‘Secret Garden on steroids’: the Cornish cottage that comes with its own jungle and private beach

Guests staying at a new holiday cottage in the grounds of Trebah Gardens will get after-hours access to this sub-tropical wonderland and its private cove

My passionate love affair with Scotland’s largest island

On the surface, little appears to have changed in the 30 years that bestselling author Peter May has been visiting the Isle of Lewis. But tourism has had a big impact – from Sunday opening hours to a deep water port for cruise ships

‘The hike of a lifetime’ – a circuit of the Écrins national park in France

The Tour des Écrins in the Hautes-Alpes is one of Europe’s finest long-distance walks, and offers a chance to reflect on how best to live alongside nature

Time travel in the Italian Alps: a glam stay in a 70s design hotel

On the shores of Lake Caldaro in South Tirol, the striking Seehotel Ambach has barely changed since 1973 – and is all the better for it

Tell us about your favourite UK autumn food or drink event

Share details of an autumnal food festival, foraging walk or harvesting event – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break

Tourism that does less harm: Lanzarote away from the big beach resorts

After this year’s protests against mass tourism all over the Canaries, we head for the small towns, vineyards and rugged coast of Lanzarote’s less-visited north

10 of the best gardens to visit around the UK

From hidden idylls to vast country estates, here is our pick of glorious gardens to delight and soothe your soul

Turkey at its sun-kissed, laid-back best: why Göcek makes the perfect Lycian base

The small resort is close to visitor hot spots such as Bodrum and Fethiye but retains a mellow vibe and is perfectly placed for exploring the coast

A beach as it might have looked 1,000 years ago: Sardinia’s north-west peninsula

North-west Sardinia offers wild beaches, untouristy towns and a wild ‘donkey’ island. Just don’t follow the Instagram crowd

It was genuinely healing to return to Ibiza, the place where I’d nearly died

With his Ibiza-set novel just out, the bestselling author recalls his drug-fuelled partying years, recovery, and the island’s complicated relationship with tourism today

‘For a short few weeks you realise the desert is truly alive’: Guardian Australia readers’ favourite wildflower spots

From desert blooms to city parks, readers share their favourite places for native seasonal flora around the country

‘Turkey gave us one of the most exhilarating experiences of our lives’: readers’ travel tips

Stunning beaches, car-free islands and reminders of antiquity feature in our tipsters’ picks from the Aegean to the Black Sea. Plus, the best rice pudding ever …

Tour de France: the new cycle route from Nantes to Mont-Saint-Michel

La Régalante is a 170-mile cycle network linking historic villages, windmills and abbeys in less-visited parts of Brittany and the Atlantic Loire, with pitstops at lovely bars and B&Bs

One Spanish region where tourists are welcome – especially spaghetti western fans

A new walking route around Burgos, in northern Spain, offers film pilgrims a close-up of the iconic locations used in Sergio Leone’s movie The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

‘Plus-size people face a lot of barriers’: the campaigners helping larger walkers to enjoy the great outdoors

From being properly kitted out to planning a walking route up Mam Tor, our writer finds her feet and her tribe in the Peak District