Ten Islands

Ten Islands Attractions in Autumn

August 18, 2010

Autumn is a superb time to find a way for a final blast of sunshine not too far from home. Not only have the crowds thinned, allowing you to find space on the beaches and enjoy the sights without the queues, but midday temperatures have receded – perfect for donningwalking shoes and exploring rural areas that are wonderful at the moment of year. We pick our top 10 spots for that perfect autumn .

1. Sardinia, Italy

Average maximum temperature: 27C

Agriturismo Testone
Visit Sardinia in autumn and you can discover one of the island’s best-kept secrets: Autunno in Barbagia (Autumn in Barbagia). Running from September to December, a series of festivals take place across 27 villages in Barbagia, a mountainous area of inland Sardinia (sardegnaturismo.it). Streets are transformed into markets, local craftsmen hold workshops, locals throw open their doors – and dining rooms – to visitors and walks are held through the hills. Or you can just kick back on one of the island’s near-empty beaches and soak up some rays.

2. Andalucia, Spain

Average maximum temperature: 32C

Finca el Moro
Autumn days in Andalucia are still exotically warm, often hitting the low 30s. While the beaches are great this time of year – far quieter than in July and August – this is the time to head to the cooler climes of the hills for some rambling. Sierra de Aracena national park, just north of Seville, is one of the least-known of Andalucia’s parks. Lace up your boots and explore its wooded valleys, whitewashed villages and groves of chestnuts – their leaves turning red and golden. Don’t miss the lively market town of Aracena, with its limestone caves and 13th-century church built by the Knights Templar. Stop for tapas at Café-Bar Manzano, opposite the square – this is the season to try the region’s famous setas (wild mushrooms).

3. Cyprus

Average maximum temperature: 33C
Cyprus’s southerly position means it enjoys a long, hot autumn, with temperatures well into the 30s. While Cypriot resorts are not among the most beautiful in the Med, an increasing numbers of village houses are being converted into cottages and inns, many in remote rural areas that – on cooler autumn days – are perfect for exploring on foot. After a day’s romp, cool off with a dip in the sea, still blissfully warm at this time of year; Coral Bay, a large horseshoe-shaped cove backed by steep limestone cliffs and with blue flag status should do just the trick.

4. Dubrovnik, Croatia

Average maximum temperature: 25C

Lopud Island in Croatia. Photograph: Bertrand Gardel/Hemis/Corbis
Dubrovnik is extremely busy in the summer months; accommodation is hard to find and endless cruise ships dock in its port, adding to the already overcrowded streets and beaches. Autumn however brings out the best of Dubrovnik; it takes on a tranquil, laidback atmosphere, the weather is less humid, the sea is still warm enough for swimming and accommodation and ferries prices drop considerably. Hop on a 50-minute ferry to the tiny, car-free island of Lopud; it’s renowned for having one of the best beaches in the Dubrovnik region, Sunj (pronounced “shoon”); in summer everyone in the region with a motorised vessel heads there for a swim. Come autumn it’s the Adriatic at its best.

5. Dahab, Egypt

Average maximum temperature: 31C

Fish in the Red Sea in Dahab. Photograph: Asmaa Waguih/Reuters/Corbis
Visit this small Bedouin coastal resort in summer and you’ll face unbearably high temperatures of up to 38C; by late September, they’ve dropped – to the low 30s – and unlike in winter, nights are not too cool. Located 100km north of its more commercial neighbour, Sharm el-Sheikh, it has a chilled backpacker vibe and is renowned for its diving, thanks to its diversity of reefs, and also its windsurfing (the resort has about 270 days a year of wind a year). Now’s also the time to visit stunning locations nearby – doable as day trips – such as the Coloured Canyon, with its dramatic rock formations, and St Catherine’s Monastery, situated at the foot of Mount Sinai.

6. Lanzarote, Canary Islands

Average maximum temperature: 29C

Timanfaya National Park, Lanzarote. Photograph: Alan Copson/Corbis
Just 70km from the Western Sahara, Lanzarote has a more desert-like climate than the Mediterranean, and is at its best come autumn: the north-easterly trade winds – which blow across the island from March to August – drop considerably; the sea, heated by the summer sun, is at its warmest; air temperatures still average around the mid-20s and the tourist crowds have subsided. This is the perfect time to don your walking shoes and trek the island’s volcanic peaks, for example Timanfaya national park (Fire Mountain), with its striking red and ocre lunar landscape and seismic activity.

7. Kas, Turkey
Average maximum temperature: 29C

Turquoise Coast between Kale and Kas. Photograph: Demetrio Carrasco/Corbis
Still sunny but not scorching, autumn is the perfect time to visit this relaxed old fishing village, situated on the Lycian coast in south Turkey. Especially if you’re planning on exploring the Lycian Way, a long-distance footpath that stretches for 500km from Fethiye to Antalya through the ancient land of Lycia (Kas is a good base for exploring the southernmost sections). If it’s watersports you’re after, the locals say the best time to dive is after the first autumn rain (usually between late September and early October), as this is when you can see the most fish activity.

8. Saint-Tropez, France

Average maximum temperature: 25C

Pastis Hotel
Summer playground of the glitterati, the flashiest seaside resort in the Côte d’Azur takes on a whole new identity come autumn. While temperatures can still reach the mid-20s, most of the crowds are long gone, leaving behind a more laid-back town. Beaches which are usually packed – such as Plage de Pampelonne and Plage des Salins – are blissfully quiet, as are its posh boutiques and restaurants. If it’s the Saint-Tropez buzz you’re after, visit between 25 September and 3 October, when the annual Regatta Les Voiles de St Tropez sees 300 sailing yachts, from all over the globe, compete in a week of racing and festivities – and the jet-set return in throngs to watch.

9. Rhodes, Greece

Average maximum temperature: 28C

Spirit of the Knights
Whichever Greek island you pick in autumn you’re likely to find warm sunshine and few crowds. But if there’s one island that is particulary lovely at this time of year it’s Rhodes. Its medieval Old Town is teeming with tourists in July and August. Visit in the autumn, however, and you can have its narrow alleys, lined with Ottoman mansions, and tranquil squares virtually all to yourself. September is also the best time to visit Petaloudes (Butterfly Valley), the island’s most popular tourist attraction; out of season, this lovely green dell in the middle of the island is tourist-free, so it’s the best time to spot the thousands of brightly coloured insects (don’t leave it too late, they only inhabit the valley between May and September). The thermometer will hover around the mid to high 20s, perfect for catching some rays on the nearby beaches; head to Kalithea, just 8km south, famous for its hot medicinal springs.

10. Île de Ré, France

Average maximum temperature: 23C

Ruins of Abbaye des Chateliers on Ile de Re, France. Photograph: Sylvain Sonnet/Corbis
A longtime favourite with French holidaymakers, this tiny island, just off the west coast of France and connected to the mainland by a bridge, can be rammed during the summer. By September however, most have returned to the mainland. Île de Ré is one of France’s sunniest regions; though with temperatures a few degrees lower than in summer it’s one of the best times to saddle up and explore the island’s 100km of cycle tracks, all wonderfully flat. Cruise past endless sandy beaches – many empty this time of year – vineyards, pine forests and oyster farms (Île de Ré is one of the country’s major producers), ending up at Saint Martin, the island’s capital, overflowing with gourmet restaurants. Re-fuel on ocean-fresh lobster at La Baleine Bleue ,the island’s most renowned restaurant, which out-of-season you conveniently don’t have to book weeks in advance.