LE MAG by AMARANTE LVA

Thira, colloquially-called Santorini, a contraction of Santa Irini (Saint Irene) whose cathedral is located in the village of Perissa, is a Greek group of islands in the Aegean sea situated circa 200 km from the mainland. It includes Thira, Thirassia, Aspronissi, Palea and Nea Kameni. The island complex is an active volcano and all the islands actually were born only thanks to the volcanic activity that has defined their romantic nature.

Santorini island, Greece

Satorini island, Greece

When planning a trip to Santorini, most travellers ask themselves where to go: Fira or Oia?
Here are some tips for this choice to be easier.

Fira, Santorini, Greece

Both Fira and Oia are perched over the sea and caldera and offer fantastic views from different angles. They tend to say Oia is a more romantic option though all Santorini is known to be the place to be for couples for its stunning sunsets. The towns are pretty much the same in terms of architecture and general facilities.

Fira, Santorini, Greece

Both villages have some options for eating out but Fira as the capital has more easy places suitable for any wallet. Both Oia and Fira have grocery stores and small markets.

Oia, Santorini, Greece

Fira, again being the capital, offers easier car-renting and more options for public transportation having a bus station. The trip from the airport and the port is slightly shorter to Fira rather than to Oia, though the difference is only about 10 minutes. As a matter of fact, there are plenty of hiking tours from Fira to Oia.

Oia, Santorini, Greece

For luxury villas on Santorini, both Fira and Oia offer you wonderful places, you just have to be fast and not to wait for too long. There are more travellers wishing to visit Santorini than it can get!

Saint Valentine´s Day celebrated on 14th of February goes back to the Roman Empire. Saint Valentine of Rome is said to have been helping the persecuted Christians and have been arranging the weddings of the soldiers who were prohibited to marry at that time. Imprisoned, Saint Valentine healed the daughter of the prison´s keeper and sent her a goodbye letter signed Your Valentine that nowadays has become the symbol of the pure love alongside with the heart-shaped and winged notes, angels, Cupid and doves.
The capital of France is known to be the love mecca. Despite the fact Paris is full of love cliche, it is still the most romantic city in the world that has all the ingredients for the perfect Saint Valentine´s Day potion.

Eiffel Tower

Book a nice luxury apartment in Paris, better if it is city centre.

Arts Paris with Terrace

Arts Paris with Terrace

After a good breakfast, if you are a nature-lover go towards Jardin des Plantes, once a royal medicinal garden and menagerie. Comprising of alpine gardens, belvedere, Menagerie zoo, Museum National d´Histoire Naturelle and a cafe.

Jardin des Plantes

Jardin des Plantes

If you are more about the art and history, check out the Musée Carnavalet, a museum of the Parisian history exposing things from all the period of the French history starting from some old hop signs and finishing with jewelry.

Musée Carnavalet

Take a boat trip to the Island of the Temple of Love on the lake Daumesnil in the Bois de Vincennes park.

Island of the Temple of Love, lake Daumesnil, Bois de Vincennes park

And for the night, keep a nice private dinner in Lapérouse founded in 1766 enjoying some wonderful French wine and delicious dishes.

Lapérouse restaurant

One cannot help trying tapas when spending a holiday in Barcelona. All those savoury patatas bravas,  crunchy calamares a la romana, limpsmacking brochetas de langostinos, delicious pulpos a la gallega and other small local-food dishes do not let you just pass by. There are as many views on what the best tapas bar in Barcelona is as tapas themselves. Here comes our point of view.

Number 1. Bar Mut (Carrer Pau Claris 192, 08037 Barcelona)
For more glamorous and elaborated tapas, come to this place and do not forget to make a reservation as you might stay without a table. Must try: shrimp and yolk carpaccio.

Bar Mut Barcelona

Number 2. Cerveceria Catalana (Carrer Mallorca 236, 08008 Barcelona)
Beloved by the travellers from all over the world and completely full all the time, this tapas bar benefits form a central location and extremely efficient personnel. You might wait for quite some time for a table, but never for a dish. Must try: huevos cabreados.

Cerveceria Catalana Barcelona

Number 3. Paco Meralgo (Carrer Muntaner 181, 08036 Barcelona) Minimalist in design, the place offers a vast menu of creative haute tapas to all the tastes. Do not miss: bombas Paco Meralgo.

Paco Meralgo Barcelona

Number 4. El Quim de la Boquería (Stall 606, Mercat de la Boquería, Las Ramblas 91, 08001 Barcelona). Located right on the famous Boquería market, the place offers an authentic experience with fresh tapas made of the seasonal foods. Must try: revuelto de setas al oporto.

El Quim de la Boqueria Barcelona

Number 5. El Xampanyet. Located in the heart of the Old City (Carrer Montcada 22, 08003 Barcelona) this blue-tiled-walled traditional bar serves the classical tapas and gets full in the snap of a finger for you to have an authentic experience in a loud and packed Spanish bar (in a positive sense).  Must try: anchovies and home-made drink xampanyet.

El Xampanyet Barcelona

For accommodation, we invite you to check our luxury holiday apartments in Barcelona

We want the holidays to be perfect. They just must be perfect. We are waiting for this period all the year and do not want to fail or even jeopardize them. So when planning a trip we want to plan everything to a dot. The time, the things to do, the accommodation, the transport, the food, the guides, the clothes, absolutely everything.
One thing that might look a bit unimportant, but is actually the keystone of the travel is the moment of the year to visit the place in question. It depends on various factors such as the situation of the place, climate, events to be held, the party you are travelling with, public holidays, flights frequency and what kind of holiday you are up to. It is quite clear that going to the mountains in winter and in summer are two absolutely different trips. As well as going to the mountains with your friends in the mid-thirties and with three children under three.
So what is the best time to visit Barcelona?
Let´s start with the climate. If you are coming for a beach holiday and your main desire is to tan and relax, then July and August are your months. Be prepared, Barcelona and its beaches will be quite packed, so if you are looking for some hot weather and seclusion, a luxury apartment with a private pool in Barcelona might be a better solution for you rather than a hotel. The swimming season varies from ano year to another and normally starts in mid-June though you will see some people sunbathing at the beginning of May; it finishes at the end of September.

Barceloneta Beach, Barcelona

Barceloneta Beach, Barcelona

Luxury Pool Penthouse, Barcelona

Though walking around looking at the sightseeing points of the city with the sun beating down, +29 C and quite high level of humidity is not the best solution. If you come primarily to enjoy the works of Gaudi, museums, beautiful parks, try the delicious local food and do some cultural tourism, then the best period would be mid-Apil through June and September, October. Barcelona doesn´t have a lot of rainy days throughout the year, and the infrequent rains normally tend to fall in September, October and November. Find out what to do in Barcelona on a rainy day here.

If you are a big foodie and come for shopping, you shall know that some places remain closed in August for the early leave, so if you want to try it all, avoid August.

Bar Mut, Barcelona

Cerveseria Catalana, Barcelona

If you live in a Northern country, the winter in Barcelona with its +8-9C will seem very mild to you, so coming for Christmas will bring you a lot of nice moments. Just bear in mind that the cold seems colder with high humidity.

If you are planning to come to Barcelona shortly, you must have planned your trip to a dot and know perfectly well by now where to go, what to do, how to avoid pickpockets and get the best event admissions, you must have your flights booked as well as luxury apartment in Barcelona by now, you might even know what to try out of the Catalan cuisine. Or you might be thinking you know? No, we are not going to talk here neither about the famous paella, pa amb tomaquèt, cocas, truita de patata nor calçots that everyone who has ever been to any spot in Catalonia or have read any tourist guide about this beautiful region knows. We will try to show you the dishes you might have missed.

Winter selection

Escudella i carn d´olla. A traditional Catalan soup and stew with meatballs, seasonal vegetables, bones, sausages, meats, garlic, parsley, pasta or sometimes rice. The broth with the pasta or rice is called escudella, while the meats with the vegetables are named carn d´olla and are served after the soup. When served togeter, the dish gets the name of escudella barrejada.

Escudella barrejada

Faves Ofegades. Aka faves sacsades is a traditional pot made of broad beans, sausages, bacon, mint and herbs stewed for a long time. Sometimes garlic, sobrassada, pork ribs, chorizo and onion are used, peas can replace broad beans.

Faves ofegades

Botifarra amb mongetes. Boiled white beans sautéed with a traditional sausage.

Botifarra amb mongetes

Suquet de peix. A traditional fish soup originally made by the fishers with fishes that were the hardest to sell. Nowadays it is cooked with the best fishes and seafood on the market including monkfish and bream.

Suquet de peix

Impossible to imagine anyone who has marked the architecture of Barcelona more than the brilliant Antoni Gaudí nicknamed God´s Architect. Born in 1852 in Reus, a town not far from Barcelona, the future architect went to school in Barcelona and became a practitioner of Catalan Modernism. Easily distinguishable, his organic style was influenced by natural forms and religion, neo-Gothic art and Oriental techniques. In search of perfection, Gaudi has left an impressive imprint on architecture, but also worked with ceramics, stained glass, wrought iron and wood. His works are mostly located in Barcelona and its surroundings and are admired by architects all over the world for their peculiarity. The fairy-tale Casa Batllo, majestic La Pedrera, stunning Sagrada Familia, impressive Casa Figueras, furniture and forged pieces, you won´t help being surprised.

Sagrada Familia Inside, Barcelona

Sagrada Familia Inside, Barcelona

Sagrada Familia Facade, Barcelona

Park Guell, Barcelona

There are places that every traveller in the world shall visit at least once in their lifetime, the places that will leave you with the mouth ajar, the places that you will be large for visiting again. It is the Eternal Rome with its monumental Colosseum, the landmark Pantheon, the stunning St. Peter´s Basilica and the impressive Forum. It is the magical Venice with its gothic Palazzo Ducale, colourful carnival, secret narrow pathways and mysterious Basilica di San Marco. It is the noble London with its rich museums keeping the grandeur of history, with its unmissable Tower and sentinel Big Ben. It is the fairytale Bruges with its "gingerbread" houses, spire-topped churches and gothic buildings. It is the restless Bangkok with its busy streets and tuctucs, with its mouth-watering food stalls, with its fascinating wats and magnificent Grand Palace. And it is Paris, the City of Light, or La Ville Lumière. No matter whether you are there for a long weekend, for a week or for one month. You will never have enough time to explore the city of romance through. We have prepared some new additions to the Paris collection for your successful trip, as we know that a good holiday starts with a good "home away".

The Luxury Apartment Louvre

The Luxury Apartment Louvre

The Luxury Apartment Louvre

Palais Royal Cozy Apartment

Palais Royal Luxury Apartment

Paris Luxury Mansion

When preparing a travel, almost all of us read tips, watch videos, download maps and pictures to make the trip perfect. We book quality accommodation and plan our stay by days. Thanks to the Internet, even the rock-bottom-touristy destination can be explored upfront. So it is needless to say, Barcelona has plenty of materials to study. Its guides are full of useful information about what to see and what to do. You can find a lot of suggestions of family-friendly hotels and activities, best restaurants and Spanish and Catalan dishes to try, pet-friendly parks and non-smoking areas. For sure if you are coming to Barcelona, you have read about tapas and sangria, Miro and Gaudi, Passeig de Gracia and las Ramblas, Boqueria and Park Guell and about less pleasant pickpockets and purse-snatchers. However, pretty much often the guides do not provide you with the know-how that seems unessential but will make your holiday easy and enjoyable.


Tip 1. To avoid long lines to Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, La Pedrera and Casa Batllo, book tickets online upfront. Otherwise you might get well stuck in the line and miss out other important sightseeing points. Some of the mentioned spaces will offer you a complimentary smart guide with the online tickets.




Tip 2.  To make memorable pictures in Casa Batllo and not feel sandwiched between other visitors, check its promotion Be the First that will let you and other nine lucky to be the only one to visit the space before it opens doors to the public.





Tip 3. Pay attention to the fact, Park Guell is not only the lower level of the park where you enter and see plenty of people. There are various levels upper boasting beautiful Gaudi buildings. Crowd-free.





Tip 4. Those who do not like hectic travels, shall keep in mind that Barcelona is packed for holidays, and weekends of Formula I (mid-May), Sonar (mid-June) and Primavera Sound (end of May/beginning of June).

Good travel without good food is not that good a travel at all. Especially when talking about Greece with its mouth-watering rich cuisine that the gourmands and gourmets all over the world never fail to praise. There is a rationale to that, we all know it. Fresh cheeses and yoghurts, high-quality olives and olive oils, Mediterranean and Aegean seas grilled fish and seafood, delicious breads, savoury vegetables... Healthy-lifestylers and trencher-men, vegetarians and meat-lovers, paleo-eaters and wheat-fans, everybody will find something to their taste in the diversified Greek cuisine. Imagine you have had a misfortune to come to Greece just for a couple of days instead of at least one week and have to chose the top dishes not to miss out. Here is a hint.

Number 5. Moussaka
Probably the most well-known Greek dish after the Greek salad. The traditional moussaka is a casserole of layered eggplant, minced meat, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, spices, cheese and bechamel topping.



Number 4. Spanakopita
Filo pies stuffed with chopped spinach, onions, egg, feta and seasoning. You can find them in all the shapes one can imagine.



Number 3. Dolmathakia
Grapes leaves rolls stuffed with rice, pine nuts and herbs, though other fillings are available. Can be served warm or cold.



Number 2. Revithokeftedes
Chickpea fritters with authentic spices.  Pretty much often they are ball-shaped.




Number 1. Souvlaki
Grilled meat skewers that can be served as such or wrapped in some pita bread and served with some garnish and sauce.



And do not forget about another important piece of your travel, your accommodation. Enjoy our collection of luxury villas on Mykonos, Santorini and Andros benefiting form free concierge services.