Mediterranean

This village resort has been captivating visitors for 100 years with Italian-inspired architecture and palm trees that make you feel like you’re on a Mediterranean holiday

If you’re dreaming of an Italian escape, it turns out you needn’t venture beyond British shores, as this private village resort nestled in Wales delivers that authentic ‘la dolce vita’ experience without the eye-watering cost of flights.

Deliberately designed to evoke a slice of paradise along the Welsh coastline, Portmeirion provides the perfect retreat, boasting a wealth of dining, drinking, shopping and breathtaking natural scenery to soak up.

Every carefully considered detail within the village is crafted to conjure the feeling of a Mediterranean haven, and it has continued to draw visitors in droves ever since its establishment in the 1920s.

Guests can stay for however long suits them, whether that’s simply popping in for a leisurely day-long stroll through its immaculately designed streets, or settling in for a longer break spanning several days. Indeed, many devoted visitors opt for an annual pass, granting them unlimited access throughout the year, weather permitting.

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When did it all begin?

The stunning Portmeirion sprang from the imagination of Welsh architect Clough Williams-Ellis, whose vision was to create a development that would complement and preserve the natural splendour of its surroundings.

His creation was constructed across two distinct phases — the first running from 1926 to 1939, and the second from 1954 to 1976.

By the time the project was complete, Clough was well into his 90s, and the vast majority of the buildings had been designed and constructed by him personally, with only a handful being relocated from elsewhere.

One such feature was the Town Hall, which was transported from the Bristol Colonnade.

Throughout his work, Clough showed a distinct fondness for Italian architectural styles, leading many to speculate that the Italian coastal town of Portofino served as his inspiration.

He firmly rejected these claims, however, insisting that he merely wished to ‘capture’ the atmosphere of the Mediterranean — and it’s safe to say he delivered on that ambition.

Despite its compact size, the village boasts an impressive array of styles and hidden gems, from its Riviera-inspired townhouses to the ornamental gardens and Italian-style piazzas scattered throughout.

Central to all of this is the grand Hotel Portmeirion and its accompanying village rooms, which provide private accommodation for the approximately 200,000 visitors who flock to the village each year.

One recent guest wrote on TripAdvisor: “As if straight out of cinque terre Italy! Buildings of unusual shapes sizes and colour everywhere you looked. Magnificent it really made you feel as if you’d stepped into another world.”

Where to stay

The Hotel Portmeirion was opened by Clough in 1926 as the centrepiece of the village, serving as the catalyst for his grand vision for the surrounding development.

Within its walls lies a complete world of its own, featuring 14 elegant bedrooms alongside a fine-dining restaurant and an impressive terrace and bar space.

The four-star hotel also features an open-air swimming pool situated on the estuary lawn. Rates for a double room for one night start at approximately £328 and can incorporate breakfast and dinner packages.

The village rooms are scattered throughout Portmeirion and cater for all types of groups, with family rooms on offer and ground-floor alternatives for accessibility requirements.

Every village room is individually crafted to be distinctive whilst maintaining that Mediterranean ambience, and all benefit from the picturesque views across the Dwyryd Estuary and beyond.

With magnificence at its heart, the village is also home to its own castle, Castell Deudraeth, which serves as a four-star residence that Clough described as “the largest and most imposing single building on the Portmeirion estate”.

Those opting not to stay but still wanting to sample the glitz and glamour of the castle can choose to dine at its own brasserie. There are also self-catering cottages on offer to rent in the village, alongside a motorhome park for caravans and campers.

Eating Out

Offering breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, the Castell Deudraeth Brasserie serves excellent food in a relaxed setting with stunning surroundings. One visitor wrote on TripAdvisor: “A lovely traditional conservatory-style restaurant, with prompt, friendly and efficient service, a good choice on the menu, reasonable prices and very tasty food.”

They added: “We enjoyed lamb shank, plaice, and pork T-bone main courses after fine starters, with good wine choice. The Castell is an impressive Victorian-built place, with an impressive fireplace and surround in the lounge area.”

The Hotel Portmeirion’s restaurant similarly features prominently amongst favourites, boasting over 500 excellent TripAdvisor reviews. Elsewhere, Caffi Glas proves a popular dining destination, with guests particularly taken by its alfresco seating arrangement, designed to evoke an Italian piazza complete with central fountain.

The open-air dining experience proves a hit with visitors seeking that holiday atmosphere, who relish the establishment’s freshly made pizzas, pasta dishes and salads. Complementing the food are delicious wines available by the glass alongside locally sourced, traditional Welsh beers – a fitting tribute to its Welsh location.

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Bodies of five asylum seekers wash ashore in Libya as three others die in a separate incident off the coast of Greece.

Police in Libya have recovered the bodies of five asylum seekers that washed ashore near the capital, Tripoli, as authorities in Greece announced the deaths of three others in a separate incident off the coast of Crete.

The bodies in Libya were found on Saturday by residents of the coastal town of Qasr al-Akhyar, according to a police officer.

Hassan Al-Ghawil, head of investigations ⁠at the Qasr Al-Akhyar police station, told the Reuters news agency that the bodies were all of dark-skinned people. Two of them were women.

He said people in the area had reported seeing a child’s body wash ashore before the waves returned it to sea.

“We reported to the Red Crescent to ⁠recover the bodies,” said Ghawil. “The bodies we found are still intact, and we think there are more bodies ⁠to wash ashore.”

The tragedy came weeks after the International Organization for Migration said some fifty-three migrants, including ⁠two babies, were dead or missing after a rubber boat carrying 55 people capsized off the coast of Zuwara town in western Tripoli.

It also came as Greek authorities were responding to a separate incident in the eastern Mediterranean.

The Athens News Agency reported on Saturday that authorities had recovered three bodies and rescued at least 20 people after a wooden boat carrying migrants and asylum seekers capsized off the coast of Crete.

Most of the survivors were Egyptians and Sudanese people, the agency reported. They also included four minors.

According to the Greek public broadcaster ERT, the wooden boat capsized when passengers were trying to climb up the ladders during a rescue effort involving a commercial ship.

The search for survivors was continuing with four patrol boats, an aircraft, and two ships from the European border agency Frontex, a spokesperson for the Greek coastguard told the AFP news agency.

According to ERT, survivors said about 50 people had been on board the wooden boat.

A second boat carrying about 40 migrants and asylum seekers was spotted in the area, leading to another rescue operation.

Thousands of people attempt the perilous crossing from Libya to Europe over the Mediterranean every year. Libya has become a transit route for people fleeing conflict and poverty to Europe since the fall in 2011 of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi.

Last week, a ‌UN report said migrants in Libya, including young girls, are at risk of being killed, tortured, raped or put into domestic slavery, and called for ‌a ‌moratorium on the return of migrant boats to the country until human rights are ensured.

Many of the migrants and asylum seekers departing Libya seek to arrive in Crete, the gateway to the EU.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 16,770 people seeking asylum in Europe arrived in Crete in 2025.

Faced with the surge in arrivals, the conservative Greek government suspended the processing of asylum applications for three months last summer, particularly for those arriving from Libya.

The UNHCR says 107 people died or went missing in Greek waters in 2025.

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, its embarked airwing and elements of its carrier strike group (CSG) are now in the western Mediterranean. The Ford and the USS Mahan, one of its Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer escorts, transited the Strait of Gibraltar around 1 p.m. local time (7 a.m. Eastern), eyewitnesses told The War Zone. The Ford passed through the Strait from the Atlantic after leaving the Caribbean, where it took part in the mission to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.

This marks the Ford‘s return to the Mediterranean since leaving its homeport of Norfolk on June 24, 2025. The Ford‘s deployment was extended for a second time to join a growing list of U.S. military assets in the Middle East, including the Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, as President Donald Trump considers an attack on Iran. You can read more about how the extension affects the ship and its crew in our story here.

Daniel Ferro, (@Gibdan1 on X), shared photos of the ships with us. 

Another eyewitness, who runs the @maritimegraphy X account, provided to us videos of the ships crossing as well as a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol jet flying overhead. The P-8 is packed with sensors and they often provide overwatch for CSGs to detect potential threats on and under the water’s surface.

Both ship spotters said the U.S. Navy vessels were accompanied by at least one Spanish Navy Santa Maria class frigate. The Pentagon declined comment.

Ford Carrier Strike Groups Enters The Med On Feb. 20th, 2026

As noted earlier, the Ford CSG will eventually be joining the Lincoln CSG, already deployed to the Middle East, as well other Navy ships and scores of tactical jets, surveillance planes, tankers, airborne early warning and control aircraft, as well as additional air defense assets. The Ford‘s current location puts it about 2,500 miles east of the Israeli coast, meaning it could take a few more days to arrive there if that is indeed its intended station, as one report states. While patrolling there would help Israel defend against incoming barrages, the ship’s air wing would have to fly across Israel or Lebanon, Syria or Jordan, and Iraq, to reach Iranian territory.

In addition to the tactical jets already in theater or in bases in Europe preparing to fly there, reports have emerged that the U.S. has pulled F-35 Lighting II stealth fighters and other assets and troops out of NATO’s Cold Response exercise scheduled to take place in Norway next month. This move is another part of the U.S. buildup in the Middle East, according to Norwegian defense officials.

NATO declined comment and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to our query.

The influx of aviation assets has packed U.S. facilities in the Middle East and elsewhere. For instance, satellite images show 18 F-15E Strike Eagles, 18 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, 12 F-16 Fighting Falcons, six E/A-18G Growler electronic warfare jets and two MQ-9 Reaper drones visible at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan alone. This does not include all the aircraft that cannot be seen under shelters and sun shades. Every designated spot for a tactical jet that is visible from space is now full at the packed installation.

Lajes Air Field in the Azores has also seen a big uptick of aircraft. There were at least 11 KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling tankers, 12 F-16 Fighting Falcons and a C-17 Globemaster II cargo jet there as of yesterday. This includes a KC-46 that had an aborted takeoff last month. The tankers at the island airfield are a critical component of the air bridge between the U.S. and Europe and the Middle East that enables the rapid buildup we have been seeing unfold.

Satellite imagery also shows an increase of refueling tanker activity at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, while a continuous decrease at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East. The closer the base is to Iran, the more vulnerable it is to large scale barrages or ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones. Al Udeid sits right on the Persian Gulf. As we have previously noted, both Jordan and Saudi Arabia have both said they would not allow U.S. forces to use their territory or airspace for an attack against Iran. Whether that pledge sticks is doubtful.

Friday morning, Trump was asked if he is considering a “limited strike” against Iran if it does not agree to a deal to curtail its nuclear weapons ambitions. He replied in the affirmative. The president did not provide details of what that could entail or when it might be launched.

Feb. 9 (UPI) — A rubber boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea last week after taking on water, leaving 53 people migrating from North Africa presumed dead, a United Nations-affiliated migration organization said Monday.

The boat capsized off the coast of Libya, north of the city Zuwara, on Friday while traveling along a migration route through the Central Mediterranean that has potentially claimed the lives of nearly 500 people since Jan. 1.

In coordination with Libyan authorities, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said it provided emergency medical care to two Nigerian women who were the only survivors of the when the vessel flipped — one who reported losing her husband and the other losing her two babies.

“In January alone, at least 375 migrants were reported or missing following multiple ‘invisible’ shipwrecks in the Central Mediterranean amid extreme weather, with hundreds more deaths believed to be unrecorded,” IOM said in a press release.

“These repeated incidents underscore the persistent and deadly risks faced by migrants and refugees attempting the dangerous crossing,” the organization said.

The boat that capsized Friday left Al-Zawiya, Libya, around 11 p.m. local time on Jan. 5 heading north but started to take on water and, six hours into the journey, the rubber craft capsized, the survivors told IOM officials.

Libya has over the past decade and a half been used as a stopgap for migrants to leave African nations for Europe, though the United Nations has reported torture, forced labor and extortion, among other abuses, by trafficking and smuggling networks offering opportunities to travel.

From Libya, migrants can reach Italy, which is less than 200 miles away across the Mediterranean. Other paths through the sea, which have been no less deadly, include those between Turkey and Greece and Morocco and Spain.

IOM’s director general, Amy Pope, met with leaders in Libya in December to discuss efforts to combat trafficking through the Central Mediterranean, as well as to enhance safe and voluntary return and migration methods.

“Every life lost on this route is a tragedy — one that we can prevent,” she said after the mid-December visit. “Saving lives requires shared responsibility and real cooperation.”

Since 2014, IOM reports that nearly 34,000 people are believed to be dead or missing while attempting to migrate to Europe from the northern coast of Africa.

TWO adults-only escapes in the Mediterranean – but which will you choose?

Take your pick from Barceló Hamilton Menorca and Giannoulis Grand Bay Beach Resort, Crete.

Barceló Hamilton Menorca 

Associate Editor Sarah Barns and friends found cool culture and a brill bar scene in the Balearics. 

The Pad: Set in the charming port town of Es Castell, a speedy 15-minute drive from Menorca airport, the star of this place is the rooftop sun terrace, with its gorgeous 360-degree views of Mahón Bay and six hot tubs. 

It’s the perfect spot for sipping refreshing pomadas – the island’s signature slushy cocktail, made with Xoriguer gin and cloudy lemonade, £8. 

You’ll also find two outdoor pools and a well-equipped gym, and while modern double rooms are compact, most have a balcony overlooking the Med, so keep an eye out for celebs on their superyachts! 

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Explore: Want to stay local? Take a stroll to the picturesque harbour at Cales Fonts.

But sundowners at the iconic Cova d’en Xoroi, a dramatic cave bar perched on the cliffs famous for its Ibiza-style chillout tunes and breathtaking views, are well worth the 30-minute taxi ride and £12 entry (Covadenxoroi.com).  

Meanwhile, Ciutadella, Menorca’s historic former capital on the isle’s west coast, makes for a great day trip.

Potter around the narrow, medieval streets, lively market square (stopping to sample the delicious Mahón cheese) and Gothic cathedral. Grab pastisset – flower-shaped, shortbread-like cookies – and pop into Atelier Ansa per Ansa to admire the handbag brand loved by Spain’s Queen Letizia (Ansaperansa.com).  

Elsewhere, along the northern coastline you’ll find the North Menorca Marine Reserve, a protected area home to hidden coves and crystal-clear sea ideal for snorkelling, as well as the Cap de Cavalleria lighthouse. 

Refuel: Nestled among olive trees, the terrace at nearby Torralbenc was made for balmy evenings (Torralbenc.com).

Expect locally sourced, regional favourites, including ceviche, £23, spider crab stew, £24.50, and Mahón cheesecake, £16.

For a more rustic affair, head to Arjau Restaurant in Maó’s harbour for small plates, including Iberico flatbread, £15.50, rice with chicken, £19.50, and tiramisu, £6 (Arjaumao.com).

After exploring the northern coast, the fideua at Casa Emilio in the fishing town of Fornells is not to be missed. 

It’s a traditional, one-pan paella-like dish with thin noodles instead of rice, bursting with monkfish, cuttlefish and crayfish, £23.50 (Casaemiliofornells.com).  

Don’t Miss: Illa del Rei, a small, pretty island in Mahón harbour, is home to the art gallery Hauser & Wirth Menorca with shows from both local and international artists. Even better, there’s a free water-taxi service (Hauserwirth.com).  

Book It: Double rooms at Barceló Hamilton Menorca cost from £89 per night.

EasyJet now offers year-round flights to Menorca, from £23.99 each way (Easyjet.com). 

Giannoulis Grand Bay Beach Resort, Crete 

Fashion Editor Abby McHale and boyfriend Andy sought out R&R in the fishing village of Kolymbari. 

The Pad: Grab a seafront junior suite with a shared infinity pool for picture-perfect postcard vibes.

Decorated in warm creams with a hint of blue, you’ll find a super-king bed, sofa area and dining table, so you won’t be lacking in space.

A private spot on the sandy, shingle beach is reserved just for Grand Bay guests, and a 60-minute body-detox massage using reflexology points and essential oils in the spa, for a £10.50 supplement, hits the spot.

The buffet may not be the most varied, but rooftop a la carte restaurant Azzuro serves up fab Greek classics like keftedes and moussaka for dinner, before the evening entertainment – think everything from a violinist to a DJ – hit the terrace. Oh, and bartender Andreas makes a mean tequila sunrise, too. 

Explore: In Kolymbari itself, stroll to the tranquil Odigitria Gonia Monastery, £2.60 entry, and snap the stunning sea vistas.

Handily, the bus from right outside the hotel takes you to the ancient city of Chania, £3 for the 30-minute ride.

Wander down to its 16th-century lighthouse for panoramic views of a city built by the Venetians, then explore the narrow streets of the Old Town packed with handmade pottery and woven basket bags – Melody Ceramics was our fave find (@Melodyceramics).

Later, seek out the Rat Race Taproom, a craft-beer bar with arcade games, and order the tropical Welcome Abroad IPA, £6 (Rat-race.gr). 

Refuel: If you stay all-inclusive-plus, you don’t need to eat out. But dining in candlelight with the sound of waves and Zorba‘s Dance played on an accordion at chic Palio Arhontiko restaurant makes for a great date night just a short stroll from the hotel.

The seafood pasta is stuffed with mussels, clams and prawns, £19.50, and the lamb orzo comes with the meat still on the bone, £25.

A glass of Greek rosé, £7, will seal the deal (Palioarhontiko.gr).

Meanwhile, tucked away by Chania’s harbour entrance is tiny Gyros Chania, where halloumi gyros cost just £6.50, and make for a tasty lunch when day-tripping (Gyroschania.com). 

Don’t Miss: Picking up an award-winning bottle of local olive oil, £17.50, at Edia after a delicious tasting (Edia-crete.gr). 

Book it: Rooms at Giannoulis Grand Bay Beach Resort cost from £94 B&B (Giannoulishotels.com).

Flights from the UK to Chania start from £89 return. 

IF you want to head to the magical Mediterranean island that’s topping the tourist lists for 2026, you might not even need to splash out much to get there.

My family of five has just returned from Gozo, which topped TravelSupermarket’s trending island destinations for 2026, and we paid just £250 return for flights, ferries and bus connections for all of us during school holidays. 

Gorgeous Gozo, set between Sicily and Malta in the Mediterranean Sea, captured our hearts, as it’s everything you’d want fro an island getaway.

With stunning coastline and countryside, incredible heritage around every corner and city streets that offer just the right amount of hustle and bustle without feeling overcrowded.

We loved how chilled out it seemed compared to neighbouring Malta – hardly surprising with a population of just 42,000, compared to 550,000 in Malta and 4.8million in nearby Sicily.

In the capital Victoria, we stumbled across the Il-Ħaġar Heart of Gozo Museum, where you’ll find a fascinating stone column running up through the centre of the museum that highlights the islands’ history, summarising the different civilisations and groups based there throughout the ages.

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The beautiful St George’s Basilica is just opposite and is well worth a visit. We all loved visiting the Neolithic Ġgantija, temples made of huge stones still standing after more than 5,500 years.

If you’re eyeing up Gozo for your family trip, there are a few easy swaps you can make when it comes to booking transport that could dramatically reduce how much it costs to reach the island. 

My first tip would be to look at regional airports for your flights. We paid £200 for return flights from Birmingham with Ryanair at the tail end of the Christmas holidays and we didn’t have to fly at antisocial hours either.

A quick look at flights in February half-term shows that Norwich is the cheapest route to Valletta currently, with flights costing half of those from London airports.

Gozo doesn’t have its own airport, so once you’ve landed in Malta, there are a couple of ways to get to your destination.

We took a bus from the airport up to the ferry port at Ċirkewwa. The bus was €3 (£2.59) each for the 100-minute journey and then the return ferry fare was just €16.25 (£14.01) for all five of us, with a crossing time of less than half an hour. 

The fast ferry from Maltese capital Valletta to Gozo would have cost us €66 (£56.88) and takes 45 minutes, with the bus between the airport and the ferry terminal taking about half an hour.

The beautiful beaches, charming city streets and historic sites that you find on Gozo are all a short bus ride from one another, so public transport is a great way to get around on the island and the €25 (£21.54) Explore Card gives unlimited travel for a week on both Malta and Gozo.

We used €19 (£16.37) cards that allowed 12 single journeys and found that to be more cost-effective for our family, spending around €90 (£77.56) on public transport over the course of our holiday.

If you’re interested in seeing Gozo using the hop-on hop-off tourist bus, I would recommend waiting until you’re on board the ferry to see if you can bag yourself a bargain.

The list price was €20 (£17.24) per adult and €12 (£10.34) per child aged 14 and below, but the rep selling tickets on the ferry offered to do us a deal of €50 (£43.09) for the five of us, so it’s well worth having a haggle if you’re up for that.

We’ve been to four of the top 10 islands on the TravelSupermarket list and Gozo is definitely a firm favourite for my family.

Searches by holidaymakers are up by 1,703 per cent according to TravelSupermarket, with the increase in interest largely attributed to the release of Ridley Scott’s epic Gladiator II, filmed on Malta and showcasing some of the charms of this archipelago.

Zakynthos, Malta and Fuerteventura all make an appearance as trending islands for 2026 and while I’ve enjoyed stays on all of them, I think Gozo really does top the lot when it comes to everything we look for in an island escape.

Whether you love sun, sea or sightseeing, you’ll be spoilt for choice on this Med marvel.

For more on Malta, here’s what one woman thought when she moved there, she wears T-shirts in winter, pays no council tax and vet bills cost £25.

And here’s more on the Mediterranean island with 200 beaches that’s spending £2.1million on more winter flights.