The document provides readers' tips for some of the best quiet spots in Europe to visit as travel opens back up. It summarizes recommendations from Guardian readers for less crowded areas with natural beauty, including a hidden valley near Covadonga lakes in Spain, the remote wilderness around Thethi village in Albania, hiking the Amalfi coast in Italy and encountering no one else, and the peaceful Åland islands between Finland and Sweden accessible by bike.

1. 10 of the best quieter spots in Europe: readers' travel tips
Guardian readers
Our tipsters suggest beautiful, remote and relaxed escapes as Europe starts to welcome back visitors
Thu 9 Jul 2020 11.00 BST
Winning tip: Covadonga lakes, Asturias, Spain
My wife and I were driving to Covadonga lakes in the Picos de Europa national park up a narrow mountain
road in heavy rain. We stopped halfway, seeing a sign for a footpath to the lakes. Over a hill and after 40
minutes we came to a vast and beautiful hidden valley. In this natural bowl, horses, cows, sheep and goats
were wandering, bells tinkling, a stream snaking through and a waterfall cascading down the far side of the
valley. Behind us were snow-capped mountains. It was a scene of such Tolkien beauty that I half expected
to see an elven princess on a unicorn. All of it empty and just for us.
Colin Beesley
Wilderness around Thethi, Albania

2. Everything we ate bar one ingredient came from the valley we were sitting in – with the exception coming
from the next valley. Spires of rock soared behind us to the cloudless sky and pristine water gurgled below
us. We climbed on a winding path above the treeline and down to wide, stone-strewn river channels that
showed the power of the ice melt in spring. There was no tarmac road so very few vehicles. Just nature, like
an extant Eden. This is the village of Thethi in northern Albania.
Andy Clark
Hiking the Amalfi coast, Italy
The hike from Positano to the top of Molare, the highest point on the Amalfi peninsula at 1,444 metres, is
one of the best I’ve done in 30 years of walking. The views take in Vesuvius, the Bay of Naples and Capri,
and you can even make out Pompeii if you know where to look. On a June day I met nobody, despite this
being one of the most-visited areas in Italy.
Garrett Dundon
Canals of Aveiro, Portugal
Photograph: Jan Wlodarczyk/Alamy
A view of Positano from a path leading to the mountainous interior of the
Amalfi. Photograph: Davidzfr/Alamy

3. Looking for a cheaper and less crowded break than Venice but with a similar vibe? Aveiro, south of Porto,
has lots of pretty canals, colourful houses, hand-painted gondolas and lovely pensões to stay in, plus cafes
in the old town where you can eat and drink without worrying about the cost. Make sure you try the
seafood stew at tucked-away Maré-Cheia – order for one and eat for two, as there seems to be a whole sea in
their huge hand-painted bowls. From Porto it is only 35 minutes by train.
Peter Riley
Åland islands, Finland
This Swedish-speaking autonomous region of Finland is a beautiful archipelago between the two countries.
Fasta Åland, the main island, can be easily explored by cycling the network of quiet countryside roads
(bikes can be hired, even with a buggy for your luggage). Stop off for dips at lakes and beaches, or sample
produce from the famous apple orchards. Take in the red-and-white wooden houses, local dishes
(especially the Åland pancake served with plum jam) and wildlife (including elk). You can fly there but it’s
more fun to take a ferry from Sweden (Stockholm) or Finland (Turku or Helsinki).
Fran
Outdoor activities around Bovec, Slovenia
Photograph: Luis Fonseca/Alamy
Photograph: Parker Photography/Alamy

4. Bovec is a wonderful small town that’s a base for a host of outdoor activities, including climbing Mount
Kanin, cycling in the Soča valley and white-water rafting down the Soča River. The journey from Ljubljana
involves a hair-raising trip up (and then back down) the 1,611-metre Vršič Pass. The town itself has enough
restaurants and bars (including the Thirsty River microbrewery) to keep you occupied in the evenings after
days of exertion. We stayed at Mrakic apartments, with charming host Vasja providing breakfast plus tips
and guidance on where to go.
Thom Piddock
Vela Spila cave, Croatia
Hidden above the pretty harbour of Vela Luka, on the island of Korčula on the Dalmatian coast, is an
archeological site that dates back to the stone age. Climb 130 metres up Pinski Rat hill to Vela Spila cave.
Step inside and be swallowed up by its magnificent 40-metre-wide oval cavern, where excavations have
discovered human activity dating back almost 25,000 years. Head up to the mouth of the cave at sunset to
soak up the colourful panoramic views back across the harbour and the sparkling waters of the Adriatic and
islands beyond.
Su Oinn
Beara peninsula, County Cork, Ireland
Photograph: Michel Cavalier/Getty Images/Hemis
Photograph: Panther Media/Alamy