Heidi Fuller-Love

Mykonos has gained a bit of a reputation for being one of Europe’s victims of overtourism. And it’s true – much of this beautiful island has become lined with tourist trap restaurants, naff souvenir shops and beaches full of commercial sunbeds.  But if you know where to look, Mykonos’s magic is still very much alive. On any given week in Mykonos, you can party all night to famous DJs, have dinner overlooking a crystal-blue sea, stroll through its old town and head out on a day trip by boat. Your best bet might just be heading there in the quieter months to avoid the crowds. Here are the best things to do on Mykonos. RECOMMENDED:🧿 The best hotels in Mykonos🏝️ The best Greek islands to visit🇬🇷 The best places to visit in Greece🏖️ The best beaches in Europe Marissa Tejada and Heidi Fuller-Love are writers based in Greece. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.  

Mykonos might be known for being a bit of a party holiday destination, but there’s more to this Greek island than meets the eye, and each of its main areas offers something a little different.  And sure, it’s popular with jetsetters who come here to hang out on stunning beaches, dance ‘till dawn in glitzy nightclubs and prowl stylish boutiques and bars in the alleys of Chora town. But this pocket-sized Cyclades Island also has a quieter side if you know where to look. From lively city hangouts to peaceful beach resorts, here’s where to stay in Mykonos. RECOMMENDED:🏨 The best hotels in Mykonos🧿 The best things to do in Mykonos🇬🇷 The best places to visit in Greece🏛️ The best things to do in Athens Heidi Fuller-Love is a travel writer and Greece expert based in Crete. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.  

Mykonos might be nicknamed the ‘Greek Ibiza’ (and don’t get us wrong, it’s nightlife scene is second-to-none), but it’s got far more on offer than the chance to stay up dancing until 4am. The ‘other’ side of Mykonos is chilled-out, classy, jaw-droppingly beautiful and packed full of luxury and five-star hotels. There’s a little something for everyone on this island, the only hard part is knowing where to look. So we’ve done the hard work for you: here are our top picks for hotels in Mykonos, for the party-goers, the relaxers and everyone in between.  Mykonos’s best hotels at a glance 🥂 Best luxury stay: Kalesma 🪩 Best for partying: Kove 🧘 Best for a quiet beach holiday: Anemelia 🛍️ Best mid-sized boutique: Nissaki Boutique Hotel 💸 Best budget: Petasos Beach Resort & Spa Which part of Mykonos is best to stay in? Every town in Mykonos offers something a little different – whether it’s access to clubs and parties, or having beautiful, chilled-out beaches on your doorstep. For the closest you’ll get to an all-rounder, Chora is the way to go – it’s the epicentre of it all, and has the whitewashed allies, little boutique shops and vibey beach bars you’re dreaming of. For a breakdown on all the island’s best towns and neighbourhoods, check out our full guide to where to stay in Mykonos.  How we curate our hotel lists Our team of writers and travel experts review hotels all over the world – new openings, old classics and everything in between – to bring you fresh, honest rec

The largest of the Balearic Islands is a hugely underrated spot. Majorca seems to have earned a bit of a reputation for ‘Brits abroad’, but if you know the right spots, you’ll see a different side of it entirely.  Home to some of the best beaches you’ll ever see, you’ll spend your days strolling quaint old towns, taking dazzling hikes, studying ancient ruins and tasting the very best sobrasada, fresh fish and coca de trempó Majorca has to offer. From flea markets to hidden coves, here are the best things to do in Majorca.  RECOMMENDED:🏨 The best hotels in Majorca📍 The best places to visit in Spain🇪🇸 Our ultimate guide to Spain Mary-Ann Gallagher is a travel writer and guidebook author. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have 

‘Overtourism’. It’s more than a buzzword – in the world’s most popular destinations, it’s a problem that affects almost every aspect of local life, from the environment to the cost of renting, transport and eating out. And when a place is overwhelmed by people, it’s not only locals’ quality of life that suffers; the quality of your trip does, too. But it’s not all bad. Destinations are coming up with ways to redistribute tourism from densely crowded hotspots to lesser-visited regions. Travellers are seeking cooler climes and embracing slow travel, allowing space to discover somewhere new. And they’re still riding the ‘destination dupes’ trend, where overrun holiday destinations are swapped out for less crowded, less expensive, but just-as-good alternatives. On our newly updated list of the world’s most underrated travel destinations, you won’t find your Bangkoks or your Balis, your Amalfis or your Amsterdams. What you will find is the hidden side of Yosemite, the French Riviera’s overlooked twin, a place where penguins outnumber people, and plenty more travel inspo where that came from.Why trust us? Because we’ve been to them all. Every spot on this list was picked by one of our expert editors and globetrotting travel writers, recommended because they offer great (or quiet) alternatives to the classics – and in many cases, because they’re places that actually want tourism. In other words, travelling to any of these 33 criminally overlooked destinations is a win-win situation.

The French Riviera might be the international capital of luxury travel, but you don’t have to be super rich and wealthy to enjoy some fun in paradise. You can easily bask in the sun on a beautiful beach and not spend a single euro, and if you know the right spots, there are most certainly good towns for a budget. Brave the narrow, and sometimes steep, streets of Eze and marvel at the panoramic views from the mountainside village. Or coordinate your outfits with the bright and vibrant buildings in the medieval old town of Menton. Even if just for a day, embrace the life of luxury and leave with enough to fantasise about when you’re back at home. The best way to do it? Rent a car and tick each of them off on a colossal road trip. Sound good? We agree. Here are the best places to visit on the French Riviera.  When is the best time to visit? When planning your trip to the French Riviera, aim for spring or late summer, particularly September if you can avoid the crowds. RECOMMENDED:🏨 The best hotels in the South of France🇫🇷 The best places to visit in France🏘️ The best Airbnbs in Nice🏰 The prettiest villages in France This guide was last updated by Chloe Braithwaite, a writer based in Nice in the South of France. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more informatio

Europe is not lacking in jaw-dropping beauty. Its home to seven Wonders of the World, for one thing, as well as 34 UNESCO World Heritage Sites – and even that doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of the incredible things you can find across the continent. But even if we can’t list every single beautiful place in Europe, we can list our favourites. To put together this list, we asked our editorial staff team and travel writers based all over Europe for the most beautiful things they’d ever seen on their travels. The result? Stories of taking boats out on Germany’s hidden lakes, climbing up to vast sand dunes in France, afternoons spent strolling Art Nouveau streets in Latvia and childhoods spent clambering over jagged stones in Ireland. From solitary islands to well-trodden walking routes, here are the most beautiful places in Europe, picked by us. 📍 RECOMMENDED: Our ultimate guide to destinations in Europe Ella Doyle is Time Out’s guides editor. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

There’s nothing quite like standing at the top of the multicoloured cliffs that Santorini is famous for. This island is one of the most unique destinations in the world, and not just because it is in the huge crater of a volcano. The scenery here seems crafted by the Greek gods: whitewashed villages crown the island with views over its sea-flanked edges, rural vineyards span huge stretches inland, and the beaches are black, red and out of this world. There’s plenty for explorers, foodies and culture vultures to discover, from archaeological sites to swimming spots and friendly hotels, brilliant wine and Mediterranean food. RECOMMENDED🛏 Where to stay in Santorini🏨 The best hotels in Santorini🇬🇷 The best places to visit in Greece🏝️ The best Greek islands Marissa Tejada is a writer based in Greece. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

La Riviera Francesa podría ser la capital internacional de los viajes de lujo, pero no tienes que ser súper rico para disfrutar de un poco de diversión en el paraíso. Es fácil disfrutar del sol en una playa fantástica sin gastar ni un solo euro y hay una montaña de pueblos bonitos para presupuestos ajustados -solo hay que saber dónde ir-. Atreveos a recorrer las estrechas y, a veces, empinadas calles de Eze y maravillaos con las vistas panorámicas desde el pueblo en la ladera de la montaña. O combinad vuestros modelitos con los edificios emblemáticos del casco antiguo medieval de Menton. Incluso si es solo para un día, abrazad la vida de lujo y regresad a casa con suficientes recuerdos como para fantasear con ellos. ¿La mejor manera de hacerlo? Alquilar un coche y tachar cada uno de la lista en un viaje colosal por carretera. ¿Suena bien? La verdad es que sí. Aquí están los mejores lugares para visitar en la Riviera Francesa. ¿Cuál es el mejor momento para viajar? Al planificar vuestro viaje a la Riviera Francesa, apuntad a la primavera o finales del verano, y si podéis evitar las multitudes, septiembre es el mejor mes, también cuando se trata de buscar las mejores gangas para el hospedaje en el sur. RECOMENDADO:🏘 ¿Os apetece explorar los pueblos con más encanto del sur Francia?🏖 Descubrid qué visitar en Francia🗼 ¿Pasáis por la capital? No os perdáis las mejores cosas que hacer en Paris🏡 Perdeos entre los pueblos con más encanto de Francia🏰 Pasad la noche en un Airbnb d

With its blue-domed churches and snow-white villages teetering above the world’s only inhabited volcanic caldera, Santorini is justly renowned for its spectacular sunsets, especially in Oia where honeymooners flock to stay in a string of sexy cave hotels carved out of the volcano’s black and red flanks. But sultry Santorini isn’t just about sunsets – from breezy seaside resorts with black sand beaches and fun watersports activities to ancient villages whose cobbled streets are lined with traditional tavernas and cosy bars, this sizzling Cyclades island also has plenty of other charms if you know where to look. Here are the six best places to stay in Santorini.  RECOMMENDED: 🛏 The best hotels in Santorini☀️ The best things to do in Santorini🏖️ The best places to visit in Greece🏝️ The most beautiful Greek islands Heidi Fuller-Love is a travel writer and Greece expert based in Crete. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.  

Corfu is a little different to the other beloved Greek islands (geography plays its part), but this slice of paradise is inundated with annual visitors for good reason. The landscape is luxurious and leafy, brimming with olive trees and fruit groves, giving Corfu a verdant feel that is easy to get lost in. What are the best things to do on Corfu? Well, be on Corfu for a start, but there is plenty to get your teeth into on this beautiful island. Gorgeous architecture, stunning walks, idyllic beaches and ornate palaces headline, but the beauty of Corfu arguably lies in the spaces. You’re going to love this place. Greece at its absolute finest. RECOMMENDED:🧿 The best places to visit in Greece🏝️ The most beautiful Greek islands🏨 The best hotels in Greece🏛 The best things to do in Athens Heidi Fuller-Love and Marissa Tejada are travel writers based in Greece. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

It’s officially winter. There’s no denying it. It was only Halloween a second ago and now we seem to be hurtling ever closer to Christmas. But don’t let it feel like Christmas is the only thing going for this time of year – there’s plenty of time for nesting in December. In our opinion, this is the perfect time for a holiday. After all, European breaks weren’t all they cracked up to be this summer, marked by heatwaves and overtourism. So we’d go as far as to argue that a ton of the most well-loved holiday hotspots are even better in winter, when summer destinations lose their throngs of tourists, and cosy breaks get even cosier. On our list of the best winter destinations in Europe, we’ve got everything from Italian foodie breaks to the official home of Santa Claus. Here are our favourite spots in Europe for winter to embrace the cold for 2024. RECOMMENDED:⛲️ The most underrated destinations in Europe⛷️ The most affordable ski holidays in Europe🏞 The most beautiful places in Europe⛄ The world’s best Christmas destinations🏔️ The best places to travel in December, January and February Ella Doyle is Time Out’s guides editor. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

Anemelia in Greek means carefree or free as the wind (Anemos) because this hilltop boutique hotel gazing out over a distant blue smudge of sea opposite Elia Beach is bathed in the balmy breezes that gave Mykonos its Island of the Winds nickname. It’s owned by a family from the neighbouring Cyclades island of Naxos – they ferry over fab fresh produce – yoghurts, cheeses, red juicy tomatoes and more – to use in the hotel’s restaurant. Why stay at Anemelia? A far cry from the boho chic glitter of hotels around Ornos and Psarou, this tiny 20-room hotel is like a little bubble in the (for the moment) less developed east part of the island: expect less traffic noise and hassle, just the sound of the wind and tweeting birds, along with a low-key family-style welcome and plenty of local food treats. What are the rooms like at Anemelia? Across 20 (low-key yet luxurious) open plan rooms, style is simple and minimalist: narrow wooden desks run the length of entire walls; low sofas with marshmallow-fat cushions lounge next to cream walls; stocky cupboards hide behind sisal-covered doors; Apivita organic Greek toiletries perfume capacious bathrooms and silky tiled floors are perfect for barefoot padding. Best of all are the super comfortable King beds that turn lazy mornings into an art form. Smaller Deluxe rooms and Cocoon suites are perfect if you plan to spend your time out of doors (small terraces are ideal for star gazing or late-night sips). Larger suites also have plunge pools big

Ah, magical Mykonos, where we come to party hard, shop for chic rags, and spot the celebrities who congregate on the Island of the Winds like (very glam) flies.  There are plenty of swanky places to stay on Greece’s glittering Cyclades atoll, but Kalesma is right up there with the best. Perched on a breeze-cooled hilltop with birds eye views of super-yacht-littered Ornos Bay, where celebs (and mere mortals, like us) come to play, it’s also an easy hop from Chora’s designer boutiques, feet-in-the-water tavernas and bougainvillea-shaded streets. Chilled ambience, relaxed sartorial style, and super-stylish suites spell the perfect stay.  Why stay at Kalesma Mykonos? Aesthetics are certainly one of the reasons: suites set in discreet clusters on a hilltop linked by a looping road to Ornos’s golden sands below are Cycladic cubes, whose moulded lines the colour of mastixa ice-cream fit perfectly into the surrounding landscapes planted with the exotic paws of prickly pear. If you can ignore the odd electric pylon, or two (oh Greece – when will you get rid of these beauty-ruiners?) the eye-candy views of Ornos’ beach babes, and superyachts spied through wind-waved palm fronds – or glimpsed from the pretty infinity pool – are glorious, especially at sunset when the yachts glitter like precious gems, and the hillsides turn deep blue. For the genial owner, who has plenty of tales about Mykonos in the old days, this resort was a labour of love, and it shows.  What are the rooms like at K

Chilled boho vibes rule the roost at this adults-only white-on-white sanctuary clustered around a very gram-worthy pool on a hillside overlooking the upscale buzz of Ornos’ golden sands. Previously a Kensho property, it now belongs to the celebrated family-owned Myconian Collection who opened their first hotel here back in 1978. They have 14 properties dotted across the island, and you can expect the Collection’s usual hip style and friendly service, along with complimentary beach beds on Ornos Beach close by – a perk not to be sneezed at when you consider that they usually cost upwards of €30 per person. Why stay at Kove Mykonos? If your vibe is wall-to-wall sound-surround, along with a smattering of boho chic style, across 35 elegant rooms clustered around a  central pool backed by glass walls (to protect from the winds that gave this island its nickname), this hip hideaway is for you (probably not so much if you like peace and quiet, however). From raucous laughter at reception (so loud I couldn’t hear myself being checked in) to the steady throb of music by the pool, this is a space for party hounds. Daytimes are spent chilling on sunloungers by the main pool, swinging in basket chairs near the second (smaller) rooftop or lapping up the cool atmosphere (along with plenty of vitamin Sea)  at Ornos Beach, whilst DJs down on the beach or around the pool set the tone at night.  What are the rooms like at Kove Mykonos? Clustered around the pretty heated pool framed by driftwoo

Athens is a marvellously jumbled city, with a plethora of cool neighbourhoods for visitors to explore. However, if you’re headed to the Greek capital in search of historic walks, picturesque streets and knockout views, make sure you venture into Plaka.  The patch, which curls around the north and west areas of the Acropolis, is a pretty, tangled neighbourhood which has been occupied for a staggering 2,500 hundred years. That’s right – among all this city’s history, Plaka is Athens’s oldest neighbourhood, and it’s a goldmine of ancient sites and neoclassical architecture. While we can hardly describe it as a hidden gem, Plaka’s popularity should not deter you from having a gander along its bougainvillaea-lined streets, so here’s a roundup of the best places to head.  📍 Discover our full guide to where to stay in Athens Top things to do in Plaka Ogle some classical Greek craftsmanship at the Parthenon This is a pretty obvious place to recommend, but if you’re spending the day exploring Plaka, paying a visit to the Parthenon is an absolute must. The temple, dedicated to the goddess of wisdom and war Athena, is just one of the ancient structures on the Acropolis, and it was built way back in 447 BC. The structure isn’t just a jaw-dropping example of Greek classical art, but also offers jaw-dropping views of the city.  Snack on some keftedes at Glykis Food in Plaka doesn’t come cheap, and there are definitely some other neighbourhoods with great affordable options if you’re cravi

Athens has plenty of neighbourhoods which are history-packed, scenic and buzzy during the daytime, but if you’re after a spot which remains lively until after hours, Psirri could be the one for you.  Neighboured by the established nightlife district of Gazi, Psirri sits north of the Acropolis and centres around the vibey Iroon Square. It’s a renowned go-to if you’re after a livelier atmosphere as plenty of the bars and tavernas stay open late, some of which host DJs and live music, and you might even catch some rembetika (Greek blues)! However, Psirri is also worth stopping by during the day, for the art galleries and street art – so, here’s our roundup of the best things to do.  📍 Discover our full guide to where to stay in Athens Top things to do in Psirri STAY Housed in a stylishly revamped century-old building with glass floors and pop art-lined walls, Asomaton overlooks the city’s oldest pedestrian street and makes a good base for exploring. If you’re on a budget it has to be City Circus, a hip hostel in a beautifully converted nineteenth-century building. Don’t miss the free wine at happy hour. EAT It might not be close to the coastline, but Atlantikos – which is a bit like a Greek version of a British fish-and-chip shop (and just as good value) – is rightfully hailed as one of the best places in Athens for fresh seafood. If meat is more your thing, grab a courtyard table at old-school wine bar Oinopouleion, or head to Krasopoulio tou Kokora for home-cooked food and w

It’s hard not to make jokes about having to build your own bed when you stay in the world’s only IKEA Hotell, but I resisted the temptation when I checked into this unique property in Älmhult: the remote, lake-studded region of southern Sweden where IKEA’s founder Ingvar Kamprad grew up.  I reached the flatpack furniture giant’s only hotel after a two-hour train ride from Copenhagen. With that iconic blue and yellow sign outside, it was hard to miss. The 254 rooms – which range from cabins with bunks beds and shared bathrooms to doubles with plump queen beds – stay true to IKEA’s budget-friendly ethos, with one-night stays coming in well under €100. And – as you’d expect — they’re all furnished with some of IKEA’s most iconic products: Lisabo tables, Poang easy chairs, Boomerang coat hangers. It’s a bit like walking into one of those staged sets you find in an IKEA warehouse, only with a shower tacked on.  Photograph: Booking.com Although the rooms are Scandi-style bland, with blonde parquet floors, beige walls and white cotton curtains, there are excellent IKEA-style add-ons that travellers and digital nomads (like me) will love. Included is a free-to-use communal lounge area complete with fridge, sink and dishwasher, plus a laundry room – also free – where you can put a wash on before heading down to IKEA Hotell’s gleaming restaurant for a fika (that’s Swedish for snack) or – you guessed it – lingonberry-smothered meatballs. Photograph: Booking.com IKEA was founded by I