South eastern Crete remains one of the few areas on the island that has not been swamped by a dependence on tourism. The infrastructure is there to provide for tourists' summer needs but agriculture remains the main source of income for locals. The two-hour drive from Heraklion Airport has helped to keep the area largely unspoilt, with many hidden gems of isolated beaches and traditional mountain villages just waiting to be explored. There is a good (daytime) public transport service between Heraklion Airport and Ierapetra with an hourly service on to Makry-Gialos which has the widest selection of accommodation and is a good base for the area.

www.southeastcreteholidays.com

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There are wonderful unspoilt beaches all around the West Country coasts, with no 'facilities', no development and few if any visitors. To find them, get a large-scale Ordnance Survey map (1:25,000) and look for beaches with no parking and no road nearby.

Providing you have to walk for 30 minutes to reach your beach, often down an old smugglers' path flanked by tall hedges alive with birdsong and wildflowers, at the end you should find, if you have chosen well, a little sandy cove surrounded by rocks and cliffs, with barely a soul in sight.

Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset

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To find the best beaches, that is the most remote and unspoilt, go to the west and north sides of the Gower peninsula rather than the south.

From Worms Head to Whiteford Point, Gower, South Wales.

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Comillas in the region of Cantabria, northern Spain, is a gorgeous little cobble streeted seaside town, loads of lovely cheap family friendly places to eat, a fab fun family atmosphere in the square at night (sometimes there is even a free outdoor cinema) and the most perfect beach and sea.

The very basic campsite is within walking distance of both the town and the beach - so no worries about evening drinking. The huge beach is great for swimming, bodyboarding, rockpooling and sandcastle building. In Comillas, you can get up late, have late lunches and late dinners, just really chill out - and there's not too many British travellers! The climate is perfect for camping - you won't be boiled out of your tent in the morning!

Get the ferry to Bilbao or Santander and drive there - the ferry journey is great fun - kids love it and it's so relaxing! There is plenty to see and do in the area apart from just lazing on the beach. You can visit the fantastic nature park of Cabárceno, palaeolithic rock art caves, the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the oceanographic museum and aquariums of Santander, Gaudi's only building outside of Barcelona or the perfectly preserved medieval village of Santillana del mar - there really is something to please everyone in this area of Spain.

Just don't everyone rush there and spoil it!

www.campingcomillas.com/
www.comillas.es/
english.turismodecantabria.com/default.asp

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