Although it ought to be forbidden to use the word odyssey when writing about Greece, certain journeys do seem to resist any other term, finds writer and photographer Sam Parkes. He travels to Mani for "a pilgrimage of sorts", on the trail of Patrick Leigh Fermor, who first visited the Southern Greek peninsula in the 1950s while, researching his book Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese.

As city-centre hotels vie for ways to stand out from their competitors, few could compete with the magic of a hotel set inside the enchanting Copenhagen amusement park, Tivoli, that once inspired Walt Disney. If it seems absurd to imagine that a five-star hotel inside an amusement park could be genuinely serene, think again, writes Eleanor Cording-Booth.

With the northern hemisphere feeling distinctly frosty, our minds are wandering to warmer climes, winter sun and thoughts of New Year travel. Photographer Joanna Maclennan makes a strong case for the inexorable pull of Fès, sharing a tips-filled postcard and set of arresting images from the mystical Moroccan city.

In the Alentejo, craft and life cohabit with poise. Sarah Siese explores the region and finds that São Lourenço do Barrocal, a remote 2,000-acre estate in the foothills of Monsaraz, is both a refuge and a revelation that contemporary luxury may, after all, be founded on radical simplicity.

Although Mallorca, the largest island in the Balearic archipelago, has been enjoyed "almost to exhaustion", this green jewel off the east coast of Spain is evolving, pushing back on package holidays to protect its true soul: monasteries, citrus groves, Moorish ruins, and narrow cobbled streets. The new luxury is a return to simplicity, finds writer and photographer Sam Parkes.

Orson Fry travels to the Galapagos Islands – 1,000km off the coast of Ecuador – on the trail of a romantic family story. Instead, he discovered an alternative version of events and a fabled set of islands that surpassed even his most romantic notions.

Anastasia Miari travels through Sri Lanka, exploring the design legacy of Geoffrey Bawa – one of the most influential Asian architects of the past century – while peeling back the layers of the island nation. From its colonial past to its unique flavors, flora and fauna, Anastasia uncovers fascinating stories, beautiful places and the very best of Sri Lankan hospitality.

There is perhaps no more recognisable city on earth than Havana, writes photographer Sam Parkes, who has dreamt of visiting the Cuban capital since childhood. Resisting the urge to romanticise the city with tired cliches of 'beautiful decay' and 'crumbling beauty', Sam allows his camera, and words, to tell their own story.

From the hidden charm of juxtaposed villas in a magical folia, to a grand historical palace with Moorish motifs, lush wilderness and formal English gardens, Italy's Piedmontese lakes, Lago Maggiore and Lago d’Orta, offer so much beauty for the curious traveller. Caroline Feiffer explores.

For centuries Sintra has been a refuge for kings, poets and collectors, its palaces and sacred mountains described by Lord Byron as "Glorious Eden" and a meeting point between myth and history. In the newly opened Albuquerque Foundation, Renato de Albuquerque’s six-decade passion for ceramics finds a home in these romantic hills just outside Lisbon.

Kenya-based Yaye Kassamali and Harrison Thane take a road trip through the Tuscan countryside, seeing the region through fresh eyes, soaking up the culture and cuisine, and sharing the sights and secrets that enchant them along the way.

A tiny island off the Tuscan coast in the Tyrrhenian Sea, just five per cent of Giglio is inhabited. Although numbers swell in summer, Giglio remains wild: its oak forests and vineyards lead to dramatic granite cliffs, rocky coves and a handful of sandy beaches. Elizabeth Bennett explores.

With its terracotta rooftops, pastel houses, narrow cobbled lanes and colorful boats, the small fishing village of Collioure is almost embarrassingly pretty, finds photographer Sam Parkes - as though everything has been crop-dusted in beauty and benevolence.

Athens-based travel writer, Kate Lough, continues her summer travels around Greece, this week settling into local life in the Cycladic capital, Ermoupolis, and soaking up the aristocratic atmosphere of its Vaporia neighbourhood.

Athens-based travel writer Kate Lough takes a boat to the otherworldly Greek island of Kimolos, a small and volcanic gem in the Cyclades. Holed up for three days in a traditional whitewashed house, she luxuriates in thalassotherapy, the bliss of solitude, and the island’s distinctive character.

Just an hour south of Lisbon, slow, soulful Comporta stretches across the still-wild Tróia Peninsula, where pine-scented breezes ripple through wildflower meadows and the sea is a sapphire blur to the west. Chloe Frost-Smith explores the region, from its tiny, charming villages and sugar-soft beaches, to its still-alive equestrian heritage.