15 of the best easy rural escapes from UK cities

These UK nature sites, from a new book, Wild and Free, offer abundant wildlife within an hour’s drive of a city or town, making them perfect for a day trip.

Underwater photographer of the year 2018 winners – in pictures

German photographer Tobias Friedrich has been named this year’s winner for his ‘perfectly lit and composed’ panorama of a wreck off the coast of Egypt, while British winner Grant Thomas captured a couple of affectionate swans

Lord of the ring road: see Iceland through the windscreen

A driving holiday around Iceland’s Golden Circle and south coast gives a widescreen view of its cinematic landscape   Julian Worker has written a number of travel books including Travels through History : France Travels through History – The Balkans: Journeys in the former Yugoslavia Travels through History – Northern Ireland and Scotland

Nice to meet you: amazing new animal species discovered in 2017 – in pictures

From the Pink Floyd shrimp that makes a noise so loud it can kill small fish, to giant stick insects and new types of orangutans and gibbons, here is a round up of new animal species discovered in 2017.

10 of the world’s best natural wonders … that you’ve probably never heard of

From Europe’s deepest river canyon and caves that glow to a rainbow river and hills that look like chocolate, our picks prove that nature always does it better.

El Torcal de Antequera natural park, Spain

This Andalucían wilderness north of Málaga is a great place for catching the mountain breeze away from the bustling Costa del Sol