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Aktau

Aktau (Kazakh: Ақтау, Russian: Актау) is a city of approximately 200,000 citizens on the banks of the Caspian Sea (Kazakh: Каспий теңізі, Russian: Каспийское море) in Kazakhstan.

Understand
Aktau means "white mountain" in Kazakh, and the city is the capital of the Region of Mangystau. While the city itself is relatively young, there is a number of ancient historical and nature sites of significance that can be visited in the area.

Mangystau translates roughly from Kazakh as "eternal mountains", although the region is actually home to the Karagiye Depression - one of the lowest points in the world at 130 meters below sea level. The region is also home to Sufi-pilgrimage sites such as Beket-Ata, Shakpak-Ata, Shopan-Ata and Masat-Ata, which exist due to Mangystau's location on ancient, but minor, land trading routes around the Caspian. The region is also home to some minor, albeit beautiful, natural attractions such as "Fire Mountain" (Kazakh: Отпантау), oases Tamshali and Saura, and Radon Hot Springs and Mudbaths. The Mangystau region is principally populated by Kazakhs of the Aday Tribe, which is one of the "little brother" tribes in Kazakh history.

Aktau was created as a uranium mining town in 1961 and was named Shevchenko, after the Ukrainian national poet Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko (Ukrainian: Тара́с Григо́рович Шевче́нко). The Soviets built a major nuclear power plant and desalinization plant and the desert was transformed into a livable city. After independence, the Kazakhs renamed Shevchenko, and the city has become Kazakhstan's only port. Due to the large amount of oil and gas exported from Kazakhstan, the city has boomed and is now home to many new developments, which have stretched the infrastructure to its breaking point.

If you come to this city, you will be able to experience the paradox of large supplies of hydrocarbons, uranium and seawater coupled with frequent brown-outs and water shortages.

People
The Aday people are the overwhelming majority of Kazakhs who live in or near Aktau. This tribe of people usually describe themselves as fierce and prone to fighting while at the same time friendly and generous to guests.

Ethnic groups from across the Caspian populate Aktau as well. Most of these people were born in violent areas of Dagestan, Ingushetia, Chechnya or Ossetia and have wild stories if you are willing to listen. Groups here include Chechnyans, Utis, Lezgins, and Ingush. Many taxi drivers are Azeri or Georgian with a handful of Russians also present. People whose parents were born in other parts of the former Soviet Union live here. These groups include Koreans from Vladivostok, Ukrainians and Belarussians. The largest expat community are Italians due to the presence of Agip and Saipem.

By plane
Most people fly to Aktau Airport, 24 km north of the city center. Taxi drivers usually wait for arriving passengers in the arrivals area of the airport. Haggle and a taxi should cost no more than 2000 tenge one way. It may be worth organising a pick-up by your hotel, ensuring the taxi driver knows where he's going and at a set cost.

Public buses go from outside the airport terminal to the centre of Aktau and are a cheaper alternative to taxis. The fare in March 2024 was 70 Tenge. Timetables and the route map are available on Yandex maps, and you can also pay using the Kaspi pay app.

The cheapest way to fly to Aktau is with the SCAT or Azerbaijan Air from Baku or Tbilisi. Prices (June 2022) are about US$100 one way. Also weekly flights from and to Gorgan, Iran. Direct domestic flights include: Atyrau (SCAT and Astana Air several times per day), Almaty (Astana Air or SCAT once a day) and sometimes Aktobe (SCAT).

SCAT airlines also offers direct flights from Shymkent for $75 USD (booked December 2019).

Direct international flights include Moscow (Transaero), Istanbul or Tbilisi (SCAT). Air Astana has a service to Amsterdam through a partnership with KLM. In addition to these regular flights, there are sporadic flights with SCAT and other local airlines to Makhachkala, Yerevan and Astrakhan. There is a direct charter flight to Urumqi departing on the 15th of every month and returning around the 20th of the same month.

By train
All trains arrive and depart from the Mangyshlak/Mangystau (Мангышлак) Station, about from central Aktau. There is a regular 24-hour train service to and from Atyrau. There is also the option of a two-day-long train service from Astana, and a three-day-long train service from Almaty, passing through Shymkent two days after departing Aktau.

Plentiful taxis are available right outside the train station to take you to Aktau. Alternatively bus #105 leaves from the main road outside the station. The bus fare to Aktau is 95 Tenge. Be aware the bus is slow, has no air conditioning, and is likely to be absolutely packed with passengers and luggage, making the taxi a vastly superior option in all aspects except price.

By ferry
The 'Baku-Aktau' ferry in fact travels from Alat to Kuryk -- both ports a considerable distance outside their nominal city.

Get around
Aktau is the type of city U2 may have been talking about when they sang about a place where the streets have no names. The city is divided up into largely unlabeled and chaotically numbered districts (including district 9). These are called "micro-raion" in Russian, which even Kazakhs use to describe them in Kazakh.

Addresses in Aktau are generally written as follows: 14-42-30, where 14 indicates the district, 42 indicates the apartment or commercial building and 30 indicates the apartment number. House numbering is not sequential. Building numbers are marked based on history of construction or clockwise around the block.

City bus fares: 50 tenge (routes available here). Flag fare for taxis should be 200-400 tenge to anywhere within the city center, but this is often 300 tenge for foreigners. Most cars in Aktau will stop and pick you up informally and there is no need to wait for an official taxi to pass by. Official taxi drivers are usually from the Caucasus, and they rarely speak English or any other Western European language. Locals driving newer cars are a better bet if you aren't comfortable communicating in Russian or Kazakh. When you get in the car, you can simply say 'micro-raion' and then state the district's number in Russian. Afterwards, say the building ("Zdanie" or apartment building "Dom") followed by the number.

If you should choose to experience a decrepit form of transportation, you can pay 50 tenge for buses. You will see them plowing their routes on the three main roads in Aktau (north and south coastal, middle north and south road, and the eastern north and south road).

Useful map of Aktau available here: http://www.aktau-business.com/gmap/ Map includes a lot of helpful marks like hotels, cultural centres, markets, cafe, restaurants, tourist's companies, plain & train tickets etc.

See
There is a Soviet-era plane on a pedestal just down the hill from the Asian-themed World War II memorial. At this memorial, an eternal flame (Russian: Вечный Огонь) burns under a circle of partial-white arches, which are reminiscent of a yurt. Across from the memorial, there is a drama theater with regular productions in Russian.

Just south of these structures, on Aktau's middle north-south thoroughfare, you will find a collection of restaurants, night clubs and shopping centers. A well-appointed grocery store (Ramstor), movie theater and night club are in the Ardager shopping complex (district 9). Beyond that, in the furthest shopping center to the south is "Shoom" (ШУМ) (district 4), which has a large variety of low-quality stores.

To the north, in district 16, you can find Aktau's new mall. The mall includes a very small ice-skating rink, movie theater and a number of low and high quality shops (low quality children's clothes on the top floor, Hugo Boss on the main floor). The mall includes arguably the best deal in town for food at Asorti on its top floor.

District 10 has little of note, but it serves as a great viewing point of the huge frescoes, which cover one side of decrepit Soviet apartment buildings across the main street in district 9. The frescoes depict various "national fathers" of Kazakhstan, and rumor has it that current president Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev is keen to have his picture painted in a similar fashion. For now, there is an enormous banner draped over an apartment building on that row.

Do
The beaches of Aktau have nice water, and you are allowed to swim anywhere. However, the amount of glass on the beaches can make your beach experience dicey in many locations. Watch out for water snakes in the more rocky parts. Usually, the locals stick to the beaches below the Renaissance. Behind the beach-side grills and clubs there, the beaches are fairly clean and sandy.

Unfortunately you cannot kick back just anywhere on the edge of the Caspian, or around the town for that matter, and down a sunset drink. You are not allowed to drink alcohol outside of these beach-side bar and grills, although there are absolutely no signs to warn you otherwise. The local police take advantage of this situation and the general fear that many tourists have are the corrupt policemen. If you are caught drinking, they only want 1000 tenge as a bribe, even if you don't speak Russian or Kazakh. Most of the locals drinking on the street are ignored by police or pay the small bribe.

Bowling and pool are very popular in the city. There are at least 2 bowling alleys of good quality: just down the steps from the Soviet plane is Alia Bowling Hall (in between districts 7 and 9) and in Aktau Mall (district 16). Pool is available at those places and in Elite Alliance (building 38 in district 8) in two places: near the corner of the main road in the small Baiterek Center and one directly behind the building in between Elite Alliance and apartment building 7. Nautilus Restaurant also offers pool.

Beach volleyball is available in the summers at Aktau Mall sports center in district 16 and on the beach near the Renaissance Hotel.

Grand Hotel Victory will let you use its saunas, gym, Turkish baths, etc. for one day for 4000 tenge.

Buy
The prices in Aktau are high even by Western European standards. Quality electronics, clothes, western-style foods, hotels, entertainment and gyms are readily available. However, all of these are marked up anywhere from 100 to 300% above American or German prices. It is best to go local in Aktau and/or buy anything of any consequence before you come.

There are a few bazaars in Aktau. All of them have bad reputations for fleecing foreigners: Yellow Bazaar (Жёлтый Рынок) in district 31, Wave Bazaar (рынок Волна) in district 5, Old Bazaar (Старый Базар) in district 22, and White Bazaar in district 8 (Ак Базар).

Eat

 * Shwarma places behind Ardager (Ардагәр) Mall, near the eternal flame memorial. Ask for a 350 tenge shwarma without sauce ("bez sousa" or "bez mayonez") if you don't want it swimming in mayonnaise.
 * Japanese CIS style is available at Le Sushi Aktau at Astana Mall, the Jazz Club in district 5 or Restobar TOFU Aktau in district 7a. You should expect to pay at least US$10 to have a couple of small roleLls at any of those places.
 * Chinese is available at Steak House Napoli Chinatown (Napoli Rest) Restaurant at the Astana Mall for around 1500 tenge per person.
 * Korean is also available at Restobar TOFU Aktau in district 7a.
 * Italian also available at Napoli Rest, along with hookah (Russian: кальян) available.

 * Caucasian grilled meat (shashlik) is available at the beach-side grills below the Renaissance hotel. These are usually 800-1500 tenge per person.
 * Caucasian grilled meat (shashlik) is available at the beach-side grills below the Renaissance hotel. These are usually 800-1500 tenge per person.

Drink

 * The English Pub at the 5 Star Hotel "Grand Victory" in district 13 has a laid-back atmosphere and comfortable seats, but charges US$5-8 per pint.
 * The beach-side bars near Renaissance offer nightlife similar to that at Fuenta, but they mostly shut during the winter.
 * Restaurant Pinta has occasional ballroom dancing parties on Sunday evenings.
 * The beach-side bars near Renaissance offer nightlife similar to that at Fuenta, but they mostly shut during the winter.
 * Restaurant Pinta has occasional ballroom dancing parties on Sunday evenings.

Budget

 * A cheaper and more personal alternative to hotel accommodation might be renting a room or flat from locals. There should be listings online (in Russian). A tested option is offered by Viktor and Svetlana, a friendly middle-aged couple who rent out their spare flat in an aging but charming communist-era block in the 'historic' (1960s) part of the city centre. Basic facilities include a small kitchen (gas stove, pots, plates etc., but no fridge), warm shower, and a bed big enough for two plus couch. The price is only a few dollars per night. Located within walking distance from the city centre, at microrayon 2 (near Hotel Aktau). Phones: (+7) 7292 509276 (home) and (+7) 701 39665 54 (mobile). They speak Russian, very basic English and very, very basic French and Italian.

Connect
The local area code is (+7) 7292.

Go next
Other than buses to even more remote outposts in the desert, Aktau is an extremely out-of-the-way place, so getting out of town usually means backtracking in the direction you have just come. Also, the situation with Turkmeni visas has not been investigated well or at all by any of the travel agencies in Aktau. Therefore, you should not plan to come here first before getting a visa to continue to Turkmenistan. If you do have a Turkmeni visa that authorizes a crossing from Mangystau to Turkmenbashi, then you can make your way easily to the border. There are frequent morning buses to Zhanaozen (about 140 km east of Aktau) and then at least one daily bus from there to Turkmenbashi (about 300 km south).

Tourist agencies in town can make arrangements for visits to Suni shrines and very distant caravansarais.

The most famous of these shrines is Beket Ata - which is not very old - but already has many superstitions about magical properties of the site. Built into a cave, this shrine to an 18th-century Kazakh wise man is usually visited in groups. First, you will drive 3–5 hours from Aktau on poorly paved or unpaved roads to reach the shrine of Shapak Ata (mentor of Beket). After visiting Shapak Ata you will travel another 30 minutes to Beket Ata. You will need to take a live goat with your tour group that will be sacrificed later that evening. After consecrating the goat, you will feast on the meat and relax and pray in the dormitories next to the site until very early the next morning. At that point, you will get back on your tour bus with the leftovers and drive back to Aktau.

Radon Hot Springs offers a slightly radioactive relaxation experience. It is a very primitive location that is about 54 km south of Aktau, with 13 km of that journey offroad. The hot springs are free, but room or yurt rental will cost 500 tenge per hour. The facilities are very primitive (no electricity, no restaurant, no potable water nor western toilets or toilet paper) so you have to take everything with you. There are mudbaths about 3 km beyond Radon on a nearby dirt road. In both cases, you must have a local guide as the roads are completely unmarked and hazardous to drive on at night and there is no public transportation.

Samal/Sherkala, 150 km from Aktau, is an area formed by extreme geological instability. Although Aktau does not experience earthquakes now, it used to have extreme earthquakes millions of years ago. These resulted in the created of the big depression north of the city as well as the valley of Samal. This valley is under "Black Mountain" (Каратау) and "Fire Mountain" (Отпантау). The fire mountain has a natural eternal flame on top as well as a monument to wolves. Nearby, the holy mountain of Sherkala attracts the superstitious who believe circumambulating the mountain between 1 and 7 times will result in good luck. You will need locals to show you how to get there as nothing is signposted and there is no public transportation.

Fort Shevchenko has nothing of historical or cultural note save that Mr. Shevchenko stayed there during his exile from Ukraine. It is about 150 km north of Aktau and some buses leave district 8 infrequently to get there. This is one of the few signposted locations in Mangystau.

Two desert oases are within reach of Aktau by day trip. Saura is about 50 km north and Tamshali is about 130 km northeast. You will need locals to show you how to get there as nothing is signposted and there is no public transportation.

To travel further east to the Silk Road cities in Uzbekistan trains travel from the Mangystau Station through Beyneu and on to Nukus in Uzbekistan, taking around 29 hours. From there it is possible to travel on to Samarkand and Tashkent.

title: Aktau


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Aktobe

Aktobe (Kazakh: Aqtöbe) is a city in Kazakhstan's Central Highlands.

Understand
Aktobe is an industrial city and one could be excused from not being particularly excited about it, but it is situated to the south of the southern end of the Ural Mountains and thus in the most eastern part of Europe. Not all geographers could agree to date just exactly where Europe's eastern limits run but popular argument is that they cut through Kazakhstan from Aktobe to the Emba River and then thus westwards into the Caspian Sea before passing though Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia en route to the Black Sea.

Get in
Flights to Aktobe have to be searched for at Aktyubinsk, Kazakhstan.

See

 * World War II memorial
 * Children's Palace theatre
 * Aliya Moldagulova Museum

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

title: Aktobe


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Akumal

Akumal is a small town between Playa del Carmen and Tulum on the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico.

In the heart of the Mayan Riviera, 37 km from Playa del Carmen and one hour south of Cancun, Akumal is one of the best places to visit in the Mexican Caribbean for its great variety of beautiful beaches and tourist services.

Akumal in Mayan language means "Land of turtles" is still one of the favorite places for these marine animals to spawn, however, what makes Akumal charm and fascination for tourists from around the world, is its spectacular bay with clear waters and underground rivers. Akumal is one of the most peaceful places in the Riviera Maya one protected shallow bay with a secluded beach and a nearby reef.

By plane
The nearest Airport to Akumal is the Cancún International Airport. You could also check flights to the Cozumel airport.

From the Cancun airport
One way to get there is by pre-booking a private transfer from the airport.

There are also buses and shuttles with some hotels or dive shops offering free shuttles.

From the airport you can also take the ADO bus to Playa del Carmen (Terminal Turistica) for M$216 (Feb 2022). And from there a second class Mayab or Oriente bus, which stops for you at the Highway 307 at Akumal, for about M$40 (Feb 2022).

From the Cozumel airport
Take a taxi for the 2.5 km to the ferry. Take the ferry to Playa del Carmen for US$13 (Feb 2022). At the ferry is the Bus Terminal Turistica. Take a second class Mayab or Oriente bus to the Highway 307 at Akumal for about M$40 (Feb 2022).

By intercity bus
From Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Bacalar or Chetumal take a second class Mayab or Oriente bus to the Highway 307 at Akumal.

By shared van
A cheap option is to take a colectivo. From Tulum they depart a half block away from the ADO bus station and cost about M$35 (Jan 2022) to Akumal. From Playa del Carmen they leave around Parque Leona Vicario and cost M$45 (2019). If entering from Cancún you can take a colectivo from the ADO bus station to Playa del Carmen for M$50 (Feb 2022), and then switch. In Playa del Carmen arrives the colectivo from Cancún where the colectivo to Akumal departs. In the colectivos you cannot take much luggage with you as there is no car trunk.

By car
It is approximately a one-hour drive from Cancun.

Get around
There are colectivos, a local 15-passenger van service that runs between Playa del Carmen and Tulum on the Highway 307. They cost about M$35 (pesos, Feb 2022) per person and run very frequently. You can catch the colectivos off the main highway. If you are standing on the side of the highway the driver will flash his lights at you if he has room in his van. This is the preferred local way of getting around.

There is parking available at the beach for M$50. Be careful with the people harassing tourists at the parking lot and pretending to be government officials, forcing their snokelling tour on you. The beach is free to use for everyone and a guide is not required if you're comfortable snorkeling on your own. Please follow the posted rules, however.

The closest sights are at least a 20-minute drive. However, if you're not comfortable driving in a foreign country, there are plenty of taxis to take you wherever you need to go.

See

Akumal has a beautiful bay with a wide white sand beach, wonderfully warm blue-green water and great snorkeling. Cute little town with several restaurants.

Snorkeling
With the destruction of hurricane Wilma, the reefs near Akumal were damaged. However, a snorkeling trip is still very worth the time and expense. There are three options for snorkeling: Since coral dies on human contact, you should avoid touching coral at all costs. It is also illegal to touch the wildlife, such as the sea turtles, so please do not try to ride them or bother them in any way. As of January 2006, there were five juvenile green sea turtles living in the bay.
 * 1) Go on a tour provided by one of the two dive shops in town. It is US$40 per person.
 * 2) Go on an "unofficial" tour. If you stand on the beach with a clueless look on your face, a local may approach you and offer to take you snorkeling on his glass-bottomed boat. It is usually US$20 per person and includes snorkeling equipment. The guide will attempt to find the famous sea turtles for you and show you different corals and fish.  Make sure you are comfortable swimming with flippers as the guide may swim quickly from site to site.
 * 3) Rent or buy your own equipment and swim out alone. Akumal Dive Center rents equipment for 200 pesos. The coral reefs are not too far from the shore and can be easily accessed by swimming, especially with the help of a life preserver.  Much of the bay is not more than five feet deep.  Be very careful to stay away from the "fire reef" marked with buoys and a distinctive red-colored coral.  It stings and excessive contact can be fatal.

Other

 * Scuba diving. There are three dive shops in town.
 * Cenote/cave diving.
 * Sunbathing. Enjoy the sunny beaches.
 * Ecological Center. Visit the Ecological Center at the end of Akumal bay to learn more about the area's ecosystems, species and local environmental events.
 * Scuba diving, Always Diving. Diving lessons and professional diving guide in the best dive spots in Cancun Quintana Roo.

Out of town trips

 * Tulum. About a 20-minute drive to see the Mayan ruins here.
 * Playa del Carmen. Drive over for shopping/bar hopping.  Playa del Carmen also has a ferry boat that goes to Cozumel.  Great day trip for scuba divers!

Buy
A few small shops in town. No real shopping to speak of.

Eat
Akumal has a decent variety of eating options. More restaurants you find in nearby Chemuyil, for example Leo's Pizza and Loncheria.

Budget

 * Cocina Económica.
 * Lucy's Tacos. Across the street from Super Chomak by the area where the market is held

Mid-range

 * Lol Ha Restaurant. Right on the beach in Akumal Bay -- great view!
 * Cueva del Pescador.
 * Turtle Bay Cafe.
 * La Buena Vida. A restaurant and bar with swings instead of bar stools. It's north Akumal (near Half Moon Bay).

Drink
Most restaurants serve beer. Lol Ha and La Buena Vida have a full bar.

Cope

 * Bug repellent.

Go next
All these places have hostels and private rooms:

in the north-east:

 * Playa del Carmen – 40 km

in the east:

 * Cozumel – 50 km

in the south-west:

 * Tulum – 30 km

in the west:

 * Valladolid – 130 km

title: Akumal


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Akureyri

Akureyri, with a population of around 19,000 (2019), is the largest town in Iceland outside the Southwest region, and the unofficial capital of North Iceland.

Climate
The weather in Akureyri (and Northern Iceland in general) is often colder than in the capital, Reykjavík, but precipitation is lower; however, snow begins to fall earlier in Akureyri than in Reykjavík. As in the whole country the weather is unpredictable.

January is the coldest month. Snow is very common in December to February, 80-85% of the days in those months have some snow coverage. Sunshine hours in Akureyri are fewer than in its surroundings due to its location between two mountains to the east and west. These mountains also make winds blow frequently to the north and south.

July is the warmest month and one of the driest ones; actually temperature often remains rather cool even during summer, but one or two relatively hot days (> 24 °C) can occur, while rain is less frequent than in Reykjavik.

By car or bus
The city is linked to the rest of Iceland via the Ring Road, the highway that circles the island along the coastline. The Ring Road just west of Akureyri travels through a scenic valley. This valley can be slow-going in inclement weather and there are limited places to safely stop or pull over, so be sure to check weather reports.

By plane

Don't let the lack of a sidewalk at the airport's driveway intimidate you, there is a sidewalk next to the public road. Alternatively, take a taxi, and expect to pay about kr 1900 to the city centre. There are no buses serving the airport.

Get around

Being Iceland's northern capital doesn't mean Akureyri is a huge metropolis. Although it can get a bit hilly leaving the waterline, walking distances are reasonable for a fit person.

Akureyri has a public bus system, called SVA, which is free for all. The buses are not very frequent, each line has a bus every hour or so. The buses stop running at 23:00 on weekdays and only run between 12:00 and 18:00 on weekends and holidays, but when they're free, why complain? For easier routing and route-planning consider getting the Strætó bs. app.

BSÓ is the only taxi company in town, and they have a taxi rank in the centre.

For those who prefer to cycle, it's possible to rent a bicycle at the souvenir shop The Viking in Hafnarstræti. The price is kr 1000 for 6 hours, or kr 1800 for the day.

See
Akureyri is a very picturesque town with its location by a scenic fjord, eclectic building styles and streets winding their way through gorges. Spend some time walking around the city centre, see the impressive church and check out Listagilið (literally: "the art canyon"), home to a number of arts and crafts galleries and shops. The tranquil municipal botanical garden, Lystigarðurinn, is worth visiting, as are the several small museums dotted around town.

Be sure to visit Nonnahús, childhood home of author Jón "Nonni" Sveinsson, as well as Sigurhæðir and Davíðshús, the former homes of poets Matthías Jochumsson and Davíð Stefánsson. Admission is kr 1200 for adults, or get a day's pass that also includes access to Minjasafnið á Akureyri (Akureyri Museum) and Gamli bærinn Laufás (Old Turfhouse Laufás) for kr 2000. Better yet, a year's pass for all five costs only kr 3000 and will allow you to visit everything at your leisure.

You can visit Akureyri all year around. There is always a lot to see.

Do

 * Football: Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar (KA) play soccer in Besta deild karla, the top tier. Their home ground Akureyrarvöllur (capacity 1650) is 500 m northwest of town centre. The playing season is April-Sept.
 * You can also visit nearby farms, go horseback riding, etc. For more information and booking, visit Hof Cultural Center (see above) or Saga Travel (Kaupvangsstræti 4,, sagatravel@sagatravel.is).
 * Football: Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar (KA) play soccer in Besta deild karla, the top tier. Their home ground Akureyrarvöllur (capacity 1650) is 500 m northwest of town centre. The playing season is April-Sept.
 * You can also visit nearby farms, go horseback riding, etc. For more information and booking, visit Hof Cultural Center (see above) or Saga Travel (Kaupvangsstræti 4,, sagatravel@sagatravel.is).
 * Football: Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar (KA) play soccer in Besta deild karla, the top tier. Their home ground Akureyrarvöllur (capacity 1650) is 500 m northwest of town centre. The playing season is April-Sept.
 * You can also visit nearby farms, go horseback riding, etc. For more information and booking, visit Hof Cultural Center (see above) or Saga Travel (Kaupvangsstræti 4,, sagatravel@sagatravel.is).
 * Football: Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar (KA) play soccer in Besta deild karla, the top tier. Their home ground Akureyrarvöllur (capacity 1650) is 500 m northwest of town centre. The playing season is April-Sept.
 * You can also visit nearby farms, go horseback riding, etc. For more information and booking, visit Hof Cultural Center (see above) or Saga Travel (Kaupvangsstræti 4,, sagatravel@sagatravel.is).
 * Football: Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar (KA) play soccer in Besta deild karla, the top tier. Their home ground Akureyrarvöllur (capacity 1650) is 500 m northwest of town centre. The playing season is April-Sept.
 * You can also visit nearby farms, go horseback riding, etc. For more information and booking, visit Hof Cultural Center (see above) or Saga Travel (Kaupvangsstræti 4,, sagatravel@sagatravel.is).
 * You can also visit nearby farms, go horseback riding, etc. For more information and booking, visit Hof Cultural Center (see above) or Saga Travel (Kaupvangsstræti 4,, sagatravel@sagatravel.is).

Diving
Northern Iceland offers special diving experience due to submerged geological formations and cold water marine life. The North Atlantic water is chilly all year round, suitable for dry suit diving. The minimum age for scuba diving is 17 years according to Icelandic laws.

Scuba divers can join various guided tours, the most special one to a submerged hydrothermal chimney Strýtan in the middle of Eyjafjörður is reserved for more experienced divers. This geothermal formation (white smoker) was created over 10.000 years ago and it is still active. The tallest of several chimneys rises from the sea bottom at the depth of 65 m to 15 m below sea level, and is continuously spewing hot water. Diving is permitted at this protected site with a guide. The local dive center owner is at the same time a discoverer of Strýtan and has in-depth knowledge of the local marine environment.

Arnarnesstrýtur dive site, a cluster of small hydrothermal chimneys at the sea bottom between 23 m and 15 m, is a wonderful alternative for less experienced divers. This dive location, accessible on a zodiac, is also full of rich marine life, with wolffish, cod, pollock or lumpfish, as well as diverse nudibranchs.

Buy
Hafnarstræti, in the city center, is Akureyri's main shopping street. Shops there include an, several souvenir shops, and the curiosity shop Frúin í Hamborg.

For local art and design, head to Grófargil, colliqually known as Listagil (“art canyon”). It's a steep canyon by the street Kaupvangsstræti and home to several studios, galleries and shops.

A small shopping mall, called, is a short distance north of the city centre.

There is a Nettó supermarket near the Glerártorg shopping mall. There is also a supermarket near there, just a little further north along Glerágata/Hörgárbraut, and a  supermarket at Tryggvabraut 8. A supermarket is located near the harbour, at Furuvellir 17.

Eat
While you're in Akureyri, be sure to get ice cream from the locally famous.

Budget
Eating on a budget in Akureyri is about as difficult as in the rest of the country, though there are some options.

For a quick snack, consider going to a hotdog stand such as the one on Hafnarstræti, opposite The Viking (souvenir store). Do as the Icelanders do and ask for eina með öllu: one with everything. There are also several grocery stores in town such as Krónan. ]

Drink
A nice bar is across the street from the main movie theatre. It seems that people in the city enjoy an 'early' movie theater around 20:00 or so, and, as customary in Iceland, go clubbing/barhopping after midnight. Keep in mind that the clubs close at 01:00, at least during the weekdays. A strange wheel-of-fortune with shots, beer, and nothing, is there, for kr 1500.

Sleep
There are many guesthouses more inland immediately away from the city center. They double as residences for college students, but they are the cheapest lodging you'll find, at around kr 8000 double and kr 5000 single.

In addition to hostels and hotels, there are a variety of apartments to rent. These are usually set up like a conventional 1-bedroom apartment (with amenities like a refrigerator, kitchen, and dining area). You might prefer renting an apartment if you're staying in the area for multiple days and want to buy groceries and prepare your own meals.

Connect
Akureyri has good mobile phone coverage (including 3G). Wi-fi internet is often available at cafés or hotels. Here are additional internet access options:

Go next

Akureyri is a good base to explore some of the more remote areas of Iceland, such as Mývatn. Several buses run mostly hourly from the city centre to other important places like the airport and neighboring settlements and bus tours are available which take you to see the enormous crater of Víti, and Goðafoss (waterfall of the gods).

Akureyri is fairly close to Húsavík, which has several whale watching tour operators, and Dalvík, from where you'll be able to catch a ferry to the island of Grímsey, Iceland's northernmost inhabitated island, situated right on the Arctic Circle.

 * Akureyri to Myvatn (1 hr 30 min) kr 2400 / €16
 * Akureyri to Egilsstadir (3 hr 30 min) kr 7600 / €51

title: Akureyri


text:
Akyaka

Akyaka is a beach resort in the Southern Aegean region of Turkey, at the head of the Gulf of Gökova.

Gökova is a larger, older village 2 km inland, on the site of the ancient city of Idyma.

Tourist agencies and travellers often use the two town names interchangeably. In 2022 Akyaka, Gökova and surrounding area of Ula had a population of 26,613.

Get in
Highway D550 runs between the towns just before it forks (as D400) either south to Marmaris or southeast to Dalaman. So buses from Istanbul and Izmir pass through every couple of hours round the clock, and the pick-up / drop-off point is the filling station just north of the fork. The Dalaman airport bus also stops here; it's shown as "Gökova" on timetables.

Muğla 30 km north on D550 is the provincial capital, with local buses and dolmuşes to all parts including Akyaka and Gökova.

From Bodrum and Ören, a scenic minor road twists and turns along the north shore of the Gulf of Gökova.

Get around
From the bus stop on D550 to accommodation near the seafront is about 2 km, so look for a taxi or dolmuş.

See

 * are from the hairpin highway as it descends towards town.
 * Traditional architecture is seen here and there in Gökova village.
 * straggle along the slope above İnişdibi Cd, the lane from Akyaka up to Gökova.
 * are scattered across the mountainside, the most accessible are at the top of Akyaka village just before İnişdibi Cd passes beneath D550. They're of Lydian style, maybe from 550 BC.
 * is a ruined church from the 6th century. The ancient city of Idyma stood on the slopes hereabouts.

Do

 * Akyaka beach is sandy but narrow, so it can get busy and grubby.
 * Boat trips leave from the pier, for instance up Çay Creek.

Buy

 * There's cluster of small stores near the pier, then more along Atatürk Cd inland.
 * Akyaka Town Market is held on Atatürk Cd on Wednesday 08:30-16:00.
 * Board Sports at Karanfil Sk 14 by the pier sells water sports equipment. It doesn't do rentals, repairs or lessons.

Eat
Small eating places are along the east side of Akyaka, no standout.

Drink
It's a measure of how touristy Akyaka has become that a dozen bars line Karanfil Sk near the pier.

Sleep

 * Akyaka Forest Camp is on the headland west of Akyaka village.
 * İskelem Butik Otel is on the beach next to Baga Hotel.
 * Akyaka Forest Camp is on the headland west of Akyaka village.
 * İskelem Butik Otel is on the beach next to Baga Hotel.
 * İskelem Butik Otel is on the beach next to Baga Hotel.
 * İskelem Butik Otel is on the beach next to Baga Hotel.

Connect
Akyaka and its main approach roads have 4G from all Turkish carriers, though the signal is patchy along the coast to Bodrum. As of March 2023, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.

Go next

 * Muğla the provincial capital is mostly industrial but has a charming old quarter.
 * Marmaris is a raucous mass-tourist destination to the south.
 * Datça is a 70-km long peninsula beyond Marmaris dividing the Aegean Sea from the Mediterranean.

title: Akyaka


text:
Alabama

Alabama is a state in the Southern United States of America. Alabama is known for its civil rights history and scenic beauty, and has a lot to offer those who enjoy the great outdoors, from Gulf Coast beaches to 40 National and stare parks.

Cities

 * — state capital and first capital of the Confederacy

 * — home of Auburn University
 * — Alabama's largest city
 * — home of Marshall Space Flight Center
 * — Alabama's only major port and largest city near the Gulf
 * — home of the University of Alabama
 * — Helen Keller's home
 * — home of the University of Alabama
 * — Helen Keller's home

Other destinations

 * & Orange Beach — 32 miles of beautiful sugar white sands on the prettiest beaches on the Gulf of Mexico. A visit to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach offers the perfect balance of non-stop activity and lay-around-doing-nothing time. Putter around a bit on one of the championship golf courses. Cast your line for deep-sea adventure on a one of the Orange Beach fishing charters. Travel back in history with a visit to Fort Morgan, the site of the Civil War Battle of Mobile Bay. Commune with Mother Nature as you hike wildlife trails gazing at shorebirds.
 * — In the spring of 1814, General Andrew Jackson and an army of 3,300 men attacked 1,000 Upper Creek warriors on the Tallapoosa River. Over 800 Upper Creeks died defending their homeland.
 * Little River Canyon National Preserve — Little River is unique because it flows for most of its length atop Lookout Mountain in northeast Alabama
 * — The 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway commemorates an ancient trail that connected southern portions of the Mississippi River, through Alabama, to salt licks in today's central Tennessee
 * — For more than 10,000 years, Russell Cave was home to prehistoric peoples. Russell Cave provides clues to the daily lifeways of early North American inhabitants dating from 6500 BC to 1650 AD.
 * — The Selma to Montgomery National Voting Rights Trail was established by Congress in 1996 to commemorate the events, people, and route of the 1965 Voting Rights March in Alabama
 * — Come on a journey to remember and commemorate the survival of the Cherokee people despite their forced removal from their homelands in the Southeastern United States in the 1840s
 * Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site — In the 1940s Tuskegee, Alabama became home to a "military experiment" to train America's first African-American military pilots. In time the "experiment" became known as the Tuskegee Experience and the participants as the Tuskegee Airmen
 * Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site — Nestled on the campus of historic Tuskegee University, the site includes the George W. Carver Museum and The Oaks, home of Booker T. Washington
 * — A cavern and small family attraction in Childersburg, Alabama.
 * — A cavern and small family attraction in Childersburg, Alabama.

Understand
Alabama, along with the South in general, has a reputation for "Southern hospitality." The people of this state are generally genial and helpful and often go out of their way to help a stranger.

The state is named after the Alabama tribe, a Native American group who used to live at the confluence of the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers.

Known primarily for its status as the original capital of the Confederacy (in Montgomery) and the birthplace of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, Alabama can be a study in contrasts.

The sport of American football is taken extremely seriously in Alabama. In addition to significant regional devotion to high-school football teams the entire state, in terms of college football, is divided into two factions: Auburn University fans and University of Alabama fans. The rivalry is so bitter, in fact, that it took an act by the Alabama State Legislature in the late 1940s to force the two colleges to play one another (the two had stopped playing each other in the first years of the 20th century over an officiating dispute).

Even then, the two schools would not agree to play at opposing sites so the State of Alabama used taxpayer funds to build Legion Field in Birmingham as a neutral site. It was only in 1989 that the Crimson Tide finally visited Auburn and 2000 that the Tigers visited Alabama. This can also be a point of concern for tourists, as the rivalry is so serious that tourists are best not to mention it at all.

Alabama is also noted for having the lengthiest constitution in the world. At nearly 300,000 words, the constitution is made up of nearly 946 amendments, and because of this, the state has numerous constitutional officers/administrators. Some aspects of the constitution are so complex that ordinary residents of the state can't accurately make out what certain statements in the constitution mean.

Climate
Due to its location in the Deep South, Alabama has a humid subtropical/continental climate. Summers are hot and humid, winters are cool to cold, and fall and spring offer pleasant temperatures.

Tourist information

 * Alabama Tourism website

Talk
Many (though certainly not all) Alabamians speak with thick local accents so non-native English speakers may have difficulty understanding them. Visitors to North Alabama (Birmingham and north) will experience accents that are more "country" in nature (Senator Richard Shelby is one example) while visitors to South Alabama (south of Birmingham) will experience accents that are more closely reminiscent of those from the 1939 film Gone With the Wind and the 1994 film Forrest Gump, which takes place in Southern Alabama. Former governor Fob James is a textbook example of someone who speaks like this.

By car
Alabama is accessible by five interstate highways: Interstate 10 (I-10) crosses the state from east to west near Mobile in the south; I-20 enters Alabama from the east, traverses Birmingham, and joins I-59 as it traverses Tuscaloosa and exits the state in a southwesterly direction; I-59 enters northeastern Alabama, continues southwest through Birmingham, and exits the state toward the southwest; I-22 enters Alabama from the northwest and ends in Birmingham; I-65 enters Alabama from the north, traverses Birmingham, and ends in Mobile; I-85 enters the state in the east and ends in Montgomery.

By bus
Greyhound Lines offers bus transportation to cities and towns throughout Alabama. Greyhound bus stops are found in Anniston, Athens, Birmingham, Dothan, Evergreen, Gadsden, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Opelika, Selma, Troy, Tuscaloosa, and Tuskegee.

By train
There is one daily Amtrak route serving Alabama, the Crescent. Trains 19 (southbound) and 20 (northbound) run from New Orleans to Washington, D.C. and New York City. There are three stations in Alabama: Anniston, Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. Coach and sleeper service is available, with checked baggage, a restaurant car, a café and a lounge.

By plane
The largest airport in Alabama is the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. Airlines servicing this airport offer direct flights from Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Tampa, and Washington, D.C..

Commercial flights are also available at Dothan International Airport (DHN); the Huntsville International Airport ; the Mobile Regional Airport ; the Montgomery Regional Airport ; and the Northwest Alabama Regional Airport.

Get around
Car is no doubt the best method, and the most scenic. Interstates converge on Montgomery, Birmingham, and Mobile, and make quick transportation between those cities and ones in other states. They also connect to Anniston, Tuscaloosa, and Huntsville. Elsewhere though, travel can be slower in more rural areas.

By bus
Information on transit can be found here.

Festivals

 * Gulf Shores is home to the National Shrimp Festival. This outdoor event is held annually in October and features over 300 vendors that offer fine art, arts and crafts, an international marketplace and plenty of shrimp. Three stages also carry music continuously throughout the festival. Over 200,000 people attend the festival annually and it has been ranked as one of the top twenty events in the southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society, and one of the top five in the state. 2016 will mark the 45th anniversary of this festival.
 * The Oyster Cook-Off Craft Spirits & Beer Weekend has been a local staple in Gulf Shores for over a decade, featuring hundreds of food and beverage choices. The first week of November starts the cook-off, with Craft Beer tastings from breweries around the southeast, vast collections of rare spirits, and live music. The festival started humbly featuring master-grade oyster preparations alongside local farmers and has grown into a full fledged foodie festival featuring chefs of international acclaim and dishes well beyond the scope of oysters. It's a ticketed event, with a portion of sales going back to charitable causes.
 * Tuscumbia is home to the Helen Keller Festival. This outdoor event is held annually in June for three days (Friday to Sunday) and kicks off with a lengthy parade complete with floats and its riders throwing candy to bystanders, high school marching bands, horses, Civil War reenactors and Shriners zipping about in their miniature go-karts. Afterwards, Main Street is closed and is filled with local vendors selling everything from handmade crafts to fresh vegetables. An antique car show is also a highlighted feature. Many local and out of state bands perform throughout the day with at least one major performer, normally of the country music variety, performing Saturday night in Spring Park. Also performed at the birthplace of Helen Keller is a local production of the stage play The Miracle Worker which is a theatrical rendition of Helen Keller's childhood and interaction with Ann Sullivan. One little known fact about Helen Keller that most natives of Tuscumbia do not even realize is that she was an ardent and outspoken socialist during her adult life.

Sports
Talladega Super Speedway is in Talladega.

Collegiate
Home to what is considered one of the top rivalries in sports, the state of Alabama revolves around college football. Each weekend of the fall, hundreds of thousands of fans around the state pack stadiums to cheer for their respective teams.
 * Jacksonville State University Gamecocks.
 * Jacksonville State University Gamecocks.
 * Jacksonville State University Gamecocks.
 * Jacksonville State University Gamecocks.
 * Jacksonville State University Gamecocks.

Hike
Alabama has some decent hiking options. One of the best areas is the Sipsey Wilderness, which features old-growth forest and dozens of waterfalls. Other areas include the trails and scenic overlooks in Mount Cheaha State Park. The Pinhoti National Recreation Trail runs for approximately 171 miles (280 km) through the hilly forests of eastern Alabama, offering multiple sites for overnight camping.

Cycling
Chief Ladiga Trail rail trail in eastern Alabama that stretches for 33 miles (53 km) from Anniston to the Alabama-Georgia state line, where it joins Georgia's Silver Comet Trail.

Eat
Mobile has some of the best fried seafood east of the Mississippi River. Don't forget to try local oyster bars, and the shrimp is superb. Ask locals for recommendations that are off the beaten path and area favorites.

Alabama barbecue is outstanding and comes in many forms, but pork is always most popular. There are several award-winning barbecue "joints" in Alabama, and their claim to fame is typically "pulled pork", but they will offer ribs, too.

For dessert, look for pecan pie. During the summer, fresh peaches and blackberries are available. Fruit pies abound, and if you want something a little different, look for cobblers. Home-style peach ice cream is a particular treat.

Go next

 * Mississippi - Alabama's neighbor to the west has Civil War battlefields, scenic parkways, and antebellum charm.
 * Tennessee - North of Alabama, Tennessee offers the cities of Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, & Chattanooga, plus the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains.
 * Georgia - On Alabama's eastern border, Georgia has the major metropolis of Atlanta, with many attractions, and the charming cities of Macon & Savannah.
 * Florida - Bordering the southern part of the state is Florida, with a lot more gulf coast than Alabama, including fabulous beaches, the big tourist area of Orlando, and the cities of Tampa, Jacksonville, and Miami

title: Alabama


text:
Alaçatı

Alaçatı (pronounced aa-LAA-chaa-tuh) is a village in Central Aegean, just east of Çeşme, on the peninsula jutting out into the Aegean Sea.

Understand
It was called Agrilia and inhabited by local Greeks until 1920s. Alaçatı was long forgotten until 1990s when it started to attract Turkish intellectuals yearning for a peaceful, rural haven. Since 2000s, it is much trendier and has a wider visitor profile, which includes many windsurfers.

By bus
Buses departing from Izmir's Otogar (main bus station) heading for Çeşme—the principal town of the peninsula—calls at Alaçatı. The buses are run by, with one and a half hour intervals between 6:30AM and 7:30PM during off-season, most likely more frequent during summer. Buses depart from platform 141 (upper floor) of Izmir Otogar, and there is a ticket office inside the building, close to the platform. Some buses also call at Fahrettin Altay bus station, located just next to the İstinyePark mall.

There are also minibuses (dolmuş) from Çeşme, and Ilıca every 15-30 minutes depending on the time of the day and the season.

By car
Alaçatı lies very close to O-31, a motorway (toll-road) with 3-lanes per direction linking Izmir with Çeşme. It takes around 45 minutes to get to the village from Izmir, which lies 72 km east of Alaçatı.

The village lies 8 km east of Çeşme.

Get around
The beach on the windsurfing cove, which lies about 2 km south of village, is connected to village centre by minibuses (dolmuş).

Buy
There is a lively street market held every Saturday, with fresh fruit and vegetables, clothes, and various other products on the offer.

Eat

 * Pide — Turkish pizza, available at everywhere, and mostly tasty, but you should definitely taste the ones at Babylon Aya Yorgi beach.
 * Fish — Definitely there are many alternatives for fish restaurants in Alaçatı and around nearby Çeşme as well. Dalyan is a very close village where locals prefer to dine in. Do not forget to try Turkish raki with fish.

Connect
Alaçatı and its approach highway between Izmir and Çeşme have 4G from all Turkish carriers. As of Sept 2022, 5G has not been rolled out in Turkey.

title: Alaçatı


text:
Aladdin

Aladdin is a city in Northeast Wyoming, United States.

Understand
Aladdin is a tiny town with a population of 15 at an elevation of 3,740 ft (1,140 m).

The town was founded in 1896. In 1901, the now defunct Wyoming and Missouri Valley Railroad reached Aladdin, transporting the lumber, coal, and cattle that formed the economic base of the community. The railroad ceased operation in 1927.

Get around
It is possible to walk or bike within the town, but a motorized vehicle is needed to get to and from Aladdin.

Go next

 * Devils Tower National Monument - 26 miles (42 km) west on SR 24.

title: Aladdin


text:
Alagoas

Alagoas is a state in Northeast Brazil. Tourism has grown on the beaches of the state with the arrival of Brazilians and foreigners.

Cities

 * — a beach town
 * — a beach town about 40 km south of Maceio
 * — a small city 80 km south of Maceio where there are reefs for scuba diving, and beaches that are very good for surfing
 * — the state's capital
 * — a beautiful beach between Maceió and Recife, about two hours away from either; there are hostels
 * — a city 45 km south of Pontal de Coruripe. Take a boat to the San Francisco River Mouth. It's one of the most beautiful places to see in Brasil, although not well known
 * — a fishing village on the north coast of Alagoas, near some of the best beaches in the country. It has a hostel.

Other destinations

 * — 20 km north of Pontal de Coruripe. It has a huge lagoon and the mouth of the river is a "have to see" place.
 * — Alagoas' first capital
 * — a historic city
 * — a small historic town on the north bank of the Rio São Francisco

Understand
The state is one of the largest producers of sugar cane and coconut in the country and has agriculture as the basis of its economy. Sururu, shellfish from the lakes that serves as food for the coastal population, and coconut water, are important products.

Get in
Zumbi dos Palmares International near Maceió

See
The most popular destinations are: Maceió, Maragogi, Japaratinga, Barra de São Miguel, Piaçabuçu, Marechal Deodoro, Piranhas and Penedo, the latter of which has historical importance.

Other points targeted by tourists are the beaches of the state. Among the most sought after are: Praia de Pajuçara, Praia de Ipioca, Praia da Sereia and Praia de Cruz das Almas, all in Maceió. The city also has a Handicraft Market, the Pierre Chalita Museum, the Théo Brandão Museum of Anthropology, and the Folklore and Sports Museum.

Other places sought after by tourists include: Passeio das Galés, in Maragogi, Church of Nossa Senhora do Livramento, Ecopark, Foz do Rio São Francisco, Mirante da Praia do Gunga, Museum of Image and Sound, Metropolitan Cathedral, Deodoro Theater and Mirante, both in Maceio.

Maragogi, 131 km from Maceió, is the second most popular destination in Alagoas. The excellent tourist infrastructure, several hotels, inns, farm hotels, restaurants, craft centers and various leisure options add to the quality of services of the municipality.

Scenarios such as fishing villages, farms with reserves and Atlantic forest trails, abundance of coconut trees, beautiful beaches with crystal clear waters, such as the beaches of São Bento, Peroba, Burgalhau, Barra Grande, in addition to the galleys formed by coral reefs 6 km away from the coast, are some of the natural riches of the municipality.

Maragogi has one of the most important ecosystems in Brazil, the diverse fauna and flora of marine species are ideal places for diving. Navigating the rivers where you can find the preserved mangroves, beaches, playing sports, bathing in springs, waterfalls, all these cities have a contact with nature. Alagoas is known as a water paradise precisely because of the rich aquifers in the state, as well as waterfalls, rivers, sea, lakes. Some beaches are often compared to those in the Caribbean.

Do
The Bom Jesus dos Navegantes festivities run from January 8th to 15th with ferries that cross from Alagoas to Sergipe and return to Penedo, then on land the fireworks start signaling the arrival of the vessels and thus the parties with concerts by musical bands.

title: Alagoas


text:
Alaigne

Alaigne is a small village in the Aude region of south-west France.

Understand
The village of Alaigne (330 inhabitants) is an historic village with 1,000 years of history. It is in the department called Aude in the region of Languedoc-Roussillon in southwestern France and is located just half an hour from Carcassonne and Rennes-le-Chateau.

With its excellent B&B, Gites and Celtic owned Café-bar the village offers an excellent and convenient resting place for visitors to the Languedoc region for the exploration of Cathar history.

Visitor information

 * Alaigne Information
 * Limoux information

By plane
Alaigne's closest airport is Carcassonne Airport. Ryanair serve the airport to/from Brussels (Charleroi) Cork, Dublin, Nottingham, Glasgow (Prestwick), Leeds/Bradford, Liverpool, London (Stansted), and Porto. A shuttle bus to the city centre via Chénier SNCF station meets every flight.

From Carcassonne city, it is possible to take a train to the town of Limoux.

By train
Alaigne's nearest train station is in the town of Limoux, which is also on the line of the popular tourist city of Carcassonne. Further information available from SNCF's TER Occitanie.

Car
Car is by far the best way to get around. There are many small and picturesque villages in the surrounding areas, so driving is no chore. Although public transport does exist, it is somewhat infrequent and can be difficult to rely on. Hitching can sometimes be successful in rural areas (times may vary!)
 * Carcassonne is approx. 30 minutes away by car.
 * Limoux is approx. 15 minutes journey by car.

Avis rent a car have an office at Carcassonne airport.

See

 * Carcassonne with its medieval fortress Cité de Carcassonne, a settlement with history that exceeds two and a half thousand years. It is listed on UNESCO World Heritage List.
 * The Tour De France route often passes very close by
 * The Tour De France route often passes very close by
 * The Tour De France route often passes very close by

Do

 * A travel article in the Sydney Morning Herald explored the spectacular landscape and legends of the Cathars.

Walking
The village itself can be walked around in about 10 minutes, but it is the surrounding countryside that entices many walkers to the area. There are many well defined local walking trails, as well as more serious routes including:

 * The Cathar Trail: towering fortresses built on high peaks that have become part of the Cathar legend.
 * The GR7: high summits and lakes, where the Cathar and Catalan countries meet and open the door to a gentle journey towards Andorra and Spain

Other Activities

 * Skiing in the Pyrenees
 * Vineyard tours in the Languedoc
 * Horse Riding

Buy

 * Wine. Aude is a spectacular wine producing area. Alaigne is in the wine producing area called Malepere, an appellation for red wines. The village is home to Domaine Girard, local producer of AOP and IGP wines. Nearby Limoux is famous as the home of Blanquette, white sparkling wine discovered by the monks of St. Hilaire 150 years before the Champagne region first produced champagne.
 * Honey. There is lots of locally produced honey in the area, which is often on sale at the many local markets.
 * Art and unique locally made gifts are for sale in the little art gallery 'La forgerie'

Eat

 * There is a Celtic owned Café-bar the village offering fabulous home-cooked dishes.
 * There are many pizza restaurants offering takeaway in the surrounding area.
 * Limoux offers many more restaurants.

Drink

 * Alaigne only has one bar: the Celtic owned Café-bar, which often shows regional and international sports on TV to a mixed crowd of locals and international visitors.

title: Alaigne


text:
Al Ain

Al Ain is the garden city of United Arab Emirates. This oasis town is next to, and virtually merged with, the Omani town of Buraimi. The "Cultural Sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud and Oases Areas)" have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

By bus
The easiest way to reach Al Ain is by bus from Abu Dhabi (140 km) and Dubai (100 km). Buses depart hourly from Abu Dhabi bus station and the Dubai bus station, respectively. Arriving at Al Ain bus station. It takes 2 hr (30 dirham from Abu Dhabi, 30dirham from Dubai). Buses are clean with air conditioning and stop halfway for 10 min.

From Dubai the bus station to go to Al Ain is the "Al Ghubaiba Bus Station".

From Dubai, there are mini buses available from Bur Dubai taxi station. Clean semi luxury mini vans charges 20 dirham for the 90-min journey.

Get around
Taxis are very easy to find and cheap (in the older, brown taxis, 10. dirham plus 1.00/km; silver taxis are more expensive, but have better air conditioning and, usually, English-speaking drivers). Women traveling alone should sit in the back and not make conversation with the cabbies, as drivers may misinterpret friendliness.

There is also a local bus service.

See
Al Ain has several sites that would be of interest to tourists:

Do
There is also a large zoo and safari park in Al Ain that is quite popular with visiting tourists.

Buy

Al Ain has three shopping malls:

Al Ain also has various shopping areas, the Town Centre Area (Main Street, Khalifa Street, and Oud At Touba Street). Vendors sell everything from cheaply-made toys and souvenirs to spices, Arabian incense and gold.

Eat
Al Ain is host to a wide range of palates and ethnicities when it comes to cuisine. Lebanese/Arabic food is usually cheapest; hotel restaurants usually the most expensive. The city is home to all manner of fast food like McDonald's and Hardees, but there is little for most people to eat at those places. Some of the best and cheapest food in the city can be found at its many Indian restaurants. Portions are almost always generous, prices low, and quality excellent. Chinese food is at its best in the many Chinese restaurants. Residents find Al Ain's selection to be more than adequate.

Most restaurants and cafes deliver to anywhere in the city. Delivery is quick and reliable and rarely costs extra.

Vegetarians will find the city's selection of meals very satisfying. Vegetable and bean-heavy native dishes, the array of splendid pure vegetarian Indian cuisine, and the ready availability of fresh salads make eating in Al Ain a stress-free experience. Strict vegans may have a little difficulty communicating their precise demands, but most places offer vegan dishes and are always willing to accommodate a paying customer.

Most of the good restaurants are concentrated on Khalifa Street.

The main street in Mauteredh (Mathraz, according to some) has a large number of cafeterias serving Lebanese to Indian food.

Drink
Alcohol is available in the main hotel restaurants. However, it is advised to drink in moderation as in common with the rest of the UAE; it is illegal to be intoxicated in public places.

Go next

 * You can cross the border to Oman.

title: Al Ain


text:
Alajuela

Alajuela is a city in the Central Valley of Costa Rica, near San José.

Understand
There is not very much to see in the city itself, but Alajuela is an excellent spot for beginning and ending a trip in part due to "San José" Airport being here.

By train

From San José (Estación Alantico) tickets are ₡1,005 (April 2020).

On foot
Alajuela is small enough to take in by foot. You can see the entire downtown in one afternoon.

By bus
There are lots of public buses that criss-cross the city or travel to nearby towns. There are two main bus companies, TUASA and Station Wagon, that provide service between Alajuela and the capital, San Jose. The buses are cheap, less than US$1, and run every few minutes. There are also buses that depart to other nearby towns like Sarchi, San Ramon, Heredia, and Poas. Also, you can catch buses to farther destinations that regularly travel through Alajuela on the way to Pacific destinations.

By car
Taxis are often the easiest and a cheap way to get around the town. Taxies are red and there are many taxi stands scattered around the city. While the orange airport taxies will accept US dollars, the red taxies will only accept colones. Tipping is not expected, but you can let a taxi driver keep the change.

Do

 * For the nearby Braulio Carrillo National Park and Poás Volcano National Park see region article on Central Valley.

Budget
There are small hotels and hostels catering to budget travelers. However, they tend to be somewhat overpriced due perhaps to the city's proximity to the international airport.

Go next

 * Atenas, in Alajuela Province – It had been ranked as the best weather worldwide. Atenas town in well known by the American community here. It is on the way to the central Pacific beaches becoming a mandatory stop on the way to Jaco or Manuel Antonio National Park.
 * San Ramon
 * Grecia
 * Palmares

title: Alajuela


text:
Ala Kahakai Kaloko-Honokohau Trail

This short section of Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail is found in Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park.

Get in
Access the trail from the gate located in Honokohau Marina. From Palani Road in Kailua-Kona, drive 2.3 miles northwest on Highway 19. Turn left on Kealakehe Parkway and drive 0.4 miles to the entrance to the marina. Turn right, and drive 0.3 miles. The national park gate is on the right just before the road makes a sharp left turn. There is a large parking lot adjacent to the gate.

GPS waypoints
Latitude and Longitude in this table are derived from GPS measurements taken on the trail. Elevations are from Google Earth.

Trail description
In this section, the bold numbers indicate total distance in kilometers from the start of the hike, while the numbers in brackets refer to a GPS waypoint in the table above.

0.0 The hike starts (1) at the National Park entry gate adjacent to Honokohau Marina. Walk through the gate and turn immediately left on the dirt road. At 0.1 (2) you come to an interpretive sign explaining the general features of the park. Park brochures are available here. Pick one up as it will provide useful information on the things you will see along the way. The trail bends to the right here onto a slightly rougher surface, but it is still easy to walk.

At 0.2 you reach a trail junction (3). Go to the right. Another trail junction (4) is reached at 0.3. There are restrooms here. The trail to the right is the labelled "Ala Hele Ike Hawai'i" on the printed version of the park brochure and "Ala Mauka-Makai" on the online version. Whatever the correct name of the trail, it leads to the visitor center. Turn left to head out onto the shore.

Follow the shoreline to your right. At 0.6, by some interesting remains of structures in the water (5), the rocky shore gives way to a wide expanse of beach. There will be a few beach-goers of various sorts here, but it is never crowded, even on a holiday long weekend. Choose your own way across the sand around the bay. The sand is loose, and the slope of the beach is steep, leading to slow going. At 0.7 you reach 'Aimakapa Fishpond, (6) located behind the beach. The beach dune is only a few feet high, but it shelters the pond, and can provide a huge contrast from the cool breezy environment of the shore. Watch for a variety of waterbirds on and around the pond.

At 1.1 there is an interesting structure in the lower side of the beach (7). It's not clear what it is, but it appears to be more recent than the other ruins that abound in the park. There appears to be a trail off the beach to the right here, but it dead-ends quickly. Continue along the beach. You finally reach the end of the beach at 1.2 (8). The trail continues along the top of a square stone wall, then soon turns inland, entering the trees at (9). Up to this point, any kind of footwear would be fine, but the trail now proceeds a distance on some loose lava rubble, and sturdy footwear is required.

At 1.3 you find a gap (10) in an old wall made of pieces of lava. The trail is unclear here. Stay on the left (seaward) side of the wall. While the trail winds in and out of the trees, there is a large field of 'a'a on your right. This is a portion of the 1801 flow from the eruption of Hualalai. There are many structures built within the lava field out of local chunks of lava. One is a long straight wall (11) running perpendicular to the trail at 1.5.

An apparent trail junction is reached at 1.7 (12). Stay to the left. A signed trail junction is found at 1.9 (13). The trail to the right is Ale Hele Hu'e Hu'e. It connects to the Mamalahoa trail and can be used to form a loop through the visitor center parking lot. Continue straight ahead to stay on Ala Kahakai. Short trails giving access to the shoreline branch left at (14) and (15).

At 2.3 you reach the picnic area (16). There are restrooms here. At the north end of the picnic area is an interpretive sign (17) describing the Kaloko Fishpond. Restoration of the retaining wall using traditional Hawai'ian methods is still in progress, but you may walk out onto the restored portion of the kuapa (fishpond wall) and marvel at its construction. Because the wall is composed of unshaped lava rocks fitted together without mortar, there is the potential for the edges to be unstable. For the sake of the integrity of the wall and your own safety, stay back from the edge.

Kaloko Fishpond is the northern turnaround point for this hike. It would actually make a nicer starting and ending point than the way I have described this trail, but the access road is gravel, and therefore forbidden to almost all rental car users. Retrace your steps now to waypoint (3). Along the way, you may have noticed a constant fringe of clouds and rain along the slopes of Hualalai. This is caused by daytime convection drawing cool, moist air off of the ocean as the sun warms the land, combined with the orographic lift effect of the mountain. It probably looks like it's going to rain on you at any minute, but it probably won't.

When you reach (3), turn right to head out to Honokohau Beach and the 'Ai'opio Fishtrap. The crumbling fishtrap walls create a sheltered lagoon that is protected from the surf, and therefore ideal for swimming. The small beach here is usually more crowded than the larger beach you crossed earlier. As you enter the beach area, 4.5 from the start of the hike, you will see a Halau, or long house (18). Continue around the beach to the Heiau (19), or temple. A traditional Hawai'ian altar stands here, and Hawai'ians often bring offerings to this traditionally sacred place. Please be respectful.

When you are ready, retrace your steps to waypoint (3) and keep right to return to the starting point, a total of 5.1 km.

title: Ala Kahakai Kaloko-Honokohau Trail


text:
Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail

Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail is on the Big Island in Hawaii of the United States of America.

Understand
Established in 2000 for the preservation, protection and interpretation of traditional Native Hawaiian culture and natural resources, the Ala Kahakai NHT is a 175-mile trail corridor full of cultural and historical significance. It traverses through hundreds of ancient Hawaiian settlement sites and through over 200 ahupua'a, or traditional sea to mountain land divisions.

The trail is still being created.

History
The Ala Kahakai was designated as a National Historic Trail by the U.S. Congress late in November 2000, and in the summer of 2001 the trail office was officially opened.

Landscape
Cultural resources along the trail include several important heiau (temples), royal centers, kahua (house site foundations), loko 'ia (fishponds) ko`a (fishing shrines), ki‘i pohaku (petroglyphs), holua (stone slide), and wahi pana (sacred places).

Flora and fauna

Natural Resources include anchialine ponds, pali (precipices), nearshore reefs, estuarine ecosystems, coastal vegetation, migratory birds, native sea turtle habitat, and several threatened and endangered endemic species of plants and animals.

Climate
The temperatures in Hawai'i are typically in the mid to upper 80s. Rainfall and weather conditions may vary at various locations where the trail is found around the island.

Get in
The trail is not open as National Historic Trail, although some sections are accessible by the public under State and County jurisdiction. Visitors are directed to the State Trails (Na Ala Hele) website pertaining to the Ala Kahakai trail. One available section is in Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park.

Go next

 * Ala Kahakai Kaloko-Honokohau Trail

title: Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail


text:
Alameda

Alameda is an island in the East Bay of the Bay Area, California in the United States of America. It is separated from the mainland by the Oakland Estuary. One can get there from Oakland very easily, by way of one of the bridges or the Webster Street Tube.

Understand
Alameda is an island city with a consciousness of its history. It was founded as a Spanish settlement and then became a Mexican one. Many of the streets and neighborhoods have names dating back to the 19th century. There are a great many large Victorian houses throughout the town, including the original Alameda Library, Alameda City Hall, the Elks Lodge, and most particularly Historic Alameda High School. A few of the streets have been restored to Victorian grandeur, notably the shopping districts of Park Street and Webster Street. Once one of many of its kind, the Alameda Naval Air Station was decommissioned in 1997, and has since been the site of a few film and TV productions, in its present form, Alameda Point. Around the Christmas season, the residents of Thompson Street participate in lighting up the whole city block, houses and trees alike. The city is home to a single theater, the classic Art Deco Alameda Theatre, built in 1932, renovated and expanded in 2008. South of the main island is Bay Farm Island, a mostly-residential and markedly suburban district bordering Oakland International Airport.

By plane
Oakland International Airport is a close neighbor to Alameda. The traveller's best bet for getting into town is by public transit (AC Transit Line 21). The easiest way for your money is likely to be a taxi, though the major (read: spendier) hotels of Oakland and Alameda offer free shuttle service to and from the airport.

By car
The proximity of Alameda to Oakland makes access by car easy. From Webster, 29th Ave. or Fruitvale in Oakland, all exits are clearly marked. From I-880/The Nimitz Freeway, the 23rd Ave. exit is easiest, and the exits leading to the island city are all clearly marked.

By ferry
The San Francisco Bay Ferry provides service from several points on both sides of the Bay. There are three terminals in Alameda:

 * Main Street on the northwest side of the main island - primarily has service during the middle of the day on weekdays, as well as all day on weekends.
 * Alameda Seaplane on the west side of the main island - used for morning and evening commuting.
 * Harbor Bay on Bay Farm Island - only used for rush hour commuting

By train
Amtrak does not service Alameda directly, but four of its train routes arrive at two nearby stations.

 * Capitol Corridor San Jose to Auburn via Sacramento). The route also includes a stop at the Oakland Coliseum/Airport Amtrak station, adjacent to the Oakland Coliseum BART station. The Oakland Coliseum/Airport Amtrak station has no station agents. Passengers may board the train and buy the tickets from the conductor at no surcharge.
 * Coast Starlight Seattle to Los Angeles
 * San Joaquins Oakland to Bakersfield, California

Passengers riding the Capitol Corridor, San Joaquins, and Coast Starlight trains should arrive at the Oakland Jack London Station (OKJ) at Alice and 2nd St. The station is just east of Jack London Square. Capitol Corridor conductors provide two free bus passes upon request. Getting to Alameda by bus requires one transfer. Pick up AC Transit Line 12 at its terminal on Alice, across the street from Amtrak. The bus may wait at this stop for several minutes before departing. Ride the 12 to the 7th and Broadway stop. From that stop, walk back along Broadway, cross 7th, and go with the flow of traffic to the bus stop at 7th and Franklin (less than one block). From this stop, four lines serve Alameda: Line 19, Line 20, Line 51A, and Line 96.

 * California Zephyr Emeryville to Chicago via Sacramento. Reachable by a bus ride via both AC Transit and the Emery-Go-Round.

Passengers riding the California Zephyr train should arrive at the Emeryville Station (EMY)—the train's western terminal. Getting to Alameda by bus requires one transfer. From the train, walk through the station, veer left, and continue two blocks along 59th St. to Hollis St. At the bus stop just to the right of this intersection, pick up AC Transit Line 29. Ride the 29 to the 11th and Broadway stop. Wait at this same stop for either Line 19 or Line 20. For Line 51A or Line 96, turn right on Broadway and walk one and a half blocks to the Broadway and 9th stop.

On foot or by bike
Though the Posey Tube has a sidewalk, it's a noisy, polluted car tunnel and not a pleasant walk by any stretch of the imagination; you're better off taking the bridges further east, which have sidewalks, or using the water shuttle, a free ferry that operates Wednesday through Sunday during the day. The 10-minute ferry runs from Jack London Square in Oakland, and it allows bikes to be taken on board.

By car
Alameda is an island, and as such it's difficult to get truly lost if you have your basic bearings. The island is bordered on the north by the Oakland estuary and to the south by the San Francisco bay. The west end of the island is taken up by Alameda Point, the site of the former Naval Air Station. At the south end, you'll find a bridge to Bay Farm Island.

By bus
Several AC Transit bus lines go around the island. There is a late-night bus service from Fruitvale BART to Broadway, down Santa Clara and up Webster to Downtown Oakland. There are also a couple of rush hour shuttles from Webster St. commercial area to Jack London Square/Lake Merritt BART area.

By foot
Walking is a great way to get around. Walking from Oakland is not recommended.

By ferry
Traveling from the Harbor Bay ferry terminal area to the Main Street terminal area is faster by ferry than by bus. This only works during rush hour.

Connect

 * The Alameda Post is Alameda's only remaining local news site of note; the others went out of business or folded into the East Bay Times.

Go next
San Leandro is across the bay by using California State Route 61, there are plenty of shorelines and beaches here, as well as malls, hotels and worldwide industries (including Otis Spunkmeyer's and Ghirardelli's worldwide headquarters)

title: Alameda


text:
Alamo

You may be looking for one of the following places in the United States:

 * Alamo - a town in Williams County in the state of North Dakota in the United States of America
 * Alamo - a town in the Bay Area of California in the United States of America
 * "The Alamo," an important historical site in the city of San Antonio, Texas in the United States of America

title: Alamo


text:
Alamogordo

Alamogordo is a small city in southeastern New Mexico. The town is the county seat for Otero County and supports two major nearby military installations, Holloman Air Force Base and the White Sands Missile Range.

Understand
Originally a small hamlet for ranchers and farmers due to the railroad passing through town (the name is a Spanish word meaning "fat cottonwood"), the town has become associated with military and secretive activities, first gaining notability for being the closest substantial settlement to the first nuclear bomb test in 1945.

Alamogordo has also gained a quirky sort of infamy among video game enthusiasts as the site of the Atari video game burial, when Atari buried thousands of unsold video games, most notably copies of the poorly-received E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

By car
U.S. Route 54, 70 and 82 all go through Alamogordo. U.S. 54 meet El Paso about 90 miles to the south. U.S. 70 & 84 meet Las Cruces and I-25 about 70 miles to the southwest. U.S. 54 North goes through La Luz, Tularosa and Carrizozo where it meets U.S. 380. U.S. 380 west meets up with San Antonio, NM and I-25. U.S. 70 heads northeast to Ruidoso. Finally, 82 east will meet Artesia and U.S. 285 after 110 miles. From there it is 40 miles north to Roswell and 35 miles south to Carlsbad, two popular tourist towns.

By plane
The closest major airport is El Paso International Airport 90 miles to the south.

By train
Although the railroad goes through Alamogordo, no commuter service is available and Union Pacific ceased stopping there in 2006.

Get around
Alamogordo is a small city and one could easily walk most of the city.

There are two taxi services available:
 * Dollar Cab, +1 575 434-8294
 * T-N-T Taxi Service, +1 575 437-2292

Public transportation is provided by Z-Tranz +1 575 439-4900.

See

Buy
There are many shops, gas stations, banks and other amenities located going through Alamagordo along White Sands Blvd (US 70/54). If shopping is your specific goal then you won't want to miss the following area.

Eat
There are plenty of restaurants to suit your tastes around Alamogordo, including Chinese, Mexican, Thai, almost everything. Most restaurants are centered around downtown or White Sands Boulevard.

Typical fast food restaurants like McDonald's, Arby's, Subway, Sonic, Quizno's, and Burger King are available throughout the city.

Drink
There are few establishments in the city specifically focused on drinking (that is to say, bars). Besides the Chili's and Applebee's, the two most popular places to drink are:

Note also the following private clubs which have establishments in the city. As private organizations, they are subject to different laws than public restaurants and bars. The VFW, for example, legally allows smoking indoors.

Go next

 * White Sands National Park makes a nice day excursion from Alamogordo, it is about 45 minutes southwest by car.
 * Ruidoso is an hour away and Cloudcroft is less than 30 minutes away, both are great mountain retreats.
 * The Inn of the Mountain Gods is a hotel and casino, along with golf, horseback riding, and a hunting lodge on the nearby Mescalero Apache reservation. It is accessible by road between Alamogordo and Ruidoso.
 * The Three Rivers Petroglyph Site is about 30 miles north of Alamogordo on US 54, on the east side of the road.

title: Alamogordo


text:
Álamos

Álamos is a town of 11,000 people (2020) in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Occidental in Sonora. Alamos is the main historical attraction of Sonora, and one of Mexico's most splendid colonial cities. As the most northern of the colonial pueblos, Alamos has a rich history of conquistadors, mining barons, imperialists and revolutionaries. Upon entering the city, you'll experience a feeling of a different age, of Spanish romanticism, of Old Mexico.

Understand
Historically an important center of silver mining, the town's economy is now dominated by the tourist sector. It has been designated a pueblo mágico due to its architecture.

Álamos today is known for its charming atmosphere and warm, friendly people, where one can leave the hurried life behind and relax into the serene lifestyle of this small colonial gem. The population hovers around 6,000 people in the city and another 4,000 inhabitants in outlying areas yet Álamos retains the grandeur of its colonial past.

Álamos is known as “La Ciudad de los Portales” (portales are tall, arched, covered verandas or walkways fronting many of the cobble-stoned streets or calles). Álamos boasts numerous buildings exhibiting classic Andalusian architecture from Mexico's Colonial period, including numerous mansions, the Plaza de Armas, the Church of La Purísima Concepción, La Capilla and the Palacio Municipal (“city hall”).

The great wealth created by the silver mines from the surrounding mining towns of La Aduana, Minas Nuevas, and others enabled the founders and residents of Álamos to build scores of colonial Spanish mansions throughout the town; most of them went into ruin in the early 20th century but in the late 1940s, a number of Americans and Canadians began buying and restoring the houses.

Climate
The climate, due to its position in the Sierras, retains cool, pleasant days in the winter, some hot days in the summer and spectacular rain storms in July & August. The area offers almost 360 days of sunshine. Álamos has three seasons: a hot, dry season from April to June, a hot, humid wet season from July to October, and a warm, generally dry “winter” from November to March.

By bus
From Hermosillo, ACN Autobuses has routes along the coast and can take you to Navajoa (a 3½-hour trip that costs M$350), where you can change to an Albatros bus for the 1-hour trip to Alamos. Tickets for the Albatros bus to Alamos cost M$50 and the bus runs 3 times per day.

From Los Mochis, it is about a 2-hour trip to Navajoa where you will change buses to Alamos. Elite buses run twice daily from Los Mochis to Navajoa and cost M$200.

See
The narrow and cobbled streets of the historic Centro are scenic and photogenic with latticed balconies, hallways, patios and backyards of the old houses, with dreamy gardens that surround the historic center. This pueblo is a Mexican Historical Monument and a Sonoran State Historical Site.

 * The Zapopan chapel, dating from 1841
 * Monument to Juárez in Paseo la Alameda de Álamos, Sonora
 * The Municipal Palace, built in 1899
 * The old municipal pantheon, inaugurated in 1791 and containing interesting tombs and mausoleums
 * The old municipal jail

Do
Álamos offers the visitor many attractions, festivals and activities.

The town is host to several arts festivals, most notably the annual Festival Alfonso Ortiz Tirado. is a nine-day event that takes places in Álamos annually in late January. The annual film festival is usually held in March.

The Sierra de Álamos Ecological Reserve offers serious birding opportunities. The creek of Cuchujaqui, which is in the ecological reserve is the most species-rich subtropical area in the Northern Hemisphere.[citation needed] Cuchujaqui is the subject of international scientific study and the southern migration destination of hundreds of different species of birds.

Go next

 * Ciudad Obregón
 * Guaymas
 * El Fuerte

title: Álamos


text:
Alamosa

Alamosa is a small town in south central Colorado, USA. It is noteworthy as the nearest significant town to Great Sand Dunes National Park, a similarly near neighbor of the eastern hub of a superb scenic railroad, and also because during the winter, it frequently records the lowest temperature of the day of any place in the contiguous United States.

By car
Alamosa is at the intersection of US highways 160 and 285, about 230 road miles from Denver. (The straight-line distance is considerably less, but the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains deter traffic.)

Go next

 * The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve at 11999 Highway 150, Mosca is home to the tallest sand dunes in North America, with the tallest dune (known as the Star dune) measuring 750 feet high in elevation. The Pinyon Flats Campground at the park has 88 individual camping sites along two distinct loops. Restrooms have sinks, flush toilets and a sink for washing dishes. Each campsite has a fire grate and picnic table.

Antonito is a small town about 30 miles south of Alamosa. Lodging exists at Antonito, but it's not as plentiful as in Alamosa.

In the town of Hooper, there are a few developed hot springs in the San Luis Valley, about twenty miles (30km) north of Alamosa.

Just east of the road to Antonito is the similarly small town of Manassa, birthplace of the great boxer Jack Dempsey.

title: Alamosa


text:
Alampur

There is more than one place called Alampur:

Bangladesh

 * Alampur (Khulna) - A town in Khulna.

India

 * Alampur (Telangana) - A temple town in Telangana.

title: Alampur


text:
Alampur (Telangana)

Alampur is a small village in the Mahaboobnagar district of Telangana state, India, close to the border with Andhra Pradesh state.

Get in
Alampur is from Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh, and 200 km from Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana. Buses pl frequently stop by, around every 30 minutes from Kurnoo to Alampur. Th journey from Kurnool takes approximately 50 minutes and the ticket costs ₹12 one way. The nearest highway is NH7. From Hyderabad, take the bus plying to Kurnool and get down at Alampur Cross Roads. From there you can take a shared auto/taxi/bus to Alampur village (approximately 15 km).

There is a railway station named near the village, but not many trains stop here.

Get around
Alampur is a small village and you can get around by walking.

See

Sleep
Kurnool is the nearest city and has excellent lodging facilities, suiting all budgets.

Connect
India post provides postal services here. B.S.N.L mobile network has coverage at this place.

Go next

 * Mantralayam
 * Karnataka
 * Hyderabad
 * Hampi
 * Raichur

title: Alampur (Telangana)


text:
Alang

Alang is a small town near Bhavnagar in Gujarat, India.

Understand
Alang is best known for its shipbreaking yards, where more than 1500 ships per year are dismantled and recycled, often with bare hands and welding torches. Tourists are not welcome, but some photographers have been able to sneak in and get amazing photos of massive ships being dismantled for parts and steel. (See also Chittagong, Bangladesh).

Get in
Alang can be reached by bus from Bhavnagar, 52 km or Palitana, 51 km. It is 219 km from Ahmedabad. The nearest railway station is Bhavnagar.

title: Alang


text:
Alanya

Alanya is a large resort in Pamphylia on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, with a population of 364,180 in 2022. It's a modern town but dominated by its ancient citadel, with a long beach strip either side.

Understand
Much of Turkey's coastline is rugged, with only small coves for harbours and inland access, but from Antalya to Alanya and further east is the low coastal plain of Pamphylia. It's narrow, hemmed in by the Taurus Mountains, but has attracted settlers from prehistoric times to the modern era of Airbuses and Boeings. "Pamphylia" means land of many peoples, and each of them has occupied the defensible crag here and given it a different name. The Luwians called it Korakassa or "protruding city" for the way the crag divides the long sweep of beach, and then it was Coracesium then Kalonoros. When the Seljuks captured it in the 13th century under Sultan Alaeddin Kayqubad I, some savvy courtier renamed it Alaiye after him, so it only remained for Atatürk to enjoy an overnight stay in 1935 and tweak the name to Alanya. Modern tour operators call it "Antalya Region Alanya" from the airport you fly into: this entity stretches for over 20 km either side of town.

Get in
Antalya Airport 125 km west is the usual arrival point for international visitors. Those on package holidays are bussed straight to their hotels. Otherwise take tram 1A (every 15min) from Terminal 1 to the tram stop Cırnık, cross the bridge and take a bus (every 30min) from the bus stop called "Serik Cd-1" to Alanya.

Gazipaşa–Alanya Airport is 30 km southeast of town and has flights from Istanbul (IST and SAW) and Ankara, plus a few budget carriers. The Havaş shuttle from the airport to Alanya is available for every arriving flight. The fare is 165 TL (Feb 2024). For the way back there are about 5 departures per day.

Buses from Istanbul run every hour or so and take 13 hours to Alanya; they may run via Afyon or via Bolu and Konya. In 2023 an adult single is about 800 TL. From Ankara they take 9 hours via Konya, from Izmir 8 hours via Denizli (for Pamukkale), and from Adana 9 hours via Mersin and Antalya. From Nevşehir (for Cappadocia) they take 9 hours via Konya, where you may have to change. Operators on these routes include Metro Turizm, Pamukkale and Flixbus.

Another route from Istanbul or Ankara is to take the YHT fast train to Konya, which connects with buses to Antalya and Alanya, taking 6 hours.

Buses from Antalya run every 30 min and take two hours, for a fare of 150 TL (Feb 2024). Operators include Alanyalilar and Güney Akdeniz, the long-distance bus lines don't offer tickets for this short hop. From Side or Manavgat take a dolmuş.

is 2 km west of town centre. It has ticket offices and toilets, and is reasonably clean and efficient.

From Kyrenia ("Girne") in Northern Cyprus, there's sometimes a fast-cat foot-passenger ferry, but it's not sailing in 2023. Travel instead via Taşucu on the summer fast-cat or year-round car ferry.

With your own boat, Alanya is not a Port of Entry into Turkey, so if you arrive from Cyprus or other foreign waters, you need to clear immigration and customs at Taşucu to the east or Antalya to the west.

Get around
Walking is best option in town centre. Dolmuşes ply all the main streets, flag them down anywhere, or join others attempting to do so.

Alanya Teleferik is a gondola cable car from Sultan Alaadin Cd (Damlataş station) by the beach to Ehdemek (Kale station) at the top of the citadel. It runs continuously daily from 09:30 to 23:00, and the ride takes five minutes. A round trip for foreigners is 190 TL, but if you can pass yourself off as Turkish it's only 35 TL each way

See

 * The Citadel (Kale) occupies the headland between the port and beaches. Most of the area is free to stroll, and you only pay for İç Kale the inner castle. This obvious defensive position has been occupied since prehistory and was fortified in Roman and Byzantine times, but what you see now is a Seljuk bastion built from 1220 AD. Houses, shops and other buildings have sprung up within the citadel walls. Kale Cd the road up from town is a 3 km zigzag, and the taxis waiting near the foot are betting you can't walk it - see above for the cable-car. Near the top of the street is the Ottoman bedestan or covered market, Süleymaniye Mosque, and Ehmedek gatehouse.
 * is the precipitous promontory south of the castle. It has monastery ruins but nowadays there's no access on foot. You see it from below on boat trips, where the sport is to dive in, swim to the caves, and scramble through to the other side of the promontory where you leap in to rejoin your boat. Keep a close watch on the boatman's boy, as he's the one who knows how to shin up into the correct cave to get through.
 * Other caves line the sea-cliffs around town, seen on boat-trips. Some are submerged and can be entered by scuba-divers - not snorkelers, as the air within them is bad.
 * Other caves line the sea-cliffs around town, seen on boat-trips. Some are submerged and can be entered by scuba-divers - not snorkelers, as the air within them is bad.
 * Other caves line the sea-cliffs around town, seen on boat-trips. Some are submerged and can be entered by scuba-divers - not snorkelers, as the air within them is bad.
 * Other caves line the sea-cliffs around town, seen on boat-trips. Some are submerged and can be entered by scuba-divers - not snorkelers, as the air within them is bad.
 * Other caves line the sea-cliffs around town, seen on boat-trips. Some are submerged and can be entered by scuba-divers - not snorkelers, as the air within them is bad.
 * Other caves line the sea-cliffs around town, seen on boat-trips. Some are submerged and can be entered by scuba-divers - not snorkelers, as the air within them is bad.

Further out

 * is a hill-top citadel or acropolis similar to Alanya's, but unmaintained so it's a ramshackle overgrown site. You mostly come for the views, which include the football stadium below.
 * is a river gorge, now flooded behind a dam. Lots of picnic spots, the water is very cold.
 * is a scenic walk to a waterfall. You pay 30 TL for access.
 * 37 km west of town was Byzantine, but rebuilt by the Seljuks in 1232. It teeters atop a crag, the path is clear and safe enough but unsuitable for children or those with impaired mobility.
 * 37 km west of town was Byzantine, but rebuilt by the Seljuks in 1232. It teeters atop a crag, the path is clear and safe enough but unsuitable for children or those with impaired mobility.

Do

 * Beaches are sandy, stretching several km either side of the headland.
 * Boat trips sail round the headland and sea caves. There's half a dozen operators along the harbour.
 * Scuba diving: the caves are memorable, outside is typically Med, just rocks, eel-grass and few fish. Scuba shacks are Dolphin, Magic Dive and Alanya Diving Centre.
 * Jeep safaris are based at Zambak Sk next to Alaiye Kleopatra Hotel.
 * Paragliding: half a dozen outfits offer this.
 * Football: Alanyaspor play soccer in Süper Lig, the top tier. Their home ground is Kırbıyık Holding Stadium (capacity 10,800) ten km northeast of town towards Kızılcaşehir.

Buy

 * Money: lots of ATMs and several banks with currency exchange in town centre. Many shops accept euros and Nordic currencies, but may have a cute idea of the exchange rate.
 * Supermarkets: lots of small stores open daily, Migros are the main chain here.
 * Tourist-trappy shops line the beachfront, selling fake everything, not worth what you haggle them down to.

Eat

 * Budget places cluster around Damlataş Cave and the nearby beach.

Drink

 * A dozen pubs cluster near the harbour.

Sleep

 * Prices quoted are for individual travellers. But as elsewhere along this coast, many visitors are on packages, in effect paying the same room rate but getting a free return flight from North Europe.

Connect
Alanya and the coastal strip have 4G from all Turkish carriers. As of July 2023, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.

Go next

 * West, Side is a beach resort with Roman ruins. Manavgat just inland has attractive waterfalls. Antalya is a bustling modern city but with many antiquities.
 * Northeast is the strange landscape of Cappadocia. The main base for exploring it is Göreme.
 * East are rugged hills. The road hairpins through crags and forests before returning to the lowlands at Anamur.

title: Alanya