Asia · Maldives
Maldives
A thousand coconut islands on a lagoon, from guesthouse budgets to overwater villas.
A travel journal for warm places
Follow the sun.
A travel journal for warm places, with a live map of where the sun is up right now, thirty destination guides and a drawer of tools that run in your browser.
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Golden hour board destinations by minutes to sunset, updated every minute
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You never see my face. You see the hat.Meet Palmiana
Hi. I am Palmiana.
I am Palmiana. I follow the sun around the palm belt and write down what I find: the beaches, the palms, the festivals, the cafés where you can work and the bays where a toddler can paddle.
Everything on this site lies inside the palm belt, the band of the world where a palm survives outdoors and an evening outside is a safe bet. Thirty guides so far, each with a palm story, the honest months and separate notes for people who work on the road and people who travel with children.
Destinations
Thirty places under palms
Asia · Indonesia
Bali
Rice terraces, temple gates, surf and the busiest remote-work scene in the tropics.
Europe · Spain, Canary Islands
Tenerife
Eternal spring: 22 degrees in January, a volcano to climb and the palm that is named after the islands.
Africa & Middle East · Tanzania
Zanzibar
Spice island: coconut groves, a Swahili stone town and beaches that change with the tide.
Americas · Dutch Caribbean
Curaçao
A painted Dutch harbour, forty beaches and a remote-work permit outside the hurricane belt.
Europe · Spain
Costa Blanca
Europe’s largest palm grove and a coast that is warm from March to November.
Oceania · French Polynesia
Moorea & Tahiti
Overwater bungalows, a lagoon the colour of a swimming pool and mountains straight out of a myth.
The drawer
Tools that run in your browser
Live sun mapWhere the sun is up right nowWhere next?Five questions, three destinationsBest time explorerEvery destination, any monthPacking list builderA checklist that remembersTrip budget plannerWhat the trip will costRemote work base comparisonThree bases side by sideTime zone & jet lag plannerOffsets, call windows, the reset planFamily beach finderCalm water, shade, a hospital, a short flightWhich palm is that?Six palms, ten questionsSunrise & sunset timesGolden hour for any destination, any dateYour sun listThe places you are saving up for
Stories
From the notebook
Palms · 7 min read
The Palm Belt: where palms grow, and what it tells you about the weather
Palms are picky. Draw a line around the places they survive outdoors and you have drawn a map of where a beach holiday works. This is the map behind everything on Palmiana.
Nomads · 8 min read
Choosing your first sunny base as a digital nomad
Wifi, visas, cost and the people you will meet. The honest checklist for picking a warm place to work from for a month or a season.
Families · 6 min read
How to pick a beach for small children
Shade, shallow water, a lifeguard and a toilet within a hundred metres. The five things that matter more than white sand, and the palm destinations that have them.
Planning · 9 min read
The twelve month sun planner
Where to go for reliable warmth in each month of the year, from the Canaries in January to the Riviera in September.
Palms · 6 min read
Europe’s palm groves: sun without the long flight
Elche, Vai, the Riviera, the Canaries. The corners of Europe where palms grow in numbers, and why they are the easiest warm holidays on the map.
Guide · 6 min read
Overwater bungalows, explained
Maldives, Moorea, Bora Bora and the copies. What you actually get for the money, and when a beach villa is the better choice.
For remote workers
Nomads
Bases with fibre, a scene and a visa, compared on cost, internet and the hours you share with home.
Work from the sun
For families
Families
Calm water, shade, a hospital and a short flight. Beaches that work with a toddler and a plan for the long haul.
Travel with childrenEvents
What is on under the palms
January
- Cartagena ColombiaHay Festival Cartagena Writers and thinkers in the old town’s cloisters in late January.
- Costa Rica Costa RicaFiestas de Palmares Two weeks of bull riding, concerts and parades in January.
- Dubai United Arab EmiratesDubai Shopping Festival Six weeks of sales, fireworks and drone shows from late December.
- Southern California United StatesRose Parade Pasadena’s New Year’s Day parade of flower-covered floats.
February
- Aruba Dutch CaribbeanAruba Carnival Two months of parades ending with the Grand Parade in Oranjestad before Lent.
- Costa Rica Costa RicaEnvision Festival Music, yoga and art in the jungle at Uvita in late February.
- Curaçao Dutch CaribbeanCuraçao Carnival A month of tumba music and parades ending with the Gran Marcha before Lent.
- Dubai United Arab EmiratesDubai Food Festival Restaurant weeks and beach canteens through February and March.
- Goa IndiaGoa Carnival Four days of floats and King Momo in Panaji before Lent.
- Mallorca SpainAlmond blossom Early February turns the plains around Santa Maria and Sóller white and pink for three weeks.
- Maui United States, HawaiiMaui Whale Festival Talks, a run and a whale day in Kihei during peak season.
- Mauritius MauritiusCavadee Tamil devotees carry decorated arches to the temples in January or February.
- Nice & the Côte d’Azur FranceNice Carnival Two weeks of floats and flower battles on the promenade in February.
- Nice & the Côte d’Azur FranceMenton Lemon Festival Sculptures built from 140 tonnes of citrus in the Biovès gardens.
- Perth & Rottnest Island AustraliaPerth Festival Theatre, music and film across the city in February and March.
- Perth & Rottnest Island AustraliaRottnest Channel Swim A 20 kilometre open water swim from Cottesloe to the island.
- Tenerife Spain, Canary IslandsCarnival of Santa Cruz Second only to Rio, a month of parades, murgas and the burial of the sardine.
- Zanzibar TanzaniaSauti za Busara East Africa’s biggest music festival, four nights in the old fort in February.
March
- Bali IndonesiaNyepi The Balinese day of silence: no lights, no traffic, no flights, after a night of ogoh-ogoh monster parades.
- Cartagena ColombiaCartagena International Film Festival The oldest film festival in Latin America, screenings in plazas in March.
- Dubai United Arab EmiratesDubai World Cup The world’s richest horse race at Meydan on the last Saturday of March.
- Koh Lanta & Koh Lipe ThailandLaanta Lanta Festival Old Town’s street festival of food and sea gypsy music in March.
- Málaga & the Costa del Sol SpainMálaga Film Festival Spanish-language cinema takes over the Cervantes theatre and the red carpet runs down Calle Larios.
- Maldives MaldivesRamadan and Eid Local islands slow down by day and celebrate at night; resorts run as normal.
- Marrakech MoroccoRamadan Dates shift each year; the medina is quiet by day and comes alive after sunset.
- Miami & Palm Beach United StatesUltra Music Festival Three days of electronic music in Bayfront Park in late March.
- Miami & Palm Beach United StatesCalle Ocho Festival The biggest Latin street party in the country, in Little Havana.
- Perth & Rottnest Island AustraliaSculpture by the Sea Seventy sculptures on Cottesloe beach for three weeks in March.
- Tulum & the Riviera Maya MexicoSpring equinox at Chichén Itzá The serpent of light descends the pyramid on 20 and 21 March.
April
- Costa Blanca SpainMoors and Christians, Alcoy Three days of costumed parades and mock battles in late April, the biggest of many along the coast.
- Crete GreeceOrthodox Easter Candlelit midnight services, fireworks and lamb on spits the next day, the biggest feast of the year.
- Curaçao Dutch CaribbeanSeú harvest parade Easter Monday folk parade in Willemstad.
- Koh Lanta & Koh Lipe ThailandSongkran Thai New Year, 13 to 15 April, a three day water fight in every street.
- Málaga & the Costa del Sol SpainSemana Santa Holy Week processions carry two-tonne thrones through the old town to brass bands.
- Palawan PhilippinesHoly Week Processions across the island and full boats to the beaches afterwards.
- Seychelles SeychellesCarnaval International de Victoria A three day international carnival parade in the capital.
- Southern California United StatesCoachella Two April weekends of music in the desert near Palm Springs.
- Sri Lanka south coast Sri LankaSinhala and Tamil New Year Mid April, when the country stops for games, sweets and family visits.
May
- Aruba Dutch CaribbeanAruba Soul Beach Festival Concerts and beach parties over the late May weekend.
- Madeira PortugalFlower Festival Floats of flowers and a carpet along the seafront in Funchal.
- Nice & the Côte d’Azur FranceCannes Film Festival Twelve days in May when the Croisette closes to the world and opens to the press.
- Sicily ItalyInfiorata di Noto The Baroque town lays a carpet of flowers down Via Nicolaci on the third weekend of May.
- Sri Lanka south coast Sri LankaVesak Lanterns and free food stalls for the Buddha’s birthday on the May full moon.
June
- Aruba Dutch CaribbeanDera Gai The San Juan harvest festival with yellow and red costumes on 24 June.
- Bali IndonesiaGalungan Bamboo penjor poles arch over every road for ten days; dates move with the Balinese calendar.
- Capri & the Amalfi Coast ItalyRegatta of the Maritime Republics Amalfi hosts every fourth year, with a rowing race and a costumed parade.
- Capri & the Amalfi Coast ItalySant’Andrea, Amalfi On 27 June the statue is run up the cathedral steps by bearers at full sprint.
- Costa Blanca SpainHogueras de San Juan, Alicante Giant satirical sculptures fill the streets for a week and burn on the night of 24 June.
- Madeira PortugalAtlantic Festival fireworks Saturday firework competitions over the bay through June.
- Mallorca SpainSant Joan bonfires Midsummer night on the beaches of Palma and Alcúdia, fires, fireworks and a swim at midnight.
- Maui United States, HawaiiKapalua Wine and Food Festival Chefs and winemakers on the west side in June.
- Palawan PhilippinesBaragatan Festival Puerto Princesa’s founding festival of street dancing and food in June.
- Tenerife Spain, Canary IslandsCorpus Christi carpets La Orotava lays carpets of coloured volcanic sand and flowers through the streets.
July
- Bali IndonesiaBali Kite Festival Giant traditional kites over Sanur in the windy months.
- Capri & the Amalfi Coast ItalyRavello Festival Concerts on the terrace of Villa Rufolo from July into September.
- Maldives MaldivesIndependence Day Parades and fireworks in Malé on 26 July.
- Marrakech MoroccoMarrakech Popular Arts Festival Berber dancers and musicians in the Badi palace ruins.
- Moorea & Tahiti French PolynesiaHeiva i Tahiti A month of dance, drumming and canoe races in Papeete in July.
- Moorea & Tahiti French PolynesiaTiurai and the Bastille Day fireworks French national day celebrations across the islands.
- Sicily ItalyFesta di Santa Rosalia Palermo’s patron saint parades on 14 July with fireworks over the harbour.
- Southern California United StatesComic-Con San Diego’s pop culture convention takes over downtown in late July.
- Zanzibar TanzaniaZanzibar International Film Festival Screenings in the old fort and on the beach in the first half of July.
- Zanzibar TanzaniaMwaka Kogwa The Shirazi new year in Makunduchi, with mock fights using banana stalks.
August
- Costa Blanca SpainMisteri d’Elx A medieval sung mystery play performed in the basilica of Elche every August since the 15th century.
- Crete GreeceChania Rock Festival Late summer concerts in the old harbour’s Venetian arsenal.
- Curaçao Dutch CaribbeanCuraçao North Sea Jazz Festival International headliners at the end of August.
- Málaga & the Costa del Sol SpainFeria de Málaga Nine days in mid August, flamenco dresses in the streets by day and a fairground by night.
- Maldives MaldivesManta season Hanifaru Bay peaks in August and September.
- Sri Lanka south coast Sri LankaKandy Esala Perahera Ten nights of drummers, dancers and elephants in Kandy in July and August.
- Tenerife Spain, Canary IslandsRomería de San Roque Ox carts, folk costume and free wine in Garachico on 16 August.
September
- Costa Rica Costa RicaTurtle arribadas Mass nesting at Ostional peaks from August to November around the new moon.
- Mallorca SpainNit de l’Art One September evening when Palma’s galleries and palaces open late and the old town becomes one long opening party.
- Mauritius MauritiusPère Laval pilgrimage Thousands walk to the shrine in Sainte-Croix on the night of 8 September.
- Sicily ItalyCous Cous Fest San Vito Lo Capo hosts an international couscous competition every September.
October
- Crete GreeceRaki season After the grape harvest, villages fire up the stills and invite anyone passing to taste.
- Moorea & Tahiti French PolynesiaHawaiki Nui Va’a The three day outrigger canoe race between the Leeward Islands.
- Seychelles SeychellesCreole Festival A week of music, food and dance across the islands in late October.
November
- Cartagena ColombiaIndependence celebrations Parades, beauty contests and street parties around 11 November.
- Koh Lanta & Koh Lipe ThailandLoy Krathong Floating candle baskets on the November full moon.
- Marrakech MoroccoMarrakech International Film Festival Late November screenings in the square and the Palais des Congrès.
- Maui United States, HawaiiMakahiki season The Hawaiian season of peace and games from November to February.
- Mauritius MauritiusHoli and Divali The Indian festivals of colour and light are national celebrations here.
- Seychelles SeychellesSUBIOS underwater festival Films and photography from the reefs, held in November.
- Tulum & the Riviera Maya MexicoDay of the Dead Altars, marigolds and the Xcaret festival in the first days of November.
- Tulum & the Riviera Maya MexicoRiviera Maya Jazz Festival Free concerts on the beach at Playa del Carmen at the end of November.
December
- Goa IndiaSunburn Festival India’s biggest electronic music festival, at the end of December.
- Goa IndiaFeast of St Francis Xavier Pilgrims fill Old Goa on 3 December for the saint whose body lies in the basilica.
- Madeira PortugalNew Year fireworks Funchal’s bay display is one of the biggest in the world, watched from cruise ships and hillsides.
- Miami & Palm Beach United StatesArt Basel Miami Beach The art world descends in the first week of December.
- Palawan PhilippinesPasko The Filipino Christmas starts in September and peaks with parol lanterns everywhere.
Quick poll
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