The short list
- Short flight, island calm: Gozo, Menorca and Madeira.
- Nature and space: the Azores and Lake Garda in spring or autumn.
- Slow old towns: Syracuse in Sicily and Matera in southern Italy.
- Far away, worth it: Mauritius, the Maldives, Luang Prabang and the Bacalar lagoon in Mexico.
For more, see all our relaxing holidays, with the best months for each.
What makes a holiday quiet
It's less about the place than about when you go and where you stay. Even busy islands have calm corners, and even quiet towns fill up in August. The places below are naturally slow-paced, small or spread out, so they stay peaceful for most of the year, and we've said when they're at their quietest.
Near: a short flight away
Gozo is Malta's smaller, greener sister island, a short ferry ride from Malta. It's all quiet bays, salt pans, farmhouses with pools and some of the clearest water in the Mediterranean. It feels a world away from the busier main island.
Menorca is the calm one of the Balearics, a UNESCO biosphere reserve with pine-backed coves and small harbour towns. The south coast has the sandy beaches; the north is wilder. June and September are lovely and much quieter than August.
Madeira is about four hours from the UK and mild all year, with garden hotels, levada walks along the mountainsides and pools rather than beaches. It's one of the best places in Europe for a peaceful winter break.
Nature, space and fresh air
The Azores are nine volcanic islands in the middle of the Atlantic, about four hours from London. There are crater lakes, hot springs, whale watching and green hills full of cows, and no big resorts. It's never hot, which suits people who'd rather walk than lie by a pool.
Lake Garda gets very busy in July and August, but in May, June and September it's at its best: warm days, ferries between quiet towns and lakeside lunches. The north of the lake is calmer than the busy resorts in the south.
Slow old towns
Syracuse in Sicily mixes Greek ruins, swimming from the rocks in Ortigia and long, lazy lunches. In May, June, September and October it's warm, calm and easy-going.
Matera is a town of cave houses carved into a gorge, and staying in a cave hotel is one of the most peaceful experiences in Italy, especially in the evening, when the day-trippers leave and the lights come on.
Far away, and worth the flight
Mauritius and the Maldives are the classic choices for a relaxing beach holiday: calm lagoons, resorts made for doing very little and warm sea all year. Mauritius has more to explore on land; the Maldives is about the water.
Luang Prabang in Laos is one of the most peaceful towns in Southeast Asia, with temples, the Mekong and waterfalls. Days start with the monks' alms giving at dawn and end at the night market.
The Bacalar lagoon in Mexico is a calm, freshwater alternative to the busy Caribbean coast, famous for its shades of blue. There are small hotels with docks over the water, and no waves at all.
How to keep it peaceful
- Avoid the school holidays if you can. Late May, June and September are quieter almost everywhere in Europe.
- Pick a small hotel or a villa, rather than a big resort.
- Stay just outside the main town. A short taxi or drive away is usually much calmer.
- Plan less. One or two outings a week is plenty on a relaxing holiday.
- Go further for winter sun. In Europe, Madeira and the Canary Islands are the warmest places in winter, and the quiet hotels fill up fast.
Can't agree how relaxing to make it?
If one of you wants to do nothing and the other wants to see everything, our post on planning a holiday when everyone wants something different has some ideas. Or put both kinds of trip on your list in somewhere🎉 and let the draw decide.
