When people opt to go on holidays, they do so because they want to relax. Most people take holidays because they like seeing and experiencing new places. If you are tired of visiting the same holiday destinations, Funchal is a wonderful option. This is the capital and biggest city in the Madeira and has become a popular tourist city over the years because of its ports, international airport and many hotels. This has resulted in easy availability of cheap holidays to this beautiful place.

This enchanting town which was founded in 1421 has a wonderful history and a number of beautiful places to visit.

Pico dos Barcelos:
If you want a spectacular view of Funchal, taking a trip to Pico dos Barcelos is a great idea. This peak stands at 1,207 feet and offers a simply beautiful view over the island and the sea.

Jardim Botanico Da Madeira:
Since 1960 these botanic gardens have delighted visitors. Here you can find over 200 exotic plants from all continents. This garden is also a conservation centre where many plants which are on the verge of extinction are being studied.

Forte de S. Tiago:
This is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Funchal and is situated along the coast. Forte de S. Tiago is open to the public and offers a wonderful view of courtyards and towers. A peaceful walk through the low, small houses of the old town of Zona Velha will bring you to this wonderful attraction.

There are many other places to see on cheap holidays to Funchal which make this a great option for a holiday with a difference.

Madeira is a Portuguese island just slightly north of the Canaries. Many Brits choose to take holidays to Madeira every year as it is easy to reach for short weekend breaks or longer holidays on an easy four hour flight from the UK.

Madeira is famous for its wine, produced in abundance, but has much more to offer than just that.

Madeira is actually two islands close together and otherwise known as the ‘eternal spring’ islands. It is particularly lush and green and has one of the globe’s tallest ocean cliffs, Cabo Girao.

There are some gorgeous gardens in places like Funchal, the region’s capital or in the grounds of Monte Palace hotel.

For city breaks, try the city of Monte for stunning palaces, spas and treatments as well as shopping and outdoor yoga classes.

Of course, the wine deserves a good mention. There are plenty of varieties and no holiday to Madeira would be complete without returning with the odd bottle or two; it is a worldwide favourite after all.

It is little wonder that holidays to Madeira are so popular. Flights are available from most UK airports and there are some cheap holidays available throughout the year.

Those seeking holiday deals in the Algarve in Portugal this summer will have the opportunity to experience the third Allgarve season with Allgarve 09.

The Allgarve 09 season, held in the southern region of Portugal, will offer a range of cultural shows, exhibitions and events in the areas of sport, music, food fairs and others for the enjoyment of locals and those on holiday there too.

One of the highlights many are looking forward to this year is Allgarve Jazz which will include performances this month from acts such as the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Madeleine Peyroux and Marsalis Brasilianos.

On the 31st July, Joss Stone will appear at the Monumento Duarte Pacheco and on the 1st August Seal will appear at the CS Herdade dos Salgados resort in Albufeira.

From the 31st July to the 2nd August, the Le Mans Series race will attract many sports fans and for those holidaymakers with an interest in golf, the Portugal Masters will run from the 15th to the 18th October.

Those wanting cheap holidays or last minute holidays to Portugal this summer will be able to take flights to Faro from BA, easyJet and Aer Lingus, amongst others.

Cheap holidays to destinations such as Spain, Portugal and the Tenerife have always been in high demand, but you would be forgiven for thinking that the credit crunch and subsequent global recession may have discouraged the Brits from wanting to travel abroad this year.

However, according to research from Tesco Travel Money, the situation is quite the contrary and has meant an increase in demand for cheap holidays.

The supermarket surveyed over 2,000 adults in Britain and the results showed that more than half intended to take a holiday abroad this year and almost 30 per cent were planning two or more holidays somewhere in Europe.

Naturally, there is some change with more people looking to spend less than last year (34 per cent) and some saying they will be spending ‘significantly less’ (12 per cent).

Direct holidays and last minute holidays are proving popular although this is not the main area where people are planning to reduce their spending. Over half intended to reduce their spend on food and drink whilst on holiday and 43 per cent said they would buy fewer duty free items and gifts.

A spokesperson for Tesco Travel Money said:

“It’s great to see that holidaymakers are pulling out the stops to get value for money and making sacrifices to ensure they get their two weeks in the sun.”

The tourist board for the Mediterranean island of Malta has said that this year, Malta will be offering ‘incredible value for money’.

The Malta Tourist Board commented that Malta is much more affordable than several other popular destinations for holidays, and offers cheap getaways for the Brits even though it is within the Eurozone.

According to the latest information from the Post Office, following Spain and Portugal, Malta is the most affordable destination in the Eurozone.

The annual Holiday Costs Survey conducted by the Post Office takes a basket of your typical items for holidays and compares prices in different popular holiday destinations. The latest study showed that the basket in Malta was almost 15 per cent cheaper than the same basket in Cyprus and 1.5 per cent cheaper than in Egypt.

Alex Incorvaja, UK director of the Malta Tourism Authority, said:

“Much attention has focused on non-Eurozone destinations such as Egypt over the last few months but Malta still offers incredible value for money as a holiday destination, as the survey proves. Even with the current exchange rate, a cup of coffee on Malta will only set you back £0.96 whilst a bottle of beer averages £1.34.”

Direct holidays to Malta are available at some excellent prices and several air carriers are available, including Air Malta, British Airways and Lufthansa, from most of the major airports across the UK.

Stretching for miles along the southern coast of Portugal bordering both the Atlantic and Mediterranean oceans lies the beautiful, cultured Algarve.  Portugal’s most popular holiday destination, the Algarve, has excellent clean beaches and is reasonably affordable and safe holiday destination.  Algarve holidays offer splendid year round sunshine, countless sandy beaches, numerous incredible resorts and hidden coves with a sultry Mediterranean feel. There are choices of destinations in the Algarve to suit everyone, attractive to couples, families and sports enthusiasts.

Energetic Albufeira has several breathtaking beaches fantastic for those seeking sunshine daytime and partying into the late hours. For those wanting to seek adventure there are some traditionally interesting towns picturesque little villages and cafés.
Charming Carvoeiro is an attractive resort superb for families offering good local cuisine and mouth watering restaurants, or maybe the beautiful beaches and delightful villages of Praia Da Rocha. Stylish Vilamoura is a must for those seeking luxury, exclusiveness and some of the sophisticated sporting facilities.

Algarve is fabulous for hungry sporting enthusiasts; golfers, water sports, tennis, horse riding, fishing and much, much more. With its fabulous sunshine Algarve boasts the best exclusive golf courses making Algarve holidays attractive to all kinds of holiday makers. There are great family days out to plenty of theme parks to entertain the family, go-karting, dolphin watching and a great family favourite are the excellent water parks.

Only a couple of hours from the United Kingdom, Algarve holidays are a superb getaway offering glorious sunshine, fabulous culture and excellent local cuisine.  Attractive, exciting and affordable are three words to sum up the Algarve.

Trinity Brookes is one of the writers for HolidaySupermarket.com, a leading provider of internet based HOLIDAYS worldwide. Today, Trinity Brookes writes about Algarve Holidays.  For more information for worldwide HOLIDAYS, visit Holiday Supermarket at http://www.holidaysupermarket.com

The Algarve has grown in popularity amongst UK holiday makers over the past 20 years and it continues to do so as it constantly evolves and becomes a more attractive place for tourists to visit.

During the previous three decades, Portugal’s biggest change has come from changing from a dictatorship to a fledgling liberal democracy and since this point the tourist industry has become the key contributor to its regional economy.

The Algarve is the main attraction for tourists visiting Portugal and has become the country’s top spot when it comes to beach holidays. However, probably one of the most enlightening facts about the Algarve is that although it has become an extremely attractive place to take a holiday, it has also retained much of its attraction and original historic charm.

Village life continues around the bars, cafes and clubs in the Algarve and the locals go about fishing businesses as though there were no foreigners at all descending upon their towns and local beach spots.

The Algarve is only around 135 km (90 miles) measuring west to east so it makes exploring the destination very easy and there are some fabulous coves and caves on the sandy golden beaches that stretch along the coastline of Portugal.

If you are looking for nightlife and clubs then you will also find what you are looking for. In fact, the Algarve provides the holidaymaker with an option of a quiet, peaceful beach holiday or a busy sightseeing or clubbing holiday. With mild temperatures all year round, Portugal is a country that appeals to holidaymakers all year round.

UK holiday makers who love the sun, sea and sand would do well to head for Spain or Portugal earlier in the summer season this year in order to beat the rush of holiday makers over the school summer holidays.

After a review from bmibaby, the airline suggest that the best months to head for the traditional annual holiday hotspots are May and June when the atmosphere is more peaceful and the weather is warm enough to enjoy a great beach holiday.

Some of the most visited holiday cities in the summer are Majorca and Menorca, part of the Balearic Islands. Much of the popularity of these islands is the many beaches that they have to offer.

Malaga is also top of the charts as one of the most popular UK holiday destinations, particularly because it has so much to offer for water sport enthusiasts. Holiday makers who prefer mainland Spain are also treated to some great beaches and two of the most visited each year are; Playa de la Albufereta in Alicante and Playa del Postiguet.

Some of the best beaches in Europe can be found in Portugal’s Algarve along with some fantastic luxury retreats that draw holiday makers regularly including Ilha da Barreta and Ilha da Culatra.

Funchal in Madeira is a great place to head for if you are planning a cost effective / cheap family holiday. Of course, if it is warmth you want over Christmas you can’t go too wrong with Funchal.

During Christmas the weather is quite mild in Madeira and its capital city Funchal becomes a hive of Christmas activity annually with one huge nativity scene that stretches across nearly the entire city.

It’s coastline location makes Funchal a very pretty city because it is also cradled by very green, lush hills which actually makes the city turn into a natural scenic amphitheatre dazzled in 250,000 brightly coloured twinkling light bulbs which are decorated around the inner city during the festive celebrations. Funchal is a place that starts Christmas a little earlier than most and at the beginning of December a program of artistic and cultural events launches which lasts all the way through New Year with an event daily and in the evenings.

Visiting Funchal during New Year is equally not so disappointing either because on New Year’s Eve the city is lit up with one of the most stunningly spectacular firework displays seen at this time of year in Europe.

Also famous for its Christmas parties which are held in hotels, bars, restaurants and on the street, it is also a highly religious city, therefore, the Christmas celebrations are perfect for a family holiday.

The final close to the huge Fuchal Christmas celebrations is 6th January (Epiphany) when the lights are brought down for another year.

This destination is unsurprisingly a little gem for those looking for a cheap family holiday and whilst it is already very popular not everyone has considered it yet for the great Christmas family holiday that it actually is.

A travel expert has advised those looking for bargain holidays in Portugal to take a visit to the Algarve.

Independent journalist Kate Simon said that the Algarve region is the ‘best kept secret’ of Portugal boasting hidden coves unknown to tourists and fine old towns.

She wrote:

“Explore the beautiful old town of Tavira and its beach island, the hidden coves and bays west of Lagos, the windswept beaches around Sagres and the foothills of the Serra de Monchique.”

She later added that those searching for an authentic Portuguese experience should avoid tourist crowded places like Albuferia and the

“ubiquitous manicured greens that have tamed this once wild coast”

and instead should head for some secluded locations.

Earlier this month, holidaymakers were advised that Portugal is a great destination for fans of golf by the Association of Independent Tour Operators who had noted that the Algarve had the highest concentration of golf courses anywhere in Europe. They also added that many hotels in Portugal have staff dedicated to satisfying the golfing requirements of guests.