A half-moon of golden sand in Sicily Forty miles east of Palermo, the magnificent Sicilian resort town of Cefalù juts out beneath dramatic cliffs. The town has a perfect half-moon beach of golden sands melding into the gorgeous clear turquoise sea. Medieval lanes of stones in a diamond pattern lead up to a lively square offering great Italian food. It’s fronted by a beautiful Norman cathedral with twin towers and Byzantine mosaics inside.David Innes-Wilkin A calm lagoon in Portugal ‘Accessible but blissfully remote’ … Fuseta, in Ria Formosa natural park, Portugal. Photograph: Tamas Gabor/Alamy From Faro, head east away from the more touristy haunts and, between Olhão and Tavira, you’ll find the charming fishing village of Fuseta. This whole stretch of coast is a natural park protected by sand spits and islands, which make for miles of calm lagoon waters. Take a water taxi to a range of completely deserted spots and get picked up at a prearranged time, or you can call when you’re ready to return to civilisation. Highly accessible but blissfully remote. …