5 Sundowner Spots That Blow Your Local Pub out of the Water

After months under lockdown, the first pint in your local pub when this has all blown over might have been the best you’ve ever tasted. But no matter how fond you are of your neighbourhood boozer, nothing beats sampling a local tipple a little further from home. Especially if a blockbuster sunset is thrown into the mix. So, which one of these locations would you trade in your local for in 2021?

1. Ravello, Italy

There’s no wrong place for a sunset apertivo on the Amalfi Coast. But our favourite spot for sundowners on this famous stretch of coastline is Ravello. It’s a sensational town perched on the clifftops, boasting sweeping views of the sea and sunset. On our Landscapes & Limoncello in Amalfi trip, you’ll visit a limoncello factory to learn about this Italian icon. See for yourself how the local lemons are transformed into a zingy liqueur. Then it’s dinner al fresco in one of Ravello’s terraced restaurants as day fades to night. 

2. Kas, Turkey

Catch a blazing sunset (or two, or three…) in Kas – a town that serves as your adventure hub on a Sports & Sundowners in Turkey trip. After days of canyoning, sea kayaking, sailing and cycling, tall glasses of refreshing Turkish raki await back in Kas. It’s Turkey’s signature drink - a sweetened aniseed-flavoured spirit served with chilled water and ice. At twilight, as the lights reflect off the water on the Kas harbourside, toast the day’s sporting triumphs with your fellow travellers.

3. Pieve di Soligo, Italy

On our Fizz & Spritz in the Prosecco Hills trip, a few locations jostle for the number one sundowner spot.  Not least Venice, with its enchanting backdrops and hidden wine bars. But in pretty Pieve di Soligo, a village in the Prosecco Hills, the scenes are just as magical. Here, nestled in the Italian countryside, you’ll learn to blend local Spritz cocktails in a wine bar. Then kick back and savour your creation as the sun sinks behind the rolling landscape.

4. Costa Verde, Portugal

Escaping to the Portuguese coast for five days of surfing, yoga and cycling is blissful in itself (especially after these months we’ve all endured). On our Digital Detox in Portugal trip, the scene is set on day one when you arrive at a beachside bolthole for sunset aperitifs. A refreshing cocktail will be pressed into your hand as the fading sunlight glitters off the Atlantic.

5. The Greek Islands

With local ouzo in hand, chase the sunset on a yacht in the Greek Islands.  On our Sailing Yachts & Sandy Spots in Greece trip, days are spent deciding which island is your favourite – Poros? Spetses? Hydra? Aegina? Agkistri? Then evenings are aboard the yacht toasting with new friends, watching the sun melt away and sipping on that distinctive aniseed-flavoured aperitif that will forever remind you of your time island hopping in Greece.