The unsung corner of Spain that's perfect for a last blast of summer
Telegraph Travel readers offer advice on where to go for a last blast of summer.
This week's winning letter
Late summer in the sierras
The quest for late summer sunshine may end closer to home than you think, in the heart of rural Spain. Two hours west of Madrid and north of Talavera lies the national park of Gredos, neatly divided by the towering Sierra de Gredos mountain range.
Here time appears to have stood still for 100 or maybe 400 years. Eagles fly undisturbed; a Pictish village reminiscent of Orkney’s Skara Brae exists untrammelled; and happy herds of goats have never looked healthier. Here also you will find wonderful riding country and a feast for the active walker amid hills and valleys of unparalleled splendour that shield the occasional picturesque homestead.
Take a picnic lunch. Stay at the Hotel Nabia (hotelnabia.es), a quarter of an hour from Candeleda, where Iñigo and Sophia O’Shea offer luxury at a kindly price along with views to pine for. This part of Spain is utterly beautiful, entirely memorable and very spoiling.
Ian Nalder from the Scottish Highlands, wins a £500 Kudu travel voucher
More tips from readers
Eagles and fresh air in Norway’s magical fjords
Nothing beats wandering through Norway’s fjords, basking in the late summer sun, watching orcas dive and eagles soar, knowing you are capturing special light and moments as the sun dims towards autumn and nature prepares for hibernation. You anticipate crisp white snow on the mountain tops as you slowly fill your lungs with the deep, clean salty air. Then all at once, for that magical moment, you find peace in the stillness of the reflective water and promise never to lose yourself again.
Karen Morris, Buckinghamshire
A summer of heat and bliss in Cyprus
A few years ago, to escape a soggy British summer, we found ourselves in Anafotida, a small village 20 minutes from Larnaca in Cyprus. Each morning we woke to the gentle warmth of the sun rising over undulating hills criss-crossed with trails that led to neighbouring villages. As we wandered through the surrounding olive groves and orchards of pomegranate trees, our sun hats and factor 50 sunblock were essential even before 10am.
The pretty and secluded beaches nearby were perfect for dips to cool off from the strong sun in the afternoon. Mazotos was a favourite with its stretch of smooth sand and safe bathing. The hilltop town of Lefkara, with its lace-makers and abundant cafes to quench the thirst, made for a relaxing excursion on the way to the Troodos mountains. Blissfully, the temperature topped 30C every single day.
Yvonne Hill, Shropshire
Memories of Ravello will last a lifetime
Ravello, on the Amalfi Coast of Italy, is a fabulous place to go once summer has faded. I remember walking high in the mountains, through a landscape filled with lemon trees, looking down on the blue Tyrrhenian Sea with Vesuvius in the background.
Villa Rufulo is magical, with beautiful gardens overlooking the sea. There were musical evenings with the sound of strings and opera floating into the night. We ate simple but wonderful Italian cuisine in the open air, on evenings that were still warm in September and October.
From the villa, it was easy to access the rest of the Amalfi Coast by local bus. Itrani, at the bottom of the mountain, is a fishing village where you can jump off the rocks into the crystal clear waters. Ferries and water taxis can take you to the glorious Positano and Capri. Ravello is a memory that will stay with me forever.
Susan Gillies, Edinburgh
Your favourite tranquil places
Our appeal for letters about favourite tranquil places (Sept 3) elicited more than we could accommodate. Here are a few more.
Glorious colours of dawn on the roof of the world
It was pitch dark at 4.30am and I was seated on the summit of Tiger Hill, at an altitude of 2,600m (8,500ft) in the Himalayas, feeling the cold wind bite my face. The summit was packed with tourists cocooned in blankets. At 5am the magic began as I watched a small egg yolk appear in the dark eastern sky, streaming a ray of sunlight that struck the snow-covered peaks of Kanchenjunga, the second highest mountain in the region, turning them to blazing red charcoal. In a matter of minutes, the small yolk changed to a big orange ball while the colour of the peaks changed from orange to gold to white and I glimpsed Mount Everest in the distance. It felt like eternal bliss.
Krish Krishnan, by email
Magnetic charm of tropical north Queensland
The most peaceful place I have ever been is Radical Bay, on Magnetic Island in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. I loved the warm air, white sand and blue sea during the day. By night, under a starry sky, waves crashed on the beach and a bonfire was lit. Having travelled more than 9,500 miles to see my partner, who grew up on this island, I was able to live a real Aussie experience by camping on this beach at night. I was blessed with a shooting star, no creepy crawlies, and an amazing sunrise. We had the whole beach to ourselves, just listening to the waves and relishing being on a tropical island in north Queensland, a world away from Britain. It was a surreal feeling.
Jenny Bilson, Hertfordshire
Falling hook, line and sinker for a beach in Ghana
The most restorative sight I have observed, while drinking a chilled Gulder beer and watching the world go by, was a lone fisherman at Labadi Beach in Accra, Ghana. On a virtually deserted stretch of sand, he would hurl a net about 10ft in diameter into the waves, pull in his net and land a handful of fish. If that didn’t work, he would swim about 100 yards out into the Atlantic and drop a weighted line with many hooks, then swim back and slowly pull it in, catching a few more fish – no doubt for his family meal that evening. The experience was so relaxing, simple and invigorating after a long stressful day.
Ken Gilbey, Peterborough
Silence and stillness at a monastery in Lazio
The bus driver’s cry, “Ultima fermata” announced our arrival in Subiaco, a town in Lazio, Italy. We skirted uphill past Nero’s Villa through the all-encompassing silent evening mist to the Monastery of Santa Scolastica.
Mountain silence, simple fare and local wine punctuated the day. Pax (peace) – the Benedictine “logo” – was engraved in stone over the monastery gate. The uphill walk from Santa Scolastica to Sacro Speco in the still calm morning air, when all the world seemed at one in the deep valleys below, made this a place where “Peace comes dropping slow” (W B Yeats). The Benedictine “Camino” passed by, but to follow it was not our plan. Why search for completion when your heart has found stillness?
Mary Flynn Yates, Galway
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