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The ferry between Rovinj and Red Island takes you to a beautiful, quiet island, with tree lined beaches. Do beware - some of the beaches are nudist!
Aguas Blancas means White Waters and is a beautiful beach on the east side of Ibiza with brown sand and a high rock wall behind the beach.
Aguas Blancas is also the name of the sandy-floored restaurant that offer its service in this beach.
I recommend it for three reasons:
- I love the beach and the view there
- Sensational paellas
- Home made ice cream! :-)
This is not a mainstream places like many in Ibiza, but a nice place to see and eat on the east side of the island.
Cafeteria Cima del Mar
Aguas Blancas, San Carlos, Ibiza
T: +34 648 622 865
www.white-ibiza.com/ibiza-restaurant-aguas-blancas
The Nicoya Peninsula is on the west coast of Costa Rica, famous for it's beaches and surf. The south of the peninsula is dotted with small surf towns, generally the vibe is typical surf culture, very relaxed and low-key, more rustic than plush.
In Mal Pais I'd recommend Casa Colina. It's great value and good for either a couple or single traveller. I stayed as a single traveller and met some memorable people there. It only has six rooms, all rustic in style, but very clean and a good size. It's owners, Ari & Dave (German and American) are very friendly hosts. Ari will take you horse-riding, Dave runs the surf school, and both make fantastic breakfasts. There's only one table, so all guests eat together which creates a unique atmosphere. It's about a three minute walk to the beach (fantastic surf, ask Dave about where to swim) and five minutes into the small town. There is a plethora of fantastic restaurants - don't go judging them by the furniture ... the food was an amazingly high standard. Ask Ari to book you a massage (there's a place almost on the beach near to the B&B, so you can hear the waves while letting the post-surf lesson aches and pains melt away) and also do the zip wire - it gets you up above the tree tops and gets the nerves a little jangly too.
The beaches are beautiful and not at all crowded. Although don't leave anything unattended. Even flipflops. You'll notice people bury their flipflops in the sand so they don't get permanently borrowed.
Further up the hill from Casa Colina (which literally means 'house on the hill') is the Argentine restaurant which is a perfect sundowner. Spectacular views over the sea and delicious coolers.
Last word - don't go to Casa Colina if steps aren't your thing. Do go if your bottom could do with a little more tone.
This is a side of Central America you might not expect.
The mild and mellow Caribbean vibe of Tela is far removed from the discos and drive throughs of San Pedro Sula. It is a pretty town, with a main square to wander around and drink watermelon licaudos. Whatever you do, do not leave without trying pan de coco, a traditional local bread made from coconut flesh. Especially when warm, they are delicious.
From here, you can easily get to the Garífuna villages of Miami, La Ensenada and Triufuno de la Cruz. Thatched huts on sandy roads with delicious seafood and not-too-bad beaches you can swim from (do check). Well worth a visit to get a feeling of Garífuna life and culture, a people descended from indigenous carib islanders, with a strong cultural identity kept alive through language, dance and story-telling.
Tela is a couple of hours bus ride away from San Pedro Sula. Buses leave every couple of hours from the main bus station (Terminal de bus) and it costs around £2.
From Tela, the little bus depot is just off the main square, buses leave all day long for the Garífuna villages, usually piled high with people and stuff.
Beach bar and restaurant. It's the best place to eat around the village. There is the wide variety of stuff you'd expect in a beach bar; pizza, salads, sandwiches, etc but also much more sophisticated and imaginative dishes, including lovely desserts which were hard to come by in this neck of the woods. It's also the best place to sit and watch the sun go down.
Half way down Aregno Plage, short walk from Algajola Village (dark on the way back at night but OK)
Remember what you used to want in an island holiday? Without hawkers, cars, motorbikes... Just a golden beach, clear waters, good food, a few drinks at sunset and activities to do when you get bored of swimming, snorkelling, reading, sleeping and sun bathing.
I was recommended a great little island only three hours from Singapore by a friend. Pulau sibu (sibu island) is exactly what those who have a phobia about big commercial resorts need. This small island only 6km by 1km, no roads or mains power.
The beaches are deserted, the locals friendly and the scuba diving in the Mersing Marine Park excellent because there is only 1 PADI Dive Centre on the island.
Sibu Island Cabanas on Pulau Sibu is a really close to Singapore making it a great location for a weekend short break.
Santorini is a notoriously expensive island, and a Mecca for tour groups. Instead of staying at the overpopulated Oia or Fira, take a 20 minutes drive/bus to Kamari Beach. No mobs of tourists, a noticeable drop in hotel prices, the beach is on your doorstep - and the street facing the beach is filled with delicious tavernas. As one of our waiters put it, in Kamari "the people are friendlier, and the food is better!"
A small town/large village with hardly any tourists - foreign ones that is. Walk one of the several paths up Mount Olympus or take the 15 minutes bus ride to the beach for €2.5 return where you can spend the day with the Greeks on a sunbed with umbrella for the price of a drink.
In the Hotel Mirto, just down from the main square, which is clean and comfortable if a little unexciting, you can get B&B with views of the mountains from your balcony for €30.
Take a cheap flight to Thessaloniki - Easyjet go there on Fridays - and then a bus goes every hour from the Makedonia bus station to Litohoro for €8.
Located about 166 km south of Fortaleza, the small fishing village of Canoa Quebrada is one of the most beautiful beaches in Ceará state. Canoa Quebrada's main points of interest are its beaches, its buggy excursions, its dunes and falesias with heights of up to 30 meters, and its nightlife on Broadway, the main street.
Canoa Quebrada was declared an environment protected area, with an extension of 70,000 hectares from the Porto Canoa to the mouth of the Rio Jaguaribe. The local population has about 3,000 inhabitants between native, Brazilians and foreigners living, particularly Europe.
For more information visit: www.canoabrasil.com
The only company which goes all the way from Fortaleza to Canoa Quebrada beach is São Benedito - phone: (085) 32721232 (Fortaleza)
Situated in stylish Ibiza beach "Cala Jondal", Blue Marlin is the king of the beach clubs in Ibiza.
Here it's the perfect place to chill but without missing the fun thanks to live music performances by artists like Paco Fernandez (Flamenco Singer) and Goldfish (Electro Jazz duo).
Cala Jondal, Ibiza
www.bluemarlinibiza.com/
Summer opening hours
Monday - Sunday / 10:00 – 06:00
Lunch: 12.30 – 19:00
Dinner: 20.30pm – 00:00
The tiny resort of Sant Elm is situated in South-West Mallorca.It is reached via a winding country road that threads its narrow way through low cultivated hills.There are two hotels and several decent restaurants lining its single street.
The place to stay is the friendly, family-run Hostal Dragonera. It has double rooms from 57 euros in high season which come with ample buffet breakfast served in a dining room overlooking the gorgeous, sheltered bay. There is a sun terrace with free sunbeds from where steps lead down to what is essentially a private sandy beach seperated by rocks from the village's main strand.
Fabulous location on Cartagena's only beach. Good mix of workers, businessmen and tourists. Fish, paellas and seafood. Closed Mondays.
Take the road to the Commercial Port, turn left after the tunnel and go under the road. Tel 968 12 24 35
These aren't the most scenic beaches in Spain; two former fisherman’s districts transformed in the 1960s into a slightly ugly urban sprawl - but there's still plenty of sand, a promenade of palm trees and the deep blue sea.
There are still a few traditional houses tucked along the mile-long esplanade, and the Paseo de Neptuno is a great place to pick up some cheap Paella.
For a quieter beach a little further afield, try Saler.
Take the tram from Pont de Fusta (opposite Torres de Serranos in Barrio del Carmen).
Oasis Bar is at the end of the Bolnuevo beach, beside Mazarron.
Good music on a Tuesday night from about 10 pm
Oasis bar, Bolnuevo, 30877 Mazarron, Murcia
It's beautiful beaches are just incredible. I visited one slightly off the beaten track in a place called Jandia. The beach was called Playa Matorral and had everything you could wish for, quiet at one end and watersports too.
When we were there in June we got a cheap flight with Thomas Cook then a seven-day car rental for less than £100.
A truly spectacular holiday.
www.fuerteventura-airport-car-hire.co.uk/
book.flythomascook.com/skylights/cgi-bin/skylights.cgi?module=CP&page=FLIGHTS_FUERTEVENTURA
A great find! A beautiful family run beach front hotel in a small Turkish village. The warm welcome lasts all week! If you are looking for a taste of Turkish culture and spectacular food then this is the place to be! Bodrum is only 15 minutes bus ride away but we only visited once, there was always enough to do nearby. Local markets, horse riding, live music.
The Mandalya Hotel
Golturkbuku
Bodrum
Silent Noise parties are held at Neptune's Point in South Goa – a stunning peninsula where hundreds of happy clubbers can look out across the water to Palolem beach as they dance the night away.
Everyone is connected to the music with wireless headphones so the party doesn’t disturb the neighbours (or the local police) and three DJs play simultaneously, competing to get the crowd to tune into their set.
Add in lasers, visuals, circus performers and tepees, and you’ve got a mini festival every week – helping to revive the outdoor rave vibe that originally put Goa on the beach party map.
Neptune's Point, Palolem, Goa
www.silentnoise.in
My family and I recently visited a brand new apartment complex on the Costa Del Sol, near Malaga, called Terrazas Costa Del Sol Holiday Village. It only opened this year, so there are some really good deals on one-bedroom apartments – ours slept four people and was about £300 for the week. We have young children, so the kids’ clubs were great. It also has a gorgeous infinity pool that has views of the Rock of Gibraltar. The kitchen in our room also meant that we were able to cook food cheaply and make meals that we knew the kids would like. We will definitely be back!
It's not in the summer. It's not in Thailand or the Balearics. And it's not a formal party. But if you want one of the best Hogmanay experiences in the world, get yourself to Portobello beach and join in with one of the many beach fires that spring up along the front. Someone will be passing the single malt. Someone else will be shooting fireworks out to sea. Everyone's chatty and friendly. Best Hogmanay you can have.
Portobello Beach in Edinburgh. Get the no. 26 bus from Princes Street. Fires all along the front. Head East for some of the more convivial groups. The Esplanade pub is a good place to top up or get warm!
A music festival in a beautiful setting by the shores of Lake Malawi. It's probably the only place in Africa you'll be able to hear dubstep and kwasa kwasa at the same time...
There's not a drop of mud in sight and it's all for charity so you feel good doing it. The rumour that Madonna will be there this year is probably not true though.
Is this your business?