10 of the best pensiones in Barcelona

Barcelona resident Sally Davies picks guesthouses that offer a little more than the rest – from stunning views and central locations to stylish decor and original modernista features
As featured in our Barcelona city guide

Hostal Goya

The perfect metaphor for Barcelona, the Hostal Goya is effortlessly up-to-the-minute without sacrificing any of its historical charm. Its 19 rooms are sharp and stylish, minimally decorated but with great floral splashes on the bedspreads, for example, or the occasional baroque headboard, while the original features of the modernista (art nouveau) building are carefully maintained – typical mosaic floors, high ceilings and moulded cornices. In the lounge area there is a computer for guests' use alongside sofas and tea- and coffee-making facilities. There are also self-contained apartments available to rent for up to six people.
• Carrer de Pau Claris 74, +34 93 302 2565, hostalgoya.com, doubles from €85

Pensió 2000

As the name suggests, this endearing pensión (pensió in Catalan) opposite the ornate Palau Música Catalana opened in 2000, and has since slowly expanded to seven buttercup-yellow rooms and been renovated to make them all en suite. Manuela and Orlando run it as an extension of their home, and the reception area doubles as a lounge, with sofas, a TV (though all rooms have flatscreens), books, board games and toys, while just off it there is a little patio. Wi-Fi is a modest €1 a day, and charges for laundry and so on are equally reasonable.
• Carrer de Sant Pere Més Alt 6, +34 93 310 7466, pensio2000.com, doubles from €74 to €78

Hostal L'Antic Espai

A riot of oil paintings and winsome porcelain goatherds, the Antic Espai is a reminder of what all pensiós used to be like before the "less is more" directive was issued by the style gods. It won't appeal to everyone, but its fans are ardent: not least for the warm and obliging attitude of owners Abel and Sergio. Antique furniture and ornaments compete for limited space in the rooms, all of which are en suite and some of which have a private balcony or give on to the shared patio area where you can take a light breakfast.
• Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 660, +34 93 304 1945, anticespai.com, doubles from €120

Poblenou Bed and Breakfast

Until recently known as the Hostal Poblenou (though nothing has changed but the name), this charming, airy B&B is housed in a picturesque buttercup-yellow townhouse just around the corner from the Rambla del Poblenou – a lively boulevard with much of the charm and none of the tourists of its Old City namesake. The six rooms, all named after Catalan artists, retain their original features, such as the mosaic flooring and wooden shutters, and most are en suite. Unusually, there are tea- and coffee-making facilities in every room, along with free Wi-Fi, and in summer breakfast is served on a charming, plant-filled patio.
• Carrer del Taulat 30, +34 93 221 2601, hostalpoblenou.com, doubles from €65 to €95 B&B

Anita's Bed & Breakfast

A cosy bed and breakfast with only three rooms situated up on the hill of Tibidabo. A slight pain to get to by public transport, it's a godsend for anyone with their own car, and the views (not all rooms have views – specify when booking) over the city are fabulous. The rooms are simply but prettily decorated, and some have balconies. There is free Wi-Fi throughout, and all rooms have TVs and DVD players, while a comfortable lounge area has books, board games and DVDs. A good and generous breakfast is included.
• Carrer d'August Font 24, +34 93 254 6793, anitasbarcelona.com, doubles from €69 to €88 B&B

Bonic

Delightful owner Fernando greets guests with a drink as they arrive, setting the tone for the Bonic experience, which is welcoming and personal but never suffocating. The rooms are small but cheerily decked out in bold colours, with exotic touches in the silk cushions and wrought-iron bedsteads, but be warned none is en suite: the six rooms share three immaculate bathrooms. Tea, coffee, mineral water and pastries are included in the price, as is a simple buffet breakfast, while other extras you might not expect to find in a pensió include dressing gowns and newspapers.
• Carrer de Josep Anselm Clavé 9, +34 626 053434, bonic-barcelona.com, doubles from €90 to €95

BarcelonaBB

A charming and friendly pensió with four cheerful, unpretentious rooms sharing two delightfully colourful bathrooms, a cosy, cluttered lounge area and small patio. One of the owners is Colombian and the Botero prints and other South American knick-knacks all add to its characterful appeal. The Blue room is on the small side, but the Yellow, Green and Wooden rooms are comfortable enough and can be used as triples. The Chimney room is the most elegant of the bunch and is en suite, but is located in a separate building a couple of blocks away. Breakfast and Wi-Fi are included.
• Carrer de Mallorca, +34 637 977263, barcelonabb.com, doubles from €70 to €90 B&B

Marina View B&B

A much-loved pensió with views over the Port Vell and an unbeatable location a stone's throw from La Rambla. There are two basic types of room, and an extra €10 buys you a lot more space (ask for the Captain's Cabin, Maremagnum room or Columbus room – the latter is especially recommended, with windows on to two streets). While the décor won't win any design awards, it's warm and homely, and all rooms have features such as minibars, kettles, tea and coffee. As the pensió is also the owners' home, they don't publish the full address, but will provide details upon confirmation.
• Passeig de Colom, +34 93 317 5920, marinaviewbcn.com, doubles from €113 to €140

Casa de Billy

Antiques dealer and interior designer Billy Cross has a handful of refined but cosy guesthouses in Barcelona, Istanbul and Mexico, and adds a personal touch to each. This one, in a converted flat on the Gran Via (close to the airport bus stop at Rocafort) is airy, high-ceilinged and colourful, with baroque furniture and chandeliers, while its staff could not be more helpful. They are at pains to point out that this is not a B&B, but a very simple breakfast of coffee and (an excellent) croissant is provided, and guests can use the kitchen to cook for themselves.
• Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 420, +34 93 426 3048, casabillybarcelona.com, doubles from €70 (over-18s only and minimum stay two nights)

La Casa de Marcelo

Owned and run by interior designer Marcelo López, this delightful and supremely elegant guesthouse has five rooms in a lovely building at the edge of the Born district. High ceilings, French windows and tiled floors are common to all the rooms, as are teardrop chandeliers and colourful, stylish bedlinen. The rooms share five (very clean) bathrooms, and guests are welcome to use the well-equipped kitchen. Tea and coffee are served in the mornings and are included in the price, as is Wi-Fi. Note that there's a minimum stay of two nights and payment is up front and cash only.
• Carrer de Rera Palau 2, +34 93 182 2355, casamarcelobarcelona.com, doubles from €80 to €105 (minimum stay two nights)

• Sally Davies is a Barcelona-based writer and expert on the city

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10 of the best hostels in Barcelona

Whether you're a hard-core party person or a Modernista mansion type, Sally Davies can point you at the best budget beds in the Catalan capital

As featured in our Barcelona city guide

Kabul

A Barcelona institution in the best possible sense, the recently renovated Kabul has been housing backpackers since the pre-Olympic days, before the sailors and prostitutes patrolling the nearby Rambla were replaced by Geordie stag parties. It's an unbeatable location, right on the arcaded Plaça Reial in the centre of the Barri Gòtic, but is really aimed at hard-core party people – the cheap beer and all-night comings and goings of the clubbers make it less fun for anyone here for a quiet weekend of sightseeing, especially in the larger rooms (mixed dorms sleep up to 20 people).
• Plaça Reial 17, +34 93 318 5190, kabul.es, shared dorm rooms from €20pp, including breakfast

Gothic Point

Festooned with paper lanterns and ablaze with acid colours and murals, this is perhaps the Equity Point group's most fun hostel, with a great location in the Born, just off Via Laietana and next to Jaume I metro. Guests tend to spend most of their time reading, chilling out or playing table tennis on the large roof terrace but there's also a lively communal area (which is emptied at about 11pm). Dorms sleep 6-14 and space is at a premium but most rooms have wooden partitions or curtains around the beds (specify when booking).
• Carrer Vigatans 5, +34 93 268 7808, gothicopint.com, doubles from €70, shared dorm rooms from €17pp

Casa Gràcia

With a minimal chic aesthetic that would be the envy of many a smart hotel, the Casa Gràcia sprang on to the scene in 2010 as the city's first boutique hostel. Vaulted ceilings, corinthian columns, picture windows and snowy white rooms enlivened with the occasional burst of vibrant wallpaper make for a very different environment from the bare-bones mildewed hostels of yesteryear, though the animated social vibe has proven timeless. The large dining room, lounge area and patio see one-off events such as concerts, football matches projected on to a huge screen and exhibitions of local artists. • Passeig de Gràcia 116, +34 93 187 4497, casagraciabcn.com, doubles from €54.40, shared dorm rooms from €15.40pp

Barcelona Urbany

A brave new world of professional graffiti, iPod chargers and "hostel social networking" on a giant touchscreen, whereby you can leave messages for your friends or other guests (I think they used to call this "a noticeboard"). There is access to an impressively large gym and indoor pool, along with a never less than bustling terrace with a view across to Jean Nouvel's neon-lit Torre Agbar. This is a huge operation, with 400 beds, but rooms are reasonably private, sleeping two, four, six or eight people in mixed or female dorms, and breakfast is included. Despite local attempts to paint the area as Barcelona's Shoreditch, Poblenou can be a bit sleepy after dark, which may account for the hostel's party atmosphere.
• Avinguda Meridiana 97, +34 93 245 8414, barcelonaurbany.com, doubles from €25pp, shared dorm rooms from €12pp

Garden House Hostel

Located in the quiet barrio of Horta, where the air is that bit fresher, the Garden House is the bucolic budget option. Set in a rambling turn-of-the-century townhouse, it lives up to its name with a shady, gravelled garden, but the high point is the roof terrace, which has loungers, hammocks and a sweeping view over the city and surrounding hills. Dorms and double rooms and the shared, well-equipped kitchen are pristine, and painted in cheery nursery colours. It's a bit of a way from the centre but there are two metro stations, on different lines, within walking distance.
• Carrer d'Hedilla 58, +34 93 427 2479, feetuphostels.com, doubles from €26.68pp, shared dorm rooms from €15.56pp

Centric Point

The Passeig de Gràcia, an impossibly chic shopping boulevard flanked with Modernista buildings – some designed by Gaudí – and dotted with ornate wrought-iron lampposts, is the unlikely setting for this popular youth hostel. Set on a chamfered street corner, the hostel is spread over six floors a grand mansion and consequently never feels cramped. There is a rooftop terrace where you can get cheap drinks, and internet and breakfast are included. The dorms are not especially exciting, but decent and clean. The double rooms are considerably more stylish, but here you're paying for location.
• Passeig de Gràcia 33, +34 93 231 2045, centricpointhostel.com, doubles from €100, shared dorm rooms from €20pp, including breakfast

Mare de Déu de Montserrat

High up above Gràcia and next to Gaudí's fantastical Park Güell, the Mare de Déu de Montserrat is a converted Modernista mansion, built for a wealthy banking family in 1906. The building, surrounded by gardens and approached through a grand gateway, was damaged by artillery in the Spanish civil war but still contains a riot of Moorish-influenced tiling, carved cedar doors, polychromatic wooden panels, and fine columns and arches reminiscent of the Alhambra. The dorms (with six, eight or 12 beds) are as plain as the rest of the building is dazzling, but are comfortable enough, and a fixed-price lunch is served downstairs (breakfast is included).
• Passeig de la Mare de Déu del Coll 41-51, +34 93 210 5151, xanascat.cat, shared dorm rooms from €16.75pp

Barcelona Central Garden

The "swimming pool" mentioned on the website is actually a Jacuzzi, but, hey, it's got a Jacuzzi! This hostel in Eixample has also got immaculately clean dorms, comfortable beds with decent mattresses and reading lights, and what the owners term "maniacal attention to the soundtrack" (witness the LP covers adorning the walls). It's not for party people, and the terrace is a peaceful place to read, becoming a little more lively on Friday when there are "pizza and sangria" nights. With pale yellow walls, stripy duvet covers and framed prints, this feels more like a sociable pensión, and prices are accordingly a little higher but still good value. A youth hostel for grown-ups.
• Carrer Roger de Llúria 41, +34 93 500 6999, onehostel.com, doubles from €64, shared dorm rooms from €12pp

Itaca

It's got the obligatory acid-green walls and neon-bright murals but the Itaca is a cut above most hostels in its price range, not least for its cosy size and central position close to the cathedral. Thirty-four beds are spread across four dorms and four doubles, and there's an apartment for up to six people in an adjacent building. Service is more personal than in most hostels and those who stay here tend to be accordingly more respectful – about noise, cleanliness and the excellent honour-system book exchange (guide books can simply there to be borrowed).
• Carrer Ripoll 21, +34 93 301 9751, itacahostel.com, doubles from €60, shared dorm rooms from €12

Mambo Tango Youth Hostel

A little taste of Latin America in the otherwise sleepy neighbourhood of Poble Sec. A lo-fi party atmosphere dominates but drunkenness is frowned upon and late-night noise rarely tolerated, creating the perfect conditions for most level-headed backpackers. It's an attractive space, too, with exposed stone walls and vibrant multicoloured tiles in the communal areas (dorms are your basic metal bunks and lockers). There's free Wi-Fi, a TV room with DVD library, and breakfast is included. Best of all, it's right next door to Barcelona's best tapas bar, Quimet i Quimet.
• Carrer de Poeta Cabanyes 23, +34 93 442 5164, hostelmambotango.com, doubles from €36pp, shared dorm rooms from €27

Sally Davies is a Barcelona-based writer and expert on the city

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10 of the best boutique hotels in Barcelona

The ultimate boutique hotels chosen by Barcelona-based travel writer Sally Davies. Take your pick from the modernist Ohla Hotel, the kooky Casa Camper or Kelly Hoppen's Murmuri

As featured in our Barcelona city guide

Ohla Hotel

The façade of the latest addition to Barcelona's luxury hotel scene is adorned with a thousand eyes on stalks, courtesy of surrealist Catalan designer Frederic Amat. Inside the tone is more sombre, the monochrome chic of the rooms softened only by the oak floors and velvet bed throws. The design details are well thought out, however – finding the hidden toilet can take a moment or two – and the extras a nice surprise: "What scent would you like for your bedlinen, madam?" Michelin-starred chef Xavier Franco has transferred his superb Saüc restaurant to the Barri Gòtic, and the crowning glory is the rooftop deck with luxurious daybeds and a glass-sided pool.
• Via Laietana 49, +34 93 341 5050, ohlahotel.com, doubles from €211

Casa Camper

A kooky venture into the hotel business from the makers of the iconic shoes. In keeping with the boho nature of the surrounding streets of Raval, the design is hip but rather eccentric, from the hammocks slung across the corners of the rooms, to the layout that means that the private sitting rooms are across a corridor from the bedrooms (forget any notions of watching TV in bed). Staff are upbeat and helpful, and downstairs there are piles of books and magazines, along with a free snack bar where guests can help themselves to soup, sandwiches, drinks and so on. Breakfast is (unusually for Spain) included.
• Carrer d'Elisabets 11, +34 93 342 6280, casacamper.com, doubles from €192 B&B

Chic & Basic

Chic & Basic is a misnomer – Fairly Chic & Fairly Basic would be more accurate – but the concept is clear. The entire hotel is decorated in white, and its small rooms employ all sorts of other tricks to appear more spacious, from twisted acrylic room dividers to showers at the foot of the bed (not for the shy). In the Be Yourself lounge you'll find fantastical rococo sofas, free Wi-Fi, a computer for guests and an area where you can help yourself to a range of teas, coffee and biscuits. There is a small gym, but few other facilities – a limited breakfast is available in the restaurant downstairs, but there's plenty of places to eat in the Born.
• Carrer de la Princesa 50, +34 93 295 4652, chicandbasic.com, doubles from €96

Barceló Raval

The tall, elliptical Barceló initially had its detractors, who opposed the building of a five-star hotel in what can be quite an unpredictable neighbourhood, but most would argue that it has been a success. The soft neon lighting makes it a beacon at night and the rooms reflect the design with clever use of fuchsia and lime-green brightening otherwise simply decorated spaces. There's an animated tapas bar/restaurant on the ground floor, but the real attraction is the view, particularly if you have one of the more expensive rooms on the higher levels; though you can also drink it in from the rooftop terrace.
• Rambla del Raval 17-21, +34 93 320 1490, barceloraval.com, doubles from €122

Room Mate Emma

The Room Mate group has a handful of hotels in Madrid, but this is the first to land in Barcelona, in the Eixample, and employs the same principle of playful, faintly futuristic design with surprisingly decent prices, particularly if you book early. After the space-age look of the lobby, the rooms are relatively tame, but ergonomically shaped furniture, backlit walls of undulating white strips and vivid swirls of magenta are common to all of them. There are also suites, which are slightly bigger and have their own terrace. Check when booking that you don't get an interior room with no window to the outside world. Breakfast is included and served until noon.
• Carrer del Rosselló 205, +34 93 238 5606, room-matehotels.com, doubles from €66 B&B

Villa Emilia

If the Villa Emilia were in the Barri Gòtic, it would probably get away with charging double, but even allowing for a less-than-sexy location (in a slightly dreary part of the Eixample, though only a couple of metro stops from the centre) it's a fantastic bargain. Its rooms are decorated in shades of chocolate and teak with clean, modern lines, while the lively lobby bar and restaurant are more baroque. Complimentary afternoon tea is served on the mezzanine – where guests will also find newspapers, books and a couple of computers. The real gem, though, is the rooftop bar, a quiet, candlelit oasis of sofas, cushions and potted plants.
• Carrer de Calabria 115-117, +34 93 252 5285, hotelvillaemilia.com, doubles from €95

Bòria

More of an aparthotel than a hotel, the Bòria's nine rooms all contain a basic kitchen. Each is different, but most have separate sleeping and sitting/eating areas in a smart, modern style that owes little to the cookie-cutter minimalism of most hotels in this price bracket. The rooms are of a decent size, with the junior suites perhaps providing the best value. There is no bar or restaurant (though this is promised in the near future), and therefore no room service or breakfast, but there is a small rooftop terrace with sun loungers and a view across to the Born's Santa Maria del Mar church.
• Carrer de Bòria 24-26, +34 93 295 5893, boriabcn.com, doubles from €119

Murmuri

Designed by British interiors doyenne Kelly Hoppen, the Murmuri is a luxurious but not ludicrously expensive option in the heart of the Eixample. The most extravagant details are saved for the lobby and common areas – rooms are plush without being over the top, decorated in autumnal shades, with big, comfortable beds. The design rooms (the cheapest of five types), particularly, can be a bargain in low season. The hotel is affiliated to the grand Hotel Majestic nearby, and guests can use the Majestic's gym and pool at no extra charge. A restaurant serves Asian cuisine and there is a wonderful 70s-inspired cocktail bar, the Marfil.
• Rambla de Catalunya 104, +34 93 550 0600, murmuri.com, doubles from €119

the5rooms

As the name suggests, the5rooms, tucked away on a quiet Eixample street, started out as a tiny enterprise a few years back but proved so successful that American owner Jessica Delgado has added another seven rooms and suites, as well as a couple of apartments in an adjacent building. The rooms are all different in layout and feel, but the cosiest have bare brick walls and an eclectic handful of artworks, flower arrangements, books and perhaps a station clock. Breakfast is included and served as late as you like, and there is free Wi-Fi throughout.
• Carrer de Pau Claris 72, +34 93 342 7880, thefiverooms.com, doubles from €146

Neri Hotel

The original (and some say the best) of the city's boutique hotels, the Neri is untouchable on location, if nothing else. It sits on a quiet medieval sidestreet alongside the cathedral, and is a romantic spot with its gothic arches and staircase, great oak doors and rich colours. The rooms are decorated in bold colours, with statement artworks and satin throws. On the roof is a cosy, leafy terrace decked with teak and scented with jasmine blossom (though note that there is no pool), and the ground-floor bar has tables outside in the tiny Plaça de Sant Felip Neri behind the hotel.
• Carrer de Sant Sever 5, +34 93 304 0655, hotelneri.com, doubles from €275

Sally Davies is a travel writer based in Barcelona

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New Zealand Rugby World Cup cities: Dunedin

Dunedin locals James Hacon and Merrin Bath show us round their favourite haunts in the city that is hosting three of England's four Rugby World Cup group games

To see matches being played in Dunedin and other cities click here

With Christchurch unable to host Rugby World Cup (rugbyworldcup.com) matches after February's earthquake, the spotlight is on Dunedin: the South Island's second city will now host three of England's four group games. Eighteenth-century Scottish settlers built the city in Edinburgh's image, and it was boosted by a goldrush in the 19th century. Its university (otago.ac.nz) is the oldest in New Zealand and one of the most prestigious, lending the city a multicultural, youthful air. Dunedin's vibrant, compact centre is surrounded by fantastic countryside, great beaches and teeming wildlife.

Cafes

Customhouse (18 Fryatt Street, thecustomhouse.co.nz) is an airy, upmarket cafe-bar-restaurant on the harbour, housed in – yep – the former custom house. Potpourri (97 Stuart Street) is good for an afternoon pick-me-up – try its delicious apple crumble muffins. George Street is full of cafes, including Governors at No 438. A Dunedin institution, it has been catering for hungover students since 1977 and makes the best cheese rolls around. These Dunedin delicacies comprising bread slathered with a secret cheese recipe (rumour has it onion soup mix is involved), folded up, grilled, then spread with butter and served with a cup of tea.

Strictly Coffee (23 Bath Street, strictlycoffee.co.nz) is one of Dunedin's coolest cafes. It has a retro vibe with lots of red and black leather, and a cute courtyard garden. Locals will drink six "long blacks" in one sitting – not to be attempted if you're unused to New Zealand's strong coffee.

Restaurants

Technique (Harbour Terrace, +64 3 479 6172, for bookings email bookings@op.ac.nz) is the training restaurant for Otago Polytechnic, where you can enjoy a tasting menu for under £20 – bargain. Paasha (31 St Andrew Street, paasha.co.nz) is best for Turkish food, while the student area is full of great sushi joints. If you want to splash out, go to Plato (2 Birch Street, platocafe.co.nz). Ignore the menus on the table and choose from the seafood on the blackboard. I had paua patties (abalone, the surprisingly tasty slug of the sea), squeaky fresh tuna on a herb risotto, and liquorice and five-spice ice-cream with rhubarb compote. Collectors' kitsch lines the room – and keep an eye out for sporting superstars: All Blacks captain Richie McCaw was on the next table.

Bars

Albar (135 Stuart Street) was originally Central Bar – allegedly the first five letters fell off and the new name stuck – and it reflects Dunedin's Scottish heritage, serving whisky and haggis. Inch Bar (8 Bank Street) has a good selection of beers, including local brew Emerson's on tap. Pequeno (50 Princes Street, pequeno.co.nz) is a hidden gem behind the Savoy building. Find it down a graffiti'd alley off Moray Place – belying the insalubrious surroundings, it's a classy joint serving cocktails and tapas. Lower Stuart Street has plenty of restaurants and bars, including hip hangout Carousel at No 141 (carouselbar.co.nz). Also look out for anywhere serving Green Man (greenmanbrewery.co.nz), a local, award-winning organic beer.

Accommodation


For backpackers, Merrin recommends On Top (12 Filleul Street, (+64 3 477 6121, ontopbackpackers.co.nz, dorm beds from £13); clean modern doubles at LivingSpace (192 Castle Street, +64 3 951 5000, dud.livingspace.net, from £32 a night,); and self-catering flats at Quest Dunedin (333 Cumberland Street, +61 3 9645 8357, questapartments.co.nz, from £66 a night).

James suggests the Tourist Court Cottages, a 15-minute walk from the centre (+64 3 477 4270, motel-accommodation-dunedin.co.nz, from £49 a night). More adventurous visitors might want to try dormitory accommodation at The Lodge on Dunedin's Quarantine Island, where new arrivals were contained in the 19th century. (+64 3 478 0874, theisland.org.nz, suggested donation £7 a night).

On the Otago peninsula, Larnach Castle (+64 3 476 1616, larnachcastle.co.nz) has lodgings to suit three budgets: The Stables (cheapish), Larnach Lodge (mid-range) and the new Camp Estate (very expensive). For a real treat, stay at the St Clair Beach Resort (+64 3 456 0555, stclairbeachresort.com, doubles from £96), a new luxury hotel in a swanky suburb south-west of the centre. It was the best place I stayed in New Zealand by a big margin.

Culture


Dunedin has a vibrant live music scene (see dunedinmusic.com). Logan Park, the university sports ground just across the road from the new rugby stadium, hosts festivals and outdoor gigs. Re:Fuel (640 Cumberland St), a cafe/bar on campus often has jazz by local musicians. Also try tiny Mou Very (357 George Street), upstairs at the Captain Cook Tavern (354 Great King Street); and the Chicks Hotel (2 Mount Street) in bohemian Port Chalmers. Ash & the Matadors are an up-and-coming local band.

Moray Place is home to a cluster of art galleries, such as Temple (templegallery.co.nz) and Blue Oyster (blueoyster.org.nz), while Gallery De Novo (gallerydenovo.co.nz) on Stuart Street) displays a changing line-up of New Zealand artists.

Beaches


You're spoilt for lovely beaches in Dunedin: St Clair, St Kilda, Black Head, Brighton … But perhaps the most magical of all is Tunnel Beach, a few kilometres south-west of the city. In the 1870s John Cargill, a local bigwig, blasted a tunnel through the cliff so that his family could bathe in privacy. A steep grassy track leads to the tunnel, which has 72 stone steps down to the beach. The stretch of golden sand is flanked on three sides by sheer, sea-smoothed cliffs with natural caves and rock arches. Legend has it that Cargill's daughter drowned there, so he paid a high price for his piece of paradise. Check the tides before you go and avoid lambing season, when the track is closed.

Outside the city


The major wildlife draw around Dunedin is the Otago Peninsula (otago-peninsula.co.nz). I took a Monarch boat trip (wildlife.co.nz) to the Royal Albatross Colony at Taiaroa Head, the birds' only mainland breeding colony in the world.

Also on the peninsula I visited Nature's Wonders (natureswonders.co.nz), a family-run conservation project. We zoomed around on all-terrain Argo vehicles, spotting dozens of New Zealand fur seals and their playful pups, and even a couple of rare yellow-eyed penguins.

To the north, the Taieri Gorge Railway (+64 3 477 4449, taieri.co.nz) offers a relaxing journey through spectacular scenery.

Remaining tickets for the 2011 Rugby World Cup go on sale on 4 July at tickets.rugbyworldcup.com. For further information about New Zealand and the world cup, go to newzealand.com/rugby. The Real New Zealand Festival (realnzfestival.com) will feature more than 1,000 cultural events during the tournament.

Emirates (0844 800277, emirates.com/uk) flies to Auckland and Christchurch daily from Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Newcastle from £950 return.

• James Hacon is a local tourist consultant (twitter.com/jameshacon), and Merrin Bath organises Dunedin's annual fashion week (idfashion.co.nz)

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Hotel review: Blyth Hotel, Southwold

Great flair and attention to detail in the restaurant of this seaside hotel – but shame about the rust-marked bathroom and uncomfortable mattress

The Blyth Hotel's website does not, according to the hotel PR, do it justice. That's a worry – how can one tell whether it is just the pictures that don't come up to scratch? On the other hand, a small hotel here would be a discovery. For all Southwold's popularity for gentle, bucket-and-spade breaks, fresh crab and classy retail therapy, boutique accommodation is lacking and most people I know who visit each year self-cater. I allow myself to be persuaded.

This two-star was once Southwold's railway hotel, a 10-minute stroll from the sea. The station opposite is now a cop shop, sitting beside a mini roundabout.

We arrive just after 9pm. Last orders for dinner are at 9.30pm – though the cheery, welcoming staff at reception assure us there is no rush. Phew.

From the pale blue entrance, we head for the stairs – I poke my head first into the sitting room where fine Edwardian proportions and a fireplace meet chairs and stools jammed along each wall as though a local support group had booked it for a meeting.

First stop, my room, the Southwold Bridal Suite, where I encounter a trouser press, followed by Ian Hislop, just discernible on a hefty silver television set, inexplicably switched on and showcasing terrible reception.

The third (and most positive) vintage element is an antique double wardrobe. Few rooms could accommodate it. Here it looks great, despite the fact it might well fetch less at auction these days than the price of new Laura Ashley pieces which join it against a backdrop of wallpaper shiny as wedding giftwrap.

No shiny paper one floor above, in A's (king) pine-furnished room beneath the eaves. We eat in the seasidey, candlelit bar. So enticing is my plate of ham hock terrine with a smidge of pea soup that A insists on swapping, then regrets it when I allow her one sumptuous chargrilled spear of asparagus (which comes with a dippy poached duck egg). Herb-crusted cod as fresh as can be follows, and a stonkingly good burger with jacket-on chips. Pimm's fruit jelly and orange and passionfruit ice-cream round it off, for less than £25 a head. Amazing.

My bathroom has been partially tarted up, with a new basin unit, but the whirlpool bath only manages a couple of half-hearted jets, the bath panel is loose and rust-marks here and there are discouraging. Planks of MDF have been screwed across each beautiful Edwardian window – as if to suggest some newly weds once threw themselves out.

My friend reports a good night's sleep, but "flat pillows". Mine too, plus unromantic mattress springs. We both notice a slight mustiness in my room – perhaps the carpet is pre-smoking ban?

Nice breakfast menu. The buffet is spread across four tables pushed together and includes shot glasses of yummy raspberry and mango purées to drizzle over plain yoghurt – but A is stressing. No one's replenishing the help-yourself filter coffee.

The flair and attention shown by the kitchen are not being matched elsewhere in this hotel, yet rates are not cheap – my "bridal suite" costs from £160. I blame a hopelessly outdated hotel grading system. Instead of making hoteliers prioritise what really matters – good mattress and pillows (basic requirement surely?), but also sparkling new bathrooms and spaces that make you feel special – it awards stars for ridiculous reasons such as an en suite bathroom, lined curtains and remote control TV. In 2011, you won't find a boutique B&B that doesn't manage those. Perhaps it's time someone opened one in Southwold.

WHAT TO DO IN THE AREA: BY THE LOCALS

Seaside fun

Our pier in Southwold is 365ft of fun and has a fantastic array of shops selling unusual gifts and keepsakes. The Under the Pier Show is a collection of mad, handbuilt inventions, plus there's the only amusement arcade in the country with no gambling machines. It is a fairly posh pier, but it is loved by locals and visitors alike.
Charlie Ashwell, The Blyth Hotel

Retail therapy

The High Street is full of lovely independent shops owned by people who offer real customer service. One of my favourites is Spots toy shop (01502 726133, spots-southwold.co.uk), which is great for kids with pocket money to spend (prices start at 50p), and is the best place to buy crabbing kits. CA

Southwold is home to many artists, and two of them have shops in the town. Serena Hall in Queen Street sells work by artists from all over the UK, as well as her own mixed-media canvases (01502 723887, serenahallgallery.co.uk). Thea Cutting (01502 722433, gallerythea.co.uk) on Hurren Terrace specialises in colourful hand-painted ceramics. CA

A good brew

We have our own brewer, Adnams, in East Green – you can't really come here and go home without some of their beer. They also host brewery tours for £10pp (over-18s only). CA

The tea rooms at the Boat Lake (07939 410182) – a delightful white wooden pavilion styling shabby chic at its best – offers tea in proper pots and mixed china cups just like your gran's. CA

Dinner date

Pete and Olly in Coasters restaurant (01502 724734, coastersofsouthwold.co.uk) in Queen Street work hard to offer an exciting à la carte menu which is creative and rich in seasonal produce. They have a wide range of local beers, and spirits from the Copper House Distillery at Adnams Brewery. They also have an extensive lunchtime menu, and serve a fine cup of coffee.
Mark Brown and Serena Hall, Serena Hall Gallery (serenahallgallery.co.uk)

Try fresh fish and chips from Mrs T's at the harbour (01502 724709) – though note that she stops frying at 6.30pm prompt. We have never had better. Lay out a rug and watch the boats. CA

Take a ride

For a real adrenalin rush the Coastal Voyager (coastalvoyager.co.uk, adults £22, children £11) scores 100%. It is a 9m rigid inflatable seating 12. The captain makes you comfy then scares you silly with a high-speed trip around Sole Bay. It's brilliant fun. He also does trips to Scroby Sands to see the seals. More sedately, try the four-minute ferry crossing to Walberswick, have lunch at the Bell and walk back over the bailey bridge.
Antonia Bournes, marketing director, Southwold Pier

For gentler sightseeing, hop on "Olive", Tilly Tours' 1950s tour bus (01502 725677, tillystours.co.uk), which departs from the Pier and High Street. Buy tickets on the bus or from Tourist Information – £3.50 adults, £2.50 children – and you can use them all day. CA

Walk on the wild side

One of our favourite walks begins by leaving Southwold on the ferry to Walberswick, then heading to Dunwich. Allow a few hours, as it's just under four miles each way. It offers a spectrum of landscapes, with all the magnificent wildlife that attracts (see suffolkcoastandheaths.org). The Ship Inn (01728 648219, shipatdunwich.co.uk) at Dunwich is a perfect place to relax and restore before setting off back to Southwold. MB & SH

Evening out

For a really intimate cinema show, go to the Electric Picture Palace in Blackmill Road. Lovingly built and cared for by John Bennett, this 68-seat cinema stands near the site of the original 1912 cinema. They have a great choice of films. AB

Steamed up

Every September sees the Grand Henham Steam Rally (henhamsteamrally.com) at Henham Park, just outside town. It makes a great day, with all the charm of an old-fashioned country fair. The programme includes displays of vintage vehicles, a fairground, marching bands and a "Wall of Death" motorcycle display. MB & SH

SuffolkHotelsBeach holidaysShort breaksSally Shalamguardian.co.uk

Insiders’ guide to Greece

Greece has thousands of islands – and beautiful spots on the mainland – but which is best for you? Click to skip to our experts' picks for history, for families, for food, for walking trips and more

THE BEST PLACE FOR … BEACHES

Skiathos – Sporades

Skiathos hit the jackpot when it came to beaches. Textbook sands line its south coast, from Koukounaries, the island's best-known beach – where deep green trees provide the backdrop for a dramatic golden sweep – to Megali Ammos. And if much of the island's sand is buried beneath rows of sunbeds, it doesn't take a great deal of effort to find a windier, sparser and less manicured slice of island life. A half-hour walk north through the woods from Koukounaries takes you to the laid-back Mandraki and Elias beaches, while further east is expansive Megalos Aselinos. Here, in the evening, goat bells clang and families play badminton in the setting sun.

Perhaps the best beaches are the smallest: at picture-perfect Agistros, Mikros Aselinos, and Krifi Ammos (or "hidden sand"). At remote Kechria, in what the Skiathian writer Papadiamantis called a "beautiful, melancholic valley", a Greek flag flies above the craggy beach as people wade into the sea, or stop in the shade of the beach taverna for a cold Mythos beer.

Visibility for snorkelling and scuba diving is especially good around the islets. Take a boat to the beach at Tsougria, or view it from afar over an iced coffee at Bourtzi, an islet linked to Skiathos Town by a bridge, and which – rumour has it – the Beatles once tried to buy. Even some main island beaches – such as pebbled Lalaria, with its rock arch – are accessible only by boat.

Skiathos has over 60 beaches, but there is more to see: visit the lazy cats at the Evangelistria monastery instead, or the fresco paintings at Kounistra, from where a path winds to the miniature "Hidden St John" monastery. Visit Papadiamantis's old house in Skiathos Town and watch a film at the open-air cinema. Try the octopus stifado at Amfiliki restaurant, washed down with a tsipouro (like grappa) and go to Kentavros bar (where the spirit of the 1960s lives on) to hear whose yacht is in the harbour.

Skiathos may be favoured by the A-list, but by staying at the campsite behind Koukounaries you can join them on a budget. The island's charm, after all, lies in its simplicity: the glaring sun, the pine-swathed hills, and a dazzling turquoise sea.
• Torair (flytorair.com) flies from Gatwick to Skiathos. Camping Koukounaries: skiathosinfo.com/accomm/camping.htm
Jonathan Knott, author of online guide skiathostruth.com

Syros, Cyclades

An island of unspoilt beaches and fishing villages, with an elegant 19th-century capital, Syros is the place Greeks go to avoid mass tourism. It is the Aegean's most underrated island. Ermoupoli, once Venice's prized Aegean colony, then Greece's biggest port, is spread across two hills, one crowned with a Greek Orthodox church, the other with a Roman Catholic church – a legacy of the Italians, who have also made their mark on the architecture. Ermoupoli is characterised by gorgeous neoclassical mansions and 19th-century tenement blocks. Its labyrinthine alleyways are home to fish restaurants and marble- and-brass espresso bars. One block behind the waterfront is Antiparou, a pedestrian lane full of outside tables and chairs, shaded by flowering bougainvillea creepers. Beyond that is In the town square, where Greek yuppies pose with €6 Heinekens, old folk sip Greek ("not Turkish") coffee and children play football in the dust.

Out of town are many small coves. Some 12km to the south is the long, narrow beach at Megas Gialos – incredibly tranquil, with soft pale sand and tamarisk trees and straw canopies offering shade. There is a whitewashed chapel, a few wooden boats moored to a jetty at the western end, a cafe and three grocery stores. Self-catering is possible at the many studio flats available in the village, from about €25pp a night. Expect a diet of bread, olives, tinned sardines, yoghurt and honey – Megas Gialos is too remote for deliveries of much fresh food.

Galissas beach in the south-west of the island is rather more busy – and worldly. It has a rockers' beach bar, where nubile Australian backpackers hunt for grizzled Greek bikers, and a small and secluded beach with skinny- dippers. It also has several restaurants with perfect sunset views over the sand dunes, while you eat, serving minced lamb with chicory and unusual fish dishes, alongside standard Greek fare of roast meats and stews. Peter and Tony offer en-suite rooms with en-suite bathrooms and reasonably fast, wireless internet (from €25pp, syrosrooms.gr).

Further north is Kini, the closest Syros gets to a beach resort. Here are largish beachfront hotels, and restaurants serving ubiquitous feta salad or deep-fried calamari drenched in lemon juice, washed down with retsina. Some families let out the guest apartments attached to their homes. The best are half a mile inland, high enough to offer magnificent views of the setting sun.

At the northern headland of Kini bay, take the footpath north for a 2km clifftop walk through heather to the sandy beach of Delfini. After a swim, make the return journey at sunset, for the best view on the island, and an indelible memory of red sky over black water.
• Olympic Airlines (olympicair.com) flies from Heathrow and Manchester to Syros, via Athens. EasyJet flies from Gatwick to Mykonos for the ferry to Syros. There are fast, regular and reasonably priced services from Athens, Santorini and most other islands (greeka.com). Local transport by bus, rental car or scooter. Olympic Holidays (olympicholidays.com) offers packages to Syros, staying at the Dolphin Bay Hotel Resort in Galissa, from £409pp, including flights from Gatwick
Kamil Tchorek, journalist


… FOR HISTORY

Crete

Crete's story begins almost 5,000 years ago, with the mysterious Minoans. The prehistoric equivalent of a modern superpower, the Minoans built vast palaces, from which they controlled the rest of the island and an empire further afield (the famous "Linear B tablets", written in a primitive form of Greek, provide vivid evidence of their obsessive bureaucracy – no literature, just lists and lists and more lists). Whether the Minoans were peace-loving types, living under the benign influence of a Mother Goddess, or hardline imperialists remains a matter of dispute. What is left of their power bases can be seen at Gournia and Phaistos, stunningly beautiful sites.

During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the Venetians controlled Crete for several hundred years, making it a wonderful melting pot of Italian and Byzantine art. The best place to catch a glimpse of this is the church at Kritsa (near Agios Nikolaos), which has a wonderful array of 14th-century frescoes.

Knossos, originally a Minoan palace, was excavated and imaginatively restored in the early 20th century by Sir Arthur Evans, who rebuilt the place in concrete and "completed" its damaged frescoes. It is best enjoyed as a monument to British taste of the period, and to Evans's vision of an unspoiled, primitive Greek society – complete with weird snake goddesses and bull-leapers.
• Aegean Airlines (aegeanair.com) flies to Heraklion from Heathrow. Yades Heritage and Hospitality Hotels (yadeshotels.gr) has historic hotels all over Greece, including Kapsaliana Village, a restored hamlet in Arcadi, with doubles from €135 a night
Mary Beard, professor of classics at Cambridge and author of The Parthenon (Profile Books, £15)

Thrace, mainland

Thrace, in the north-east, is home to Muslim villages, and in towns such as Xanthi you can hear Turkish in the street, among the Ottoman houses. The inhabitants here were exempted from the exchange of populations with Turkey in 1923. Until the beginning of the last century the first language of large areas of Attica and Euboia in northern Greece was Arvanitika, a form of Albanian, which has been replaced by modern Albanian, spoken by recent immigrants. From the past you can see the ruins of Venetian towers, Crusader castles, Catholic monasteries, Ottoman seraglios and fountains. And in the heart of Athens there is a mosque and madrasa close to Monastiraki station. If you come to Greece for the classical sites, spare a glance for its more recent cultural heritage.
• EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies to Thessaloniki. Hotel Casino in Xanthi (hotelcasinoxanthi.gr) has 26 funky rooms with city views from €100 a night including breakfast
John Mole, author of It's All Greek To Me! (Nicholas Brealey, £8.99)


… FOR FAMILIES

Naxos, Cyclades

As the ferry arcs toward the island you catch the first glimpse of the Portara, a marble gateway on the headland, all that remains of an ancient temple to Apollo. I first came to Naxos 20 years ago, when donkeys were used for rubbish collectionand the ferry from Athens could take 10 hours – and I have been coming back ever since. It is the largest and most fertile of the Cycladic islands. The harbour is small and the airport even smaller. For these reasons, Naxos has not been overrun by cruise ships and mass tourism, even in July and August.

The island has long white beaches, mountain paths, Byzantine churches, Venetian towers and good cafes. Most importantly, it is a working island, and the slow pace, absence of loud bars and the many activities on offer make it perfect for families. The shallow beach at Aghios Giorgos – a short walk from the Hora (town centre) in Naxos town – is ideal for small children. Further down there is surfing, diving and windsurfing (bluefindivers.gr, flisvos-sportclub.com), and sunset rides around the island (naxoshorseriding.com).

South from the town, the beaches extend from the bay at Aghia Anna to Prokopios and around to Plaka, Aliko, Kastraki and Mikri Vigla. The latter beaches remind me of Australia – scrubby sand dunes, a certain wildness. Cedar trees offer shade. To the east, in the bay of Moutsouna, ecotourism has flourished. The northernmost point is the old fishing village of Apollon, close to an ancient marble quarry, famous for a huge male figure, abandoned around 600BC. The Hora rises like a pyramid to the Venetian Kastro – a labyrinth of cobbled streets. The author of Zorba the Greek was educated here, and the Venetian, Byzantine and archaeological museums are city pleasures on a small island.

The lush interior is great for hiking and walking, and in spring the wildflowers flush the fields and roadsides. Each village has its own character. Sangri sits in the middle of a plain surrounded by small Byzantine churches. Halki, with its neoclassical mansions and Venetian towers, differs again from the drama of white marbled Apeiranthos, overlooking a steep valley. Local buses connect with these villages, including a bus to the foot of Mount Zas, the highest mountain in the Cyclades. The return reward is lunch in the village of Filoti and coffee in the shade of a huge plane tree.
• The Blue Star ferry from Piraeus (Athens) takes just under six hours (bluestarferries.gr). Olympic Airways flies to Naxos from Athens
Meaghan Delahunt, author of To The Island (Granta, £12.99), set on Naxos

… FOR AN EXCLUSIVE RETREAT

Patmos, Dodecanese

The very long ferry trip from Piraeus (usually docking at 3am) and lack of an airport mean that Patmos is too remote for the faint-hearted or the package tourist; there is little here for the party set, and its beaches are simple. Above all, it has a beautiful rocky purity, pebbly shores, the coldest, cleanest sea in the Aegean, old mountain pathways and simple beach tavernas. The island is dominated by its monastery, perched high as an eagle's nest, and the power of the orthodox church is tangible: Byzantine gold treasures; dark cars speeding high-ranking priests to the port; and pilgrims queuing to enter the cave where St John saw his apocalyptic revelations.

Patmos has long attracted those who want peace and solitude (if not visions) and many artists and writers have found inspiration here. However, it also has a reputation as a summer haven for a discreet international elite, and the old merchants' mansions are mostly owned by wealthy outsiders. Each August, the Italians arrive – a reminder that the Dodecanese were colonised by Italy until 1948.
• The ferry from Piraeus to Patmos takes about nine hours. Holiday-rentals.co.uk has a selection of villas on Patmos, including Keramikos, in Chora, which sleeps seven, from £1,307 per week
Sofka Zinovieff (sofkazinovieff.com), writer

… FOR MUSIC

Crete

Dylan and Baez danced to it barefoot, now Greek teens prefer it to pop… Lyra, born in the Byzantine era, is Crete's wild, unbridled folk music. Played on the eponymous three-stringed, pear-shaped instrument (it looks like a small violin, but is held upright on the knee and bowed horizontally) and accompanied by verses of rhyming couplets (or mantinades) that are "rapped", Crete's musical legacy has a rough quality – not unlike tsikoudia, the local firewater that's served at lyra gigs. Venues range from intimate cafes with a couple of dozen tables, to sprawling, 1960s-style festivals where it's not unusual for gunshots to be fired – although, happily, not in anger.

To see why lyra is back in a big way, kick off in Chania, just down the road from Stavros, where Zorba the Greek was filmed. Apart from its summer festival (from July–September, attracting top names such as Tzouganakis, Zoidakis, Psarogiorgos, Zervakis, Dagakis), there are two cafes, Harhalis, on Grigoriou St, and Cafe Kriti on Kalergon St, where seasoned Cretan music veterans come to jam.

Zipping along the coast to Heraklion, you'll find clubs like the pretentious Big Fish (Handakos St) and the more streetwise Xatheri (Daidalou St) playing Kritiki sounds. Heraklion also hosts an arts festival from July to September with plenty of live lyra, while the Aerakis Music store (Daidalou St) stocks a huge range of Cretan music, many of the artists signed to this legendary store's own label.

The labyrinthine white village of Anogia, high in the Psiloritis mountain range (and a short hike from Zeus's mythical birth-cave), is where many of the island's greatest artists – from Nikiforos Aerakis and Manolis Manouras to Nikos Xylouris – were born. Order a thimble of strong, raki-spiked elliniki coffee and hobnob with black-shirted shepherds listening to Cretan music on Radio Kriti FM at the kafeneion in the central square, then pay a call at the corner house, cluttered with memorabilia, where sweet-voiced Nikos Xylouris grew up.

Labyrinth in Houdetsi hosts the Irish-born lyra aficionado Ross Daly's lyra and lute workshops, while further south are the party hot-spots, where clubs like Zig Zag in Malia (Malia St) and The Matrix in Hersonissos (Eleftheriou Venizelou St) play DJ Omeyocan's remixes of Cretan hits.

Wind up your music tour with a pilgrimage to Matala, the hippy beach resort facing towards Libya, where Joni Mitchell camped out in caves and was inspired to write "Carey", one of her most popular and enduring songs.
• Aegean Airlines flies from Heathrow to Crete. Porto del Colombo, a small guesthouse in Chania, has doubles from €84 a night in high season
Heidi Fuller-Love, travel and lifestyle writer based partly in Greece

… FOR FOOD

Nationwide

To find the one Greek destination with the best food is about as easy as finding Atlantis, but here goes.

Dishes from Crete, the Cyclades and the influx of 20th-century refugees from Constantinople, Smyrna and Pontus who have introduced their traditional foods (meatballs, stuffed tomatoes/peppers, dolmadakia, bulgur, peinerli and varenika) to the region make Thessaloniki the perfect city to sample Greek gastronomy.

One place I visit regularly is the bougatsatzidiko (cream pastry shop) for bougatsa me krema – a vanilla-flavoured semolina custard between crispy filo sheets topped with icing sugar and cinnamon. It is heaven for breakfast. Serraikon (Vasileos Irakleou 35, serraikon.com/en) has a typical selection of these pies and pastries.

Also try Vary Peponi (Apellou St, just off Nauarinou Square), an intimate restaurant with quality home-cooked dishes, lots of options for vegetarians/vegans – superb pulses. B. (Veta), the cafe-restaurant at the Byzantine Museum (brestaurant.gr/), offers more sophisticated Mediterranean food, while Hatzifotiou patisserie (Paulou Mela St, hatzifotiou.gr) has the best baklava and other syrupy desserts.

Santorini, the island of romance, is the home of fava, a delicious and nutritious yellow split-pea purée. It is also known for its wine, distinctive cherry tomatoes, white aubergines, and the fact that vegetables grow on the dry volcanic land. The 218˚ cafe-restaurant (218.gr) in Oia, in the north, has Greek cuisine with Cretan and Cycladic flavours and amazing views across the Aegean.

In the eastern Aegean lies Ikaria, named after Icarus. Ikaria's population are famous for living to a ripe age, on a diet based on vegetables, olive oil, honey and horta (wild greens). Try grilled octopus in red kidney bean stew. As befits the birthplace of Dionysos, the god of wine, Ikaria has an organic winery and farm, which has three-bedroom stone houses to rent (from €80 for two, ikarianwine.gr) and holds wine or cookery classes. Ikaria is, not surprisingly, famous for its village parties and festivals, or panigyria.

Wherever you visit in Greece, try local cheeses. Many are labelled PDO (protected designation of origin), indicating that the cheese has been produced in a traditional way. Try kefalograviera, batsos, kefalotyri, ladotyri from Lesvos and metsovone.
• EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from Gatwick to Thessaloniki. The Andromeda, a boutique hotel in a 1920s listed building, has doubles from £60 through LateRooms.com (0844 774 1001, laterooms.com). EasyJet flies from Gatwick to Santorini. Stay in a stylish two-bedroom windmill from €280 a night (Our Windmills, +30 694 458 2428, windmill.gr). EasyJet flies from Gatwick, Manchester and Edinburgh to Athens. From there, fly or take the ferry to Ikaria. Visit island-ikaria.com for more information
Elisavet Sotiriadou is a writer and chef. She runs Greek cookery courses in London at Leith's Cookery School, and supperclubs (see facebook.com/GreekCookery)

… FOR BOUTIQUE HOTELS

The Dodecanese

The Dodecanese islands, just off the Turkish coast, still see their share of island-hopping backpackers, but they're acquiring a new breed of luxurious boutique hotels, designed to complement local architecture.

On Rhodes, the breathtaking medieval city of Rhodes Old Town – all cobbled alleyways, shadowy spaces and half-buried ruins – comes into its own at night. Here, in a peaceful corner, is the gorgeous Spirit of the Knights, a newly converted traditional home, whose six suites evoke different eras of Rhodes's history, from the Crusaders to the Ottomans.

The dazzling white village of Lindos, on the west coast of Rhodes, is home to the sumptuous Melenos Lindos. Poised between a Crusader castle and sandy beaches, it's the perfect honeymoon destination. Opulent rooms boast glorious sea-view terraces, and there's a top-flight restaurant.

Even more romantic is the ravishing island of Symi, a ferry ride north-east. A harmonious array of neoclassical mansions, painted matching ochre and terracotta shades, rise to all sides of its amphitheatre-like harbour; many can be rented. The exquisite Old Markets is a converted mansion overlooking the bay. Symi is also known for innovative restaurants, its latest gem being Muses in the main village square.

Further north, Patmos was where St John had his visions. In the village of Hora, Archontariki offers four spacious suites, with gardens and courtyard.
• Fly Tor Air (flytorair.com) has flights from Gatwick to Rhodes for around £200. Doubles are available at Spirit of the Knights, €145–270 (rhodesluxuryhotel.com), Melenos Lindos, €250–570 (melenoslindos.com), The Old Markets, €175–425, (theoldmarkets.com), and Archontariki in Patmos, €150–400, (archontariki-patmos.gr). Muses Yialós platía, Symi +30 695 873 4503, mains around €20
Greg Ward, writer on the Dodecanese for the Rough Guide to Greece

… FOR ISLAND-HOPPING

Diapontia islands

With cheap flights from the UK, Corfu is becoming a gateway for exploring the surrounding small islands, as well as mainland Greece. Ask around the ports of Agios Stefanos, Roda/Sidari or Corfu town and you can usually find a boat to take you north-west to the lovely Diapontia islands of Othoni (the biggest island, with many sea caves and impressive rocks), Erikoussa (the northernmost, with a picturesque port, Porto, and good beaches) and Mathraki (good for hiking and beaches). The Hotel Erikousa (+30 266 307 1555, hotelerikousa.gr) has simple, sunny rooms, bar and restaurant. For northern Greece, the mainland port of Igoumenitsa can be reached by ferry within an hour from Corfu.

Nearest to Corfu is the Epiros region, whose capital, Ioannina, is built on the banks of Lake Pamvotis, where there is an inhabited island. Visit the museum of Ali Pasha, seven monasteries, and the Byzantine castle of Ioannina.

Inland, Meteora (meteora-greece.com) is the second-largest and most important complex of Greek Orthodox monasteries in Greece, and has Unesco world heritage listing. The six monasteries here make a viable day trip from Corfu, with an early start.

To visit Albania, ferries go from Corfu to Saranda, and you can take a tour that visits the archaeological site at Butrint (greeka.com).
• Ionian Island Holidays (020-8459 0777, ionianislandholidays.com) has a week in a villa, including flights, from around £375pp. CV Travel has villas from £1,460 a week, based on four sharing, including car hire. EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies to Corfu from Bristol, Gatwick and Manchester
Emma Tennant, author of several books on Greece, including A House in Corfu

… FOR THE SIMPLE LIFE

Paxos

At the end of our trip to Paxos we concluded that it really was a boring island. Silent, because there's no flight path (you have to take a ferry from Corfu). Calm, because there is no mass tourism, no stag nights, not many people at all. Repetitive, because we found our favourite taverna (Vontza), beach (sandy Vraki), swimming spot (a stroll down from our villa, Faye), view (Erimitis cliffs at sunset), long-distance drive (Loggos harbour, five miles) and dessert (tiny Caramac-flavoured lollies from the bakery at the edge of Gaios harbour)... and did them over and over again. Boring. Definitely boring.
• CV Travel (020-7401 1026, cvtravel.co.uk) has a week at Villa Faye on Paxos from £1,660 based on four sharing , including transfers from Corfu and car hire. Car hire and activities on Paxos can be arranged through travelalacarte.co.uk and paxoslife.co.uk
Katharine Viner, deputy editor, the Guardian

Epiros, mainland

This is a country for old men – they sit in every square, playing backgammon, drinking moonshine and arguing about politics. Epiros, a mountainous region in north-west Greece, bordered by Albania and the Ionian sea, is the playground of retirees who have returned home – to an undeveloped, rocky, dramatic landscape.

In the Zagorohoria, where 40-odd villages cling to the edge of the Vikos Gorge, tourists raft, hike and bungee jump. In Bourazani, a 1,200-hectare environmental park is home to 850 animal species, 109 types of butterfly, and 50 wild orchid varieties (bourazani.gr/English). And Metsovo has a vineyard, museums, and a ski lift.

A few summers ago, at the annual festival in Lia, on the Greek-Albanian border, my friend Abby and I met Bill, a British tourist on his motorbike. When the music started, the village president announced: "We'll begin as we always do – the priest will lead the dance." Abby exclaimed: "The priests dance? This is a great country." Bill, who has been biking across Greece for four decades, responded: "This is the great country." For old men, young women, and everyone in between.
• Olympic Airways (olympicair.com) flies daily from Athens to Ioannina. (Or go by ferry from Corfu.) In the Zagorohoria, lodging options include the Aristi Mountain Resort (aristi.gr) and the Papaevangelou guesthouse, (papaevangelou.gr); in Metsovo, try the Katogi Hotel and Winery (katogihotel.gr); in Lia, the Xenona Liaa Inn (lias.gr). For adventure sports, contact rafting-athletic-center.gr
Eleni N. Gage, author of North of Ithaka (St Martins Press, £6.99). Her first novel will be called Other Waters

… FOR HIKING AND NATURE

Corfu

"I think no place on Earth can be lovelier than this," said Edward Lear, describing Corfu in 1856. Today, the island, covered by 3m olive trees, is still as beautiful if you keep away from the resorts, perhaps walking the eight-day Corfu Trail (thecorfutrail.com) along paths built when the island was under British rule, from 1814 to 1864.

In the less developed south, rolling hills fall down to empty sandy beaches to the west. In the middle of the island, picturesque villages perch on hillsides. A ridge runs up the west coast and drops down to spectacular but popular beaches. To the east there are views of Corfu town, a world heritage site.

The Pantocrator massif, rising to 900m, crosses the top of the island, with lush deserted valleys stretching towards the north coast resorts and a sheer drop to the "corniche" of the north-east, with its luxury villas and small shingle bays overlooking Albania, just 2km away, and the mountains of the mainland in the distance. In spring the island is covered in flowers, with 150 species, including 50 orchids, counted along the trail (corfuflowers.com). Truly a green paradise.
• EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies to Corfu from Bristol, Gatwick and Manchester. CV Travel (020-7401 1026, cvtravel.co.uk) has villas on Corfu from £1,460 based on four sharing, including car hire
John Waller, author of books including Walking the Corfu Trail and Corfu Sketches (yiannisbooks.com )

… FOR NIGHTLIFE

Mykonos

Mykonos is still the number-one party island in Greece. Begin with sunset cocktails at a waterside bar in Little Venice, where long-standing favourite Caprice serves sublime margaritas. After dinner, head for Rock'n'Roll Mykonos for classic 70s and 80s rock. Next door, Pierro's (pierrosbar.gr) continues its tradition of drag shows. For dancing on the beach, catch a night bus to Paradise Club (paradiseclubmykonos.com) which has Full Moon Parties on 14 July and 12 August. Moby will play here on 4 August. If that's not enough, scramble up the hill above Paradise Beach to Cavo Paradiso (cavoparadiso.gr). Open until 8am, it's the perfect spot to watch the sun rise over the Aegean. Guest DJs this summer include Roger Sanchez, David Morales and Erick Morillo.
• Hotel Belvedere (belvederehotel.com) is five minutes' walk from the bars of Matogianni St. It has 43 rooms and suites, a spa, and a sushi corner run by Nobu Matsuhisa. EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies to Mykonos from Gatwick
Jane Foster, freelance writer based in Athens (jane-foster.com)

For ferry times and bookings see openseas.gr, and ferries.gr. More information from visitgreece.gr

GreeceEuropeBeach holidaysFood and drinkHotelsFamily holidaysFolk musicguardian.co.uk

All the fun of Fair Isle

It's Britain's most remote inhabited island – a wild outcrop of raw Shetland coastline, peat moors, puffins and friendly crofters – and it now has a hotel

On the island at the end of the world, there is an old man who plays a lively fiddle and crafts traditional spinning wheels from driftwood. There are women who knit brightly patterned pullovers worn on Antarctic and Everest expeditions, a weatherman who looks like Zeus, and a mailboat skipper whose idea of a good time is battling huge waves in winter storms.

This hotchpotch of characters live happily on barely five square miles of wind-blown rock in the North Sea, memorably described by Robert Louis Stevenson as "an unhomely, rugged turret-top of submarine sierras". Its coast of cliffs rising sheer from heavy seas was the "wildest and most unpitying" he had seen.

Fair Isle feels like the place at the end of the world. When it battens down under howling gales, or disappears in sea mists, the most remote inhabited island in Britain is a world apart. Yet its rugged beauty draws hundreds of visitors every year. Most come to observe a kaleidoscope of itinerant birds that use the island as a flight-path service station, to rest and refuel on annual migrations. In spring and autumn, the likes of rare great snipe and yellow-breasted bunting can be seen posing in the heather for batteries of telescopic lenses.

Thanks to the feathered invasion the island has acquired something approaching a hotel – until now there were only guesthouses and B&Bs – a new bird observatory lodge that opened last July, accommodating 20 guests and 10 researchers in a style and comfort that Stevenson would have envied.

Communications have also improved since the novelist visited in 1869 with his father, Thomas, a lighthouse engineer, in the Northern Lighthouse Board steamer Pharos. I

Where to eat, sleep and have fun in Marseille

With a major art exhibition opening this week, and hotels and museums being renovated in preparation for its year as European Capital of Culture in 2013, Marseille is perfect for a summer city break. Here are 10 places not to miss

Ever since it was announced that Marseille would be European Capital of Culture in 2013, the city has been racing to transform itself, starting construction of a gleaming new Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations. Hotels have been renovated, and new B&Bs, bars and restaurants have opened, and this week a major retrospective of European art, from Delacroix to Matisse opened. Get there before the crowds, and check out the best addresses.

Pension Edelweiss

This is the newest design B&B in town and definitely the best-value place to stay right now. This is a genuine B&B, where the friendly owner, David Karoubi has converted one floor of his home into four retro guestrooms. It's in a good spot: near the station and the trendy Cours Julien area, and just far enough away from the Vieux Port to avoid the tourists. David is great for recommending galleries, concerts and restaurants. Nearby is Le Comptoir Dugommier, a hip bistrot recently opened by his Swiss girlfriend, Bernadette, on boulevard Dugommier (you'll eat your breakfast here on weekdays).
• 6 rue Lafayette, +33 9 5123 3511, pension-edelweiss.fr. Doubles from €75 including breakfast

Au Vieux Panier

The Panier is the oldest part of Marseille, a maze of narrow alleyways and steep streets that has been partly gentrified from an off-limits ghetto into a chic bohemian neighbourhood. The owners of Au Vieux Panier have restored a 17th-century building from an ancient Corsican delicatessen into an ultra cool maison d'hôtes. The five guest rooms have been dramatically decorated by different artists, and the biggest surprise is the wonderful rooftop terrace with stunning city views, perfect for a sunset aperitif.
• 13 rue du Panier, +33 4 9191 2372, auvieuxpanier.com. Doubles from €85 including breakfast

La Boîte à Sardine


Walk right to the end of the Canebiere for an unforgettable lunch at the most original eatery in the city. La Boîte à Sardine is a fishmongers that doubles as a restaurant, its half-dozen tables booked out every day as fish lovers choose between a classic

Hotel review: Bloc, Birmingham

Some might argue that Birmingham's new capsule hotel doesn't really offer penthouse luxury, but few could quibble with its rock-bottom prices

Penthouse proposition, pavement price, says the press blurb for the 73-room Bloc hotel. The concept is based on Japanese capsule hotels, but the construction technique, by a company called Boxbuild, is unusual. Boxbuild manufactured the rooms off-site then stacked them in situ so the hotel exterior could be wrapped round them.

Fundamental to the idea is eliminating unnecessary space (so that rooms can be more densely packed into the site). Research showing that hotel guests rarely unpack an overnight bag (that puts me in a minority, then) has resulted in "space hungry" wardrobes being replaced by something called an "integrated bag storage area".

Bloc hotel claims to have arrived at "the perfect combination of luxury and price", which includes use of "significant" sound insulation, luxurious cotton sheets, Italian ambient lighting and aircon set at an environment-sensitive 18-20C and 40% humidity.

The taxi driver at Birmingham New Street station isn't exactly sure where the hotel is – so we go for a spin round an unexpectedly lovely Georgian square, St Paul's, with a handsome church in the middle, until we spot a grey, modern cube. Bloc it says, in tall (small) letters.

This is the kind of urban location I love – the developers are moving in but a tattily beautiful Victorian and Georgian legacy remains. Hello, the builders are still here, polishing the floor. Lobby seating is so low it cannot be negotiated with decency in a dress, and surely someone has forgotten to put legs on the coffee tables? A Nespresso machine, MTV on a large screen and Hannah, the cheery receptionist at a white desk, complete the look.

I take myself and a cup of tea (there are also cold drinks and snacks from vending machines) up to the second floor. A bed, the exact width of the room (or maybe the room is the exact width of the bed) has been slotted between a padded wall and a large sealed window. The shower room is a cubicle behind smoked glass with a monsoon showerhead set into the ceiling, plus a loo and tiny basin. It's so neat I try the basin immediately. A little shower water splashes on to the loo roll but miraculously not on to the shelf with my toiletries. Bathroom lighting may be Italian but it's rubbish for doing make-up.

My bag stows beneath the bed. The wardrobe substitute is three shallow pegs on the wall but not a single hanger. I've got a black-tie do to go to tonight – what am I supposed to do with my frock?

Laptop, camera and my rapidly cooling cup of tea fit on the (single) bedside table (seating is a padded cube). There are plenty of sockets, free Wi-Fi (good show) and a blackout rollerblind at the window.

This is what I call a sensory-deprivation hotel. No fresh air, no art or colourful textiles, no armchair and just enough space (it would be snug with two people).

The bed is surprisingly comfy, I'm pleased to report, though I wouldn't describe the sheet as luxurious. Morning tea necessitates a trip to the lobby, and breakfast a long wait (nothing opens till 10am). The point is, you won't come here to luxuriate; you'll come because it is cheap – and who can argue with clean comfort in a big city for as little as 30 quid?

Bloc hotel pretty much does what it says it will but the real bonus is the staff – Hannah and her friendly, efficient Brummie colleagues. They know the area, they give Bloc a sense of place and they inject some much-needed character.

sally.shalam@guardian.co.uk


WHAT TO DO IN THE AREA: BY THE LOCALS

Eating and drinking

St Paul's Square caters for all tastes. For an early drink try the Rectory Bar & Restaurant (rectorybar.co.uk) where you can sip a cocktail while admiring the beautiful Georgian square and church. There is a vast choice of places to eat both on and just off the square, from curry at Lasan (lasangroup.com/restaurant) to Italian at Pasta di Piazza (pastadipiazza.com). For a good steak, try Anderson's.
Symon Bland, St Pauls Gallery

The Jam House (thejamhouse.com) is Jools Holland's bar in St Paul's Square where customers can enjoy a meal on the balcony while watching a band perform on the stage below. It has a great mixture of customers and attentive, happy staff which all adds up to a great atmosphere. Book ahead for meals as it gets busy!
Hannah Hartland, Bloc hotel

My top recommendation for a great place to eat is Edmunds (edmundsrestaurant.co.uk) in Brindleyplace, just a stone's throw from Symphony Hall. The menu changes frequently but is always really varied with a range of prices.
Andrew Jowett, Birmingham Town Hall & Symphony Hall (thsh.co.uk)

A spot of culture

Now proposed as a world heritage site, Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter is a gem in itself. The area houses more than 100 jewellery shops as well as two museums: the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter (bmag.org.uk), based in an old jewellers' factory; and the Pen Room (penroom.co.uk) where children can try writing with a quill. There is also a self-guided tour, the Jewellery Quarter Heritage Trail, and the Jewellery Quarter Information Centre (120 Vyse Street) has trail leaflets.
Fiona Fraser, Birmingham Town Hall & Symphony Hall (thsh.co.uk)

A great influence on JRR Tolkien in writing both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings was Moseley, a suburb of Birmingham. The district now offers two really good live music events. In beautiful Moseley Park, you can enjoy live music over two weekends in summer. The Mostly Jazz Festival (mostlyjazz.co.uk) is on 1-3 July, this year featuring Booker T, and the Moseley Folk Festival (moseleyfolk.co.uk) on 2-4 September features artists including Billy Bragg. SB

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (bmag.org.uk) has a huge collection of ancient and modern art and artefacts. With over 40 different galleries, you can spend all day there. Another great collection lies in the Barber Institute (barber.org.uk) in Edgbaston. Works by Monet, Magritte and Picasso to name but a few are all on display. SB

A walk by the canal

If you have a couple of hours to spare, a walk from Gas Street Basin offers a varied look at Birmingham. Northwards, towards Aston, you pass a series of locks before walking under the Telecom Tower and beyond, seeing some of Birmingham fascinating past, not all of which has yet been subject to a makeover. Southwards is a delightful walk towards the University of Birmingham and Bournville. FF

HotelsBirminghamUnited KingdomEuropeSally Shalamguardian.co.uk

And how long will you be staying, sir?

Craving a last burst of irresponsibility and armed with precious insider information, Paul Carr decided to see whether he could live – not only well, but cheaply – in hotels for a year

I don't notice the man in the grey suit taking my bag.

I mean, I do notice him – but in his smart grey Savile Row suit and his patent-leather shoes, he looks just like any other hotel guest. I'm dimly aware of him gliding past me as