Five Under-the-Radar European Beach Hotels
Nostos Boutique Hotel, Serifos, Greece
This two-year-old spot on the rugged Cycladic island of Serifos is a five-minute walk from the beach. With whitewashed walls and blue shutters, the hotel — which has 17 guest rooms, many with balconies, as well as a small gym — echoes the island's sugar cube-style architecture. Unlike some neighboring islands — Sifnos, for example, lost its low-profile status when the actress Margot Robbie was photographed wheeling her suitcase off the ferry in 2023 — Serifos still feels off the grid. It's hard to pick a favorite among its 50 beaches, but Psili Ammos, a 10-minute drive from Nostos, is a worthy contender. A golden crescent on the eastern side of the island just north of Livadi port, it's shaded, unlike many of the island's beaches, by tamarisk trees, and there are two tavernas: Stefankos, the more refined of the two, serves Cycladic classics like Greek salad with creamy mizithra cheese, zucchini fritters with tzatziki and fresh fish. From about $250 a night.
Les Hautes Mers, Île d'Yeu, France
One of only a handful of hotels on Île d'Yeu, a tiny island 10 miles off the west coast of France, three-year-old Les Hautes Mer has 25 bedrooms, some with sea views, decorated in shades of blue with nautical details like model sailboats. There's a swimming pool and a restaurant, where plump, sweet Fromentine oysters are the must order. Half a mile from Port-Joinville, the island's harbor and main village, where the ferry arrives from the mainland town of Fromentine (or you can take a 10-minute helicopter flight), Les Hautes Mers faces Plage de Ker Châlon, a broad, sandy beach on the island's northeastern coast. Lined with dunes and pine trees, it slopes gently to the ocean and is a favorite of kite and windsurfers on breezy days. From about $425 a night, with a three-night minimum stay.
The Suffolk, Aldeburgh, Britain
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National Geographic
21 hours ago
- National Geographic
Where to travel in September
This article was adapted from National Geographic Traveller (UK). Is there a better month to feel a surge of travel spirit than September? As the summer holiday crush eases, Europe gets back to business and harvest time brings a bevy of the continent's stellar produce to restaurant tables, from young wines to olives, Greek figs, British apples, Spanish almonds and so much more. The change of season signals new beginnings and new adventures — perhaps a trip where you can try something to improve your skills or a hobby, or just to indulge some creative curiosity. From mindfulness courses to cookery classes, more purposeful travel can resume once the summer beach season is over. Further afield, there are some stellar wildlife spectacles to see, from the big game that gather around dry-season watering holes in Africa to turtle spotting in Costa Rica, or watching humpback whales, blue whales and pods of orcas patrolling for sea lions along California's coast. Here's our pick of destinations for travel in September. 1. Germany Despite its title, Oktoberfest actually starts in September. Munich's mighty festival of beer usually gets off to a frothy start in the middle of the month (this year it runs from 20 September to 5 October), with a 1,000-participant folksy parade flying the colours of local landlords, breweries and ale houses. This is followed by the Hunter's Parade, another riot of traditional Bavarian costume with a 12-gun salute to declare the bars officially open. There are 38 tents selling every conceivable iteration of German beer; most with regional food to try, too, from Alpine cheeses and North Sea oysters to hearty breakfasts, vegan eats and all manner of charcuterie and sausages. Wine lovers are also catered for, but it's worth noting that September is also grape-harvest season, and Germany's picture-perfect wine country comes alive with tastings, tours and foodie events. Responsible travel tip: It's easy to get to Munich by train. The simplest route takes just over nine hours from London, with a change in Paris. More info. Oktoberfest is one of the world's largest festivals, with over six million revellers joining the festivities every year. Photograph by Nikada, Getty Images 2. Sicily Italy's southernmost island sheds beach holiday crowds opening up for those looking for some late-season sun coupled with buzzy city breaks. The capital, Palermo, reanimates as residents return from coastal resorts, and some of the island's best harvest fare starts making its way onto restaurant tables, including fresh figs, pistachios, almonds and mushrooms. September's temperatures make a Mount Etna hike more feasible, while tickets for ferries to the volcanic Aeolian Islands become more readily available. It's also a great time to explore the island's little-known hilly backcountry. Responsible travel tip: In recent years, the medieval hilltop villages of Sicily's interior have been abandoned by youngsters seeking work on the coast and mainland. You can support these struggling rural economies and see some spectacular countryside while hiking the Via Magna Francigena. This long-distance route weaves across the middle of the island from the Tyrrhenian Sea at Palermo to the Mediterranean city of Agrigento, with a growing network of locally run hotels, hostels and homestays en route. (How chocolate went from rough to refined in one Sicilian town.) 3. Cornwall, UK September is a fine time to visit Cornwall, when sea temperatures are at their warmest, honeypot towns such as St Ives and Padstow are freed from log-jam traffic and summer crowds, and beaches are also far less busy. For two weeks every September, St Ives celebrates the arts with a festival of film screenings, art exhibitions, comedy and concerts — from folk to rock, classic to choral — as well as talks and guided walks in and around town, taking in everything from local history to megalithic tombs and Virginia Woolf's Talland House. September is also the time of Heritage Open Days (12-21 September), when landmark buildings across the country that are usually closed to the public throw open their doors for tours. There are some notable addresses in Cornwall. Responsible travel tip: Ditch the car and explore by bike. Cornwall has a growing number of coastal and rural cycle trails linking its many Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The West Kernow Way is a 143-mile looped route starting in Penzance and taking in such landmark spots as Land's End, St Michaels Mount and Lizard Point. (Where to eat the best fish and chips in Cornwall.) The dramatic coastline at St Ives, Cornwall. Photograph by James Ms, Getty Images 4. Namibia Dry season in Namibia (June to October) is a good time to spot the desert-dwelling elephants of the country's northern Damaraland, which are otherwise somewhat invisible against the vastness of purple-red inselberg hills. But as the pachyderms gather at diminishing river systems and springs, sightings are more frequent. As temperatures rise, other animals are also found congregating around drying waterholes, including giraffes, rhinos, hyenas and sometimes leopards. Thanks to warm and sunny days — when cobalt blue skies contrast with orange sand dunes — and nights that are clear, star-studded but not too chilly, travellers will also appreciate Namibia's dry season. Responsible travel tip: Take a silent safari and ditch the game-drive vehicle in favour of e-bike tours available at select lodges. Or head to Grootberg, the first lodge in Namibia to be entirely owned and run by the local community. It's a pioneer in Namibia's progressive approach to conservation. And always look up; the night sky here is among the least light-polluted in the world. (See southern Namibia in a new light—on a lake cruise.) Dry season in autumn is perfect for spotting springbok antelopes in Etosha National Park, Namibia, among other animals. Photograph by EcoPic, Getty Images 5. Slovenia It's last call for hiking in the Alps, where the walking season winds down in autumn as weather reduces mountain access. September is a spectacular month to be at altitude, being still warm, dry and sunny, while the trees form a fiery seasonal display. Slovenia's Julian Alps, at the mountain range's easterly end, are defined by jagged limestone peaks offering an ever-expanding range of waymarked hiking routes. At the heart of the mountains, 9,400ft-high Mount Triglav is Slovenia's loftiest peak, towering above the beautifully glacial lakes of Bohinj and Bled. The Juliana Hiking Trail is a recently mapped network of pathways across 168 miles of northwest Slovenia, taking in Triglav National Park and traversing some of the country's most spectacular Alpine terrain in 16 10-mile sections. Responsible travel tip: To find the most eco-minded hosts and campsites, consult Slovenian Tourism's Green Scheme listings. (The step-by-step guide to the Juliana trail in Slovenia.) To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
National Geographic
a day ago
- National Geographic
Did these real-life events inspire the myth of Atlantis?
An illustration by Sir Gerald Hargreaves shows a utopian scene on a cove of the mythical land of Atlantis. Many scholars think Plato invented the story of Atlantis as a way to present his philosophical theories. Photograph by Mary Evans Picture Library/Everett Collection The lost city of Atlantis likely didn't exist, but Plato's fascinating island nation continues to spark questions. Here's what to know. Atlantis is an island nation mentioned in two of the Greek philosopher Plato's most famous dialogues, Timaeus and Critias. In them, he describes the ancient civilization as peaceful and vastly wealthy, protected by the sea god Poseidon. But although it's one of his most famous stories, it's almost certainly false. So why is this story still repeated more than 2,300 years after the ancient Greek's death? 'It's a story that captures the imagination,' says James Romm, a professor of classics at Bard College in Annandale, New York. 'It's a great myth. It has a lot of elements that people love to fantasize about.' Plato told the story of this ancient kingdom around 360 B.C. The founders, he said, were half god and half human. They created a utopian civilization and became a great naval power. Their home was made up of concentric islands in the Atlantic Ocean, somewhere near what would later be called the Strait of Gibraltar. The islands were separated by wide moats and linked by a canal that penetrated to the center. The lush islands contained gold, silver, and other precious metals and supported an abundance of rare, exotic wildlife. There was a great capital city on the central island, where a palace was built for Poseidon's mortal wife, Cleito. (These fabled 'ghost islands' exist only in atlases) Where is the lost city of Atlantis? There are many theories about where Atlantis was—in the Mediterranean sea, off the coast of Spain, even under what is now Antarctica. 'Pick a spot on the map, and someone has said that Atlantis was there,' says Charles Orser, curator of history at the New York State Museum in Albany. 'Every place you can imagine.' Plato said it existed about 9,000 years before his own time, and that its story had been passed down by poets, priests, and others. But Plato's writings about Atlantis are the only known records of its existence. (These 6 mystery islands existed only in the imaginations of ancient explorers—or did they?) Was Atlantis real? Few, if any, scientists think Atlantis existed. Ocean explorer Robert Ballard, the National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence who discovered the wreck of the Titanic in 1985, notes that 'no Nobel laureates' have said that what Plato wrote about Atlantis is true. Still, Ballard says, the story of Atlantis is a 'logical' one since cataclysmic floods and volcanic explosions have happened throughout history, including one event that had some similarities to the story of the destruction of Atlantis. (Here's why the myth of Atlantis endures today) About 3,600 years ago, a massive volcanic eruption devastated the island of Santorini in the Aegean Sea near Greece. At the time, a highly advanced society of Minoans lived on Santorini. The Minoan civilization disappeared suddenly at about the same time as the volcanic eruption. But Ballard doesn't think Santorini was Atlantis because the time of the eruption on that island doesn't coincide with when Plato said Atlantis was destroyed. Petra, Jordan A person standing in the doorway of the Monastery at Petra, Jordan, shows the enormity of the ancient building's entrance. Carved into the sandstone hill by the Nabataeans in the second century A.D., this towering structure, called El-Deir, may have been used as a church or monastery by later societies, but likely began as a temple. Photograph by Martin Gray (The mythological sirens weren't the seductresses we know today) Plato's Atlantis So if Atlantis didn't exist, then why did Plato tell this story? Romm believes Plato created it to convey some of his philosophical theories. 'He was dealing with a number of issues, themes that run throughout his work,' he says. 'His ideas about divine versus human nature, ideal societies, the gradual corruption of human society—these ideas are all found in many of his works. Atlantis was a different vehicle to get at some of his favorite themes.' (Read about the ancient empire that civilization forgot) The legend of Atlantis is a story about a moral, spiritual people who lived in a highly advanced, utopian civilization. But they became greedy, petty, and 'morally bankrupt.' The gods 'became angry because the people had lost their way and turned to immoral pursuits,' Orser says. As punishment, he says, the gods sent 'one terrible night of fire and earthquakes' that caused Atlantis to sink into the depths of the sea. This story originally published on January 21, 2017. It was updated on July 31, 2025.
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business Insider
I flew on the budget airline Norse Atlantic for the first time. Here are 3 things I wish I'd known before the 13-hour flight.
When I learned there was a budget airline offering flights to Europe for as low as $120, I thought it was too good to be true. It can cost more for a family of four to eat at Chili's! But I decided to give Norse Atlantic Airways a chance on a recent trip, and the experience far surpassed my expectations. I had tons of space on my 13-hour flight from Athens to Los Angeles in June, and the priority check-in was a breeze to get through. Nevertheless, my flight would have been even better if I had been more prepared for the drawbacks of a budget airline. Here's what I wish I had known before takeoff. Priority boarding isn't open-ended I bought a premium economy ticket for my first Norse Atlantic Airways experience, which included priority check-in and boarding, as well as a personal item, carry-on, checked bag, and two in-flight meals. I assumed priority boarding was open-ended before takeoff, so I took my sweet time perusing the Greek olive oil and chocolate options while strolling through Athens International Airport. I got to the gate about 15 minutes after boarding had begun and saw a huge line of people. When I showed my ticket to a Norse employee before entering the roped-off gate, he said I had missed priority boarding and would need to wait with everyone else. It wasn't a big deal, especially since premium economy had plenty of overhead space. Still, if you're flying with Norse Atlantic and hate waiting in lines, it's something worth knowing. There are no free snacks, even in premium economy Since it was a 13-hour flight, I naively assumed that I'd be offered a snack or two along with the two meals included in my premium economy ticket. Not the case! We were about halfway through the trip when my stomach grumbled and I realized the next meal wouldn't be served for another four hours. As I browsed through the menu on my seat-back system, I noticed that none of the snacks were complimentary, unlike the beverages. I could purchase a wide variety of food, from packaged pretzels and chips to pasta, french fries, or butter chicken. I bought an instant noodle soup, which cost $6 and tasted pretty good. I also found the in-flight meals to be much lighter than what I'm used to on international trips. My first meal was a meat lasagna, served with a bread roll, a small Greek salad, and halva for dessert. The second meal was a small meat pastry, a few cut-up pieces of fruit, and more halva. I forgot to pack snacks and was ravenous when I finally got home. Economy passengers on Norse Atlantic should also note that you only receive one free drink during the flight — even water will cost you an extra $3.70. So, depending on the seat, make sure to stock up on drinks, snacks, or both before your budget trip. The in-flight entertainment system has limited options I typically never have an issue with in-flight entertainment systems. I love movies and can always find something to watch, whether it's a rom-com I've seen 100 times before or a new release I missed during Oscar season. But I struggled with the options on Norse Atlantic. I counted only 120 films total on the in-flight system — a stark contrast to the 1,900-plus on-demand options I had on a recent Singapore Airlines flight. Most of the movies were old and random, like they'd gone straight to DVD in the 1990s. Norse Atlantic also doesn't offer WiFi on any flights, so it could be worth packing some good books and magazines to keep yourself occupied. Despite the drawbacks, Norse is worth it. With cheap flights to popular European destinations like London, Paris, Athens, Rome, and Berlin, Norse makes international travel from the US far more affordable. And as long as you're prepared with some extra snacks and entertainment, the flight will be just as comfortable as economy on most American carriers — at a fraction of the cost.
