SUN SWAP
Just had the best summer trip ever and want to find your perfect winter break? Here are the ideal holiday matches to suit every type of sun-hustler.
TEXT WENDY SAUNT
THE CULTURE VULTURE
SUMMER YOU: You’ve loved spending a lazy week or two discovering beautiful old towns, learning about the history of a place, mooching around markets and soaking up the local atmosphere.
WINTER YOU: There’s plenty to see at Benalmadena, from historic sites to the flea market, but it’s also a brilliant base for a series of day trips to explore the region. Head to Granada to see the stunning Moorish Alhambra palace-fortress or to Malaga’s new Picasso museum, housed in the building where the city’s most famous son was born. Another must-see is the Mezquita in Cordoba – the “Mecca of the West” which was, at its height, the capital of Moorish Spain and the largest city in Europe. Charting Cordoba’s changing religious identity, the vast former mosque now houses a Catholic cathedral. Built on soaring escarpments overlooking the Serranía de Ronda mountains and with a stunning 18th-century bridge dramatically spanning the El Tajo gorge, Rhonda is also well worth a visit. Finally, for a taste of old Spain, pay a visit to the glorious city of Seville – where fiesta, flamenco and bullfighting are part of everyday life.
FLY TO: Benalmadena from £194 self catering for seven nights from Belfast. Three star property.
THE SWINGER (NO, NOT THAT KIND…)
SUMMER YOU: Your swing is perfect, your handicap is miniscule – your partner no longer recognises you but that’s OK as long as Augusta is within reach. If only you could get a little more practice in. But where can you play world-class golf without freezing your extremities off for six months of the year?
WINTER YOU: Step up the Adeje Golf Course and take a bow. This championship beaut, which is set to host the seventh Tenerife Ladies Open (Ladies European Tour) this June, has a toasty average temperature of 22C. Designed by Pepe Gancedo in 1998, it blends seamlessly with its terrain, affording spectacular views of the Atlantic, the Adeje mountains and La Gomera island. With its terraced land, original 5,000m stone wall, palms trees, lakes and craters, it’s come a long way from its origins as a banana plantation. In 2001, an additional nine-hole course was opened, making Adeje a true golfer’s paradise. The nearby Dave Thomas-designed course at the Abama Hotel Resort has a golf academy – useful for last-minute fine-tuning on your way to the Masters.
FLY TO: Costa Adeje from £324 self catering for seven nights from Manchester. Three star pr
THE PAMPERESS
SUMMER YOU: You’ve had the girlie holiday, bonded over beauty treatments and come back, not only looking even hotter, but also addicted to pampering. Now you and your gal pals want some serious TLC – we’re talking the latest in beauty therapies, real-deal thermal spas and plenty of bending thrown in for good measure. But where to go?
WINTER YOU: Maybe it’s because of all the golf widows, but the Albufeira area has some amazing spas. For a deluxe Myoxy Caviar & Pearls facial head to Vila Sol Spa – one of the Leading Spas of the World no less. For treats from Asia, Africa and Oceania, try the Lake Resort Spa. If it’s high-tech you’re after – a crystal bath with chromo therapy perhaps – there’s the Suites Alba Spa. Set among palms and lush vegetation, Caldas de Monchique is renowned for its natural hot springs, giving you an authentic thermal experience in a gorgeous setting. Finally, if you want to fully unwind your body and soul, Lulu Shanti runs drop-in yoga classes in Albufeira.
FLY TO: Albufeira from £474 all inclusive for seven nights flying from Manchester. Four star property.
THE DAREDEVIL
SUMMER YOU: You and your mates are all adrenaline junkies. You’ve just come back from a holiday where you’ve run and jumped and thrown stuff. You’ve tweaked the nose of fear and cheekily patted the bottom of endurance. Most importantly you’ve amazed girls with your daring. Keep up the good work.
WINTER YOU: Benidorm’s not only great for partying and beach action, it’s also got a whole heap of fun stuff that’ll keep you and the boys out of trouble – or perhaps in it. Take a 4×4 jeep across the rugged, mountainous terrain, go off-roading, do a quad safari, burn up the road on a beast of a three-wheel Harley-style trike, or shoot ’em up with a game of paintball - all courtesy of Marco Polo Expediciones. Go in at the deep end at Aqualandia, a hu-uge waterpark that has everything from rapids to, um, sea lions (aqualandia.net). Or have the ride of your life at Terra Mitica, an adventure park that’ll get the adrenaline pumping (terramiticapark.com).
FLY TO: Benidorm from £259. Full board for seven nights flying from Leeds Bradford. Three star property.
THE AQUA BUNNY
SUMMER YOU: You’ve dunked your head in the brine and you’ve realised you look good in speedos – now you want more. What’s a water baby to do? Your options are to brave the “refreshing” North Sea or…
WINTER YOU: … take yourself off to Sharm el Sheikh. First things first, this is Egypt, so the temperature doesn’t dip below 25C, which is all-important for a winter dip. Second, two words: Red Sea. Not only does this bad boy boast some of the world’s best scuba diving – the Ras Mohammed National Park has two-million-year-old reefs and some fantastic vertical coral walls (gotoegypt.org/NatPark. htm) – but there are also more water sports than you can shake a flipper at. Think snorkelling, windsurfing, sailing, waterskiing, and canoeing. Even more exciting than that, Sharm is emerging as the sizzling hot destination for kite surfing (planetkitesurf.com), making it an ideal destination for extreme sports dudes too. Just don’t forget to bring your togs.
THE HAPPY FAMILY
SUMMER YOU: You’ve just been away with the little angels – luckily, there were enough things to do and see to keep them distracted. But what are you going to do when the next school holidays roll around?
WINTER YOU: Gather up your brood and head to Majorca’s Palma Nova. Between October and Easter the 18-30 clubbing crowd go home to recover and it becomes a kid’s paradise. MarineLand, with its performing dolphins, sea lions, sharks and penguins, makes a perfect day out (marine-land.es). Karting Magaluf will have proto-Lewis Hamiltons doing laps for hours (kartingmagaluf. com). Twenty thousand leagues under the sea? Actually, it’s more like 20 metres, but a submarine adventure will keep the kids busy finding Nemo for the best part of an afternoon (nemosub. com). Golf Fantasia is a huge crazy golf park – hours of fun in other words (golf-fantasia.com). Finally, Lollipops is a “total entertainment centre for children of all ages” – with everything from 185 metres of soft play all the way up to PlayStations for the older kids – that’s so good you could leave them there and sneak off for a few hours (+34 971 131 121). Right, everyone happy? Phew!
FLY TO: Palma Nova from £219. Self catering for seven nights from Newcastle. Three star property.
THE CRAZY IN LOVE
SUMMER YOU: You’ve been gazing into each other’s eyes since God knows when and you still can’t get enough of each other. Having just had a gorge break together, you want somewhere romantic where you can do like lovers do – a boutique hotel to hole up in, a beautiful local town to stroll around arm in arm, and plenty of activities à deux (apart from, you know, the obvious).
WINTER YOU: Set in lush gardens overlooking the rugged coastline of the Costa Brava, the five-star boutique Rigat Park & Spa Beach Hotel in Lloret de Mar is the perfect lovers’ retreat. Once you’ve spent a few lazy days moseying around Lloret‘s sights, having romantic candlelit dinners and getting pampered to within an inch of your life at the spa, it’s time to get active and explore the local area. There are several romantic walks (lloretguide.com/walks.asp), some of which take you to remote coves that you’ll have to yourself at this time of year (nudge, nudge). And there’s a coastal route that you can cycle along – definitely worth packing a picnic from the local market and making a day of it. Or you can try your hand at kayaking, snorkelling, scuba and horse-riding, and there are plenty of opportunities to carve up the fairway at the nearby golf courses.
FLY TO: Lloret de Mar from £219 All Inclusive for seven nights from Leeds Bradford three star property.
THE TAN-TASTIC
SUMMER YOU: You’ve partied, you’ve tanned, you’ve found luurve (even if it was only for a week) – in short, you’ve never felt so good. Love that summer holiday feeling? Want to do it again? Hell yeah!
WINTER YOU: Lanzarote’s Puerto del Carmen has 6km of golden beaches – all of which have been awarded a Blue Flag for their high standard of cleanliness – and, with the winter temperatures in the twenties, you’ll definitely be able to give your summer wardrobe an airing. Of course there’s plenty to do: diving, windsurfing, golf, biking, pampering yourself at the Aquarsis Thermal Spa – but let’s be honest, you’re here to large it. Kick off your evening at Rumm or the Hawaiian Bar – which plays some of the best dance and chill out music in the resort – before getting down and dirty at clubs 928, Paradise, Waikiki, Caesars and Disco Ibiza. If you’re looking for a party with a twist, make sure you get down here around the end of February/beginning of March, when carnival comes to town. Think Latin Americana, replete with floats, batucada drum bands and a massive all-night party. That’ll sort those winter blues.
FLY TO: Puerto del Carmen from £279 self catering for seven nights from Leeds Bradford.Three star property.
Would you like to leave a comment ?
You must be logged in to leave a message.