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Summer Holidays 2023

Spraggons Den

Spraggons Den

pfm Member
Having not been abroad for four years due to COVID and having had some really nice holidays in the UK (Appledore, Deal, Stokesly) as a consequence, we have started thinking of going somewhere proper hot.

We’re not ones for spending ten hours on a flight for environmental reasons - to Mexico or the Maldives for example - so usually go for somewhere in southern Europe. We like a nice beach to relax but also some history or culture nearby to explore. Previous destinations have been Viarragio with Pisa and Florence nearby, Barcelona, Rhodes and Malta which had a nice blend of both elements. Friends have suggested a long weekend in Lisbon followed by a drive down to one of the Algarve coastal resorts.

Any suggestions welcome.
 
Have you thought about Germany?

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Granada and Seville are both fantastic places to visit, empty toll motorways or almost empty main roads and the whole of the south coast of Spain is a pleasure to visit as long as you keep clear of the main tourist areas. Fly to whichever airport suits you and hire a car, which has been pretty cheap on our last few visits. Spain isn't cheap like it used to be but is still a fantastic place to go.
If you decide to go then pm me and I'll blab on more about the places I knew when we lived out there.
 
Olhao in Portugal surprised me when I went last year, proper old port town which has changed to welcome tourists. Some lovely little island beaches nearby & lots of interesting architecture.

I am also a big fan of Lanzarote, people can be a little snobby about it but it has a fantastic volcanic national park in the centre of the island. It is easily navigable by car or cycle as it’s only 40km or so end to end. Lots of great restaurants, nice old town & a genuinely interesting back story in terms of https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/César_Manrique.

I am sure the OP will get lots of options but sometimes the more obvious resorts can hit the spot.
 
steveinspain said:
Granada and Seville are both fantastic places to visit, empty toll motorways or almost empty main roads and the whole of the south coast of Spain is a pleasure to visit as long as you keep clear of the main tourist areas. Fly to whichever airport suits you and hire a car, which has been pretty cheap on our last few visits. Spain isn't cheap like it used to be but is still a fantastic place to go.
If you decide to go then pm me and I'll blab on more about the places I knew when we lived out there.
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Seville seems to be really popular this year, my daughter and her partner are going there in August and I was speaking with someone on Friday who’s going there for a month in July.

A beautiful city but my God it’s hot there, I was there in May 2003 and the temperatures were in the 40s the only place that I’ve been to that was hotter was Samos in Greece which is also beautiful.

BTW OP Ronda is fantastic too.

*Edit* Paxos and anti-Paxos are amazing the travel is arduous though, flight to corfu then the ferry from corfu town to Paxos and a day trip from there to Anti-Paxos the beach there is out of this world.
 
twotone said:
Edit* Paxos and anti-Paxos are amazing the travel is arduous though, flight to corfu then the ferry from corfu town to Paxos and a day trip from there to Anti-Paxos the beach there is out of this world.
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have they changed from the late 1980s? pretty places but rough
 
twotone said:
*Edit* Paxos and anti-Paxos are amazing the travel is arduous though, flight to corfu then the ferry from corfu town to Paxos and a day trip from there to Anti-Paxos the beach there is out of this world.
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Yep, that’s why Corfu and Lefkas are great options because of direct flights and short transfers. Can always do day trips from Lefkas to Fiscardo, Meganisi etc. We sail around the Ionian and visit Paxos / anti Paxos when taking a yacht from Corfu. Beautiful islands. Back out in May doing a regatta from Lefkas, will be racing around Lefkas, Meganisi, Ithaca, Kefalonia, Kalamos etc. The whole area is fabulous IMHO.
 
gintonic said:
have they changed from the late 1980s? pretty places but rough
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We’ve not been since about 1989-ish but nice when we were there, anti-Paxos is good cause the booze cruises can’t get to the island they have to wait about half a mile off shore you did get the odd Nutter swim ashore though.

Our favourite place in Greece was Spetse though, not been there since 1986 though but another arduous journey from Athens or Piraeus.
 
Ponty said:
Yep, that’s why Corfu and Lefkas are great options because of direct flights and short transfers. Can always do day trips from Lefkas to Fiscardo, Meganisi etc. We sail around the Ionian and visit Paxos / anti Paxos when taking a yacht from Corfu. Beautiful islands. Back out in May doing a regatta from Lefkas, will be racing around Lefkas, Meganisi, Ithaca, Kefalonia, Kalamos etc. The whole area is fabulous IMHO.
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We’ve some great memories of anti-Paxos my son was only about a year old when we went there he’s 34 in September.
 
SiBrighton said:
If you want “Proper Hot”. Then Sicily is a great choice. Nice towns. Archeological sites. Beaches. And amazing food.
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Actually off to Sicily myself in August and yes I know it will be hot!
We love Crete and have benn many times over 30 odd years. You do need a car though to get the best of it. Glorious semi arid barren scenery with mountains everywhere. Although it’s got busier over the years and more places are easily accessible by road we still know some very quiet and pretty much Greek only wonderful beaches - no sun beds and sometimes a taverna.
North Cyprus has some different feel to it than the south and some good Roman sites and medieval castles one of which is said to have inspired Disney and they still use the multi turreted logo today.
 
I would suggest Greece, avoiding the islands as they get crowded in summer; maybe the Peloponnese: lots of culture around with Epidavros, Mycenes, Navplio etc. and lots of good & long beaches.
Which month did you have in mind?
 
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