Arizona Travel Guide
The state of Arizona is located in the southwestern region of the United States. Littered with giant multi-armed cacti, this region is known for its desert climate, with the mercury frequently hitting 100°F. In the north, the high country features dense pine forests as well as mountain ranges where the weather is cooler than in the lower deserts.
When it comes to pulling in tourists, Arizona barely needs to lift a finger. The state is home to some of the most fantastic scenery in the whole of the country, above all the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon, one of the planet’s seven natural wonders. Arizona presents 27 state parks and plentiful natural phenomena providing access to a great variety of flora and fauna and activities.
The Sagauro National Park and Sonoran Desert boast a typical desert landscape, with canyons, sandstone spires, red cliffs, coyotes and rattlesnakes. The Painted Desert and gorgeous sandstone pinnacles of Monument Valley to the northeast, the jaw-dropping Red Rock Country of Sedona as well as the forests and mountains of Flagstaff are just some examples of Arizona’s natural landmarks.
It goes without saying that the desert is also the land of the Wild West, home of Indians and cowboys, gold seekers, gamblers and dusty towns. This ambiance is epitomised in Tombstone, the site of the infamous showdown at the OK Corral. Restored swinging saloon doors and somewhat tacky re-enactments of staged famous gunfights are intended to be reminders of the ruthless trigger-happy mining days when the law of the gun was respected.
However, Arizona is not just about natural wonders and history. Smack in the middle of the desert visitors will find two of the state’s largest metropolises, the cities of Tucson and Phoenix, which provide 21st century comforts including luxurious resorts, shopping malls and golf courses. The area’s uninterrupted sunshine and dry air continue to attract thousands of people to its recuperative facilities and overpriced health spas.
Having lived in Arizona for centuries, the Native Americans are superior in numbers outside the cities, and over one-third of the land is covered with Indian reservations. The Navajo and Hopi live partly in several ancestral Puebloan sites in the cliff walls of the northeast, while the Apache, the last tribal group to yield to the US government, exist in the southeastern mountains.