With the holiday season well underway, many people around Europe are making travel arrangements to spend the approaching winter holidays in one of Europe's many wonderful getaway destinations. Craigslist portland
Europe is the world's second-smallest continent, measuring only 2% larger than Canada, yet the third-most populous, accounting for 11% of the global population. Its 47 countries cover Alpine mountains, historic cities, and coasts on both the Atlantic and Mediterranean Seas, making it a holiday paradise.
With that in mind, here are some of my favorite European vacation places for you to visit.
Costa Brava is a region in Catalonia, Spain
The Costa Brava, in my opinion, is the most beautiful of all the Spanish Costas, located one hour north of magnificent Barcelona. This is where package tourism to Spain originated, among the aromatic Aleppo pine trees and tiny rocky coves, yet unlike other Costas that quickly became tightly populated, the steep rocky coastline has kept many locations blissfully free of overdevelopment.
This is the affluent Costa, close to the Pyrenees and the French border. The Dali Museum in Figueres, as well as Barcelona itself, are cultural highlights. Avoid the mass-market areas (Lloret de Mar is not enjoyable in the summer) and travel north to traditional Spanish villages and towns such as Girona, Begur, and Pals.
Cornwall
Yes, it rains too much, and yes, it is a five-hour train or car journey from London, but Cornwall has been welcoming visitors for many years. Cornwall is one of the most popular places of the UK, with cool surfers riding the waves on the north coast and retired admirals sailing between the coves and bays in the south.
Cornwall has improved its game after losing out for several years to more evident European glamour resorts. It has developed world-class visitor attractions such as The Eden Project, provides accommodation ranging from low-cost but modern B&Bs to New England-style beachside houses, and is quickly establishing itself as a noteworthy gastronomic destination.
Captains of industry now bring their own children back to the locations where they vividly recall their own bucket and spade vacations. Just remember to bring your waterproofs.
Mallorca
Families and couples, golfers and cyclists, adrenaline-fueled sailors and laid-back beachgoers: It's all covered on the largest Balearic Island, which is a year-round Mediterranean home for many expats.
Mallorca has been a popular island destination from the early days of package holidays because it is large enough to offer this variety while yet being small enough that everything is within an hour's drive of Palma's large international airport. The local administration has effectively focused on smartening up the island for the past decade, and whether you want bright and buzzy or tranquil and refined, Mallorca offers.
Greece's Islands
The Greek islands have become a veritable legend thanks to their fascinating cultural history, natural beauty, and simple friendly lifestyle. Over 21 million tourists visited Greece in 2014, ranging from backpackers to millionaires on super yachts, and the Greek archipelago, with over 2,000 islands, is more than capable of accommodating them all.
The fabled Minotaur may be found on Crete, the largest island, as well as the beautiful beaches of Mykonos, a genuinely cosmopolitan island. The British love Corfu's Venetian architecture and ancient olive trees, while Greeks flock to little-known Kea in the Cyclades, which is only two hours away by car and boat from Athens. The elegant Skiathos has 65 of the best beaches, but the car-free Spetses, located just off the magnificent Peloponnese peninsula, is simple, perfect, and true Greece.
Paris
Paris, of all the great European cities, is ideal for both first-time visitors and those who return year after year. The French capital is also the spot to relax and stare over a café au lait or aperitif, a favorite continental pastime. Look, The Eiffel Tower, there's the Arc de Triomphe, hello Notre Dame.
The City of Love and Light is home to fantastic museums, trendy shopping, and enough style to satisfy any Francophile. It is the culinary capital of a country obsessed with food, as well as a historic center for intellectual and philosophical thought. If that isn't enough, the former court of Versailles and the Loire châteaux are both within a day's drive.