Hotlists

Lisbon is gloriously hot in summer. We’ve picked out the best beaches nearby, from the famous coasts of Cascais and Estoril to lesser-trodden shores and the sands that locals would rather keep secret. They’re easily accessible from Portugal’s capital, and we’ve thrown in directions to make life simple. Find your favourite and dive in.

We’re heading to the revamped countryside pubs, Michelin-starred restaurants and a Neapolitan-style pizzeria that let you load up on good food before staying the night in their rather dapper rooms. Looking for a road-trip pit stop or mini staycation destination? Read on.

Kitsch shepherds huts, historic hotels and cool minimalist architecture put Wales firmly on the map for UK staycations. Taking you from Snowdonia National Park to Pembrokeshire via the Brecon Beacons, these are the best places to book now.

We’ve hopped between Shetland, Orkney and the Inner and Outer Hebrides to find the Scottish island to suit you. Get a taste of Skye’s best restaurants, spot puffins on South Mainland or sip Islay’s peaty whisky. Plus, private islands for natural seclusion.

Not only are antiques fairs and flea markets great for treasure hunting among vintage homeware, furniture and collectables, they also make for a fun day out. We’ve found some of the UK’s biggest and best – including rural get-togethers and others easily reached from London.

The books to add to your summer 2021 reading list. Expect hyped-about debut novels, memoirs and non-fiction that will make you think twice about bodies, money and love.

Learn to distinguish your Islay from your Skye, sniff out hand-picked botanicals and enjoy a wee dram by the fireside in these immersive distillery visits.

Escape to the Cornish coastline sans the crowds. Discover Cornwall's most photogenic pockets and the best under-the-radar beaches.

Nothing screams “nostalgia” louder than an ice-cream coloured beach hut in a quintessentially British seaside town. With staycations the order of the day, we’re turning back the clock and bedding down in one of these pint-sized homes for a UK summer holiday.

Glacial lakes, fell mountains and cosy gastropubs put the Lake District at the top of our list for a UK break this summer. Get back to nature and feel inspired with these brilliant places to stay in the national park.

Beer gardens, rooftop terraces and London's best pubs for a socially distanced drink, here's where we're heading once pubs reopen.

Recalibrate mind and body on the UK’s best wellbeing retreats. We’re taking a holistic approach to wellness, here. As well as yoga, meditation and mindfulness, expect creative workshops, fitness holidays and back-to-nature weekends.

Keen to get your staycation fix sans the crowds? We're spotlighting the UK's most underrated cities, where you'll find culture, creativity and locavore cuisine aplenty.

From boutique bothies, bijou beach huts and log-clad lakeside hideaways, we've lit the fires, toasted marshmallows and slipped into our best pyjamas to bring you the UK's cosiest cabins.