The Week UK - 29.02.2020

LEISURE 45

29 February 2020 THE WEEK

Travel

Anarrowchainof 1 ,700coralisles
curlingthroughtheGulfofMexico,
theFloridaKeyshavelongattracted
“misfits,renegades,outlawsand
raconteurs”,saysDouglasRogers
inCondéNastTraveller,andthe
archipelagoremains“moodily
atmospheric”.Spanningmuchof
itslengthisthenationaleast-coast
highway,USRoute1,whichreaches
thetipofthemainlandjustsouthof
Miamiandcrossesacausewaytothe
northernmostofthemainislands,Key
Largo.Fromthere,theroadcontinues
for 113 miles,bridgingtenmore islands
andending,halfwaytoHavana,on
KeyWest,thesoutherntipoftheUS.
StoponIslamorada,a“sliver”ofan
island,foralobstersaladatthebarefootMoradaBayBeachCafé,
whoseproprietoralsoownsTheMooringsVillage,anearbyhotel
thatfeaturescentrallyintheNetflixseriesBloodline.Theplace
soongetsunderyourskin,withits“ceruleanwater,stormclouds
rumblinginsapphireskies,breezesrustlingthemangroves”.Key

Westismoresophisticated,withanold

townthat almostrivalsNewOrleans’s

FrenchQuarter.Itscolourfulwooden

two-storeyframehomesdatelargely

fromthemid-tolate-19thcentury,

whenlocalsgotrichbysalvaging

cargoesfromshipwrecks.During

Prohibition,rum-runningbrought

furtherwealth,attractinga“demi-

mondeofshadycharacters”,inspiring

classicfilmssuchasKeyLargo,and

attractingErnestHemingway,whose

Victorianhouseisnowamuseum.

ThorntonWilder,Tennessee

WilliamsandTrumanCapotealso

“partied”here,andthe 1 970sand

1980ssawanother“creative

explosion”,featuringthelikesof

HunterS.Thompson.TrawlthroughKeyWest’scharacterful

bars,andyou’llmeetplentyofold-timerswhoarrived,“lostand

aimless”,inthateraorearlier,andbuiltempiresforthemselves.

Forallthe“decadence”andthe“communitarian”vibe,there’s

alsoa“stubbornworkethic”outhereontheedgeoftheworld.

This week’s dream: the maverick soul of the Florida Keys

Gettingthe flavourof...

Self-catering retreat
Spend three nightsin the
lovelyChantryCottage in
Blythburgh,aperfectstarting
point for coastalwalks. From
£99pp (four sharing).01728-
666300 ,suffolkhideaways.
co.uk.Arrive 25March.

Barcelona spring break

Afour- nightstay at the

El AvenidaPalace hotel,

located in thecity centre,

costsfrom£304pp room-only,

including Liverpool flights.

020-3897 1164,loveh olidays.

com. Depart 27April.

Warsaw, Gdansk&Kraków

DiscoverPoland’s medieval

citiesand historic treasures

duringaneight-day trip.

From £949pp b&b, including

transfers&flights.020-80 68

3176, exoticca.co.uk. Depart

16 May.

Luxurious getaway

Stay atthedelightfulfive -star

Mövenpick HotelBur Dubai

for four nights,from£584pp

half-board,including London

flights.020-34743075,

blueseaholidays.co.uk.

Depart26April.

Greece’s secret northern wilds

Fewtouristsventurebeyondtheresorts

of PargaandSyvotatoexplore the rest

of northwestGreece,but itisanarea of

breathtakingbeauty,andhometosomeof

thecountry’s“lastgreat secrets”,saysDana

FacarosinTheSundayTimes.On aroadtrip

fromIoannina,the capital ofEpirus,visitthe

mountainousTzoumerkanationalpark, with

itsgloriouslakes,waterfallsandrivers.Stay

at the“lovely”AnavasiResortinPramanta,

to strikeout forthe“incredible”cliffside

monastery ofKipinas. Thenmoveon to

Kastoria inWestern Macedonia,whose

oldtownisfullof“grand,topheavy”

mansions,oneofwhichisnowahotel, the

Orologopoulos. Nearbyarethe “lavishly

frescoed”Byzantinemonastery ofPanagia

Mavriotissa,the sublimelypeaceful Prespa

lakes,andafabulous newdiscovery–a

96-roomRomanvillanear Amyntaio,set

to opentothepublicinthenextfewyears.

On thewaterfront in Istanbul

Headingnorthwardsbyferry up the

Bosphorus straitfrom central Istanbul is

perhaps “theworld’s mostmagical public

transport experience”, saysAnyavon

Bremzen in Afar.The city’s silhouette and

the “shifting parade” of traffic on the water

are glorious to behold,but t here’salsothe

greatcharm ofits ever livelier andmore

fa shionableoutlying neighbourhoods. Head

to Üsküdar forits“small,clamorous” fish

bazaar and the tombcomplexoftheSufi

saintAzizMahmudHüdayi,andwalkonto

Kuzguncuk, where“arty”Istanbullus now

crowdinto“shabby-chic”coffeeshopsand

organicboutiques.InYeniköy,don’tmiss

chefBurçak Kazdal’s farm-to-tablecreations

at Apartıman.And visit theup-and-coming

KuruçeşmeneighbourhoodfortheNew

Anatoliantastingmenuon thepanoramic

terrace atAlaf,then headnorthtothe next

village,Arnavutköy,forbuzzynewcocktail

barsamongtheOttomanmansions.

Aprimer in mountain lore

WalkingintheUK’s remotemountains

canbedangerous,owingtounpredictable

weather,the lack ofclearpaths,and soon.

To gain theskillsneededtokeepyourself

safe,takeasix-day mountainleader course

withMountainTraining,saysAnnaFleming

inTheGuardian.Thisnationalorganisation

operatesfromtrainingcentresincluding

Plas yBreninin WalesandGlenmore Lodge

in Scotland.Acer tain degree offitnessis

needed, as mostlessonsaredeliv ered while

you walk.Amongthe areascoveredare

hazards (such asriver crossings,scree and

boulderfields ), emergency procedures and

traditionalnavigation.There’s alsoone night

of wild camping,andafew hoursspent

navigating in the dark.Visitmountain-

training.org formoreinformation.

Lekkerwater Beach Lodge

South Africa

Newly opened asabeach reso rt

last year, this spot on the Western

Cape (within easy reach of Cape

Town) was once used by President

F.W. de Klerk as his “Camp David

–aplac ewhere he could plan

his vision for South Africa

undisturbed”. Perched onaclifftop

overlooking the Indian Ocean, it is

nothing short of “magnificent”,

says Tatler. The seven rooms are

“luxuriously simple”, with interiors

done out in “ocean blues and

soft greys”, and huge windows

opening onto private, sea-facing

decks. Whales and dolphins often

pass by, and the locally inspired

dishes served in the restaurant

are excellent.

Doubles from £195 per person.

naturalselection.travel

Hotel of the week

The Keys: American, but more Caribbean than cornbelt

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