Croatia: the Dalmatian coast remains one of Europe's most appealing. The all-inclusive Osmine Hotel is set in pine woods, less than an hour north of Dubrovnik. Refurbished in 1997, it has steps leading to a small beach of tiny stones you can walk on comfortably. All inclusive covers buffet meals, beer, wine (not hard liquor) and sports such as windsurfing.
Holiday Options (01444 244499) offers a week there for £449 (£309 for children aged two-11 inclusive) departing from Gatwick on August 21.
Hammamet: Tunisia's busiest resort attracts swarms of holidaymakers, and temperatures soar well over 30C during this month. But it has a glorious, long sandy beach. And when the heat of day diminishes, you can stroll to the delightful little medina and watch the sun go down over a glass of mint tea with pine nuts at the Sdi Bou Hdid café.
According to Wigmore Holidays (020-7836 4999), the company can offer a week's half-board at Le Hammamet Hotel (three stars), but with better cooking than most four-star properties, for £529 - including return flights from either Gatwick or Heathrow.
Halki: Alternatively spelt Chalki. Total escape. This rocky, barren little island a short ferry-ride from the package-tour honeypot of Rhodes has a half-dozen or so tavernas, some idyllic beaches, a monastery - and scarcely any motorised transport. Bizarrely, it has a road called Tarpon Springs Boulevard, after the Florida town where many of its residents emigrated to fish for sponges.
Laskarina Holidays (01629 822203) has a two-level, semi-detached, self-catering property there, a short walk from the beach, with stunning views of Rhodes from its terrace and balcony. Two weeks, for two or three people, departing from Manchester on August 20 will cost £635.
Turgutkoy: South of the lively western Turkish resort of Marmaris, but it might as well be in a different world. Just a few small restaurants and a quiet beach with a rural backdrop. The 40-room Hydas Rana hotel is about 15 minutes' walk from the sea. It is set in impressive gardens, and the rooms are equipped with air conditioning.
Tapestry Holidays (020-8235 7777) has one-week, bed-and-breakfast holidays available, with flights departing from Manchester on August 27, for £510.
Crete: Seclusion on the north coast - with a hire car to explore the archeological sites and the wild, mountainous interior of the island. Greek Island Holidays (020-8232 9780) has two-week packages available at Mirabello Bay. The Vangelis Apartments are a 10-minute drive from a quiet beach but they have their own pool in case you can't wait to take to the water. Packages cost £643 for two, £493 for four. Flights are from Gatwick.
Barcelona: For those with reasonably elastic budgets, the Hotel Arts, on the sea by the Olympic port, offers a near perfect combination of swanky accommodation - there are in-room CD players - and access to beach and city. And the array of seafood restaurants that are a short stroll from the door are among the Mediterranean's most splendid.
Kirker Holidays (020-7231 3333) offers a week's B&B there this month, including flights from Heathrow or Gatwick and transfer by car, for £1,144. If that sounds too much, three nights cost £648.
Rapallo: Another option for those with cash to spare. The five-star Excelsior Palace, which opened in 1901, is surrounded on three sides by the sea and is a short hop from the smart resort of Portofino on Italy's Ligurian coast. The views from its bedroom balconies - most rooms have them - are spectacular. It has a beach club with a bar.
Italian Expressions (020-7435 2525) can offer a week's B&B there this month, including flights and a hire car, for £1,120.
These holidays were all available as this article was written - but they can vanish quickly. A good starting point for your search is the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) directory. To obtain a copy, call: 020-8744 9280.
