June holidays

Enjoy a summer holiday in costa del sol

As the official start of summer, June is when many peoples’ thoughts begin to turn to their own sunshine getaways. If you choose any of the following destinations, you’ll beat the crowds, yet will still be able to enjoy a warm welcome.

An all-inclusive holiday or package holiday in Costa Del Sol – Spain’s sunshine coast – comes into its own as we head towards the longest days of the year, and especially before the onset of the school summer holidays.

Its most popular resorts are enjoying temperatures in the high 20 degrees C, yet the beaches, poolsides, restaurants and bars are less crowded. The same goes for the roads, so travelling is much easier, and you can aim to see much more than in the peak period.

With 100 miles of coastline waiting for you, and surprisingly lush, green landscapes beyond the beaches, this is a good time for making the most of the region’s excellent sports facilities, including the biggest concentration of championship-standard golf courses in Europe, hard-to-beat water skiing and scuba diving opportunities, and world-famous horse riding facilities.

You’ll have a better pick of the wide-ranging accommodation if you can take a June Costa Del Sol holiday too, especially in the most popular resorts, such as Marbella, Torremolinos, Benalmedena and Fuengirola, but all these resorts’ top attractions and nightlife will be in full swing.

take a trip to rhodes in greece

A holiday to Rhodes in June gives you the chance to stretch out on the best of the island’s east coast beaches ahead of the main high-season rush. It’s a great time to discover some of the island’s secluded coves and quieter beaches, many of which are on the less-developed southern coast.

There are several EU Blue Flag beaches dotted around the island, with the more sheltered locations to be found on the eastern side, while the western-facing resorts see higher winds, which make them attractive to watersports fans. The range of sports on offer runs from the family-focused, such as pedalos and banana boat rides, to the more daredevil, including parasailing, water-skiing and windsurfing. Dive centres are also now well established, with the best sites serving the quiet Kalithea Bay with its underwater caves and ancient spa baths.

Even if Rhodes Town isn’t your base, a visit here on a holiday to the island is a must to see the medieval fortified walls and walk through the cobbled streets which have helped assure the town of UNESCO world heritage site status.

enjoy the delights of sharm-el-sheikh in june

A cheap holiday to Sharm-el-Sheikh is a great idea for a June getaway, and before the busy months of July and August arrive you will really find that it is an oasis in the desert, offering reliably warm conditions and many hours of sunshine.

This is just as well, since the beaches on this part of the Red Sea coast are among the finest in Egypt, perfect for relaxing on, yet also making a great base for all the most popular watersports.

The resort is located just a 15-minute drive from the airport, and boasts a high proportion of four to five-star hotels, many of which offer all-inclusive packages, but you can also find self-catering accommodation.

Most of Sharm El Sheikh’s restaurants are found in the leading hotels and resorts, but these are geared up to catering for an international clientele, so in addition to Egyptian, Italian, Chinese, French and Japanese cuisine are widely offered.

The nightlife is colourful and lively, with several bars and casinos vying for your tourist shekel, while hotels also feature evening entertainment programmes, which include Egyptian music and dances. By June, summer is getting into its stride, but temperatures are generally still some way off their often uncomfortable seasonal peak, even though 12 hours of daily sunshine are the norm.

take an adventure break in america

Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is a rare breed of American holiday resort – one which has all-year round appeal, yet caters for two totally distinct types of visitor.

As June arrives, it has cast off the snowy mantle which makes it a magnet for such a large number of winter sports fans, and instead transformed itself into a paradise for a completely different breed of active holiday lover.

Climbing, hiking, canoeing, cycling, golf and tennis are just some of the pursuits which bring people to this authentic Western outpost within easy striking distance of the Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. The former is world-renowned as the home of several famous geysers, including the daddy of them all, ‘Old Faithful’.

Jackson boasts traditional saloons and bars, and village stores, although today these sit alongside gourmet restaurants, galleries and boutiques even in this remote part of the US. The restaurants are typically American, serving up huge portions and genuinely friendly service.

With shops to cater for your souvenir-hunting, and a vibrant night-time scene (thanks again to those good ol’ cowboys!), you’ll be making the most of the long evenings.

enjoy a night to remember in lake tahoe

Much of the same goes for Lake Tahoe, another of America’s most versatile destinations.

Perhaps the ultimate example of a year-round holiday resort, catering for different crowds as the seasons change, Lake Tahoe boasts 300 days’ sunshine every year and pure, clean mountain air that will make you feel completely invigorated.

Although it is best known as a winter sports resort, magnificent golf courses, first-class hotels and casinos are among the other attractions which bring in millions of holidaymakers every year.

Most of the popular resorts, which boast evocative names such as Alpine Meadows, Heavenly and Squaw Valley, have recently undergone extensions and facelifts.

With hundreds of restaurants and eateries to select from in the Lake Tahoe area, you can quickly find yourself spoilt for choice. Clubs and casinos will let you stretch your days well into the evening and beyond, should your stamina last out after all that clear, mountain air!

enjoy some culture on a holiday to slovenia

With its romantic setting, Lake Bled can justly call itself a fairytale location, and amply demonstrate why it is Slovenia’s foremost holiday resort.

The medieval castle standing guard over the sparkling emerald lake, in which the imposing Julian Alps are reflected, is a timeless scene and one which will be long remembered. The four-mile walk around the lake will only take a couple of hours, and you can even take a gondola to the tiny island in the lake on which stands the romantic Church of the Assumption. High above the lake, Bled Castle offers superlative views from its terrace as well as interesting sights inside its museum and 16th century chapel.

Lake Bled is a place of year-round holiday attractions, and in summer swimmers, anglers, rowers, trekkers and golfers flock here while more active pursuits, including tennis, rafting, mountain biking, and  even skydiving are well catered for. But you can also choose to take it easy, and perhaps enjoy the local speciality, kremna rezina (cream cake), while relaxing in a warm pool.

experience the cultural splendour in athens

Glorious weather always makes even the most imposing of holiday sights more impressive, and this certainly holds true when you visit Athens in June.

The main square – the Plaka – is the heart of this beautiful and contrasting city, and close by the Acropolis, the Parthenon, Byzantine churches and fine archaeological museum sit proudly alongside modern developments which have brought Athens well and truly into the 21st century.

Fully deserving of its title ‘the cradle of western civilisation’, Athens is a surprisingly easy city to get around. Most of the sights can be visited on foot, but if you want to pack as much into your break as possible, the recently-completed metro system is a boon.

Athens is so much more than all its ancient treasures. Once you have taken in your fill, you can take a tram to the beach to help you really relax.

spend some time on the beach in gibraltar

Gibraltar is one of the most popular short haul destinations in Europe, and with direct cheap flights from all UK airports, and tax-free alcohol, tobacco, electronics, perfumes and jewellery, it’s easy to see why. Blue skies, swaying palms and the imposing grey rock of Gibraltar rising high above the skyline make for an enduring sight. The territory’s five beaches offer diving and sailing facilities.

Variety is the key to eating out in Gibraltar. You can dine al-fresco on one of the three marinas overlooking the sea or visit any of the hotels such as the Caleta and Rock hotels, both of which offer an amazing selection of cuisine. From sophisticated wine bars to lively British pubs, the nightlife is also equally varied.

Gibraltar is also a popular wedding location - John Lennon married Yoko Ono here, whilst Sean Connery went one better and got married here twice!

enjoy the island paradise that is malta

The islands of Malta are a truly epic holiday destination. The narrow meandering streets of their towns and villages are filled with Renaissance cathedrals and Baroque palaces. The Maltese countryside has some of the oldest known man-made structures in the world.

Malta comprises three islands – the main one itself, and the smaller Gozo and Comino – and their location, at the centre of the Mediterranean, means you’re almost certain to enjoy perfect weather for making the most of their more than 100 miles of beaches.

With over 7,000 years of intriguing history, there is a great deal to see and do. Among the highlights are the world famous Hypogeum, a UNESCO World Heritage site, prehistoric temples and grand palaces.

June is the start of the islands’ summer, and a good time to visit as the humidity of the later part of the season has yet to make itself felt. It is also before the hot, dry winds of the sirocco blow in, hence more comfortable for exploring. You are, however, almost guaranteed up to 12 hours’ sunshine a day.