‘I rent out my house and live in a van at weekends. It's paying off my mortgage'
Lottie Gross owns a four-bedroom house in south Oxfordshire, but spends most of her time living in a caravan.
The 34-year-old inherited the property from her mother in 2022, and decided to cover her bills and mortgage in an unusual side hustle.
'Last year, I trialled handing over the keys to lodgers while I spent two months living on the Continent. It was really successful and helped me pay my living costs, so I decided to do it again,' says Gross.
This year, the travel writer, who has written for The Telegraph, has agreed another short-term let and has packed up for a summer on the road that will take her to Scotland, the Cotswolds and Portugal. She'll sleep in her 30-year-old Eriba caravan.
Gross has a mortgage of £32,000 on the property after buying her brother's half share. But it was the increase in her other bills that led her to explore a different lifestyle.
'My water bill tripled this April from £20 a month to £60, add that to electricity, gas bills and my other costs, and it all starts to stack up,' she says.
She's not alone. Uswitch, the comparison site, reports that household bills take up more than 54pc of single people's monthly income. Council tax costs have risen, and single people pay above-average mortgage costs in the UK.
Financially, the gamble of swapping walls for wheels has paid off – the overhead of household bills and mortgage adds up to £900 per month, which is now covered by her lodgers. This, she admits, is a relief. By her own admission, travel guides are not enormously lucrative.
The caravan cost £5,000 and she doesn't pay road tax on it. There's also the petrol and the costs of parking and camping. Overall, she makes a small profit of £200 a month by doing the swap.
But for Gross, the real benefit is the change in her quality of life. 'I spend more time outside due to the limited space in the caravan, and my screen time has dropped,' she says.
'I've travelled to places I've always dreamed of, including the Outer Hebrides, and seen incredible things like deer swimming in the sea and otters mooching on the coastline.
'There are times it feels trying or exhausting – particularly in bad weather – but the reward of being outdoors so much, walking my dog in spectacular locations, is enough to tip the balance.'
Currently motoring through Scotland with her Manchester Terrier, Arty, Gross says she hasn't been lonely, explaining that companionship can be found if you make an effort. 'You just have to do the washing up to strike up a conversation with someone.'
There are, of course, downsides: 'My caravan is very small, which is fine when it's dry and beautiful outside, but when it rains it can feel a little limiting.'
'I make £300 a time. I didn't expect it to be so popular'
Gross isn't the only one who has been drawn by the chance to give up a home for time on the road.
Suzy Greenwood, 39, runs a guest house called Seaflowers, located near the Salt Path in Devon, and also has a job in PR.
Greenwood lives in a one-bedroom annexe attached to the guest house, which she rents out when it is full to make extra cash. During these times, she lives in her van, driving around the Devon countryside and parking up on the beach where she can and enjoying a simple life outdoors.
Keys are regularly handed over at just 45 minutes' notice, making her £300 a time. 'It's annoying, especially as bookings are often last-minute. But at the start I had no other option because I poured every last penny into the guest house renovation,' she explains.
'I didn't expect it to be as popular as it was, and when I realised what a money maker it could be, I continued.'
She moves out of her home to a VW van most weekends from April through to September and on public holidays. All this is helped by her preference for minimalism.
'I hate clutter, which helps. I use magnetic child locks on my wardrobe and cupboards and have a labelled kitchen cupboard for guests to use. I can be out and living in the van in three quarters of an hour,' she explains.
'To rent out the annexe and have somewhere to go, I bought a van for £16,370 last March. I took a £15,000 loan to buy it and had it paid off by August through guest bookings. It was a risk, but I calculated I could make enough money to pay it back from the revenue generated by renting the annexe and from guests at Seaflowers. Thankfully it worked,' she says.
'I can live on £15 per weekend in Devon'
Life wasn't always so flexible. In her mid-30s, she was stuck in a corporate job in London, working long hours and escaping to the coast at the weekends to sail. She realised that while friends were settling down or leaving the city altogether, her life in London was draining her, both financially and mentally.
In early 2020, she made a last-minute decision to pack a bag and head for Devon, where her parents had converted her grandparents' bungalow into a guest house.
She sold her flat in the capital and took out a large mortgage, along with a loan from her parents, who were retiring and happy to hand the business over. She then spent every last penny on renovations.
Bookings today are up – a full house with 14 people starts at £600 per night or £130 for room-only options – but costs are a challenge.
'My cleaning bill alone last month was £2,125. There's also a breakage from every guest stay, so I've learnt to be very careful in my financial planning,' she says.
Yet while those overheads have risen, her personal expenditure has gone down. 'I can live on £15 per weekend in Devon with a full weekend of activities – I eat eggs from my chickens and catch fish in the sea, a skill I've learnt since living down here. When I am out in the van, I hunt down free parking spots,' she says.
The ups overall outweigh the downs, she says. 'I love the freedom van life brings. It might seem like a crazy way to live to some, but I'm building a life of financial independence and adventure completely on my own terms.'
The transition hasn't always been easy – it has taken time to grow her confidence when living in the van. 'On my first trip in the van I opened the door to see a large axe lying outside. It scared the life out of me! It turned out the man parked next to me was just chopping wood for his wood burner and was perfectly friendly.'
Since moving to Devon, Greenwood has found a better lifestyle, like-minded friends and an improved work-life balance. Being single is the secret weapon – it has enabled her to be flexible at short notice and earn money by living between van and annexe.
Getting more adventurous with taking longer stints away in the van, she has accepted a full week's booking this summer for £850, meaning more time behind the wheel and parked up on the roadside.
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The Guardian
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- The Guardian
Surfin' USA? Not this year: 10 European alternatives to classic American holiday destinations
Sprawled on a towel, observing silhouetted surfers chasing the ocean-plunging carmine sun, I don't need to squint to imagine I'm in the Golden State. But my sandy toes and salty hair are products of the Atlantic, not the Pacific. And this Santa Cruz belongs to Portugal's Costa de Prata, not California. Mutual monikers are not the only parallels: this coast has 300 sunny days a year, top-notch surf (after Malibu, nearby Ericeira was the second place to be designated a World Surfing Reserve), and blond sands stretching towards wave-carved coastal bluffs and ocean arches. In this former fishing village, just an hour's drive north-west of Lisbon, tranquillity flows like the tides. A soul-healing clutch of low-slung, whitewashed streets waymarked by an out-of-place beachside crenellated turret – the sole remnant of a palace plan thwarted by the 1929 Wall Street crash – it's the kind of delightfully textbook Portuguese place you stumble upon serendipitously. And once you do, you won't want to leave. Japanese poet Kazuo Dan visited in 1971 to have a 'conversation between Heaven and Earth' – a chat he continued for 16 months. If you're a surfer, you'll instantly agree. If not, lessons will leave you convinced. Check-in at chic Noah Surf House (room sleeping four from €320 B&B), complete with an ocean-view infinity pool and skate park, and arranging all-age surf classes is effortless. Flawlessly renovated Villa Galega (doubles from €115 B&B) affords a more homely escape. Santa Cruz and surrounding Torres Vedras boasts 11 beaches certified as pollution-free – more than any other Portuguese municipality. Tread the dune-crossing boardwalk to river-wrapped Praia Azul to flop on the finest sweep. Back in town, beachside feasts don't come better than breezy Bronzear. Split a steaming pot of arroz de peixe, a seafood-stacked rice stew, or take plump, signature crabs as your table's centrepiece during September's Festival da Sapateira. California cravings? Noah's grilled cheese and portobello burgers hit the spot. Pair with a local Touriga Nacional red wine – a robust stand-in for a Cali Cab Sav – or slip away to the family-run winery Quinta da Almiara for a vine-hemmed, in situ tasting. Evenings usually end ringing the doorbell of Manel, the town's oldest bar, for jazz-accompanied candlelit cocktails and Lisbon-brewed IPAs. Out front, an engraved stone shares Kazuo's words contemplating chasing the setting sun to the end of the sea – the haiku that Santa Cruz's surfers now scrupulously James Clarke Almost two centuries after it was written, Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Henry David Thoreau's book about the two years he spent living in a self-built cabin on a lake in Massachusetts, still inspires generations of Americans to go in search of what he called the 'tonic of wildness'. It's an American dream of simplicity and self-sufficiency that was also beautifully captured in the 1981 film On Golden Pond, in which Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn fish, paddle and ponder life for one last summer in Maine (though it was filmed in New Hampshire). But North America doesn't have a monopoly on this kind of bucolic escape. The Nordic countries know all about the appeal of cabin life – and Finland, with 19 hours of sunlight in midsummer and sublime wild landscapes, is an idyllic alternative. Mökki, or Finnish summer cottages, sit on lake shores or on rocks by the seashore and are often passed down through families. With about 20% of Finns living within the Helsinki metropolitan area, these cabins are a sanctuary for spending time in nature: fishing and messing about on the water in summer; skiing, ice-swimming and snowshoeing in winter. Many are off-grid, so part of the ritual includes splitting wood, gathering water, warming up in the wood-fired sauna … and letting your phone battery die. You're free to roam the coast or forage in the surrounding forest too – the Jokaisenoikeudet or 'everyman's rights' law gives everyone the freedom to wander and collect wild food. You don't need to have friends or family with a mökki to stay in one – there are an estimated 500,000 of them and only a fifth of Finns own one outright, so many are available for those new to mökkielämä (Finnish cottage life). Lomarengas and Finland Cottage Rentals allow you to rent directly from owners, while on Sviskär in the southern Åland archipelago you get a 28-hectare (69-acre) island all to yourself – perfect for foraging, sea dipping and the 'tonic of wildness'.Sian Lewis In 1948, Earl Shaffer, a US second world war veteran, set off on a long walk. He had his ex-army rucksack and some old boots, but no tent or cooker. His goal was to be the first person to complete the 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Trail in one continuous yomp, a thru-hike as it came to be known. When 67-year-old grandmother Emma Gatewood repeated the feat in 1955 (with even simpler kit), the Appalachian Trail was on its way to becoming the world's first long-distance celebrity footpath. These days about 3,000 people attempt a thru-hike every year (about a quarter of those succeed) but the experience is now very different, with huts every six to eight miles, water stashes left by 'trail angels', and well-established support logistics. In Europe it can be harder to find sustained remoteness, but the 2,050-mile Scandinavian section of the E1 long-distance footpath is about as close as you get. This full 4,420-mile route had its origins in post-second-world-war rapprochement ideals and was devised by a team from the then European Ramblers Association led by the British walker Arthur Howcroft (who died in 2023 aged 96). The path starts at Norway's North Cape and officially finishes in Palermo, but it is in Scandinavia that it crosses the greatest amount of wilderness. The early stages are well inside the Arctic Circle and not to be underestimated, with navigation, river crossings and snowfields constant challenges. Long stretches are unmarked. There are some concessions to practicalities: both Norway and Sweden have excellent systems of mountain huts. Once you reach Halmstad on the Swedish coast, you have almost one Appalachian Trail's worth of walking under your belt, but there is no need to stop: in E1 terms you are not even halfway. A ferry crosses to the Danish port of Grenaa, and the path begins again, continuing across Germany and the Alps with several long, tough days. Some great stages then cross Tuscany and Umbria, but once in southern Italy the path, by all accounts, can be a bit sketchy and seems to fade away in Campania, though route-marking is improving. After his failed attempt to complete the Appalachian Trail, author Bill Bryson described the benefits of long-distance trails succinctly: 'For a brief, proud period I was slender and fit. I gained a profound respect for wilderness and nature and the benign dark power of woods. I understand now, in a way I never did before, the colossal scale of the world.'Kevin Rushby Buzzy and culturally rich, with extensive museums and galleries, oodles of nightlife and concerts – from classical venues to techno clubs – lush green spaces, family-friendly activities and striking architecture, New York and Berlin have plenty in common. But as someone who knows both cities well, Berlin gets my vote. While NYC's nightlife is diverse – and has bounced back since Rudy Giuliani's ugly, destructive campaign against it in the 1990s – it's way more commercial than Berlin, whose underground electronic scene, especially techno, is edgier and more experimental. From Berghain to Sisyphos, Berlin's clubs also stay open longer (sometimes for days; it truly is the city that never sleeps, at least on weekends). They also don't tend to have dress codes – unless you count skimpy lingerie and kinky harnesses. VIP areas and even mobile phone photography are strictly verboten. Berliners can quaff beers openly on the streets, and indulge in a bit of public nookie at nightclubs – as distinct from official swinger or sex spots such as KitKat. Berlin gives great gastro, too, excelling at affordable, mid-range restaurants that tick all the trend boxes – small plates, natural wines, plant-based menus found at buzzy neighbourhood spots such as Kreuzberg's vegan haven Happa, Neukölln's La Côte and Sorrel, and Prenzlauer Berg's Estelle. And while it doesn't have a Chinatown or a Little Italy, you can find every national cuisine on the planet (albeit with less spice, to appease the sensitive German palate). NYC certainly has fantastic cultural big-hitters, from the Guggenheim and the Met to Moma and the American Museum of Natural History, but Berlin has the Unesco-heritage Museum Island, Mies van der Rohe's slickly modernist Neue Nationalgalerie and its own natural history and German history museums. It also excels in unusual venues that New York doesn't have, such as the Hamburger Bahnhof, in a former railway station, the Boros Collection inside a second world war bunker, and Silent Green, an art and concert space in a former crematorium. As for green space, New York's Central Park may be one-and-a-half times the size of the Tiergarten, but Berlin has vastly more green recreational spaces overall, with about 2,500 inner-city parks and unique areas such as the sprawling Tempelhofer Feld, a former airport, and the massive Grunewald forest. One last thing: with much lower population density and fewer tourists (12.7 million people visited Berlin in 2024 versus the 64 million who went to New York), there's more room on the streets and fewer queues for the major sights. Bis bald (see you soon) … y'all. Paul Sullivan Let's get one thing straight: size wise, the Grand Canyon sprawls for 278 miles along the Colorado River, whereas the Tara River Canyon covers a mere 51. But what the Montenegrin canyon lacks in size it makes up for in depth: as Europe's deepest gorge, it plunges 1,300 metres (4,300ft), only 300 metres less than the average depth of the Grand Canyon (and just over 500 metres less than its deepest point). As this Unesco world heritage site slices through northern Montenegro's Durmitor national park and eventually slides across the border into Bosnia, it adds even more drama to this section of the Dinaric Alps' forbidding mountains and glacial lakes. For adventurers who like a challenge, Tara means one thing: white-water rafting. The choice of excursions all around the region is enormous, but you can get a taste of it in a few hours by joining one of the trips from the town of Žabljak, which in winter is one of Montenegro's ski centres. Eventually, you'll be rafting under the soaring concrete arches of the awe-inspiring Đurđevića Tara Bridge, whose beauty is best admired from below. There's a whole mini industry set up around the bridge, including ziplining and stalls selling souvenirs. As someone at the opposite end of the daredevilry scale – and thanks to speeding cars and a concrete path that's barely a foot wide – I found it scary enough just walking on the bridge to take in the admittedly extraordinary view. But there are other ways of enjoying the beauty of Tara without worrying about Montenegrin motorists. Not far from Žabljak is the car park for the Ćurevac mountain peak and viewpoint, which is reached after a 40-minute hike and offers sweeping views of those magnificent gorges. It's only one of scores of hiking routes that wind above and alongside the river, some of which are part of the 1,200-mile Via Dinarica trail that goes from Slovenia all the way to Albania. Right by the border with Bosnia and the confluence of the Tara and Piva rivers is another collection of rafting centres as well as campsites offering mellower ways of exploring Tara. Boat trips along gentler stretches of water give you the chance to swim in absurdly clear waters, lunch on organic food and drink cold beer brewed with spring water. And in this land of €3 pints, you'll find your euro going way further than your dollar ever would. Stay at Green Top near Žabljak, which has well-equipped one-bedroom self-catering wooden chalets with gardens, barbecues and mountain views from £95 a Novakovich When the Italian film director Sergio Leone chose to shoot his westerns in Europe, there was only one place that could convincingly double for the American west – the Tabernas desert in south-east Spain. With its dry riverbeds snaking through arid mountains and sandstone canyons, it's easy to imagine yourself in California's Mojave desert. Tabernas might not have the Mojave's famous Joshua trees, but it is home to flora, fauna and a landscape reminiscent of the US desert. Prickly pears, giant aloe and palm trees line the trails, while lizards scuttle among otherworldly rock formations and eagles soar in the vast sky. Tourism is still low-key here. For decades this barren part of Andalucía was not on the radar of the Spanish tourist board, and large areas are monopolised by swathes of plastic greenhouses. But with a growing appreciation for Tabernas' unique status as Europe's only desert, as well as the renaissance of Leone's movies, its charms are being re-evaluated. You can take a guided horseback ride through the desert with the Malcaminos ranch and pitch your tent at Camping Fort Bravo (€45 a night), one of the original movie sets still in use today. For a little more comfort –and to live out your California homesteading fantasy – you can book into one of their western-styled log cabins (from €80). Sign up to The Traveller Get travel inspiration, featured trips and local tips for your next break, as well as the latest deals from Guardian Holidays after newsletter promotion It's an easy sell for me. Bewitched by cowboy lore as a teenager, I rode across the American deserts in search of the mythical west (admittedly on a motorcycle rather than horseback), seduced by the romance of life on the trail – billy cans boiling over campfires and a wide-open wilderness that promised a freedom unimaginable in fenced-off, old-world Europe. Joshua Tree national park in the Mojave desert became my go-to destination each time I found myself in California. But in recent years, I've been exploring Spain, scouting routes for the forthcoming Spaghetti Western Trail, and finding the same magic in the Desierto de Tabernas. The scale is of course smaller than the Mojave, but the silence, the stillness, the hint of sage on the warm air and the sense of exploration are as thrilling as my early US road trips. Leone was enthralled by American style and myth but always from a distance. 'I can't see the US any other way than with a European's eyes,' he said. 'It's a country that fascinates me and terrifies me at the same time.' If you feel the same way right now, but still yearn for a cowboy adventure, you could do worse than follow in his footsteps and head for Pryce The jaw-dropping landscapes of the US's 63 national parks lure millions of visitors to the great outdoors each year. Yellowstone, established in 1872, is the oldest of them all – a sprawling 3,472 square miles of dazzling scenery including canyons and active geysers. Mostly in Wyoming but stretching into Montana and Idaho, it's home to wildlife from grizzly bears and wolves to bison and antelope, and is crisscrossed by thousands of miles of trails. Although it can't compete in size, the rugged, forested Făgăraș mountains in Romania offer a thrilling taste of the wild and exciting wildlife-spotting opportunities closer to home. This area of Transylvania, on the southern edge of the Carpathians, is among the wildest places in Europe, where brown bear, wolves, lynx and – recently reintroduced – bison roam. It's where the Foundation Conservation Carpathia is working to create the continent's largest forest national park, buying land for conservation and reforesting clear-cut areas on its mission to establish a 200,000-hectare wilderness reserve, which has been dubbed a 'Yellowstone for Europe'. As I hike through forests on steep zigzagging paths with my guide Răzvan, the thrill of the wild is real – we see a viper and pass fresh bear prints. Gouge marks on a tree and overturned stones reveal the bear's hunt for food. I watch with bated breath as a group of bison wander on a hillside close by – thankfully upwind of our scent. We stay at Bunea hide, a wooden shelter overlooking a lake, with bunks, a double bedroom, a kitchen and huge soundproofed windows that make the most of the views. As night falls, I stare into the dark as if glued to a movie. Something moves in the half-light – and slowly a young female brown bear wanders into view, sniffing the air, rubbing against a tree. It's not long before a large male appears, just metres away from the hide. I'm mesmerised as I watch him pawing the ground for food before sloping off into the woods. Unlike the vast lodges in Yellowstone, staying in these tiny cabins mean you're close to the action, engulfed by the landscape. We hike higher to Comisu hide, at 1,600 metres, with sweeping views over the mountains as a storm rolls in. Owls call out in the moonlit night as I drift off to sleep, dreaming about this vibrant wild DunfordVisit Foundation Conservation Carpathia for more information For all our sniffiness about American cuisine, few people dispute the quality of the country's seafood. Although you can no longer get a lobster roll at McDonald's in New England, the fast-food joint is one of the few places in the region where they're not on the menu. Cycling down the Atlantic coast last summer as part of research for a US travelogue, I rejoiced in the casual abundance on offer at the roadside – baskets of fried clams in Connecticut, oysters in Maine, crab benedict in Massachusetts … 3,000 miles and a world away from the grand silver fruits de mer platters of Europe. You don't have to fly across an ocean to get your shellfish fix, however. While you're unlikely to find yourself tempted by a lobster surf and turf burger in France, seafood can be surprisingly accessible if you swerve Parisian bistros and go straight to the source. La Cale, in Blainville-sur-Mer on Normandy's Cotentin peninsula, an easy drive (or a day's cycle) from Cherbourg, is typiquement français for its pride in local produce (oysters, whelks, clams etc, as well as galettes and spit-roast meat), but rather less so in its casual feet-in-the-sand ethos and informal service. Remi, the proprietor, is described online as 'eccentric' – his van is graffitied with the words 'Rosbeefs welcome … frogs too'. Do not pass up the moules frites, or the teurgoule, a traditional Normande spiced rice pudding. Further down the coast, in Brittany, I've earmarked Cancale, in the Bay of Mont Saint Michel, for a return visit, because if you ever wanted proof that the French can let their hair down, look no further than the people sitting on the sea wall with paper platters of oysters and plastic cups of cold sancerre. The oysters come from the seafront marché aux huîtres, which offers a bamboozling selection, all shucked to order, and the wine from an enterprising booze van parked nearby. The shells, once you've finished, are thrown on to the beach. One step up, in that there's table service, but with no more steps between sea and plate, is Maison Quintin, on the Atlantic coast near Saint-Philibert, where you can feast on the family's own oysters under the pines as the sun sets over the estuary, supplemented with skewers of plump prawns and langoustines, crab, grilled lobster, and their homemade seafood rillettes on toast. Reservations essential – laid-back vibes CloakePeach Street to Lobster Lane: Coast to Coast in Search of Real American Cuisine by Felicity Cloake is published by Mudlark (£16.99) It was on a slow journey through the extensive wetlands that border Italy's Adriatic that I first came upon the little-known Laguna di Marano, a carefully preserved eco-paradise, barely touched by tourism. This gossamer web of interlocking lagoons, canals and river deltas stretches from Venice all the way up to Trieste. Local legend has it that Ernest Hemingway called these wetlands and the adjoining sandy beach resort of Lignano 'piccola Florida', because it reminded him of the Everglades and the Florida Keys. The US author first came to this part of Italy as a volunteer at the end of the first world war. He returned in the 1950s to find inspiration for his book Across the River and Into the Trees while duck hunting and fishing on the Marano Lagoon – though for sea bream and mullet rather than marlin, his favourite quarry in the waters around Florida. At the bar of the rustic Trattoria Barcaneta in the bustling medieval port of Marano Lagunare, I order a glass of refosco dal peduncolo rosso, a rustic local red wine favoured by the writer. It may not be as glamorous as sipping a Hemingway martini in a Key West cocktail bar, but it was the perfect aperitivo before tasting chef Claudio Moretti's exquisite cuisine, a delicate carpaccio of sea bass and grilled eel from the nearby Stella River delta, both freshly caught by the port's many fishers. Marano Lagunare is the perfect base for exploring the surrounding wetlands. The tourism office can arrange activities from canoeing and kayaking to walking and horse riding. Renting a small boat with a guide is my choice, a retired pescatore (fisher) for the perfect insight into local life on the water. While the vast, open expanse of the lagoon is breathtaking, dotted along the edge of the water is something you will never see in Florida – traditional casoni thatched huts still used today by fishers. The landscape changes dramatically as we enter the protected reserve of the Stella delta. Here, the freshwater channels become narrower, bordered on both sides by tall golden reeds – definitely a feel of the Everglades – as we catch glimpses of pink flamingos, purple herons, egrets, cormorants swooping down and a neat squadron of geese flying past. It may be smaller than the Everglades (62 square miles as opposed to 2,357), but the one thing truly different from a Florida nature excursion is that there is no need to look out for Brunton My left foot shook on the clutch – not from tiredness, but from something resembling fear. Conor Pass had seemed like a good idea at breakfast. One of Ireland's highest and narrowest mountain roads? Why not? The car seemed to float as the road narrowed to a one-lane ledge between cliff and sky. No turning back now – just a slow crawl upwards with mist curling over the bonnet from the valley below. Still, this is the scenery the Wild Atlantic Way promises – and delivers. It's a 1,600-mile coastal drive from Malin Head, the country's most northerly point, in County Donegal, to Kinsale in County Cork in the south-west – and Ireland's answer to California's Highway 1, the 656-mile Pacific Coast route that skirts sea bluffs, redwood groves and epic coastal views. Big Sur's iconic Bixby Bridge resembles the Mizen Head footbridge in West Cork. Highway 1's 'million dollar view' is eclipsed by the Atlantic sweep from Slieve League, or the cliffs that tower above powder-white Keem beach on Achill Island. Connemara's Sky Road and the Burren's Atlantic Drive echo Big Sur's drama, winding between limestone and ocean. However, my favourite stretch – the Dingle peninsula – is hard to match. Its mountain-to-ocean setting is visual theatre dialled to max. Inch beach, a long curve of sand stretching three miles into Dingle Bay, is a gentle introduction before I turned north to hair-raising Conor Pass (optional and clearly marked) and descended into Dingle town. The road then turns otherworldly along the Slea Head Drive with Ventry beach's three miles of bone-white sand perfect for barefoot walking – somewhat like Highway 1's famous Moonstone beach. As I drove on I stopped at every layby I could, because there's always something around the corner; a hidden cove or early Christian monument. At Coumeenoole beach, I stepped out on the headland and watched the surf pound the shore ferociously as if it was punishing it for some ancient grievance. And then came Dunquin Pier – the lane zigzags down a steep slope like a spiral staircase that plunges into the ocean, which was enough of a reason to ditch the car on the roadside and walk down. This is where the boats leave for the Blaskets, and it feels like the edge of the world. Offshore, the Three Sisters – three jagged peaks rising from the ocean floor – remain in focus, their silhouettes a reminder of the sea stacks off Big Sur. About halfway along the Slea Head Drive, the magnificent Blasket Centre delivers staggering island views. Vic O'Sullivan
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
English town on the edge of the Cotswolds with award-winning pub and four huge festivals a year
THE Cotswolds are undoubtedly one of the prettiest places to visit in the UK - but there is one particular town on the edge of the region which is lesser known. Situated in the Evenlode Valley, Charlbury is a quaint Oxfordshire town with a number of festivals throughout the year. 4 One such festival - coming up on June 28 - is Charlbury Beer Festival. On June 28, the Cricket Club takes place with 60 cask ales and over 18 craft beers from local breweries as well as live performances. Another festival is the Riverside Festival, which BBC Radio 6 Music's Steve Lamacq, claims to be "one of the top festivals in the UK". The festival is free and family-friendly, with a range of different music including rock, indie, jazz and folk. The festival has a number of children's activities too. Arguably, though, the most famous festival in the town is Wilderness music festival. This year's line-up includes Aurora, Wet Leg and Annie Mac. In addition to a large musical line-up, there are also food-related guests such as Prue Leith. There is also a 'Talks, Comedy and Conversations' line-up including Great Company with Jamie Laing Live and Food Stories with Jay Rayner. Attendees can also partake in yoga and wellness sessions. Inside the coolest new place to stay in the Cotswolds In the town itself, there is a railway station that serves the London to Worcester mainline - making it easy to access. And traveller's can head to Charlbury Museum - which has five rooms full of exhibits telling the history of the ancient market town. For example, visitors can learn about the penny-farthing bicycle and see Victorian costumes. And if you fancy a tipple, The Rose & Crown is a multi-time CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) award-winning pub. The traditional spot is known for boasting a variety of real ales and hosts regular live music events including blues and country artists. 4 The pub itself dates back to 1688 and is often referred to locals as 'Rosie'. One visitor commented: " Fantastic traditional pub. We visited for the winter beer festival, what a great experience. "The pub was packed with 20+ beers on offer, a great selection with some very different and interesting ales. Other pubs in Charlbury include The Bell and The Bull. On the edge of the town is also Cornbury Park, which used to be one of the royal hunting lodges for the Wychwood Forest. Whilst the 16th century house is not open to the public, it does host a number of events throughout the year including Wilderness music festival. 4 For places to stay, there is TreeDwellers which The Sun's assistant travel editor Sophie Swietochowski stayed at the site last year. She said: "The newly opened TreeDwellers, buried in woodland near the Cotswolds village of Charlbury, blends almost seamlessly with nature. "It's seven wooden and copper treehouses are propped up on stilts, three-metres above the floor, and each features green, vegan handwash and eco-lotions that match the setting." If you really want to feel at one with nature, there are campsites in the area too. A woman recently visited the UK's best kept secret that feels like the Cotswolds without the price. Plus, The Sun's Caroline McGuire took her kids to the Cotswolds attraction that has cute farm animals, huge playground and nearby campsite. 4
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Jamie Vardy joins James Maddison and Harry Maguire on holiday in Portugal as former Leicester team-mates stars enjoy some family time
There was a Leicester reunion in Portugal this past week as Jamie Vardy joined Harry Maguire and James Maddison on their holidays. The trio of former Foxes stars were joined by their families as they made the most of their summer break in the Algarve. Vardy's wife Rebekah posted a group photo from beachside restaurant Maria's, one of the most popular and scenic spots in the area for some sunset drinks. The Leicester legend drew the curtains on his 13-year chapter at the club last month, after announcing that he would be leaving as a free agent. He scored his 200th goal for the club in his final game, a 2-0 victory over Ipswich Town, and was given a memorable farewell by fans and team-mates. It came at the end of what had been a miserable campaign for the club, who were relegated to the Championship. Vardy was a key part of the Foxes side that shocked the world by winning the Premier League in 2016. Maguire and Maddison joined the club in the years that followed but were Leicester were never able to reach those dizzy heights again. Maguire went on to secure a £80m move to Manchester United, where he has experienced plenty of ups and downs over the past six seasons. Maddison joined Tottenham in 2023 and will no doubt be continuing to celebrate his side's Europa League triumph, which came against Maguire's Red Devils.
