This untapped Greek island is a stylish alternative to Santorini
The luggage said it all. Into Santorini airport arrivals swept a sculpted troupe of New Yorkers, fresh-faced off the connecting flight from JFK, 'priority' luggage tags bobbing upon stainless steel suitcases that were wheeled to blacked-out Mercedes SUVs. Each couple were separately whizzed off to a luxury hotel, likely with nightly room rates in the house-deposit price range.
Meanwhile, as they were checking in, we had made it to Santorini's tiny port, our scruffy luggage looking like a dog's dinner on the concrete as we unglamorously removed socks and trainers from puffed-up plane feet before boarding our no-shoes boat. We weren't staying on Santorini. Instead, we were leaving instantly and sailing to Folegandros. This tiny Cycladic island has no airport or cruise ship terminal, and there's only one daily hour-long ferry from Santorini, which we had missed. We had to jump on a little local taxi vessel instead. Luckily, we kept our luggage light.
But that's exactly what we wanted. While Santorini is dealing with overtourism, Folegandros is rarely visited. You'll know other small Cycladic islands have recently found fame too — Sifnos, Milos and Tinos among them — all of which are beautifully untouched and 'as lovely as Santorini 25 years ago'. However, a new hotel on Folegandros, Gundari, wants to offer the serenity of those secret Cyclades islands as well as stylish digs you would expect to find on Santorini.
There's a reason Folegandros lags in the Greek-island tourism race. Take apart the Greek names 'Fole-gandros' or 'Gun-dari' and both derive from the idea of rocky places, or hard land. That was certainly evident as we bumped along the stony track to Gundari, eliciting glances from nonplussed mountain goats and lone donkeys. (Later in the trip we couldn't find a taxi driver who would agree to take on this track, so be sure to hire a 4×4 or use Gundari's private transfer buses to get around; more on those later.) Folegandros has only one road and no car mechanic or hospital, so the lack of development, having just come from hyper-stylised Santorini, was marked.
As we jolted along, Gundari emerged on the horizon, as if in a desert heat haze. That's because the hotel — all 27 villas, main building and outposts — is built entirely with the island's rust-coloured stone. No white Cubist angles or Cycladic blue domes here. It's a pleasing effect, with the additional use of woven willow canopies, olive trees and wooden screens making Gundari look as if it has grown naturally out of the rock.
• 16 of the best quiet Greek islands
The hotel isn't on the shore but on a clifftop with screensaver Aegean views; on this side of the island guests are more protected from the Meltemi, a strong northerly wind that blows through the Greek islands in summer. It may sound a hardship to be without both beach and buzz on a Med holiday, but Gundari has a spectacular infinity swimming pool to compensate, and every room has its own private pool too. As for buzz, there is Orizon for dinner under the stars within a pretty walled garden, overseen by Lefteris Lazarou and Nikos Michailidis. The rockfish soup and squid with basil pesto were so good I ordered the same dishes on consecutive nights. Over the next 24 months, Gundari will convert a derelict farm building into a small sundowner bar and open a beach-club style restaurant on the port.
But Gundari isn't really about buzz. Of the couples staying there — we were the only guests with children — few banded together to socialise, and bedtime was early. Which, if I'm not making myself clear, was a good thing. 'Our lot tends to avoid Santorini like the plague,' the owner Ricardo Larriera told me. 'Folegandros visitors are real loyalists; they've been coming here for years for peace and quiet, so we're not changing the island. We're just giving them somewhere new to stay.'
Unusually for the owner of a five-star resort, Larriera lives on site throughout the season (May to October). The Australian is passionate about Folegandros, which became clear when he heard that a German guest loved Greek honey and promptly drove off to buy her a jar direct from the source ('You'll love it! If you don't try it, it'd be like me visiting Germany and drinking Japanese beer all week!').
• 28 of the best holiday villas in Greece
Larriera's business partner is Eleftherios 'Terry' Seremetis, whose family hails from Folegandros. Ask to see a copy of The Island of Folegandros, a short printed history edited by Seremetis. In his foreword, he recounts the extraordinary story of his great-grandfather Eleftherios, who drowned in the waters off Folegandros when a rescue mission went horribly wrong. That was more than a century ago and this Gundari project marks Seremetis's return to the island. Gundari is obviously a labour of love rather than the first property in an empire.
This was proven by Larriera, who was forever urging guests to get out and see the island, when he could have just as easily encouraged them to stay put and rack up a big hotel bill. On our first day we took the hotel minibus to Agali Beach (two trips daily; £8pp each way), a shingle cove with a handful of tavernas and B&Bs built into the steep hillsides overlooking the bay. It was absurdly idyllic for almost June — just two families playing in the shallows — and with a Mythos beer and Greek salad for £10. But it was basic too, with no shade (hikers walk over the cliff to Agios Nikolaos for shade under its pines) and an unkempt shoreline that's no match for a Balearic beach. The real pull is the peace; it was mind-boggling to compare this hushed scene with the crowds on Santorini, only 50 minutes away.
On another evening, we took the Gundari transfer to Chora, the island's pedestrianised old town. This truly is Cycladic fantasy made real, with a fortified 12th-century castle to explore, tiny white-domed churches on every square, and cats posing beside bougainvillea as if they've had social-media training. Chora is also thriving, which is welcome compared with the remoteness of Gundari and the rawness of Agali Beach. Local businesses have agreed on a matching paint palette of greys, greens and Mediterranean blues, and each is marked by hand-painted wooden signs. Restaurants use only timber chairs and tables — no plastic stackables in Chora, thank you very much — and planters froth over with lavender and jasmine, the result being a postcard-perfect village that demands Mamma Mia 3 be made, if only because this would provide the dream location. On a warm midweek evening in May, the place was alive, locals and tourists alike drinking Greek white wine at open-fronted bars and sharing mezze as the moon rose higher in the sky.
But there was one more encounter we needed to become true Folegandros locals, Larriera said. Tp experience total island immersion, we needed to meet Poly. Poly Gkiouri was born on Folegandros — her dad was the island's postman — and after years living in Athens (where she delivered post herself), she returned to the island and became a tour guide. When it comes to Folegandros, there's nothing she doesn't know and after only 30 minutes in her company — in which time we had shared a cigarette with the black-robed priest Papa Costadinos, gained private access to Panagia church, otherwise open only twice a year, and heard stories of pirates burnt by boiling oil — I knew she was the best person to help us tp get under the skin of the island. You can book a tour with her through Gundari (from £34pp; folegandrosstudios.gr).
As we lurched along the track back to Gundari, Gkiouri still telling tales of hardship — stranded shepherds and, more recently, water shortages — I realised that was the island's attraction for travellers. You have to work hard to reach Folegandros; you have to work hard to get around the island; and you have to work hard if you want to access the best beach. But the rewards are worth it: no crowds, no noise, no traffic, no selfie sticks, no dress code, no queues, no need for restaurant reservations.
When I thought back to the swarms of international arrivals at Santorini airport, there to see and be seen — and that the island welcomes 40 visitors for every single one who alights on Folegandros — it made me appreciate that such tranquillity is priceless. And with no airport, no cruise ship terminal and only one road, that doesn't look like changing on Folegandros any time soon, even with a new luxury hotel.
This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue
Katie Bowman was a guest of Gundari, which has B&B doubles from £372 (gundari.com); and Elegant Resorts, which has five nights' B&B from £1,450pp, including flights, car and ferry transfers and a boat tour around Folegrandos (elegantresorts.co.uk)
Only a two-hour ferry from Athens and the second biggest Cycladic island after Naxos, Andros is surprisingly little known. But hikers will love its lofty mountains and intricately sculpted coastline, all served by ancient stone pathways passing springs, streams, waterfalls and sandy beaches. Wander along ancient mule tracks restored by Andros Routes, a volunteer organisation that provides pruners and gloves to Ramble Worldwide customers, who can trim back overgrowth along the way. Details Eight nights' B&B from £759pp, including all transfers, luggage transfers and maps (rambleworldwide.co.uk). Fly to Athens
Meet Manon, your yoga teacher, and Kostas the skipper. Together they will take you island-hopping in style on this Responsible Travel trip, through the breathtakingly beautiful smaller Cyclades: Paros, Antiparos, Koufonisia, Schinoussa, Iraklia and Amorgos. Days start and end on board with yoga, breathwork and meditation. The daytime port stops involve exploring trendy old towns (in Antiparos), secret beaches (Koufonisia) and visiting a monastery (Amorgos).Details Seven nights' room-only from £910pp, including instructor fees and two daily yoga sessions (responsibletravel.com). Fly to Paros
Andronis Suites was one of the original Oia boutique hotels that made Santorini famous in the early 2000s with whitewashed cottages tumbling into the sea, private plunge pools, blue domes and wow-factor sunsets. Greek-owned, Andronis Suites is as popular as ever, and opens a new restaurant this summer: Milto's Greek Table. A traditional Greek taverna set against the Caldera cliffs, it's as authentic an experience as you'll find in Oia. Order shrimp saganaki, cuttlefish with spinach or fried octopus, all of which were larking about in the Aegean hours earlier. The hotel's ravishingly beautiful rooms have been renovated for 2025.Details B&B doubles from £485, mains from £18 (andronis.com). Fly to Santorini
Built in 1853 for Gregoris Paikos, a leading figure in the Greek Revolution, neo-classical Argini has been returned to its former splendour and is now an 11-room boutique hotel. In the centre of Hermoupolis, the capital of Syros, Argini was restored over the past seven years by the local Polykretis family, who took particular pains to preserve its 19th-century ceiling and murals. Argini has a garden restaurant serving modern Cycladic cuisine, a rooftop bar with sea views and an indoor pool with hammam. Details B&B doubles from £200 (arginisyros.gr). Take the ferry to Syros
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
5 hours ago
- Times
This untapped Greek island is a stylish alternative to Santorini
The luggage said it all. Into Santorini airport arrivals swept a sculpted troupe of New Yorkers, fresh-faced off the connecting flight from JFK, 'priority' luggage tags bobbing upon stainless steel suitcases that were wheeled to blacked-out Mercedes SUVs. Each couple were separately whizzed off to a luxury hotel, likely with nightly room rates in the house-deposit price range. Meanwhile, as they were checking in, we had made it to Santorini's tiny port, our scruffy luggage looking like a dog's dinner on the concrete as we unglamorously removed socks and trainers from puffed-up plane feet before boarding our no-shoes boat. We weren't staying on Santorini. Instead, we were leaving instantly and sailing to Folegandros. This tiny Cycladic island has no airport or cruise ship terminal, and there's only one daily hour-long ferry from Santorini, which we had missed. We had to jump on a little local taxi vessel instead. Luckily, we kept our luggage light. But that's exactly what we wanted. While Santorini is dealing with overtourism, Folegandros is rarely visited. You'll know other small Cycladic islands have recently found fame too — Sifnos, Milos and Tinos among them — all of which are beautifully untouched and 'as lovely as Santorini 25 years ago'. However, a new hotel on Folegandros, Gundari, wants to offer the serenity of those secret Cyclades islands as well as stylish digs you would expect to find on Santorini. There's a reason Folegandros lags in the Greek-island tourism race. Take apart the Greek names 'Fole-gandros' or 'Gun-dari' and both derive from the idea of rocky places, or hard land. That was certainly evident as we bumped along the stony track to Gundari, eliciting glances from nonplussed mountain goats and lone donkeys. (Later in the trip we couldn't find a taxi driver who would agree to take on this track, so be sure to hire a 4×4 or use Gundari's private transfer buses to get around; more on those later.) Folegandros has only one road and no car mechanic or hospital, so the lack of development, having just come from hyper-stylised Santorini, was marked. As we jolted along, Gundari emerged on the horizon, as if in a desert heat haze. That's because the hotel — all 27 villas, main building and outposts — is built entirely with the island's rust-coloured stone. No white Cubist angles or Cycladic blue domes here. It's a pleasing effect, with the additional use of woven willow canopies, olive trees and wooden screens making Gundari look as if it has grown naturally out of the rock. • 16 of the best quiet Greek islands The hotel isn't on the shore but on a clifftop with screensaver Aegean views; on this side of the island guests are more protected from the Meltemi, a strong northerly wind that blows through the Greek islands in summer. It may sound a hardship to be without both beach and buzz on a Med holiday, but Gundari has a spectacular infinity swimming pool to compensate, and every room has its own private pool too. As for buzz, there is Orizon for dinner under the stars within a pretty walled garden, overseen by Lefteris Lazarou and Nikos Michailidis. The rockfish soup and squid with basil pesto were so good I ordered the same dishes on consecutive nights. Over the next 24 months, Gundari will convert a derelict farm building into a small sundowner bar and open a beach-club style restaurant on the port. But Gundari isn't really about buzz. Of the couples staying there — we were the only guests with children — few banded together to socialise, and bedtime was early. Which, if I'm not making myself clear, was a good thing. 'Our lot tends to avoid Santorini like the plague,' the owner Ricardo Larriera told me. 'Folegandros visitors are real loyalists; they've been coming here for years for peace and quiet, so we're not changing the island. We're just giving them somewhere new to stay.' Unusually for the owner of a five-star resort, Larriera lives on site throughout the season (May to October). The Australian is passionate about Folegandros, which became clear when he heard that a German guest loved Greek honey and promptly drove off to buy her a jar direct from the source ('You'll love it! If you don't try it, it'd be like me visiting Germany and drinking Japanese beer all week!'). • 28 of the best holiday villas in Greece Larriera's business partner is Eleftherios 'Terry' Seremetis, whose family hails from Folegandros. Ask to see a copy of The Island of Folegandros, a short printed history edited by Seremetis. In his foreword, he recounts the extraordinary story of his great-grandfather Eleftherios, who drowned in the waters off Folegandros when a rescue mission went horribly wrong. That was more than a century ago and this Gundari project marks Seremetis's return to the island. Gundari is obviously a labour of love rather than the first property in an empire. This was proven by Larriera, who was forever urging guests to get out and see the island, when he could have just as easily encouraged them to stay put and rack up a big hotel bill. On our first day we took the hotel minibus to Agali Beach (two trips daily; £8pp each way), a shingle cove with a handful of tavernas and B&Bs built into the steep hillsides overlooking the bay. It was absurdly idyllic for almost June — just two families playing in the shallows — and with a Mythos beer and Greek salad for £10. But it was basic too, with no shade (hikers walk over the cliff to Agios Nikolaos for shade under its pines) and an unkempt shoreline that's no match for a Balearic beach. The real pull is the peace; it was mind-boggling to compare this hushed scene with the crowds on Santorini, only 50 minutes away. On another evening, we took the Gundari transfer to Chora, the island's pedestrianised old town. This truly is Cycladic fantasy made real, with a fortified 12th-century castle to explore, tiny white-domed churches on every square, and cats posing beside bougainvillea as if they've had social-media training. Chora is also thriving, which is welcome compared with the remoteness of Gundari and the rawness of Agali Beach. Local businesses have agreed on a matching paint palette of greys, greens and Mediterranean blues, and each is marked by hand-painted wooden signs. Restaurants use only timber chairs and tables — no plastic stackables in Chora, thank you very much — and planters froth over with lavender and jasmine, the result being a postcard-perfect village that demands Mamma Mia 3 be made, if only because this would provide the dream location. On a warm midweek evening in May, the place was alive, locals and tourists alike drinking Greek white wine at open-fronted bars and sharing mezze as the moon rose higher in the sky. But there was one more encounter we needed to become true Folegandros locals, Larriera said. Tp experience total island immersion, we needed to meet Poly. Poly Gkiouri was born on Folegandros — her dad was the island's postman — and after years living in Athens (where she delivered post herself), she returned to the island and became a tour guide. When it comes to Folegandros, there's nothing she doesn't know and after only 30 minutes in her company — in which time we had shared a cigarette with the black-robed priest Papa Costadinos, gained private access to Panagia church, otherwise open only twice a year, and heard stories of pirates burnt by boiling oil — I knew she was the best person to help us tp get under the skin of the island. You can book a tour with her through Gundari (from £34pp; As we lurched along the track back to Gundari, Gkiouri still telling tales of hardship — stranded shepherds and, more recently, water shortages — I realised that was the island's attraction for travellers. You have to work hard to reach Folegandros; you have to work hard to get around the island; and you have to work hard if you want to access the best beach. But the rewards are worth it: no crowds, no noise, no traffic, no selfie sticks, no dress code, no queues, no need for restaurant reservations. When I thought back to the swarms of international arrivals at Santorini airport, there to see and be seen — and that the island welcomes 40 visitors for every single one who alights on Folegandros — it made me appreciate that such tranquillity is priceless. And with no airport, no cruise ship terminal and only one road, that doesn't look like changing on Folegandros any time soon, even with a new luxury hotel. This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue Katie Bowman was a guest of Gundari, which has B&B doubles from £372 ( and Elegant Resorts, which has five nights' B&B from £1,450pp, including flights, car and ferry transfers and a boat tour around Folegrandos ( Only a two-hour ferry from Athens and the second biggest Cycladic island after Naxos, Andros is surprisingly little known. But hikers will love its lofty mountains and intricately sculpted coastline, all served by ancient stone pathways passing springs, streams, waterfalls and sandy beaches. Wander along ancient mule tracks restored by Andros Routes, a volunteer organisation that provides pruners and gloves to Ramble Worldwide customers, who can trim back overgrowth along the way. Details Eight nights' B&B from £759pp, including all transfers, luggage transfers and maps ( Fly to Athens Meet Manon, your yoga teacher, and Kostas the skipper. Together they will take you island-hopping in style on this Responsible Travel trip, through the breathtakingly beautiful smaller Cyclades: Paros, Antiparos, Koufonisia, Schinoussa, Iraklia and Amorgos. Days start and end on board with yoga, breathwork and meditation. The daytime port stops involve exploring trendy old towns (in Antiparos), secret beaches (Koufonisia) and visiting a monastery (Amorgos).Details Seven nights' room-only from £910pp, including instructor fees and two daily yoga sessions ( Fly to Paros Andronis Suites was one of the original Oia boutique hotels that made Santorini famous in the early 2000s with whitewashed cottages tumbling into the sea, private plunge pools, blue domes and wow-factor sunsets. Greek-owned, Andronis Suites is as popular as ever, and opens a new restaurant this summer: Milto's Greek Table. A traditional Greek taverna set against the Caldera cliffs, it's as authentic an experience as you'll find in Oia. Order shrimp saganaki, cuttlefish with spinach or fried octopus, all of which were larking about in the Aegean hours earlier. The hotel's ravishingly beautiful rooms have been renovated for B&B doubles from £485, mains from £18 ( Fly to Santorini Built in 1853 for Gregoris Paikos, a leading figure in the Greek Revolution, neo-classical Argini has been returned to its former splendour and is now an 11-room boutique hotel. In the centre of Hermoupolis, the capital of Syros, Argini was restored over the past seven years by the local Polykretis family, who took particular pains to preserve its 19th-century ceiling and murals. Argini has a garden restaurant serving modern Cycladic cuisine, a rooftop bar with sea views and an indoor pool with hammam. Details B&B doubles from £200 ( Take the ferry to Syros
Times
6 hours ago
- Times
Marbella Club hotel review: luxe oasis on the Andalusian coast
Spain's sun-drenched Costa del Sol is famed for its ritzy resorts and golden beaches, and nestled along its exclusive Golden Mile lies the glamorous Marbella Club. Founded in 1954 by Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe-Langenburg, this formerly humble finca quickly evolved into the jet-set playground of Europe's elite (the hotel's star-studded guest book includes the likes of Brigitte Bardot and Cary Grant), becoming synonymous with Marbella's glitzy reputation. Today, the hotel continues to be the stuff of legend, exuding old-world charm within its storied walls. Its lush gardens and world-class amenities are continually evolving, and with seamless service to match, Marbella Club remains a go-to, uber-chic base for experiencing the glamour of the Andalusian coast. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue Score 8/10Mirroring the layout of a typical Andalusian village, the hotel's 115 bedrooms are scattered across the estate rather than nestled within a single section, with meandering pathways leading to whitewashed villas framed by bougainvillea and trickling fountains. Natural fabrics, rattan and terracotta form the foundations, with crisp, neutral interiors offset by pistachio-toned prints. There's plenty of space to sprawl out and rooms are kitted out with all the usual mod cons: expect foliage-covered balconies for lolling on, and complimentary minibars restocked with caviar-flavoured crisps and artisan chocolates each day. Spacious bathrooms are draped in gold-hued marble, with separate bathtubs and walk-in showers. Despite the elegant interiors throughout the hotel (think bold patterns and colourful strokes in the main clubhouse), there's a distinctly homely feel, with the lobby outfitted like Prince Alfonso's own living room — all set against a backdrop of towering cypress trees, tropical flora, and majestic La Concha mountain. Score 9/10There's zero possibility of going hungry here, with eight bars and restaurants. Subtly inspired by Prince Alfonso's travels around the globe, each reflects a different chapter from his explorations: tuck into farm-to-table, Californian-style fare at El Patio (curl up underneath ivy-framed cloisters and mop up silky baba ganoush and wood-fired meats) or nibble fish tacos and guacamole (smashed tableside for you) at the Beach Club, the Mexican-inspired poolside restaurant. There's nutritious, nourishing salads by the garden pool at El Olivar; freshly-fished seafood at the beachside chiringuito; and elegant suppers at the Grill — all followed by live music and cocktails at the fabulously kitsch Rudi's bar. At breakfast, recount the previous evening's antics over a generous buffet of pastries, charcuterie, and fresh fruit. • The best of Marbella• Best places to visit in Spain Score 10/10There are outdoor pools to lounge by, and a private beach club perched right by the hotel's pier. Unwind further at the spa and beauty studio, where pampering treatments take centre stage (think scalp massages and cryotherapy facials). There's plenty for active types too: the wellness centre runs complimentary yoga, meditation and fitness classes, and for seriously working up a sweat, there's tennis, horse riding, golf, and padel. Multi-generational families flock here every summer, thanks in part to the extensive kids club, which offers everything from gazpacho-making to gardening. For retail therapy, browse the hotel's clutch of in-house designer stores (from Loewe to Louis Vuitton) and two boutiques. The hotel also opened Finca Ana Maria in May 2025, a plot of land that sprawls next door to the original estate, with rambling kitchen gardens to explore ( 300 types of fruits and vegetables grown on-site), event spaces and saunas, cold plunge pools and a huge yoga pavilion dangling along the coastline. Score 8/10Placed along Andalusia's Golden Mile, Marbella is the glittering jewel of Costa del Sol. This curve of the coast is buzzing with beach clubs and bougie restaurants (there's even a Nobu), and a traipse through the Old Town will reveal a slew of luxury boutiques. To the west, Puerto Banus beckons with its flashy marina, where monied travellers dock their yachts, and to the east — and the closest airport to fly into — is Malaga. Price room-only doubles from £405Restaurant mains from £27Family-friendly YAccessible N Gina Jackson was a guest of Marbella Club ( • Best all-inclusive hotels in Spain• Spain's best cities for food
BBC News
10 hours ago
- BBC News
Extreme heat is starting to change the way we holiday
It was the summer of 2023, and Katie Piercefield-Holmes from Suffolk travelled to the Greek island of Rhodes with her husband and two children for a 10-day booked a room with air conditioning at a resort, intending to spend the time relaxing in the swimming pool and sightseeing – but this wasn't possible because of the searing heat. "Even after breakfast, a five-minute walk would be unbearable," she came the wildfires, which swept across the island. "With the heat from the wildfires, it felt over 40C," she all, some 19,000 people were evacuated from their homes or holiday accommodation in Rhodes that July. Pictures of tourists fleeing the island were splashed across newspaper front pages and one newlywed couple from Glasgow described it as like "being thrown into a disaster film". Katie's family was advised to evacuate their villa, but chose to stay, believing it would be experience has, she says, changed the way she and her family have holidayed for good. The summer heatwave of 2023 gripped much of Europe, particularly countries around the Mediterranean including Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Cyprus. Temperatures reached 40-45C by day in some regions. In all, there were more than 47,000 heat-related deaths throughout Europe in 2023, according to the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) – most were in southern previous year had also seen multiple heatwaves across Europe, including the first recording of 40C in the UK. More than 68,000 people died on the continent, according to the 2024 season in Europe wasn't as extreme, scientists are clear that human-induced climate change is leading to more frequent and intense heatwaves around the along with this change in summer weather comes other changes too. In all, 81% of Europeans say they have tweaked their holiday plans because of factors related to climate change, according to a report published in April by the European Travel Commission (ETC).Almost a third are choosing destinations where the weather is Piercefield-Holmes is among them. She has returned to Greece with her family since 2023, but only during the cooler months of October and May - during the summer, the family still travel but take a different approach. "We go [somewhere] where it isn't as hot and can plan different activities like hiking and sightseeing," she family are not along. Simon Calder, a journalist and broadcaster on BBC's The Travel Show, says that a number of travel agents have observed some families choosing to take their main holiday over Easter, rather than during the summer. And this could well be a growing trend: Bas Amelung, a professor in environmental systems analysis at Wageningen University, says that certain parts of Europe might become too hot for many in the future. "Countries such as Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey that currently attract the traditional 'sun and sand' summer tourists are likely to become too hot for comfort in the summer," he he also believes that even if temperatures don't go up much in the short term, the perception may still stick."People take decisions based on their perceptions," he explains. "So if a large majority of holidaymakers thinks some European destinations will soon be 'too hot', they may well start adapting, either by going somewhere else in summer or by going to the same place in another season."Which all begs the question, what does that mean for holiday resorts across the Mediterranean, in particular those that have come to rely on summer tourism trade? And if the idea of "high season" changes, what does that mean for the tradition of a seaside summer holiday? Extreme weather in the Med It's not just heatwaves - climate change is affecting tourism in other ways level rises are projected to increase by around 0.8-0.9m by 2100. This could lead to a long-term threat to some beachside resorts, including a number in the Caribbean, which are typically less than 1m above current sea islands, meanwhile, are vulnerable to storm surges – these could also be threatened by rising sea levels, as well as changing weather patterns. Cyclones in the region could become more intense too, according to Australia's Bureau of is Europe, though, that will most affect British holidaymakers. Currently it is their top destination - and according to the World Meteorological Organisation, Europe is also the fastest-warming continent on Earth. Beaches, in particular, could be at risk. One study suggests that a fifth of the sandy coastline of the Mediterranean could face severe loss by 2050, under the middle of the IPCC's five climate projections Italy and the Iberian peninsula are also identified as being at high risk due to climate Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told a cabinet meeting in 2023: "We are already experiencing the effects of the climate crisis, and we know that things will probably get worse, not better, with higher temperatures, more drought and strong winds." The resorts that are adapting Already, there are some small signs that indicate more people are holidaying outside the traditional peak season. In all, 8% fewer people plan to travel to the Mediterranean this summer compared to last year, according to Teodora Marinska, chief operating officer of the more people appear to be travelling to the region outside the traditional months: Greece saw a 20% increase in spring tourism in 2024 compared with the same period in 2023, according to analysts from the National Bank of foreign arrivals to Spain exceeded 10 million in January and February of 2025 – almost a 20% increase versus 2019 levels."These are increases on small numbers, because these nations are usually quite empty in the winter, but we can already see that the growth is concentrated there," explains Ms has been welcomed by authorities in some places. "We've seen destinations increasing investment in connectivity in the winter months – for instance, adding flights to the winter schedule."Rather than destinations emptying out in the summer months, Ms Marinska sees it as more a levelling of the peak to a gentle curve – which could boost economies of tourist hotspots, instead of damaging them."Tourist boards have been investing heavily in fighting the seasonality trend, not only because of overtourism, but because it's much more sustainable for a hotel to stay open all year round [and] jobs are more stable," she example the German highland region of Spessart, in Bavaria and Hesse, is shifting its focus to year-round tourism by developing new trails and promoting activities such as hiking, biking and wellness. Certain places on the Med popular with tourists are also starting to adapt what they offer."Countries, such as Spain, are starting to wake up to the consequences of climate change and the reality of the need to adapt," says Prof Amelung. "Things are starting to change slowly, but surely."A number of towns are, for example, offer evening markets and indoor activities during the hottest parts of the day. Mr Calder recalls going on a walking tour of the Italian Adriatic city of Grado that began at in some areas there are cost implications. In 2024, Greece replaced its accommodation tax with a new "climate crisis resilience tax" that aims to support rebuilding efforts after climate related disasters. It means that for a week's holiday in Greece between April and October, travellers could be charged up to £88 extra per room. From staycations to summers in Scandinavia All of this could lead to some new patterns in the way people spend their vacations - and where they go. Staycations, for example, could become even more popular. More than half of UK holidaymakers say they are likely to choose to holiday at home rather than abroad for climate-related reasons, according to 2024 research by Mintel. Some 28% say warmer UK temperatures are encouraging them to take domestic remains to be seen is how this could affect the price tag. "A significant shift in holiday habits could push up the cost of a domestic holiday," says Mr Calder. "If more people decide to stay in the UK, and others come to Britain because it is more climatically appealing, the rise in demand would trigger price increases. But there are always locations where you can get reasonable deals." Industry experts have also noticed a growing trend of holidaymakers choosing different, less traditional destinations in Europe too for their summer breaks."There is an increased emphasis on travel to northern destinations, with more routes to Iceland, Norway and Finland than ever… spreading tourism more evenly," according to Mr Calder."Destinations such as Scandinavia that weren't hugely popular in the past are also becoming a bit more fashionable due to Instagram trends," agrees Sean Tipton of the Association of British Travel Agents.A number of alternative European beach destinations are becoming more popular: places like Albania, Montenegro or Bulgaria are growing at a much faster pace than traditional destinations, observes Ms Marinska."The beach holiday is still by far the more popular type," she stresses. "But there's a shift in behaviour, and people are choosing different destinations for their beach holidays." The school holidays factor Although many experts are predicting that holiday patterns will shift, it doesn't appear to be happening on a large scale. And, there are limits to these shifts. While certain groups can be more flexible about when they holiday, such as retirees or those without young children, this may not be possible for those with children of school age who want to break up the long summer period, points out Prof some people I spoke to who have been caught up in extreme situations on holiday aren't deterred from seeking out sunnier climes during the summer. Daniel Rolfe, who was on honeymoon in Rhodes during the 2023 wildfires, is one of them. "We wouldn't necessarily change holiday plans or habits because of climate change and hot weather [but] we'd look at how likely wildfires might be before going anywhere".But, warns Prof Amelung, if there are many more very hot summers, holiday patterns may yet change."If we have major heatwaves and wildfires all across the Med in three or four out of the next five summers, this may well be a tipping point in public perception, going from 'the Mediterranean climate is ideal for summer holidays' to 'the Mediterranean is just unbearably hot in summer; let's go somewhere else'." Top picture credit: Mizina/ Getty Images BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. And we showcase thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. You can send us your feedback on the InDepth section by clicking on the button below.
