The hot spots for 2004

SEND TO A FRIEND

21 JANUARY 2004
Somehow the stars always seem to have an eye for the world's coolest new holiday destinations -Cameron Diaz in Belize, for example, and Princess Caroline of Monaco in Croatia. And where they blaze a trail, others follow. Here HELLO! lets you in on vacation getaways likely to top the polls this year. Whatever you’re looking for under the sun, you’ll find it here.

Quality of light, Santorini
Believed to be the ruins of the legendary lost city of Atlantis, Greece’s most extraordinary island is little more than the rim of volcano that blew up 4,000 years ago. Its theatrical beauty, stunning views and brilliance of light have long attracted young travellers and backpackers. Now new luxury boutique hotels and villas with pools, often perched dizzyingly on the rim itself, or Caldera, are pulling in the fashionable crowd.

It’s well worth exploring the island – you can swim off black sand beaches at Kamari and Perissa, sample some of Greece’s finest vintages at inland wineries, study ancient sites at Thira and Akrotiri, or wallow in hot mud springs on a boat trip to nearby Palaia Kameni. Truly something for everyone.

Best beaches, north Brazil
Forget the more famous cities of Rio and Ipanema. The beautiful people of Brazil who want to sip their caipirinhas and samba on the sand head northeast to Baia Formosa, Tibau do Sul, Ceara and Camocin where the fishing, surfing, canoeing and riding are considered among the best in South America.

Then there are the beaches. The New York Times recently voted Jericoacoara one of the ten best beaches on Earth. If you want a break from the endless miles of golden sand, take a trip to the Panatal, the world’s biggest wetland covering an area the size of the UK.

Holidaymakers stay in family-run pousadas and lodges, enjoy seafood feasts at beach-front tavernas, and party until dawn in the myriad bohemian bars and cafes. It’s uncommercialised, friendly and fun.