Where is hot in October? Our top 19 destinations for enjoying the sun
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In any given year, October is the perfect month to get away. Schools are back, so airports are (hopefully) less crowded, it’s sunny and dry everywhere from southern Europe to South America, and prices are set at shoulder season. These are our favourite destinations that are hot in October – from Spain's summery coast to further-flung corners of Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.
Getty Images1. Dubrovnik, Croatia
Average October temperature: 22℃
On the coast of Croatia’s southern tip, Dubrovnik just about earns the title of a winter-sun destination. In October, the charming Old Town is brought to life, with its red-roofed homes and medieval fortress glowing in the golden autumn sunlight. Eagle-eyed visitors will recognise the city from the world of Game of Thrones, as it was a popular filming location for the hit fantasy show. Dubrovnik in October is a hotspot for foodies, too, as it hosts its annual two-week-long Good Food Festival. The highlight is the Dubrovnik Table, stretching the entire 300-metre length of the city’s main street, Stradun, for local restaurateurs to showcase the very best of Croatian cuisine.
Where to stay: Hotel Excelsior is a coastal spot fit for royalty, having previously welcomed Queen Elizabeth II into its lavish rooms. We also love NINION Dubrovnik, a secluded boutique hotel just outside the centre, immersing you in the breathtaking natural landscape for one of Dubrovnik’s dreamiest getaways.
Getty Images2. Cairo, Egypt
Average October temperature: 30℃
Visiting a city in the desert often guarantees unbearable heat, but at this time of year, Cairo’s climate is in the high-20s to low-30s sweet spot. Of course, no trip to Egypt is complete without some pyramids, and Cairo is just thirty minutes away from The Great Pyramid itself. Peak visitor season is in winter, so October is great for marvelling at the ancient wonders without the crowds. There are thousands of years of history and a buzzing cultural scene to discover in the Egyptian capital, so pack a portable fan and sunscreen to make the most out of your trip. If in desperate need of a cool-down, take a breezy sail down the Nile in a felucca, a traditional Mediterranean sailboat made entirely of wood.
Where to stay: Kempinski Nile Hotel promises a stylish stay on the riverbank, with its rooftop pool, cosy jazz bar and spa inspired by Egyptian wellness methods. For rooms with a view of the pyramids, Marriott Mena House is perfectly placed adjacent to the Giza complex, making it one of the most beautiful hotels in Cairo.
Getty Images3. Limassol, Cyprus
Average October temperature: 21℃
The city of Limassol sits on Cyprus’ dazzling southern coast and is a perfect place for autumn sun-seekers. Best of all, there’s enough to do in the city to warrant a city break, aside from the idyllic beaches scattered along the shore. Savour sunset suppers in restaurants around the charming old harbour, or oggle at swanky superyachts in the more modern marina over drinks. Itinerary must-adds include visits to Limassol Castle, ambles through the old town, and a trip to the ancient Greek city-state of Kourion. Sip on local wines in surrounding vineyards once the midday heat passes, and lounge by the sea – Aphrodite Beach and Kourion Beach are some of the nearby favourites.
Where to stay: Parklane Limassol is a short drive from the buzzy city and even closer to the day-trip-worthy Archaeological Site of Amathous. Rooms are perfectly polished, but the villas steal the show. Take over a two-bedroom seafront villa, but be warned – sunny days dipping in the private pool might have you loosening up the sightseeing schedule.
Getty Images4. Antalya, Turkey
Average October temperature: 20℃
Come October, the dress code along Antalya’s coast is swimwear by day and light cardigans by night. Visit at the start of the month to enjoy daily highs above 25℃ and a sea the same temperature as a tepid bath. On particularly hot days, learn about the region’s fascinating history at the Antalya Archeology Museum or shelter in the shade in a cafe opposite Konyaaltı Plajları, the city’s gargantuan beach. To experience the magic of this southern Turkish stretch, dip in and out of small beach towns along the coast on local buses (or with a private car). This is also the best time of year to tackle a portion of the Lycian Way, a hiking trail that follows the coast and dips in and out of the mountains for more than 300 miles.
Where to stay: Maxx Royal Kemer Resort is perfectly placed to soak up the sun on the lavish daybeds, offering a private beach and ample space. Elegant villas and rooms are cool havens to unwind in before adventures to nearby tourist attractions and seaside towns such as Tekirova and Göynük.
Getty Images5. Costa Brava, Spain
Average October temperature: 21℃
No, not the Costa Brava you think you know, with the high-rise resorts and beaches so full you can barely see sand. We’re talking about the Costa Brava the Catalans keep to themselves – where secret coves stash golden shores, stone-cut medieval towns crest every hill and charming boutique hotels are de rigueur. Head for Begur and its Cuban-style mansions, close to Caribbean-esque Aiguablava beach and Amalfi-like Sa Tuna. Then tootle inland to Peratallada: its medieval streets are movie-set perfect, and every menu’s a stunner. A short drive from here, big-city Girona’s Old Town starred in Game of Thrones, and you can dine at twice-world’s-best-restaurant El Celler De Can Roca. Who needs Barcelona?
Where to stay: Hotel Villa Gala, with its white and blue hues, is set in Cadaqués, the beach town known for drawing artists such as Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí. Another option is Hostal Empúries, one of our picks for the best hotel in Spain. Set on one of the Costa Brava's most beautiful and unspoilt coves, the hotel opened in 1919 and over the decades has spread discreetly across the dunes and through the umbrella-pine forest.
Getty Images6. Taghazout, Morocco
Average October temperature: 25℃
As intoxicating as Morocco’s chaotic cities can be, there’s nothing like soaking up the sunny vibes of its Atlantic coast. Particularly in Taghazout, a drowsy fishing village that’s quietly transforming from decades-old scruffy-surfer hangout to the cosmo-boho’s chill-hang of choice. Make no mistake, it’s still about the breaks: a surplus of ‘surf and yoga’ camps sculpt beach bodies year-round. But a rush of natty new crash pads is smartening up the offering: see Amouage, with its ocean-facing infinity pool and Berber-meets-industrial styling; or Munga Guesthouse, a masterclass in ‘driftwood chic’. The yogi-surfer retreat is completed by the likes of Cafe Mouja, meeting all your smoothie and avocado breakfast needs.
Where to stay: At 15-room hangout Munga Guesthouse, which has an Afro vibe and an indoor-outdoor Favela restaurant lit up by strings of bulbs.
Getty Images7. Sicily, Italy
Average October temperature: 21℃
This island might technically be part of Italy, but Sicily seems like its own land entirely. Its setting – caught in the Med between Italy's south coast and Africa's north – has resulted in a beguiling juxtaposition of food, architecture and culture. The glittering coastline draws many, while smoking volcanoes act as a backdrop to some of the island's cities, which themselves are all flaked, faded grandeur. The largest island in the Mediterranean also happens to be one of the most foodie – from Palermo to Catania to Noto, restaurants plate up centuries-old dishes using extraordinary ingredients grown in that volcanic soil.
Where to stay: Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo is the classic grand dame where pool views look good from all angles. We also love agriturismo trailblazer Monaci Delle Terre Nere, which remains one of the region's smartest and most stylish country hotels. For more, see our guide to the best hotels in Sicily.
Getty Images8. Valletta, Malta
Average October temperature: 25℃
Sitting in the Med between Sicily and the Tunisian coast, Malta is blessed with an outrageously sunny climate (even in December, you’ll see more than five hours of sunshine a day). Its capital, Valletta, is a delight: honey-coloured forts and cobbled streets, sun-dappled squares and back-alley wine bars, churches hung with Caravaggio originals and a budding crop of high-design hotels. All that, and it’s on the water. Speaking of which, make time to explore outside the city walls, where you’ll find sandy beaches, quaint fishing villages and true-blue lagoons to laze around. Take our advice: go slow.
Where to stay: 66 Saint Paul’s is an affordable palazzo hideout on Valletta's pretty Ursula Street, and has a rooftop pool.
Getty Images9. Samos, Greece
Average October temperature: 23℃
Sleepy Greek island Samos, hovering just off the Turkish coast, has long been on the radar of dedicated beach lovers. The 2022 arrival of Casa Cook, the earthy, adults-only retreat inspired by the traditional buildings found in Samian villages, has made Samos a serious contender for the title of the island of the summer. Inland, mountain towns are scattered around the base of twin peaks of Ampelos and Kerkis, while the buzzy capital Vathy is the spot for supper.
Where to stay: Gorgeous Casa Cook Samos has organised its stone buildings around multiple swimming pools to resemble neighbourhoods or villages found across the island.
Getty Images10. Las Vegas, USA
Average October temperature: 27℃
Want to banish all memory of UK temperatures and escape to somewhere that feels like another planet entirely? Vegas is a good bet. The Nevada desert is still scorching in October, and the Strip is outright bananas year-round. Do it right with cocktails in Chandelier Bar at the Cosmopolitan hotel: a bar inside a giant chandelier. Then dine at Picasso at the Bellagio, the Vegas version of artsy where an over-the-top dining room is plastered with original Pablos (dinner is all wagyu, lobster and foie gras.)
Where to stay: Resorts World Las Vegas is the first new resort to be built on the Las Vegas Strip in more than a decade. The Waldorf Astoria provides a serene, gambling-free sanctuary, safely sequestered several floors above the madness on the ground.
Getty Images11. Bali, Indonesia
Average October temperature: 27℃
You don’t need us to tell you to go to Bali. But we can help you find out where the island’s natural magic hasn’t been eclipsed by crowds and traffic. In short: go east, friends – where traditional villages, wild beaches and peaceful water palaces are undisturbed by the south-coast rabble. As luck would have it, this is also where you’ll find one of Bali’s best hotels. Amankila, meaning ‘peaceful hill’, is just that: a quiet hilltop hideaway with a killer three-tiered infinity pool, thatched-roof suites on stilts and a private beach. Surrounded by nothing but green and sea, it’s the Bali of your dreams.
Where to stay: Hoshinoya Bali near Ubud cleverly combines the simplicity of Japanese styling with local tradition, set on a hilltop amid rice fields and dense jungle. For a private stay, see our pick of the best villas in Bali.
Getty Images12. Cuba
Average October temperature: 23℃
Heady Havana might just be the most romantic capital city in the world – and it's just the start line when it comes to uncovering Cuba's charm. Sure, there are vintage cars, grand architecture turned shabby with time, and clubs that thrum with salsa dancers. But there are also indie shops spearheaded by young-gun creatives and an influx of new guesthouses that are shaking things up for the city's travellers.
Where to stay: Gardens Havana, a once-crumbling townhouse near buzzy Plaza del Cristo that's been given a makeover by New Yorkers Phil Winser and Jamie McDonald.
Getty Images13. Beirut, Lebanon
Average October temperature: 27℃
Perhaps it’s the lingering shadow of political turmoil that gives Beirut its unique energy – this glamorous city’s party people certainly make a point of living life to the full. By turns chic and hipster, good-looking locals pout up a storm in the beach clubs and rooftop bars; arty types spill out of live-music shows and spoken-word events in the Mar Mikhael district; and everyone ends the night at BO18, the legendary ‘secret bunker’ club with a retractable roof. Soothe morning-after blues with a pillowy manakish (Arabic bread stuffed with insanely gooey cheese), then hunker down at the opulent Phoenicia (did someone say colonnaded swimming pool?). Or opt for a residential feel in the elegant, all-suite Albergo.
Where to stay: Romantic Hotel Albergo is set in the traditional Achrafieh area, and has a roof garden and the feeling of a smart Italian palazzo.
Getty Images14. Austin, Texas, USA
Average October temperature: 28℃
Austin is one of the big Texan success stories – once a small college town, it's now spoken in the same breath as big hitters Dallas and Houston. Austin, though, has retained the small-town atmosphere, as well as its infamous quirky nature. Eat Texas barbecue, go vintage shopping, hike around the many, many green spaces – and all without suffering the 36°C heat that blankets the city in summer.
Where to stay: Liz Lamberts' Texas-grown Bunkhouse group oversees a handful of revamped motels across the city – Hotel Magdalena is our favourite of the bunch.
Getty Images15. Trancoso, Brazil
Average October temperature: 27℃
It’s known as the Brazilian Tulum, but Trancoso’s pleasures are simpler than that. It’s the absence of pretension that brings São Paulo society – not to mention high-rollin’ celebs like Leonardo DiCaprio and Naomi Campbell – to this languid clifftop town on the Bahian coast. No resorts, no velvet-roped clubs. Just a sprinkling of modest restaurants spilling onto the village green, and a hell of a beach fringed with coconut palms and ochre bluffs. It’s a place where the hottest bar in town serves cocktails from an old wooden boat. High season – Christmas and New Year – brings traffic and queues. But arrive any other time and you’ll call it your own.
Where to stay: Robinson Crusoe-esque UXUA Casa hotel has treehouse-bedrooms and is a barefoot stroll from the beach.
Getty Images16. ABC Islands, Caribbean
Average October temperature: 31℃
Some like it really hot – if that’s you, October in the Caribbean could be your thing. Sitting safely outside the hurricane belt, the ABC Islands offer all the brochure-blue seas and white-sand stretches you could ask for, without the extreme weather that typically keeps people away at this time of year. Aruba is all-inclusive country, Bonaire a laid-back dive destination – but we’d be tempted to plump for Curaçao. Rows of colourful Dutch houses and colonial-style hotels add a dash of European charm to this particular paradise, and no one will judge if your drink is blue.
Getty Images17. Melbourne, Australia
Average October temperature: 20℃
October is bang in the middle of Melbourne's shoulder season – which makes it a great time to visit. Days are sunny without being sweltering, the city and its beaches are less crowded, and things are cheaper. Many people give the city the title of coolest in Australia thanks to its up-to-the-minute coffee shops, food culture and art scene.
Where to stay: An hour's south of Melbourne, check into Jackalope Hotel, set on a 27-acre vineyard on the Mornington Peninsula.
Getty Images18. La Gomera, Canary Islands
Average October temperature: 20℃
The ‘secret’ Canary Island is a far cry from its classic winter-sun siblings. Muted and secluded, it’s a heaven for adventure seekers: spectacular hiking paths probe jungly valleys and range up rough-cut cliffs. It’s accessible only via ferry from Tenerife – passengers leave resorts and packed-out beaches behind, swapping them for sleepy villages, tangled trails and rural boutiques. It’s not a fly-and-flop sort of place – though happily exhausted hikers seem content to end at the pebble beach in laid-back Playa Santiago – but October’s ideal walking weather pretty much guarantees a sunny expedition. Plus, there’s plenty of relaxing to be had joining locals at harbourside seafood restaurants, or ambling between capital San Sebastián’s pastel-painted houses.
Where to stay: Old school mansion Parador de la Gomera has a beautiful courtyard garden and a pretty pool with sea views.
Getty Images19. The Azores, Portugal
Average October temperature: 21℃
Thrillingly elemental, the Azores absorb you in nature: though Portuguese, they’re 1,000 miles from the mainland, cast gloriously adrift in the mid-Atlantic. Here, explorers (or, rather, clued-in Lisboetas and surfers) find a lost world of blue-green crater lakes, bubbling mud pools, and waterfalls rushing down green cliffs – a sort of Iceland through the looking-glass, where a subtropical climate brings year-round sunshine (a land of fire, without the ice). São Miguel, the largest island, has the hushed feel of uncharted territory, but with creature comforts. Try wellness boutique Furnas, in the hot-springs town of the same name; or Santa Bárbara Eco-Beach Resort, sitting secluded among tea plantations and commanding serious sea vistas.
Where to stay: Sul Villas, set right on the coast of São Miguel, has 12 rooms overseen by one-time pro-surfer Rodrigo Herédia. There's a saltwater pool, a spa, and all the rooms overlook the ocean.