Short haul destinations

You don’t need to travel a long way south to find warm weather. You could take the train (or fly, of course) to the South of France where glamorous destinations such as Nice, Monte Carlo and St Tropez are enjoying temperatures of 25°C. It’s also a great month for a wine tour of France.

           

Hot and sunny weather is all buy guaranteed across the Mediterranean. The Italian islands of Sardinia and Sicily both enjoy average temperatures of 26°C and – because the Italians all tend to holiday in August – the beaches are never crowded in September. In the deep south of Italy, the beaches of Puglia will still be hot (you can also take a yoga holiday in Puglia).

Elsewhere in Italy, the Amalfi Coast is stunning in September – you can visit the town of Sorrento and the island of Capri – or you could head inland to the gorgeous region of Umbria. The Italian Lakes will have cooled off a little but still be warm enough for sunbathing. Find more holiday destinations in Italy.

In the Greek islands, Crete enjoys hot temperatures and has some excellent villas with private pools. Details here. You can expect to find special offers in September. Even further north in quiet Paxos you can expect 27°C.

If you want real heat, head to Cyprus where the mercury hits 32°C. You can also cut costs by booking a holiday in North Cyprus which is outside the Eurozone. See the latest special offers.

If you have pre-school children we recommend Daios Cove on Crete and the Sani Resort which occupies a series of beautiful protected beaches in Halkidiki. See more holiday ideas in Greece.

With the sea so warm in September, this is a great time to take to the water. Sunsail offers both beach clubs and flotilla sailing holidays, while Mark Warner is great for watersports. Or you could take a gulet cruise along the coast of Turkey. Details here.

Other Mediterranean destinations worth considering include Malta and Turkey’s Aegean Coast, both of which are far enough south to enjoy temperatures nudging 30°C.

Let’s not forget Spain. The Costa de la Luz in the far south-west has wonderful white sand beaches that will be uncrowded – and hot – in September. The much-neglected regions of northern Spain are always worth considering. They are great value and especially good if you want to combine a beach with some cultural sightseeing and outdoors adventure.

The islands of Menorca and Mallorca are both ideal for villa holidays – and still sufficiently hot in September. Find more holiday ideas in Spain.

http://www.101holidays.co.uk

By Mark Hodson