Portugal

THE Costa de la Luz coastline is far lesser-known than its neighbour, the Costa del Sol, which is a shame as it has so much to offer.

It should definitely be on your radar if you want cheap hotels, affordable drinks and the chance to visit another country in 15-minutes.

The Costa de la Luz coastline sits along the south of Spain offering beers for under £3 and hotel breaks from £55pppn.

If you’re looking for the beauty of Marbella but without the price tag or the noise, Costa de la Luz is a great, and budget friendly, option.

The most well-known spots along this coastline are the likes of Cadiz and Huelva.

But First Choice suggests heading to Isla Canela, a small beach escape at the very top of the coastline where Portugal is less than 20-minutes away. 

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It has golden beaches, low-cost but authentic tapas and of course, lots of sun.

One travel expert even said “you can still find really good tapas and fresh seafood dinners for €10-15 (from £8.65) a head here , if you go local.“

Staying here also means holidaymakers can visit Portugal very easily.

There’s a regular ferry between Isla Canela and Portugal’s Santo Antonio that takes just 15-minutes and costs as little as €2.50 (£2.16).

The ferry crosses the Guadiana River which forms a natural border between the two countries – so travellers wanting to explore both spots can do so in a single daytrip.

There isn’t any need to book multiple hotels and little fuss as the crossings don’t have routine passport checks (although take ID to be safe).

Santo Antonio itself is a city that’s considered a quieter alternative to the Algarve – especially on its sandy beach, Praia de Santo António.

If you’re keen to see more of Spain, just a short trip away from Isla Canela is the town of Ayamonte.

It’s known to have a traditional Andalusian feel with white-washed streets, riverside promenades and you can pick up a pint from just €3 (£2.60).

One top restaurant choice is Restaurante Le Casona where tapas dishes like garlic prawns and Spanish tortilla starts from €3 (£2.60).

First Choice suggests booking an authentic flamenco show with a tapas dinner at La Puerta Ancha which starts from £48.

If you’re wanting a city feel, then the city of Seville is under two hours away by car.

The city is a favourite of Kara Godfrey’s (Deputy Travel Editor) who discovered its royal palaces, tower viewpoints and cheap wine.

For those who want to set up a base, First Choice suggests a stay at the Hotel Barcelo Isla Canela which starts from £383pp for stays in May.

The pretty hotel is designed to look like a traditional building so it has white-washed buildings and terracotta roof tiles.

For guests, it has two outdoor pools, a huge golf course, tennis court, buffet restaurant and live entertainment.

Each room either has a terrace, full balcony, or French-style balcony – and can be upgraded to have sea views.

Prices at Hotel Barcelo Isla Canela from £383 per person include seven-nights in a twin room on a half board basis, departing Newcastle Airport on May 10, 2026.

This beach stuns visitors with its white sand, crystal-clear waters and dramatic cliffs.

The best bit of summer is unwinding on a spectacular beach with waves gently rolling onto the shore, seagulls crying above and sunshine beaming down. If this represents your ideal day, it’s essential that you discover the perfect beach to experience it on.

Fortunately, recent research has just ranked some of Europe’s finest beaches to identify the ultimate summer getaway destination. The study, carried out by airport transfer firm hoppa, has examined dozens of sought-after holiday destinations.

Each location was assessed based on its average three-star hotel price, journey time from airport to beach, and Google reviews to determine the very best options.

Taking the top spot as the finest beach for summer 2026 is Praia da Falésia in Portugal. Situated in the renowned Algarve area, this beach offers an utterly stunning day out, reports the Express.

The pale sand extends over 8km, protected by striking orange and white cliffs.

Those who visit the beach describe it as among the finest in the area, with one individual commenting on Tripadvisor: “The blend of the colours of the golden sand, the crystal blue sea and the imposing cliffs make it one of the most beautiful beaches in Portugal.”

Another said: “A wide expanse of golden and red sand, nice rock formations in the background and the waves here are gentle, perfect for swimming. It’s a popular beach, but due to its size, it’s a big, long beach; it never seems crowded even in high season.

“It’s a beach to most definitely check out if you’re planning a holiday to Albufeira.”

With lifeguards on duty and sunloungers available to hire, it caters to every need. Suitable for both families and couples, the beach’s generous size means it rarely feels overcrowded.

Europe’s best-rated beaches

• Praia da Falésia — Algarve, Portugal

• Platja de Muro — Majorca, Spain

• Myrtos Beach — Kefalonia, Greece

• Promenade des Anglais Beach — Nice, France

• Playa de Poniente — Benidorm, Spain

WHAT do a former Tory councillor from Kent and a Wimbledon-supporting socialist have in common?

They are both sharing a beer with me on my “solos” group tour of Portugal.

And the three of us are talking over the day’s activities with a Trump fan from the east coast of America.

Luckily, politics is off the menu.

Very much on the menu, however, is sardines, salted cod and the country’s speciality egg yolk pastries. But more on them later.

We are part of a 26-strong group on a dash around the southwestern-most territory of Europe, which is packed with old-world charm.

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Our adventure, organised by solo tour specialist Just You, starts in Porto, where the steep hills that rise up from the River Douro are dotted higgledy-piggledy with colourful houses.

Author JK Rowling lived among the granite streets here before she was famous — and it is said the city’s gothic architecture, along with the traditional robes of its university students, inspired her world of Harry Potter.

At least one establishment, bookshop Livraria Lello, cashes in on the fact, charging entrance fees to see its elaborate interior and upstairs cafe where Rowling would drink her coffee.

Talking of elaborate, it doesn’t get much more so than the “Gold Church”, real name the Church of St Francis.

Designated a Unesco World Heritage site, its interior is dripping with carved wood covered in gold leaf, with the precious metal having been shipped over from Portugal’s former colony of Brazil.

It’s certainly dazzling, as is a trip down the Douro River to the vineyards, which supply grapes for that most Porto of products . . . port.

Can you get more Portuguese? Well, actually, my guide informs me that, historically, it was mostly grown here by the British.

The two countries have long been allies, with many Englishmen living in Portugal in the 1600s.

Back home in those days, the English liked wine but were always at war with the pesky French, meaning booze cruises across the Channel were often a no-no.

Instead, they turned to north Portugal and the Douro Valley to grow their own.

It will come as no surprise then that many of the port brands bear English names.

These include Taylor’s, Cockburn’s and Sandeman, and you can see lots of them emblazoned on the wine cellars that fill the hills of the city of Gaia, which is just across the narrow river from Porto.

By the way, white port (yes, that’s a thing) is tipped to be the next big thing in the cocktail market.

After time in Porto, Gaia and the Douro Valley, day four of my eight-day trip sees the group begin to wind south to capital Lisbon, but not before stops at Aveiro, Coimbra and Obidos.

Let’s take them one by one. Aveiro is marketed as the “Venice of Portugal”. OK, it has some canals, but a trip on a large, electric gondola just doesn’t feel as romantic.

A fellow traveller did remark on its Art Deco beauty, though.

Coimbra could maybe be the Oxford of Portugal, boasting the country’s oldest university, which dates back to 1290. Bats live in its library to eat book-destroying bugs.

A guided tour of the city, which was once the capital, will take you into the grand university building, which sits among former church schools in a street that was the widest in Europe until the 1800s.

You will also likely hear the story of Don Pedro and Donna Ines. I heard it twice and am still a little hazy on the details.

Based on truth, it is Portugal’s Romeo And Juliet tale, which involves the 14th-century prince Pedro digging up the five-year-dead corpse of his mistress Ines.

He then crowned her queen and made his courtiers kiss her hand. The things we do for love.

The walled city of Obidos continues with the historic buildings. Perched on a hilltop, the medieval settlement is completely enclosed by its fortifications. And its small size makes its stunning streets very manageable to navigate.

While there, it’s worth trying its cherry liqueur, called ginjinha, which is served in chocolate cups that you can eat afterwards.

The final days of the tour were spent in Lisbon, a city built on seven hills.

This may make exploring its small streets a challenge, but you can always hop on and off the quaint yellow trams.

The downtown area and main squares are flat enough and filled with impressive buildings despite the earthquake that devastated the area in 1755. A couple of miles out from the centre lies the Belem district.

Its Belem Tower is a small, picturesque fort which marks the transition from tall forts (for shooting arrows) to horizontal ones (for hosting canons).

And it does this by combining both aspects of those designs as it juts prettily into the Tagus river.

Thirty minutes drive from the capital lies Sintra, another Unesco World Heritage Site. With its microclimate making it cooler and wetter than Lisbon, it stays green all year round.

It also plays host to colourful palaces where past royalty would spend their summers hunting.

I’m sure they feasted well, too. And I didn’t do badly on that front, either.
The Portuguese say they have 365 different recipes for cod (one for each day of the year).

It is often dried and salted, which they call bacalhau. I had bacalhau covered with onions and accompanied by wafer-thin fried potatoes.

Another national delicacy is pastel de nata, an egg custard tart pastry, often dusted with cinnamon.

Grabbing one with a coffee will only set you back a couple of euros for both the treat and the drink.

It’s the sort of thing you can do to while away the hours with new-found friends from the group of initial strangers on the tour.

Which, arguably, is the key factor of the holiday’s success. Do you like your travel companions? Are you cut out for solo travel?

Cards on the table, this was my first solos tour. I met people I liked and no one I disliked. Ages ranged from 40 to 95, though 85 per cent were retired.

Lots I spoke to had been using solo tour companies for many, many years.

For some it was their first time.

If you haven’t tried it before, all I can say is: You might like it, you might love it.

But you only live once (unless you’re Donna Ines) . . . and Portugal is well worth a visit.

From popular beach resorts to bustling European cities, language experts reveal the holiday destinations that British tourists commonly mispronounce — plus how to say them correctly

Brits are passionate about their overseas holidays. One advantage of living in the UK is having Europe right on our doorstep – yet many people may be completely unaware of how to pronounce their chosen destination correctly.

Linguistic specialists at the learning app Preply have compiled a list of locations Brits most frequently mispronounce. If you’re arranging a trip to any of these spots, verify your pronunciation using Preply’s handy guide (below). Mastering the correct pronunciation of your dream destination could help you avoid embarrassment while you’re there, reports the Express.

Cannes, France

The pronunciation of this glamorous French resort continues to catch people out. Many Brits naturally pronounce the final “s” or insert an additional syllable, but it’s actually a quick single syllable “kan”.

Phuket, Thailand

This stunning island getaway is incredibly popular among British holidaymakers but remains consistently mispronounced. The spelling can be deceptive, but the proper pronunciation is much simpler, beginning with a soft “p” to create “poo-ket”.

Cinque Terre, Italy

Renowned for its pastel-coloured buildings and picturesque harbours, this beautiful Italian coastal stretch welcomes millions of visitors annually, and countless people are getting it wrong.

Don’t rely on English pronunciation rules; instead, follow Italian conventions, starting with “cheen-kweh” and finishing with a rolled “teh-rreh”.

Kraków, Poland

This Polish city is regularly mispronounced. The main error is overemphasising the “ow” ending, when it ought to be a gentler “kov”.

Ibiza, Spain

It may be among the UK’s most beloved party destinations, but that hasn’t protected it from mispronunciation. Numerous people continue to overpronounce the “z” when it should actually be a gentle “th” sound.

Lagos, Portugal

This Algarve holiday favourite is frequently mispronounced by visitors. English speakers tend to pronounce it phonetically, whereas in Portuguese, the ending features a gentler “sh” sound, creating “lah-gosh”.

Budapest, Hungary

Common mispronunciation: “Buda-pest”

Hungary’s capital presents difficulties due to its misleading spelling. The proper pronunciation replaces the hard “pest” with a gentler “pesht”.

Barcelona, Spain

Despite Barcelona being an exceptionally popular tourist destination, many continue to anglicise the name. In Spanish, the “c” is pronounced “th”.

Marylebone, London

Despite being on British home turf, many people still struggle to pronounce certain locations. Marylebone is among these places. Instead of pronouncing it phonetically, it’s shortened to “Mar-li-bone”.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Scotland’s capital represents a classic stumbling block for tourists, who frequently over-enunciate every letter while attempting to get it correct. In practice, locals adopt a considerably more casual approach, dropping the ending completely and keeping it brief and low-key: “Edin-bruh.”

Prestianni suspended ​for homophobic discriminatory conduct in Champions League match ‌against ​Real Madrid in February.

Benfica’s ‌Gianluca Prestianni has been handed a six-match suspension for discriminatory conduct ⁠that was deemed ⁠homophobic in a Champions League match against Real Madrid, UEFA announced.

Prestianni will be banned for two ⁠more matches after UEFA said on Friday that a further three-match suspension would be “subject to a probationary period of two years, starting from the date ⁠of the present decision”. He has already served a one-match provisional suspension.

The Argentinian winger was accused of directing a racist slur at Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr during the Spanish side’s 1-0 Champions League playoff first-leg win ‌in February.

The first leg was suspended for 11 minutes shortly after Vinicius gave Real the lead early in the second half.

Television footage showed Prestianni covering his mouth with his shirt repeatedly before making comments that Vinicius and nearby teammates interpreted as a racial slur against the 25-year-old.

Prestianni had denied the accusation that he had made ⁠a racist comment, saying Vinicius had misheard him. Real’s ⁠Aurelien Tchouameni said the Argentinian told him he did not call Vinicius a “monkey” but directed a homophobic comment at him.

UEFA also said they would request FIFA to extend the ⁠suspension worldwide.

The suspension includes the one-match provisional suspension Prestianni served during the second leg of ⁠their knockout playoff on February 25, which ⁠Real Madrid won 2-1 to advance.

Benfica said they had been notified about the sanction imposed on Prestianni.

“Of the three-match effective ban, one has already been served and the remaining two ‌must be served in UEFA matches or Argentina national team matches in a FIFA context,” Benfica said.

Prestianni has played for Argentina only once, ‌making ‌his debut as a late substitute in a friendly game against Angola in November.

EasyJet’s general manager in Portugal has issued a warning over new government proposals the carrier says will artificially inflate prices

easyJet is weighing up plans to cut back operations in Portugal, according to reports emerging from the country. The airline’s general manager there has issued the warning amid a dispute over government proposals which easyJet claims will drive up costs for passengers.

José Lopes, easyJet’s general manager in Portugal, announced on Monday that the carrier may cut back its domestic services following the scrapping of caps on something called the social mobility allowance for air travel. This caps maximum fares for some local passengers – but the changes are set to affect the airline more widely.

“Removing the upper limit will artificially inflate prices,” José Lopes said. He argued that the measure will deliver “zero benefits” for island residents while helping to deter tourists, who makeup the bulk of passengers on domestic routes.

The airline says it will not return to operate Azores routes due to the changes. It had already confirmed its departure from the region from March 29, 2026, blaming a 35 per cent increase in airport fees and what it describes as government inaction.

The easyJet representative was addressing journalists at a press conference in Funchal, held in partnership with the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, to outline the company’s operations and long-term pledges in the Madeira archipelago, SIC Noticias reports. Portuguese media outlets report that at Porto Santo airport, the two existing routes to Lisbon and Porto will be retained, albeit with a reduction to Lisbon owing to constraints at that airport, he indicated.

He warned that if the measure to alter the social mobility subsidy regime – which would remove the maximum limits for air travel for residents of Madeira and the Azores – is implemented, there will be implications for Easyjet’s operations. “I hope that an analysis will be carried out and a way will be found to be more rational and less emotional in dealing with the matter,” he said.

When asked about the possibility of abandoning the route to Madeira, the official ruled out this scenario. Yet reports say he highlighted the possibility of “a reduction in market capacity.”

The changes were given the green light on Friday in the Assembly of the Republic, but have yet to come into force. The amendments stem from two initiatives to revise the legislation put forward by the Socialist Party and Chega.

What is the social mobility subsidy?

The social mobility subsidy set a maximum fare of €79 for residents and €59 for students travelling between Madeira and the mainland (round trip), with an overall cap of €400. In the Azores, residents travelling to the mainland pay no more than €119, while students are capped at €89, with a recently introduced maximum ceiling of €600.

The Portugal Post reports that Portugal Parliament’s recent decision to abolish price caps has placed island connectivity under serious threat, with easyJet warning of capacity reductions to Madeira and confirming it will not operate Azores routes under the new framework.

Ryanair has also revealed plans to cease all operations in the Azores on March 29, 2026, citing cost pressures.