The Turkish village of Alacati, located in the province of Izmir
As Gazeta.Ru notes, the top five countries popular with Russian tourists this summer are Turkey, Spain, Greece, Italy, and Egypt. Moreover, not only travel agency clients go there, but also independent travelers.
The popularity of Turkey and Egypt is confirmed by TripAdvisor: “Egypt and Turkey traditionally attract Russians due to their geographical proximity, high quality of service at resorts, favorable visa regime, and affordable prices,” said Konstantin Kalabin, head of TripAdvisor’s market development for Russia and Eastern Europe. “And also thanks to the many all-inclusive hotels where the tourist has no other worries than choosing dishes and drinks.”
If you hate Antalya, Hurghada, Marmaris, and Kemer overcrowded with vacationers languid from heat and stupefied by idleness, you can be understood. But that doesn’t mean you should completely give up on a summer trip to Turkey and Egypt.
Organize your vacation yourself: online booking sites for air tickets and hotels will help you. You just need to choose the right place to stay – and enjoy the clean white beaches, coastal breezes, architectural masterpieces, local cuisine, and an inexpensive room in a family-run hotel where the owner’s pretty daughter stands at the reception and his wife wishes you good morning every day.
TURKEY
So, forget about Belek, Marmaris, Kemer, and Antalya. What’s left? Freedom of choice: besides the listed towns, Turkey has many beaches not spoiled by the all-inclusive system.
For example, Alacati – a village located in Izmir province: once a Greek settlement, today it’s a vacation spot for wealthy Istanbul residents who love Alacati for its ancient architecture, flower-covered fences, excellent restaurants, and azure sea. Recently, Alacati has been popular with surfers, kite surfers, and yachtsmen.
Patara – Turkey’s longest beach, a wide strip of white sand where children feel great, and the ruins of an ancient city that was once one of Lycia’s commercial centers.
Oludeniz, located in the bay of the Turkish Riviera in the southwest: there is never a strong wind, and the water is an unreal shade of blue.
Kalkan – a former fishing village, now a quiet and respectable place with chic cafes and no bars with discos.
Finally, Dalyan, where the river of the same name flows into the Aegean Sea – there you can see Lycian rock tombs and the ruins of the ancient city of Caunos. Take a boat and float half an hour downstream, and you’ll see a colony of sea turtles on Iztuzu Turtle Beach.
ITALY
For tourists, a vacation in Italy is either Rimini, where there’s no room to stick an umbrella on the beach in season, or the expensive Sardinia, Sicily, or the luxurious Amalfi Coast, created for the rich and famous. Why is the most beautiful always the most expensive?!
However, this exclamation will surely offend fans of other beautiful Italian towns. Instead of Amalfi, we suggest going to Cinque Terre – a place of unforgettable beauty in Liguria, where five fishing villages in colorful terraces run down from the cliffs to the Gulf of Genoa. Or to Livorno – the third largest city in Tuscany, a favorite vacation spot for Italians themselves: its beaches are considered among the best in Italy. This is one of the many reasons for the popularity of real estate in the Tuscany region.
Near Livorno is the Maremma region, where you can not only indulge in usual seaside activities like fishing and drinking wine in a coastal restaurant but also swim in thermal springs and visit surrounding villages to learn about local farming methods.
And finally, Maratea – a city in the Basilicata region, a pearl (as they say!) squeezed between the mountains of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Stunning views – and 44 churches recommended for visiting.
SPAIN
Costa Brava, Costa Dorada, Costa del Sol, Tenerife, Mallorca? Cliché? Forget it! Let’s better explore the beaches of Asturias, Galicia, or Cantabria on the Bay of Biscay coast or go to the Basque Country – after all, there are not only palm trees and seafood but also a rich history, museums, architecture.
Asturias – a province least trodden by tourists. Those who can’t choose between beach holidays and mountain walks should go there: it has both. The largest city in the province is coastal Gijon.
Langre in Cantabria – a very tiny place where surfers gather: green meadows run down from the hills to a small bay where waves rise and a fresh wind blows.
In Galicia, the main attraction is not the beaches but the region’s capital, Santiago de Compostela, with its majestic cathedral. Besides the cathedral, Galicia has many other sights: don’t miss the chance to see the ruins of an ancient Roman oppidum or the Tower of Hercules lighthouse in the northern part of La Coruña. And if you drink wine in this part of Spain, don’t take the well-known Rioja. Here they drink wines from Albariño and Ribera grapes.
For food and drink, knowledgeable people go specifically to the Basque Country: there is an impressive number of Michelin-starred restaurants (eight each in San Sebastian and Bilbao), fresh fish and seafood, and excellent wines.
GREECE
The mainland and about 2000 islands – and everywhere you can sunbathe, swim, explore ancient temples and amphitheaters, eat fresh fish, and drink ouzo (a drink reminiscent of French pastis). How to choose a destination? Rely on chance – and fall in love forever with the peaceful Aegina or tiny Patmos. Or decide on your goals – and choose based on them.
If you are so tired after a year that you only dream of lounging on the beach and drinking wine, rent a room or apartment in one of the white houses on Crete, Milos, or Paros – they have the best beaches.
Prefer admiring natural landscapes? Choose Santorini – the most beautiful, the most romantic island, ideal Greece from a postcard.
Those who are about twenty go to party on Ios, 30-year-olds prefer the more upscale nightclubs of Mykonos.
For a vacation with children, Naxos is ideal, the ancient center of Cycladic civilization – the sea near the shore is quite shallow and the water is clear, and besides, there are enough children's entertainments (an aquapark, for example) and a developed transport infrastructure.
If you want to go where tourists are generally rare and wild, head to Antiparos with its secluded beaches and sleepy villages.
EGYPT
Almost everyone has been to Hurghada or Sharm el-Sheikh, almost all divers and kitesurfers have been to Dahab. Even Taba, well developed by Israeli travelers, is already familiar to us. Tired of everything, want something new.
Let's look at the map of Egypt: there are resorts not only on the Red Sea. The coast of the Suez Canal, for example, is also loved by tourists. Here, as a rule, Egyptians themselves vacation, but foreign guests are very, very welcome: quite decent hotel complexes are being built for them. Stella di Mari, for example, has already been chosen by Italians. From here it is quite close to Cairo – an obvious plus if you are ashamed to have been to Egypt and not seen the capital. And also to the Coptic monasteries of Saint Anthony and Saint Paul located in the desert, and you must definitely see them: there are not so many early Christian shrines in the world to neglect them.
In the north of the Sinai Peninsula – on the Mediterranean coast – there are not many resorts. But they exist, and this is an excellent opportunity to see Egypt in a new light. For example, Al-Arish, which you get to from Sharm el-Sheikh: beaches, palm trees, Bedouin jewelry and ceramics as souvenirs, good restaurants, hotels – and complete confidence that none of your colleagues have been here.