Holiday hack: how to get 18 days off this Easter

BALEARICS
Why stop at one island when you can have several? From April onwards, temperatures notch up in these Mediterranean isles, yet footfall remains low – especially since the Spanish authorities banned Airbnb in an effort to curb overtourism. Choose Mallorca for cosmopolitan style and shopping, Menorca for quiet coves and beaches, and Ibiza to experience it before the clubbers arrive – glow-stick-free Ca Na Xica is our choice for countryside charm.

GREECE
Ambrosial indulgence awaits in Greece’s archipelago, including Crete (for families), Mykonos (for fun-seekers) or Santorini (for couples). It’s the start of the season around Easter, so hotels are waking up from their winter slumber, yet rates and availability remain good. Our top tip? 10-suite Naxian on the Beach for its away-from-it-all bohemian feel, beachside restaurant and winsome use of wicker… But if you really want to ditch the crowds, set your sights on the Peloponnese peninsula, where the Greece of old unfurls in vineyard-laced majesty.

PORTUGAL
Last year, Europe’s most-raved-about destination was Portugal – for good reason. Firstly, it’s cheap: like, a-few-euros-for-a-glass-of-wine cheap. Secondly, Lisbon is undergoing a hotel renaissance, with grand palaces being reborn and apartment-style stays opening up. Thirdly, the country’s easy road-trip territory. Start with the capital, then head to the dimpled sand dunes of Comporta or the surf hangout of Santa Cruz, before nipping across to the rural Alentejo to uncover former farms turned bucolic retreats.

ITALY
Work your way around the wild-boar pappardelle of Tuscany, the spaghettiallevongole of the Amalfi Coast and the creamy orecchiette of Puglia, before collapsing into a well-earned carb coma at whitewashed, village-style stays like Borgo Egnazia. Easter wasn’t made for watching waistlines and our Italian friends agree…

MEXICO
Mexico may be known for its exuberant Día de los Muertos, but Easter is celebrated with even more enthusiasm. From Palm Sunday (14 April) to Easter Sunday (21 April), it’s Semana Santa when pueblos across the country gather for processions. San Miguel de Allende and Mexico City have some of the best festivities – and it’s an especially good time to see the capital, as the two-week national holiday means less crowds and traffic as locals travel further afield. The hip barrio of La Roma is the place to be.

MOROCCO
You can’t beat this North African nation for sheer diversity of landscapes – from the snaking souks of Marrakech to the serrated peaks of the Atlas Mountains and the surfer-patrolled shores of Essaouira. The current focus of our fascination is the Sahara where you can base yourself at desert retreats such as Dar Ahlam, a 19th-century kasbah of rose-pink walls and courtyards, to head out on adventures into the dramatic Dades and Draa valleys.

INDONESIA
The world’s largest archipelago presents a tantalising prospect for those planning a Big Trip – with some 17,000 specks to choose from. In Bali, seek out the yogi-free Bukit peninsula, where a new Six Senses rides high on a vertiginous cliff, overlooking some of the island’s best surf breaks. After Bali, head west to Java or east to Lombok, Mojo and Sumba seeing how many beef rendangs and Bintangs you can imbibe along the way. If you make it to private-island Bawah Reserve, the menu might be a touch more spoiling.

CARIBBEAN
It’s almost like St Lucia’s Boucan by Hotel Chocolat was made for Easter. Located on the 250-year-old Rabot estate, the luxury retreat is owned by British chocolatiers Hotel Chocolat and stands surrounded by a working cacao plantation, which guests can tour. Once you’ve finished harvesting ripe pods to turn into bespoke bars, swing by the spa for a cacao-based massage or scrub, and slink back to the room for yet more freshly made chocolate treats. In preparation, lent made be a wise idea…