Turquoise coasts and white sand shores: 2 jaw-dropping destinations on our radar

Brought to you by TUI.

There's nothing quite like having the sand between your toes, watching the sunshine glisten across blue waters.

The good news is that the glorious sun and spectacular scenes are just a few hours plane-ride away. So, yep, the urge to get away is real! Too often though, we return to the same holiday destinations. However, there are two spots predicted to be insanely popular next year, and if we want in on it, we had best get planning now.

Aphrodite's Rock, Paphos

Looking for somewhere pristine and unspoiled? A place that’s fresh and warm, surrounded by nature, and that boasts clear blue waters. It's Paphos, Cyprus, AND it's on TUI’s 2019 top holiday destination list. Paphos is a UNESCO world heritage site, boasting ancient mosaics and tombs, plus places of legend like Petra tou Romlou (Aphrodite’s Rock) - it's stunning. Be sure to have a swim around this beauty three times if you want to find love (sure it couldn’t hurt to try). It's heavenly for water babies too with an abundance of cool spring waterfalls, plus Blue Flag beaches too. Paphos is also one of the best areas for seeing baby turtles make their way into the ocean at night, so you’re bound to meet other animal lovers, and maybe even some marine scientists too. They don't go just for the turtles, but also because of Cyprus’ outstanding variety of wildlife and botanical gardens. Best of all, you can head to Cyprus all year round if it's warm weather you crave. From Dublin to Paphos, head to the adults only 5 star TUI Sensimar Pioneer Beach (half-board, 7 nights, from €1164pp), where you can expect candle-lit dinners by the sea and glorious massage treatments. (Yes, please!) You can also opt for a superb family location at the Leonardo Laura Beach & Splash Resort (from 2+1 €1912, 2+2 €2956). Fully refurbished in this year, it will be sparkling and fresh for those holidaying during summer 2019. It’s pretty plush AND, as with all TUI SplashWorld resorts, there’s a water park! The other must-go-to destination for 2019 is Dalaman, Turkey. Known as the Turquoise Coast, it sure does live up to the name, providing white sandy beaches (the Blue Lagoon being most famous), clear waters, plenty of hidden coves, underwater corals, abandoned shipwrecks and glitzy marinas all waiting to be explored.

The Blue Lagoon, Dalaman

It’s unlikely, but, if you do need a break from the beach and feel the need to explore, Dalaman is perfect for a spin with the mountain safari crew, a Secret Valley escapade within olive groves, forests and meadows, plus a visit to the vibrant and colourful bazaar. Expect to find authentic gifts for friends back home, shisha smoke and… stallholders that love a good barter. To decide what kind of holiday tickles your fancy, check out Olu Deniz for a more chilled out vacation, and Marmaris for some nightlife fun. With TUI, it will be worth taking a peek at the adults only TUI BLUE Marmaris (7 nights, all-inclusive from €761pp), wedged on a pine tree hill overlooking the sea. There's also the luxurious Sensatori Resort Barut Fethiye (7 nights all-inclusive, from €1025pp), and the family sized beachfront complex that is the four-star Holdiay Village Turkey (7 nights all-inclusive, 2+1 from €1974, 2+2 from €2740, including a free child space). If good value is what you’re on the lookout for, see Casa de Maris (7 nights, all-inclusive, from €604pp) which offers a relaxed poolside space and plenty of food choices with surrounding eateries. Who would have thought we'd be booking our 2019 holidays before we even set foot on a beach this summer?! Brought to you by TUI. TUI specialises in holidays tailored to suit the needs of modern Irish families, couples and groups of friends. We offer package holidays from a range of Irish airports to destinations throughout the Mediterranean. Choose from over 20 destinations during the summer and for something more exotic we also offer holidays to Cancun Mexico, Direct from Dublin. With TUI, the choice is yours.