THE average Spanish resident will spend between €500 and €1,500 on their holidays this year, with three in 10 set to increase their budget from last year and 16% reducing it.
Europe's favourite holiday islands revealed (Spoiler: Spain does rather well)
02/07/2021
IF YOU had to choose your favourite island for a holiday or short break, which would it be? This was the question asked in every country and several autonomous regions on the continent of Europe – and, as we would expect, Spain was mentioned quite a lot.
Musement, a holiday organiser which has carried out similar research in the recent past, asked residents in 44 countries which island in Europe they would most like to visit if they could go tomorrow.
They were not allowed to choose an island which was a country in itself, which meant Iceland, Cyprus and Malta were out – although they could have chosen, for example, the small Maltese islands of Gozo and Cominos – and could not choose an island where one or more countries was based partly or in their entirety, so the Irish territory, made up of the Republic of Ireland and part of the UK, was also out, but the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and so on, which are part of the UK, could figure in the list.
The results were surprising in many ways: For example, large numbers of countries picked out an island belonging to their own national territory, even where theirs is a nation with cooler summers and whose residents are more likely to head to warmer climates for their holidays.
These included part of the UK – the English chose the Isle of Wight, part of the county of Hampshire on the south coast, and the Welsh chose Anglesey, just off its north-west coast and accessed via the Menai bridge.
Others which went for an island which would not involve their travelling abroad to get to were The Netherlands (Texel), Denmark (Bornholm), Norway (Senja), Sweden (Gotland), Finland (Hailuoto), Estonia (Hiiumaa – which is not exactly a sun-sea-sand destination; in fact, it is famous for being home to the longest ice highway on earth), Italy (Sardinia), Bosnia (Hvar), Portugal (Madeira), and Croatia, which picked its own Krk Island, and was joined in its choice by neighbouring Slovenia.
But elsewhere in Europe, among those who chose an island not part of their own country, there were four clear winners and at least one significant runner-up.
The Greek island of Crete turned out to be a favourite for Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania, and Santorini, just off its shores and also belonging to Greece, was a huge hit, being number one for France, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, North Macedonia, Cyprus, Malta, and Northern Ireland.
Spain, as a country, fared very well, however.
Lanzarote, in the Canaries, was the top choice for the Republic of Ireland, although it was one of the 'lone wolves' along with Mykonos, Greece, for Switzerland, and Sicily for Montenegro.
Menorca was another 'lone wolf', being number one for residents in Andorra, as was Ibiza, the top for residents in Luxembourg.
Germany loves Mallorca, and so does Belarus – but Tenerife was the most popular of all the Spanish islands, including for Spain itself.
Along with being endorsed by its own nation, Tenerife was the first choice for Moldova, Latvia, Belgium, Iceland, and even Scotland, which might have been expected to be the first to opt for an island of its own, given that it has so many and the Outer and Inner Hebrides are hugely popular with tourists from mainland Scotland year-round and considered to be the 'Caribbean of Britain', even if the weather does not always match.
And Greece did not even endorse other countries' choice of one of its islands – it did not pick Crete, Santorini or even Mykonos, but went for Leukade instead, an opinion it shares with Serbia.
But why? Europe's choices explained
Santorini, with its trademark Greek white houses adorned with blue shutters, doors and roofs – often a popular day trip from Crete – and Crete itself, very geared up to tourism and with Ancient archaeological sites scattered around it, have been holiday-brochure standards for decades.
So have Spain's islands, of course. And it does not take a genius to work out why Spanish islands might be the top option for Belgium, Iceland, Scotland, Germany, Belarus, Ireland, Latvia and Luxembourg: Sunshine is guaranteed, along with baking-hot weather, from at least mid-June to early September and sometimes longer; in fact, the Canary Islands can be very mild in the winter and, even if not beach-and-suntan weather, at least pleasant enough to sit outside without a jacket and not to need much, or even any, indoor heating, except perhaps another layer on the bed at night in January or February.
Many residents in these countries would head to Spanish islands purely for that reason – warm weather, with easy access to a beach and an on-site swimming pool in typical tourist resorts. But, arguably, if all you want is the weather, there are plenty of countries in or on the edge of Europe that offer the same for similar prices, so there needs to be another hook to keep holidaymakers coming back.
And these hooks are often discovered by accident by sun-seeking tourists – excursions offered by their tour operators, taken up because they are 'strongly recommended' or to break the monotony (because even chocolate gets boring if you eat it every day) of lounging by the pool or on the sands, usually reveal something so surprising and wondrous that they get talked about, photographed and shown on social media, and enjoyed so much that those who take part will want to tell everyone, show friends and family who join them next time, or visit again.
Mallorca
As you'll find out from your hotel or holiday accommodation, or from your nearest tourist information office if you're on a 'DIY' break or renting a villa or apartment, the largest of the Balearic Islands offers a variety of fun trips for families with children (and that includes children old enough to have a pension fund and a mortgage, too). Water parks and adventure trips abound, as well as the usual watersports schools on the beaches, pedalo hires and boat trips.
But this underrated island – often synonymous with cheap, alcohol-fuelled nightlife (and it does have great nightlife, but that's only a tiny aspect of it) – is rich with cultural and natural heritage that you might not have expected to find.
If you've ever read the I, Claudius series or watched the DVD (or been forced to through college or university courses), or are intrigued by the first World War, you will probably be familiar with the name of Robert Graves – his memoir, Goodbye to all that, details his life from his grim days at public school through to the Western Front, via his Spanish 'Flu contagion, and his final decision to chuck it all in and move to Mallorca, never to return. He set up home in the quaint little artists' colony of Deià (pictured just below), where he was among other writers, painters and similar creators who would meet and write, paint and create in local cafés, and started a family there. In fact, his daughter, Lucía Graves, a Spanish national of British parents, still lives in the area and is the highly-talented translator behind the English versions of Carlos Ruiz Zafón's acclaimed series of novels, which start with his Shadow of the Wind, the second-bestselling work of prose fiction to come out of Spain after Don Quijote de la Mancha.
Just as famous, but a little earlier in time, French authoress George Sands and Polish-born composer Frédéric Chopin reputedly became lovers and spent a winter living in the monastery in the beautiful, floral village of Valldemossa (pictured just below) – you can find out all about this key stage in both their lives by visiting the town, the monastery itself, and picking up a copy of George Sands' A winter in Mallorca in one of several languages from any souvenir shop, along with a CD of Chopin's compositions, including those he created during their trip.
Hire a car for a day and you can tour the stunning, green, pine-covered mountain passes and visit tiny villages time forgot, rarely-visited coves with plush, white-sand beaches – such as Alcúdia Pins (pins is the plural of pi, or pine tree) – and pop by Manacor, just inland from here.
You actually might spot Manacor's most famous native, since he and his new-ish wife (married in October 2019) are just another young couple from the village they have lived in all their lives, and if they pop into their nearest bar, post office, bank or supermarket, they are not mobbed for selfies but greeted with an unremarkable, “Morning, Rafa, morning, Mery.”
For top tennis ace Rafael Nadal, Manacor is his comfort blanket; accompanied by Mery Perelló, his other half since their mid-teens, he travels the world and graces billions of international sports fans' TV screens, but is always at his happiest when he's headed back to Mallorca, his mum, his sister and his childhood (and adulthood) haunts.
Also in Manacor, on an organised trip, you will probably get taken on the obligatory pearl-factory tour. And it's fascinating – learn how the pearls are polished in egg-white and how they put Manacor on the world map; if you've ever seen Majorica pearl jewellery on sale on your high street, now you can watch it being made and buy it from the factory shop at a reduced price. It's high-quality, holds its value, relatively cheap at the price, and very elegant, with designs suitable for any age of wearer.
We've left one of our favourite Mallorca trips for dessert: The Caves of the Dragon (Coves del Drach). If you've been to Mallorca and have not headed underground, you haven't finished and need to book a return holiday.
We're not supposed to tell you about the little surprise that awaits you near the end of the tour, so we'll just mention fairy lights and violins, and leave it there. After all, we want to make you curious enough to visit, but not to spoil it for you.
And in any case, stalactites created through millions of years of dripping ceilings, and underground lakes of over 10 metres, or 30 feet deep, again caused through dripping ceilings, are an absolute marvel of nature that you'll be captivated by – as will children travelling with you, even young ones. Plus, the slightly cooler atmosphere is a great respite when you're visiting during the hottest weeks of the year.
A trip to the Cova del Drach will also normally encompass a visit to the Coves dels Hams, or 'Caves of the Fish-Hooks', which is nearly as spectacular and definitely worth the detour.
Palma de Mallorca, the island's capital, can be reached by bus from anywhere that has a transport route, and its huge and splendid cathedral (third picture, above) should at least be viewed from the outside. The city is a Mecca for shopaholics, with its designer boutiques (and El Corte Inglés department store), and the waterfront is perfect for chilling out with a drink on a café terrace.
Don't miss a trip to Inca, the inland village that has strong links with Latin America (the name is a clue), and where the leather and crafts market is a massive shopping magnet.
Menorca
Smaller than Mallorca and farther east, meaning the sun goes down much later in the day (longer on the beach), this quiet, less-touristy little island is more a warm-weather-seeker's destination as there are fewer high-profile attractions, but attractions there certainly are, so if you're looking for a holiday that isn't 100% beach and pool, you'll still get plenty out of it.
Like Mallorca, it's heaven for fans of designer shoes – the Balearics as a whole are the home of prestigious names like Pons Quintana, Jaime Mascaró, Úrsula Mascaró (the latter's daughter), Farrutx, and Looky, among others; a pair of any of these would normally set you back at least €150, unless you went on a factory tour or visited a boutique in the sales, when you can grab them for ridiculously-low prices. And unbranded leather shoes on market stalls which come in at about a 10th of the price of these are often made by the exact same manufacturers, just without the name on them.
Menorca is also the home of Xoriguer gin and various herbal and fruity varieties of spirits in fun colours, and again, designer boutiques in the capital, Mahón (home of mayonnaise – it was initially known as mahonesa and proved so popular with the French aristocracy that it went global), or Maó in the Balearic languages.
Its prehistoric Talayot culture is rife and the countryside is littered with structures that long pre-date the Ancient Egyptians, such as the Naveta des Tudons (pictured just above), Torre d'en Galmés, Torrala d'en Salord and the Talatí de Dalt – a superb and fascinating live history lesson or several, with oodles of selfie fodder.
Quiet coves for sunbathing away from the masses, and quaint, beautiful fishing villages – Ciutadella (pictured above), Fornells, Binibeca – where you can take a boat ride in daylight or at sunset, and a surprising amount of historic British influence (dating back centuries – it was under British rule very briefly) are all parts of the most intriguing and authentic bits of this tranquil, understated island.
Ibiza
Another island synonymous with boozy parties and brilliant dance music, Ibiza doesn't have to be, although it can be if you want it to. If you don't, there are the historic monuments and the waterfront in Ibiza town (pictured below) – known as Eivissa to the locals – the whitewashed beauty of Santa Eulalia (Santa Eulària in the Balearic languages), and the authentically-Mediterranean attractiveness of Santa Gertrudis (next picture down) are enough of a hook, and the best beaches for avoiding crowds include the various coves with their velvet sands and turquoise waters – Cala Salada, Cala Conta and Cala Vadella, among others.
Take a day-trip to Formentera, the smallest inhabited island in the Balearics, which has a real cosy, close-knit community feel, lots of pretty countryside, a restriction on cars (so clean air and limited noise) and a famous beach with mineral mud that is said to be great for the skin – roll around in it and then rinse it off in the sea, and you've basically given yourself a free spa visit.
If you feel you can't be in Ibiza without 'doing' the clubs at least once, the sublime dance notes that come out of Pacha Ibiza, Amnesia (look out for DJ Paris Hilton, who regularly works the summer there), Privilege, Space and Ushuaïa tend to hit the national chart radio programmes at this time of year, and hearing them live at the venue is an experience of a lifetime. You're not too old, either: It's tempting to feel that if you're mature enough to be able to drink legally in any country, you've outgrown all that rave-up and bopping business, but it's perfectly normal anywhere in Spain to see people in their 30s, 40s, 50s and even older enjoying a night out in a club.
Lanzarote
A favourite with the Irish, according to Musement – and it is often said that, culturally, the Irish are closer to Spaniards than to their neighbouring Brits or, indeed, any other northern Europeans; those who hail from the Emerald Isle and those who do not but are familiar with it or its people often say it is geographically misplaced, and should be in the Mediterranean, because its society, traditions and customs accord more with a country in the southern European seas than in the chilly north.
So the Irish, and, indeed, anyone from a cold climate, will be right at home in any Spanish island – or the mainland – and Lanzarote is no exception, other than having a milder winter than the Iberian peninsula. Temperatures in the Canaries tend to max out at around 30ºC even in high summer, hover between 16ºC and 21ºC in winter and rarely drop below 13ºC, so year-round weather is as near-perfect as you'd hope to find anywhere on earth.
As you'd expect, idyllic beaches, watersports, pavement cafés and bars, boat rides and all the other staples of a summer holiday island are present in Lanzarote and, in fact, in any of the Canary Islands, the only region in Spain that is 100% in the sub-tropics, and barely 100 kilometres off the north-west African coast.
Carnival season (six weeks before Easter) is a good time to visit the Canaries, although can be expensive and crowded; otherwise, divers and fans of quaint fishing villages should head to the Playa Blanca, families with children will find plenty to keep them all amused in the Costa Teguise area, and the island capital, Arrecife, has a splendid castle and a stunning, relaxing marina path around the Charca de San Ginés harbour.
Kids will love the Rancho Texas theme park, with its sea mammals, rare white tigers and Komodo dragons, swimming pools and water slides, and trips in Indian kayak, and also the Piracy Museum in Santa Bárbara-Guanapay Castle.
Many regions on earth offer wine and vineyard tours, but a trip to La Geria (pictured just below) and the El Grifo wine merchant's are a highly-unusual experience: The grapes are grown in stone circles spread out across a volcanic landscape, in charcoal-grey soil, which gives the wine a unique edge to its flavour and makes for a vine-country scenery that's very different to your typical grape-growing regions.
Much the same can be said for the Guatiza cactus gardens – blobs of green in black soil, over 1,000 species of green blobs, lava rockeries, stone paths and ornamental lakes, all created lovingly in what was once a gravel quarry until it fell into disuse.
Take a boat-trip to neighbouring La Graciosa, the smallest inhabited Canarian Island and just 1.1 kilometres away by water – and its newest, having been officially recognised as the region's eighth island in June 2018 - and once back in Lanzarote, head towards Yaiza for two of its top attractions.
Yaiza miraculously survived ongoing volcanic eruptions between 1730 and 1736 – literally, non-stop lava explosions for six years – and you can buy souvenirs made out of said lava from the shops in the town. At sunset, make sure you're close to the Janubio salt-flats, and gasp in wonder at the dazzling, colourful light reflections off the surface, a view said to be pure poetry.
Right next to Yaiza and the Janubio salt marshes, so almost certainly included in the same organised tour, is the spectacular, haunting-looking Timanfaya National Park (above picture), formed out of lava deposits (if you drop a bucket of water in one of these, it comes back as a boiling-hot geyser) and its desert-like, almost lunar landscape makes you feel as though you were in the heart of Africa.
Tenerife
If you're British, you'll know what we mean when we say Coronation Street's Bet Gilroy did, in fact, pronounce the name of this largest of the Canary Islands properly; if you're not and/or you don't, the final letter is not silent – Tenerife has four syllables.
And as the largest in the region and the favourite Spanish island among Europeans according to Musement, you can be sure you won't have to send out a search party to find fabulous attractions beyond its beaches, surfing-sailing-snorkelling-scuba-diving schools, swimming pools, pavement cafés and bars.
Given that Tenerife could easily be the subject of at least one, if not several, articles of its own, you might like to have at look at some of its most jaw-dropping sites we've already mentioned: Masca, the 'Machu Picchu of Spain', the Colonial town of San Cristóbal de la Laguna (see picture above right) and the nearby mountainous Anaga Rural Park, and some we haven't, like the Drago de Icod – a Drago tree, native to Macronesia, of several thousand years old – or go whale-spotting off the coast of Adeje, descend into the volcanic Los Vientos caves, admire the stately northern-European-style wood-beamed houses in the heart of La Orotava and its ornate Casa de los Balcones (House of Balconies), and, naturally, grab a cable-car up to the top of the Teide National Park (pictured below).
This, a huge volcanic landscape, one of the highest peaks in Spain, with intriguing-looking rock-towers and desert plants, lets you walk right into the crater of an active volcano.
Active, but with no eruptions for centuries and none likely in the lifetimes of anyone alive today.
Take a glass-bottomed boat to La Gomera, checking out the colourful fish and other sea-life below the surface, and once you're on this tiny, rural, time-locked enclave, you might hear the natives 'talking' in their now-famous regional language: El Silbo, or, literally, 'The Whistle', thought to be the only European 'tongue' that does not involve actual written words.
Declared UNESCO intangible heritage, it was immortalised at Cannes Film Festival in 2019 by Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu.
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IF YOU had to choose your favourite island for a holiday or short break, which would it be? This was the question asked in every country and several autonomous regions on the continent of Europe – and, as we would expect, Spain was mentioned quite a lot.
Musement, a holiday organiser which has carried out similar research in the recent past, asked residents in 44 countries which island in Europe they would most like to visit if they could go tomorrow.
They were not allowed to choose an island which was a country in itself, which meant Iceland, Cyprus and Malta were out – although they could have chosen, for example, the small Maltese islands of Gozo and Cominos – and could not choose an island where one or more countries was based partly or in their entirety, so the Irish territory, made up of the Republic of Ireland and part of the UK, was also out, but the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and so on, which are part of the UK, could figure in the list.
The results were surprising in many ways: For example, large numbers of countries picked out an island belonging to their own national territory, even where theirs is a nation with cooler summers and whose residents are more likely to head to warmer climates for their holidays.
These included part of the UK – the English chose the Isle of Wight, part of the county of Hampshire on the south coast, and the Welsh chose Anglesey, just off its north-west coast and accessed via the Menai bridge.
Others which went for an island which would not involve their travelling abroad to get to were The Netherlands (Texel), Denmark (Bornholm), Norway (Senja), Sweden (Gotland), Finland (Hailuoto), Estonia (Hiiumaa – which is not exactly a sun-sea-sand destination; in fact, it is famous for being home to the longest ice highway on earth), Italy (Sardinia), Bosnia (Hvar), Portugal (Madeira), and Croatia, which picked its own Krk Island, and was joined in its choice by neighbouring Slovenia.
But elsewhere in Europe, among those who chose an island not part of their own country, there were four clear winners and at least one significant runner-up.
The Greek island of Crete turned out to be a favourite for Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania, and Santorini, just off its shores and also belonging to Greece, was a huge hit, being number one for France, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, North Macedonia, Cyprus, Malta, and Northern Ireland.
Spain, as a country, fared very well, however.
Lanzarote, in the Canaries, was the top choice for the Republic of Ireland, although it was one of the 'lone wolves' along with Mykonos, Greece, for Switzerland, and Sicily for Montenegro.
Menorca was another 'lone wolf', being number one for residents in Andorra, as was Ibiza, the top for residents in Luxembourg.
Germany loves Mallorca, and so does Belarus – but Tenerife was the most popular of all the Spanish islands, including for Spain itself.
Along with being endorsed by its own nation, Tenerife was the first choice for Moldova, Latvia, Belgium, Iceland, and even Scotland, which might have been expected to be the first to opt for an island of its own, given that it has so many and the Outer and Inner Hebrides are hugely popular with tourists from mainland Scotland year-round and considered to be the 'Caribbean of Britain', even if the weather does not always match.
And Greece did not even endorse other countries' choice of one of its islands – it did not pick Crete, Santorini or even Mykonos, but went for Leukade instead, an opinion it shares with Serbia.
But why? Europe's choices explained
Santorini, with its trademark Greek white houses adorned with blue shutters, doors and roofs – often a popular day trip from Crete – and Crete itself, very geared up to tourism and with Ancient archaeological sites scattered around it, have been holiday-brochure standards for decades.
So have Spain's islands, of course. And it does not take a genius to work out why Spanish islands might be the top option for Belgium, Iceland, Scotland, Germany, Belarus, Ireland, Latvia and Luxembourg: Sunshine is guaranteed, along with baking-hot weather, from at least mid-June to early September and sometimes longer; in fact, the Canary Islands can be very mild in the winter and, even if not beach-and-suntan weather, at least pleasant enough to sit outside without a jacket and not to need much, or even any, indoor heating, except perhaps another layer on the bed at night in January or February.
Many residents in these countries would head to Spanish islands purely for that reason – warm weather, with easy access to a beach and an on-site swimming pool in typical tourist resorts. But, arguably, if all you want is the weather, there are plenty of countries in or on the edge of Europe that offer the same for similar prices, so there needs to be another hook to keep holidaymakers coming back.
And these hooks are often discovered by accident by sun-seeking tourists – excursions offered by their tour operators, taken up because they are 'strongly recommended' or to break the monotony (because even chocolate gets boring if you eat it every day) of lounging by the pool or on the sands, usually reveal something so surprising and wondrous that they get talked about, photographed and shown on social media, and enjoyed so much that those who take part will want to tell everyone, show friends and family who join them next time, or visit again.
Mallorca
As you'll find out from your hotel or holiday accommodation, or from your nearest tourist information office if you're on a 'DIY' break or renting a villa or apartment, the largest of the Balearic Islands offers a variety of fun trips for families with children (and that includes children old enough to have a pension fund and a mortgage, too). Water parks and adventure trips abound, as well as the usual watersports schools on the beaches, pedalo hires and boat trips.
But this underrated island – often synonymous with cheap, alcohol-fuelled nightlife (and it does have great nightlife, but that's only a tiny aspect of it) – is rich with cultural and natural heritage that you might not have expected to find.
If you've ever read the I, Claudius series or watched the DVD (or been forced to through college or university courses), or are intrigued by the first World War, you will probably be familiar with the name of Robert Graves – his memoir, Goodbye to all that, details his life from his grim days at public school through to the Western Front, via his Spanish 'Flu contagion, and his final decision to chuck it all in and move to Mallorca, never to return. He set up home in the quaint little artists' colony of Deià (pictured just below), where he was among other writers, painters and similar creators who would meet and write, paint and create in local cafés, and started a family there. In fact, his daughter, Lucía Graves, a Spanish national of British parents, still lives in the area and is the highly-talented translator behind the English versions of Carlos Ruiz Zafón's acclaimed series of novels, which start with his Shadow of the Wind, the second-bestselling work of prose fiction to come out of Spain after Don Quijote de la Mancha.
Just as famous, but a little earlier in time, French authoress George Sands and Polish-born composer Frédéric Chopin reputedly became lovers and spent a winter living in the monastery in the beautiful, floral village of Valldemossa (pictured just below) – you can find out all about this key stage in both their lives by visiting the town, the monastery itself, and picking up a copy of George Sands' A winter in Mallorca in one of several languages from any souvenir shop, along with a CD of Chopin's compositions, including those he created during their trip.
Hire a car for a day and you can tour the stunning, green, pine-covered mountain passes and visit tiny villages time forgot, rarely-visited coves with plush, white-sand beaches – such as Alcúdia Pins (pins is the plural of pi, or pine tree) – and pop by Manacor, just inland from here.
You actually might spot Manacor's most famous native, since he and his new-ish wife (married in October 2019) are just another young couple from the village they have lived in all their lives, and if they pop into their nearest bar, post office, bank or supermarket, they are not mobbed for selfies but greeted with an unremarkable, “Morning, Rafa, morning, Mery.”
For top tennis ace Rafael Nadal, Manacor is his comfort blanket; accompanied by Mery Perelló, his other half since their mid-teens, he travels the world and graces billions of international sports fans' TV screens, but is always at his happiest when he's headed back to Mallorca, his mum, his sister and his childhood (and adulthood) haunts.
Also in Manacor, on an organised trip, you will probably get taken on the obligatory pearl-factory tour. And it's fascinating – learn how the pearls are polished in egg-white and how they put Manacor on the world map; if you've ever seen Majorica pearl jewellery on sale on your high street, now you can watch it being made and buy it from the factory shop at a reduced price. It's high-quality, holds its value, relatively cheap at the price, and very elegant, with designs suitable for any age of wearer.
We've left one of our favourite Mallorca trips for dessert: The Caves of the Dragon (Coves del Drach). If you've been to Mallorca and have not headed underground, you haven't finished and need to book a return holiday.
We're not supposed to tell you about the little surprise that awaits you near the end of the tour, so we'll just mention fairy lights and violins, and leave it there. After all, we want to make you curious enough to visit, but not to spoil it for you.
And in any case, stalactites created through millions of years of dripping ceilings, and underground lakes of over 10 metres, or 30 feet deep, again caused through dripping ceilings, are an absolute marvel of nature that you'll be captivated by – as will children travelling with you, even young ones. Plus, the slightly cooler atmosphere is a great respite when you're visiting during the hottest weeks of the year.
A trip to the Cova del Drach will also normally encompass a visit to the Coves dels Hams, or 'Caves of the Fish-Hooks', which is nearly as spectacular and definitely worth the detour.
Palma de Mallorca, the island's capital, can be reached by bus from anywhere that has a transport route, and its huge and splendid cathedral (third picture, above) should at least be viewed from the outside. The city is a Mecca for shopaholics, with its designer boutiques (and El Corte Inglés department store), and the waterfront is perfect for chilling out with a drink on a café terrace.
Don't miss a trip to Inca, the inland village that has strong links with Latin America (the name is a clue), and where the leather and crafts market is a massive shopping magnet.
Menorca
Smaller than Mallorca and farther east, meaning the sun goes down much later in the day (longer on the beach), this quiet, less-touristy little island is more a warm-weather-seeker's destination as there are fewer high-profile attractions, but attractions there certainly are, so if you're looking for a holiday that isn't 100% beach and pool, you'll still get plenty out of it.
Like Mallorca, it's heaven for fans of designer shoes – the Balearics as a whole are the home of prestigious names like Pons Quintana, Jaime Mascaró, Úrsula Mascaró (the latter's daughter), Farrutx, and Looky, among others; a pair of any of these would normally set you back at least €150, unless you went on a factory tour or visited a boutique in the sales, when you can grab them for ridiculously-low prices. And unbranded leather shoes on market stalls which come in at about a 10th of the price of these are often made by the exact same manufacturers, just without the name on them.
Menorca is also the home of Xoriguer gin and various herbal and fruity varieties of spirits in fun colours, and again, designer boutiques in the capital, Mahón (home of mayonnaise – it was initially known as mahonesa and proved so popular with the French aristocracy that it went global), or Maó in the Balearic languages.
Its prehistoric Talayot culture is rife and the countryside is littered with structures that long pre-date the Ancient Egyptians, such as the Naveta des Tudons (pictured just above), Torre d'en Galmés, Torrala d'en Salord and the Talatí de Dalt – a superb and fascinating live history lesson or several, with oodles of selfie fodder.
Quiet coves for sunbathing away from the masses, and quaint, beautiful fishing villages – Ciutadella (pictured above), Fornells, Binibeca – where you can take a boat ride in daylight or at sunset, and a surprising amount of historic British influence (dating back centuries – it was under British rule very briefly) are all parts of the most intriguing and authentic bits of this tranquil, understated island.
Ibiza
Another island synonymous with boozy parties and brilliant dance music, Ibiza doesn't have to be, although it can be if you want it to. If you don't, there are the historic monuments and the waterfront in Ibiza town (pictured below) – known as Eivissa to the locals – the whitewashed beauty of Santa Eulalia (Santa Eulària in the Balearic languages), and the authentically-Mediterranean attractiveness of Santa Gertrudis (next picture down) are enough of a hook, and the best beaches for avoiding crowds include the various coves with their velvet sands and turquoise waters – Cala Salada, Cala Conta and Cala Vadella, among others.
Take a day-trip to Formentera, the smallest inhabited island in the Balearics, which has a real cosy, close-knit community feel, lots of pretty countryside, a restriction on cars (so clean air and limited noise) and a famous beach with mineral mud that is said to be great for the skin – roll around in it and then rinse it off in the sea, and you've basically given yourself a free spa visit.
If you feel you can't be in Ibiza without 'doing' the clubs at least once, the sublime dance notes that come out of Pacha Ibiza, Amnesia (look out for DJ Paris Hilton, who regularly works the summer there), Privilege, Space and Ushuaïa tend to hit the national chart radio programmes at this time of year, and hearing them live at the venue is an experience of a lifetime. You're not too old, either: It's tempting to feel that if you're mature enough to be able to drink legally in any country, you've outgrown all that rave-up and bopping business, but it's perfectly normal anywhere in Spain to see people in their 30s, 40s, 50s and even older enjoying a night out in a club.
Lanzarote
A favourite with the Irish, according to Musement – and it is often said that, culturally, the Irish are closer to Spaniards than to their neighbouring Brits or, indeed, any other northern Europeans; those who hail from the Emerald Isle and those who do not but are familiar with it or its people often say it is geographically misplaced, and should be in the Mediterranean, because its society, traditions and customs accord more with a country in the southern European seas than in the chilly north.
So the Irish, and, indeed, anyone from a cold climate, will be right at home in any Spanish island – or the mainland – and Lanzarote is no exception, other than having a milder winter than the Iberian peninsula. Temperatures in the Canaries tend to max out at around 30ºC even in high summer, hover between 16ºC and 21ºC in winter and rarely drop below 13ºC, so year-round weather is as near-perfect as you'd hope to find anywhere on earth.
As you'd expect, idyllic beaches, watersports, pavement cafés and bars, boat rides and all the other staples of a summer holiday island are present in Lanzarote and, in fact, in any of the Canary Islands, the only region in Spain that is 100% in the sub-tropics, and barely 100 kilometres off the north-west African coast.
Carnival season (six weeks before Easter) is a good time to visit the Canaries, although can be expensive and crowded; otherwise, divers and fans of quaint fishing villages should head to the Playa Blanca, families with children will find plenty to keep them all amused in the Costa Teguise area, and the island capital, Arrecife, has a splendid castle and a stunning, relaxing marina path around the Charca de San Ginés harbour.
Kids will love the Rancho Texas theme park, with its sea mammals, rare white tigers and Komodo dragons, swimming pools and water slides, and trips in Indian kayak, and also the Piracy Museum in Santa Bárbara-Guanapay Castle.
Many regions on earth offer wine and vineyard tours, but a trip to La Geria (pictured just below) and the El Grifo wine merchant's are a highly-unusual experience: The grapes are grown in stone circles spread out across a volcanic landscape, in charcoal-grey soil, which gives the wine a unique edge to its flavour and makes for a vine-country scenery that's very different to your typical grape-growing regions.
Much the same can be said for the Guatiza cactus gardens – blobs of green in black soil, over 1,000 species of green blobs, lava rockeries, stone paths and ornamental lakes, all created lovingly in what was once a gravel quarry until it fell into disuse.
Take a boat-trip to neighbouring La Graciosa, the smallest inhabited Canarian Island and just 1.1 kilometres away by water – and its newest, having been officially recognised as the region's eighth island in June 2018 - and once back in Lanzarote, head towards Yaiza for two of its top attractions.
Yaiza miraculously survived ongoing volcanic eruptions between 1730 and 1736 – literally, non-stop lava explosions for six years – and you can buy souvenirs made out of said lava from the shops in the town. At sunset, make sure you're close to the Janubio salt-flats, and gasp in wonder at the dazzling, colourful light reflections off the surface, a view said to be pure poetry.
Right next to Yaiza and the Janubio salt marshes, so almost certainly included in the same organised tour, is the spectacular, haunting-looking Timanfaya National Park (above picture), formed out of lava deposits (if you drop a bucket of water in one of these, it comes back as a boiling-hot geyser) and its desert-like, almost lunar landscape makes you feel as though you were in the heart of Africa.
Tenerife
If you're British, you'll know what we mean when we say Coronation Street's Bet Gilroy did, in fact, pronounce the name of this largest of the Canary Islands properly; if you're not and/or you don't, the final letter is not silent – Tenerife has four syllables.
And as the largest in the region and the favourite Spanish island among Europeans according to Musement, you can be sure you won't have to send out a search party to find fabulous attractions beyond its beaches, surfing-sailing-snorkelling-scuba-diving schools, swimming pools, pavement cafés and bars.
Given that Tenerife could easily be the subject of at least one, if not several, articles of its own, you might like to have at look at some of its most jaw-dropping sites we've already mentioned: Masca, the 'Machu Picchu of Spain', the Colonial town of San Cristóbal de la Laguna (see picture above right) and the nearby mountainous Anaga Rural Park, and some we haven't, like the Drago de Icod – a Drago tree, native to Macronesia, of several thousand years old – or go whale-spotting off the coast of Adeje, descend into the volcanic Los Vientos caves, admire the stately northern-European-style wood-beamed houses in the heart of La Orotava and its ornate Casa de los Balcones (House of Balconies), and, naturally, grab a cable-car up to the top of the Teide National Park (pictured below).
This, a huge volcanic landscape, one of the highest peaks in Spain, with intriguing-looking rock-towers and desert plants, lets you walk right into the crater of an active volcano.
Active, but with no eruptions for centuries and none likely in the lifetimes of anyone alive today.
Take a glass-bottomed boat to La Gomera, checking out the colourful fish and other sea-life below the surface, and once you're on this tiny, rural, time-locked enclave, you might hear the natives 'talking' in their now-famous regional language: El Silbo, or, literally, 'The Whistle', thought to be the only European 'tongue' that does not involve actual written words.
Declared UNESCO intangible heritage, it was immortalised at Cannes Film Festival in 2019 by Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu.
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