Summer might be over, but the search for sunshine isn't. Google searches for "October holiday" jumped 28% in a month, hitting around 80,000, and a new study by villa firm Solmar Villas has answered the question of where to go. Analysts compared 105 European destinations on autumn rainfall and flight prices across October and November — and one island ran away with it.
Cyprus claims the top four places. Temperatures there typically hold between 24C and 29C well into autumn. Ayia Napa takes first spot, best known for beaches but with a calmer, more laid-back feel once the summer crowds go, and an average of just 2.3 wet days a month from September to November. Limassol comes second, pitching city comforts against a coastal backdrop of nature trails and a busy yacht scene. Larnaca, third, is a relaxed port city where the palm-lined Finikoudes promenade runs straight onto the sand. Fourth-placed Paphos is the one for history fans: its UNESCO-listed Archaeological Park preserves Roman and medieval remains, plus floor mosaics ranked among the finest in the eastern Mediterranean.
If a near-guarantee of dry weather is the priority, the study points to Spain's Canary Islands. Lanzarote (sixth) and Fuerteventura (seventh) both average highs of about 26C in autumn. Lanzarote offers more than 150km of sandy beaches and clear water, while volcanic Fuerteventura trades beaches for lava fields, rolling ridges and strange rock formations.
Greece and Malta fill out the rest of the list. The Athens Riviera — a 70km stretch of coast with beaches, coves and waterfront restaurants — ranks fifth. Rhodes comes in eighth, and its medieval Old Town, including the stone-paved Street of the Knights, is one of the best-preserved in the world. Kos, ninth, adds mountain villages with wide island views. Malta rounds out the top ten, and comes with a pop-culture hook: the cobbled streets and bastions of the old capital Mdina doubled as a Game of Thrones filming location, making it a draw for set-jetters as well as sun-seekers.
Why it matters: late-season sun doesn't require a long-haul flight. Every destination on this list is reachable from European airports in a few hours, with warm seas, thinner crowds and cheaper shoulder-season prices. Beach-first travellers should look at Ayia Napa, Lanzarote or the Athens Riviera; culture and history lean towards Paphos, Rhodes and Mdina. Managing director Sharon Bradbury's caveat is a fair one — weather can't be promised anywhere — but the rainfall data makes these ten the safest bets in Europe for an autumn tan.
Story via Euronews Travel.
