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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Upmarket Mediterranean resort, lots of choice of restaurants, authentic and not brits abroady?

57 replies

Justmalma · 22/01/2022 18:29

I would like to avoid our usual AI as I'm sure lots of restaurants in these places have struggled through covid, so I'd like to eat out and support local. Authentic Spanish restaurants aplenty, I don't mind a nice Mexican, Thai, Indian etc but not one of the brits abroad grills you get in the really touristy places. Plenty of choice too so we can eat somewhere different for dinner everyday for 10 days.

Nice beaches, pretty, sunny in May, not too hard to mooch around as I'll be 6 months pregnant.

Any suggestions?

OP posts:

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Justmalma · 22/01/2022 18:30

I say Spanish as I've been looking at Spain but any sort of authentic med food of a good quality is what we're after.

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m00rfarm · 22/01/2022 18:36

Try somewhere like Ferragudo in the Algarve. Small resort, lots of excellent restaurants, lovely beaches, and nice places to stay. Very pretty. I will link to a youtube clip if I can find one :)

m00rfarm · 22/01/2022 18:41

THis is quite a nice walk around the town

Skade · 22/01/2022 18:45

Friends of ours who don't normally do package holidays went here last year and raved about it - I'm looking for this year now www.vilagale.com/en/hotels/algarve/vila-gale-lagos

m00rfarm · 22/01/2022 18:46

Their final view of not thinking there was enough there to stay a long time I think is incorrect though - there are so many excellent restaurants - traditional Portuguese, steak, vietnamese, tapas - just about everything - and some excellent fish restaurants right on the river/ocean side. There is a resort caleld Vitors Village so if you want to have a place with a pool, that would be a good option. Otherwise there is a lovely place called Casa Kiki (if you google it you will see the views and accommodation there which is lovely)

harriethoyle · 22/01/2022 18:48

Try the ikos resorts. We loved andalusia last year and are going to Greece in October. Very well done indeed.

GaiaWise · 22/01/2022 19:15

I think Santa Eulalia fits your criteria. We had a sc apartment from air B and B on the front so great sea views. Didn’t bother with a pool because we all prefer sea swimming. Lovely beach with promenade lined with restaurants- as usual the best and cheapest food outlets are in the back streets.
Easy boat trips to quieter beaches and Ibiza town which we loved. Amazing old town with lots of gay bars, and a marina with super yachts. If we return, we’ll stay in the old town for a few days and then go onto SE.

GaiaWise · 22/01/2022 19:17

Oh and Supertar, Brac island, Croatia and korcula town, korcula island, Croatia.

PensionPuzzle · 22/01/2022 19:23

For somewhere super- straightforward with plenty of different things to do (and eat) I'd look at Palma in Majorca. You've got the city, nice little beach and then the tourist train or taxis up onto the northwest coast (Soller- Puerto de Soller- on the train and tram is a classic) as it's lovely in late Spring, not scorching but very pleasant

HerculesMulligann · 22/01/2022 19:30

I’d second Santa Eulalia in Ibiza. Unlike so many other places it somehow manages to feel like a proper Spanish town that just happens to include hotels, beach, restaurants etc. Rather than feeling like an enclave for tourists. And as mentioned you can take boat trips to lots of other places, and Ibiza town isn’t far away on the bus.

ashorterday · 22/01/2022 19:31

Cadiz?

ashorterday · 22/01/2022 19:32

Oh, and Tavira in Portugal

NotAgain84 · 22/01/2022 19:38

100% check out Palma, the capital of Mallorca. It's like a small Barcelona. Completely Spanish, no Brits abroad whatsoever. Stunning beaches locally, beautiful cathedral and cobbled streets and gorgeous restaurants and bars. Old town, Marina, etc etc. Just great!

MrsAvocet · 22/01/2022 20:01

We liked Port D' Andratx in Mallorca very much when we stayed a few years ago. No beach in the town itself though, but a very pretty harbour and we didn't meet many other Brits.

Justmalma · 22/01/2022 21:08

Thank you, will have a browse

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Twilightstarbright · 22/01/2022 22:46

Juan les Pins on the Cote a’Azur

nicesausages · 23/01/2022 07:30

Biarritz is wonderful. And Menton on the south coast of France

To get real warmth in May, maybe Crete?

HamCob · 23/01/2022 09:19

Yes Santa Eulalia in Ibiza is lovely, ditto puerto pollensa and Cala'dor, Majorca.
The most upmarket place I've ever been in the med is Sardinia. Beautiful but probably a bit too upmarket for us! 😂

EmmaStone · 23/01/2022 14:13

Côte d'Azur in France (although be mindful of Cannes film festival dates as it'll be rammed)

Palma is lovely (but I disagree with it being totally Spanish - I've been a couple of times and there were LOTS of Brits and other Europeans. Great food and shopping though.

Barcelona - amazing city.

Sorrento is lush, May will be perfect, and there's so much to do in the area - Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, Naples..

Bologna is one of my favourite cities, the food is absolutely amazing, but no beach.

Basically, anywhere where there's a town, there will be restaurants.

Oblomov22 · 23/01/2022 15:07

Agree re Santa Eulalia in Ibiza is lovely, ditto Cala Ratjada, NE coast of Majorca.

FredBair · 23/01/2022 15:12

I agree with Santa Eulalia, though I didn't see any obviously upmarket accommodation.
Cala D'Or is also quite Spanish but is a bit touristy.
Sorrento is ok as a base for exploring the coast but not if you want a beach resort.
Barcelona.

IGotHam · 23/01/2022 15:15

Rethymno in Crete is fabulous. Has a Venetian harbour, sandy beaches, lovely shops and we didn't have a bad meal all week. Has quite an upmarket feel.

IGotHam · 23/01/2022 15:24

If you fancied Italy at all then Puglia is well worth a visit. I stayed in Otranto which is a town by the beach. Hardly saw another Brit. Great restaurants and the town is really lovely to walk round. Southern Italy is stunning.

I would disagree with the recommendation of Cala D'or, I went last summer and I really disliked it. Really hard to find any authentic food and it was stuffed with beer drinking brits and Germans. Proper brits abroad resort.

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22itsallnew · 23/01/2022 15:28

Puerto Pollensa in Majorca or a Greek island would be nice that time of year - tavernas aplenty

123rd · 23/01/2022 15:32

Was about to say Pollensa- (not Puerto Pollense/ Alcudia) but the old town resort is fab whilst PP and Alcudia are lovely they are a bit more touristy

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