Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Holidays
Does this place exist?! (A probably impossible list of must-haves!)
OuiOuiMonAmi · 14/10/2019 13:45
We want a holiday destination for August that fits all these criteria and I can't find anywhere!
- About 3-4 hours flight at the most.
2. Not too hot (about 80f/27c is our limit)
3. Good snorkelling
4. Nice beach (or lake)
5. Must have lots to do other than just beach stuff
6. Interesting geography - volcanos to visit is the ideal!
I can think of lots of places that fit all the criteria except the not too hot one. Lanzarote, Sardinia, Sicily etc. - all look perfect but way too hot for us. Iceland could have worked but snorkelling their is way too cold and needs wetsuits!
I realise this is ridiculously fussy and such a Goldilocks place probably doens't exist... but I'm asking on the off-chance
VeniVidiVoxi · 14/10/2019 15:04
The thing is, if you want good snorkeling with reef life(?) then you are probably looking at places where the temperature is higher than 27 degrees in August. Are the points in order of preference or which are negotiable?
muddledmidget · 14/10/2019 15:06
Crete is hot during August but generally has the meltemi keeping it a little cooler than the rest of the Med. We were there June-August this year and the weather ranged from 27-33 deg
Outsomnia · 14/10/2019 15:16
Lake Garda area? Not too hot in Summer, but 28-30d or so. Great area, watersports on the lake, Trento Science museum nearby, Bolzano to cool down in the mountains. Short hop to Verona.
A lot of this can be accomplished on public transport too, you just have to work it out.
SandrasAnnoyingFriend · 14/10/2019 15:33
Slovenia hits every point bar snorkelling, you won't get that temperature and snorkelling in the same location
acabria · 14/10/2019 19:42
Madeira
- About 3-4 hours flight at the most. - yes 3hr 30
2. Not too hot (about 80f/27c is our limit) - 26oC max in aug
3. Good snorkelling - yes
4. Nice beach (or lake) - beaches (black sand)
5. Must have lots to do other than just beach stuff - yes tho all quite low key
6. Interesting geography - volcanos to visit is the ideal! - has volcano
Daddylonglegs1965 · 14/10/2019 20:49
Watching with interest as have the same wants as you. We usually go to the Algarve west coast which has a cooling breeze and spend most of our days in the shade. No volcanos or snorkelling so wouldn’t meet your wish list.
rrg1 · 15/10/2019 13:13
Take a look at Catalonia:
There are volcanos Parc Natural de la Zona Volcà nica de la Garrotxa, the Costa Brava around Begur and it's cove beaches: Sa Riera, Aiguablava etc. Tamariu, Llafranc, Calella de Palafrugell. Some of the best snorkelling and diving in the Med' around the Medes Islands natural marine park.
The peninsula of Cap de Creus constitutes the last buttress of the Pyrenees and the easternmost point of the Iberian Peninsula. The coast is abrupt and jagged, with towering cliffs and remote coves. It is the first natural park in Catalonia covering areas of both sea and land and of course the area attracts Dali fans.
There are a multitude of medieval towns and villages, Pals and Peratallada are favourites. Greco-Roman ruins set behind beautiful coves at Empuries with the remains of the ancient harbour wall still standing in the sea. Girona is worth a trip for the day and especially for Game of Thrones fans and Barcelona just 38 mins away by high-speed train.....just a few ideas.
Fly to Girona from UK in under two hours or alternatively Barcelona.
The end of June and July, tend to be the hottest, but from the middle of August temperatures start to drop, as well as prices from around the 23rd.
The area attracts a lot of Spanish and Catalan tourists, many of whom have second homes in the area.
OuiOuiMonAmi · 15/10/2019 18:03
Thanks everyone, some good suggestions there - I'll definitely check them out!
The list wasn't in order, no. Lake Garda was on my list but the consensus on MN (on other threads) seemed to be that it was too hot in August :(
Madeira sounds very interesting - it's never crossed my radar before so will have a look!
You can definitely snorkel in cold climates (eg. in Iceland has a plate boundary you can snorkel across!) I just Googled and Slovenia does actually have some places to snorkel so that's going back on the list.
Catalonia - I've never seen an episode of GoT in my life but DH and DD would love that!
Thanks again everyone.
OuiOuiMonAmi · 15/10/2019 18:04
Oh, I forgot to add about the Azores - brilliant suggestion and it was top of my list until a few weeks ago when I discovered that they have tons of stinging jellyfish and Portugese man o'wars 
ListeningQuietly · 15/10/2019 18:11
Stari Grad on Hvar
Chania on Crete
San Teodoro on Sardinia
The thing with heat is to make sure you rent somewhere with plenty of shade and stay out of the midday sun
LunaDeet · 15/10/2019 18:16
Tenerife is a volcano. If you stay higher in the hills it’s not too hot. You can walk up or around Teide, (the landscape is amazing) and head down to the beach for the sea.
Iamboudicca · 15/10/2019 18:19
Brittany, has all those things... (except the volcanos!)
Quartz2208 · 15/10/2019 18:21
How hot is too hot? We went to Lake Garda in the summer and although hot it was manageable (particularly for lake swimming)
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