John

This Medieval Gem Boasts a 700-Year-Old Castle and Secret Lakeside Beach That Most Tourists Miss A fortress town where history meets leisure In the verdant countryside of western France lies Pouancé, a medieval treasure within Maine-et-Loire’s Ombrée d’Anjou region. What makes this hidden gem extraordinary isn’t just its imposing 13th-century castle—though that alone would merit … Lire plus

I pause halfway down New Castle’s cobblestone Market Street, running my fingers along a brick wall that’s older than the Declaration of Independence. In a town where over 65% of buildings are historically protected, it’s like stepping through a colonial time portal just 130 miles from New York City. The scent of baking bread drifts … Lire plus

The tiny limestone speck appears on the horizon as our boat skims across the Mediterranean. As we approach, I can make out its rough contours and the faint outline of ancient ruins. This is Tinetto, a 0.0181 square mile uninhabited Italian microisland that most travelers to the Ligurian coast will never see. Despite being just … Lire plus

The sand feels oddly cool beneath my feet as dawn breaks over Playa Jiquilillo. I’ve walked 3 kilometers of virtually empty shoreline, passing just two local fishermen mending nets. In this Nicaraguan coastal village of 4,100 residents, the morning air carries a mixture of salt and volcanic soil—a scent I’ve encountered nowhere else in Central … Lire plus

The sun dances across Peru’s northern coastline as I stroll barefoot along 6.5 kilometers of pristine sand at Punta Sal. Unlike its party-heavy neighbor Máncora 29 kilometers south, only a handful of beachgoers dot this expansive crescent beach. Just offshore, a massive splash erupts—a humpback whale breaching in the warm equatorial waters. This village of … Lire plus