‘A secret escape the place summer time lingers’: readers’ favorite September journeys in Europe | Europe holidays

Profitable tip: ebike tour of Sardinia’s west coast

We explored Sardinia’s wild west coast by ebike with Bosa Bike Experience, who had us whizzing up into vertiginous mountain villages with views of the glowing azure sea, then again down in time for mirto spritz at a sundown bar proper on the seafront. Then again into Bosa’s maze of vibrant cobbled streets for scrumptious Sardinian specialities like seafood fregola, smoked ricotta and wine from native vines grown on volcanic soil. The close by seashores had been excellent – some family-friendly, others wild and abandoned.
Emma

A spectacular Italian lodge beneath Sorrento’s cliffs

Considered one of my favorite autumn escapes is the Hotel Admiral (doubles from about £140 B&B) snuggled into the cliff face of Sorrento. I’d spend my mornings right here dozing on heat black sand and swimming within the sea, pleasantly heat after having had summer time to warmth up. At about two o’clock, the solar retreats behind the cliffs, leaving afternoons for wandering a community of shady passages and rickety stairways that result in charming eating places and outlets. Come night, lambent orange lamplight cloaks the village in sleepy romance whereas wine taverns murmur Italian music. And, ever-present throughout the bay is looming, magnificent Vesuvius.
Catrina Conway

Biking within the golden gentle of Tuscany

Lucca is an ideal late summer time escape, bathed in golden Tuscan gentle and alive with cultural appeal. Its tree-lined Renaissance partitions invite leisurely bike rides, whereas the car-free previous city gives tranquil strolls by winding alleys and piazzas. In September, the town glows in the course of the Luminara di Santa Croce, a candlelit procession that transforms Lucca right into a dwelling art work. Markets brim with seasonal produce, and close by vineyards start their harvest. Whether or not you’re savouring buccellato in a shaded cafe or climbing Torre Guinigi for rooftop views to the Apennines, Lucca blends serenity, historical past and sensory delight. It’s best for these looking for heat with out the crowds.
Catherine Taylor

The social gathering boats have left Formentera – however not the sunshine

Ibiza’s quieter sister, Formentera, is bliss as soon as the August social gathering boats depart. By early September the warmth has mellowed, however the sea nonetheless seems like silk. Rent a motorcycle at La Savina, pedal alongside pine-scented lanes to the dazzling sands of Platja de ses Illetes, then linger over sundown paella at a chiringuito (seashore bar) as flamingos swoop throughout the close by salt flats. With most day-trippers gone, even the island’s lone lighthouse at La Mola feels yours alone, and low season ferry offers from Ibiza make this pocket-sized paradise surprisingly mild on the pockets.
Azeem

A French B&B that has the Lot

For a delicate late-summer escape, head to Le Relais du Chien Bleu (doubles from €80 an evening), a hidden B&B on the Lot-Aveyron border. Set in a Nineteenth-century townhouse, it serves very good vegan dishes (sure, in France!) made out of native market produce. Stroll all the way down to the Lot River, nibble figs straight from the timber, and wander the medieval streets of Capdenac-Le-Haut, whereas the close by railway city of Capdenac provides historic appeal. With fewer crowds and heat, attentive hosts, that is the proper spot to savour the relaxed rhythms of rural southern France as summer time eases into autumn.
Liam

Historical island trails scented with thyme, Greece

For a blissful late-season escape, head to the Cyclades island of Sifnos a number of hours on a ferry from Piraeus, Athens’ essential port. The summer time crowds have pale, however the solar nonetheless warms the quiet seashores and whitewashed villages. Take pleasure in recent seafood at harbour tavernas, hike historical trails scented with wild thyme, and be part of locals at mild night festivals. With decrease costs and a slower tempo, Sifnos reveals its genuine appeal – excellent for unwinding earlier than autumn really arrives.
Sandra

Wander Roman ruins in Portugal’s Alentejo

The Alentejo basks in golden gentle effectively into late September and October. The area stretches from cork oak forests to wild Atlantic seashores, with daytime temperatures nonetheless hovering above 20C. Within the whitewashed city of Évora, Roman ruins and quiet plazas invite gradual wandering. Farther west, the shoreline close to Vila Nova de Milfontes gives heat surf and near-empty sands. Alentejo is languid and sun-drenched, a secret escape the place summer time lingers and time appears to pause.
Matthew Healy

Take the Tarragona practice in Spain

Tarragona is very easy to achieve by Eurostar, TGV, then native practice from Barcelona. Self-catering lodging within the previous metropolis centre is inside house buildings that will effectively incorporate the traditional metropolis partitions or the foundations of the Roman circus and imply you possibly can expertise dwelling like a neighborhood with slim communal staircases and markets in your doorstep. Out of doors tables at eating places are pleasant effectively into autumn and the waves on the seashore are nonetheless heat. Entrance to the amphitheatre is barely €5 (beat that Rome!) the place you possibly can see surviving painted wall plaster.
Amy

Agritourism amid Ottoman splendour in Albania

The Unesco-listed city of Berat, nicknamed the “city of a thousand home windows”, not solely gives wonderful locations to see similar to castles, Ottoman-era homes, museums and so forth, but additionally it’s an ideal place for agritourism. If you wish to expertise harvesting fruits similar to grapes and figs (Alpeta is likely one of the many vineyards and farms providing agritourism), then September is a perfect time to go to.
Gentian Agalliu

Keep on a rewilded nature reserve, south-west France

The sleepy woods of south-west France are fantastic for a late summer time break. Keep close to Limoges at Le Moulin de Pensol (gîtes from €60 an evening), run as a nature reserve with loads of rewilded land. Mushrooms take over from butterflies as the primary September attraction, with the benefit that they keep nonetheless for pictures. I walked miles alongside golden, leaf-lined trails within the Périgord-Limousin pure regional park. The annual chestnut competition at Dournazac accomplished the autumn bundle.
Rachel