Before changeable days and chill winds, there’s a time in Europe (and slightly further afield) when the crowds have gone but the sun has stayed. Shoulder season is ideal for a hassle-free trip, especially since summer’s surging prices have disappeared with the school holidays.
Where is best to go though? Places such as Crete and Mallorca may pitch autumn as great for holiday but, in reality, the weather can be temperamental – and that can ruin a holiday (I speak from personal experience). Meanwhile, many Mediterranean towns and islands have a surprisingly short season, shutting up shop in September and leaving tourists struggling to find restaurants, boutiques and activities.
So, where is good for a balmy autumn getaway? Below, I’ve sourced seven of the best options.
A luxury cruise to the Canary Islands
Just as the Côte d’Azur and the Balearics close for winter, the Canary Islands come alive. Explora II’s seven-night October jaunt chases the sun from Barcelona to Lanzarote, stopping off in balmy Casablanca and Tenerife en route. Life onboard is a treat: suites in tasteful neutrals are complemented by six restaurants, ranging from Pan-Asian to steak house. There’s a brilliant spa and five heated pools too, meaning the voyage’s two days at sea will pass in a dreamy haze.
How to book it: Explora II’s Journey from Mediterranean Shores to Morocco and the Canary Islands costs from £3,080pp, all-inclusive, with the top tiers of cabin offering extra benefits. Flights are not included.
An adults-only escape to Turkey’s glitziest region
Right on the buzzy Bodrum Peninsula, Ruins Luxury Resort has collaborated with everyone from famed cocktails makers to Michelin-starred chefs and artists to ensure romantic breaks go smoothly. Outside the hotel, Bodrum is better in October, when the crowds have gone and temperatures hover in the low to mid-20°Cs. This is a year-round town so there’s still plenty to do – whether you fancy exploring its castle and amphitheatre or seeking out chestnuts and pomegranates in the market.
How to book it: Double rooms cost from £250, B&B (ruinshotel.com). British Airways flies to Milas-Bodrum, from £292 return.
A taste of Morocco in buzzy Marrakech
It’s tagine time: this country’s cuisine is enjoying a boom, with searches for “typical Moroccan dishes” up 150% in the last year, according to research by Destination2. Shoulder season is also the perfect time for a tasty trip to restaurant capital Marrakech, where temperatures hover in the high 20°Cs and there’s little rain.
When the chef Yure Pires was asked to recommend his favourite places to eat in the city, he suggested Amandine, a bakery in the cool quarter of Gueliz for syrupy breakfast pastries and mint tea, and Nomad, a medina hideaway with rooftop views over the madness and a modern take on the country’s cuisine. Just as good are the market-fresh, made-to-order meals at Dar Charkia, a riad that’s perfect for a long weekend at the heart of Marrakech’s food scene.
© Mustapha ElaybHow to book it: Suites for two at Dar Charkia cost from £168 per night, B&B, with a two-night minimum stay. Easyjet flies from London Luton to Marrakech, from £60 return.
A kid-friendly trip to Egypt
For the increasing number of families dealing with a two-week October half-term, Egypt may be the answer. It works best when daytime temperatures don’t make sightseeing too taxing – and Intrepid’s eight-night group Egypt Family Holiday tour treads the delicate balance between history, beach and excitement perfectly. Spend a night on a sleeper train, cruise along the Nile at sunset and take plenty of time to explore the temples of Aswan and Luxor and the pyramids at Giza. Round it off with a couple of nights of splashing and snorkelling in the Red Sea. Those aged five and up get to make new friends with other families along the way.
How to book it: The tour costs from £1,299pp, including many meals and excursions but excluding flights (intrepid.com). British Airways flies from Heathrow to Cairo from £330 return.
A sophisticated sojourn in Malta’s undiscovered interior
Some people have a complicated relationship with Malta, which comes with package holiday hotspots, busy beaches and plenty of British bars. Recently, however, savvy holidaymakers have been seeking out a very different side to the island, exploring inland villages that rival Italy’s, which come hemmed in lemon groves and are perfect in the autumn sunshine.
Among them, Attard is home to the exquisite Casa Bonavita, an 18th-century pile that’s been painstakingly restored by the owners of The Rug Company. Check in to wander the flower-trimmed lanes of the island’s Three Villages – Attard, Balzan and Lija – or spend days in nearby Mdina, a tangle of narrow streets and grand historic buildings where Game of Thrones was filmed. The hotel is also only a 20-minute drive from Malta’s monument-packed capital Valletta, once home to the Knights of St John.
How to book it: Doubles at Casa Bonavita cost from £850, B&B, for a two-night minimum stay. Ryanair flies from Luton to Malta, from £50 return.
A villa stay in Cyprus when it’s slightly cooler
Nissi Beach in Cyprus came second in Quotezone’s latest Best Beach Index (after Montenegro’s Mogren Beach). But while the latter is cold and rainy in October, the former is fantastic when the crowds have left and the temperature has tumbled to a more bearable 27-29°C.
That might explain why anyone who’s anyone – from John Terry to Shakira – has bought property in Peyia, one of the island’s chicest seaside suburbs, which gazes towards Crete from the outskirts of Paphos. Here, in the hills above Coral Bay’s sand, houses come with private gyms, infinity pools and sweeping views, making them perfect for a do-nothing getaway in the sun.
© Getty ImagesHow to book it: Among the area’s best addresses, Villa Euphoria comes with a sleek kitchen and bathrooms, a lovely outdoor dining area and an incredible infinity pool with views down the hill to the sea far below. Sleeps 16, from £8,975 per week, self-catering. WizzAir flies from Gatwick to Cyprus from £150 return.
A short trip with added sunshine
You won’t get sizzling temperatures in Jersey in October, but you’ll probably avoid the worst of the UK’s mizzle and greyness. The island is among the sunniest places in close proximity to Britain, with reports suggesting that it previously clocked up more than 300 extra hours of rays per year than anywhere in the UK.
Admittedly, however, lows dip to below 10°C in November, making autumn or spring the best times to visit. In early October, it’s still warm enough for even the least hardy to enjoy dips in the sea at the sheltered St Brelade’s Bay Beach – wisely combined with a taste of the local harvest at the annual La Faîs’sie d’Cidre, a cider festival in the St Lawrence countryside. Stop off at the new restaurant Sage in St Helier for fresh Jersey oysters, too.
© Getty ImagesHow to book it: Many of Jersey’s accommodation options close for winter, but you can stay year-round at St. Aubin’s 15th-century Old Coach House Inn, with its panelled rooms and cosy restaurant. Doubles cost from £156, room only.
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