Have you ever thought that holidays on a beach could mean not only "sun-and-sea"? Almost every place where people usually come for sunbathing and swimming can also have many interesting sights: both historical and natural. The AirPano team has created many panoramas of different resorts, which will show you the beach destinations at a different angle.

One of the most famous resort destinations is the Republic of Maldives. The territory of this country consists of around 1,190 islands and only 200 of them are inhabited. Some of the islands are absolutely tiny, and the largest one is only 8 kilometres long. The Maldives have a unique conception of having one resort and one hotel on each island, and every resort has its special atmosphere and design. The country pays a lot of attention to environmental issues, so despite the huge number of tourists the Maldives are the place with white pristine beaches, lush tropic vegetation and a rich aquatic life.

The Dominican Republic is the proud owner of the most abundant coral reef in the Caribbean. Besides its magnificent nature, the country has a unique culture with lots of historical monuments, including those inscribed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. The other resort Cancun city is famous for both its beaches and sights: about 130 km away from the city the ruins of the ancient Tulum city, surrounded by the stone walls, and other Maya monuments are situated. One more amazing site located near Cancun is the Cozumel Island. Several times the beauties of its underwater world were filmed by Jacques-Yves Cousteau. The above-sea land of the island is both nature and history.

The white houses on white streets of white towns, the blue domes of churches against the background of the blue sky and the boundless blue sea - all this is about the Santorini Island in Greece. The resort hotels of Turkey can serve as good illustrations for an architectural manual: there are huge complexes, isolated private clubs surrounded by golf-fields and genuine masterpieces among them. Four-kilometer long beach of Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro is also famous for being the biggest concert stage in the city. The giant beach zone surrounded by skyscrapers in Miami is the symbol of a free jolly life, meanwhile the coastline of the French Riviera is the standard for a luxurious life.

The AirPano team has photographed several not so well-known, but not the less astonishing destinations. One of them is Raja Ampat archipelago located in Indonesia's West Papua province. It counts around 1,500 small islands, reefs and shoals. It is considered that the marine life diversity of this archipelago is the highest on Earth, and the coral reef of Raja Ampat is the richest reef ecosystem in the world. 74 islands lying on the coast of Queensland, Australia, are united by the name "Whitsunday Islands". More than half a million tourists come here, being attracted by the national parks, coral reefs, pure beaches and aquamarine water. As for the Portugal city of Cascais lying on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, it can offer not only beaches, but some landmarks as well: several natural grottoes and ancient architectural monuments.

To enjoy the sun and the sea you need to travel to these destinations personally. But as for the bird's eye views of these marvellous places - this side of the resorts will amaze you right away. Have a nice trip!

23 March 2016