It is time to plan an autumn getaway. Summer is the busy season for those of us in tourism, so autumn is when I finally get to travel, and I have made a habit of chasing the warm sun somewhere between late October and early December. Here in Liguria the autumn light is lovely, but a proper warm escape is a delicious change.
There are endless options, but these are my five favourite Mediterranean destinations for a long weekend or a week, without spending a fortune on long-haul flights. All are at their best out of season: quieter, cheaper and, to me, more themselves.
The Aeolian Islands
The Sicilian archipelago of the Aeolian Islands is seven volcanic islands, each lovelier than the last. The largest, Lipari, is the most comfortable base, but my off-season favourite is Panarea, a posh playground in summer and a quiet little jewel the rest of the year. Then there are romantic Salina, smouldering Stromboli with its constant eruptions, Vulcano, and the tiny, peaceful Filicudi and Alicudi.
In autumn the islands seem to doze: warm sunny days, crystal water, silence, cliff paths over the sea, archaeology and superb seafood. Do nothing on the lava beaches, potter about on a local boat, or fill your days with activities. Reach them via Catania, then Milazzo for the hydrofoils; for Alicudi or Filicudi, fly to Palermo and sail from there (Palermo also has the best sailing charters). One caution, as always with islands: leave a buffer, in case bad weather disrupts the crossings.
The Canary Islands
Also seven, also volcanic, off the African coast near the Tropic of Cancer, yet Spanish: the Canaries offer everything a beach holiday could want, plus historic towns, food and wine, and real tranquillity.
My favourite is Lanzarote, which I once called an Eden of lava: the quietest, with the least conventional beaches, but it won me over completely. Fuerteventura and La Palma are more developed and very beautiful; Gran Canaria is the most varied, and I love its dry south in autumn and winter. El Hierro is the smallest, greenest and most mountainous, made for hiking; La Gomera, the least touristy, has an astonishing fossil forest and basalt columns dropping into the sea. And Tenerife, the most modern and best-connected, was my grandfather’s beloved island, where he spent long sunny winter weeks; complete in every way, though it still tugs at my heart.
Reach the Canaries with Iberia or almost any low-cost airline from Europe, with flights and ferries linking them. Hire a car for freedom and to save time, and enjoy how affordable it all is. I am also itching to go back sailing in Lanzarote.
Morocco
I love it. Morocco is enveloping, spicy, warm and beautiful, its cities cheaply linked to Europe. With only a weekend, give it to a single city, slowly. Start with the imperial ones, Marrakech, Fes, Meknes, Rabat, then Casablanca; with more time, add the surroundings, from the High Atlas to the desert to coastal pearls like Essaouira, Safi and the blue city of Chefchaouen.
Morocco rewards anyone drawn to the many faces of the Maghreb: a succulent cuisine, a love of long, theatrical bargaining (and of mint tea and hospitality), and a demanding but generous landscape. Give in to the rhythm of the place and you will fall for it.
My favourite: Andalusia
Andalusia is the heart of Spain, suspended between the Maghreb and the West, and since my brother moved there it has become my favourite autumn escape, though I go at other times too.
Even a weekend spoils you: towns lovelier than one another, all with airports, all warm, all with a flamenco soundtrack and tapas at any hour, and breathtaking architecture (and, sadly, the corrida; I have never wept as I did at the one I once had to attend in Valencia, but that is another story). The queen is Seville, closely followed by the Moorish glories of Granada and its legendary Alhambra; then relaxed Málaga, the beaches, and villages like El Rocío, Ronda, Cádiz and the Sierra Nevada. I go back most autumns, sometimes with the team from my hotel, and always leave a couple of lazy beach days at the end, at Conil de la Frontera, with my brother.
Barbagia, the heart of Sardinia
Autumn in Barbagia is not always warm, especially up around Fonni or the Supramonte, but the colours, flavours and scents of this land out of season completely surprised me, and it is now one of my favourite Mediterranean autumn getaways. The annual Autunno in Barbagia, Cortes Apertas opens the villages’ courtyards, history and traditions to visitors.
Here I fell for Orgosolo and its murals, discovered the extraordinary archaic carnival of Mamoiada and the Nuragic culture at Bitti, grieved the ancient forests around Fonni, and was struck by the artistic soul of Nuoro, the coves of the Gulf of Orosei, the old centres of Oliena and Galtellì, the San Teodoro lagoon, and, above all, the proud, generous people. Flights and ferries to Sardinia are not cheap, especially last-minute, but with a little planning you will find good deals. And if the budget allows, stay at Su Gologone, my favourite experience hotel in Barbagia.
(An honest aside: Malta and Gozo are often recommended for an autumn break, but I have not enjoyed my last two stays there, so I leave them off my own list.)
Frequently asked questions
For reliable autumn warmth without a long flight, head south: the Canary Islands (the mildest, especially the dry south of Gran Canaria and Lanzarote), Morocco, Andalusia, Sicily and its Aeolian Islands, and coastal Sardinia. Late October to early December offers gentle sun, thin crowds and lower prices.
Autumn brings quieter, cheaper and more authentic travel: the summer crowds are gone, the light is beautiful, the sea is often still warm enough to swim, and local life and seasonal festivals (like Autunno in Barbagia) come to the fore. It is the season locals themselves love best.
For a short break, a single Moroccan or Andalusian city (Marrakech, Fes, Seville, Granada) works beautifully, as does one of the larger, well-connected islands (Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, or Lipari in the Aeolians). Keep it to one place and travel slowly rather than rushing several.
For the islands (the Canaries, Sardinia, the larger Aeolians) a hire car gives real freedom and saves time; book ahead. In Morocco and Andalusia you can rely on trains, buses and city-hopping flights, or hire a car to explore the countryside and villages beyond the cities.
Further reading
- The islands in depth: Lipari and Lanzarote
- More Morocco: a long weekend in Marrakech and the High Atlas
- More Sardinia: the carnival of Mamoiada
