Fly and Flop: The No-Nonsense Holiday

Remember that big, shiny thing in the sky – the sun? No, neither do I. Having been ‘mizzled’ on for weeks now (one Wimbledon reporter actually merged the words miserable and drizzle the other day), I’ve booked a flight to the Costa Blanca.

I love this part of the world. It’s just easy. Temperatures are currently in the 30s and skies are blue. People are friendly, everything is affordable, and the food is fantastic.

Costa Blanca has everything you need. For a little sightseeing, head to the lovely old port of Cartagena. Find your inner kid in Benidorm’s theme park. Or do some shopping in Torrevieja. For me, all I need is a beach. My favourites are in Torre La Mata.

The sea can be a little chilly, but it’s really refreshing in such hot weather. And on a traditional fly and flop holiday, this is your biggest concern for the day. Or perhaps deciding what you should have for lunch. Problems, problems…

Don’t get me wrong: I thrive on adrenaline holidays, getting whisked away on educational tours and roughing it in the wilderness. But sometimes, the only thing I want to scale is the enormous pile of unread books in my house.

Burying myself in a good novel while lying under a beach parasol, I am happy. Hours go by and I am thoroughly content listening to crashing waves and kids making sandcastles.

My routine goes like this: read book, have a little swim, dry off in sun, repeat. This is broken up with eating snacks and being rubbish at ball games. A wander up and down the beach is rewarded with a cold beer. Before long, it will be dinnertime.

It’s important to unwind and relax. And for busy Londoners, the only way we can put down our smartphones and chill is when we are in Spain. Yes, there’s still phone signal, but we can pretend.

Fly with Monarch to Alicante from £35.