The gentle clink of glasses and splash of swimming pool frolics from behind high, flower-trimmed gates; the understated boutiques vending designer sarongs and sunhats; the beach shacks that serve up perfect negronis and lobster rolls. All of these are clues that you’ve encountered one of the holiday habitats of the particularly well-heeled. Our destination experts reveal where they are, and what to do when you get there.
Out on a limb in the Atlantic Ocean, with a thick fringe of caramel sand and forested, surf-lashed shores, Cap Ferret is the sort of old-school beach haven where weekending Parisians cruise between heritage oyster farms on bicycles: a serene peninsula that’s the epitome of pared-back luxury.
It’s also incredibly exclusive. Unlike its oft-confused Riviera twin Cap Ferrat, where Europe’s glitterati have hobnobbed since Victorian times, Cap Ferret’s first hotel opened in 1969: and between wooden cabins on stilts and ancestral maisons de vacances, hotels remain few and far between.
Here, freshly shucked huîtres on the seashore fuel off-grid sojourns. Bookend lunch at oyster shack La Kabane in the ramshackle fishing quarter with peaceful walks along the Sentier de l’Abécédaire forest trail, solitary beach romps, bike rides and a sunset climb up Cap Ferret’s storybook lighthouse. After dark, have cocktails beneath fairy lights at speakeasy La Mayzou.
Stay: Luxurious beach lodge Hôtel des Dunes has just 13 rooms, fusing a surf aesthetic, Hamptons elegance and inimitable Ferretcapien charm (doubles from £170; 00 33 5 56 60 61 81; hoteldesdunes.com).
Nicola Williams
This dune-fringed area has long been a playground for the cognoscenti, including European royals and celebrities from the worlds of film and fashion. They love the powder-white sands where they can kick off their shoes and lunch on freshly grilled sea bass at SAL completely incognito, as the turquoise-hued sea rolls in on Carvalhal beach.
Ride out in the afternoon on a horse from Cavalos na Areia stables, through the emerald rice paddies, under the umbrella pines, up over the sand dunes and along the beach as the sun sets. Dip into the chic little shops in town, a huddle of white-washed houses, trimmed in blue to ward away the devil. Some even have resident storks clacking from wide chimneys that were once used to smoke hams. Dine on oysters at Cavalariça before dancing on the beach in the light of the moon.
Stay: Quinta da Comporta has a wonderful spa that comes into its own in the winter months when rooms are at their most affordable. It’s also a treat in early summer before the mosquitos invade (doubles from £225; 00 351 265 112 390; pt.quintadacomporta.com).
Mary Lussiana
Take indulgent golden beaches and windswept dunes, then liberally scatter the landscape with five-star hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants and you have the North Frisian island of Sylt. This has long been the playground for well-heeled Germans. Marlene Dietrich, Brigitte Bardot and the art collector Gunter Sachs all frequented the island back in the day, while Boris Becker and Kevin Costner are among its current residents.
Located a short hop from Hamburg and the Danish border, the island’s pretty towns and villages are easily accessible for anyone seeking its unique blend of untouched nature and upscale charm. Buzzy Kampen has designer boutiques and a celebrated “whisky mile”, but also offers superlative views from the Uwe Düne, pretty lighthouses and dramatic red cliffs that blush with the evening sunset.
Moneyed visitors spend leisurely afternoons at double-starred Söl’ring Hof, eating local oysters (“Sylter Royal”), relaxing at the Lanserhof spa complex or perhaps opting for a spot of wind-surfing and a round of golf.
Stay: Rooms at the exclusive Budersand get booked up fast – but you might get lucky (doubles from £420; 00 49 4651 46070; budersand.de).
Paul Sullivan
Spain’s savvy second-homers migrate to the north-east in the summer months. Where the Pyrenees meet the Mediterranean is the Empordà, famous for its unspoiled medieval towns and the picture-perfect bays along the Costa Brava. Unsullied by the high-rises that blight the rest of Spain’s coastline, these beaches unfurl from whitewashed fishing villages, overlooked by elegant villas that sit on wooded slopes leading down to the sea.
The abundance of superb restaurants in ancient villages such as Peratallada, Ullastret and Vulpellac, is testament to the area’s popularity among discerning diners, while there’s plenty for visitors to do, particularly around Cadaqués, long beloved of artists for its unique light and stunning Mediterranean setting. Not far from here you’ll find Dalí’s former house at Port Lligat or the Teatre-Museu Dalí at Figueres.
Stay: Emulate Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra and stay at the stately Hostal de la Gavina. This grande dame has seen ‘em all, but is a relaxed spot, with a pool overlooking the pretty Platja de Sant Pol bay (doubles from £200; 0034 972 32 1100; lagavina.com).
Sally Davies
Capri and Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda burst with Versace bling and paparazzi fodder, but Italy’s “quiet luxury” set spend their Cucinelli-clad summer holidays in the discreet confines of Forte dei Marmi, on the stretch of Tuscan riviera known as Versilia.
Though luxury hotels line the waterfront, habitués retreat from torrid Florence and Milan to the posh gated villas at the foot of the Apuan Alps backing “Forte” (as regulars call it) come July, venturing out to bask at exclusive beach clubs – including Andrea Bocelli’s Alpemare – during the day and feast on fresh seafood at the landmark (and Michelin-starred) Lorenzo after sunset. When it’s time to restock the wardrobe with chic Italian linen and cashmere, the town’s pocket-sized pedestrian centre stands ready with tasteful boutiques such as Fiacchini and Pinotti. Shopping exertions are rewarded with a sea-view aperitivo at the historic Bagno Santa Maria or trendy Twiga, favourite of Gen Z summer regulars.
Stay: Hotel Byron’s recent revamp has brought contemporary glam to a classic beachfront bolthole (doubles from £690 in summer; 00 39 0584 787052; hotelbyron.net).
Rebecca Winke
Rarely visited by foreign tourists, Athens’ golden beach-lined Riviera is just a 20-minute taxi ride from the Acropolis and a magnet for well-heeled Greeks. This ritzy strip of seaside overlooking the Saronic Gulf kicks off in recently prettified Piraeus, where obligatory pit stops include industrial chic sipping spot Paleo Wine Store and the – very hip – Rodeo art gallery. From here make a beeline for Glyfada (dubbed “The Greek Miami” by locals) to potter on the David Harradine-designed 18-hole golf course, stroll along the paraliaki (corniche) or shop for designer goodies in upmarket boutiques.
End the day with a brimming bowl of mussels swimming in velvety feta sauce at local-loved taverna Theodoros and Eleni, before watching the sun sink over Cape Sounion, where this classy strip of seascape officially ends.
Stay: Beach club chic meets boho style at the new 91 Athens Riviera, where accommodation comes in the form of seriously stylish glamping pods (doubles from £733; 00 30 2111 903529; 91athensriviera.gr).
Heidi Fuller-Love
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