Plus, the hotels worth planning a trip around.
By Alexander Lobrano, Town & Country
ILE DE CAVALLO
[post_ads]Never
heard of Cavallo? That’s the point. This tiny, beautiful car-free French
island between Corsica and Sardinia (above) is often called the
Mustique of the Mediterranean. You can come (by helicopter or ferry)
only if you’re staying at the Hôtel & Spa des Pêcheurs, are
renting a villa, or own a house, so even during high season the white
sand beaches are nearly empty. Tips: Book a golf cart to get around
the island well in advance. And although most of the regulars are
Italian, that beautiful blond woman you spot out and about probably is
Catherine Deneuve.
CYPRUS
If
you do it right, you can have it all on this eastern Mediterranean
island country: beach time, excellent sight- seeing, family activities.
Spend a few days at the Anassa Hotel,
on the west coast, an elegant but informal white pal- ace on a bluff
overlooking a pri- vate beach; it has one of Europe’s best spas, and
there are significant Greco-Roman ruins in nearby Paphos, a 2017
European Capital of Culture. Then head inland to Casale Panayiotis,
a mountain village restyled as a luxurious rural hotel, for a dose of
Cypriot culture and superb rustic cooking: grilled halloumi cheese with
fig preserves, or seasonal vegetables stuffed with rice, meat, and
herbs.
MONTENEGRO
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Because it was once
difficult to get to, on a little-known section of the Balkan coast, the
country has retained a shaggy, wild beauty. Though it charmed Elizabeth
Taylor and Princess Margaret back in the 1960s, it still comes off as a
newcomer. Sveti Stefan, a former fishing village that is now an Aman resort,
is one of the best hotels on the Mediterranean, with a fresh,
rustic-chic decor: whitewashed or stone walls, wood beams, plank floors,
earth-toned linens. It includes the original village, on a private
peninsula surrounded by the Adriatic, and a grand stone villa on the
mainland, formerly the summer residence of the Yugoslav royal family.
Rooms in the villa have easy access to the private “Queen’s Beach,”
patrolled by white-attired beach attendants. Kotor, a magnificent port
on a UNESCO World Heritage Site fjord, is an easy daytrip.
MED MOROCCO
[post_ads]For ages no one thought of going to Morocco’s other coast. Yet its
beaches are gorgeous, and the mash-up of Morocco and the Mediterranean
is delicious. Channel Paul Bowles for a few days in fascinating but
dusty, noisy Tangier, then repair for some R&R to the new all-villa Banyan Tree on Tamouda Bay, in Fnideq. It is in a glorious setting and has an excellent spa (a Banyan Tree signature) and three terrific restaurants.
A
short drive away is Tétouan, one of the most picturesque, and least
known, towns in Morocco, with white houses spilling down a hillside and a
UNESCO World Heritage Site medina.
PANTELLERIA
Giorgio
Armani has had a house here for years, of course, but this tiny
volcanic Italian island is still a bit of a secret. Not for long—there
havebeen a few recent hotel openings, of which the best is the 20-suite Sikelia resort. Happily, the main attractions are still the drowsy dolce vita atmosphere, great seafood restaurants—don’t miss Osteria il Principe e il Pirata—and the stunning views: of Elephant’s Arch and, on a clear day, Tunisia. There is a small number of gorgeous villas for rent. Our favorite: villa Djenna, with a to-die-for infinity pool and fantastic kitchen.
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