Favourite Summer Holidays for 2008

Three Cliffs Bay in Gower (photo: Natasha von Geldern)

Wednesday, 23, Apr 2008 10:26

Summer holidays are about taking time out from the busy working year to recharge the batteries and spend time with the important people in our lives.

We all have memories of childhood summer holidays at the seaside and for many a beach holiday is an essential part of the summer break.

This year the strong Euro and environmental concerns are making summer holidays at home more attractive. Holidaymakers looking for a bargain are also considering the US and lesser-known destinations in Europe.

The independent travel writers at travelbite.co.uk have put together some suggestions for the best summer holidays in 2008.

Alternative Portugal summer holidays on the Silver Coast

The words summer and Portugal usually point to one answer - the Algarve. However, if you are seeking more than just the beach for your summer holiday this year, take a serious look at the Silver Coast which offers peaceful, rolling countryside and historical sights within easy reach of Portugal's Atlantic coast.

The coastline I recommend begins at Peniche and stretches 60km North to Pedrogao. It is within easy driving distance of either Porto or Lisbon, making it an ideal driving or family holiday.

It is a mystery why this part of the world is not more popular with holidaymakers (although I'm sure you'll agree it's much better this way) when you are driving through the deep pine forests which run right along the coastline.

The area is ideal for a summer holiday combining days at the beach, bike rides and hiking.

Beach resorts are dotted all along the coast, each with its own character.

Sao Martinho do Porto is traditionally for families, while Nazare - the largest resort - is where party types rub shoulders with the fishwives who uphold a centuries-old way of life.

Peniche is also worth a visit, if only as the departure point to Ihla de Berlenga, an incredible bird sanctuary island that can be reached by ferry from here.

Exploring this region by car reveals the many highlights that make it an exceptional summer holiday destination.

Inland there are an unbelievable array of sites to visit, all within easy reach of the coast.

The Grutas de Mira de Aire is an elaborate cave network that is open for guided tours and can be complemented with a trip to Pedagas dos Dinossaurios - a natural park where some of the oldest-known dinosaur tracks ever discovered can be seen in near-perfect condition.

For sight-seeing, the towns of Obidos, Alcobaca and Batalha are home to some of Portugal's most striking and large cathedrals and commemorate key moments in Portuguese history.

Further west, Tomar is overlooked by the serene Convento de Cristo (a Unesco World Heritage Site) and Ourem is set on a spectacular hillside topped by a castle where you can stay the night.

Visit Porto in June and experience the Festas de Cidade. On the evening of June 23rd the locals honour John the Baptist by bashing each other and unsuspecting tourists with obscure vegetables and Timmy Malletesque plastic hammers.

Even if you miss out on the fiesta mayhem, Porto is an attractive city for sightseeing and its historic riverside has also been recognised as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

To find out more about Portugal's Silver Coast visit the Virtual Portugal tourist guide.

You can fly into Porto or Lisbon from many UK airports and rent a car at some of the cheapest rates in Europe https://www.cardelmar.com/uk/buchen/index.jsp?p=car.jsp

For memorable accommodation see Pousadas de Portugal, for hotels which are converted historical buildings throughout Portugal.

Or rent a beachside villa with Villa Renters.

The summer season is traditionally June through September but beware that the beaches will be especially busy in August when the Portuguese take their holiday.

Olja Pavlovsky

British summer holidays on the unspoilt Gower peninsula

The Gower peninsula, an unassuming outcrop on the south coast of Wales, is a perfect destination for a summer holiday.

People have lived here since 250,000 BC but Gower still does not suffer from the over development of other popular British coastal areas.

The beaches and rocky coves from the Mumbles around to Rhossili offer sheltered stretches of smooth sand, exhilarating clifftop walks and all sorts of outdoor activities for the more adventurous.

The region was the very first in the UK to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty by the government's Countryside Agency over 50 years ago.

Oxwich beach is one of the best in Britain, with sand dunes, a nature reserve, safe swimming, surfing, beach combing for cockles and a wide sweep of golden sand.

And the two-and-a-half hour walk around the coast to Three Cliffs bay is a great way to spend an afternoon.

In fact Oxwich was named the most beautiful beach in the UK by The Travel Magazine last year, with its "magnificent and unspoilt" scenery and for being a "great place for adults and children to explore".

Many of the beaches are very popular, yet somehow never seem crowded, and if you want to really get away from it all there are many more remote and secluded coves.

Langland Bay and Rotherslade join together at low tide to form a bigger beach and there is a good café. The surfers also love it here and in nearby Caswell Bay.

Walkers, rock climbers and hang-gliding enthusiasts will find plenty to occupy them.

The cliff walk from Port Eynon is another popular route with spectacular views towards the Worm's Head. Walking out to the tip of this tidal island you are likely to see seals and other wildlife.

There are a good selection of hotels, self-catering cottages, B&Bs and well-equipped camping and caravanning sites along the coast, many only a short walk to sun, surf and sand. The writer stayed at Pitton Cross campsite near Rhossili.

For more information on summer holidays in Gower see the Explore Gower website.

Natasha von Geldern

Summer holiday paradise is close to home in Sardinia

White-sand beaches beside a clear, turquoise sea is the picture-postcard image of a Sardinian holiday and the reality lives up to the island's reputation.

Here you will find some of the most unspoilt beaches on the Mediterranean and you can even snorkel over Roman ruins at Nora.

But a holiday in Sardinia offers more than just beaches. There are also beautiful landscapes, history, outdoor activities and all the congeniality and culinary delights of an Italian province.

The winding, historic streets of Alghero have a distinctly Catalan flavour after centuries of colonisation by Pedro IV of Aragon from the mid-14th century.

The old town on the seafront is also intensely Italian and holidaymakers seeking gastronomic pleasures will not be disappointed.

In the small village of Villasimius on the south-eastern coast the pine groves run down to the sea and the area is renowned for its beautiful beaches.

This is a great summer holiday spot for families or people who really want to relax and enjoy the sunshine. You can explore a different little beach every day by walking along the coast.

Don't miss trying the local Ichnusa beer, which is light and very refreshing.

Fly to Cagliari direct from London and catch a bus to Villasimius from the central bus station - the views are great.

Hire a car (and buy a map) and explore the peaceful countryside, visiting prehistoric archaeological sites and castles.

The interior of Sardinia features dramatic granite and limestone mountains in the east as well as verdant fields, forests and olive groves.

The landscape is dotted with megalithic monuments called nuraghe, which look like beehive-shaped towers built from huge blocks of stone.

There are more than 8,000 Nuraghes in Sardinia, mostly in the north-west and south-central parts of the island, and there is a big group of them at Barumini - a Unesco World Heritage site.

Another popular excursion is the Trenino Verde, an old fashioned steam train which runs on various routes throughout the island over the summer.

Watersports enthusiasts will find top diving and snorkelling, as well as waterskiing, windsurfing, sailing, kite-surfing and surfing available in many places along the coast of Sardinia.

Surfers and kite-surfers love Porto Pollo, near Palua in the north, while you can join a sailing crew at Alghero, on the Costa del Sud, the Costa Smeralda and the Maddalena archipelago.

Take a boat trip from Cala Gonone to the sea caves and beaches along the coast or explore the archipelago of La Maddalena.

There is plenty of scope for walkers, with well-marked footpaths and mule tracks across varied terrain. With a mountain bike or horse trek you could even experience the coast and the mountains on the same day.

The best time to visit Sardinia is any time between May and October, when the sea is usually warm enough for swimming. In summer - July and August - temperatures on the coast average 28.5 degrees C.

See Voyages Ilena for accommodation in Sardinia.

European festivals for summer holidays

If you're looking for balmy nights of music and dancing followed by days of sunshine this summer, organise your summer holiday around a European festival.

Forget fighting your way through the inevitable mud and queues of a British festival, and head for Italy's Adriatic coast to find fun and entertainment for all the family.

La Notte Rosa - the pink night - sets Rimini and the Italian Riviera alight for 24 hours on July 5th, as crowds flock from across Europe to experience this fantastic free event known as Italy's great summer party.

Events up and down the 40 km coastline include carnival parades, concerts, theatre shows, magic, poetry, firework displays and plenty to keep kids entertained in a family friendly environment.

The all-pink themed festival represents hospitality and friendship celebrates the region's sense of community as hotels and shops light up in a pink glow.

Rimini also hosts a children's festival throughout the whole of July. This month long celebration incorporates events on the beaches and town squares.

The highlight is probably the evening children's market in the main piazza of Rimini, where kids gather to sell each other toys, games and comics.

Whilst festivals on the Italian Riviera sound posh and expensive, they can easily be done on a budget.

Several campsites surrounding Rimini, Riccone, Cattolica and Misano give visitors a choice of affordable accommodation.

Fly to Rimini from Gatwick, Stansted and Birmingham with British Airways or Ryanair.

For more information on La Notte Rosa festival see www.lanotterosa.it.