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CNN: The world's best travel photos - Greek island of Lefkada among them

TornosNews.gr 21.07.2016 | 13:57

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CNN: The world's best travel photos - Greek island of Lefkada among them

CNN published the world's best travel photos for the first half of 2016 and the Greek island of Lefkada is among them

CNN published the world's best travel photos for the first half of 2016 and the Greek island of Lefkada is among them.

The complete list includes:

1. Ζhangjiajie, China

China's Tianmen Shan cable car is one of the longest cable-car rides in the world, covering a distance of 7,455 meters (24,459 feet) and ascending to 1,279 meters (4,196 feet). The car runs from Zhangjiajie railway station up to the top of Tianmen Shan, which translates as Heaven's Gate Mountain.

2. New York

The Macy's Fourth of July fireworks display is the biggest in the United States. This year's 25-minute display featured dynamic pyro effects that were fired from five barges on the East River.

3. Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona is a European city break that offers great food, culture, nightlife and beaches. But as this shot of Barceloneta beach shows, it can get a little crowded.

4. Damavand Mountain, Iran

In July, a group of French and Iranian climbers ascended Iran's highest peak, Mount Damavand, as a way of building closer scientific ties between the two countries and to promote Iranian tourism. The mountain is 5,671 meters tall (18,606 feet).

5. Montreaux, Switzerland

Montreux, whose annual jazz festival finished on July 16, is a Swiss resort town on the edge of Lake Geneva. It's within easy access of the Dents du Midi (pictured), a mountain in the Chablais Alps with seven summits.

6. Pamplona, Spain

Spectators watch from balconies during the annual

7. Assam, India

In the rural South Kamrup district, villagers from Meghalaya state cross a bridge over the Shree river to visit a weekly market in Ukiam.

8. Paris

The latest installation from French street artist JR <a href=

9. Shanghai, China

This aerial photo shows Shanghai Disneyland before it opened to the public in June. Shanghai's municipal government had already issued an <a href=

10. Mageland, Indonesia

Lanterns are released into the air at Borobudur temple during the Buddhist festival of Vesak in Magelang, Indonesia. The day marks the birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism.

11. Lisbon

The interior of Pullmantur Cruises' MS Monarch is seen at Santa Apolonia Cruise Terminal in Lisbon during the ship's inaugural trip to Europe. The cruise ship holds up to 2,744 passengers.

12. Gold Coast, Australia

Whale sightings are common along Australia's east coast during the months of May to November as the animals travel north to breed in warmer waters.

13. Lefkada

Porto Katsiki on the island of Lefkada is one of Greece's most stunning beaches. It's only accessible by 80 steep steps leading down the side of a cliff.

14. Chandipur, India

Chandipur -- also known as Chandipur-on-sea -- is a small sea resort in India's Odisha's Baliswar District. It's on the Bay of Bengal, the largest bay in the world by area.

15. Sidney

A tree is lit up during the

16. Jerusalem

A view from the top of Damascus Gate, one of the main entrances to Jerusalem's Old City. The present gate was built in 1537 under the rule of Suleiman the Magnificent.

17. Praslin, Seychelles

Ferry passengers watch the sun set as they leave the island of Praslin in the Seychelles. Praslin's <a href=

18. Beirut, Lebanon

Naima Yazbek, a Lebanese-Brazilian belly dancer, performs at a party. Beirut staged its first-ever <a href=

19. Tel Aviv, Israel

Beachgoers stand still on May 11 as they observe two minutes of silence to mark Israel's annual Memorial Day for fallen soldiers.

20. Madrid

The ancient Temple of Debod originally stood near Aswan in southern Egypt. In 1968, it was dismantled and relocated to Madrid as a donation to Spain from the Egyptian state.

21. Paris

The Eiffel Tower is seen through a grille in wooden panels surrounding a construction site. The iconic tourist attraction finished in 14th place in TripAdvisor's 2016 list of the world's <a href=

22. Grindavik, Iceland

A woman floats in the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa and one of Iceland's most popular attractions. The water's temperature averages 37-39 degrees Celsius (98.6-102.2 Fahrenheit).

23. Beijing

A 33-meter-long glass viewing platform opened in Beijing's Shilinxia Scenic Area on April 30. It overlooks a 1,300-foot-deep valley.

24. New York

The neo-Gothic Saint Patrick's Cathedral is New York's most celebrated Roman Catholic church, but this nun spent part of a recent sunny day in Times Square.

25. Lisbon, Portugal

The steam-powered Santa Justa Lift was inaugurated in 1902. From the top, it offers 360-degree views of the city's Old Town and surrounding hills.

26. Hanover, Germany

Hanover's International Neuroscience Institute (INI) was built to mark the Expo 2000 world's fair. It was designed to resemble the human brain.

27. Panama City Beach, Florida

Panama City Beach has an average of 320 days of sunshine per year: plenty of chances to explore its 27 miles of white-sand beaches.

28. Havana

On May 2, the Adonia became the <a href= f

29. Singapore

Future World is the new permanent exhibition at Marina Bay Sands. The interactive digital installation pictured was created by teamLab and is titled

30. Cappadocia, Turkey

Hot-air ballooning is a popular tourist activity in Cappadocia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Central Anatolia. The area is characterized by a distinctive volcanic landscape and large network of ancient underground dwellings.

31. Nikko, Japan

Tobu World Square theme park contains more than 100 1:25 scale models of famous landmarks, including Egypt's Great Sphinx. It's also populated with 140,000 miniature people.

32. Oak Grove, Kentucky

Oak Grove is a small city in the Bluegrass State, known for its hot, humid summers. Canola fields were in bloom when this shot was taken at Bob Calvey's salvage yard in April.

33. Dead Sea, Israel

Perhaps the world's most famous salt lake, the Dead Sea is nearly 10 times as salty as ocean water. The density helps swimmers float with ease.

34. Merida, Venezuela

Travelers got a great view from La Montana -- the first station of the newly refurbished Mukumbari cable car system, which reopened in April for the first time since 2008.

35. Tbilisi, Georgia

Tbilisi's newest attractions are in the heart of the city's Old Town. Rike Park opened in 2010 and is dominated by the futuristic Concert Hall and Exhibition Center, designed by Massimiliano Fuksas.

36. Gauhati, India

Face smeared with colored powder, a reveler dances during celebrations marking Holi, the Hindu festival of colors. This year the festival fell on March 24.

37. Phuket, Thailand

Tourists take pictures at Mai Khao Beach as a plane approaches Phuket International Airport. In March, Reuters reported that the Tourism Authority of Thailand hopes to clean up the country's reputation by launching a campaign to attract

38. Milan, Italy

A retrospective of Catalan artist Joan Miro, featuring more than 100 of his works, opened at Milan's Mudec museum on March 25 and will run until September 11, 2016.

39. Havana, Cuba

Musician Frilal Ortiz carries a double bass through downtown Havana. In March, Barack Obama became the first U.S. president to visit Cuba since Calvin Coolidge stopped by in 1928.

40. Dhaka, Bangladesh

The lakefront district of Hatirjheel is a place where children like to cool off. Legend says in the days of the Mughal Empire royal elephants would bathe in the marshlands here.

41. Los Angeles

Celebrities aren't the only stars you can spot in Los Angeles. Visitors can sky-gaze at Griffin Observatory and also take in spectacular views of the Los Angeles Basin.

42. Changsha, China

It's not just Japan -- China loves its cherry blossoms, too. This Cherry Blossom Festival was held in Hunan Forest Botanical Garden in March 2016.

43. Budapest, Hungary

St. Stephen Basilica is a Roman Catholic church named in honor of Stephen, the first king of Hungary. A relic said to be his right hand is on display in the reliquary.

44. Atlanta

A spell of warm March weather brought out sunbathers. Landlocked Atlanta gets hot in summer, but there are plenty of outdoor activities centered around the Chattahoochee River.

45. London

Two London icons: a red double-decker bus and Big Ben bell tower at the Palace of Westminster, the UK's seat of government.

46. Singapore

In addition to its stellar observation tower, Singapore's opulent Marina Bay Sands resort is home to a hotel, casino and infinity pool 55 stories above the ground.

47. Rio de Janeiro

Rio's Copacabana Beach is one of the most famous in the world. It hosted the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup from 1995 to 2007.

48. Dresden, Germany

Dresden's <a href=

49. Berkeley, California

Looking west, the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island can be seen across the bay from Berkeley. The bridge links San Francisco to Marin County.

50. Kolkata, India

A bride has makeup applied before the start of a daylong mass marriage ceremony featuring 150 Hindu, Muslim and Christian couples from villages across the state.

51. Jersey, New Jersey

The Statue of Liberty, as seen from Jersey City's upmarket Port Liberte neighborhood.

52. Beijing

Acrobats perform in Beijing's Longtan Park during Lunar New Year celebrations in February. This is the Year of the Monkey.

53. Madhya Pradesh, India

The serene forests of Kanha National Park are said to have inspired Rudyard Kipling's children's classic

54. Pathum Thani, Thailand

Buddhist monks gather outside Wat Phra Dhammakaya temple as part of Makha Bucha ceremonies. Makha Bucha marks the anniversary of Buddha's sermon that established the basic tenets of the Sangha monastic order.

55. Sao Paulo, Brazil

A worker trims a hedge in Sao Paulo. The city's largest park is Parque do Ibirapuera, home to a museum of modern art and a museum of Brazil's African history.

56. Shanghai, China

Workers clean the Shanghai World Financial Center in the financial district of Pudong. Shanghai Tower is seen at the top of the picture, and Jin Mao Tower is to the left.

57. Liwa, UAE

Moreeb Dune is one of the tallest hill climbs in the world. That's why thrill-seekers from across the Gulf region come to the Liwa Desert in January for the Moreeb Dune Festival. Races are held for cars, bikes, falcons, camels and horses.

58. Berlin

An Italian exhibitor hangs up salami at the Green Week agricultural trade food fair, which ran from January 15-24. The fair attracts more than 400,000 visitors each year.

59. Amritsar, India

A farmer walks through his fields on the outskirts of Amritsar. Fog is common in the region in winter, with average January low temperatures reaching 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit).

60. Belfast

Starlings fly around

61. Milano, Italy

There are 19 tram lines in Milan. But for good views of the city and a chance to ride on one of the vintage trams -- all wooden benches and retro stylings -- the best option is Line 1.

62. Antalya, Turkey

In April, the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya will host the botanic exhibition <a href= Expo 2016." width="510" />

63. Zhaosu County, China

Zhaosu County is known as China's

64. Kolkata, India

A Hindu pilgrim hangs out saris to dry after taking part in the annual holy dip at Sagar Island on January 14. The event is part of the Makar Sankranti festival, which is celebrated through India, Nepal and Bangladesh. <br />

65. Adelaide, Australia

A water slide at the Beachouse entertainment center provides relief in early January. Later in the month, severe thunderstorms hit the region, leaving more than 20,000 properties without power.