Escaping the summer crowds in Europe is easy: avoid summer and travel off-season or if you must travel in summer, go off the beaten track. Too late? In Europe now or heading there? These are our tips to surviving Europe’s peak summer tourist season and the sweltering heat and heaving crowds that go with it. [...]
Hiking Mallorca – or Majorca as English speakers call Spain’s largest Balearic Island in the Mediterranean, south of Barcelona – probably isn’t what most travellers have in mind when they plan a holiday to an island best known for its hidden coves of aquamarine water and white-sand beaches. Yet hiking Mallorca is one of the best [...]
Off the beaten track European summer destinations are still possible to find. You need to look just beyond Europe’s obvious summer hotspots – the Cinque Terre, Côte d’Azur, Italian Lakes and so on – as sometimes Europe’s secret beaches, sleepy cities, quiet towns, and cool retreats are close by. A few days ago a friend who [...]
Mallorca birdwatching season kicks off in the spring time when the migration starts. This is our guide to birding on the Balearic Island for beginners and amateur bird watchers. For twitchers or birders – those serious birdwatching types who seem to have binoculars permanently dangling from their neck and a well-thumbed field guide stashed in a [...]
Mallorcan monasteries and castles are secreted away within forests and sprawl around summits, so the monks could be closer to heaven, and the attention of smugglers, pirates and invaders could be avoided. These Mallorcan monasteries and mountaintop retreats offer peace, tranquillity, and a rustic room with a view. Mallorcan Monasteries and Mountaintop Retreats While the peak European summer [...]
Modernism in Mallorca? When we think of modernism and Spain the first place that tends to come to mind is Catalunya’s capital Barcelona and Antoni Gaudí. Many don’t realise that Mallorca is Catalan let alone that there are many fabulous examples of Catalan Modernism on the island. Modernism in Mallorca – Where to See Catalan [...]
The best Mallorca beaches won't be near your hotel. While the chances are that your accommodation is a stone’s throw from a decent beach, if you’re seeking a stunning stretch of sand to spread out your towel, you're going to have to go further afield. But trust us, these beaches are worth it. Boasting some 262 or so [...]
Where to stay in Mallorca really depends on what kind of holiday you want. In summer you want to be by the beach and you’ll want sea views. The rest of the year, consider a rural escape or mountain hideaway. Whenever you go, bookend your trip with stays in beautiful old Palma di Mallorca. Our [...]
Mallorca road trip? But isn’t Mediterranean travel all about the beach? This Spanish island does boast some brilliant stretches of sand, but, for us, one of the best things to do on Mallorca is a road trip. The driving is dramatic and our road trip route is rewarding. Mallorca Road Trip – Driving the Dramatic West [...]
Learning to cook a dish from one of Asia’s best restaurants, mastering the art of making macarons in Paris, and cooking with a Countess in Venice are just a few of our picks of the best cooking classes in the world. I've long said that discovering the cuisine of a destination is a way into the heart [...]
European summer escapes were on my mind at this time every year during the many years we lived in the Middle East. A summer in Europe split between its sophisticated cities and the Mediterranean sand and sunshine was my idea of heaven. Here's a personal guide to my favourite spots for European summer escapes. European Summer Escapes — [...]
Underrated cities in Europe that we love from Antalya and Antwerp to Vicenza and Zagreb, this is our A to Z guide of the under-appreciated, undervalued and underrated cities in Europe that are worth your time. I have to say up front: I have a love-hate relationship with travel lists. When they’re inane, generic, lack perspective, [...]