The best holiday destinations for interiors lovers

We have gathered a selection of destinations where interiors and atmosphere go hand in hand

2 July 2025

Patmos Island

For anyone who loves interiors, holidays often come with a side of inspiration. It might be the faded paintwork of a fisherman’s house, a clever mix of old and new in a hotel bedroom, or the way a local material catches the light. Some places simply do it better. This is a collection of destinations where you’re likely to come home with more than a tan. From Greek islands to desert hideaways, they offer ideas in abundance, and the kind of atmosphere that stays with you long after the trip.

© Massimo Ripani/4Corners Images
1/12
Menorca, Spain
Quieter than its Balearic neighbours, Menorca has come into its own in recent years, drawing collectors, designers, and those in search of something more grounded. The island’s renewed energy is most visible in the art world, with Hauser & Wirth’s outpost on Illa del Rei and a growing number of galleries and design studios in Mahón and Ciutadella. Yet daily life continues at a slower rhythm. The architecture and interiors, too, remain rooted in tradition — lime-rendered houses, terracotta floors, handwoven textiles. Even the smartest shops and hotels favour understatement over polish, giving the island its particular kind of ease.
© Natalino Russo/4Corners Images
2/12
Noto, Italy
You might remember it from the second season of The White Lotus, where Daphne and Harper spend a night in a decadently decorated villa. Golden in the late afternoon light, Noto is picture-perfect — all sweeping staircases, carved balconies and honey-coloured stone. Rebuilt in the 18th century after a devastating earthquake, the town is a masterpiece of Sicilian Baroque. Behind the façades, former palazzi now house galleries, private homes and small boutique hotels, many restored with a sensitivity to both patina and comfort. The sea lies just a short drive away, while religious festivals and craft shops lend a local rhythm to a place that feels both steeped in history and vividly alive.
© Luca Da Ros/4Corners Images
3/12
Capalbio, Italy
Tucked into the southern edge of Tuscany, Capalbio sits where the land and sea of the Maremma region meet. It has long drawn writers for its private, slightly austere character. The surrounding landscape is untamed and expansive, marked by low hills, wild olive trees and long stretches of coastline. Just beyond the town, former farmhouses have been sensitively converted into places of retreat, many overlooking the protected lagoon of Burano, a haven for herons, flamingos and those seeking quiet. One of the area’s more unexpected landmarks is the Giardino dei Tarocchi, an esoteric sculpture garden created by Niki de Saint Phalle that offers a surreal counterpoint to the region’s natural beauty.
© Johanna Huber/4Corners Images
4/12
Patmos, Greece
Rising from the blue Aegean, Patmos appears as a rocky silhouette crowned by the pale bulk of the Monastery of Saint John, founded in 1088 on the site where tradition holds that Saint John received his vision of the Apocalypse. The houses of Chora cluster around it, with thick walls and inward-facing courtyards designed to keep out the summer heat and guard against past invasions. Among those who have made homes here is interior designer John Stefanidis, whose vision of Greek island living is rooted in local tradition and refined in every detail.

© Reinhard Schmid/4Corners Images
5/12
Hydra, Greece
Just over an hour from Athens by boat, Hydra has long been a magnet for artists, writers and creative types. With no cars on the island, goods are still moved by donkey, and strict building regulations have preserved its steep lanes and 18th-century mansions. Each summer, the DESTE Foundation stages contemporary art exhibitions in a former slaughterhouse by the sea, while studios and galleries are scattered through the narrow streets around the harbour and hills. Hydra’s understated atmosphere continues to make it a favourite among those drawn to beauty, quiet and culture.
JARRY/TRIPELON/Getty Images
6/12
Île de Ré, France
Salt marshes, shuttered cottages and wide Atlantic skies give Île de Ré its distinctive, understated charm. A short drive and bridge from La Rochelle, the island has long been favoured by Parisians in search of sea air and a slower pace. The palette is muted: whitewashed façades, pale green shutters, sandy lanes edged with hollyhocks. The mood is resolutely unshowy. Interiors tend to follow suit, with natural materials, faded linens and a preference for simplicity over statement. Days pass gently between the market, the bicycle path and the beach, and even in summer, the island rarely feels hurried or overcrowded.
Dean Hearne
7/12
Comporta, Portugal
Set among rice fields, dunes and umbrella pines, this stretch of the Alentejo coast has quietly established itself as a favourite of architects, designers and low-key holidaymakers, drawn to its blue-and-white palette and unhurried rhythm. The style is stripped back, with sandy concrete floors, thatched roofs, timber decks and vintage rattan, softened by linen and local ceramics. Houses are discreetly scattered across the landscape, with little to reveal the level of thought behind their design. Despite its following, Comporta has remained refreshingly unpolished.
© Tuul & Bruno Morandi/4Corners Images
8/12
Tangier, Morocco
Few cities blend history and atmosphere like Tangier. Poised between continents, it offers a mix of elegance and edge that appeals to writers, collectors and designers in search of something different. The late Christopher Gibbs restored a crumbling palace here in the 1990s, setting a tone of faded grandeur that still lingers. Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé kept houses both in the medina and on the outskirts of the city, while more recently Veere Grenney completed a meticulous restoration of a nineteenth-century villa, introducing a cooler palette to Tangier’s storied interiors.

© Riccardo Spila/4Corners Images
9/12
Cadaqués, Spain
It doesn’t take long to see why Salvador Dalí was drawn here. The light is stark, the coastline jagged, and the whitewashed houses pressed tightly against the rock. Perched at the edge of the Cap de Creus, Cadaqués still feels remote, with steep cobbled streets, salt-drifted façades and a rhythm shaped by the sea. Dalí’s house in nearby Portlligat, now open to visitors, is a surreal assemblage of rooms and objects, less like a museum than an architectural self-portrait.
© Guido Cozzi/4Corners Images
10/12
Nantucket, USA
With its grey shingles, pale sand and Atlantic light, Nantucket has a quintessentially New England charm. Strict architectural regulations have helped preserve its character, from painted shutters and white sashes to climbing roses against weathered façades. Interiors tend to be traditional but thoughtful, with well-worn floorboards, checked fabrics and a quiet emphasis on comfort and proportion. The mood is coastal and relaxed.
Photo: Delpixart/Getty Images
11/12
Palm Springs, USA
In Palm Springs, architecture does most of the talking. Surrounded by desert and backed by mountains, the town is a showcase of mid-century modernism — low horizontal lines, breeze blocks, flat roofs and wide glass windows angled to catch the sun. Interiors play with space and colour, combining original features with collected pieces and a sense of openness that echoes the landscape.
© Aldo Pavan/4Corners Images
12/12
AlUla, Saudi Arabia
In the desert of north-western Saudi Arabia, AlUla offers a very different kind of beauty. The landscape is vast and sculptural, with sandstone cliffs, wind-carved formations and the monumental tombs of Hegra, the country’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. In recent years, a cultural programme has brought contemporary art and architecture to the region, including the Maraya building, a mirrored concert hall that rises almost invisibly from the rock.