How to get your Portugal, Italy or Malta fix – on home soil
If you’re fully vaccinated, pass go: both Portugal and Malta will gladly welcome you this summer. Yet the tightening of rules for UK arrivals to both countries will all but prohibit trips for those waiting for their second jab – unvaccinated people aged 12 or over won't be allowed into Malta. Plus, mainland Portugal is, of course, on the amber list (green-listed Madeira has different restrictions).
Until our Government eases requirements for immunised citizens returning to the UK, this will make sojourns to Lisbon, the Algarve or Porto unfeasible for many.
Italy's rules are tougher: travel there from the UK and, no matter your vaccination status, and you’re looking at five days of self-isolation on arrival.
But for those who have to hold off on a trip to these holiday favourites, it’s possible to temporarily satiate your wanderlust on home soil: seek the surf along our coastline or book a stay in a top-rated golf hotel until you make it to Portugal; admire the sights of Italy that have been lovingly replicated in Blighty by ardent Italophiles; or delve into harbourside histories that rival Malta's seafaring heritage. Here's how to do it ...
Portugal
Missing your Algarve golf fix? Head for Scotland
The Algarve’s climate is among its strongest qualities as a world-class golfing destination. Its other pull is the scenery, and of course, Scotland's has its own attractions. Embedded in local culture since the Middle Ages, modern golf developed in this home nation. Given rain is far greater a risk in Scotland, the moments of clear sky will be that more cherished.
The Fairmont St Andrews Hotel in Fife is among Telegraph Travel’s top-rated golf hotels in Scotland. It is yards from the coast line ensuring the dose of sea air (albeit a little more bracing than you’d find in the Algarve). What’s more it’s just outside the university town of St Andrews, the ‘Home of Golf’.
Seeking some surf? Try the Yorkshire coast
The Algarve typically attracts thousands of UK-based surfers each year. The 14-day quarantine rule for all unvaccinated adults will put that trip on hold for some, so why not try a lesser-known English surf spot? Scarborough is a hub for all levels of ability. South of the seaside town you’ll find South Bay (ideal for beginners) and Cayton Bay. Venture the other way and North Bay provides reliable surf for higher abilities.
Craving Lisbon’s vibrancy? Book a trip to Bristol
With ochre walls, red roofs and bright yellow trams, Lisbon’s colour palette is as varied as that of an ice cream shop. Britain’s grey and beige cities rarely compete, but bohemian Bristol should hit the spot. The Clifton area is smattered with Victorian frontages in shades of blue, yellow, red and pink. Keep your gaze peeled for the little mosaics that pay homage to Bristol’s annual balloon festival. Portugal’s cities (Lisbon and Porto among them) do a solid line in grand suspension bridges; so too does Bristol. If the Tagus’ Ponte 25 de Abril is out of reach for you this summer, then head for Clifton’s. Spanning the Avon Gorge, it’s just as picture perfect as Portugal’s offerings.
Italy
Yearning for Italian grandeur? Look to Britain’s quirkiest churches
Take a trip around the mostly remote landscape of the Orkney Islands and you might be surprised to find The Italian Chapel on Lamb Holm. This structure was built by resourceful Italian prisoners of war using any materials they could get their hands on. The main structure was two conjoined Nissen huts.
Or, should you be planning a holiday in Brighton, be sure to include a stop at Goring-by-Sea. In this sleeping English village you’ll find a reproduction of the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling. Housed within the English Martyrs Catholic Church, it was painted by local parishioner Gary Bevans. He worked out that the dimensions of the Sistine Chapel ceiling were exactly the same as his church in Goring, just two-thirds the size (5,000 square feet vs 3,500 square feet) and thirty feet lower.
Fancy some Amalfi views? Take a trip to Wales
Portmeirion is surely one of the British Isles’ prettiest seaside villages. It was created by the Welsh architect Clough Williams-Ell and is filled with colourful domes and spires. The spectacle is enough to momentarily trick yourself that you’re in Italy proper. “Even when you’re fully prepared for the surprise, there’s something astonishing about Portmeirion. Arriving by car from the old slate workings at Blaenau Ffestiniog, it’s like being transported into Oz,” wrote Marcel Theroux after he visited for Telegraph Travel in 2018.
Dreaming of Sicily? Cornwall may suffice
The Minack Theatre, which recently welcomed Dr Jill Biden and Carrie Johnson, offers more than a hint of Taormina. Despite its Roman look, it was built in the 20th century as a hobby project of a local woman called Rowena Cade (she bought the rocky piece of land for just ￡100). It hosted its first performance, a production of The Tempest, in 1932. Now, in a typical year, its programme includes around 200 events. This summer its calendar is choc-full of entertainment. Many upcoming plays and musical events are fully booked, but there are still some spots for July and August.
Malta
Pining for a world-class harbourside? Swap Valletta for Liverpool
Malta’s most recognisable view may be off-limits to unvaccinated Britons, but we have our very own Unesco-listed waterfront that begs many a visit. The heritage body’s officials are turning up their noses at the port city’s more recent developments. Never mind them, for the average daytripping visitor the mix of modern and Grade I-listed buildings only adds to charms of the stretch along the River Mersey. To truly appreciate the view, hop on a ferry from Birkenhead to the city.
Fascinated by Malta's subterranean secrets? Check out London’s crypts
This Mediterranean country’s clutch of islands have stacked up centuries of stories. The more curious (or macabre-loving) visitors may venture below ground to get a stronger feel for its past. St. Paul’s Catacombs and St. Agatha’s Crypt, Catacombs and Museum are among the underground attractions.
But you can keep your history cravings at bay with a visit to one of London’s many crypts. St Bride's Church, on Fleet Street, is among them. There’s been a church of some form in this spot for at least 1,000 years. A crypt beneath was forgotten when the 18th-century iteration was built by Sir Christopher Wren. It was rediscovered following bomb damage in the Second World War, and reconstructed. Now it functions as a prayer space and museum, filled with stone walls, narrow doorways and many gravestones. Entry is free.
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