Globetrotter: Curiosities, Quirky Tidbits, Useful Notes

Each month, we bring you recommendations, odd notes, and useful tools to help you better navigate an interesting world.

Conquering the Largest Sand Dune in Europe

Who knew that one of the coolest day trips from Bordeaux has nothing to do with wine? About an hour west of the city, sits a natural wonder that has to be seen (and climbed) to be believed—Dune du Pilat, the largest sand dune in all of Europe.

To get there, take the train from Bordeaux to Arcachon, a seaside town nestled on a clear blue bay of the Atlantic Ocean (it’s about a 50-minute train ride and tickets cost just €5 if you book more than a day in advance; see: sncf-connect.com).

To get to the dunes, hop on a public bus right outside the train station for the 30-minute drive to the parking lot of the sand dune (you’ll find the bus timetable here: bus-baia.fr/pdf/l3.pdf). If you’re driving yourself, there is a fee to park here (€4 for two hours), but entry to the dune itself is free.

From the car park, you walk through a thick pine forest and suddenly you’re face to face with a colossal mountain of sand, so large that it’s almost impossible to truly take in.

Dune du Pilat stands taller than the length of a football field and runs for almost two miles along the Atlantic coast. And it’s made up of over 2 billion cubic feet of sand!

Standing at the top of the dune, you see tiny moving dots below on the shoreline and suddenly realize those specks are actually people walking along the beach.

There are two ways to scale this beast—climb a staircase of 168 steps or demonstrate your superior fitness by trudging up the slope (we took the steps). The view at the summit is spectacular. To the west the Atlantic Ocean and Arcachon Bay stretch for miles. Looking east is a 2,000-year-old forest that extends for almost 10,000 acres. And to the south a flock of colorful parasails are barely in view (due to the dune’s height, this is a popular launching spot for paragliders).

If you fancy a hike, there is a hiking trail that runs along the top of the dune (the tourist office in the car park has walking maps). It’ll take about 90 minutes to get to the end. But we were content to just sit quietly and bask in an unforgettable vista.—Edd Staton

Celebrate Carnaval in the Caribbean

Each February, the Caribbean island of Cozumel hosts its own Carnaval festival. And as with many festivals around the world over the last few years, the pandemic halted the festivities. But this year, Cozumel’s Carnaval is back…it’s time to cut loose and shake that tail feather for the first time in three years.

Dancers in huge, feathered costumes strut up and down the streets. People salsa dance in the streets and toe-tapping music pumps from the huge floats meandering their way along the malecon. But there’s more…

There are concerts in the park with high-profile guest stars, salsa dance offs to establish the King and Queen of Cozumel Carnaval and a fun atmosphere full of rhythmic Latino beats you can’t help but dance to. The entire crowd sways and even the abuelas (grandmas) get those hips moving for a little bogey. The best part is… it’s all totally free!

I love to watch Carnaval over dinner and drinks with friends at a charming Asian restaurant called Chi, overlooking the malecon. Enjoying the show from a balcony table, we have an unobstructed view without having to battle through the jovial chaos of the crowds. Swaying to fantastic music, catching bead necklaces and candies thrown from the floats with a cocktail in hand, it’s a wonderful night.

The Carnaval program is listed on the official Carnaval de Isla Cozumel Facebook page each year (see: facebook.com/carnavalcozumel). There you’ll find all pre-Carnaval activities, concerts and after-parties listed so you don’t miss out. Carnaval is back again in 2023, starting from February 15th, so if you’d like to attend, make your plans now!—Bel Woodhouse.

THE OVERLOOKED ALGARVE

Jeff D. Opdyke

A few weeks ago—before we announced Portugal had won International Living’s 2023 Annual Global Retirement Index, I was driving around an under-touristed part of the Algarve, the coastal stretch at the bottom of the country. The Algarve region is among the most popular beach destinations in Europe, drawing thousands of worshippers of sun, sand, and sangria every year. But in its far southwest corner, there’s a nubbin of land jutting out into the Atlantic that largely misses the annual tourist invasion.

I was exploring this area because it’s increasingly attracting a new type of visitor: Americans and other non-Europeans eager to snag one of Portugal’s Golden Visas, which offer permanent residence when you buy local property.

Thing is, Portugal’s Golden Visa rules changed a year ago, limiting where foreigners can buy residential real estate to qualify for the visa. Those rule changes explain why this quiet corner of the Algarve is suddenly gaining in popularity, and why Americans—Californians in particular—are showing up at the bottom of Portugal with real estate on their mind.

I’ll have more on this story in the February issue. Tune in if buying your way to European residency is something you’re interested in. This is one of the best options available.

Greet the New Year with Grapes in Spain

In Spain, Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) is when Spaniards gather with friends and family and celebrate with food and drink as they await the ringing of church bells to welcome the New Year. As the bells peal 12 times, each person eats a single grape for each toll, 12 grapes for the 12 months to come. Crowds gather in the plazas of each town and in Puerta del Sol in Madrid, dressed in elegant clothes as well as silly wigs, to await the moment of grape-gulping that will assure good luck in the New Year. In the days leading up to Nochevieja, markets sell festive packets containing exactly 12 green seedless grapes.

This tradition can be traced back to 1909 when a bumper crop of grapes in Alicante inspired an entrepreneur to create a new ritual with seasonal packaging that expanded the market for his harvest. However, its roots extend back to Madrid in the 1880s when the Spaniards spoofed the bacchanals of French aristocrats by dressing in fake finery and eating grapes in Puerta del Sol on New Year’s Eve.

Gifts arrive on January 6, the day of Epiphany, delivered by the Three Wise Men. This Dia de los Tres Reyes Magos features festive parades complete with camels and floats transporting the Wise Men in their resplendent robes, bejeweled crowns, and plumed turbans. The Reyes Magos throw candies to the children in the crowds. Balthazar is by far the favorite of the kids, who squeal for a wave of his hand.

After the gifts are opened, families share hot chocolate and Roscón de los Reyes, a ring-shaped sweet bread topped with candied fruit that has a prize of a plastic figure of one of the Wise Men. The child who finds it in their portion, gets to wear a paper crown.—Marsha Scarbrough.