I have been to the same city in Sicily most years for nearly two decades. Every time I land in Catania and see Etna from the plane window, I feel at home. It’s not for everyone, this scruffy, chaotic place that sits defiantly at the foot of an active volcano. But it’s bohemian, creative and utterly alive. I am my best self there, calm yet energised.
My relationship with Catania started during an interrailing trip with a friend when I was 21. A local fireman we had befriended suggested we visit because of its buzzy nightlife; I was immediately hooked. I found the noise, the light and the penne alla Norma strangely soul soothing, and I still do. I love its fine print: street art sprayed over Baroque architecture and freshly laundered clothes hanging from balconies (it is thanks to my fixation with Sicilian laundry that I know I am truly lost to this city). Everything is dialled up a notch: the colours, the heat, the volume.
As the years have passed, this city and I have changed together. Now, with a three-year-old in tow, I don’t party on the beach and watch the sun rise over Etna anymore. Instead, I’ve discovered wine bars with jasmine-covered façades and flea markets that sell reasonably priced linens. Cities evolve, so there’s always something new to uncover. I’ve accumulated friends in Catania who are now regular fixtures when visiting. When my husband and I married there 18 months ago, we couldn’t have done it without their local knowledge and network.
I love exploring different destinations, and I’m incredibly privileged that my work enables me to, but it’s Catania that I always return to. Social media can make travel feel performative and bucket-list-ticking; tempting us to recreate someone else’s itinerary rather than consider what we actually want from a holiday. Most of us crave new experiences, but the misconception is that they can only come from being somewhere new. Returning to the same destination can reveal a deeper, more meaningful kind of travel. Like finding the right partner, discovering a place with which you share a lasting connection feels like hitting the jackpot, so I asked five stylish travellers about the places they never want to quit.
Hydra
Jess Cartner-Morley, Associate Editor (Fashion) at The Guardian
Hydra
‘I first visited Hydra five years ago after reading Polly Samson’s novel, A Theatre for Dreamers, a fictionalised version of Leonard Cohen’s time there in the 1960s and 1970s. When I arrived, I discovered the island has changed a lot since then — it attracts a more upscale crowd these days. It’s rare to spend a night in the harbour without spotting a celebrity — you might see Zoë Kravitz, Miuccia Prada or Phoebe Philo — but Hydra still has a bohemian soul. It’s chic, but low-key; a ‘nice clothes but no heels or make-up’ [kind of place]. It reminds me of Ibiza 20 years ago, and I’ve been back every summer since [that first visit].
Within days it felt like home to me. It’s tiny, so before long you start recognising people as you walk around. We stay in a house high on a hill; not to everyone’s taste, because it’s a steep, 15-minute climb, but it has the most wonderful view over the horseshoe-shaped harbour. I can sit on the terrace all day and evening watching the yachts and ferries and taxi boats come in and out. I call it ‘Boat TV’, and it’s my number one holiday activity. I have a few favourite spots: To Pefkaki restaurant (open lunchtimes only) for the best Cretan dakos salad (with barley rusk, grated tomato and cheese) overlooking the perfect spot for an after-lunch swim. For dinner, I love Omilos for its view, and Xeri Elia Douskos for the fish.
I love getting up early and taking the 45-minute uphill hike to the monastery. It’s worth it for the atmosphere and the views. Now if someone says, ‘close your eyes and go to your happy place’, my mind goes to Hydra straight away. When I’m there, I feel peace, gratitude and happiness. It’s good for the soul.’
Read more: In search of bohemia on Hydra
Mallorca
Alice Casely-Hayford, journalist and co-host of An Excellent Fit podcast
Mirabo de Valldemossa
‘I’ve been to Mallorca four or five times and Deià specifically holds a special place in my heart. The bohemian coastal village is steeped in history and has deep ties with many brilliant artists. I love its higgledy-piggledy hilliness and honey-stoned buildings with their green shutters. You never know what’s around the next cobbled bend — an artist’s studio or hidden boutique.
I initially travelled there over 25 years ago for a family holiday and made many core memories that I treasure to this day. A few years ago I stayed at Mirabó de Valldemossa with girlfriends. We took over the whole boutique hotel and had the best time lounging by the pool, taking in the exquisite vistas and eating homemade paella. Because of the familiarity, I can switch off in Deià instantly. There is no time wasted acclimatising; instead, even if I’m just visiting for a short while, I immediately feel at ease and in holiday mode, which is the advantage of returning to the same place. [For dinner], I love Ca’s Patró March, a seafood restaurant overlooking the water which, to me, is a slice of heaven. Exquisite seafood, amazing views and excellent vibes: what more could you ask for?’
Read more: The best hotels on Mallorca for every travel need
Ibiza
Lauren Winslade, founder and CEO of Aisle 8
Ibiza
‘When the plane flies over Es Vedrà, I feel a wave of calm. I couldn’t count how many times I’ve returned there, but I’ve been going since the late 1990s. That carefree, hedonistic feeling I experienced then appears to be fading away, but you can still find bits of it if you know where to look. People say there is a magnetic force to Ibiza and whatever that magic is, it works for me. When I’m there, I feel like a better version of me.
My ideal day is going for an hour’s cycle up into the north of the island, a swim at Cala Comte or Cala Llenya after lunch, sunset drinks at Cala Escondida and then dinner in the Old Town before a walk around the castle walls. I never leave without a few purchases from the independent boutiques and, of course, a trip to Annie’s Ibiza.
I’ve had wonderful stays at Oku Ibiza, which sits right between some of the best beaches on the west coast. It’s very special to watch my daughter fall in love with Ibiza as much I have, making new memories with her and knowing she will make her own one day. Going back as a family we have found different beaches, restaurants and things to do, all more suited to a four-year-old. Every visit to the island is different.’
Read more: Ibiza’s best boutique shops
Cornwall
Frankie Graddon, journalist
Watergate Bay Hotel
‘My family are from Devon, and I’ve been holidaying in the West Country since I was a child, so there’s a real sense of familiarity and comfort there — some nostalgia too. It’s always been my happy place, but I remember the first time I was truly struck by it as an adult. I’d visited Sennen Cove with my now husband and we’d had a gorgeous walk on the beach; by the evening the sky was a blanket of stars.
It’s just incredibly beautiful. I’ve also really loved taking my kids to places I went to when I was little. We love staying at Watergate Bay Hotel, which sits on the shoreline. The restaurant has an early sitting for children, so you can get them fed and off to bed then head back down with the WiFi-connected baby monitor for an adult dinner. Cornwall’s beaches are among the best I’ve been to (when the weather is co-operating) and I love the green hills. The Lost Gardens of Heligan are spectacular year-round, and you can’t miss the sole meunière at The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow. And there’s simply nothing better than sitting on the beach having a pastie and a clotted-cream ice cream.’
Read more: How to plan a weekend in South Cornwall
Liguria
Natalie Sytner, founder of Bettina Ceramica
Villa Rosmarino
‘Liguria has always been deeply connected to our family. It’s a special, largely untouched place and, in my opinion, home to some of the best food in Italy. My mother is from Genoa, and my father now lives in Bordighera, a small coastal town in the north, very close to the border with France. It’s an under-the-radar treasure and we spend nearly all our holidays there; it’s like home to me. I’ve visited multiple times a year ever since I was born: Christmases, summers, and now most half-terms too with my daughters.
My childhood holidays were always in the small fishing village Camogli. There’s a great hotel nearby called Villa Rosmarino, which has incredible views, chic and simple interiors, and a lovely pool. It’s perfect for getting away from the crowds. I love that my children are growing up knowing this area so well. They’re starting to remember places: historical old towns, museums, hikes to the waterfalls, beach clubs… I’m reliving it all again through them! I love to travel and visit new places, but there’s such comfort in that feeling of coming home.’
Read more: How to do the Italian Riviera differently
We love an old favourite, but there’s always somewhere new to discover, too