The hottest European countries in September and October and the best places to stay

September and October are lovely months for a short-haul holiday with a good dose of sunshine. This year, with questions surrounding when international travel will be able to start, they are also a smart choice. Follow our expert guide to find the best hotels for late summer sun in Europe – including the Greek Islands and the Turquoise Coast – which all have good temperatures well into October.

Many have cool pools for languid toe-dipping and easy beach access. Prices tend to dip, everywhere is less crowded, and it’s not as stifling if you want to do any outdoor activities. The sea also tends to be at its balmiest. So pick your favourite, and sleep sweetly knowing you’ll be enjoying the very last rays of summer sun.

THE GREEK ISLANDS

Rhodes winds down in pace from mid-September onwards and there’s a more authentic feel to the island. Hotel prices are generally lower, temperatures remain balmy and sun beds are easy to find on the beaches for which Rhodes is famed. Less-crowded streets make driving a pleasure too, so this is a lovely time to make the stiff climb to Lindos’ Acropolis or seek out the Knights along the near-deserted cobbled streets of Rhodes old town. 

Rhodes

October high: 24.5°C | October average: 21°C

Where to stay

• The best hotels in Rhodes

TURKEY

With the intense heat of summer having faded but temperatures still in the high 20s, September and October are ideal months to visit Turkey’s spectacular Turquoise Coast. It’s still hot enough to hit the beach, the long golden sands of Patara, or the secluded turquoise cove of Kaputaş near Kalkan, for example, and many hotels and guest houses offer significantly reduced rates on rooms. Travelling late in the season means you escape the crowds and can explore some of the region’s top spots – such as the Lycian Way, the photogenic Olüdeniz lagoon and the vibrant cities of Antalya and Bodrum – in relative peace.

The Turquoise Coast

October high: 26°C | October average: 20°C

Where to stay

• The best hotels on the Turquoise Coast

PORTUGAL

The Algarve is at its best in late summer when the crowds have left and the golden beaches empty out, calling for early morning walks. The blistering heat of August has lifted and the start and end of the day begin to have a welcome coolness in the air, whilst the bougainvillea gives one last final gasp of vivid colour. Lunch can still be enjoyed under cloudless blue skies, making an al fresco meal of freshly caught sea bass, a tomato salad drizzled with a local olive oil and a crisp white Portuguese wine a real joy.

The Algarve

October high: 25°C | October average: 19°C

Where to stay

• The best hotels in the Algarve

ITALY

The Amalfi Coast is one of the most spectacular stretches of coastline in Europe. Backed by the rugged limestone Monti Lattari and fringed by clear, shimmering azure waters, it is characterised by a series of picture perfect villages whose pastel-hued buildings tumble down cliffs towards the sea below. Late summer is a perfect time to visit. The July and August crowds have left, temperatures become more bearable and hotel prices (among the highest in Italy) become more affordable after mid-September. There are no guarantees with the weather, of course, but the sea will usually be warm enough for swimming well into October. Yes, days are shorter, but the colours (and the local mood) are wonderfully mellow. 

The Amalfi Coast

October high: 23°C | October average: 20°C

Where to stay

• The 50 greatest hotels in Italy

Sicily

The largest island in the Med – Sicily – is home to magnificent Greek temples and dazzling Baroque palazzos, breathtaking scenery and ravishing beaches, wonderful food and superb wines. And it has its very own active volcano. The beguiling capital Palermo has cleaned up its act in recent years, while other smaller towns such as Siracusa and Noto have taken on a sophisticated, hip edge. In July and August, beaches are crammed with Italian holidaymakers and the soaring temperatures make sightseeing miserable. After mid-September, the crowds thin out and hotel prices dip. It can be warm enough for sunbathing and right through October and into November, so this is destination for late autumn, too.

October high: 24°C | October average: 20°C

Where to stay

CYPRUS

Late summer is a glorious season in Cyprus. It is a time when the scorching hot temperatures of summer give way to gloriously warm, sunny days that still allow for relaxing on the beach and yet are also favourable for venturing out to explore the countryside. It is a time when the olives, almonds and carobs are almost ready to pick, and the grapes in the vineyard are plump and ready to turn into wine. Evenings are mild. See an outdoor theatrical, operatic or musical concert, which are all popular events at this time of year, or head to a taverna and join locals looking forward to harvest time. 

October high: 25°C | October average: 21°C

Where to stay

SPAIN

September and October – when the high-verano crowds, temperatures and accommodation prices have eased off – are great months along Andalucía‘s beach-strung coasts. Málaga, where sun-soaked 20°C days often stretch into December, makes a terrific late-summer city, with its art-world wonders, Moorish fortress and chiringuito-lined beaches. Or head further southwest along the Costa del Sol for Marbella’s luxe-hotel scene and cobbled old town. On the Atlantic Costa de la Luz, the blonde beaches turn pleasantly quieter post-August. Learn kitesurfing and day-trip to Morocco from riad-like Tarifa, flit between low-key seafood restaurants in Zahara de los Atunes, poke around Bolonia’s Roman ruins, or wander the gleaming-white alleys of crag-top Vejer de la Frontera.

Costa del Sol

October high: 22°C | October average: 19°C

Where to stay

• The best hotels in Andalucía
 

Costa de la Luz

October high: 24°C | October average: 20°C

Where to stay

• The best place and cities to visit in Spain – and where to stay

The Spanish Islands

From the middle of September, the Balearic and Canary Islands are quieter – but still very much in business. This is a much better time than the full-on summer season to combine sunbathing with a bit of activity, whether in the water or in the countryside. Resorts in the Balearics are extending their season for this very reason, as the warm but not sweltering days are ideal for cycling or hiking, or perhaps helping with the grape and olive harvests. Temperatures between 20°C and 28°C in the Canaries in autumn make the islands extremely well suited to beach holidays, and there are bargains to be had before the winter sun season starts in the run up to Christmas.  

Ibiza

October high: 24°C | October average: 21°C

Where to stay

• The best agroturismo hotels in Ibiza 

Majorca

October high: 28°C | October average: 24°C

Where to stay

• The best hotels in Majorca

Menorca

October high: 23°C | October average: 20°C

Where to stay

• The best hotels in Menorca

Tenerife

October high: 26°C | October average: 23°C

Where to stay

• Affordable hotels in the Mediterranean

Gran Canaria

October high: 26°C | October average: 23°C

Where to stay

• The best hotels in Gran Canaria
 

Fuerteventura

October high: 26°C | October average: 23°C

Where to stay

• The best hotels in Fuerteventura

Lanzarote

October high: 29°C | October average: 23°C

Where to stay

• The best hotels in Lanzarote

• The best hotels in Cyprus

MALTA & GOZO

The sun shines 300 days of the year in Malta and Gozo – and many of them are in September and October. Autumn sees the occasional storm but most of the time it is hot enough for sunbathing and sea temperatures are at their peak in September. After mid-September the beaches are uncrowded during the week too, and with the sun a little gentler than in high summer, this is the perfect time to combine beach and sightseeing. The islands have extraordinary historic attractions, from the second oldest stone buildings in the world to the Baroque legacy of the Knights of Malta.  

Malta

October high: 24°C | October average: 21°C

Where to stay

• The best hotels in Malta

Gozo

October high: 24°C | October average: 21°C

Where to stay

• The best hotels in Gozo

MOROCCO

Unlike much of the rest of Morocco, which is still sweltering in September and October, Essaouira takes on the golden glow of an Indian summer with long, sunny days cooled by Atlantic breezes. It’s perfect for strolling on brown-sugar beaches that go on forever, combining bracing ocean dips with snoozes in the shade, seafood lunches on beachfront terraces and late-afternoon shopping trips into the souks. If it does get chillier when the sun goes down, it’s also big on charming little restaurants – many with log fireplaces – designed to keep you cosy.  

Essaouira

October high: 29°C | October average: 21°C

Where to stay

• The best hotels in Essaouira

Contributions by Annie Bennett, Carole French, Matthew Hirtes, Lizzie Frainier, Heidi Fuller-Love, Mary Lussiana, Andrea Montgomery, Anna Nicholas, Isabella Noble, Juliet Rix, Tara Stevens, Nicky Swallow, Rebecca Tay and Tina Walsh.