'Will you be heading off yourself?': 5 destinations to inspire a summer in Europe

Has all that lockdown walking prepped you for the Portuguese Camino? Or will a drop in the numbers of Instagrammers boost the appeal of Santorini for you?

Church in Oia, Santorini, Greece

“Will you be heading off yourself?” — It’s the number one question I’m asked these days. Even though the Delta variant could see a delay to the July easing of our essential travel advisory, we are at least thinking about foreign travel for the first time, for some of us, in what seems like an eternal two years.

Although it’s a massively tempting prospect to wet my lips in the land of sweet of Rioja or break into an emotional Macarena on the plazas of Fuengirola, I’ve made the call to stay in more local climes this summer — partly due to vaccination waits and a rebooted staycation grá.