Effective date: 19 October 2026
Ethereal Places (“we”, “us”, “our”) operates the website etherealplaces.com (the “Site”). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit the Site, how we use it, who we share it with and the choices you have. We have tried to write it in plain language. If anything is unclear, you can ask us through the contact page.
The short version
- We do not require you to create an account to read the Site.
- We collect what your browser sends automatically (such as your IP address and device type) and anything you choose to send us (such as a message through the contact form).
- We use analytics to understand which articles people read, and we may use advertising and affiliate partners to fund the Site. These partners set their own cookies.
- We never sell your personal information.
- You can ask us to see, correct or delete the personal information we hold about you at any time.
Information we collect
Information you give us
When you use the contact form, we receive the name, email address, topic and message you submit, along with a timestamp. If you leave a comment on an article, we receive the name, email address, website (optional) and comment text you enter, plus your IP address and browser user-agent string, which WordPress records to help detect spam.
If you subscribe to an email newsletter in future, we will collect the email address you provide and record when you subscribed and which emails you open or click. You can unsubscribe from any email using the link in its footer.
Information collected automatically
Like almost every website, our servers and the tools we use record technical information about your visit: your IP address, approximate location derived from it (city or region level), the browser and operating system you use, the pages you view, the site that referred you, the date and time of your visit and how long you stay. This is collected through server logs, cookies and similar technologies described in our Cookie Policy.
Information from embedded content
Articles on this Site may embed content from other services, most often Pinterest pins or boards, YouTube videos, Instagram posts or Google Maps. Embedded content behaves exactly as if you had visited the other website directly: those services may collect data about you, set their own cookies and track your interaction with the embedded content, whether or not you have an account with them. We encourage you to read their privacy policies.
How we use information
- To operate the Site, deliver pages to your browser and keep the Site secure.
- To respond to messages you send us.
- To understand which content is useful, through aggregated analytics, so we can decide what to write next and improve existing guides.
- To display advertising and measure its performance, if we work with advertising partners.
- To detect and prevent spam, abuse and fraud.
- To comply with legal obligations.
Where data-protection law requires a legal basis, we rely on our legitimate interests in running, securing and improving the Site; on your consent where we ask for it (for example, for non-essential cookies in regions that require consent); and on the need to respond to requests you make.
Cookies and tracking
We use cookies and similar technologies for the purposes described above. Our Cookie Policy explains which categories we use, what they do and how to control them, including how to withdraw consent where it has been given.
Analytics
We may use Google Analytics and the Pinterest Tag to understand how visitors use the Site and how people arrive from Pinterest. These tools use cookies and collect information such as pages viewed, device type and approximate location. We configure analytics to collect the minimum needed, including IP anonymisation where available. You can opt out of Google Analytics across all websites with the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
Advertising and affiliate links
To fund the Site we may display advertisements served by third-party advertising networks, and we may include affiliate links to booking platforms, tour operators, retailers and other services. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate partners use cookies to attribute the purchase to this Site; those cookies do not give us access to your name, payment details or what you bought beyond what is needed to calculate commission.
Advertising networks may use cookies and device identifiers to show you ads based on your interests, including ads for places or products you have looked at on other sites. In regions that require it, you will be asked for consent before personalised advertising cookies are set, and you can change your choice at any time through the cookie settings link shown in the footer wherever a consent banner is in use. You can learn more about interest-based advertising and opt out through the Digital Advertising Alliance, the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance or your device’s advertising settings.
Our Disclaimer explains how affiliate relationships affect, and do not affect, what we recommend.
Who we share information with
We do not sell personal information. We share it only with:
- Service providers who help us run the Site, such as our web host, content delivery network, email provider, analytics and anti-spam services. They may process data only on our instructions.
- Advertising and affiliate partners, as described above, who collect information directly through their own technologies.
- Authorities or other parties where we are legally required to, or where it is necessary to protect our rights, your safety or the safety of others.
- A successor business, if the Site is ever sold or transferred, in which case this policy will continue to apply to the information transferred.
International transfers
The Site is available worldwide and our service providers may store or process information in countries other than your own, including the United States. Where required, we rely on safeguards such as standard contractual clauses or equivalent mechanisms approved by the relevant authorities.
How long we keep information
- Contact form messages and email correspondence: for as long as needed to answer you and for up to two years afterwards, in case of follow-up.
- Comments: indefinitely while the article remains published, so that the discussion stays intact. You can ask us to remove a comment at any time.
- Server logs: typically 30 to 90 days, depending on our hosting provider.
- Analytics data: according to the retention settings of the analytics provider, which we set to the shortest practical period.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to ask us to confirm whether we hold personal information about you, to access it, to correct it, to delete it, to restrict or object to how we use it, to receive a copy in a portable format, and to withdraw any consent you have given. You also have the right to complain to a data-protection authority.
If you are in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, these rights are set out in the GDPR and UK GDPR. If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act gives you the right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used, to request deletion, to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information (we do not sell it; where sharing for advertising purposes occurs, you can opt out through the cookie settings or the advertising opt-out links above), and not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us through the contact page. We will respond within the time required by law, and we may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.
Children
The Site is not directed at children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
Security
We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect information, including HTTPS encryption for all pages, access controls and reputable hosting. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Links to other websites
Articles link to many other websites, including tourism boards, booking platforms, maps and other travel resources. We are not responsible for their content or privacy practices.
Changes to this policy
We will update this policy when our practices change or when the law requires it. The effective date at the top shows when it was last revised. Material changes will be flagged on the Site.
Contact
Questions about this policy or your personal information can be sent through our contact page or by email to hello@etherealplaces.com.