Our run of unseasonably dry and sunny weather is coming to an end (I know, just in time for the bank holiday, how rude), and if you’re desperate for more of it, it might be time to escape our lovely Manchester.
Travel experts at Manchester Airport have put together 12 underrated but beautiful beaches you can jet off to from here.
And with flights starting from just £28 return, there’s plenty to tempt you away from town and into Tunisia (or a number of other destinations).
The list includes far-flung trips to Mexico and the USA as well as some little-known beaches that are much closer to home.
Manchester Airport is predicting that more than a million passengers will travel through Manchester over half term, with popular beach resorts in Europe expected to be packed with sun-seekers.
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So these less popular locations might give you the chance of having a bit of peace and quiet while you sun yourself on the shores.
Playa de Las Catedrales, Galicia
The best beaches you can fly to from Manchester. Credit: Supplied / Wolfgang Miller, Wikimedia Commons
Let’s start with the proper bargain – you can jet off to Spain’s underrated north-west coast, the Galicia region, for less than £30 this summer.
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The most famous beach here is Playa de Las Catedrales, or ‘Beach of the Cathedrals’, where natural rock arches tower over smooth white sands.
You’ll need to hire a car and commit to around a three-hour drive to make it here from Santander, but it’ll be worth it.
Fly from Manchester to Santander with Ryanair from £28pp return
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Dune du Pilat, Arcachon
Credit: Rundvaldccby, Wikimedia Commons
Fancy spending your day relaxing on the highest sand dune in Europe, before spending an evening in a town that’s famous for its seafood? This is the one.
Arcachon is around an hour from Bordeaux, and the Dune du Pilat towers at almost 350ft high and a mile in length.
It means it’s never too crowded and you’ll always get a spot to take in a sunset.
Fly from Manchester to Bordeaux with easyJet from £84pp return
Golden Horn Beach, Croatia
Golden Horn Beach, Croatia. Credit: Pixabay
When a lot of us think of summer beach adventure, we think of Croatia – and you can whizz off to Split from just over £100 per person.
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On the island of Brac, you’ll find Golden Horn Beach, surrounded by a pine forest and shimmering aquamarine waters.
From windsurfing to swimming it’s a popular spot, and only a 20 minute stroll from the town of Bol.
Fly from Manchester to Split with easyJet from £105pp return
Elafonisi, Crete
Credit: Pixabay
Fancy a little holiday to Greece? Look no further than Crete, the largest of the country’s 6000 islands and home to one of the world’s most famous beaches – because it’s pink.
Elafonisi Beach is a narrow strip of sand wrapped around a shallow lagoon, with crystal clear emerald waters.
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It’s picked up this mesmerising pink hue thanks to all the shells scattered along the shoreline.
Fly from Manchester to Chania with Ryanair from £92pp return
Holbox, Mexico
Credit: Pixabay
Let’s go a little further afield now – all the way to sunny Mexico.
Pass beyond the party hotspot of Cancun, with its year-round flights and all-inclusive holidays, and head out to the island of Holbox.
It’s about 40 miles north and a total tropical paradise – expect white sands, laid-back vibes, local beach bars and restaurants.
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You can even swim with whale sharks in summer, and may see flocks of wild flamingos and pelicans.
Fly from Manchester to Cancun from £290pp return
Cala Goritze, Sardinia
Credit: Pixabay
Ciao bella, it’s time for a trip over to one of Italy’s much less touristic destinations – the island of Sardinia.
Beaches here are unspoiled and uncrowded, like Cala Goritze on the east coast, which is only accessible by boat from Santa Maria Navarrese, or a three-mile hike.
Once you get here, you’ll be rewarded with a white sand cove and limestone cliffs.
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Fly from Manchester to Olbia with TUI from £90pp return
Legzira Beach, Morocco
Credit: Pixabay
If you think of souks and riads when you think of Morocco, think again – it’s also got some of the world’s best beaches, like those that pepper the coast around Agadir.
If you head a couple of hours south of this popular city, you’ll find the sleepy town of Legzira, said to look almost Martian with its red sands, dunes and cliffs thanks to the sands blown over from the Sahara desert.
A centrepiece is the Arch of Legzira, which splits the beach in two with just a narrow walkway that’s cut off at high tide.
Fly from Manchester to Agadir with TUI from £94pp return
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Praia de Porto Santo, Madeira
Credit: Unsplash, Marco Pireson
Madeira is rocketing in popularity these days, but there are still undiscovered gems to find for yourself.
Take the two-hour ferry to the neighbouring island of Porto Santo, where the beach has a five-mile stretch of golden sand, family-run restaurants, and a golf course.
Flights to Funchal – Madeira’s capital – are a bargain too.
Fly from Manchester to Funchal with Ryanair from £56pp return
Scala dei Turchi, Sicily
Credit: Pixabay
Italy pops up a few times on this list for good reason – affordable flights from Manchester, great food, and gorgeous quiet beaches. Just like this one.
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The Scala dei Turchi, or ‘Turkish Steps’, are hugely popular with locals but seem to fly under the radar for international tourists.
They’re white cliffs that descend to the sea in a series of jagged, sloping platforms like a staircase, ending in golden sands and gentle blue waters.
The area was apparently a haven for Turkish pirates in previous centuries, hence the name.
Fly from Manchester to Catania with Jet2.com from £188pp return
Plage de Sidi Mahrez, Tunisia
Credit: Unsplash, Aleksandra Lion
On Africa’s north coast is the popular holiday destination of Tunisia, but swerve the busy Hammamet-Sousse region near Tunis and instead go to the island of Djerba.
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You can fly here direct from Manchester for a holiday filled with gorgeous beaches.
One of the best is Plage de Sidi Mahrez, a 10-mile stretch of white sand with a laid back atmosphere where you can enjoy water sports and camel rides.
Fly from Manchester to Djerba with easyJet from £157pp return
Shell Beach, Herm
Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Christian Pinatel de Salvator
Did you know the British Isles could do beaches this well, and with such a short flight from Manchester?
Over on the tiny Channel Island of Herm is Shell Beach, made up of millions of multi-coloured shell fragments washed in from the Atlantic ocean.
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There’s almost a mile of golden shores to explore, with a much nicer climate than the mainland, and you can reach Herm with a 20-minute ferry from St Peter Port in Guernsey.
Herm is also a car-free island, but it’s only a 15 minute walk from the ferry terminal to the beach.
Fly from Manchester to Guernsey with Aurigny from £130pp return
Smith Point County Park, Long Island (NY)
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
If you ever fly to the Big Apple but find yourself thinking ‘Actually, that’s a bit too much Big Apple now’, turn yourself around and head to nearby Long Island.
In summer, it has a climate similar to the Mediterranean and loads of beaches, like the legendary Coney Island Beach with thrill rides, a boardwalk and family attractions.
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A quieter spot is Smith Point Country Park, popular with families for camping and wildlife watching – you’ve got a good chance of spotting dolphins here.
Fly from Manchester to New York JFK with AerLingus from £350pp return
Kenyon Hall Farm’s massive pumpkin festival has returned, with THOUSANDS of pumpkins to pick
Daisy Jackson
Did you know that there’s a massive pumpkin festival just outside Greater Manchester, where you can pick from tens of thousands of pumpkins?
Kenyon Hall Farm’s popular Pumpkin Festival is back up and running for another year, with fields full of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes.
You can grab yourself a wheelbarrow, then get exploring the fields for your perfect gourd, whether it’s a classic round orange one, a dinky white one, or a weird and wonderful wonky one.
This is an ideal autumnal activity for when the leaves start turning, and is always popular with families every year.
As well as the pumpkin picking itself, Kenyon Hall Farm also has loads of photo opportunities dotted around, like a house built of pumpkins, a giant throne, a vintage tractor, and a love heart frame.
There’s even a Hollywood sign-style sign screaming PUMPKINS as you enter.
At Kenyon Hall Farm, you can also browse a pop-up market packed with autumnal treats, including more pumpkins, novelty homewares, seasonal goodies and plenty more.
Photo opportunities at Kenyon Hall Farm pumpkin festival. Credit: The Manc Group
There are even tattoo transfers you can buy to give your pumpkin more of an edge than a regular carving.
And after you’ve had your fill on the farm, you can refuel in the gorgeous on-site cafe, newly extended for this year and now serving a menu of pumpkin-inspired specials including spiced lattes, scones and soup.
There are loads of seasonal items in the award-winning farm shop too (alongside masses of fresh produce), like gonks, candles and keyrings.
What could be more cute and autumnal than rummaging around in a field in the late September sunshine, hunting for your perfect pumpkin?
10 rooftop bars and restaurants in Manchester with amazing views
Daisy Jackson
The Manchester skyline is ever-changing, and there’s nowhere better to soak in the views of our city than up high in a rooftop bar or restaurant.
Our city used to be pretty terrible for outdoor drinking space full stop, and even worse for sky-high terraces, but there’s been a real switch in recent years.
Now, there are glamorous restaurants perched way above our heads, cosy pubs spilling onto their rooftops, and even hotels with secret terraces and gorgeous views.
Manchester recently gained a brand-new rooftop terrace in the form of Chotto Matte, which had us thinking about where else to head for a sky-high cocktail or three.
Have a read of the best rooftop bars, restaurants and terraces in Manchester.
Chotto Matte, St Michael’s
Chotto Matte opens in Manchester on 10 OctoberCocktails with a view
The newest, shiniest addition to the city centre is Chotto Matte, a glamorous restaurant serving a Japanese-Peruvian Nikkei menu that includes sushi, robata, and plenty more.
This stunning new restaurant at Gary Neville’s St Michael’s development has 360º views of Manchester, and from its 348-capacity rooftop terrace, one of the best outlooks in town.
The all-weather rooftop terrace overlooks Albert Square and the Manchester Town Hall, which is slowly but surely emerging from behind its scaffolding.
YES bar has one of the best rooftop bars in Manchester
YES has not one, but two amazing outside spaces – one a ground-floor terrace that’s weirdly just across the road, the other a gigantic rooftop terrace.
There are cocktails on tap, great happy hour deals, and a few different food spots to order from like Pepperoni Playboy and the Trippy Chippy.
And back downstairs, YES hosts regular gigs and club nights in its iconic Pink Room.
20 Stories is Manchester’s highest rooftop terrace, and probably our city’s best-known spot for a sky-high dinner.
Perched way up above Spinningfields, you can see most of the city centre from up here, in a swanky setting.
Dining here at any time is a special event, with breathtaking panoramic views adding an extra bit of oomph to the equally top-tier food and drink offering.
King Street Townhouse, off Albert Square
Spritzes on the King Street Townhouse terraceThe terrace at King Street Townhouse hotel
Tucked up on the sixth floor of the award-winning boutique hotel King Street Townhouse, you’ll find a rooftop terrace with beautiful views of the city’s skyline.
As Manchester buzzes along beneath you, you can tuck in to everything from full charcuterie grazing boards to seasonal snacks and small plates, all served alongside an impressive wine and cocktail list.
This often-overlooked local spot is a firm favourite of those in the know, thanks to its sheltered location that basks in the sun all afternoon, and when the Town Hall refurbishment is complete it’ll have the best view in town.
Big Hands, Oxford Road
Miles away from the glitz and glamour of the city centre rooftops is Big Hands, a cool, weird and wonderful bar that’s seriously popular with students and gig-goers, thanks to its proximity to the Manchester Academy venues.
With decent prices catering to those gigging on a budget along the busy university strip of Oxford Road, a lovely dimly-lit aesthetic complete with gig posters galore; a rooftop garden terrace adorned with twinkly lights and plenty of plants, it’s a pure vibe in here.
The views might not be the best, but the vibes are right up there, and you can grab some amazing Italian street food from Rizzo’s – formerly T’arricrii) while you’re here.
Climat, Blackfriars House
Climat. Credit: The Manc GroupClimat. Credit: The Manc Group
Most of Climat is long and narrow, following the expanse of the open kitchen – and that happily means that almost every table gets a front-row seat to the views from this rooftop restaurant and wine bar.
Popped up high on Blackfriars House (but not so high up that everyone feels like an ant beneath you), it’s got a spectacular outlook over historic landmarks like the Barton Arcade, St Ann’s Church, and the Royal Exchange.
There are more than 250 different wines on the menu as well as a menu of ‘food you want to eat’, as if you needed any more temptation.
Daisy Jackson -
24th May 2025 
