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Assos, Cephalonia, Greece
There’s one thing fairly explicit about small however completely shaped Assos – butterscotch and rose-pink homes line a horseshoe bay, with Venetian ruins scattered between the slender alleys. There are two small seashores, however the actual pleasure is to hire a motor boat and uncover the small bays and coves that fringe this a part of the Cephalonian coast. Walkers can observe the trail out on to the headland to the ruins of Assos’s Sixteenth-century fortress; there’s not an enormous quantity to see, however the views make the stroll value it. Roi Suites is a bougainvillaea-clad cluster of well-equipped studio flats in a waterfront neoclassical constructing, with attractive sea views from the pool terrace.
Doubles from £117 (minimal seven nights), roisuites.com
Akyaka, Turkey
Certainly one of Turkey’s “cittaslows” – sluggish cities, with an emphasis on nature and sustainability – Akyaka sits on the mouth of the Azmak River on the shimmering Bay of Gökova. Behind the seashore, a lattice of bougainvillaea-clad streets is residence to conventional lokantas (easy bistros) and cafes; at evening the seafront eating places set tables on the sand. Boats potter up the Azmak from the small harbour, the place fish eating places line the leafy riverbank and a shady strolling path leads into the countryside. Akyaka can also be Turkey’s kite-surfing hub, with a number of browsing colleges on the lengthy stretch of seashore simply out of city. The Iskelem, set in a tranquil bay over the headland, is a gloriously peaceable retreat with easy rooms and a very good restaurant.
Doubles from £83 B&B, iskelemotel.com.tr
Göltürkbükü, Turkey
If Turkey has a Saint-Tropez, this glitzy coming-together of two villages, Gölköy and Türkbükü, is it, with a newly created public seashore and decked seashore golf equipment that ooze a calming, Côte d’Azur vibe. There’s lots occurring nevertheless it’s nonetheless far quieter than close by Bodrum, and has a very robust restaurant scene – guide a desk at Arnavutköy for a luxurious, fish-themed splurge. Behind the seashore, memento retailers stand cheek-by-jowl with designer boutiques, small pensions beside five-star accommodations, and the common dolmuş (public bus) presents the possibility to discover different villages on the peninsula, together with unspoilt Gümüşlük, with ramshackle fish eating places alongside the seashore. The Matiz is a pleasant B&B with 5 easy rooms, a tranquil leafy backyard and roof terrace.
Doubles from £86 B&B, matizturkbuku.com
Šibenik, Croatia
To say Šibenik is a mini-Dubrovnik could also be barely overstating the case, nevertheless it has the identical elegant Venetian structure and terracotta-roofed homes – and significantly much less in the best way of crowds. It is a city constructed for wandering: from the Riva, the seaside promenade, as much as the elegant cathedral and thru the tangle of passageways and alleys that lead as much as the Eleventh-century St Michael’s Fortress. Blue-flagged Banj seashore is a 200-metre stroll from the centre, and has a restaurant and play space, whereas boat journeys run out into the unspoilt waters of the Kornati archipelago. Lodge Life Palace is a lovingly renovated Fifteenth-century mansion, with 17 rooms that channel the historic really feel, with frescoes, uncovered brickwork and Renaissance-inspired furnishings.
Doubles from £118 B&B, hotel-lifepalace.hr
Cavtat, Croatia
Certainly one of Dalmatia’s most charming small seaside cities, Cavtat has terracotta-roofed homes that ripple out round a small horseshoe bay, with two wooded peninsulas stretching out in direction of Dubrovnik, 13 miles away throughout the water. Low-key cafes and eating places – a number of run by the identical households for many years – run parallel to the waterfront promenade, with swimming platforms and small pebble coves giving option to crystal-clear water. Boat taxis run commonly to Dubrovnik and close by Elaphiti islands, and there’s a beautiful round strolling route by way of the woods, with a few easy seashore bars which might be good sundowner spots. Villa Pattiera, as soon as the house of opera singer Tino Pattiera, stands on the prime of the promenade, with pretty views from its 12 apricot-hued bedrooms.
Doubles from £156 B&B, villa-pattiera.hr
Santa Maria di Castellabate, Campania, Italy
A world away from the hustle of the close by Amalfi coast, the Cilento coast is studded with small seaside cities the place light palazzos and fishers’ homes overlook unspoilt seashores. Santa Maria is simply such a spot: fishing boats return early within the morning to provide the city’s eating places, with fishers mending their nets on the blue flag seashores. Days may be spent lazing on the sands or following mountaineering trails into the Cilento nationwide park, with the close by archaeological websites of Paestum and Velia an enormous draw for historical past buffs. Keep on the Lodge Backyard Riviera, on a hillside 500 metres from the centre, with attractive sea views and a shuttle to the seashore. Doubles from £72 B&B, hotelgardenriviera.it
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La Flotte en Ré, Île de Ré, France
As soon as an essential sea-fishing port, La Flotte is without doubt one of the Île de Ré’s most stunning villages, with a tangle of lanes and alleyways working between traditional Breton-style homes, a waterfront lined with eating places and a large marina. Close by Arnérault seashore is your best option for a lazy afternoon; the timber behind the seashore supply shady spots for a nap, with altering and bathroom amenities – though it is vitally tidal, so examine occasions earlier than setting off. There are bikes to rent for the trip to atmospheric Abbaye des Châteliers, and a every day morning marketplace for picnic goodies – glorious cheeses, breads and cured meats. The Hôtel Hippocampe is within the previous village, with stylish, ethereal rooms.
Doubles from £74 room-only, hotel-hippocampe.com
Concarneau, Brittany, France
Steeped in historical past, with a belter of a seashore and a working fishing fleet that fills the city’s eating places with the freshest seafood, Concarneau is Brittany at its breezy, stunning finest. A city of two components, it has 14th-century ramparts across the previous city, set on a small island, and cobbled streets that wind between the homes to the bustling fishing port. Plage des Sables Blancs – a protracted stretch of unspoilt sand – is a brief stroll from the centre of city, with good amenities together with lifeguards. The Fishing Museum and the Marinarium – the oldest marine station on this planet – are good wet-weather choices for households. The Lodge Ker Mor is a unusual Nineteenth-century resort by the water’s edge.
Doubles from £117 B&B, hotel-logishotels.com
Fornells, Menorca, Spain
To not be confused with Playa de Fornells – a more moderen growth a couple of miles away – Fornells is considered one of Menorca’s most charming fishing villages, with a low-key waterfront dotted with palm timber that has develop into a fish restaurant hub (the dish to order is caldereta de llagosta – lobster stew). Lately it has additionally develop into identified for watersports, with dependable winds making very best situations for windsurfing and wing-foiling; there are paddleboards for calmer days. The city seashore is small, however Cala Tirant, on the opposite aspect of the headland, presents clear waters and a large stretch of sand. Can Digus has mild, ethereal residences in the guts of city.
Doubles from £57 room-only (two nights minimal), candigus.com
Llafranc, Girona, Spain
The jumble of whitewashed homes, blue doorways and small fishing boats bobbing within the water give Llafranc a pleasingly old-school really feel. As soon as the Costa Brava’s most glamorous spot – attracting everybody from Ernest Hemingway and Salvador Dalí to Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren – it has mellowed right into a quiet, family-friendly resort that solely actually will get busy in July and August. The sheltered harbour is right for watersports, together with kayaking, crusing, scuba-diving and paddleboarding, and there are good walks – notably the mile-long stroll across the pine-clad headland to Calella de Palafrugell – and sufficient bars to create a little bit of night-time buzz. Hostal Sa Teula sits 100 metres from the ocean, with 18 unfussy bedrooms and a restaurant serving domestically caught fish and traditional Catalan dishes.
Doubles from £109 B&B, hostalsateula.com
