Spring, time for rebirth! And the best way to do this is definitely to take a nice trip away from home: a way to reconnect with the environment, new cultures and above all enjoy the best that this season gives us. With its blossoms, with the weather neither too hot nor too cold, with its colours and scents and with its immense blue sky. But where to go in spring to get your fill of this incredible beauty? The perfect destinations for this season are many and equally diverse, and you will have to choose your destination according to the time you have available and the budget you have in mind.
Because you might as well stay in dear old Europe and enjoy the beauty it has to offer, or perhaps embark on the journey of the heart, the one to the country you have always dreamed of visiting: only then will a simple dot on the map literally become a piece of your life and your heart, carved forever in your memory. OK am I veering too far into romance and poetry? Back on track to charge off with my personal ranking of the perfect spring break destinations!
Japan
Want to experience spring at its peak? Want to experience the exuberant and colourful rebirth of nature for yourself? You just have to fly to Japan to enjoy the beauty of Hanami, the spectacle of the cherry blossoms. It sounds like a small thing, but when you see a cherry blossom tree with your own eyes you will understand why it is such an eagerly awaited event, which they even talk about on TV with programmes dedicated exclusively to Sakura Zensen, the cherry blossom front. Because it is not enough for you simply to go to Tokyo at a random time of spring to enjoy this spectacle, but you will have to study precisely the advance of the blossom, which, from the prefecture of Kagoshima, proceeds swiftly northwards to finally arrive in the country’s capital.
In short, it’s the perfect opportunity to indulge in an on-the-road trip on tracks across Japan. Accompanying you, city after city, will be the cherry trees and the poetry they release with their pink and white blossoms. You will be able to stop along the way in the most famous cities: leave from Fukuoka to discover the most undiscovered Japan, stop in Hiroshima to touch one of the blackest pages of the history of humanity, take the ferry and disembark on the sacred island of Miyajima, where you can neither be born nor die, stop in Kyoto to lose yourself in its tradition; go up north and stop in Nara to meet its deer which, if particularly inspired, might make you a bow in exchange for a biscuit.
End your trip to Tokyo to admire the hanami at Shinjuku Gyoen, one of the city’s largest parks. Trust us, it’s a trip you’ll always remember will be your highlight of spring 2023!
Andalusia
Adelante! Spring is the best time of year to visit Andalusia: you won’t suffer that extreme heat that in summer takes away all hope of life at any hour of the day or night! This region of Spain lends itself to an exciting road trip topped with one caña de cerveza after another and accompanied by inexpensive tapas. Because if you’re on a tight budget, Andalusia will definitely meet your needs, trust me!
But what to see in Andalusia in spring? Well, I suggest you draw up an itinerary that touches on the region’s major cities: start in Cordoba, land in Granada, pop over to Malaga to meet Picasso, and finally end your trip in Seville, a city that will literally leave you speechless.
If you like walking in nature and are a thrill-seeker, Andalusia is perfect for you. Here you will find one of the most spectacular walking routes in the world. I’m talking about the Caminito del Rey, which takes you across a wooden footbridge 100 metres high that connects two contiguous canyons. In past decades the reputation of this route was not the best (so much so that in 2000 it was closed to the public), but I assure you that the walk has now been made safe and attracts people from all over the world all year round.
If you have the guts to walk it (and don’t suffer from vertigo), you will have to devote a whole day to it: although the walk is just under 3 km long, to get there you will have to walk other paths for a total of almost 8 km. Include it in the stages of your spring trip to Andalusia and you will love every glimpse of it.
Philippines
Let’s fly a little further, leave the Old Continent behind and welcome one of the most beautiful archipelagos on the entire globe: the Philippines. It is definitely not the first destination you think of when you want to book a spring beach holiday, but trust me: this cluster of islands will bring you immense joy, especially since the archipelago has not yet been touched so much by mass tourism.
You can therefore enjoy the wonders this corner of the world has to offer in peace and quiet, because it is nature that is the real protagonist here. From the lush vegetation to the volcanic landscapes, from the turquoise blue sea rich in coral reefs to the fine white sandy beaches, you will live a daydream.
You will find the epitome of paradise in Palawan, perfect for those seeking sea, seabed to explore and beautiful rainforests teeming with life. As an area with around 1800 islands, you’ll have to choose carefully where to stay and areas to visit, but you won’t be disappointed as they are all stunning! If this is your first time visiting the Philippines, I recommend you book in this part of the country, because it is a veritable sum total of all its beauty. And since it is impossible to visit all the thousands of islands that make up the archipelago at once, discovering the beauty of Palawan will make you want to explore the rest of the Philippines on another trip!
Nepal
Since I just talked about extraordinary landscapes, I can’t help but include Nepal in this list of trips to take in spring. Although it is a destination that appeals mostly to hikers, you should not rule it out a priori if you are not a trekking enthusiast. This part of the world is certainly rich in peaks, but also in parks and cultural treasures that you will fall in love with at first sight. However, your spring holiday in Nepal must be on the road: a country of this kind must be toured far and wide, taking advantage of all the days you have available. It would be a bit pointless to remain fixed in one location.
Backpacking you will discover the vibrancy of Kathmandu: go beyond the layer of dust covering the city to discover both its spiritual and more profane side. From the temples to the Swayambhunath complex, passing by historical sites and ending at the wonderful Thamel market, you will spend truly unforgettable days.
Then, even if you don’t feel the call of hiking particularly strongly, you can’t pass through Nepal without trekking: what you see will be engraved in your heart forever. I’m not talking about climbing the Himalayas, but about taking a trip to Annapurna, a perfect region to discover the country’s nature. There are trails for all tastes: from those that last 21 days (which in this case is perhaps a little excessive) to the less demanding ones, you will literally find the right path to take according to your level of preparation. In short, in these few lines I certainly cannot tell you about the beauty that Nepal offers its visitors, but I hope I have made you dream at least a little and perhaps have whetted your appetite to book a nice trip. What do you think of this unusual destination to go to in spring?
Holland
If you don’t want to go that far and prefer a spring holiday in Europe, my next suggestion will convince you. How about a nice trip to Holland to discover the blooming tulips? Visiting flowering fields as far as the eye can see is an experience to be had at least once in a lifetime, especially to feast your eyes after a winter spent under (mostly) grey and leaden skies.
But when to go to admire this incredible natural spectacle? Well, the tulip season in the Netherlands runs roughly from late March to early May, but the perfect time is around mid-April.
As for locations, you can visit several places taking advantage of the limited size of the Netherlands and the excellent train connections between the different cities. The most famous place to admire the tulips in bloom, however, is the Keukenhof gardens, which are located a few kilometres from Amsterdam in the town of Lisse. This is a veritable open-air flower exhibition, which you can visit on suitable routes either on foot or by bicycle. And don’t forget to also take a trip to Amsterdam, where the Tulip Festival is staged from the end of March to mid-May. Let’s make a bet: how many bulbs will you come home with?
Jamaica
Do you dream of Caribbean atmospheres? If you prefer a spring trip to the sea, I can only recommend Jamaica, which is perfect to visit at this time of year. The largest island of the Antilles is lush in every respect: the sea and its coral reefs teem with life, the rainforest is splendid and its mountains are rich in vegetation, rivers and streams. The vibrancy of nature can also be found in city life, perfect for basking from dusk to dawn to the rhythm of local nightlife.
There is so much to see in Jamaica, so if you’re thinking of taking this trip, get rid of the idea of a beach and sea holiday. Immerse yourself in the spectacular beauty of Dunn Falls (where a James Bond film was also shot) and swim in the pools created by the natural stone steps. Hike along the Blue Mountains, the island’s highest mountain range; relax in the sun at Montego Bay and warm your cold bones at Negril Beach, where you’ll find the whitest sand you’ll ever see in your life. In short, the Caribbean Sea will captivate you and you will return home truly rejuvenated. In short, the perfect destination to go to in spring!
Camargue
Where better to go in spring than to the Camargue? You didn’t expect that, did you? People think very little of this part of France, yet it is wonderful especially in spring, from mid-March onwards. Let’s leave aside the more classic destinations of Provence to immerse ourselves in an area characterised by truly unspoilt nature which, as you know, is very difficult to find at our latitudes.
We are located south of Arles, between our beloved Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the Rhône delta: here we find a beautiful and very fragile ecosystem where (incredible to say) even herds of white horses live in the wild. But how much poetry is there in this image? To see them, you have to go to the Pont De Gau Ornithological Park, which has several footpaths with stations where you can stop to admire nature’s spectacle: from water blackbirds to garganelles, one of the most popular attractions is certainly the pink flamingos. Obviously, it is good to avoid noise in order not to disturb the local fauna. But I hope that goes without saying!
Despite the name of the park just mentioned, birdwatchers should also make a detour to the Réserve Naturelle Nationale de Camargue, one of the largest in the whole of France. Its skies are criss-crossed by many birds that follow the migration routes to and from Africa. And when you get tired of nature, immerse yourself in the picturesque town life of Saintes Maries de la Mer, with its narrow streets and typical white houses. In short, if you are looking for a bit of magic on your doorstep, the Camargue will not disappoint, trust me.