The 15 best destinations for October sun (2024)

Finding the right destination at the right time is not always as straightforward as it might seem – especially in that quarter of the calendar when, in Europe at least, summer is giving way to autumn, and the search for better weather requires more distant horizons. And it is not just Europe where the weather is changeable. Over on the far side of the Atlantic, the tropics can be in a fickle mood, while the weather in the Caribbean is erratic.

However, there are still plentiful choices for a week away where you return with a tan, and an improved sense of wellbeing. The following 15 options are all possibilities for October sunshine – whether you like it warm-ish, or to paraphrase a Monroe classic, hot.

For temperatures 19C-24C

1. Costa Brava, Spain

Average daily high: 19C
Flying time: Two hours
Time difference: +1 hour

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Anyone who believes the sum total of Catalonia’s appeal is the bars and eateries of Barcelona reckons without the Costa Brava – 100 miles of largely sandy coastline which ebb upwards from the pretty port of Blanes to the invisible line of the French border. Here, on Spain’s north-eastern shoulder, are some of the country’s most unspoilt beaches, as well as popular resorts such as Cadaques, L’Escala and Lloret de Mar.

A seven-night stay at the four-star Golden Taurus Park Resort in Pineda de Mar, flying from Gatwick on October 13, costs from (a remarkably cheap, even for a room-only booking) £260 a head, with Thomas Cook (020 8016 3295; thomascook.com). Plan the perfect trip with our guide to the Costa Brava.

2. Amalfi Coast

Average daily high: 21C
Flying time: 3 hours
Time difference: +1 hour

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You can forgive an area any Narcissus tendencies when it looks as beautiful as the Amalfi Coast. Italy’s most fabled stretch of seafront is forever in love with its own reflection in the Gulf of Salerno. But then, it has much to admire: towns such as Positano, Ravello, Scala and Amalfi itself; and Capri, that gorgeous island, twinkling at the end of the Sorrentine peninsula. It is all glamorous, beguiling, seductive – and, come October, much quieter than in July or August (when bagging a restaurant table can be a Herculean task).

Luxury specialist Scott Dunn (020 3918 2668; scottdunn.com) offers a nine-night “Epic Southern Italy” tour which splits its time between sophisticated accommodation in Amalfi, Basilicata and Puglia. From £12,600 per person, with flights.Plan the perfect trip with ourguide to the Algarve.

3. Essaouira

Average daily high: 22C
Flying time: 4 hours
Time difference: 0 hours

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Generally overshadowed by the swirling cities of Marrakech and Fes, and even eclipsed by its coastal colleague Agadir, Essaouira is an outpost on Morocco’s Atlantic coast which merits greater consideration. It flirts with the 20C mark during the European winter, rarely soaring above or dipping far below this pleasing temperature. And its older quarters are a pretty prospect – its crumbling 18th-century medina makes for evocative photos. But its keynote appeal is its long curving beach, superb for kite and windsurfing.

On The Go Tours (020 4571 2421; onthegotours.com) runs a regular 15-day “Camels, Souks and Kasbahs” group tour which charts Morocco in detail, and spends two nights in Essaouira. Departures in October from £1,125 a head (flights extra).

Average daily high: 22C
Flying time: 4 hours
Time difference: +2 hours

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This celebrated sliver of the Cyclades archipelago is a not-so-metaphorical case of rising from the ashes. Once upon a time, Santorini was the ancient civilisation of Thira – until a colossal volcanic eruption, probably in the 16th century BC, partially obliterated the island. What remains is a wonder: steep cliffs plunging to the Aegean; the elegant towns of Oia and Fira perching on the lip; balconies, verandas and restaurants gazing west into the sunset. It is also, come October, considerably less busy than at the height of summer.

A seven-night stay at the five-star Domes Novos Santorini, in Oia, flying from Gatwick on October 19, costs from £1,168 per person, including breakfast and transfers, with Sovereign Luxury Travel (01293 324 694; sovereign.com).

5. French Polynesia

Average daily high: 24C
Flying time: 24 hours
Time difference: -11 hours

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True, this cluster of 118 islands, scattered across the South Pacific, lies a considerable distance from European shores. But those that make the journey to French Polynesia are rewarded with incredible beaches, whispering palm trees and gorgeous hotels. Tahiti and Bora Bora are the most famous outcrops, but every one of these isles tells its own tale.

Trailfinders (020 7368 1300; trailfinders.com) offers “Enchanting Islands of French Polynesia” – a 14-day holiday which pays particular attention to Bora Bora. From £3,459 per person (not including flights).

For temperatures 25C-29C

6. Cyprus

Average daily high:25C
Flying time: 4.5 hours
Time difference: +2 hours

The third largest island in the Mediterranean is not short on beaches, nor on history. It has been inhabited for over 12,000 years. This explains the wealth of ancient sites that shimmer in its hot weather – not least Nea Paphos and Kourion. These supply substance to the sunshine. For many holidaymakers, Cyprus is all about the seafront. It caters to this idea ably in the likes of Limassol, Paphos and the busy bars and nightclubs of Ayia Napa.

A seven-night getaway to Paphos, flying in from Newcastle on October 5, and staying at the five-star Leonardo Plaza Cypria Maris Beach Hotel & Spa on an all-inclusive basis, costs from £1,372 per person, via On The Beach (0871 474 3000; onthebeach.co.uk).Plan the perfect trip with ourguide to Cyprus.

7. Lanzarote

Average daily high: 25C
Flying time: 4.5 hours
Time difference: +0 hours

The Canary Islands are Europe’s most reliable options for winter sun, rarely dipping into a temperature bracket much below 20C. The fourth biggest and easternmost member of the group, Lanzarote offers relaxed holidays in the three resort areas dotted along its south coast – Playa Blanca, Costa Teguise and Puerto del Carmen. But it also offers bars, restaurants and a local vibe in the capital Arrecife, as well as visual drama in the volcanic landscape of Timanfaya National Park.

A seven-night half-board holiday at the four-star Hotel H10 Rubicon Palace in Playa Blanca, flying from Glasgow on October 17, costs from £957 per person, with Tui (020 3451 2716; tui.co.uk).Plan the perfect trip with ourguide toLanzarote.

8. Queensland

Average daily high: 26C
Flying time: 21 hours
Time difference: +9 hours

Yes, it is another destination which definitely counts as “long distance”, but Queensland is a place which revels in fine weather, particularly as the year enters its final quarter.

Australia’s second largest state – so big that it shapes the entire north-east corner of this vast country – has a propensity for hot days and clear horizons. You only need to look at some of the names on its map – Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, flanking the capital Brisbane – to realise this. But there are plentiful natural wonders beyond the beach, not least Daintree Rainforest, as well as the incomparable Great Barrier Reef.

Wexas Travel (020 4586 5713; wexas.com) sells a 14-day “Queensland Discovery” holiday which visits the likes of Brisbane and Hamilton Island. From £5,345 per person, including flights.

9. Mauritius

Average daily high: 27C
Flying time: 12 hours
Time difference: +3 hours

One of the planet’s greatest examples of a volcanic hotspot converted into an island paradise, Mauritius is a popular option with British holidaymakers. That its main rainy season runs stubbornly and concurrently alongside the European winter – generally from December to March – does little to damage our affection for it. In part, this is because, with temperatures around the 30C mark throughout this window, Mauritius is as hot as it is humid.

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Inspiring Travel (01244 729 788; inspiringtravel.co.uk) mixes city and sand with a 10-night “Mauritius & Dubai Twin-Centre” holiday which spends the first week of its time at the five-star One&Only Le Saint Géran resort, on the former. From £3,575 per person (flights extra).

10. Las Vegas

Average daily high: 28C
Flying time: 11 hours
Time difference: -8 hours

There are few more reliable destinations for an escape into the heat than Nevada’s most famous city. True, Las Vegas can dip as low as 15C in December, but the atmosphere in a metropolis of charismatic casinos, huge hotels and brilliant bars is rarely less than hot. You can, of course, bet it all on black (or red) in this den of hedonism – but galleries, museums and restaurants also abound in a place of sometimes unappreciated depth.

A seven-night getaway to the heart of the matter, Caesars Palace, flying from Heathrow on October 19, costs from £2,080 per person with Virgin Holidays (0344 472 9646; virginholidays.co.uk).Plan the perfect trip with ourguide toLas Vegas.

For temperatures 30C+

11. Hawaii

Average daily high: 30C
Flying time: 17 hours
Time difference: -11 hours

The USA’s celebrated mid-Pacific archipelago comprises eight main islands. Hawaii (“the Big Island”) has the volcanic titans Kilauea and Mauna Loa. Oahu has the state capital Honolulu. Kauai has the sheer cliffs of the Na Pali Coast. Maui has beaches and resorts which offer splendid conditions for surfing. Each of these jigsaw pieces enjoys temperatures in the lower 30s, whatever the month.

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America As You Like It (020 8742 8299; americaasyoulikeit.com) sells a 16-night “Hawaii Island Hopper” which leaps between Kauai, Maui and the “Big Island”. From £3,279 per person, including flights, car and hotels.

12. Bali

Average daily high: 31C
Flying time: 16 hours
Time difference: +7 hours

Indonesia may be a country of vast, almost unfathomable size, but there is little confusion as to what its most famous island offers. Bali is a pure holiday destination, swaddled in sunshine, and as popular with Europeans as with Australians (although it is a considerably nearer-at-hand option for the latter demographic). Beach resorts abound in Kuta and Seminyak, while those seeking a retreat from it all can slumber in five-star enclaves in the interior, at Ubud.

A seven-night dash to the five-star Potato Head Studios in Seminyak, flying from Birmingham via Dubai on October 12, costs from £2,864 per person, through Emirates Holidays (020 8972 8951; emiratesholidays.com).

13. Zanzibar

Average daily high: 31C
Flying time: 9 hours
Time difference: +2 hours

Contrary to general geographical opinion, the famed portion of Tanzania which sits in the Indian Ocean is not a single outcrop. Instead, it is an archipelago of sorts, with Pemba joining Unguja – the main island, usually known as “Zanzibar” – as a glorious chunk of low-slung land lapped by turquoise waters. Here is a place of discoveries, if you want them – not least the Omani heritage of the capital Stone Town. But if you want a beach, the islands’ hot sands, 30C temperature and chic resorts will always delight.

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Expert Africa (020 3405 6666; expertafrica.com) offers a seven-night Turmeric Beach Holiday, which combines waterside relaxation in the genteel Matemwe Lodge with two days amid the colour and mild chaos of Stone Town. Departures in October cost from £3,190 per person, including flights.

14. The Northern Territory

Average daily high: 33C
Flying time: 21 hours
Time difference: +8.5 hours

A vast expanse of land which dominates some of the upper and central portions of Australia, the Northern Territory is a true place for wanderers. Both the Outback wonder of Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the crossroads town of Alice Springs lie in “the NT”, while The Ghan rail link runs through its heart. But this place of dust and drama can also deliver cityscape cool. Its north-coast capital Darwin is an up-and-coming destination.

Great Rail Journeys (01904 521 936; greatrail.com) sell a 10-day holiday aboard The Ghan. From £3,995 per person, including flights.

15. Abu Dhabi

Average daily high: 35C
Flying time: 7 hours
Time difference: +3 hours

The biggest of the United Arab Emirates does not, perhaps, have quite the glamour factor of its immediate neighbour Dubai. But it makes for a fine refuge from the British autumn and winter all the same, with temperatures cresting the 30C mark. Add in Abu Dhabi’s attractions – not least the beaches, stylish hotels and high-end restaurants of Yas Island – and you have a destination which offers more than you might expect.

A seven-night getaway to famously luxurious Mandarin Oriental property the Emirates Palace, flying from Heathrow on October 12, costs from £2,018 per person, via British Airways Holidays (0344 493 0787; ba.com/holidays).

This article was first published in August 2019 and has been revised and updated.

The 15 best destinations for October sun (2024)

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