Where people who love good food come to holiday: Vila Nova de Milfontes, Portugal

Its glorious beaches, great food and fine walking make it a magnet for Portuguese families in summer, but this Alentejo resort is largely unknown to British visitors

Coastal and river beaches coalesce beside the Alentejo’s Vila Nova de Milfontes, a lyrical name meaning “new town of a thousand springs”. This resort at the mouth of the Mira River is a magnet for Portuguese families in high summer but largely unknown to British visitors, despite its glorious beaches, great food and fine walking.

At this spot in the upper half of the 100km-long Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina, the main beaches are found at the ria, where the river meets the sea. Across the ria from town is Praia das Furnas, a long beach, which is reached by car or ferry, with sandbars at low tide that make playing in the crashing waves fun. Nearer town are Praia da Franquia, Praia de Vila Nova Milfontes and Praia de Farol (Lighthouse Beach), with its sloping sands. Continue reading...

In May it is bliss, silent except for whistling bee-eaters: Tinos, the Cyclades, Greece

Unlike its noisy neighbour Mykonos, this peaceful island is known for its laid-back cafe-bars, taverna dinners and ancient footpaths that link beautiful villages

We are staying in the House of Light (from £62 a night, £90 in summer, sleeps three, on Airbnb), which is a work of art where even the shower drains through locally handcrafted ceramic. I pad along barefoot to the terrace and sit down on the stone bench in the sun, looking across a field of daisies, poppies and mallow to the crumbling dovecote.

As with all the villages of Tinos, Kato Klisma is busy in the summer months, says our host, but in May it is bliss; silent except for whistling bee-eaters. If I walk down one nearby alley, the croaking of frogs leads to a maze of bamboo-encircled fields where sheep graze on artichokes. The valley stretches to Kolymbithra, a sweep of white sand drifting up to blue cliffs, backed by dunes and lagoons populated by ducks and wading birds. Continue reading...

Horses on the beach, fried fish and sherry: Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Andalucía, Spain

A life-affirming spirit of joy and entertainment builds from noon at the beach bars and restaurants in this laid-back coastal town near Cádiz

Even the geology conspires to make Sanlúcar de Barrameda feel laid-back. Spain slows and drifts out peacefully in this coastal cul-de-sac of estuarine sandbanks, wide beaches and shallow rippling sea in the corner of the province of Cádiz. It certainly helps that there are no rocky cliffs and surfer waves, and that the thick sand keeps the beaches soundproofed and free from the rattling drawl of pebbles.

I live among uneven green mountains in the Sierra de Cádiz, so a visit to this flat expanse of navy blue and cream is tantamount to therapy. Each August, horses thunder down the sands in a series of evening races, but that burst of exertion aside, the mood on its several beaches is generally tranquil. Especially in winter and spring. Continue reading...

12 of the best UK breaks to celebrate spring

From blossom trails to bluebell woods, and foraging to farm stays, we’ve picked some of the finest seasonal getaways



This is cider country, and the Brockhampton Estate, near the Worcestershire border, is the largest orchard under the National Trust’s care, with over 145 acres of damson, pear, quince, cherry and apple trees, which blossom in great frothy clouds from late March through April. Continue reading...

Readers’ favourite spring breaks in the UK and Europe

Our readers make the most of spring with woodland walks in Yorkshire’s ‘Little Switzerland’ and picnics of ham and cheese baguettes in the French Alps

The area around Hardcastle in West Yorkshire springs into life in mid-March. The woodland floor transforms as if by magic into a soft carpet of wildflowers with bluebells appearing later in the season. The area was once called Little Switzerland because of its steep lush valleys bisected by rushing rivers, silver streams and footpaths. We found it to be the perfect antidote to winter, with shafts of golden sunlight casting their magic rays on all the lovely foliage. Head for a nice pub lunch at the Old Gate in Hebden after a morning walk.
Nigel Continue reading...

My Rasta father showed me the real Jamaica. After he died, I wanted to share it with my kids

I had no idea where I was heading when we set sail from Jamaica in the 70s, but I’m glad I’ve returned with my children to remember their grandfather this way

As we bump along terrible roads in my dad’s hot, noisy buttermilk-coloured Beetle, I’m unable to take in the beauty of Jamaica’s north coast – its waterfalls and gin-clear sea, its lush fern-quilted interior and the majestic Blue Mountains my dad loved.

It’s the late 1980s. I’m 15. It’s been nine years since I last saw my dad. To mark our reunion in the country of my birth, my dad, who adored adventures, and wanted my mum, sisters and I to “visit all your people ’dem and see every corner of your beautiful home”, is taking us on a road trip. However, admiring Jamaica’s landscape is the last thing on my mind as I sit squashed between my sisters in the back of the Beetle, angry at my dad because he’d dropped in and out of our childhood. My aim, despite my teenage moodiness, is to get to know him better. Not Jamaica. Continue reading...

Tell us about a great activity break – you could win a holiday voucher

Tell us about your favourite action-inspired trips in Europe including the UK – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break

There’s a palpable sense of the changing seasons at this time of the year – longer days, warmer weather, and the feeling that people are stirring from winter hibernation. The parks are getting busier, tennis courts are being used and pelotons of cyclists are starting to appear on our roads. There are so many ways of enjoying the great outdoors while keeping yourself fit and healthy. You may have enjoyed a kayaking trip, a hiking break, cycling through beautiful scenery or a wild swimming holiday. Whatever gets you up and out for an adventure, we’d love to hear about it.

If you have a relevant photo, do send it in – but it’s your words that will be judged for the competition. Continue reading...