Craving sunshine
Our pick of 14 active breaks that give you a much-needed dose of vitamin D
TREK ON A CAMEL THE SAHARA, MOROCCO
As you ride your camel through the Sahara at dusk, the only sound you’ll hear is the muffled padding of its hooves splaying in the sand. Lights twinkle out from a Berber tent where you will spend the night but the rich smell of the tagine being prepared for dinner barely carries through the still air. The next day, wake up to watch the sunrise over Erg Chebbi, a large sea of windblown dunes, then climb back on your camel and ride to the Black Desert, where you’ll spend the night with a nomad family.
While it may not be the most comfortable mode of transport, a camel trek is a journey into the very heart of Morocco’s history. You don’t need any riding experience and will be in the capable hands of Omar Berhi, who grew up caring for his father’s camels in the tiny desert village of Taos. This four-day private holiday begins and ends in Marrakech. You’ll picnic under the shade of the seemingly endless palm trees in Skoura and be seduced by fragrant flutter of petals in the Rose Valley, which is irrigated by the Asif M’Goun River. Drive along the hairpin bends of the epic Tizi n’Tichka pass, marvel at the Todra Gorge and try your hand at sandboarding in the largest desert in the world.
THE DETAIL From £188pp for the Desert Lovers’ Tour, including three nights’ accommodation, all meals and equipment and transfers from Marrakech. cameltrekking.com
UNLOCK CHEF’S SECRETS SORRENTO, ITALY
With their olive skin and strikingly similar looks, Alfonso and Ernesto Iaccarino could only be father and son. Their attitude to cooking also runs in the family and they see themselves as guardians of the local food traditions on the Sorrento Peninsula.
Ernesto heads up the kitchen at two-star Michelin restaurant and hotel Don Alfonso 1890, while his father now runs Le Peracciole, the family farm. His favourite catchphrase is ‘great cooking happens in the fields like great wines in the vineyard’ and he should know. Their 7ha plot of land just across the water from Capri has kept the restaurant in heavenly tomatoes, lemons the size of grapefruits and olive oil since 1990.
Learn their secrets at the hotel’s cookery school. Sessions suitable for all levels are run from 10am-1.30pm Wednesday to Sunday with a different theme every day. Whether you choose to focus on pasta, rock fish of the Amalfi Coast or confectionery, you’ll prepare three courses. The school is only open to hotel guests, which is fortunate because anyone who steps into this elegant 19th-century mansion won’t want to leave.
THE DETAIL From £387pp for one night’s accommodation, breakfast and a cooking lesson. donalfonso.com
GO FREEWHEELING MARRAKECH, MOROCCO
Lofty mountains, remote forests and medieval medinas where locals sit in the sun sipping glass after glass of sweet mint tea. Morocco’s blend of culture, natural beauty and topography make it the perfect place to explore on two wheels, not least because 2017 is the bicentenary of the invention of the bicycle.
Spring sees almond trees blossoming and warm winds ruffling the grass that spreads over the usually arid plains. Spend a week soaking up the views from the High Atlas mountains, the highest range in North Africa and home to nomadic Berber tribes. You’ll begin in Marrakech, which has stood at the crossroads of Africa, Europe and the Arabic world for more than 1,000 years, before cycling to Ouirgane and on to Agadir, with its tawny sand and low-key stalls selling grilled fish, before heading back to the capital. You’ll need to be fairly fit to tackle this adventure as distances range between 38km and 80km per day. A support vehicle carries your bags and plenty of cool water and food.
THE DETAIL From £890pp for seven nights, including meals, a guide, support vehicle and accommodation. Mountain bikes can be hired locally from Atlas Sports (£102pp for six days). worldexpeditions.com atlas-sports.com