By Lucy Richardson, Editor
My parents have always been my inspiration when it comes to travel. They opened my eyes to the world, and now in retirement they’re using their free time to continue doing what they love. In recent years, my dad has trekked around Japanese islands and crossed two oceans by boat, my mum has taken solo trips to remote parts of Iceland, and together they’ve toured Spain, Cuba and Central America. Retirement doesn’t need to mean slowing down, but rather an opportunity to get out there, if you’re able, and do the things you never had time for in your working life. Here are five ideas for leisurely, enriching trips to take in retirement.
JUMP TO: SOUTH AFRICA | ASTURIAS | INDIA | SICILY | ARGENTINA
1 A South African road trip
One of those rare places where you can have multiple types of trip in one holiday, South Africa is a destination that requires time to explore properly. The big hitters are Cape Town, the Winelands, the Garden Route, safari in the Kruger, and diving in KwaZulu Natal. But to fit all that in you’ll need to take a few internal flights, and stay for a good few weeks. For help with getting around, speak to our South Africa Tailormade Tours partner, who are based in the country and can help you plan your perfect itinerary.
Or just pick one section of the country and tour thoroughly. We’d opt for Cape Town and the south-west coast, which is best explored by self-driving – tip: car rental rules get stricter once you hit 70, so best to do this earlier if you can. Spend a few days in the city, which is among our favourites in the world. You get culture in the form of Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated), distinct Dutch architecture, and a thriving contemporary art and design scene. Then relax on glamorous Clifton beaches, or see the penguins at Boulders Beach. Foodies should explore the Bo Kaap district.
After a culture fix, pick up your car and head out to the Cape Winelands, to Stellenbosch or Franschhoek, where the famous wine tram rattles around the vineyards, and wineries double up as luxury boutique hotels – stay for a night so you can sample as many wines as you like without having to get behind the wheel. Then head south to the Cape Whale Coast, known for – you guessed it – excellent whale watching opportunities, particularly in the Walker Bay area near Hermanus.
You could continue east to drive the Garden Route, a scenic road trip combining white beaches, lagoons, lakes and forests between Mossel Bay in the Western Cape and Cape St Francis in the Eastern Cape. There are also safari opportunities north of here – try Addo Elephant National Park, the only place in the country where you can spot the Big Seven (elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo, leopard, southern right whale and great white shark).
Where to stay in South Africa
- Kensington Place: One of Cape Town’s most stylish small hotels, an ultra-chic townhouse set on the slopes of Table Mountain. Rooms from GBP 180 per night
- Holden Manz Wine Estate: A luxury guesthouse and restaurant on an award-winning vineyard beneath the stunning Franschhoek mountain range. Rooms from GBP 144 per night
- Hog Hollow Country Lodge: A friendly, comfortable and stylish lodge with delicious food, near Plettenberg Bay along the Garden Route. Rooms from GBP 261 per night
2 A leisurely tour of undiscovered Asturias
Many people aren’t familiar with Asturias, but this little-known region in northern Spain, between the Basque Country and Galicia, has some of the best scenery in the country, plus untouched beaches, mountains and amazing cuisine. The famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route cuts along the coast here, so walking opportunities are excellent. Known as the Costa Verde, you can expect green cliffs backing vast and empty beaches, punctuated by dramatic natural wonders like the Bufones de Pria blowholes, through which the ocean spouts geysers, gurgling and growling as if alive.
Asturias isn’t a place for travelling quickly – ideal if you’re retired and have time to roam at a leisurely pace. Travelling is much more enriching this way, and taking the scenic route is what it’s all about. There’s only one main road along the coast, or you could travel via the FEVE railway, a narrow-gauge line that crawls from Bilbao to Ferrol. It’s slow but breathtakingly beautiful, skirting beaches, crossing rivers, and stopping in some of Asturias’s must-see places like Oviedo, Gijón, Llanes and Ribadesella. It’s in these towns that you’ll get to sample the cuisine, known for cider, seafood and hearty stews. Lots of food festivals and Michelin restaurants across the region celebrate the land’s bounty.
And then there’s the interior. The Picos de Europa are the knobbly mountains wedged between three river gorges. It’s a hiker’s paradise and a picture of beauty, particularly from April to June when the wildflowers sprout – they are some of the most diverse in Europe. Elsewhere there are pre-Romanesque ruins, mostly found along the Navia River in western Asturias – tours are available.
For more info and tips, check out our in-depth guide to Asturias.
Where to stay in Asturias
- Gran Hotel Brillante: A beautifully restored boutique hotel in San Esteban, a fishing village on Asturias’ rugged coast, with elegant rooms and apartments and spectacular river views. Rooms from GBP 74 per night
- El Gran Sueño: A sublime mountain retreat near Infiesto, combining an eco-chic guesthouse and self-catering apartments, with magical views and faultless service. Rooms from GBP 117 per night
- Bufones de Pria Apartments: A quartet of self-catering apartments (for 2-4) on Asturias’ wild coast, a stroll from one of Spain’s most spectacular natural wonders. Apartments from GBP 129 per night
3 Cultural immersion in India
If, like me, India has always intrigued you but the thought of travelling there is overwhelming, here’s why your retirement is the time to go. Fewer time constraints mean you can get out into the heart of the country, away from the chaotic big cities, where the magic of India reveals itself. And you may be less likely to be travelling on the shoestring budget of the 20 somethings, so you can choose smarter places to stay (there are some incredible options: royal palaces, sandstone havelis, luxury desert tents and jungle lodges) and more civilised ways to get around. Our tip is to plan it through a tour operator – we work with partners in Northern India and Kerala.
In the north, you may want to tour the big sights like the Taj Mahal, the wild tigers of Ranthambore, and the temples and forts of Jaipur and Jodhpur. Rajasthan is where you’ll want to start. This ‘Land of the Kings’ is awash with ornate palaces and majestic hilltop forts silhouetted against rich and varied landscapes: harsh, barren deserts contrast with rolling green hills; rural farmland with large, bustling cities. Exploring is best done by private car and driver, and we’d recommend hiring a guide too, who can take you to the best spots and shoo away any hawkers.
Or you might choose southern India, where the pace of life is slower and the curries are even hotter. This gentler part of India feels exotic, with a lush coastline and a tranquil backwater network of lakes, lagoons and canals linking tiny settlements and farms. You can cruise these waterways via houseboats, converted from traditional kettuvallams (cargo boats that used to carry rice and spices). For beaches, most head to the south of Kerala for its palm-fringed shores – it’s worth staying at the mini resorts along here as many of them own the best stretches of sand. And for a break from the heat, head inland towards the Western Ghats to explore rubber, spice and tea plantations and wildlife sanctuaries. The best areas are accessed from Kottayam or Cochin – again, hiring a driver is your best bet.
Where to stay in India
- Samode Palace: A majestic and rambling fairytale palace nestled into the Aravalli Hills north of Jaipur, overlooking a traditional rural village. Rooms from GBP 139 per night
- Spice Coast Cruises: Experience India differently with a houseboat cruise along the winding backwater canals of hidden Kerala. Cruises from GBP 226 per night
- Khem Villas: Eco-chic villas, cottages, tents and rooms in 30 wildlife-rich acres, all right beside Ranthambhore Park. Rooms from GBP 207 per night
4 Old-style glamour in Sicily
Sicily is one for the romantics, its elegant mansions and Baroque towns evoking Italy’s longstanding history of grandeur and style. Your retirement is the perfect time to visit the island in luxury, staying at its old palazzi, slotting into its leisurely pace of life, and tucking into that delectable food that is loved across the world. Be indulgent – you’ve worked hard for this.
We’d suggest flying into Catania (an underrated city – worth an overnight stopover), then touring the east coast by road or boat. You could go north towards Taormina, an upmarket resort town with café-lined piazzas, a stunning Greek amphitheatre and plush hotels converted from former mansions of wealthy noblemen. Head out to Etna for the day, climbing the slopes or taking the cable-car to the top for stunning views. The volcano’s fertile black earth also produces excellent food and drink, and there are lots of vineyards in the area offering tours and tastings.
For Baroque towns and beaches, travel down to the south-east coast, where there’s a cluster of Unesco-listed beauties like Modica, Ragusa, Scicli, Noto and Palazzolo Acreide. If you don’t fancy driving, you can take buses here instead (though they can be slow). Rebuilt after a devastating earthquake in 1693, these towns are a jumble of honey-hued buildings and atmospheric alleys, with piazzas where you can watch the world go by over cappuccino and cannoli. They’re also only a hop, skip and jump from some of the island’s best beaches – among our favourites are unspoilt Sampieri and the numerous sandy coves of the Vendicari Nature Reserve – an excellent spot for seeing migratory birds.
A good time to visit Sicily is at the end of September / early October when the heat has died down and the summer crowds have largely dispersed.
Where to stay in Sicily
- The Ashbee Hotel: The best of Britain and Sicily combine at this spoiling hotel, set in a grand villa with stunning sea views over Taormina. Rooms from GBP 517 per night
- Gagliardi Boutique Hotel: Elegant luxury and authentic Sicilian charm combine at this small hotel with hard-to-beat rooftop views of ethereal Noto. Rooms from GBP 211 per night
- Casa Talia: A clutch of lovingly restored stone cottages, with vibrant rustic-chic interiors and sweeping views over the handsome Baroque town of Modica. Rooms from GBP 216 per night
5 A scenic adventure in Argentina
Immense, wild and far away, Argentina has a mesmerising edge-of-the-world vibe that is unmatched by anywhere else on earth. This vast country is among the top 10 largest in the world, so to take in its beauty, you need time to explore. Even so, you’ll probably want to incorporate a few internal flights into your itinerary; Aerolineas Argentinas has an extensive flight network, while Flybondi is a budget option.
Most trips begin in Buenos Aires, a thrilling city that combines European and Latin culture. Opulent Belle Époque buildings and leafy avenues hint at Paris, while the vivacious locals – native Argentines and immigrant Portenos – are incredibly warm and welcoming. You’ll want to see the erotic tango dance in the dark interior of a milonga, and sniff the deliciously smoky whiff of steak sizzling on the grill at a parrilla restaurant. There are more theatres here than in London’s West End, so try to catch a show too – seniors are often given discounted admission. This a place for dining, socialising and having a merry old time – a couple of days will start off your trip with a bang.
From here, where you go will depend on your interests. You could fly south to El Calafate to explore the raw, wild, windswept world of Argentine Patagonia; unmissable excursions include the Perito Moreno and Upsala glaciers. More adventures await in the Bariloche area of the scenically beautiful Lake District, a land of peaks and valleys peppered with lakes and rivers of all hues.
Mendoza is a place for the winos, with long-established bodegas producing sophisticated, prize-winning wines from emerald vines stretching out to the distant Andes mountains. While up in the northwest you’ll find Salta, surrounded by starkly different landscapes, from desert plains to cloudforest. It’s the indigenous culture that makes this region so distinctive – look out for colourful weavings and haunting baguala music.
There’s a lot to see in Argentina! Contact our team for more travel advice.
Where to stay in Argentina
- Alvear Palace Hotel: The height of luxury, sophistication and Belle Epoque elegance in what is often dubbed Buenos Aires’s finest hotel. Rooms from GBP 339 per night
- Cavas Wine Lodge: Heavenly boutique hotel and glorious spa designed in charming modern style, in the heart of Mendoza wine country. Rooms from GBP 669 per night
- Finca Valentina: Chic but relaxed: a beautifully designed guesthouse just outside of Salta, which offers breathtaking tours. Rooms from GBP 121 per night