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A Few Hours from France: This Country Lets You Observe Giant Sharks Up Close

July 29, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Do you dream of seeing sharks up close? For that, you don’t need to travel to the other side of the world. Each year, an astonishing spectacle unfolds off the coast of Ireland. In a few bays, one of the planet’s largest fish ventures so close to shore that it can be observed from a boat or from the cliffs, offering a rare—and safe—experience for nature lovers.

Why Ireland has become a refuge for basking sharks

With a length of up to 10 meters, the basking shark is the second-largest fish in the world, behind the whale shark. And, despite its impressive appearance, it poses no danger to humans. Like the whale shark and the big-mouthed shark, it feeds solely on plankton and tiny copepods that it filters by swimming with its mouth open at the surface.

Between April and early July, then again in August and September, hundreds of basking sharks move to the west and southwest coasts of Ireland. The plankton blooms there are particularly abundant, favored by the shallow continental shelf. This concentration of food draws the animals into bays near the beaches, a phenomenon unprecedented on a global scale.

For biologist Chelsea Gray, a researcher with the Irish Basking Shark Group (IBSG), this proximity is what makes the country’s situation so unique. “Basking sharks are global citizens”, she told the BBC, adding that “Ireland is really unique, because they come so close to the shore”. A feature that allows them to be spotted both from the cliffs and during sea excursions.

Cette situation contraste fortement avec leur histoire. Dans les années 1950 et 1960, Achill Island – la plus grande île du pays, située à l’ouest – était le principal centre mondial de pêche et de transformation du requin pèlerin. Son immense foie, pouvant peser jusqu’à une tonne, était exploité pour produire de l’huile utilisée dans les cosmétiques, les lubrifiants industriels ou encore certains traitements médicaux. Ses nageoires étaient également recherchées pour la soupe d’ailerons de requin. La surpêche pratiquée en Irlande, mais aussi en Norvège, au Japon ou au Canada, a conduit l’espèce au bord de l’effondrement à la fin du XXe siècle.

A highly supervised encounter to protect an endangered species

Globally, the species remains threatened and has been listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List since 2018. But since the last basking shark caught in Ireland in 1984, the situation has gradually improved in Irish waters. Protection was further strengthened in 2022, when the basking shark was included in Irish wildlife legislation. It is now illegal to hunt, injure, or disturb its feeding and breeding areas.

Scientists now aim to turn the recommendations given to tour operators into a real legal framework. Concretely, boats should not speed toward the animals. When a shark is spotted within 50 meters, the engines must be put in neutral to let it decide how close it wishes to approach.

“Our priority is not to interfere too much with the animals. We typically stay well back and let them come to us. If we can intercept their path at a safe distance, they sometimes take a look and then move away”, explains Paddy Byrne, owner and captain of Sliabh Liag Boat Trips, to the BBC. He also notes that “they are wild animals, and we are privileged to see them”.

Exceptional Encounters

Observations are never guaranteed. Yet, outings regularly offer glimpses of seals, dolphins, seabirds, and sometimes small whales. But when basking sharks appear, the memory tends to be unforgettable. “We saw a baby basking shark even before leaving the first bay,” recounts Izzy Sharpe to the BBC, before adding: “On the way back, suddenly hundreds of basking sharks appeared. Wherever you looked, they were surfacing. It was incredibly special”.

Hazel Keegan, a regular on Achill Island, also recalls an extraordinary encounter. “They ended up swimming all around the boat. We could clearly see the white of the inside of their mouths. They kept passing under the boat! It was only then that I truly realized how long they are,” she tells the British media. Even when luck isn’t in your favor at sea, surprises can come from the shore. Laura Brown recalls finishing her stay without spotting a single shark during her excursion.

“On the last day, the weather was perfect and we decided to head back to Keem Bay one final time. We looked into the bay and there were about six to eight basking sharks! My son, his friend, and I ran to grab the paddleboard. They swam beneath us and around us. It was truly magical”, she tells the BBC. A reason to consider Ireland a top destination for those dreaming of observing one of the planet’s largest fish in its natural habitat.

The Hills of Forcalquier: A Hike Through Giono’s Peasant Country

July 18, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Approximately twenty kilometers north of Manosque, the country of Forcalquier plays a central role in Giono’s work. Not so much for the ancient county town, though splendid, which clings to its limestone spur like ivy to an old trunk. But rather for the surrounding countryside, which inspired him with numerous scenes of rural life.

The atmosphere of a rural Provence

Admittedly, these wind-swept plateaus are rather bare, compared to the ones the author described in The Song of the World and The Man Who Planted Trees, at a time preceding the Thirty Glorious Years, when they were the stage of a world dominated by peasants. But today you can still recover there the atmosphere of the harsh earth, tough to work, which pervades Giono’s work. “The region surrounding Forcalquier is the writer’s land of friendship. There he rubbed shoulders with painters Lucien Jacques and Serge Fiorio who, like him, draw inspiration from this rural and peasant Provence”, explains Christian Morzewski, president of the Friends of Jean Giono.

The stroll begins in Saint-Maime, another village perched on rock. The path quickly races toward the heights, passes a XIIth-century chapel, then follows the crest. On the horizon, the peaks of the Écrins massif silhouette themselves like flint. Down below, a few vine stocks can be seen. The last remnants of a viticultural tradition far more developed in the writer’s era. In addition to cereal farming, livestock, and gypsum quarry exploitation, grape wine brought some wealth to the region. But it required the hard work of men.

Today farmers are few and far between

Along the roadside, Jean-Claude Tarsac, 80 years old, lifts from his enormous hands stones at the edge of his sunflower field. “When I was young, there were still a hundred of us working the land here. Today, the farmers are counted on the fingers of one hand”, sighs the man, still sound of mind and body.

The path runs beside an old stone building: La Margotte. Now transformed into a guesthouse, this Provençal farm with a tile roof and red shutters was Giono’s. The writer visited it often, by bicycle or by coach. He employed farm workers there, sometimes put his own hands to the earth, and there he wrote, in one month, A King Without Entertainment (1947).

Technical sheet and nearby

Technical sheet: loop starting from Saint-Maime, 15 km and 270 m of cumulative ascent.
Nearby: go see the Mourres, astonishing stone mushrooms just north of Forcalquier.

👉 “In Giono’s footsteps: four hikes along the writer’s prose to follow the author in his country of the heart”, an article to be found in GEO Special Issue No. 133 for June-July 2026, “France, our favorite summer walks”, on newsstands ✨

➤ If you love GEO, then to miss nothing, discover our subscription plans to receive GEO at home every month with ease.

Basque Country: All Roads Lead to La Rhune

July 15, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Summary

A historic hike
With these ponies, it’s wise to keep a safe distance
These smuggling routes were also used by the resistance
Our steps cross the legendary GR 10, which traverses the Pyrenees

“It’s better here than packed like sardines on the Saint-Jean-de-Luz beach!” Jean-Pierre, a cheerful fellow with a black beret, speaks with a jovial authority. In mid-March, the retiree, “ex-charpentier”, teases his three companions visiting the region. To show them more than the usual tourist spots along the coast, he leads them to the Venta Yasola, “the place of reeds” in Basque, perched near the Spanish border. At 400 meters above sea level near the Subizia pass, this small, plank-clad inn is reachable only on foot, after about an hour’s walk from Olhette, a neighborhood of Urrugne.

It’s one of many ways to wander the Rhune massif and, if one feels up to it, to approach its nearby summit. With a shark-fin silhouette that stares out at the shifting blues of the Bay of Biscay, the mountain holds significance for the Basques far beyond a mere landmark; it’s a familiar sentinel and protector. Each year it draws a flood of visitors, most of whom take the gentler route aboard a cog railway, while others attempt the ascent on foot via the Ascain path, a highly walked route in summer. Rather than tackling the monument head-on, we chose to explore the surrounding area. The Rhune massif, besides its main route to the summit, hosts around twenty trails of varying lengths, weaving through mid-mountain landscapes typical of the Basque hinterland. It’s enough to measure the icon’s presence before perhaps attempting to go all the way to the top.

A historic hike

After climbing to the Subizia pass, we set off on another approach from Basaburua, Sare, at the foot of the eastern slope. Behind a row of well-to-do white houses, with red timber framing, lies the starting point of a sporty loop. Branded as “From pass to pass,” the signs announce the challenge: 11 km and 690 m of elevation. Four hours of uphill, downhill, then up again: not Everest, but a route that demands some pep. “On September 30, 1859, Empress Eugénie de Montijo, Napoleon III’s wife who summered in Biarritz, passed here to reach the summit. She did so again in 1862 and sparked the fashion for hiking on the site,” explains Guy Lalanne, founder of Jakintza, an association dedicated to Basque memory and culture. Back then, every convoy flirted with adventure. Try to fathom why Eugénie and her entourage, a privileged circle of about fifty, chose the steepest wall to reach the top. “They endured remarkable hours simply due to a lack of equipment,” adds the former road official with encyclopedic knowledge. “If Eugénie rode in a cacolet (on a mule), many were on foot. Those nobles and princesses didn’t have sneakers!”

Well-equipped and following the now well-marked path, the risk of running into such obstacles is minimal. As we ascend, the Pyrenees unfurl behind us, serene, dusted with snow in places. On the stony path lined with ferns and heather, we notice small heaps of horse droppings. No need for a forensic investigation—the jingling bells quickly guide us to the culprits. With manes flying in the wind, a handful of pottoks, those short-legged wild ponies with white and brown coats, graze with the Rhune summit in the background, hardly bothered by our presence or by our accusations.

With these ponies, keep a safe distance

“Like sheep and cattle, they have kept the mountain alive for centuries”, explain Jean-Louis Laduche, 69, and Marie-Laure Roumy, 66, co-presidents of the Pastore Lore association. Created in 2004 to honor shepherds of the region, the group gathers around fifty owners… including them. “Pottoks are sturdy animals, able to endure outdoor life in all seasons. There are about 350 here, roaming freely, but the herd is shrinking,” they note. We back the herders by funding certain veterinary care.” Facing these rustic, endearing creatures, the best approach remains discretion. “Keep your distance. A single kick can come quickly,” warn the duo, who also remind us that “in pastoral zones, dogs must be kept on a leash.” With the surge of hikers, some behaviors begin to irritate those who dedicate themselves year-round to maintaining the mountain’s balance.

A figure appears around a rock—the first hiker we meet after about an hour and a half of climbing. Kevin, in his thirties, hoodie, jeans, sneakers, seems a bit lost. “Google Maps is useless!” he mutters before summarizing his misadventure: “I came from the summit. I followed the markings to climb, but on the way down I must have missed something.” With a topo guide in hand, we point him toward the best trail to reach his target. But Kevin is stubborn. He chooses to follow the cog railway’s line, which carries nearly 300,000 travelers each season, “to avoid making another mistake” even though it’s forbidden.

“We’ve lost the mountain-going codes, laments Émilie Praï, a development advisor at the Departmental Tourism Agency. The Rhune, with its train that climbs to the summit in thirty-five minutes and its closeness to the coast, creates a false sense of ease. Rescues happen frequently for falls, sprains, or when people get lost due to inadequate equipment. We’ve even seen visitors arrive in flip-flops!” Planning ahead by downloading the GPS track of your hike and checking the weather on the same day (“because the sky changes quickly on this massif exposed to Atlantic influences: storms, showers, and gusts can sweep in from the sea”) are considered essential basics, stresses the technician.

For our part, the idea of climbing all the way up remains off the agenda for now. We continue our explorative circuit. The Col des Trois-Fontaines, 545 m above the ocean, lies ahead—a junction of several trails that provides shade and a breath of cool air. A couple dozes beneath the leafy boughs of an ancient pedunculate oak. Nearby, peat bogs appear—marshy or sponge-like zones harboring surprising flora and fauna that attracted botanists as far back as the eighteenth century. “In the summer, you can easily spot sundews, remarkable carnivorous plants,” notes Patrick Bonifas, 61, head of the Basque Country Territorial Unit at the ONF (National Office of Forests), responsible for protecting the Natura 2000 site. “The Rhune is environmentally rich. There is a diversity of habitats, despite the acidic rocky soil that releases few minerals for vegetation. It’s offset by abundant rainfall. There are many streams and watercourses, sometimes invisible to the eye but very audible.” The massif hosts plant and animal species of exceptional heritage value, such as the prune-borer beetle, the Alpine rosalie (one of Europe’s most beautiful and rare beetles), and the great SOLDANELLE, a cliff-dwelling plant with violet flowers.

These smuggling routes also served the resistance

We return on foot to the starting point, then drive to Urrugne to begin another, less strenuous walk—the Mulets trail—which unveils another facet of Rhune’s history: the gauazko lana, “night work” as the Basques call it. “Ah, smuggling… It’s a whole story here!” smiles Guy Lalanne. The mountain forms a natural border between Labourd on the French side and Navarre on the Spanish side. “From 1840 onward, after the first Carlist War and the Basques’ defeat, customs officers settled here. The trade began then, but mostly out of need and ingenuity. Farmers, herders, families… everyone pitched in to survive, or simply to pay less. It wasn’t a black market for wealth.”

Until the 1950s–60s, tobacco, alcohol, medicines, and also car parts and bodies “cut with a blowtorch, carried by man or mule, then welded back together” crossed the border at night, along these steep slopes toward Spain. In the opposite direction moved coffee, soap, and clothes. On the ground, slabs of sandstone worn by wagon wheels still bear witness to this discreet commerce. “Let’s not forget that these paths also helped many to escape: Jews, resistance fighters, among others.“

Our steps cross the mythical GR 10, which traverses all the Pyrenees

We resume along a wide track. To the left, the Rhune’s summit and its antenna rise as a distant beacon. To the right, conifers have recolonized the slopes after the war. Above them, a string of sunlit car windshields—cars parked along the crest—gleam in the light. The Ibardin Pass sparkles as a bright point on the horizon. This border stretch is also home to the so-called “deal runners” who descend to Basque shops in search of cheaper fuel, cigarettes, alcohol, and perfumes in duty-free outlets.

Arriving at the Ibardin Pass, just after the oversized “Pastis Prado” sign, we begin a stretch of the GR 10, the legendary route that spans the length of the Pyrenees. The path winds gently through the forest and leads to the charming Inzola stream. Before reaching it, we pause at the Col des Abeilles, a place whose name is no accident. A few pollinators buzz around, welcoming us. Here lie the ruins of a shepherd’s hut and the Carrier’s Pier, a fifty-meter wall that testifies to sandstone extraction still active elsewhere in the massif. A dolmen also emerges along the way. “There are several dolmens on the Rhune, as well as a large number of cromlechs,” notes Guy Lalanne. “Neolithic shepherd-gatherers already lived on these heights thousands of years ago. They weren’t after a view; they were seeking a livelihood.”

For today’s visitors in the 21st century, it is the panorama that commands attention. To the west, the peaks dip into rolling hills, gradually flattening toward the Atlantic. To the east, the mountains rise higher, shaping themselves into real ranges. While the Rhune’s silhouette stands out, it becomes clear that there’s little point in racing to the summit: by circling around it, we grasp what matters most. “There’s no need to stamp your ticket on the summit plateau, as is fashionable,” confirms Nicolas Bernos, 39, a mountain guide with Ramondia. “The off-path trails offer what is most valuable: serenity. And the Ascain route, the most travelled, is eroding under the pressure of crowds; some sections already require redesign or detours.” The Rhune isn’t conquered by a straight ascent. It’s tamed gradually, by taking all these paths that, while never actually reaching the top, lead you there more surely.

And elsewhere

Two other summits to contour for better enjoyment

Mont Aiguille from every angle A colossal calcareous spike perched on the eastern flank of the Vercors massif, Mont Aiguille is one of Dauphiné’s most emblematic peaks. Its first ascent in 1492 marked a milestone in mountaineering, and it has shed its old label—“the Inaccessible Mountain”—as crowds now flock to its base. To enjoy it, take the loop that circumnavigates the rock rather than scaling straight up. Route: a full-day circuit is possible but strenuous; begin from the north and plan a mid-loop stop at Chichilianne in the south for a gentler pace.
A Puy full of resources Easily accessible by cable car, the Sancy Puy, the highest volcano in Auvergne, sometimes earns a reputation for attracting ever-growing crowds to its summit (1,885 m). Fortunately, there is plenty to explore nearby, especially during the Horizons “Arts-Nature” festival in Sancy, which each summer decorates the Dore mountains with ephemeral artworks. The program: at the summit, in the heart of a forest, or inside a hollow of a valley… For its twentieth edition, the festival plans ten installations visible from June 20 to September 27. Add to this some works from earlier editions that have become permanent, and you’ll have a rich menu for many wanderings. Find more details at horizons-sancy.com.

➤ An article to be found in GEO’s Special Issue No. 133, June-July 2026, “France, our favorite strolls for the summer,” on stands

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What If the Best Way to Discover a Country Was Its Supermarket?

June 22, 2026 by Amara Nambinga

Summary

From simple provisioning to the travel ritual
The supermarket as a mirror of society
Among the aisles, the deep values of a society
The influence of social media

During his travels abroad, Peter, 33, has a very specific ritual: a stop at the supermarket. As soon as the doors open, he instinctively heads toward the cookies and other sweets aisle: “I like to start there because when you think about it, every child has cookies or candies that marked their childhood, and generally, even 80 years later they’re still there”. To do this, Peter asks people he meets along his journeys for product recommendations to try absolutely.

Television series have also contributed to developing his interest in what is called “grocery store tourism.” He recalls how it all began: “I remember often seeing in American films characters who were eating Twizzlers – raspberry-flavored candy. They wouldn’t stop saying how good it was, so when I went to Los Angeles, I bought some… In truth, it was horrible, a cardboard taste, but at least I got to test it!”.

Like him, an increasing number of travelers are integrating the supermarket into their sightseeing, because far from being merely a place of consumption, it becomes a real space for observing locals’ daily life. Available products, the organization of the aisles, and the ambiance all provide clues to read a country through its habits.

From simple provisioning to the travel ritual

When Juliette, 28, began traveling, supermarkets were not part of her regular stops. The trigger came during a road trip in New Zealand. Over a month of travel, it was impossible to eat at restaurants every night: a stop at the supermarket became a necessity.

“At that time, it was really about buying food, it wasn’t a touristy thing”, she recalls. Very quickly, however, she noticed differences: “At the checkout, someone was bagging the groceries for me. I was almost embarrassed”.

Some years later, in 2024, curiosity took over: “In Bali, we passed by a supermarket and said to ourselves: ‘We must absolutely go see what products they have that are different from ours.’ And honestly, it’s silly, but I loved the experience.”.

Since then, it has become a habit: every trip includes a mandatory stop at the supermarket. “It really offers another glimpse of the local gastronomy because not every local can afford to eat at a restaurant, for example. It’s complementary”, she concludes.

A practice also guided by budget: trying local products in a supermarket is often much cheaper than dining out.

The supermarket as a mirror of society

For Jean-Pierre Poulain, a sociologist of food, the rise of this type of tourism makes sense. Indeed, supermarkets are taking on an increasingly important role in modern societies and thus enable a “cartography of consumption.”

“There are countries like the United Kingdom or the Netherlands where supermarkets account for 85% of household purchases, explains the sociologist. In Italy, it’s about 60% because there are still many small merchants”.

Beyond their importance in shopping habits, the products on the shelves also tell the story of the territory in which they sit. In Lovina, north of Bali, Juliette was surprised to find a supermarket with many imported products: “We really thought it must be a store for the wealthier part of the town, or for expatriates”.

According to Jean-Pierre Poulain, this kind of observation is far from trivial. The origin and diversity of products allow understanding the communities present in a city: “I can see products linked to migratory phenomena that show me both that the people living here want to consume things they were used to consuming, or that people have learned, through interactions or travel, to consume things that are exotic”.

Between the aisles, the deep values of a society

Adrien, 34, for his part, began this supermarket tourism when he was looking for typical and easily portable products to offer to his family and friends.

In the aisles, he quickly notices differences from one country to the next: “Here in France, we have a lot of products made in France. When you go to England, you look at origins; it’s much more international”.

Beyond these impressions, the way a supermarket is organized says a lot about consumption habits. The choice between national, local, or international products, as well as the selling points highlighted, varies by country.

In Japan, for example, some products emphasize control and standardization criteria, while in France the emphasis is often on origin and terroir. Elsewhere, it is the labels or certifications that dominate. So many different ways to define what constitutes a “quality product.”

Others aspects can still be observed, such as product availability, the breadth of assortments, or opening hours. In Malaysia, for instance, many shops stay open very late at night. That’s one of the elements that makes 7-Eleven the star store on social media when people talk about “grocery store tourism.”

The influence of social media

Today, it is these networks that give supermarket visits a new scale. On TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube, videos of products to test in stores like 7-Eleven in Asia rack up millions of views. Lava cakes, onigiri, croque-monsieur, or exotic-flavored drinks: there is something for every palate.

These videos transform the supermarket into a cultural stage. Food, as a universal language, provides a particularly effective gateway into discovering a culture.

So, on your next trip, take the time to wander these aisles: you may discover that unique snack that will always bring you back to that special moment of your vacation.