From Madeira to the Maldives, these islands still offer a refuge in the sun
Claire Webb - 6 November 2020
Since 2000, A Place in the Sun has been helping house-hunters find their ideal home abroad while bringing a dose of sunshine to Channel 4. After 20 years in the daytime schedules, last week the programme went primetime, perhaps because in the era of Covid, the dream it sells is more enticing than ever. Though travelling abroad is currently banned, when restrictions are lifted there are a handful of destinations that you can visit to top up your vitamin D levels this winter – if you’re prepared to jump through a few hoops.
THE MALDIVES
If you’re not averse to an 11-hour flight wearing a face mask, British Airways flies direct from Heathrow to the Maldives, which was added to the quarantine-exempt list in October. On arrival, travellers must produce a negative Covid test result, issued no more than 96 hours prior to departure. Thanks to its balmy turquoise sea and picture-perfect beaches, this remote Indian Ocean island nation has become one of the world’s most glamorous destinations in recent years. Every resort is on its own private island and, in the more deluxe, you can sleep in villas perched on stilts over crystal-clear waters. It’s also one of the best places in the world for snorkelling and diving.
A day before the October half-term break, the Canary Islands were unexpectedly added to the Department of Transport’s “travel corridors” list, leaving airlines scrambling to schedule enough planes to keep up with demand. Shortly after, the regional government announced that testing would be brought in within weeks: visitors to the islands now need to test negative for Covid and bring along a certificate of proof endorsed between 48 and 72 hours of their arrival. Though not checked at the airport, the certificate must be presented when you arrive at your hotel or holiday apartment. You can fly direct to Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura from major UK airports.
MADEIRA
Basking in spring-like weather all year round, Portugal’s North Atlantic outpost is a four-hour flight from the UK, with direct flights from London, Manchester and Edinburgh. Visitors must take a Covid test 72 hours before departure, submit a negative result and fill in a traveller questionnaire 12 to 48 hours before. This craggy volcanic island may not have any natural golden sandy beaches, but it does have fabulous walking trails, from hill hikes with sublime views to leisurely ambles along “levadas”, a 1,300-mile network of stone canals and aqueducts. There are also subtropical gardens to explore and the capital, Funchal, twinkles with Christmas lights in December.
There are a dozen Caribbean countries on the “travel corridors” list, but they all have entry rules. Antigua and St Lucia’s are the least onerous: travellers must provide proof of a negative Covid test taken no more than seven days before departure and stay at accommodation on a governmentapproved list of properties. The pay off? Antigua has 365 white, pale pink and golden beaches and a candy-coloured capital, while St Lucia has plenty of fantastic beaches, plus rainforest-carpeted hills and delicious Creole cuisine. British Airways flies direct to both Antigua and St Lucia from Gatwick and has also restarted flights to Barbados from Heathrow. The island is a perennial favourite with British tourists, but its new entry requirements may deter all but the most determined sun-worshippers. As well as testing negative for Covid within 72 hours of arrival, travellers must quarantine at a sanctioned hotel or government facility and take a second test four to five days after the first. If they test negative again, they’re finally free to explore Bridgetown’s Unesco world heritage-listed centre and the ubiquitous rum shops, or just flop on its silken white sands. Barbados has also introduced a $2,000 (£1,542) “Welcome Stamp” – a special visa that allows remote workers to stay for up to 12 months.
Since 2000, A Place in the Sun has been helping house-hunters find their ideal home abroad while bringing a dose of sunshine to Channel 4. After 20 years in the daytime schedules, last week the programme went primetime, perhaps because in the era of Covid, the dream it sells is more enticing than ever. Though travelling abroad is currently banned, when restrictions are lifted there are a handful of destinations that you can visit to top up your vitamin D levels this winter – if you’re prepared to jump through a few hoops.
THE MALDIVES
If you’re not averse to an 11-hour flight wearing a face mask, British Airways flies direct from Heathrow to the Maldives, which was added to the quarantine-exempt list in October. On arrival, travellers must produce a negative Covid test result, issued no more than 96 hours prior to departure. Thanks to its balmy turquoise sea and picture-perfect beaches, this remote Indian Ocean island nation has become one of the world’s most glamorous destinations in recent years. Every resort is on its own private island and, in the more deluxe, you can sleep in villas perched on stilts over crystal-clear waters. It’s also one of the best places in the world for snorkelling and diving.
DISCOVER HOLIDAYS IN THE MALDIVES
THE CANARY ISLANDS
A day before the October half-term break, the Canary Islands were unexpectedly added to the Department of Transport’s “travel corridors” list, leaving airlines scrambling to schedule enough planes to keep up with demand. Shortly after, the regional government announced that testing would be brought in within weeks: visitors to the islands now need to test negative for Covid and bring along a certificate of proof endorsed between 48 and 72 hours of their arrival. Though not checked at the airport, the certificate must be presented when you arrive at your hotel or holiday apartment. You can fly direct to Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura from major UK airports.
MADEIRA
Basking in spring-like weather all year round, Portugal’s North Atlantic outpost is a four-hour flight from the UK, with direct flights from London, Manchester and Edinburgh. Visitors must take a Covid test 72 hours before departure, submit a negative result and fill in a traveller questionnaire 12 to 48 hours before. This craggy volcanic island may not have any natural golden sandy beaches, but it does have fabulous walking trails, from hill hikes with sublime views to leisurely ambles along “levadas”, a 1,300-mile network of stone canals and aqueducts. There are also subtropical gardens to explore and the capital, Funchal, twinkles with Christmas lights in December.
THE CARIBBEAN