The light in Lisbon is arguably at its most resplendent and, as the summer crowds disperse, the most in-demand restaurants and bars, from Michelin-starred hideouts to buzzy rooftop havens, are easier to experience. Further east, Athens continues to sizzle on the sunniest November days – just enough for a sun-kissed glow after days exploring ancient sites before light jackets are dusted off for Riviera suppers. To the south of Europe, but only just, lie the cultural gems and botanical gardens of Morocco, offering a pre-festive respite from the UK’s chill and a flight time short enough to warrant a long weekend utilising the last of the annual leave. Thailand’s rains have all but disappeared, leaving the country verdant and the beaches buzzy; yet hotel rates cheaper than their December and January peak.
Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
The endangered California condor was re-introduced into this region in 19964 due to its remote location and lack of human habitation. Desert bighorn sheep, pronghorns, and mountain lions make up most of the large mammals found here, with about 30 more species of smaller mammals. Several examples of rare fish species, such as the flannelmouth sucker and the speckled dace live in the streams of the monument.
Blue lagoon, Iceland
However, while most amateur history buffs are familiar with the story’s foundations – and many more with Wolfgang Petersen’s 2004 blockbuster starring Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom – few realise a site in Turkey is attributed to the myths. Since its rediscovery in the late 19th century, many experts agree that Hisarlık, in Çanakkale Province, is the location of these incredible tales – even though the content of much of Homer’s epic poems is believed to be fictional. Today, it’s possible to stroll around the ruins in about two hours at a leisurely pace, learning about the life of its mysterious inhabitants along the way.
- To help you find these spots, we’ve rounded up the best places to visit in Turkey.
- Hordes of sun-worshippers head to the beautiful sands of İztuzu Beach during the summer months.
- Our editors have stayed in countless British boltholes over the years, from the grandest country manor houses to the glossiest design hotels.
- Established on November 9, 2000 by a presidential proclamation by President Bill Clinton,23 Vermilion Cliffs National Monument was carved from existing lands already under the management of the U.S.
However, the summer months do see less rain than that of winter and spring. However, it’s always a good idea to be prepared by travelling with a rain jacket and weatherproof walking shoes. Below the Vermilion cliffs runs the historic «Honeymoon Trail», a wagon route for Mormons who journeyed to have their marriages sealed in the temple at St. George, Utah, and then to return. More than twenty species of raptors, including bald eagles and golden eagles, peregrine falcons, and several hawk species, have been observed.
The most beautiful places to visit in Tuscany
The Vermilion Cliffs are steep eroded escarpments consisting primarily of sandstone, siltstone, limestone, and shale which rise as much as 3,000 feet (910 m) above their bases. These sedimentary rocks have been deeply eroded for millions of years, exposing hundreds of layers of richly colored rock strata. Mesas, buttes, and large tablelands are interspersed with steep canyons, where some small streams provide enough moisture to support a sampling of wildlife. A city awash with corner bistros, hole-in-the-wall cafés, sleek pâtisseries, petites boulangeries and smart, Michelin-starred spots, Paris has no shortage of exceptional choices when it comes to places to eat. Today, the region surrounding the monument is relatively unspoiled with virtually no permanent inhabitants remaining and limited road access. Our editors work with affiliates when we select some or all of the products featured.
- Today, it’s possible to stroll around the ruins in about two hours at a leisurely pace, learning about the life of its mysterious inhabitants along the way.
- The mineral springs that have cascaded down the hillside for thousands of years have created this extraordinary sight – Pamukkale means ‘cotton castle’ – in Turkey’s Büyük Menderes Valley.
- It lies around two-and-a-half hours from the popular tourist resorts of Fethiye to the southwest and Antalya to the southeast, meaning only the most dedicated international visitors commit to the five-hour round trip during the scorching summer months.
- If you’re in the market for a further-flung holiday, try Ningaloo Reef in Australia.
- It sits beside the most delicious turquoise sea, rustic swimming terraces and daybeds built over the water, piled with bright cushions and textiles.
Cape Town, South Africa
Inland, there are otherworldly landscapes and ancient wonders to be explored, once the playgrounds of Cleopatra and Mark Antony, Caesar and Alexander the Great, and yet they are little visited compared with similar sites in Italy and Greece. To help you find these spots, we’ve rounded up the best places to visit in Turkey. Across the Golden Horn, the more modest Ortaköy Mosque is one of the city’s prettiest, white in marble and stone, with pink mosaics within; located at the water’s edge beside the Bosphorus bridge, it is breathtaking at sunset with the golden light, and in the morning, when the call rings out across the water. The city’s architectural masterpiece, the Hagia Sofia, began life 1,500 years ago as a Byzantine cathedral, was converted to a mosque by the Ottomans, then in the 1930s became a museum – until, the summer of 2020, contentiously, it became a mosque once again.
Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
You access the shore via these ruins, which include an amphitheatre, a parliament building (found buried in the sand in the 1990s) and the column-flanked remains of the main street. Apollo’s temple is believed to still lie somewhere beneath, as yet undiscovered. Saklikent National Park and the Saklikent Gorge, found between the popular seaside resorts of Fethiye to the north and Kaş to the south, is one of the best places to visit in Turkey, attracting thousands of visitors who arrive to inspect the otherworldly landscape.
High on Istanbul’s Third Hill amid gardens and marble collonaded grandeur, it has magnificent views of the city, too. Hordes of sun-worshippers head to the beautiful sands of İztuzu Beach during the summer months. However, tourists must vacate by 8pm, as it’s one of the Mediterranean’s prime sites for nesting loggerhead turtles. The international press picked up whispers of major development in the early 1980s, and the subsequent battles against it by conservationists led the government to grant the beach Special Environmental Protection Area Status in 1988. Further inland, diners gaze up at the majestic 2,000-year-old Lycian Tombs from riverbank restaurants illuminated by fairy lights and clear night skies.
It is well worth visiting for the food scene alone, from sweeping spreads of traditional Turkish breakfasts at Imren to al-fresco suppers under the stars at Kapari Bahçe. Spend a while ambling through picturesque streets and spend a day lounging around on the Greek island of Chios for a memorable excursion. Far from the tourist hotspots dotted along Turkey’s southern coast, in the often-overlooked northeastern reach of the country, sits the city of Trabzon. Thanks to its position along the ancient Silk Road, it’s a melting pot of cultures, religions and customs, and several civilisations have left their mark over the past three millennia. Across Europe, tables and chairs sprawl across cobbled piazzas, beer gardens are bustling with activity and coastlines are coming alive.
It sits beside the most delicious turquoise sea, rustic swimming terraces and daybeds built over the water, piled with bright cushions and textiles. The village’s Kaputaş beach is a knock-out, all dazzling white and bright blue, surrounded by dramatic cliffs; and nearby, off the island of Kekova, there’s an underwater city to explore with snorkels, visible beneath the crystal-clear water. Stretching more than seven miles, Patara Beach is the longest and most wildly beautiful in Turkey – and also one of the emptiest. Breakers crash along one edge of this deep, wide stretch of pale sand; along the other are dunes and pine trees, marshes and lagoons, now a natural park rich in birdlife, so you are completely surrounded by water and wildlife, most notably, endangered loggerhead turtles. It’s thanks partly to the turtles that the beach remains unspoilt and protected, and also to the ruins of the ancient city of Patara, built – it is said, by Apollo’s son – at the back of the beach.
As the month of June marks the real start of summer across European and North America, plenty of corners are wonderfully warm – think high 20s in places like Sicily, Barcelona or Nashville. If you’re in the market for a further-flung holiday, try Ningaloo Reef in Australia. It’s winter there in June, but temperatures hover around 24°C, making it a perfect time to visit.
Sarakiniko Beach, Milos, Greece
The hotels on this list go beyond a mere place to bed down nearby but offer such a unique experience that they are destinations in their own right, worthy of a weekend break should you be so lucky to nab a booking. From swanky country-house crash pads to boutique pubs with rooms, these are the best destination hotels in the UK according to our editors, whether you’re looking for a blow-out or a bargain. Holidaymakers are spoilt for choice when deciding on the best places to visit in Ireland, with the Emerald Isle boasting some of the world’s most beautiful scenery. Ireland packs a punch when it comes to sightseeing, from the classic Georgian streets of Dublin to the rugged and remote beauty of destinations like Connemara. Still, this island nation is also home to an evolving contemporary arts, culture and food scene, making it an exciting destination for those seeking a more versatile trip.
The mineral springs that have cascaded down the hillside for thousands of years have created this extraordinary sight – Pamukkale means ‘cotton castle’ – in Turkey’s Büyük Menderes Valley. The spectacle gets busy with tourists, but often overlooked are the ancient ruins of the Greco-Roman spa town Hierapolis, built at the very top of the site, around the healing springs. Here you can bathe in Cleopatra’s very own hot bath, said to have been a gift from Mark Antony; once covered by the Roman temple of Apollo, the Doric columns now lie in the water, and the pool is flanked with flowers. Everyone can picture bittrex review Tuscany, but it’s not always easy to capture the immensity of the endless waves of green you see with the naked eye, or the timeless quality of ancient stone streets. Here are the prettiest places to visit in Tuscany to try and visit on your next trip, plus photographer Mary Quincy tells us where the best places to take pictures are. High on the Anatolian plateau, the curious landscapes of Cappadocia resemble a fantasy world.
Later, Mormon explorers searched the region during the 1860s, some of them settling on land that is now within the monument. That same year, John Wesley Powell ventured through this region during his scientific explorations of the Colorado River plateau. Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is located in northern Coconino County, Arizona, United States, immediately south of the Utah state line. This national monument, 293,689 acres (118,852 ha)1 in area, protects the Paria Plateau, Vermilion Cliffs, Coyote Buttes, and Paria Canyon. Elevations in the monument range from 3,100 feet to 6,500 feet above sea level (944 to 1,981 meters). Wind around the steep cobbled lanes to dig out surprises in the rootsy cafés and vintage shops, live music venues and edgy art galleries.