Dunakeszi – town 17 km west
 * Esztergom – town 31 km northwest
 * Leányfalu – village 13 km northeast
 * Pilisvörösvár – town 12 km southwest
 * Szentendre — historic town 6 km northeast
 * Vác – town 22 km northeast

title: Pomáz


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Pomerania

Pomerania is a historical region in northern Central Europe, on the Baltic Sea.

Regions

 * Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany — the western part of the region
 * Zachodniopomorskie, Poland — the central part
 * Pomorskie, Poland — the eastern part
 * Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Poland — inland from Pomorskie

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Pomerania


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Pomorskie

Pomeranian Voivodeship (Polish: Województwo pomorskie) is a province situated at the Baltic Sea coast in the north of Poland.

Cities

 * — biggest city and capital of Pomeranian Voivodeship, rebuilt after World War II as one of the most beautiful European cities; gateway to many sea resorts along the Polish northern coast; the biggest city of Tricity agglomeration
 * — a big seaport city at Gdańsk Bay with sandy beaches, a huge harbour and one of the biggest aquarium compounds in Europe; part of Tricity agglomeration
 * — spa town at the Baltic Coast; part of Tricity agglomeration
 * — historic town in Vistula delta region with huge Gothic Malbork Castle of the Teutonic Knights, the largest one in Europe
 * — historic town in Vistula delta region with huge Gothic Malbork Castle of the Teutonic Knights, the largest one in Europe
 * — historic town in Vistula delta region with huge Gothic Malbork Castle of the Teutonic Knights, the largest one in Europe
 * — historic town in Vistula delta region with huge Gothic Malbork Castle of the Teutonic Knights, the largest one in Europe
 * — historic town in Vistula delta region with huge Gothic Malbork Castle of the Teutonic Knights, the largest one in Europe
 * — historic town in Vistula delta region with huge Gothic Malbork Castle of the Teutonic Knights, the largest one in Europe
 * — historic town in Vistula delta region with huge Gothic Malbork Castle of the Teutonic Knights, the largest one in Europe

Other destinations

 * – small village and the site of the Nazi Stutthof concentration camp
 * — national park at the sea with the biggest dunes in Europe

Talk
The people of Pomeranian Voivodeship speak standard Polish. Kashubes speak Kashubian too. Due to its history, many inhabitants have at least cursory knowledge of German. As in the entirety of Poland, English knowledge is on the rise, particularly among the younger generations. The region sees a fair amount of tourism and thus many service-sector employees have a reasonable fluency in English. Other languages that can be spoken by locals include Finnish, Norwegian, Russian, and Ukrainian.

By plane
The region's airport is the Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport in Gdańsk. One of the busiest airports in Poland, it is served by many flights to other countries in Europe, also connecting to intercontinental flights.

See
Sopot: A beautiful town. One of the "tri-cities" (Gdańsk, Sopot, Gdynia). Great place to come in the summertime but there are a lot of tourists. Attracts people from all over Poland as well as neighboring countries.

Jastrzębia Góra: A tourist hotspot, most to the north advanced promontory of Poland (N54°50', E18°20'). The town stands on a spectacular cliff, which in some places stands over 55 meters above sea level. An attractive tourist destination with clean and wide sandy beaches.

Go next
Pomeranian Voivodeship borders four other Polish provinces:

 * Zachodniopomorskie,
 * Kujawsko-Pomorskie,
 * Wielkopolskie,
 * and Warmińsko-Mazurskie,

as well as the Baltic Sea.

Pomerania

title: Pomorskie


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Pomona

Pomona is in the San Gabriel Valley, near Los Angeles, California. Named after the Roman goddess of fruit, in the 1920s it was indeed known as "the Queen of the Citrus Belt." However, its origins preceded that epoch as an allotment given to two ranchers, Ricardo Véjar and Ygnacio Palomares, in the 1830s, when the territory was still part of Mexico. After the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and becoming part of the USA, it eventually became absorbed into the megalopolis of southern California, with perhaps its main standout nowadays being the site of the LA County Fair, or the location of Cal Polytechnic U.

See

 * Japanese Gardens,
 * Rain Biotrek Preserve,
 * and the horses ambling around in the fields or paddocks of the W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center.
 * Japanese Gardens,
 * Rain Biotrek Preserve,
 * and the horses ambling around in the fields or paddocks of the W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center.
 * Rain Biotrek Preserve,
 * and the horses ambling around in the fields or paddocks of the W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center.

Do

 * The Fox Theater Pomona, 301 S Garey Ave, historic theater where Hollywood films used to be tested locally for middle-class demographic likability, now a live events venue.
 * The Fox Theater Pomona, 301 S Garey Ave, historic theater where Hollywood films used to be tested locally for middle-class demographic likability, now a live events venue.

Buy

 * 2nd Street Promenade, downtown Pomona. In a bygone era this zone was a mall, but it has gone through a bit of a renaissance now to become a collection of shops and cafes.
 * 2nd Street Promenade, downtown Pomona. In a bygone era this zone was a mall, but it has gone through a bit of a renaissance now to become a collection of shops and cafes.

Sleep

 * Kellogg West Conference Center and Hotel, 3801 W Temple Ave Bldg. 76. A hotel on the Cal Poly campus where hospitality students can practice their skills. With pool and breakfast buffet and refined landscaping. +1 909-869-2222
 * Kellogg West Conference Center and Hotel, 3801 W Temple Ave Bldg. 76. A hotel on the Cal Poly campus where hospitality students can practice their skills. With pool and breakfast buffet and refined landscaping. +1 909-869-2222
 * Kellogg West Conference Center and Hotel, 3801 W Temple Ave Bldg. 76. A hotel on the Cal Poly campus where hospitality students can practice their skills. With pool and breakfast buffet and refined landscaping. +1 909-869-2222
 * Kellogg West Conference Center and Hotel, 3801 W Temple Ave Bldg. 76. A hotel on the Cal Poly campus where hospitality students can practice their skills. With pool and breakfast buffet and refined landscaping. +1 909-869-2222

title: Pomona


text:
Pompano Beach

Pompano Beach is a city in Broward County, Florida.

Get in
Arrive by plane by flying into Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport or Miami International Airport. You may also arrive by cruise ship.

By car
The main roads into Pompano Beach are the Federal Hwy, US-1, which enters from the north and south and goes along the east side of the mainland; Ocean Blvd, which is FL-A1A and goes the length of the barrier island from north to south and enters from the north by bridge over Hillsboro Bay and the south across land from Lauderdale-by-the-Sea; and I-95, which goes north-south on the west side of town. There is a network of less important roads, such as Dixie Hwy (FL-811 / north-south) and Atlantic Blvd (FL-814 / east-west to the island) as well and arriving by car provides many options.

Do

 * The beautiful beach

Drink
There are many bars.

Go next

 * Fort Lauderdale to the south
 * The Palm Beach area to the north.

title: Pompano Beach


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Pompeii

Pompeii is in Campania, Italy, not far from Naples. Its major attraction is the ruined ancient Roman city of the same name, which was engulfed by Mt. Vesuvius in AD 79. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Understand
Romans took control of Pompeii around 200 BC. On August 24, 79 AD, Vesuvius erupted, burying the nearby town of Pompeii in ash and soot, killing 20,000 people, and preserving the city in its state from that fateful day. Pompeii is an excavation (It: scavi) site and outdoor museum of the ancient Roman settlement. This site is considered to be one of the few sites where an ancient city has been preserved in detail - everything from jars and tables to paintings and people was frozen in time, yielding, together with neighbouring Herculaneum which suffered the same fate, an unprecedented opportunity to see how the people lived two thousand years ago.

Hours
The site is open daily from 09:00 to 19:00 April 1st to October 31st; November to March from 09:00 to 17:00) and the last ticket is sold 90 minutes before closing. It is closed on 1st January, 1st May, and 25th December.

Tickets
(Prices as of April 2024.) One-day tickets are €18 per adult for the ancient city only, or €22 for the ancient city and the suburban villas (Villa of the Mysteries, Villa of Diomedes, and Villa Regina in Boscoreale with Antiquarium).

There is a 3-day pass (€26) to the ancient city, the suburban villas, Oplontis, Villa Arianna, Villa San Marco, Libero D’Orsi Museum, and Boscoreale. It allows one entrance at each site, and and includes a shuttlebus between sites.

Admission costs €2.00 for EU citizens between the ages of 18 and under 25. The reduced tariff is also valid for non-citizens who hold a residence permit in Italy. EU citizens below 18 get in for free (valid proving age document needed).

Admission is free on the first Sunday of the month.

The MyPompeii card is valid for one year, costs €35 and is valid for all of the sites of the Archaelological Park of Pompeii. Telephone: +39 081-857-5347.

Other services
Audioguides are available either at the train station InfoPoint or at the official entrance for €8 (Apr 2024), ID is required as deposit. Unofficial audio guides are on offer at one of the market stalls near this entrance. Take note that audioguide maps are not the same and the official audioguide comes with more audio points of interest. It's a good idea to check out both options before deciding. Pompeii may take several hours to explore so make sure to ask about the audioguide battery life before your purchase.

Tour guides also cluster near the entrance and offer their services. It's a good idea to talk to one for a couple of minutes before deciding, to make sure you can understand their accent when they speak English. You can join a tour group with the train station InfoPoint for €12 (not including entrance fee) or €10 at the official entrance.

A left luggage service is available by the Amphitheatre - which is the entrance nearest the modern day town centre if you are walking.

MyPompeii App: the Archaeological Park of Pompeii provides a free app for iPhone and Android. In combination with a purchased ticket, this app provides guided tours and information about each point of interest, including an audio guide. This app is focused on the display at the Palaestra near Nocera Gate. It may not be useful as a walking tour of the main site.

Information
Telephone: +39 081-857-5347.

Website: Archaeological Park of Pompeii

Get in
For transport in the area see Campania.

By train
It takes 30 to 40 minutes to get to Pompeii from either Naples or Sorrento. One-way tickets from any Trenitalia station within Naples city limits cost €2.80 (Jan 2018). Pompeii is served by three train stations.

National train operator Trenitalia has two stations: Pompei and Pompei-Scavi in the Napoli-Salerno regional line.

The Pompei station is south of the modern town. A ticket from Napoli Centrale costs €3.30 per person. Getting out of the station, look for the impressive bell tower of the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii (Italian: Pontificio Santuario della Beata Vergine del Santo Rosario di Pompei) and follow the main avenue (Via Sacra) heading north for a 3-minute walk to Piazza Anfiteatro. There you will find one of the three entrances to the ruins, and the EAV bus stop for direct trip to the summit of Mt Vesuvius. If you are not willing to walk, taxi drivers at the train station will offer to take you to the entrance for around €10.

Pompei-Scavi includes a bus to Scavi and costs per person. This bus will drop you off at the station near Port Marina.

The Circumvesuviana railway, operated by EAV, has two stations in the village. On the Napoli-Poggiomarino line, the Pompei Santuario station is north of the modern village, very close to the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin. On the Napoli-Sorrento line, the small station called Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri is about 50 m away to the main entrance to the ruins. Being the closest, it is the most frequented station by visitors, and it can be overcrowded at closing time when everybody gets out and rush for the trains to come back to Napoli. Timetables for the Circumvesuviana railway are available on this link. There is a left luggage office which is somewhat hard to find - one has to go down the stairs to the underground passageway that connects the two platforms to find it.

At Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri you can leave your bags for €1.50 (collect by 19:00 in summer, 18:00 October to February), or leave them for free at the ruins (pick up by 19:20). There is also a Tourist Information office just down the street. At Pompei it is also possible to leave the bags, ask at the ticket counter.

 * The cheapest way to get here from Rome is to take the special train from Termini (each way is €10.50) or the regular train (each way is €22, €29 for first class) to Naples, then go down the escalator to the Circumvesuviana and buy a ticket to Pompei Scavi (€1.80).
 * From Salerno you can take the regional Trenitalia service to Napoli mentioned above, and get out at the Pompei station. One-way tickets from Salerno cost €2.40 (Jan 2018), and the journey takes 45 minutes.

By bus
SITA runs buses from Naples. The cost is the same as the train.

By boat
If you are on a cruise, you can set up an excursion to explore the ruins (bus transfer) and tickets and tour will be included. From the cruise boat a hydrofoil travels around the Bay of Naples to Capri, Sorrento and Pompeii (from Naples). A bus-shuttle will take you to the ruins.

Disability
Disabled travelers should aim for the entrance at the Piazza Anfiteatro, where an itinerary has been designed to meet the needs of visitors with reduced mobility (and of parents with strollers, too!). Beware of the main entrance at Porte Marina, for it has plenty of stairs.

Get around
This is a walking site only. There are a few bicycles for rent, but the surfaces make them rather impractical. Walking the old Roman stone roads can be quite exhausting, especially in the heat of summer with loads of fellow tourists about. Everyone will be walking on cobblestones and uneven ground. The temperature is between 32° and 35°C in the summer. Make sure to take plenty of water and watch your step as the old roads have grooves in them where the carts ran. It is advisable to wear good footwear, sunscreen and hats. There is a lot to look at and in a full day, you still won't see everything.

On buying your ticket you should receive a map of the site and a booklet listing the main attractions. However, these can be sometimes out of print or you may find that the only booklet available is in Italian. A map of the site is essential if you want to see a lot in as short a time as possible. Even with a map visiting Pompeii is a bit like a trip to a maze. Many of the roads, apparently open according to the map, turn out to be blocked off for excavations or repairs, or, as happened in 2010, because a building collapsed. You might think you are heading for the exit but then have to turn around and retrace your steps to find another route.

Be aware that not all houses are open at all times. Check the schedule at pompeiisites.org.

See

Other things to look for when walking around are:

 * The Ground surface You will see in the ground there are small tiles called cat's eyes. The moon’s light or candle light reflects off these tiles and gave light, so people could see where they were walking at night.
 * Thermopolia (in singular, thermopollium) were places where it was possible to purchase ready-to-eat food, the Roman equivalent of today's street fast-food. They had counters with three to four holes in them, where jars (called dolia) were placed containing dried food, like nuts. It is unlikely that hot food was served in thermopolia. The best-preserved establishment in Pompeii is the Thermopolium of Asellina.
 * Bakeries You will walk past where bakeries once existed. The bakeries’ ovens look similar to the old brick stone oven. The House of the Baker has a garden area with millstones of lava stone used for grinding the wheat.
 * Street There are tracks for the carriages in the street for a smoother ride. There are also stone blocks in the street for pedestrians to step onto to cross the street. The sidewalks are higher than the modern sidewalk because the streets had water and waste flowing through them. The stone blocks in the street were also as high as the sidewalk, so people did not walk in the waste and water.
 * Plaster Casts The majority of the inhabitants of the ancient Pompeii died during the eruption and their corpses were entirely buried by hot ashes raining from the sky. In 1870, Giuseppe Fiorelli used a technique based on filling the empty spaces where the corpses had decomposed with liquid plaster in order to produce perfect casts of the victims of the eruption. Once the plaster had hardened, the surrounding soil was removed and the mould was brought to light. This technique was used to produce a number of casts of human bodies, animals and objects. At the Antiquarium of Boscopreale is also exposed the cast in epoxy resin made in 1984 of one of the victims found in the Villa di Lucius Crassius Tertius at Oplontis. The transparent cast allows viewers to spot jewels and objects that the victims brought with them.

Outside of the city walls:

In the modern town of Pompei:

Do

 * Plan your visit beforehand on Google Maps or Google Earth, or re-live it afterwards. Streetview coverage exists for part of the city and there are 3D models of many of the buildings. Bing Maps also provides fairly detailed oblique views of the city.
 * Buy a guidebook. Get the official guide (Pompeii: Guide to the Site, published by Electa Napoli) from the site bookshop next to the ticket office.  Lots of guides and maps are available, but this one neatly combines the two.
 * Have a look at random villas, as sometimes even small side rooms have amazing frescoes (wall paintings).
 * Don't miss the "Garden of the Fugitives" at the south-east side where plaster casts of several victims (sadly, including children) are on display where they originally fell. The plants in this garden have been reconstructed to match ancient growth, based on the study of plaster casts of plant roots.
 * Walk outside the City Gates to the Villa of the Mysteries, one of the greatest houses to come down to us from the ancient world. Even on a very hot day, it is worth the walk.
 * Put a big memory card in your camera. There are many hundreds of photo opportunities in this site.

Tour
PompeiIn info@pompeiin.com  +39 3284134719 offers several itineraries at the ancient Pompeii lasting from 1 hour to 6 hours. The guides are locals, are licensed and are graduated in archaeology; they are able to provide kids and disabled friendly tours, and with their vast knowledge of ancient history and society are capable of making the ancient Pompeii come to life. The highlights of the city are covered, such as the Forum, the Baths, the Brothel, the Bakeries, the House of The Faun and the House of the Tragic Poet, the Amphitheatre, the Theaters, the Villa of Mysteries, the Cemeteries and the City Fortifications.

Buy

 * Interesting plastic "past & present" books sold for €12 by vendors. Deal with them for an even better price
 * Buy a tour guide book for €5, so you can read more about the interesting city history, building and artifacts. There is so much to learn from the Romans and to see how they lived.
 * Cameos. These are a local speciality and tour buses frequently stop at a factory.

Eat

 * On the way from the station to the official entrance loads of shops try to sell stuff for very expensive prices but the food is not outstanding. Drinks, especially the freshly pressed orange and lemon juices, however, are fantastic especially in the heat, though slightly pricey (€3 for a glass)
 * You can get a very good panino (filled bread roll) from some of the stands. The one at the end near the Porta Marina has fantastic ones.
 * There is a café and restaurant in the excavation area, just north of the Forum. Not surprisingly, this is rather expensive and not particularly good. Nonetheless, it is an OK place to take a break and recuperate, particularly with its air conditioning. If you don't have time for a rest you can grab a €3 ice cream from a service window that faces the street. The restaurant has toilets, seemingly the only ones on the site.

Drink

 * Remember to take enough water to drink as it gets quite hot in the dusty streets. Keep your empty bottles for refilling as there are occasional water taps around the site dispensing rather odd-smelling water that, however, seems to be drinkable.
 * Lemon and Orange granita bought from outside the site are a tasty way to cool down.

Stay safe
Mt. Vesuvius is an active volcano and can erupt at any time. Scientists have devised a system to detect impending eruptions, though, so feel free to browse Pompeii's ruins without fear of falling ash and lapilli (pumice)! It's more likely that you should be trying to protect yourself from pickpockets. The site attracts a huge array of international visitors every day, and this money attracts some thieves, so keep your valuables protected, particularly near the entrances and the train station.

If you come by car, be aware not to park at the parking place near the entrance to the archaeological site. It is a tourist trap! Though there is no price displayed at the entrance of the parking, you'll be surprised when finding out that it costs €2 per hour when trying to leave, and you cannot leave unless you pay. This means that if your visit to Pompeii lasts a whole day (which a site like this certainly deserves) you may end up paying as much as €20 or more. There are much cheaper parking places just a few hundred meters down the hill in the town, and if you stay at one of Pompeii's hotels they normally offer free parking at one of these.

Go next

 * Also visit the National Museum in Naples, where most of the best preserved mosaics and found items from Pompeii are kept.
 * Visit the sister site Herculaneum, which is also on the Circumvesuviana line and suffered a similar fate to Pompeii's. Though it is a smaller site it was covered by a pyroclastic surge (instead of the ash and lapilli that covered Pompeii). This allowed some second storeys to survive.
 * Head over to the underwater Archaeological Park of Baiae
 * Take a trip to the Amalfi Coast
 * Take a boat from Naples or Sorrento to the island of Capri
 * Buses leave for Mt. Vesuvius from the site (8 per day, every half hour 09:30-10:30 and every hour starting at 11:25, takes 1 hour)
 * Go by Circumvesuviana local train to the Antiquarium of Boscoreale, a pretty museum displaying every day life objects discovered in the Vesuvian archaeological sites.
 * Go by Circumvesuviana local train to Oplontis
 * Go by Circumvesuviana local train to Stabiae

title: Pompeii


text:
Ponca City

Ponca City is in the Red Carpet Country region of Oklahoma. It's a city rich in oil lore, at least as it pertains to one person, E.W. Marland, who was like a titan of the plains, tapping into vast oil reserves with his Continental Oil Co. and largely building the town from the ground up single-handedly, with Spanish Colonial style structures and things that were to his liking. His company would go on to become Conoco and then ConocoPhillips after a merger with Phillips, which later split up.

But there were other inspirations in the history of Ponca City. For one, Bill Picket was an African American cowboy/Wildwest performer who gained fame for his 'bulldogging' theatrics, grabbing bulls by the horns basically to wrestle them to the ground, an activity that cost him his life one day. And Poncan Chief Standing Bear won recognition for civil rights for Native Americans by filing a writ of habeus corpus when he was wrongly detained for leaving Ponca City to bury his father on ancestral Nebraskan land. The Poncas and other tribes in general of this area strive to share and maintain their identity and culture with annual events like pow-wows.

See

 * E. W. Marland Mansion, 901 Monument Rd. The estate of the former oil tycoon and Oklahoman governor E.W. Marland, modeled after the Palazzo Davanzati of Florence, Italy, which became his personal art gallery of sorts to satisfy his insatiable appetite for extravagance with a nearly unlimited income to support it. Tel: +1 580-767-0420. M-Sa 10AM-5PM. $10 Adults, $8 Seniors, $5 Students.
 * Conoco Museum, 501 W S Ave. Covers topics on the oil and gas business, like its history and the extraction process. Next door is the stinky refinery. Tel: +1 580-765-8687. M-Sa 10AM-5PM. Free.
 * Standing Bear Museum and Education Center, 601 Standing Bear Parkway. Displays Native American history/ways of life, particularly for the Ponca tribe which was forced to resettle here from their native Nebraskan homeland. Outside is a tall statue of Standing Bear, and the property is the site of pow-wows and other cultural events. Tel: +1 580-762-1514. M-F 9AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-2PM. Free.
 * Pioneer Woman Museum, 701 Monument Rd. Depicts the saga of the pioneer woman, and vanishing ways of life. On the esplanade in front is the statue of Confidence, a pioneer woman, which E.W. Marland felt was the real endangered persona of his day, ironically, not a Native American as was initially proposed. Tel: +1 580-765-6108. M-Sa 10AM-5PM. $7 Adults, $5 Seniors, $4 Students.

Do

 * Poncan Theater, 104 E Grand Ave. A historic theater built by the Boller Brothers in 1927 for philanthropy, with velvet seats and that kind of thing, still hosting productions. Tel: +1 580-765-0943.
 * Lake Ponca and Kaw Lake east of town provide water recreation and beaches, even camping.
 * Poncan Theater, 104 E Grand Ave. A historic theater built by the Boller Brothers in 1927 for philanthropy, with velvet seats and that kind of thing, still hosting productions. Tel: +1 580-765-0943.
 * Lake Ponca and Kaw Lake east of town provide water recreation and beaches, even camping.

title: Ponca City


text:
Ponce

Ponce is a city in the Porta Caribe region of Puerto Rico. Ponce's draw is its rich history and unique architecture.

Understand
Ponce is the second largest city in Puerto Rico. The city was founded by Ponce de Leon's grandson Juan Ponce de León y Loayza in 1692, but not much seems to have happened since then, and it's far less touristy in character than San Juan. The atmosphere is charmingly laid-back, a stark contrast to the bustling economic and nightlife districts of San Juan. Even as the island's second largest city, tourists may be shocked or refreshed to find that Ponce's downtown is a single quaint city square with no steady nightlife. The beauty and variety of Art Deco buildings in central Ponce is impressive and architecture buffs will not be disappointed.

Get in

 * San Juan: Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
 * Aguadilla: Rafael Hernández Airport
 * Ponce: Mercedita Airport

By car
Ponce is reachable via the main island expressway. It's about from San Juan. The drive takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes. The road (highway #52) is modern and convenient and restaurants and shops are readily available throughout the trip.

By público
Ponce has a large público terminal (787-842-1222) at the intersection of Calle Union and Calle Vives, a few blocks north of Plaza las Delicias. Públicos to San Juan (2 hr, $20) depart from pier 5A, mostly early in the morning. Call Chóferes Unidos de Ponce at +1 787-764-0540 to make a reservation; they can also pick you up for a small extra fee.

Get around
The downtown area is compact and very attractive to explore on foot. Cabs are cheap and plentiful, should you need one, although many museums and restaurants are within a very short distance of the central plaza. The historic center has quality sidewalks. Public transportation in Ponce is pretty much non-existent, although there's a touristy "train" that does a loop of the downtown. Parking can be quite a challenge at times.

See

Most of Ponce's sights are tightly packed around the main square of Plaza las Delicias.

 * Parque de Bombas, east side. The former fire station, painted with highly distinctive red and black stripes, and the symbol of the city.  The building now houses the tourist office and a free exhibition of the history of fire fighters in Ponce, and is the departure point for the sightseeing train around the city.
 * Casa Alcaldía (City Hall), south side.
 * Catedral de la Guadalupe, west side. Directly behind Parque de Bombas.
 * Casa de la Masacre de Ponce, 2 blocks south of Plaza Las Delicias on Calle Marina (the boardwalk is temporarily closed as of Jan 2020, due to significant earthquake damage.)
 * Museo de Arte de Ponce (+1 787-840-1510) is quite impressive. A modern building that is arguably one of the finest museums in Latin America. Covers European art -- most notably "Flaming June", the pride of the museum -- as well as some Puerto Rican art. The museum hosts many visiting exhibits, as well. Daily 10AM - 6PM. Closed on Tuesdays. Adults $6, children $3, students $3.
 * La Cruceta El Vigía. A scenic overlook of the city from a hill north of the city. Open Th-Su.
 * Castillo Serralles. Open Tu-Su. Adults $6. Seniors and students $3. Children under 5 - free.
 * Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Tibes - Indigenous Park about the Taínos (the native inhabitants at the time of Columbus' arrival on the island in 1493). Open Tu-Su. Adults $3
 * La Guancha Paseo Tablado. A boardwalk 2 miles south of downtown, near the harbor. (The boardwalk is temporarily closed as of Jan 2020, due to significant earthquake damage.)
 * La Guancha Paseo Tablado. A boardwalk 2 miles south of downtown, near the harbor. (The boardwalk is temporarily closed as of Jan 2020, due to significant earthquake damage.)

Do

 * Caja de Muertos (Coffin Island) is an uninhabited island just off the coast where you can visit an abandoned lighthouse, empty stretches of beach and a marked underwater snorkel trail. Ferries leave from the pier, weekends. $4. +1 787-842-8546
 * Hacienda Buena Vista Plantation, is a historic coffee plantation turned into a museum about growing and processing coffee. It's north of the city of Ponce, along Carretera 123 in the Corral Viejo neighborhood.
 * El Tuque Beach
 * El Tuque Beach
 * El Tuque Beach
 * El Tuque Beach

Buy

 * Centro Comercial Plaza del Caribe
 * Centro del Sur Shopping Center
 * Centro Comercial Plaza del Caribe
 * Centro del Sur Shopping Center

Drink
Central Ponce has a number of bars around the main square. Note that many are closed Monday nights and holidays.

Sleep
Most hotels are clustered around Plaza Degetau, easy walking distance to the downtown sites and museums but far from the water and beach. Most have private parking.

Budget

 * Hotel Las Colinas Carr. 505 Km. 2.2 La Yuca, +1 787-843-5668. Rooms with AC, TV, garage. $33/12 hours or $65 per night.
 * Hotel Las Colinas Carr. 505 Km. 2.2 La Yuca, +1 787-843-5668. Rooms with AC, TV, garage. $33/12 hours or $65 per night.

Mid-range

 * Holiday Inn Ponce and Tropical Casino
 * Caribe Hotel (former Howard Johnson's Ponce)
 * Caribe Hotel (former Howard Johnson's Ponce)

Splurge
Guests at the Hilton Ponce usually enjoy day trips to Caja de Muertos (Coffin) Island for a snorkel or Scuba Diving adventure, visit "La Guancha" nearby boardwalk for a friendly interaction with Ponce's people, and explore the museums and spanish revival architectural jewels in downtown.

Go next

 * Arecibo - about 2 hours of winding mountain roads.
 * Guánica - has several popular beaches on the south coast
 * San Germán - Inland colonial town.

title: Ponce


text:
Ponce Inlet

Ponce Inlet is a town in Volusia County, East Central Florida.

History

It is said that in 1513, Juan Ponce De Leon was exploring the land and waters around the inlet that today bears his name. In 1886-87, a 175 foot high lighthouse was built and named after Ponce de Leon.

Ponce Inlet was named after Antonio Ponce, who was granted land here during the Spanish occupation of Florida.

In 1963, the Town of Ponce Inlet was incorporated; the first town council was sworn in at the lighthouse office. The lighthouse still dominates this small, sleepy town of fishing boats, natural parks, and growing condominiums.

Climate
Ponce Inlet offers a humid, subtropical climate that is typical throughout Florida. Winters are dry and mild, marked by a constant series of cold fronts and warm-ups. Temperatures dip into the low 40s and upper 30s (°F) on occasion, although freezes are rare. Snowfall is very rare.

Temperatures in spring are famously pleasant with warm afternoons, cool evenings, and far less humidity. The summers are long, hot and humid, with temperatures frequently in the upper 90s F in July. Thunderstorms are frequent in summer afternoons. Dangers include hurricanes from June until November.

By plane
Ponce Inlet has no local airport. If you need to fly here, you will need to find a commercial flight arriving to either Daytona Beach International Airport (the closest), Orlando International Airport, or Jacksonville International Airport.

By train
Amtrak offers the Amtrak Auto Train service with its southern Terminus located in Sanford (Florida), about 35 miles (57 km) west of Ponce Inlet. The Amtrak Auto Train carries passengers and automobiles between Sanford and Lorton, Virginia, effectively serving as a car-rail link from Florida to the Washington, D.C. Metro Area. You can easily drive your car into Ponce Inlet after departing from the Auto Train.

Amtrak offers regular passenger service with the closest stop being near the city of DeLand. This stop is rather remote and is not recommended as an option.

By car
From Interstate 95, take Exit 256 to SR-421, east toward Port Orange. Use the Taylor Road ramp toward Port Orange/Daytona Beach Shores. Merge onto FL-421 East. FL-421 east becomes FL-A1A or North Dunlawton Avenue. Turn right on South Atlantic Avenue (Volusia County Route 4075) and drive straight to the Town of Ponce Inlet.

By bus
Greyhound bus has a stop in Daytona Beach at 138 South Ridgewood Avenue (U.S.-1). You'll need to catch the 17A bus to Ponce Inlet. The nearest bus stop for the 17A is on North Beach Street between Bay and West International Speedway Boulevard. Walk north along Ridgewood avenue, then turn right onto West International Speedway Boulevard. Walk east for two blocks until you reach beach street that runs next to the riverfront park. Turn left and walk towards bay street.

If you are staying at a hotel at the beach south of Granada Boulevard, you can catch the 17A bus south on South Atlantic Ave. Otherwise, you will need to take another bus or walk to the VOLTRAN bus transfer plaza at Doctor Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard and North Palmetto Ave near North Ridgewood Avenue (U.S. Route 1) to catch the 17A bus there.

Get around
VOTRAN route 17A has limited bus service that goes North and South on Atlantic Avenue, but you really need a car to get around in Ponce Inlet. Buses run M-Sa 6AM-7:15PM. There is no bus service on Sunday. The bus does stop at the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse and Museum and the Marine Science Center.

Sleep
There are no hotels or motels in Ponce Inlet. However, there are a lot of condominiums and private homes that you may be able to rent. Other lodgings can be found in the nearby City of Daytona Beach Shores.

Connect
Seven-digit dialing is in effect for local calls in Ponce Inlet. The local area code is 386. For calls within the US or Canada, dial 1+area code+number. There are some public pay phones scattered around the city, but they are becoming increasingly rare with the predominance of cell phones. It is not safe to assume you will be able to find a pay phone at any given time.

The ZIP code in the town of Ponce Inlet is 32127.

Internet
It is common for many of the larger hotels and lodgings in the area to offer free internet access for their guests.

Stay safe
Florida has a high occurrence of hurricanes. You might want to check the Hurricane safety page if you are visiting Florida. Beware of lightning in the central part of the state. The area is known for a high number of shark attacks, so be careful when surfing. Also, there is a high occurrence of tornadoes in Florida, so check the Tornado safety page.

Tourist areas rarely have violent crimes, but theft is an occasional occurrence. The 911 number for fire and police emergencies is in effect in Ponce Inlet.

Go next

 * Daytona Beach - Ponce Inlet's famous neighbor about 10 miles to the North offers NASCAR racing and other special events.
 * Daytona Beach Shores - A quiet, small city just north of Ponce Inlet along the beach peninsula.
 * New Smyrna Beach - South of Ponce Inlet on the next barrier island. New Smyrna Beach lays claim to the best Florida offers - excellent backwater and offshore fishing, golf, historical sites, cultural events and eclectic shopping and dining experiences along historical Flagler Avenue and Canal Street.
 * Port Orange - A quiet, but rapidly growing city northwest of Ponce Inlet on the mainland, where you can enjoy golf and tennis.

title: Ponce Inlet


text:
Poncha Springs

Get in
Poncha Springs is located near the geographic center of Colorado and being "The Crossroads of the Rockies" can be easily accessed from every direction by automobile. The Town is bisected by the north-south running US-285, and east-west running US-50.

Do
Area Opportunities:

Eat

 * b
 * b
 * b
 * b

title: Poncha Springs


text:
Ponda

Ponda is in North Goa. Ponda is geographically at the heart of Goa, has been surrounded by scenic green villages, filled with grand temples rather different from the more crowded coast. It is located some 29 km from Panaji (or Panjim), the state-capital, and the Goa government has called it "the cultural city of Goa".

Ponda is made up of a crowded, dusted town of the same name (Ponda) and a number of clean, scenic, rustic villages interspersed with scenic temples. Ponda is also known for its proximity to Goa's wildlife, and is the cultural capital for Indian-style music in Goa, apart from being the heartland for the celebration of a number of Hindu festivities. Of late, Ponda is also attracting visitors for its 'spice tourism' that it promotes (visits to real-life spice farm, which offer a tour and food on their estates).

Understand
Called Phonda in Konkani, it is 28 km south-east of Panjim and 17 km north east of Margao. Ponda is the gateway to Belgaum, Hubli and other cities to the east of Goa (in Karnataka and beyond).

Ponda lies in the so-called 'New Conquests'. In the heat of Portuguese religious intolerance centuries ago, Ponda was a safe-haven for Hindus fleeing Portuguese religion-based persecution, in times when it was ruled by local feudatories of the Vijaynagar kingdom or the Bijapur sultanate. This accounts for the large number of temples resettled from Salcete and elsewhere in and around Ponda. Konkani is widely used here. Marathi, Hindi and Kannada too. You can get by in tourist areas with English.

Get in
Ponda is connected to Panjim via non-stop mini-bus shuttle bus services that you queue up for at the Kadamba bus terminus in Panjim. 'Local' buses take more time to reach. Margao is also connected by buses to Ponda.

Get around
Public transport being poor in Goa, you can, at best depend on it for linking up between the main-towns. Roads in the village areas are small and narrow.

See
Ponda is home to a number of artistic temples. It's amazing to see the number and spectacular beauty of temples here. Including Mahalasa Narayani at Mardol, the Shanta Durga at Kavlem, Mangueshi at Priol, Ramnath at Ramnathi, Naguesh at Nagueshi, Mahalaxmi at Bandora, Laxmi Narasimha at Veling and Navadurga temple at Madkai.

Temples in the vicinity include Gopal Ganapathi at Farmagudi; Sanusthan Goudpadacharya at Kavlem; Navdurga Temple at Madkai and -- some distance off -- Damodar Temple at Zambaulim and Chandranath Temple at Paroda.

Safa Masjid, a mosque built in 1560 by the Bijapuri ruler Ibrahim Adil Shah is on the outskirts of Ponda. Ponda lies en route to Goa's wildlife sanctuaries, both the Bondla and the Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and also the Dudh Sagar Waterfall.

Itineraries
Shantadurga is a popular deity, and at Kavlem, in the Taluka of Ponda itself, is a unique temple complex devoted to her. In her unique form, as a Durga of peace as her name suggests, Shantadurga is seen as the goddess who mediates between Vishnu and Shiva.

The Manguesh temple -- almost equidistant from Panjim (22 km) and Margao (26 km) at Priol - sits on a hillock surrounded by green. This temple is dedicated to lord Shiva.

At Mardol, barely 1 km from the Mangueshi temple, is the Mahalsa temple. The deity worshipped is an attribute of Vishnu -- Mohini during the fight between the devas and the asuras.

Ramnath temple, 33 km from Panjim and in Ponda taluka too, is another of the notable spots on the temple trail of this taluka. At Madkai village, the Navdurga temple is located (28 km from Panjim) and the annual Zatra is held around November. Borim village's temple (also in Ponda taluka, 12 km from Margao) is Navdurga. Naguesh is the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, in the village of Bandora, some four kilometres east of Ponda town. This temple is known for its wood carvings on Ramayana events, among others.

Bandora village (4 km from Ponda town) is home to the temple of Mahalaxmi. It has a gallery of images, a rare collection of wooden images of Lord Vishnu in India. Mahalaxmi is considered to be a peaceful ('satvik') form of the deity.

Village of Keri is about 8 km from the centre of Ponda. Here you can visit the temple of Betal at Satode. This temple has the largest statue of Betal anywhere in Goa. Close to this temple is the home of one of the most reckoned Indian classical singer, Surashree Kesarbai Kerker. Her house now houses a secondary school.

Temple of Vijayadurga is just 2 km from Satode. This temple is nearly 400 years old and has unique architectural features. There is a beautiful lake adjacent to the temple complex. There is facility for tourists to stay within the temple complex and the rooms can be booked while visiting the temple. Vegetarian g=food is served for lunch and dinner and payment for this is voluntary

In Savoi Verem village is the Madanant temple, some 12 km from Ponda and 30 from Panjim. It lies surrounded by hills, fields, betal-nut and coconut trees.

In Shiroda village is the Kamakshi Saunstha. In Farmagudi, Ponda, some 26 km from Panjim, the Gopal Ganapati temple sits amidst beautiful natural surroundings, near Bandora. This temple was built under the patronage of Goa's first chief minister, Dayanand Bandodkar. The "Gomantak Tirupati" Balaji and Padmavati temple, one km from Kundaim on NH4A at Cuncoliem, is a newer addition. Devkikrishna Ravalnath is at Marcela, Ponda.

Tapobhoomi is a more recent initiative, and a centre of pilgrimage, spread over 10,000 sq. metres. It was launched by the 'Haturli Swami' (full name, Haturli Mathadish Shrimad Brahmanand Swamiji) who was known for his social reforms. It includes a Sanskrit school, chamber for meditation, ayurveda centre, Yoga centre, music ('bhajani') school, and religious library.

Kavlem, in Ponda taluka itself, houses the Goudpadacharya Kavle Math. It is named after a prominent seer and exponent of the Advaita system of Vedanta. The Math was earlier located at Cortalim, but shifted in 1630 and re-established here, following the Portuguese policy of religious intolerance.

Farmagudi, Shree Gopal Ganapathi, free food is provided on every Ekadasi (Sanskrit for eleven; also spelled as Ekadasi) or Agyaars is the eleventh lunar day of every lunar month in the Hindu calendar.

Do
Visits to temples, spice-farms and cultural centres.

Eat
Don't miss Goan Hindu style cooking of this area. Fish preparations are typical and unique here.

Drink
Not much, other than the usual small bars.

Stay safe
Dress modestly specially while visiting religious places. People are friendly and hospitable, but not all may speak English in these parts of Goa. Behaviour that would not turn an eyelid in coastal Goa might not be acceptable here.

Go next
Main town of Ponda is connected to other parts of Goa by bus. Also several buses of Karnataka state NWKRTC come to Ponda connecting to Belgaum, Dharwad and Hubli.

 * Anshi National Park
 * Karwar
 * Lakkundi

title: Ponda


text:
Pondicherry

Pondicherry (Tamil: புதுச்சேரி Putucceri, French: Pondichéry), also known as Puducherry or Pondy, is a city and an enclave within Tamil Nadu, India. There is a strong French influence on the architecture of the city, especially in the old quarters, with rues and boulevards lined with Mediterranean-style houses and bakeries, although the city remains very much Indian. French is still understood, and the whole city makes for a pleasant mix of the East and the West.

Understand
Pondicherry, though small in geographical size, was the largest French colony in India. The city has a long and interesting history of trade and war. It is also known as The French Riviera of the East (La Côte d'Azur de l'Est). If you have spent some time in Tamil Nadu and approached Pondicherry by land, you will very likely experience mild culture shock on discovering French architecture and restaurants serving steak and good wine. Pondicherry is very much a city with a dual personality: crossing the central canal from the east to the west reveals two different cities with very different characters.

Talk
Tamil is the main language spoken in Pondicherry. The city was essentially a French possession in the Tamil-speaking area of the region. You need to be able to speak Tamil if you wish to live in Pondicherry.

Expect to be able to get quite far in South Asia as an English-speaking tourist. Persons in Pondicherry with a university education may be able to converse with you in English.

French is no longer an official language or widely spoken in Pondicherry and has been largely replaced by English, but can still be heard among upper class elderly persons raised during French colonial rule. However, the city's French heritage is considered an aspect of life in Pondicherry that draws tourists from the surrounding regions. Telugu and Malayalam are also official languages, but their use is generally confined to specific communities.

By car
Pondicherry is well connected from all sides. Chennai is 160 km north of the city.

You can also hire a taxi from Chennai International Airport. It costs around ₹2,500 (Indian rupees), as of August 2018.

The road from Chennai to Pondicherry (the East Coast Road, commonly called ECR) is a scenic highway and a normal journey would take about 3 hours. Most tourists, however, cannot resist the seashore kissing the ECR and take a number of stops en route. This route passes through Mamallapuram, Kalpakkam, Pudupattinam, Idaikkazhinadu (Alamparai or Alambara Fort), Mudaliarkuppam, which has a boat house, Marakkanam (contains large areas under salt pans), and Kanagachettikulam/Kalapet.

Another road from Chennai to Pondy is National Highway 45 (NH45), also called the Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road. This route passes through Tambaram, Chengalpattu, Madhurantakam, Melmaruvathur and Tindivanam.

The ECR Road and NH45 are tolled roads. The journey from Chennai to Pondicherry takes about the same amount of time on each road.

Pondicherry is about 320 km away from Bangalore. Drive down National Highway 7 (NH-7) till Krishnagiri, take a left off the main highway (road signs mark the route) and then take National Highway 66 (NH-66) to Pondicherry. This route passes through Uthangarai, Chengam, Tiruvannamalai, Gingee and Tindivanam. You can reach Pondicherry either through Tindivanam (via Gingee) or Villupuram (via Thirukovilur). Gingee Fort is also on the way to Tindivanam and worth spending some time at. It's an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Heritage site. The total travel time should be about 5-6 hours. Pack some food or snacks for the way as there are no good restaurants en route.

Pondicherry is well connected to Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Karaikal, Nagapattinam, Velankanni, etc. to the South by National Highway 45A (NH-45A). The road is well maintained till Chidambaram.

Pondicherry connects to the GST or NH-45 in two places: at Villupuram by NH-45A and at Tindivanam by NH-66.

By coach
There are many coaches connecting to Pondicherry from a variety of cities. Getting to Pondicherry involves a 3½-hour road journey from Chennai by bus. One can board a bus from Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) in Koyambedu, Thiruvanmiyur or Guindy. You can be sure of getting a seat on the bus only if you board it from CMBT in Koyambedu, which is the main bus terminus in Chennai. However, the cheapest way of reaching Pondicherry from Chennai is taking the East Coast Road (ECR) bus from Tiruvanmiyur. The fare from CMBT is around ₹150 depending on the bus service. PRTC (Puducherry Road Transport Corporation) operates air-conditioned buses and the fare is ₹280. The ECR bus will drop you at the main bus terminal in Pondicherry, on Maraimalai Adigal Salai. Auto-rickshaws are available from outside the bus station. The fare can be bargained down to ₹50 to go to the French Quarter.

Nearly all cities in Tamil Nadu are connected to Pondicherry through cheap government buses that will stop at smaller towns and villages, though no centralized timetable exists and departure times and routes must be obtained from the nearest bus station to where you are. These buses will almost certainly arrive at the Pondicherry Bus Stand.

Private coaches will connect to Pondicherry from a variety of cities including Chennai and Bengaluru. The coaches along the ECR from Chennai are well frequented and a variety of coach types, from regular urban-city-bus to semi-sleepers and full-sleepers. There are long-distance coaches to Mumbai and other cities in India too. It is possible to find out which buses are available from the Redbus website.

By train

Bangalore Yesvantapur (YPR) to Pondicherry (PDY) is connected by a 3-tier AC train called Garib Rath Express. It covers a distance of 456 km in each direction however it takes 10 hr 5 min when operating as train number 12255 at an average speed of 60 km/h (excluding halts). It leaves Puducherry as train number 12256 on Saturday at 10:05PM and at the end of 8 halts arrives at Yesvantapur the next day at 08:25. It leaves Yesvantpur as train number 12255 on Friday at 23:15 and at the end of 9 halts arrives at Puducherry the next day at 09:20AM. Coach Composition comprises 16 AC 3 tier coaches and 2 luggage cum generator coaches taking the total up to 18 coaches.

By plane

Chennai Airport is the nearest international airport, which is approximately 135 km from Pondicherry. Chennai airport is nicely connected to major cities in India as well as abroad. A one-way cab ride from Chennai airport to Pondicherry is approximately ₹1,500 and takes around 3 hours.

By bicycle or motorbike
Pondicherry has narrow streets reminiscent of Western Europe. It is highly advisable that you do not attempt to drive around in a car, and instead purchase or hire a two-wheeled transport vehicle, such as a bicycle or motorcycle. It can however be difficult to ride smoothly in Pondicherry due to the significant number of pedestrians on smaller streets, while roads would likely be used by cars and trucks. Pedestrians have the right-of-way in the city.

There are several rental outlets on Mission St and MG Rd. The prices as of January 2016 are ₹300/day for a gearless scooter (light motorcycle) and ₹500/day for a geared motorcycle and ₹40-50/day for a bicycle. You will need to provide some identification documents as collateral and an advance of ₹500 only in a few rental service shops while the rest of them provide without documents or advance. Make sure you check the cycle thoroughly before taking it on rent. Many of the rentals also provide delivery and pickup at the hotel which is very useful. Usually, the number of days for these vehicles is calculated 9AM-9PM. The motorbikes are easily available in a couple of two-wheeler rental shops on Mission Street.

By bus or shared auto-rickshaws
The Pondicherry Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) has daily bus services for tourists and it covers all the important tourist spots to be seen in Pondicherry. It is the best and most economical way to tour Pondicherry.

There is a sparse network of buses and shared-auto-rickshaws that can be ridden for ₹5-20 per ride depending on the distance.

Shared-auto-rickshaws can be found at the bus stand, along certain points on Bussy Road and Grand Canal - the most common route is from the bus stand, along Bussy Road, around Grand Canal, and then back up Bussy Road to the bus stand - but be sure to ask if the auto goes to your destination as not all autos will follow this route. The services in informal and unorganized so it is impossible to centralise the timetables.

See

 * Chunnambar Boat House - (which is crowded on holidays and weekends) 10 km south of the city on the way to Cuddalore and connected by local buses. You can take a motorboat to Paradise Beach from here.
 * Chunnambar Boat House - (which is crowded on holidays and weekends) 10 km south of the city on the way to Cuddalore and connected by local buses. You can take a motorboat to Paradise Beach from here.

Temples
Most temples in Pondicherry were built during the Chola period, predating the French invasion in the area.

Do
There is not much one is expected to do at Pondicherry. You would understand this better once you get there and understand the pace of life. You can also do some serious meditation at the Auroville, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, or go to Bharatanatyam performances that are often organized there by the Auroville Cultural Exchange in the local temples, or at major hotels. You can also go fishing in a Catamaran or while away your evenings at Rocky Beach. You can also hire scooters (mopeds) and go on long drives to the sandy beaches that dot the coastline.

You can also experience staying in a traditional 'Parapachai' house - an affectionate name given by connoisseurs to traditional green-coloured houses. First-class experience.

Buy

 * Handmade paper - The range of colours and scope of textures of Pondicherry's homemade paper is marketed all over the world.
 * Leather - Making leather meticulously is what separates Pondicherry from the rest of the cities in India. Well-polished and innovative products with quality brass buckles are available at reasonable prices here.
 * Pottery - Pondicherry is known for artisan and ceramic work. Different shops offer distinctive styles such as Rhinestone Art and Golden Bridge.
 * Textile and clothes - Pondicherry has been involved in producing garment textiles and household items for a long time. There are also plenty of stores which sell T-shirts and some well-known types of clothes at surprisingly low rates.

Eat
Pondicherry is known for its wide variety of cuisines ranging from South Indian delicacies like idly and dosa to seafood like fried fish, prawn bajji and parota.

French influence can be seen to some extent in the local food. The best options are still the local delicacies; the excellent seafood. Good French food is available at restaurants around the French part of town.
 * Anjappar, Near Jeeva Theater Signal. Open every day.
 * Aristo, Nehru Street. Nice terrace on the roof of the hotel; good French and Indian food.
 * Batisto, ECR Road, Next to D Gowda Petrol Bunk, Behind Laloo's puntcher shop.
 * Hot Breads, Nehru St, a pleasant European bakery.
 * Rendezvous, 30, Rue Suffren. Closed on Tuesdays.
 * Satsanga, 30, Labourdonnais. Open every day.
 * Sri Murugan Cafe, No. 160, Kosakada Street opposite Municipality Central Parking Place. Veg-only Indian restaurant with great dosas. You might be the only tourist here for weeks. ₹25-50.
 * Surguru, at the corner of Sardar Vallabhai Patel Rd and East coast Road, in the basement of the hotel. Has delicious Indian food, At breakfast time try the delicious poori or paper roast (paper dosai).
 * Rendezvous, 30, Rue Suffren. Closed on Tuesdays.
 * Satsanga, 30, Labourdonnais. Open every day.
 * Sri Murugan Cafe, No. 160, Kosakada Street opposite Municipality Central Parking Place. Veg-only Indian restaurant with great dosas. You might be the only tourist here for weeks. ₹25-50.
 * Surguru, at the corner of Sardar Vallabhai Patel Rd and East coast Road, in the basement of the hotel. Has delicious Indian food, At breakfast time try the delicious poori or paper roast (paper dosai).
 * Satsanga, 30, Labourdonnais. Open every day.
 * Sri Murugan Cafe, No. 160, Kosakada Street opposite Municipality Central Parking Place. Veg-only Indian restaurant with great dosas. You might be the only tourist here for weeks. ₹25-50.
 * Surguru, at the corner of Sardar Vallabhai Patel Rd and East coast Road, in the basement of the hotel. Has delicious Indian food, At breakfast time try the delicious poori or paper roast (paper dosai).

Drink
There are a multitude of liquor shops and wineshops around the city, perhaps owing to the French influence. Alcohol in Pondicherry is not taxed as it is in Chennai and is therefore significantly cheaper. At a takeaway shop, a beer should cost around ₹80-100 (as of 2017).

Good branded liquor like Smirnoff, Bacardi and different Scotch whiskies are very inexpensive as there is no sales tax in Pondicherry.

Alcohol

In addition to these listings, on the beach road abutting the French quarter enjoy fine dining in a good ambiance with continental and Indian cuisine, has a nice buffet on weekends. Mimicry artists will sometimes entertain you at your table.

Stay safe
Always carry passport with you and put a sticky note inside it with phone number of your travel consultant. Never pay anyone upfront, especially to agents or drivers.

Never exchange money with unauthorized foreign exchange dealers. Ask for receipt after exchanging money with the broker.

Don't get trapped in the narcotics trading, as no one wants to end the journey in prison. Switch off your mobile phones while in museums, temples and churches or they will be confiscated.

Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi can be difficult to find in Pondicherry. Many restaurants, even fancier ones, do not have Wi-Fi.
 * Le Cafe - On the beach front near near the Gandhi Statue, this cafe is more similar to Southern European cafes with wide range of food options in addition to drinks, and notably serves cold coffee. It has Wi-Fi for free, though note that it requires SMS verification to access and that some overseas mobile numbers may return an error (though this is genuinely a technical error rather than a restriction by BSNL).
 * Gelato Factory- As its name suggests this cafe, located a couple of streets west from the Grand Canal on Bussy Street, serves a variety of ice cream and also drinks. It has free Wi-Fi too. 337, Mission St, MG Road Area.
 * Cafe Coffee Day - This chain of coffee shops has three branches in Pondicherry, with a branch near the beach that you'll find if you keep heading north off Beach Road as it veers to the left. It provides high quality Wi-Fi but it also requires verification from an Indian mobile number. Sardar Vallabai Patel Salai.
 * Le cafe Chaplin - This cafe provides free Wi-Fi though it's less of a cafe and more of a restaurant, and serves mainly North Indian food. 80, Grand Canal, MG Road Area.
 * Citinet Internet Cafe and WiFi - An internet cafe that provides reasonable computers to surf the internet and notably paid WiFi (though only at ₹30 per use). Both the internet and WiFi speeds are reliable and good quality, especially good option if you need high quality internet and do not have an Indian mobile number. Opening times start at sometime around noon and end at sometime around 9PM. 78, 1st Floor, Nehru Street.

Hospitals

 * Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), in the Gorimedu suburb of Pondicherry city on the way to Tindivanam. JIPMER is a Central government funded institute. JIPMER is both an educational institute and a working hospital that provides inexpensive medical care to a large number of patients.
 * Rajiv Gandhi Government women and children hospital is on the 100 Feet Road. It offers regular and emergency medical services in the departments of Paediatrics, Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Immunisation. It also has a High Risk clinic.

Consulates

 * 🇫🇷 France

Go next

 * Auroville — Nearby township, often visited as part of a visit to Pondy. A tuktuk should cost around ₹200 and a taxi ₹400 (2017).
 * Kanchipuram — The City of Thousand Temples and it belongs to 2nd or 3rd century. Today, it is mainly known for its high quality silks.
 * Kochi — The financial and cultural capital of Kerala. Overnight sleeper buses cost ₹1000-1500 (2017) and take 9-12 hours.
 * Mamallapuram — Nestled along the Bay of Bengal, it was seventh century port of Pallava kings. Several cave temples are carved here from Granite hill which belongs to fifth and eighth centuries.
 * Tiruvannamalai — Known as fifth Hindu element of fire, it is located around 107 km from Pondicherry and ranks as one of the pilgrim city in Tamil Nadu. Its name meaning ‘Red Mountain’ came from the extinct of Volcano, Arunachala.

title: Pondicherry


text:
Pondicherry (union territory)

Pondicherry, now officially named Puducherry, is a union territory in Southern India. It consists of a number of enclaves in three different states:

 * Pondicherry — a cluster of 11 enclaves in Tamil Nadu, containing the main town and capital of the territory
 * Auroville — a popular spiritual and religious site near Pondicherry
 * Thirubhuvanai — a village at the outskirts of Pondicherry, home to Chola-era temples
 * Karaikal — an enclave further south in Tamil Nadu
 * Mahe — two enclaves in Kerala
 * Yanam — an enclave in Andhra Pradesh

All of these enclaves were under French occupation before they were peacefully handed over to India. Each enclave shares a mixed cultural heritage, combining its South Indian roots with a French colonial past.

title: Pondicherry (union territory)


text:
Ponmudi

Ponmudi (Malayalam: പൊന്മുടി) (The Golden Peak) is a hill station in the Southern Travancore region of Kerala, 62 km north-east of Trivandrum City.

Understand
The hill station is an important point of contact with the river Kallar, known for its crystal clear water, fishes and lush trees surrounding it; it's also an extension of the Western Ghats and runs parallel to Arabian Sea. The nearby tea gardens are a soothing experience.

By plane
The nearest airport is Trivandrum International Airport, at a distance of more than 62 km.

By bus
Govt. Buses (KSRTC) ply from the main bus stand in Trivandrum at periodic intervals.

By taxi
Taxis are available at Trivandrum Central Station and Airport.

Get around
Ponmudi is ideal for a trekking holiday. The hills are undulating and very green. The place is not crowded except on Sundays.

See

 * Freshwater Springs of the river Kallar.
 * A deer park is there at the mountain top.
 * Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary
 * Lion Safari & Deer Park
 * Golden Valley
 * Agasthiya Biological Park
 * Ponmudi Crest
 * Meenmutti falls lies close to the place.

Do
Trekking and hiking in the lush mountains. Agasthyar Hills is close to it and passes are available in the month of January and February.

Eat

 * There is another restaurant present at the top of the hill will average prices.
 * There is another restaurant present at the top of the hill will average prices.

Sleep

 * The government guest house in Ponmudi offers decent lodging. Spot reservations are not entertained. You have to reserve a room before you start from Thiruvananthapuram. Make enquiries at the Government Secretariat, Thiruvananthapuram. You will get some preference if you have a government job in India or even in a foreign country.

Go next

 * Agastya Mala and Agasthyarkoodam peak in the Western Ghats
 * Bonacaud
 * Braemore Estate
 * Kanyakumari
 * Kollam
 * Kovalam
 * Palaruvi water falls
 * Varkala

title: Ponmudi


text:
Ponta d'Ouro

Ponta d'Ouro is a popular destination for South African divers and surfers in southern Maputo province, Mozambique. There is a small village, but it is mostly overshadowed by the tourist camps.

Get in
Ponta d'Ouro is the most southern town in Mozambique bordering South Africa Kwazulu Natal entering the Kosi-bay border post and 120 km south of Maputo along a tar road crossing the longest suspension bridge from Maputo and is easy accessible via the same stretch of tar road that leads from Maputo to the Kosi-bay border post into Mozambique from Kwazulu-Natal South-Africa. You will need a 4WD driving in Ponta d'Ouro and surrounding towns with the main road leading into Ponta d'Ouro tarred that ends at a 4-way crossing leaving all other roads sand roads only accessible with 4WD or high clearance vehicle with differential lock.

Getting there on public transport is no longer time consuming making use of the tar road. Several chapas run daily to Ponta d'Ouro and back with the journey taking about 1 and half an hours. The trip from Maputo to Ponta d'Ouro will take the passenger/driver over the largest suspension bridge in Africa over the Port of Maputo, through the Maputo Elephant reserve and on a scenic road.

A couple of tour operators do transfers to Ponta D'Ouro from the Kosi-Bay Border and Maputo and price of these transfers might differ from tour operator to tour operator but mainly remains in the same class range.

Get around
Getting around in Ponta is generally only done on foot unless you have a 4WD or high clearance vehicle with differential lock. Most lodges will be able to help you out if you need a lift anywhere but the village is very compact so most can be done on foot.

See
Ponta d'Ouro is a little gem with lots to see and do. The beautiful turquoise ocean waters and beaches stretch into the Ponta d'Ouro bay, and on low tide, those keen to walk on the beaches can walk around the Point of Gold to the other side leading to the SA border and the Kosi-bay mouth. Walking north the enthusiast can walk to Ponta Malongane which is the next town following Ponta do Ouro. Dolphins and whales (during whale season from July - November) can be seen bridging and swimming up and down the coast line. During turtle egg-laying season turtles and turtle tracts can be seen going up the beach, and during hatching season small baby turtles will be seen going back to the water from their nests.

Do
''One of the most perfect waves in the world, when it works that is. And keep an eye out for sharks.''

Ponta d'Ouro has plenty to do including Scuba diving, Ocean safaris, swimming with dolphins, surfing and body-boarding, fishing from the boat/kayak or from the beach, kite surfing, quad bike booze cruise and visiting the local markets, handmade jewellery store, pubs and restaurants and game drives to the near Maputo reserve

From novice to experienced technical divers will love scuba diving in Ponta d'Ouro, with various dive charters that offers courses and scuba diving to each serve each and every diver from those that only want to try scuba diving to technical scuba diving, and for those who cannot or do not want to dive an alternative option is doing an ocean safari/snorkelling safaris or boat ride, showing the enthusiastic Ponta d'Ouro from the ocean side, border between South Africa and Mozambique up to Malongane or further up north to the Techobanine reef. Ponta d'Ouro dive sites includes the famous Doodles reef and Pinnacle Shark reef ranking number 8 in the world where over 20 species of shark can be viewed on the dive, our very passionate charters are also involved with conservancy and divers/snorkelers are swimming in a partially marine protected conservancy.

The Dolphin experience is not to be missed. Run by passionate conservationists, the chance to swim with the dolphins will change your life! Learning more about how they are threatened in the wild will also broaden your understanding of the need to protect these magnificent crew.

Partake in a Shebeen (name for local pubs) tour along the road from Ponta Malangane and Ponto D'oura. There are about 6 -7 rustic pubs a stone throw away from each other along a stretch of rough road. Bring small change though as they won't be able to break large notes.

Buy
There is an ATM (BCI bank) next to Fishmonga Restaurant.

Carvings in all shapes and sizes-mostly in hard wood. Stay away for the shells-although they are beautiful, they were probably stolen off a reef to supply the tourist trade.

Drink
Drink the local beer, 2M and Laurentina, which arguably (very arguably) rivals world famous beers. Also indulge in the famous Tipo Tinto Rum which is locally produced and tastes slightly of Vanilla. It goes best with Pineapple or Raspberry juice which is available from the local market. Order an R&R (Rum and Rasberry) one of their most popular drinks from one of the restaurants or bars. Make a stop at Pintos Place. It is the local disco located just before the markets. It is quite a lively night club where you can dance to some of the best dance beats or hang out around the back and have a couple drinks.

Go next

 * South Africa - getting across the border (10km south) will need a 4WD for the rough road. There are lots of little restaurants that you can have a very nice meal at and they not to expensive either. There is a pizza place for those who don't enjoy seafood. If you want to take a day trip along the coast is Ponto Malangane which will take you about half an hour in a car but you will need 4WD.

title: Ponta d'Ouro


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Ponta Delgada

Ponta Delgada is the largest city in the Azores archipelago. It is on the island of São Miguel, and was home to 67,000 people in 2021. It is an important administrative, industrial and agricultural centre, and the home of the University of the Azores.

Understand

Ponta Delgada (POHN-tuh dehl-GAH-duh, /ˈpõ.tɐ dɛɫ.ˈga.dɐ/), the city on São Miguel island, is not to be confused with Ponta Delgada, the rural civil parish on the north coast of Flores island.

Climate
Ponta Delgada has a mild maritime climate: warm summers, with moderate precipitation, and mild, wet winters. Much like the rest of the Azores, the city is shaped by the Gulf Stream, and consequently has a narrow temperature variation. Mean temperatures vary between 14.5 °C (58.1 °F) in the winter to around 22 °C (72 °F) in the summer and daytime highs vary between 17 °C (63 °F) in the winter to 25 °C (77 °F) in the summer. Temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F), or below 4 °C (39 °F) have never been registered.

The Gulf Stream also contributes to unstable weather that varies greatly during autumn and spring, making weather forecasting on a daily basis difficult. Winters are generally milder and summers are generally humid when compared to those of continental Portugal.

By plane

 * Major carriers serving Ponta Delgada Airport include:

 * SATA Air Açores flies within the Azores archipelago and from Madeira.
 * TAP Air Portugal Portugal's flag carrier, also has direct flights from Lisbon to the islands of Terceira, Faial and Pico. The airline also flies between Porto and Terceira islands.
 * Ryanair flies from Lisbon, Frankfurt-Hahn (seasonal), London-Stansted, and Porto.
 * Ryanair flies from Lisbon, Frankfurt-Hahn (seasonal), London-Stansted, and Porto.

From the airport to Ponta Delgada

 * There are taxi services at the airport. The fixed price is €8-12 (Jan 2024) depending on where in the city you want to go to and if you have luggage.
 * It's possible to walk into town from the airport 4 km (1 hour) but it's not fun if you have much luggage.
 * Or you could walk 1.3 km (15 min) to the old terminal's and take a city bus for €0.50 (Jan 2024) from there to Ponta Delgada. The serving city bus line A operates M-F 07:30-19:30. Alternatively from that bus stop, regional buses to the city for about €0.90 (Jan 2024) operate as well.

By boat
Several cruise lines make Ponta Delgada a waypoint when journeying across the Atlantic. Some cruise ships spend a day at the port, often as they reposition themselves between cruising Europe and the Western Hemisphere.

 * The has a cruise ships’ quay, a pavilion, and a hallway of shops. The marina also has pools, including a big natural pool.

By bus
PDL Minibuses run the main avenue and are conveniently accessible from major sites in Ponta Delgada. In-town bus services are handled by smaller mini-buses with the larger touring buses handling community-to-community travel on the island. Both services are accessible along Avenida D. Infante Henriques and can confuse the unfamiliar traveler. Schedules are available at bus stops and the tourist office. One ride in the minibus going around Ponta Delgada is €0.50 (Jan 2024). The app of PDL Minibus shows the upcoming departures of a bus stop.

On foot
Visitors can best experience the city on foot, as travel distances are relatively short. For day trips to other parts of the island, consider buses, taxis, or a rental car.

See

 * City tours are based along the Avenida where visitors can find several services to sightsee, including horse-drawn carriage, panoramic bus tours and the Lagarta Tourist Train that travels along the streets.

Do

 * There are boat tours from the marina for see the island's coastline, and for whale-watching, available from offices at the marina.
 * Organised whale- and dolphin-watching from small boats operating out of Ponta Delgada is increasingly popular. Also whale watching at Blue Talassa.
 * Football:
 * Football:

Buy
The islands produce surprisingly good wines and cheese.

Ponta Delgada's locals produce handmade crafts that are sold on the street and in small markets and boutiques along the main avenue. Visitors will find small ceramic bowls or plates, woven jewellery, and other one-of-a-kind items. The most common souvenirs are scrimshaw, wicker products, lace, embroderies, liqueurs, and flags.

Eat
Ponta Delgada is known for its pineapple harvest, so trying fresh pineapples from a local market is a must.

Budget
All these are in the city centre:

 * The supermarket Pingo Doce offers fresh baked goods, sandwiches and main dishes.

Drink

 * Ponta Delgada is known for its different types of liqueurs and alcohols, particularly Passion Fruit Liqueur.
 * For unusual drinks, visit Baia dos Anjos, one of the more interesting bars that serves theme-based drinks and food based on local festivals and cultural events.
 * Portas do Maris Marina by the port has a number of bars with live bands almost every night.
 * Another good place for mixed drinks and local wines is San Miguel Park Hotel.

Go next

 * Furnas, Sete Cidades and the other towns of São Miguel.
 * Visit Terceira island/city of Angra, a World heritage patrimony.

title: Ponta Delgada


text:
Pontal do Paraná

Pontal do Paraná is a small town in Coastal Paraná.

Understand
Of Paraná's 50 kilometers of beaches, 23 of them belong to the town of Pontal do Paraná. They comprise the town's main reason for existence from December to March, when beach tourists come from all over the country. The remainder of the year, the locals get by on fishing and craft production.

Get in

 * One of the ferries from Ilha do Mel lands at Pontal do Sul, at the north end of the town
 * PR-412 (Máximo Jamur Hwy.) connects from Matinhos in the south
 * PR-135 (Argus Thá Heyn Hwy.) connects the town to Paranaguá in the northwest, where it connects to PR-121 (Gov. Ney Braga Hwy.) from Curitiba

Beaches
Pontal do Paraná has 48 balneários (beaches with amenities). The most popular, from south to north, are:

Go next

 * Curitiba
 * Ilha do Mel
 * Joinville
 * Matinhos
 * Guaratuba

title: Pontal do Paraná


text:
Ponte de Lima

Ponte de Lima is a town on the banks of the River Lima, in Minho, in Viana do Castelo district. It is the oldest village in Portugal. This village and its iconic bridge are located in the heart of the Vinho Verde region, which, together with its lively festivals and popular festivals, has made it famous throughout the country.

Understand

Ponte de Lima (POHN-t(ih) d(ih) LEE-muh, /ˈpõ.tɨ dɨ ˈɫi.mɐ/) is named for the long bridge over the River Lima. It is said that the Romans thought this was the mythical river Lethe because of its beauty and were afraid of losing their memories if they were to cross it! Their undaunted general swam across alone and called to each of his men by name to prove he had retained his memory and then they all crossed.

By bus

 * The Rede Expressos has buses to Ponte de Lima from almost all district capitals, and from many cities and towns, including Beja, Braga, Bragança, Caldas da Rainha, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Covilhã, Evora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisbon, Porto, Santarém, Setúbal, Vila Real, and Viseu. Prices vary depending on the destination city, but generally range between €10 and €20. You can see the full list of cities, schedules and buy tickets on the website.

By plane

 * The nearest airport to Ponte de Lima is Porto. The Francisco Sá Carneiro International Airport is on the outskirts of Porto in Pedras Rubras. The airport receives frequent flights from the main European cities, and from Lisbon and Funchal. Several companies serve Porto airport:
 * Further north is Vigo-Peinador International Airport, in Spain, 15 km from Vigo. It mainly receives domestic flights such as Air Europa (Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife-South), Vueling (Barcelona), Iberia Airlines (Madrid), Air Nostrum (Alicante, Bilbao, Málaga, Valencia) and Spanair (Barcelona, Gran Canaria, Madrid, Tenerife-South).
 * Also nearby is the Vila Real Aerodrome. It receives some flights from other cities in the country, but none international. Further afield are Santiago de Compostela, Lisbon and Faro airports.

By car
The A27 is a small motorway that connects the village to Viana do Castelo. The IP1 also passes through the village, which starts in Valença, on the border with Spain, and ends in Castro Marim, in the Algarve, crossing the country from north to south. The IP also passes through Braga, Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia, Espinho, Santa Maria da Feira, Aveiro, Coimbra, Leiria, Fátima, Caldas da Rainha, Santarém, Lisbon, Loulé, Faro and Tavira, among many other towns and villages. Several national roads (the N306, N307, N202, N204 and N201) also pass through Ponte de Lima.

Get around
Ponte de Lima is a medium-sized town, but the attractions are located a short distance from each other, in the small historic center. In fact, walking makes the visit much more pleasant (unless it comes at a time when the city is flooded with tourists, as in the Feiras Novas, when it is almost impossible to walk on the streets overflowing with people). The car is a useless means of transport, because most attractions, such as the Church of Ponte de Lima, can only be reached on foot or by bicycle. However, it can be useful to reach some attractions like the Museu dos Terceiros or to reach the north bank.

Do

 * Centro Equestre do Vale do Lima, Quinta da Sobreira, Feitosa, Ponte de Lima. Open Monday-Saturday. Summer 08:00-20:00 and 21:00-24:00. Winter 09:00-19:00. A modern riding centre, in the rural surroundings of Ponte de Lima, with excellent conditions. With 8 hectares, it has a pair of uncovered riding stables and a covered one, a teaching track and 50 boxes. About €15 for an individual riding lesson.
 * Feiras Novas, East Margin. Third Week of September. For some, the best time to come to the village is one of the craziest parties in Alto Minho, lasting three days. With parades and numerous popular celebrations, it is one of the last popular festivals of the year. During this time, the village was invaded by literally thousands of outsiders, making traveling through the historic center virtually impossible due to the crowd.
 * Feira do Cavalo, Expo Lima, East Bank (at the northern end of Alameda de S. João, near the Chapel of S. João). June July. With race horses and excellent riders, it is one of the most renowned equestrian fairs in the country.
 * Festival Internacional de Jardins, São Gonçalo Way, West Bank (going along the Caminho de São Gonçalo from the N306, take the first right, towards the car park (this park pays at Feiras Novas, so it might be a good idea to leave it out and go on foot). The entrance is marked with a large poster.), e-mail: festivaldejardins@cm-pontedelima.pt . May 30 - October 30. Imitating the festival in Chaumont-sur-Loire, France, it features modern gardens from around the world, from Portugal to China.
 * Vaca das Cordas. May-June (on the eve of the Body of God). A traditional and characteristic event in Ponte de Lima, dated 1646. The tradition consists of a bull, which, tied by ropes, leaves the Casa do Conde D'Aurora and travels through the streets of the city, until reaching the beach of the river. During the journey, several are those who venture to face the animal.

Buy
Ponte de Lima is a region relatively rich in traditional handicrafts, from woolen covers, embroidery, lace and other weaving products to rustic furniture and basketry. Also of interest are the regional clogs. You can also buy regional food and drink. Barrosã meat, famous for its succulence, the highland goat, with a characteristic flavor, and Vinho Verde ("green wine"), the region's gastronomic symbol.

There are several places to go shopping in Ponte de Lima:
 * Comércio Tradicional. Most of Ponte de Lima's traditional commerce is found in the historic centre, including clothing stores, traditional drugstores, shoe stores, etc.
 * Maria Teresa, Passeio 25 de Abril. This regional products store is the perfect place to buy a souvenir from the trip. Maria Teresa sells traditional towels and linen from Ponte de Lima.
 * Market (by the river, around the bridge). Every two weeks on Mondays. One of the best known fairs in the region and a landmark of everyday life in Ponte de Lima, since time immemorial that has been held on the banks of the River Lima. It is the oldest registered fair in Portugal. With hundreds of "tents", you can find various items, from clothing to accessories, and, depending on the days, food. The fair grows a lot during the New Fairs, also extending to Avenida dos Plátanos, and also appearing some bars and restaurants between the tents.
 * Antique market, Avenida dos Plátanos (on the banks of the Lima River). Every second Sunday of every month. A monthly antiques fair, with several interesting articles.
 * Mercado Municipal de Ponte de Lima, Largo Pomar do Marquês. Various food products for sale, but other than that the offer is limited. It also has several restaurants and shops.
 * Baú D'Avó, Ponte de Lima Municipal Market, e-mail: bau_davo@iol.pt .A craft store on the market, selling various decorative pieces, using materials such as sieves, etc.

Eat
In Limian gastronomy, the most prominent dish is sarrabulho rice with rojões - a delicious dish, with various spices, and full of tradition. Pork is one of the main ingredients of the region's cuisine, being essential in dishes such as "Clara Penha pork leg", the belouras, the green chorizo, the farinhotas. The slaughter of the pig itself was and still is a reason to bring family and friends together.

Another ingredient much appreciated in the kitchen of the village is lamprey. It can be cooked in different ways, but the best known are Lampreia Rice and Lampreia à Bordaleza.

Also in sweets the gastronomy of the region is very rich, the most famous being the burnt milk-cream.

Drink
Taste the Vinho Verde, characteristic of the region.

 * Casa Havaneza, Praça de Camões, East Bank. One of the best known cafes in the village, traditional and with good sweets. One of the best places to relax in the afternoon with a drink in hand.
 * Gira Bola, Rua Formosa, 17, East Margin (in the historic centre). Closes around 02:00. One of the oldest bars in the region. A quiet place to play a game of pool.
 * Bar Boteca, Arnado Beach. Sunday to Thursday: 11:00-02:00. Friday and Saturday: 11:00-06:00. It is on the edge of Lima, and is famous for its riverside terrace. There are evenings dedicated to poetry and art exhibitions.

Sleep

 * Casa do Outeiro - Turismo de Habitação, West Bank,, e-mail: outeiro@solaresdeportugal.pt . A beautiful 18th-century manor, with all the charm of an old noble house. €80/night for a room with two single beds.
 * Hotel Império do Minho, Avenida dos Plátanos, East Bank,, e-mail: hotelimperio@sapo.pt .Located on Avenida dos Plátanos, facing the Lima River and very close to the historic center of the village. It has a good restaurant. Double room for €42.50-65 (depending on the season).
 * InLima Hotel & Spa Rua Agostinho José Taveira, Lote 6, East Margin,, e-mail: reservas@inlimahotel.com . Opened in 2010, this sophisticated boutique hotel is located relatively close to the town centre. With a modern design and comfortable facilities, it features a spa and a themed bar. All rooms have LCD, cable TV, free wireless internet, telephone, mini bar, air conditioning and hairdryer. The suites also have a spa bath. Double room: about €75. Single room: about €60. Suite (2 people): About €150.
 * Pousada da Juventude de Ponte de Lima - Histórica Cultural, Rua Pope John Paul II, East Bank,, e-mail: pontelima@movijovem.pt . With modern and comfortable facilities, it is located on the edge of Lima and a short distance from the centre. Accessible to disabled people. Bed in a dorm: €11-13. Double room without toilet: €26-30. Double room with WC: €28-32. (Depending on the season).
 * Casa do Arrabalde - Turismo de Habitação, West Bank, , e-mail: geral@casadoarrabalde.com . This 18th-century manor house on the west bank of the Lima River has one of the most beautiful views of the village and the river. The bridge is two steps from the house. Single room: €65. Double/twin room: €80.

Go next
Beyond this village are the other attractive villages of Ponte da Barca and Arcos de Valdevez. On the way to Arcos is a lovely old Romanesque church at Bravães. Plus: the city of Viana do Castelo, the towns of Caminha, Âncora, Valença, and Monção

title: Ponte de Lima