Category: Sun

Categories
City City Break Europe Gibraltar Sun Winter Sun

Gibraltar

If you have a look at the current travel corridors, Gibraltar is one place that you can travel to at the time of writing without having a Covid test prior or on entry and there is no need to quarantine on your return.  Daytime temperatures are average around 16oC in January and can get into the low 20s.  It is pleasant enough to sit out and eat lunch during the day, but gets a bit chilly for dinner in the evening.

Although Gibraltar is relatively small, there is still plenty to do.  Scenery wise there is a little bit of everything. There are beaches which during the winter you might not want to sit on but they are great places to walk, take in the sea air and the views. There is plenty of history on Gibraltar due to its geography at the entrance of the Mediterranean Sea which has been a highly valued possession.   You will find a mixture of influences and reminders of the Romans, the Moors, the Spanish and the British all over the island.

St Micheal's Cave, Gibraltar - visitgibraltar.gi
St Micheal’s Cave – Gibraltar – visitgibraltar.gi

St Michael’s Cave is one of the many wonders of Gibraltar, and has enticed visitors for hundreds of years. While staying in Gibraltar it’s well worth paying a visit.  The cave is actually a series of caves that are 300m above sea level.  They are Gibraltar’s main tourist attraction with over 1,000,000 visitors a year.  One of the largest caves serves as an auditorium and during WW2 the caves served as a hospital.

You cannot visit Gibraltar without seeing the Barbary Macaques, these monkey inhabitants of the rock are the only monkeys on the continent of Europe.  They are well looked after in the Gibraltar nature reserve that covers 40% of the country. 

Barbary Macaque - African coastline of Morocco in the background.
Barbary Macaque – African coastline of Morocco in the background.

Two other attractions I wouldn’t want to miss out on if I were going on a short break. One would be the 11th century Moorish castle complex.  In its heyday it was much larger that it is today.  Look out for The Tower of Homage and the Gate House. In 1704 the British flag was placed on top of the castle and it still files today. The other would be the Great Siege Tunnels which were built at the end of the 18th century during the Great Siege of Gibraltar when France and Spain attempted to capture Gibraltar.  The tunnels dug out by hand mainly using sledgehammers and crowbars with the occasional gunpowder blast are impressive.

Moorish Castle and view over Gibraltar. visitgibraltar.gi
Moorish Castle and view over Gibraltar. visitgibraltar.gi
Categories
Beach Cancun Central America Mexico Sun Winter Sun

Cancun, Mexico

Looking ahead until later in the year, plenty of us will be considering a trip to Cancun and we will be able to make it to Mexico. Trips to Cancun have it all. On top of the 13+ miles of beaches, there is plenty of nightlife, modern shopping malls and Mayan ruins a short trip away.

For sun lovers the sun shines for 250 days a year in Cancun. The driest part of the year is from January to May and day time temperatures average between 28°C and 34°C depending on the season. Sea temperatures average 27°C. The northern beaches are sheltered by a small island and have calmer waters whilst the eastern beaches have more waves. Take your pick depending on what you are looking for from a day at the beach.

Beach - Cancun - Mexico
Beach – Cancun – Mexico

Just a 90 minute drive away at Tulum, perched above 40 ft cliffs you will find one of Mexico’s best preserved Mayan coastal sites. Here you will find a walled city that was a bustling metropolis from the 13th to 15th centuries. Don’t miss out on the Temple of the Frescoes and its numerous murals, the Temple of the Descending God which is a single room accessed via a narrow staircase on top of another temple that served as its base, and finally the pyramid shaped El Castillo. The photo below does it more justice that words.

Tulum - Cancun - Mexico
Tulum – Cancun – Mexico

Back in Cancun there are a wide range of hotels to suit every pocket and in the evenings there is everything from sports bars to ballet and everything inbetween.

Sunset - Cancun - Mexico
Sunset – Cancun – Mexico
Categories
Antigua Beach Caribbean Cruise Sun Winter Sun

Antigua

In Antigua, as there are 54 miles of coastline, to walk along. There are in fact 365 beaches along the coast, that’s one for every day of the year.

Of those beaches, amongst the most famous are Galley Bay Beach for surfing, Half Moon Bay for relaxing and Dickenson Bay which is the most popular, with a number of hotels and restaurants.  For example it is here that you can find the Sandals Grande Antigua Resort and the Siboney Beach Club.

Dickenson Bay - Antigua
Dickenson Bay – Antigua

Many of the hotels on the island are built along the beaches so that you can literally step out of your room straight on to the beach.  In fact you could be on the beach within 10 hours of taking off from London with flight times of around 8 and a half hours.

Should you want to tear yourself away from the beach, then head up to Shirley Heights from where you can obtain the best view on the island.  At a height of 490 feet, you get superb views of English and Falmouth Harbours and is best visited at sunset and the early evening.

View from Shirley Heights - Antigua
View from Shirley Heights – Antigua

Today, Nelson’s Dockyard provides many sites and activities for the modern day visitor to enjoy.  It was built back in the early eighteenth century, when the British realised the value of having a dockyard to harbour ships in bad weather and keeping an eye on the French. The dockyard is named after Lord Nelson, who as Captain of the HMS Boreas, was sent to Antigua to enforce British laws in the colonies.

Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua
Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua
Categories
Beach Caribbean St Lucia Sun Winter Sun

St Lucia

Lucia was a 4th century Saint who brought food and aid to Christians hiding in the Roman Catacombs. Her deeds are celebrated on 13th December, which on the old Julian calendar was the date of the winter solstice.  To light her way and leave her hands to carry as much as possible she wore a candlelit wreath on her head.

St Lucia
St Lucia

So this winter and spring why not head for the light and warmth of the Caribbean winter sun to the island of St Lucia, the only sovereign nation named after a woman. The average daily temperature even during the less warm months (there are no cold ones) is 26C.  The period from January to May is also the driest part of the year. There are numerous sandy beaches and all of them are public so you can take your pick.  The most popular is Reduit Beach where you will find lively beach bars, restaurants and a wide variety of water sports.  Alternatively at the opposite end of Rodney Bay you will find the quieter beaches of Pigeon Island beach, which are located with a National Park.

Rodney Beach - St Lucia
Rodney Beach – St Lucia

The attraction of St Lucia as a holiday destination is that it is not just about the beaches. Due to its size and varied landscape, it is so easy to connect with nature and the outdoors.  The island is home to the Piton mountains. They are a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, a trek up will take you around 4 hours with a local guide.  From a height over almost 800m there is surely not a comparable view in the Caribbean.

Piton Mountains - St Lucia
Piton Mountains – St Lucia

Before you departure from St Lucia, take some time to visit the “world’s only drive in volcano” located in the southwest of the island near the town of Soufriere which in French means “from which sulfur is produced”. Nearby you can also experience the sulphur springs where you can experience a mud bath. The baths are believed to have medicinal properties and helps heal sun burns, eczema, arthritis, sore joints, and more.

Sulphur Springs – St Lucia
Categories
Barbados Beach Caribbean Sun

Barbados

This small Caribbean island is an eight and half hour flight from the UK and when you step off the plane at Grantley Adams International Airport you will have been transported to a different world but some elements of familiarity. Afternoon tea and cricket are just two of the examples.

The temperature rarely drops below 25°C, with daytime temperatures in August reaching around 30°C. The sea in Barbados is warm enough to swim all year round. The driest period is from December through to April. If soaking up the sun is for you then there are few prettier places in the world to do it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but it’s generally considered that Barbados has some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean.

There is more to Barbados than just beaches and due to its size its relatively easy to travel around the island. Buses travel all over the island and are super cheap! They are a great way to experience Barbadian (aka Bajan) life. Meet some locals and see life outside your hotel or villa.

Since 2011 Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Categories
Bahamas Caribbean Sun

Bahamas

The Bahamas - Courtesty of the Bahamian Ministry of Tourism
The Bahamas

If you are thinking of a getaway, it’s easy to understand why the Beach Boys would have wanted to take you to the Caribbean.

A holiday in the Bahamas makes great sense at this time of year.  Average daytime temperatures range from 25C in February to 28C in April, and your tourism pounds will help the country rebuild.

The Bahamas has beautiful clear waters which are ideal for snorkelling and scuba diving. Explore some of the world’s largest underwater cave systems and one of the largest barrier reefs. The Bahamas consists of 700 islands of which 14 are tourist destinations.

Categories
Beach Caribbean City Cuba Havana Sun

Cuba Calling

Cuba has to be close to the top of the list of places to visit once we can travel again.  Thanks to US sanctions it is caught in a partial time warp.  Cuba is one of the few places in the world that you still can’t buy a McDonalds, unless you are serving or detained at Guantanamo Bay!

Havana Cuba

So you need to visit before it all changes. Unlike former Communist Central and East European countries where almost all vestiges of socialist ideologies have disappeared there are plenty of reminders around.

Outside of Havana where you must visit UNESCO listed the Old town and its impressive colonial buildings, you can access some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, with crystal clear waters and fine sandy beaches that are not overrun with tourists. 

And if you need any more reasons to visit, did we mention the old cars, the cheap beer and rum and world renowned cigars.

Old Cars Cuba
Old Cars Cuba
Categories
Canary Islands Spain Sun Winter

Winter Sun

Who knows what the restrictions will be as we head towards Christmas and New Year.

Playa Barca
Playa Barca

There is plenty of winter sun to be had in destinations such as Mexico, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Oman. 

However you don’t have to travel so far to sit on a beach and enjoy the warmth of the sun. Daytime temperatures on the island of Fuerteventura (the second largest of the Canary Islands) are 22 oC in December compared to 24 oC in Cancun and you will get there nearly 7 hours faster.

Prices for a week in Fuerteventura are a lot less than you might think at this time of the year and represent great value when compared to long haul destinations like Cancun.

Categories
Beach Caribbean Jamaica Sun

‘Wah Gwaan’

“What’s Up?” Not much as you look at the grey sky and the rain pouring down. Wouldn’t you rather be somewhere warm surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery in the Caribbean. This is the perfect time of year to be thinking of a wonderful holiday on the beautiful island of Jamaica.

Ocho Rios Bay Beach

Jamaica has so much to offer it’s visitors and that’s why according to the Jamaican Ministry of Tourism 40% of tourists are repeat visitors. Over 4 million visitors a year can’t be wrong. The beaches are a magnet, the golden sand and the clear blue sea, but once there, there is so much more to do and see. Jamaica is the cultural capital of the Caribbean there’s never a dull moment.

In recent years Jamaica has become an increasingly popular destinations for weddings and honeymoons. The naturally heart-shaped ‘jacuzzi’ at Reach Falls and the sunsets in Negril are the perfect backdrop to your romantic getaway.