I Want To Be Alone Top Ten

It happens to us all sometimes. Usually on the tube, maybe in Tesco's on a Friday evening, hardly ever at a Crewe Alexander Mid-week fixture. That feeling that you just want to run to the hills, hide from the world, escape from the madding crowd - before, like Michael Douglas in 'Falling Down' you start to do something really silly... But, trust us, a one-man vigilante crime spree isn't the answer. Far better to take a bottle of wine, a good book and a picnic rug to some sublime, undiscovered spot in Europe and take stock before it all gets too much. Cheaper than a course of psychoanalysis and far healthier. 

 

 

 

 

1.Dalmatian Coast, Croatia

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They call this coast Dalmatian because it's a bit spotty. The spots, in-case you've not worked it out, are islands. Hundreds of them. Mostly pine-clad, with smooth sun-warmed rocks to bathe on, and warm clear waters to frolic in. There is a scattering of inhabited islands, best of all, many are car free. Try blissful Zlarin, with its colourful coral formations, or maritime Zirje with its coastline indented by hundreds of bays. Or, for more islands than you can handle, the Kornati National Park has 147 outcrops, each perfect for some solitary contemplation, Dalmatian-style.

2.Flow Country, Scotland

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They call this place 'Europe's Last Wilderness' - and, for once, the claim is spot on. This vast area of Caithness is completely, utterly empty - save for the train track which bounces along the peat bog and sleepers. It's an eerie, silent place given over to peat-cuttings, bird preserves (at Forsinard) and the remains of ancient settlements. Why would you want to visit Europe's largest expanse of blanket bog? Well, for one, its subtle beauty is unlike anywhere else outside Tierra del Fueogo and, for two, its home to the best malt whiskey (in our humble opinion). The treacle waters run to Brora, on the Caithness coast, where they're transformed into the wonderful Clynelish.

3.Western Algarve, Portugal

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Of course, the crowds flock in their thousands to the fleshpots of the Algarve. And, if you're looking for all-night karaoke and 200 Benson and Hedges, that's certainly the place to head. But the Atlantic beaches of the western Algarve are Portugal at its most wild, wide and windblown. On some stretches, you can walk all day, even in high season, and not spot another soul. The sea is cooler here, but climateSagres and Cabo de Sao Vicente lies the "Costa Vicentina Natural Park", with towering cliffs plunging hundreds of feet into the sea, ecosystems rich in rare plants, birds by their thousands and fabulous beaches.

4.Vatnajokull, Iceland

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Europe's largest ice-sheet, the mightly Vatnajokull glacier smothers 8,000 square Kms of the surface of Iceland. In doing so, it puts an icy cap on a number of active volcanoes. Don't worry, they're at least 400 metres below the frozen surface. At about two hours' drive from lively Reykjavik, you can experience a real chill-out for a day or longer by embarking on a glacier safari - with, of course, the obligatory snow mobile. Hardly anyone lives in the Icelandic interior, yet, in summer, it's easily accessible. On a tented safari, you'll get the chance to enjoy hot springs, cool ice chasms and belching geysers.

5.High Pyrenees, France

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For the experienced hiker, the Pyrenean High Route between the Cirque de Lescun and Andorra is exquisite. A last chance to really experience lonely high country - and what country - in one of Europe's best ranges. Peaks of around 3000 puts this range within the reach of competent hill walkers. On a day's scramble you'll enjoy plunging waterfalls, hidden valleys, deep gorges and more than a thousand cool mountain lakes. The effect is stunning, and not a little Alpine - with small glaciers and beautiful, brightly coloured flowers. That'll be why the range is known as the 'Flower Garden of Europe' then... 

6.Laurissilva, Madeira

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A really wild island where, despite recent tourism attention, the past is never too far away. And, when we say 'past' we mean, like, ancient past. The island's interior is a richly cloaked forest - the UNESCO preserved Laurissilva forest of Madeira is the world's largest area of ancient laurel forest. A steamy hinterland of exotic flowers, volcanic outcrops and moss-covered ravines, the forest gives a soft outline to this otherwise jagged-edged island of plunging cliffs and fin-shaped mountains. Waymarked trails across the island's unique irrigation trails leave you to ponder this rare ecosystem totally alone - often cocooned in cloud.  

7.Stockholm Archipelago, Sweden

Best holiday ratest at www.alpharooms.comThe largest in the Baltic Sea, Stockholm's 'rock garden' (to give this island studded bay its Swedish name) is a breezy scatter of islands, skerries and outcrops- some no bigger than a small car. Where space permits, you'll find a whitewashed cottage, a yellow and blue Swedish flag and a small boat, hauled onto the rocks. You can hire an island for a week and live out your desert island fantasies in the sunny Scandinavian Summer. The seas are clear, the days are long and the toilets are, well, something you'll just have to get used to...That aside, these islands are perfect for those seeking total isolation from the world. Especially if you're after a little creative inspiration. Bjorn and Benny used to decamp here all summer long to write ABBA's greatest hits.

 

 

8.Gomera, Canary Islands

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Life slows down on Gomera, the 'other' Canary. You can spend your days beachcombing, enjoying the UNESCO preserved island national park, or just sitting, in silence, in the moutains. Gomera is a volcanic island, 20 miles west of Tenerife, with an incredibly varied array of landscapes - from laurel forests, lush valleys and desert-like coasts. San Sebastian is the island's capital and this, with Valle Gran Rey, are pretty much the only lively spots. Hermigue, lying at the other end of a tricky mountain road from here, is a blissfully quiet resort of tiny hotels and big, empty horizons. You might fall for the Canaries all over again.

9.Saaremaa, Estonia

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Windmills and vodka. Ask any Estonian about what you're likely to find on this largish island, just of the west coast of Estonia and, chances are, that's what they'll tell you. True, the low-lying island does have its fair share of pretty, creaky old windmills and, equally true, it does produce the best vodka this side of Moscow. But there is much more to this enchanting isle. Dotted around its quiet country lanes you'll find well-preserved medieval churches, a cluster of quiet villages and acre after acre of wildlife-rich habitat. The meteorite crater at Kaali is the biggest in Europe and easily approachable but it's at the beaches where this island is at its most attractive. Especially after a storm when, if you're lucky, you might spot a chunk of glowing Baltic amber.

10.Evia, Greece

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Yes, there are plenty of wonderful, untouched and unhurried Greek islands to choose from. But we're plumping for Evia.

Evia is Greece's second largest island - a quite staggeringly beautiful one at that. Northern Evia is a land of rich forests, rushing rivers,  shingle sand beaches and crystal-clear waters. Glifa, just outside Limni is perhaps the best. There are bustling towns here, but there is peace too, and plenty of it - especially in the unpopulated south. There is a bridge connecting the island to the mainland but, despite this, you'll soon feel you've found an island retreat a world away from the crowded beaches and chaos of Corfu!