Sometimes we crave the sensation of plunging into the ocean, waves breaking over our heads, the deeps beneath our feet.
Sometimes we crave the sensation of plunging into the ocean, waves breaking over our heads, the deeps beneath our feet.
It was a summer’s morning in the Lepontine Alps in Ticino, Switzerland’s Italian-speaking canton, and there was the vague threat of a storm on the horizon. I was already out on a trail through larch and hazelnut forest, backpack shouldered, aiming for a mountain pass. Up ahead, a herd of short-haired goats grazed, their bells chiming merrily, while behind me the peaks that tower over the Maggia Valley shuffled in and out of view from behind the clouds – each top grimacing, stone teeth chipped and bared.
The Scotland-based company Slow Adventure advocates a more mindful approach to activity holidays. Options include climbing and yoga in the Italian Alps, mountain biking in Sweden and horse riding and rambling in Iceland. On the Finnish Happiness trip, guests stay in log cabins by a lake in Lapland and activities include canoeing under the midnight sun, hiking, swimming, swamp foraging and daily saunas. On all trips, 5% of the fee goes to local conservation projects, which in Finland could mean helping protect the rare Saimaa ringed seal, preserving forests or supporting a children’s environmental charity.From £876 for five nights, slow-adventure.com
Stepping into the lobby of the Gellért Baths in Budapest is like stepping back in time. Having resisted the temptation to look at photos of the baths online, I was thrilled at my first sight of the spectacular art nouveau interior.After changing, my husband and I did a few laps of the main indoor pool, admiring the intricately decorated columns surrounding us. Afterwards, we explored the building’s labyrinth of geothermal pools before emerging on to the enormous roof terrace. There, we swam in the heated outdoor pool under bright sunshine.
It is said that when Norse explorer Ingólfur Arnarson and his wife Hallveig Fróðadóttir threw some wooden posts from their ship in AD878 they floated to a bay covered with steaming springs, hence the name Reykjavík, or “stormy bay”, and that’s where Arnarson decided to settle. I am here researching women in Icelandic sagas for my next book, and our two small children have accompanied me, with their father sharing childcare.
Just across the Potomac River from Washington DC, northern Virginia is legendary for its Civil War battlefields, Mount Vernon and other historic sites.
Hyatt said the Confidante Miami Beach, slated to reopen as an Andaz-branded hotel in this year's fourth quarter, will temporarily close on March 25.
Open-water swimmers will never want to leave Pool Bridge Farm, where there are three mirror-like lakes to paddle in as well as two wood-clad saunas, once old shepherd’s huts now lovingly restored, waiting on their banks. Winter weather needn’t stop the splashy fun, either: swim under the farm’s strings of festoon lights on dark early mornings and frosty winter nights. Bring your tent in warmer weather – there’s a six-acre campsite lined with ancient oak trees on site, great for gazing up at this corner of Yorkshire’s dark skies from your sleeping bag.Sauna and swim sessions £6. Camping from £35 (poolbridge.co.uk)
Budapest’s elegant boulevards and world-famous thermal baths welcome travelers from all over the globe – yet some aspects of navigating the city aren’t the most visitor-friendly.
The view from the ship’s bridge is what I expected: a ribbon of dark Arctic water leading through a maze of snowy mountain islands. But the view of the bridge is a shock. Where is the wheel, the chart and that big metal thing that goes “ting”? You know, the one marked “Dead Slow” and “Full Steam”, like you see in Titanic when they spot the iceberg? In its public areas, the Havila Capella looks like any modern cruise ship or upmarket ferry. There are lounges, a panoramic bar, a couple of gyms and a deck that can be strolled. It is what lies behind the bulkheads that is very different.
When the summer sun shines down on Sicily, the beach is the only place to be.
Had I ever seen so much bare flesh in one room? Naked in a mixed-gender Austrian sauna, I sat opposite two dozen other nude people on wooden benches. Even after more than a year of living in Europe, as an American, I still felt a little uncomfortable sitting there in nothing but my own skin.
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These luxe new Caribbean properties are a castaway fantasy come to life.
Helen Iatrou, who considers herself a full-blooded Greek islander shares some ideas for planning an island-hopping trip.
Riviera Travel is set to launch two new river ships, the 178-guest Riviera Radiance and 114-guest Riviera Rose, in March and April 2025.
One of the most appealing parts of giant Texas, the Hill Country offers travelers a break from life’s daily grind with loads of wineries, rivers for floating, endless trails to hike and live music around every corner.
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Swimming coach Emma MacDonald set up Wild Hebridean Swimming in 2022 after moving back to Mull. The company offers holidays for open water swimmers, but also retreats for those who can only tread water or do a bit of doggy paddle. These involve short dips in the clear waters of the Inner Hebrides, where there are seals, underwater kelp forests and waterfalls. Longer swims can be arranged on request. The programme also includes a guided walk on Iona, the burial place of 48 Scottish kings including Macbeth. Guests stay at Achaban House, which has woodburners and a wood-fired hot tub, where there is a choice of activities, including yoga and massage. From £895 including all meals and wine, next retreat 8-11 March, wildhebrideanswimming.com
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Think Seattle, and you might think gray skies and rainy days. Yet the city’s beautiful summers don’t get nearly enough love.
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