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
Share a tip on a gap year or sabbatical – you could win a holiday voucher
Tell us about a favourite long trip – it could have been a gap year, a sabbatical or a spell volunteering abroad – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break
Driving to the Italian Alps with two small kids – and camping: the unholy trinity of travel?
The idea of a family road trip across Europe to reach Trentino’s celebrated Lago di Ledro felt daunting. Turns out getting there was more than half the fun
Viennese waltz: top travel tips for a spin around Austria’s capital
From the ferris wheel featured in the Third Man to an evening with Mozart and the world’s largest collection of Klimts, here’s how to make the most of a break in Vienna
Saving the seas one dive at a time in Northumberland
We dip beneath the North Sea waves with Britain’s first eco-dive centre, to see how it is inspiring divers to help clean up the seas they love
A pony safari in Kenya to a murder mystery weekend in New York, the Observer’s travel special, 1986
The Magazine sent some fine reporters to far-flung parts, including Katharine Whitehorn, Joanna Lumley, Simon Hoggart and Claudia Roden. By Emma Beddington
How I spent 16 months journeying from the top to the bottom of England in a canal boat
From within sight of the Lake District to Surrey, an epic – and slow – journey along the length of England’s waterways