Europe is one of the most popular travel destinations for international travelers in any season. Of course anybody with a Lonely Planet guide knows to avoid the continent during the high seasons (July and August). However springtime is another particularly popular time of year to travel. For example if you want to experience April in Paris, expect to be inundated with like-minded tourists. However, one of the great perks of spring time in Europe is that it’s an excellent time of year to visit regions of the continent that can be intolerably hot and awash with tourists in the summer time. Year round the Mediterranean tends to be warmer than the Atlantic. This article reviews a few options for excellent spring time vacations.
Western Sicily: Most tours of Sicily tend to focus on the south and east of the island. However western Sicily is beautiful, lightly visited and extremely manageable by car. In April and May the high temperature ranges between 65 and 70 degrees while the night time low is rarely below 50 degrees. Palermo has the best flight options and the island’s principle city is well worth a visit. Sicilian art and architecture is known for its fusion of Roman, Greek and Arab elements. In no place is this truer than Palermo. The Cappella Paletino and the Martorana blend Byzantine frescoes with the geometric designs and carvings of Islamic architecture. At the western tip of the island the cities of Trapani and Marsala are perfect bases for day trips to many natural and historic sites. My wife and I stayed in Trapani for three days during which we took a cable car up to the fortress town of Erice and a boat ride out to the Egadi Islands (which have numerous sandy beaches and are famous for their blue fin tuna). For history lovers three fascinating destinations are the ruined cities of Segesta and Selinunte as well as the privately owned island of Mozia, which may be the best preserved Phoenician settlement in the world.
Anatolia: The Turkish heartland is blessed with beautiful rocky coastlines kissed by the bright blue Aegean and Mediterranean seas. In the summertime the cities of Bodrum, Marmaris and Antalya are overrun by package tourists. When I lived in Istanbul my Turkish friends and coworkers preferred to visit the south in winter because the sea was still warm and they weren’t inundated by foreigners. In the spring you can explore the coastal cities at your leisure and also take a Blue Cruise with minimal hassle. From Bodrum you can take a ferry to the Greek Island of Kos while from Marmaris you can visit the island of Rhodes.
Cappadocia, in central Anatolia, is known for its peculiar landscape of odd ridges, spires and valleys created by wind action on volcanic rock. The region is particularly known for its “Fairy Chimneys,” conical structures 30-50 feet high with black stony caps. The people of the region have actually hollowed out many of these chimneys to create houses and hotels. Kelebek Hotel in Goreme is one of Cappadocia’s best and most popular cave hotels. My wife and I particularly enjoyed the buffet breakfast on the open air terrace each morning where we could look out on the town and the bizarre landscape while eating simit and sipping Turkish tea. The best way to enjoy the region is by guided tour, which you can usually arrange with your hotel. These tours take in the region’s underground cities, early Christian chapels and the best pottery shops. On our second visit my wife and I rented mopeds and saw the sites on our own. Hiking and hot air ballooning are also popular.
Northern Cyprus: Situated in the middle of the Mediterranean and diplomatically isolated from much of the world, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is one of Europe’s few seldom visited corners. Although crossing the Green Line has become easier, it’s still best to visit Northern Cyprus from Turkey. Fortunately flights from Istanbul are frequent, fast and cheap. The spring time temperature of Cyprus hovers around 80 degrees. In March and April the lemon and orange trees are blooming, giving the air an alluring fragrance. March is a fantastic time to visit as most of the island’s rental units are empty and the owners will give you great deals. My wife and I rented a house and jeep near the coast town of Girne for three days for less than $400. The ubiquity of the Turkish military and driving on the left hand side of the road were slightly unnerving but also made our experience all the more memorable. The cuisine and culture of Northern Cyprus are decidedly Turkish but with a British twist. Indeed Brits overwhelmingly outnumber other foreign visitors to the island. Besides relaxing on the beach or a waterfront café, you can visit the regions many crusader castles and ruined medieval churches.
Sources:
All About Kyrenia
Maric, Vesna (Editor). “Lonely Planet: Sicily.” 2009