Summer 2012: Island life

Snap up a half-price holiday in the Balearics with Mallorca Farmhouses (0845 800 8080; mallorca.co.uk), which is offering savings on last-minute bookings throughout summer.

Book four weeks in advance to save 10 per cent on the brochure price, or book in the same week as departure to get your chosen location at half the price. For example, the two-bedroom cottage Gaballi, in quiet village of Pollença, with a private pool and dining terrace, could drop from £2,176 to £1,088. Flights to Palma from Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds-Bradford, Liverpool, Stansted and Manchester cost from £113 with Ryanair (0871 246 0000; ryanair.com).

The Greek island of Rhodes is the latest destination offered by Mark Warner (0844 273 6447; markwarner.co.uk), which has just opened a state-of-the-art five-star resort on Levante Beach, half an hour's drive from the airport. There's a variety of accommodation on offer, all with balconies or terraces, from standard rooms to larger suites, eight of which have their own private pool. Facilities include a spa, watersports centre, tennis courts, pools, childcare centre, and a fitness programme featuring yoga and pilates classes. From £1,199 per adult and £1,099 per child, all inclusive, with return flights from Heathrow.

Time your holiday to catch the annual spectacle of the Perseid Meteor Shower in Tenerife's Teide National Park on 12 August. Stay at the new Hotel Isla Baja Suites (00 34 922 83 00 08; islabajasuites.com), a restored 18th-century building with six guest rooms in Garachico, and doubles from €130 (£104). Flights to Tenerife are available from Birmingham, Gatwick, Luton and Manchester with Monarch (08719 405040; monarch.co.uk), and are available from £242 per person.