St. Ives boasts a quartet of golden-sand beaches. Sheltered coves draw swimmers and sun-worshippers, but water-sports aficionados visit St. Ives for great surfing, windsurfing and water-skiing conditions. And on your way there, keep your eyes peeled for a dude with seven wives. You never know when nursery rhymes might come true.

Cornwall is the extreme southwestern peninsula of England. It has the longest stretch of continuous coastline in Britain and it is one of the sunniest areas in the UK. With picturesque villages, Celtic ruins, light blue waters, gardens and parks and unique architecture it certainly is among the most scenic areas of England. Home of many events and festivals and the land of Cornish pasty, it is definitely worth visiting.

Catch a wave in Cornwall! Beach, surfing, and scenery draw the crowds to Newquay every summer. Perfect your tan on the beach, paddle in the shallows, or join the surfers out at sea. Just out of town, the Holywell Bay Fun Park, Newquay Zoo, and Blue Reef Aquarium provide family fun, and dedicated cycling tracks offer an alternate way to tour nearby towns of Bodmin, Padstow, and Truro.

With its seafront lido, busy international port, and waterfront Barbican district, Plymouth’s maritime heritage takes centre stage, but head inland and the numerous museums, shopping malls, and arts venues reveal why it’s earned the title of Devon’s cultural capital.

A visit to Lewis and Harris is like stepping into the pages of a Scottish fairy tale. In Lewis—the northern part of the island—the legendary Callanish Standing Stones poke up from the ground like a strange and massive rock city. The Blackhouse, the Shawbost Norse Mill and Kiln, and the Carloway Broch all offer a peek at what island life used to look like. In southern Harris, the east side beaches boast some of the oldest known rocks in the world, dating back millions of years. Cruise over to the volcanic islands of St. Kilda to explore the ruins of a medieval village.

Glamourous Santorini is deliciously different. Geographical newness is in part to thank. The island’s popular black volcanic Perissa and Kamari beaches are big draws, as is its arguably most famous Red Beach near Akrotiri (which is the place to go for archaeology buffs). Santorini curves round a giant lagoon in the Cyclades islands, offering stunning views from sky-high towns, eclectic cuisine, lovely galleries, thriving nightlife and excellent wines.

Former palaces and Arab mansions along the twisting streets of Stone Town hint at a grander age for this port city on the western coast of Zanzibar. The Old Fort, built in the 1700s to fend off the Portuguese, now hosts local performances, a café and an art gallery. Overstuffed bazaars lend an air of nonstop bustle. Mafia Island Marine Park sits just offshore, a haven for snorkeling the local reefs. Day tours visit working plantations where the island's legendary spices are grown.