Whether you’re looking to prolong the summer, avoid the peak season crowds or you just can’t wait for those golden leaves to start falling, we’ve picked 7 destinations that are perfect for a visit in September, October and November.
1. Last Sun – Tel Aviv, Israel
Tel Aviv is widely regarded as one of the top 10 beach cities in the world.
If you’re not quite ready to give up your tan when the sunny season starts to dwindle, make a beeline for Tel Aviv – where the summer is far from over. The Riviera-style seashore promenade is alive with carefree joggers, boutique shops and exceptional restaurants serving up fresh Mediterranean fare. A smooth breeze picks up on the 16 beaches stretching along the coastline, making the temperature just perfect – and gone are the crowds of tourists. Gordon-Frishman is the most central, and blissfully empty in the autumn months. Hilton, the gay-friendliest of beaches, is also the surfer favourite. Head to Banana beach for unrivalled sunsets with cocktail-in-hand at its namesake beach cafe, or stop by Dolphinarium on Fridays for a show of drummers and performance artists partying on the sand.
2. Less Sun – Seville, Spain
Seville’s Metropol Parasol (better known as The Mushroom) claims to be the largest wooden structure in the world.
Known as “the frying pan of Spain”, with its insular 40 degree weather, summer in Seville is nothing short of painful – but plan your trip a month or two later and you’ll hit the sweet spot. The streets smell of orange blossom, the shady plazas are filled with locals drinking cool beer and snacking on tapas, and the nights are long and balmy. The city’s compact historical centre and flat landscape are perfect for spending your days walking around soaking in the theatrical culture and Arabic heritage. If you need to cool down after all the sightseeing, head to the nearest rooftop pool or give the water rides at the Isla Mágica amusement park a try.
3. Autumn colours – Ontario, Canada
People who travel in search of autumn colours are known as leaf-peepers!
To embrace rather than flee the dramatic transformation that autumn brings along, you can’t do much better than traipsing through Canada’s Ontario province from late September through October. Not too far from Toronto, the Algonquin Provincial Park is 7,725 sq km of dense forest, winding rivers and placid lakes. Paddle along in a canoe for the best views of maple trees and red oaks showing off their fiery tones. For what Winston Churchill famously dubbed “the prettiest Sunday afternoon drive in the world”, take on the Impressionist-like landscape of the Niagara Parkway or, if you’d rather explore on foot, hike amongst 1000-year old trees at the Bruce Peninsula National Park.
4. Harvest season – Tuscany, Italy
This year’s Festa Dell’Uva (Grape Festival) in Impruneta is held on the 27th of September.
Few countries take their autumn harvest as seriously as Italy. The exact dates vary each year depending on the weather but, all over the country, Sagre (harvest festivals) are being held in honour of everything from grapes to chestnuts, mushrooms, pumpkins and even polenta. Mid-September into early October is the ideal time to visit Tuscany – a region at the heart of the Italian gastronomic tradition – when temperatures are milder during the day, pleasantly cool at night, and the landscape is bursting with the colours, sounds and smells of country life. Participate in the time-old tradition of the Vendemmia (grape harvest) and learn about the local wines and how they are made. Go truffle-hunting in the Tuscan forests (and be sure to taste an authentic pasta with porcini mushrooms!). Go a little later in the season and you’ll catch the olive harvest – we fully recommend an olive oil tasting tour. Yum.
5. Budget – Lisbon, Portugal
Tickets for Lisbon’s famous trams are actually half the price if you buy them in advance.
One of the advantages of travelling off-season is the lower prices. If you’re looking for a budget option, Portugal’s capital on the river front, Lisbon, is at its cheapest after the summer tourists have packed up and gone home. The sun is still high in the sky, the temperature warm but not stifling and hotels and restaurants are offering discount rates. Stay in the centre and explore the city’s millenary history and architecture – without the masses of tourists cramping your style – or hop on a train and you can be lying on a beach in less than 30 minutes. For more information on the cheapest times to travel, check out our Travel Saver Calendar.
6. Spring – Patagonia, Argentina
Visit the Cueva de las Manos (Cave of the hands) for cave art linked to a hunter-gatherer society dating back to around 10,000 BCE.
If you’d like to bypass winter altogether, bear in mind that September through November is Spring time in the Southern Hemisphere. It is also the time when nature blooms, the shyest animals come out of hiding and whale watching is at its prime in the wild, wind-swept plains and jagged peaks of Argentinian Patagonia. Horseback riding, kayaking and mountain biking are just a sample of the myriad activities on offer to the adventurous traveller and die-hard nature lover. And the views are spectacular, in the truest sense of the word.
7. First snow – Iceland
Iceland Airwaves organises hangover parties at the Blue Lagoon. © erinmariewells
To welcome nature’s descent into hibernation and fast-forward to snowy days, you’ll find Iceland is all space, fresh air and freedom in the months leading up to winter. Pick wild blueberries, spot seals lazing on black sand beaches, warm up in natural hot pools or help out with the annual réttir, when farmers and their families hike up the remote valleys to round up their sheep and horses before winter. With lower prices and fewer crowds, hiring a car is a great way to explore the countryside’s waterfalls, volcanoes and glaciers – and to seek out the first Northern Lights of the season. If you stay in the capital, keep an eye out for Reykjavik’s Iceland Airwaves, a festival known for its intimate and playful environment that showcases new music by both local talent and international bands.
