Things to Do in The Whitsundays & Hamilton Island

The site of the Ancient Olympic Games in Olympia in the Peloponnese was lost to time and earthquake until 1875 when excavation began to uncover the ancient stadium (which could seat 20,000), the Temple of Zeus, the Temple of Hera (where the Olympic Flame is still lit from the sun), and many other important buildings.

Today they are only ruins, foundations and columns mainly but still of great interest and one of the most visited ancient sites in Greece.

Adjoining the site is the Archaeological Museum of Olympia, which contains some of Greece's most valuable historic artifacts found in the Altis or sanctuary to Zeus. The museum is famous for its sculpture collection including Nike who was said to come down from the sky to hand a palm leaf to the victors. The large terracotta collection is also renowned and this modern museum is a great way to get a feel for how it was to be at those ancient games.

Quaint old buildings have been uprooted from their original sites and rebuilt at the  Árbæjarsafn or Arbaer Open-Air Folk Museum, a kind of zoo for houses, 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) from the city centre. Alongside the 19th century homes are a turf-roofed church, and various stables, smithies, barns and boathouses - all very picturesque. The museum opened in 1957 - before that the place was a working farm - and the aim is to give an insight into the way Icelanders once lived. 

There are summer arts-and-crafts demonstrations including traditional handcrafts, hay-making and animals to see. There is also a cafe. The farm is a great place for kids to let off steam.

Right across the road from Antwerp’s other great family attraction, the zoo, Aquatopia is housed in a biscuit-colored Art Deco building and aims to educate and entertain kids on life in our oceans. With seven, maze-like themed marine habitats from rainforest to mangrove swamp, it provides a stimulating way to teach children about the amazing natural world beneath the sea. More than 10,000 fish and reptiles from over 250 species – from sea horses to sharks to iguanas – are housed in 40 aquariums with interactive presentations providing information on each tank; glass tunnels lead underwater so youngsters can get up close to the rays, eels and striking angel fish, enjoy the colors of the coral and watch turtles lumbering through the water. 

In the 16th century the royals of Spain liked to take their holidays in Aranjuez, 29 miles (48km) from Madrid. Phillip II developed a small holiday lodge into a magnificent palace, which was given its final majestic appearance by Charles III.

The most striking features of the Palacio Real de Aranjuez (Royal Palace in Aranjuez) are the red and white façade, the Rococo staircase and the Porcelain Room which has walls lined with porcelain.

The gardens are world-famous and include the Museo de Faluas Reales (Museum of the Royal Barges); in which you can see how King Charles IV and King Ferdinand VII of Spain traveled as well as maritime instruments and paintings. The whole complex is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

One of the nicest ways to reach the palace is on The Strawberry Train. Departing for the first time in 1851, this was only the second railway in Spain. You can ride the restored train, complete with fresh strawberries to eat, from Madrid Railway Museum to Aranjuez on weekends from May to June and September to November.

Crammed with artworks and artifacts from over the millennia, Istanbul’s Archaeology Museum is housed in a complex of three buildings in gardens formerly belonging to Topkapi Palace.