Well hasn’t this Spring heatwave been a lovely surprise?! I feel like the universe was almost waiting for me to complete that post I did on How I Cope With SAD because literally 2 days later the sun came out and it’s barely stopped shinning since! I think we better make most of every minute I think because who knows how long this will last.
I’m absolutely loving the gorgeous weather and longer days though, and I don’t know about you but our taste of summer is actually making me crave a summer holiday even more now! It’s a great time to book now as there are so many deals around and Holidaygems.co.uk have some great ones. In fact they specialise in short haul travel destinations and have an amazing amount of useful information on places you may wish to visit. Including sites of interest such as tourist attractions, average temperatures for each month, places to eat and other activities. So it makes it easy to decide where best would suit you.
As you may well already know I am not the most well travelled individual but I'm really hoping that will start to change if, health permitting, I can manage some slightly longer flights. So this post is more of a summer holiday bucket list of beach resorts I would love to travel to, that are all short haul. I have a very long list of places but I’ve condensed it down to my Top 6!
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The Greek Islands | Greece is at the top of my bucket list travel wise! Basically I want to visit every single part of every island and each time I see imagery or video footage from a Greek island it just makes me want to visit them more and more. To me it just looks so dreamy, tranquil and picturesque plus I love Greek food! Santorini is my ultimate goal because it looks stunning and, you know me, just for the Instagram potential! The iconic domed blue & white-washed buildings, the beautiful little streets, harbours and beaches are enchanting. Mykonos, Kefalonia & Skiathos are also on my list and Holiday Gems have some great offers and information on both Crete and Cofu in particular, where to stay, things to do and average temperatures, so make sure you check them out.
Lanzarote, Canary Islands | I’ve talked a lot about my plans to save up for a winter sun holiday next year to help get a bit of respite for both my physical and my mental health which always take a massive dip during the winter months. I think the Canary Islands are the perfect choice as they offer a pretty even, temperate climate all year round and aren’t too long a flight for me, being roughly 4 hours away. Lanzarote is located the farthest east, just off the coast of Africa so will therefore be most likely to be the warmest. It also appeals to me as it’s a slightly smaller island than Tenerife and Gran Canaria. The red mountains, glimmering turquoise waters and warm black, gold and white sand beaches make it seem particularly unique and picturesque. It would definitely make for a glorious summer holiday as well though, find the Lanzarote offers & packages here.
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Malta | The more I read about Malta the more fascinated I become with it! Not only does is look absolutely stunning with its crystal waters, honey coloured buildings and rocky coves but the island is steeped in history. Spanning 7,000 years the ancient villages of Malta have been influenced by many different cultures including Greek, Roman & Arab. Valletta is the city capital and I definitely love to visit there but I think St Julian’s Bay most appeals to me if I were to stay there. It looks like a lovely little harbour town with the best of both worlds, gorgeous beaches and easy access to the main towns. Find your perfect place to stay here.
Portugal | Portugal has been on my list of places to travel for a long time. Everyone I know who’s been always has great things to say about their holidays there. I’m eager to go to both Madeira & The Algarve as both look divine to be and I can’t decide which one I like best. The sparkling turquoise waters, magnificent views and stunning stretches of Mediterranean beach have me hooked. I’d love to do a boat trip there as you can do some dolphin spotting. Find more about places to stay in Portugal here: The Algarve and Madeira.
Cape Verde | I’ve seen an increasing number of people going to Cape Verde on their holidays recently. It’s the furthest away of the one I’ve chose at approximately 6 hours flight but it looks like the epitome of a relaxing beach holiday to me. I could just picture myself relaxing in one of the gorgeous beach cabana. With glamorous, picturesque coastlines, shopping and beach activities on offer find your perfect place to stay in Cape Verde here.
Jersey, Channel Islands | Another place I would highly recommend for your Summer Holiday is Jersey in the Channel Islands. I went there last September and it was my first flight in around 20 years. It’s a little gem of an island that I think it’s often overlooked as a holiday destination simply because it’s so near to us. The Channel Islands are all quite small and in Jersey wherever you go you’re never more than 10 minutes away from the beach which I found really soothing. You literally can't believe you're only a short hop across the channel (around a 40 minute flight). We stayed in the beautiful St Brelades Bay which feels more like a far flung tropical island with its palm trees & soft golden sands! If you want to hear more you can read all my blog posts on my trip to Jersey here.
*All images (with exception of the Jersey ones and the ones linked) are taken from Holiday Gems website.
Let me know if you have a summer holiday planned for this year or if not where you would most like to go?!
*Disclaimer: This post was created in partnership with & sponsored by Holiday Gems however, as always, all opinions are my own.
