Sangria and Mistletoe
Mistletoe Hot Spots
Hazel Davis forgets warm woollies and leaves out a plate of tapas for Santa
PHOTO: DIGITAL RAILROAD / REX / ALAMY / CORBIS / 4CORNERSIMAGES
Bored of stretching woolly tights over pale, white legs and wearing extra lipstick, not to attract kisses from chaps but simply to prevent chapping? Why not ditch the office party and head to warmer climes for some seasonal misbehaviour. After all you don’t need to have snow to get a treat in your stocking?
SHARM EL SHEIKH
For romance a little farther afield, where could be better than the Sharm El Sheikh on the shores of the Red Sea?
With temperatures still hitting 29C during the day, Sharm El Sheikh is no place to wear a furry Santa hat. But the Egyptian city where it never rains — really — is good enough for Torchwood star John Barrowman who often visits for some winter diving.
To mark Christmas Sharm hangs coloured lights on its palm trees and you might see the odd camel dressed up for the season. You have your pick of romantic multicoloured beachfront restaurants serving food cooked fresh to order and then you can finish off the night over an ice-cream sundae for two.
If dancing is the way to your true love’s heart then Sharm has it in spades. The world-famous Pacha is open all year round. For a night to remember, hire a private VIP terrace for you and your paramour before dancing ‘til sunrise
You can while away your days pottering around the markets and shops of Sharm looking for belated Christmas gifts or sharing the delights of the deep with a scuba-diving trip.
For an altogether more earthy experience — and to maximise your chances of seasonal togetherness — take your beloved to a Bedouin camp for a candlelit dinner with traditional music and an evening spent gazing at the stars by the open fire.
Or get spiritual and take a hike to Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments — without forgetting number six’s particular relevance to consenting adults.
Sharm el Sheikh, 4-Star, All-inclusive, 7 nights, Depart Manchester, 21/12/08 from £549pp
CANARY ISLANDS
The Christmas season in Lanzarote officially begins on 8 December (the Feast of the Immaculate Conception). Most bars close on Christmas Eve as it’s a very important family occasion and the main Christmas celebrations take place on 6 January (the Feast of the Epiphany).
But the New Year’s Eve fireworks display in the main resort of Puerto Del Carmen is the perfect place to take up a sparkler and go on the hunt for an explosive embrace. In the run-up to Christmas, you can also find choirs and beach concerts to inspire feelings of togetherness and some festive (if slightly sweaty-palmed) hand-holding.
If you’re still dreaming of a white Christmas, snow can be seen occasionally on El Teide in Tenerife, a dormant volcano which is the highest mountain on Spanish territory. Elsewhere on the island the poinsettias and pungent pines planted in the parks and gardens create that seasonal feeling in the great outdoors.
If you are lucky enough to be spending 25th December itself on the island, the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra performs a free traditional Christmas Concert at 10pm in the port of Santa Cruz. Snuggle up with your squeeze and think about the presents waiting for you under the tree when you get home.
Golf del Sur, 3-Star, Self Catering, 7 nights, Depart Manchester, 19/12/08 from £399pp
COSTA CÁLIDA
Where better to make out under the mistletoe than Moorish Murcia? Just saying it makes your lips more kissable. At the south-eastern corner of the Iberian peninsula, Murcia boasts 170 km of coastline, featuring dinky little beaches, hidden coves and craggy cliffs. The city of Murcia itself combines a long history and a 21st-Century buzz, with tapas bars and heaving pavement cafes aplenty.
For a secluded place to seek Christmas lovin’, pack up your rubbers and head to Mar Menor (or “Little Sea”), Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon. Soak and float in the healing waters, take natural mud baths, or try a treatment for two in one of the myriad spas lining the banks.
If you fancy a bit of authenticity, take a trip around the Mar Menor and visit the cute Spanish villages still unspoiled by tourism. Get down (and possibly dirty) with the locals in one of the many tapas bars or just sit and watch the sunset over a jug of sangria.
Just north of the Mar Menor is the town of San Pedro del Pinatar, a thriving fishing town, also beloved by locals as a holiday resort. It’s widely known that flamingos mate for life, so for a taste of wildlife romance, head to the Parque Regional de Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro, a protected natural park and an important area for those elegant pink birds. What better setting for getting your smooch on with a strapping Spanish fisherman?
In the village of Los Alcazares, half way along the inland side of the Mar Menor, the Carnival of the Mar Menor celebrates the end of the winter jointly with San Javier and San Pedro del Pinatar in the first week of December. Alternatively, shimmy down to The New Salsa Bar on Calle Penelope for dirty dancing into the wee small hours.
La Manga, 4-Star, Self Catering, 7 nights, Depart Leeds Bradford, 19/12/08, from £284pp
ALGARVE
With a 200km stretch of coastline on which the sun beats down even in December (take note, Northumberland) the Algarve is the perfect place to get some hot kisses. The regional capital, Faro, is a wonderland at Christmas, with brightly coloured Christmas lights and extravagant shop-window displays.
Walk hand-in-hand with your mistletoe conquest and glance shyly at the diamond sparklers in jewellers’ windows, stroll around the Roman walls or partake of the local delicacy — appropriately enough it’s oysters.
For a romantic picnic, head to Alte, one of the most picturesque villages in the Algarve. In the winter sun, stroll through the narrow winding streets to Fonte Pequena and Fonte Grande, the historic meeting place for the village’s women, now an ideal alfresco dining spot under the shady trees.
Between 25 December and 6 January, there is a tradition of people taking to the streets to sing janeiras (new year carols) and talk about the year’s most important events. Groups of local inhabitants challenge householders to listen to their verses in exchange for seasonal sweet fritters or brandy.
But if you’re a secret swinger, pack up your buggy and plus-fours and head to one of the Algarve’s 32 world-class golf courses. December offers the perfect climate to take to the greens so expect to see hardcore players on the course.
British DJ Chris Evans is a big fan of the place and last year he and his new wife, Natasha Shishmanian, held a 200-guest wedding reception in Faro. Pop singer Ronan Keating and England footballers Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen are known to frequent the area so if you want a WAG-shaped smacker, it’s the place to go.
Praia da Rocha, 3-Star, Self Catering, 7 nights, Depart Leeds Bradford, 20/12/08, from £264pp
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