Sitting on Spain’s glorious Costa Blanca, Alicante is the epitome of Mediterranean elegance. Wander along its palm-fringed waterfront promenade; lose yourself in the narrow streets of the old Barrio de la Santa Cruz district; enjoy some well-deserved beach time at San Juan or Almadraba; or climb up to the medieval Castillo de Santa Bárbara, where you’ll be rewarded with sweeping views of the Mediterranean. Peruse the works of Dalí and Picasso in the Museuo de Arte Contemporáneo de Alicante, or learn all about round-the-world yacht-racing at the Museo Volvo Ocean Race.

Towering cliffs, impossibly blue grottoes, bougainvillea-draped villas and undeniably chic residents – the island of Capri is everything you imagine it to be. Spend a happy morning exploring the ruins of the impressive Villa Jovis, which was built by the Emperor Tiberius. The view over the Bay of Naples there is stunning. Surround yourself in dilapidated grandeur at the Art Nouveau Villa Lysis, or bathe in blue light at the famous Grotta Azzurra, where sunlight enters through a small chasm and is refracted through the water.