October is a wonderful time to get away, whether for a restorative break on your own or as a couple or for a fun, sociable holiday with family or friends. You don’t have to go far to catch some early winter sunshine; on the other hand, the lifting of restrictions has opened up some of our longer-haul favourites again.
With the weather still warm enough to swim in the Med, this island is an ever-popular choice for its inviting sandy beaches and bays. But there’s more to Cyprus than lounging on the sand – the striking rugged interior is perfect for adventurous pursuits, including hiking through the Troodos Mountains and paddling in the Caledonian waterfalls, while a rich history stretching back thousands of years have embellished it with major cultural sites including the Tomb of Kings, Temple of Aphrodite and Kamares Aqueduct.
By October, temperatures in North Africa have cooled sufficiently for discovering Morocco’s many charms, from exploring buzzy cities such as Marrakech to hiking in the Atlas Mountains, from staying in a luxury camp in the desert to surfing or kite-surfing in Essaouira or other Atlantic coast towns. Best of all, combine a Morocco city break with a luxury desert camp, a hiking trip or a beach break and you have all the makings of the perfect holiday.
This resort city in the Mojave Desert is lively all year round thanks to its iconic entertainment, nightlife, casinos, shopping and restaurants, but it truly comes into its own in October – there are fewer crowds, but this 24-hour city is alive with outrageous Halloween parties, sporting events including soccer, baseball and hockey, Las Vegas Pride, the city’s version of Oktoberfest, Muddfest (a week-long free rock and grunge festival) and music concerts.
This tropical-island paradise in the Indian Ocean has warm weather and low rainfall in the month of October, making it ideal for everything from couples’ getaways to October half-term breaks with the kids. Water sports are one of the most popular activities here, but there’s also wildlife spotting to be done in a thrilling setting of mountains, waterfalls and sugarcane fields, and pretty towns soaked in colonial history from the island’s Dutch, French and English heritage.
The world’s second-longest peninsula is a gorgeous 1,200km stretch of untamed landscapes including canyons and mountains circled by condors. The surfing and the hiking are both brilliant here, and it’s a wonderful place for a road trip, with spectacular views all along the Carretera Transpeninsular (Highway 1) from Tijuana to Los Cabos. Among the highlights of the region are the Parque Nacional Sierra San Pedro Mártir with its bobcats, deer and bighorn sheep in addition to condors (successfully reintroduced into the wild here after near-extinction). Baja California is also a great destination for foodies, with delicious tacos and other Mexican food (and margaritas!) and famous Baja-Med dishes such as pan-fried lobster and Caesar salad.
The most-visited of the Canaries is best known for its blissful beaches but has an array of other pristine landscapes offering activities best enjoyed in the milder winter sunshine. Milder temperatures make winter the ideal time to climb Mount Teide, for instance –Spain’s highest peak, set in its own otherworldly, UNESCO-listed National Park. Winter is also a great time for hikers and cyclists to make the most of the island’s other lunar-like landscapes, ancient forests and dramatic coastlines. And with fewer people around, you have more of Tenerife to yourselves, including its Michelin-starred restaurants.
To book your October holiday, call your Travel Counsellor today.
There are so many great reasons to experience certain destinations in the shoulder seasons – that sweet spot between a region’s peak season and off-season. Think fewer crowds and queues for major attractions, better-value flights and other travel, and a more authentic experience of the destination. We’ve put our heads together to share a few of our favourite places that can be just as good or even better outside of high season.
Seeing the world, or parts of it, by cruise is more popular than ever as people realise just how fantastic it can be to float from place to place, discovering more than one destination in a single trip. Our Travel Counsellors say, ‘There’s a cruise ship to suit everyone, and yes you can get off at every port, as many times as you like!” If you’re in any doubt over whether a cruise is right for you, there are mini cruises of just a couple of nights that will help persuade you.
