Destination Guides: Europe
Hand-picked guides to Europe's towns, islands and coastlines.
Best time to visit Andalusia: heat, rain and quiet months
Andalusia by month: 36 °C July afternoons in Seville, the sea off Málaga at 22–24 °C from July to September, mild but wet winters and snow in the Sierra Nevada.
Best time to visit the Canary Islands: season by season
Canary Islands by season: winter sun from November to March, flowers in late winter and spring, summer trade winds, the warmest sea in September and October.
Costa Blanca in winter: weather, sea and what to do
Costa Blanca in winter: 17–18 °C afternoons in Alicante, the sea cooling to 14–15 °C, weather by month, walks and December sun through the Santa Llúcia Arch.
Winter sun: the Canary Islands, Madeira and southern Spain
Where it's warm in winter: 21–23 °C by day on the Canaries, 20–21 °C on Madeira, 16–18 °C on Spain's Mediterranean coast, plus sea temperatures and rainy days.
Madeira in winter: weather, sea and what to do
Madeira in winter: 20 °C afternoons in Funchal, the sea down to 18 °C, a wetter north, snowy peaks and waterfalls in full flow, plus which trails are open.
Mallorca in winter: weather, sea and what to do
Mallorca in winter: 15–16 °C afternoons and a cold sea, Palma without crowds, mountain walks after the rain, caves on wet days, and what closes.
The Dolomites in winter: what to do with and without skis
The Dolomites in winter: cold, dry days, cable cars up to the snow, frozen lakes, the Bolzano Christmas market, and which passes and roads close.
Best time to visit Lanzarote: winter sun or a quiet spring
When to visit Lanzarote: winter sun from November to March, a dry and quiet spring, hot summers and the warmest sea in September and October.
Gran Canaria in winter: where it's warm and what to do
Gran Canaria in winter: 20–23 °C on the coast, a warmer, sunnier south and cold summits, plus where to swim and when the almonds flower inland.
Tenerife in winter: weather, the sea and what to do
Tenerife in winter: about 22 °C on the south coast, a cooler, wetter north and snow on Teide, plus where to swim and what ice or heavy swell can close.
North or south Tenerife: where to stay and what to see
North or south Tenerife: La Laguna, La Orotava and a green coastal walk in the north; Playa del Duque, El Médano and lava trails in the south.
Serra de Tramuntana: seven places in Mallorca's mountains
Mallorca's Serra de Tramuntana: the Valldemossa monastery where Chopin wintered, Son Marroig, the Sóller train, two gorges, Lluc and a pirate watchtower.
Ibiza beyond the clubs: seven quiet places
Quiet Ibiza: walled Dalt Vila, a fortified church and hamlet, flamingos at Ses Salines, Es Vedrà at sunset, the rocks of Sa Punta Galera and calm Cala Mastella.
Talayotic Menorca: seven prehistoric sites to see
Talayotic Menorca: Bronze Age towns at Torre d'en Galmés and Son Catlar, taulas at Trepucó and Torralba, Naveta des Tudons and the cliff tombs of Cala Morell.
Menorca's coves: white sand in the south, red sand in the north
Menorca's coves: white sand and pines at Macarella, Turqueta and Mitjana, the big bay of Galdana, and red rock and golden sand at Pregonda, Cavalleria, Pilar.
Gran Canaria's mountains and ravines: seven places inland
Inland Gran Canaria: Roque Nublo and Roque Bentayga, the Cruz de Tejeda pass, cave villages in the Guayadeque ravine, Bandama crater and palm-lined Fataga.
Lanzarote beyond the beaches: lava, caves and César Manrique
Lanzarote beyond the beaches: Manrique's house in lava bubbles, Jameos del Agua, a walk into a volcano, the vine pits of La Geria and a green crater lagoon.
Tenerife's natural pools: seven places to swim in the Atlantic
Natural pools of Tenerife: lava pools at Garachico, wild rock pools in the north, a calm lagoon at Bajamar and Manrique's seawater lido, Lago Martiánez.
The Canary Islands in winter: Tenerife, Gran Canaria or Lanzarote?
Three Canary Islands in winter: beaches and a chance of snow on Teide in Tenerife, a warm south and cold summits in Gran Canaria, lava fields in Lanzarote.
Madeira's levadas for a first trip: seven walks to start with
Seven levada walks for a first trip to Madeira: mostly level paths, three routes to waterfalls and two you can reach by bus from Funchal.
Iceland in winter: six places worth the short days
Six places worth a winter trip to Iceland: northern lights near Reykjavík, Hraunfossar in ice, seals at Jökulsárlón and ice caves.
7 Best Places in Mallorca: What to See and Where to Go
Mallorca drew 13.5 million visitors in 2025, but most never leave the south coast. These 7 places — from the Sa Calobra hairpins to a circular 14th-century castle — cover the rest of the island.
Black Sand Beaches of Iceland (And How to Visit Them Safely)
Iceland's black sand beaches go far beyond Reynisfjara: this list picks twelve, each doing something the others don't. From a plane wreck on volcanic grit to a seal colony on golden sand, with honest distance-from-water guidance for each.
Volcano craters of Iceland you can actually walk up to
Iceland is full of craters you can genuinely climb — these ten are ranked by how much effort the rim actually takes. From a car park right at the crater rim to the highland caldera where Apollo astronauts trained.