by Siobhan Grogan
Autumn is the perfect time to get away. Once the school term starts in most countries and summer’s peak season passes, prices are usually lower, hotels and attractions are quieter and even the most popular spots can be explored without the crowds. Locals return to restaurants and beaches and you’ll get a much better idea of what a destination is really like year-round when it’s not flooded by tourists. Whether you fancy a short-haul weekend break or a sun-soaked adventure further afield, an autumnal break is just the ticket for a well-deserved boost before the long winter ahead.
Split
A terracotta-topped city on Croatia’s Adriatic Coast, Split is still bathed in sunshine in autumn for lazy beach days, outdoor activities and unhurried sightseeing. Walk the city walls then visit Diocletian’s Palace, an ancient Roman fortress considered the world’s oldest Catholic cathedral building. Feast on seafood in a family-run konoba restaurant, climb the pine forested Marjan Hill for panoramic views or swim from beaches including Trstenik and Kašjuni, which you will likely have all to yourself in autumn. Join a boat trip to see even more of the coast, touring nearby Dalmatian islands including Brač and Vis.
Guernsey
The second largest Channel Island, Guernsey has warmer, drier autumns than mainland Britain, with crowd-free harbour towns, coastal paths and ancient sites. Explore on foot by heading out on the 39-mile Guernsey Coastal Path, a circular route that passes sandy beaches, World War II landmarks and dramatic cliffs. Alternatively stay in capital St Peter’s Port for upmarket seafood restaurants, independent galleries, cobbled streets and the 19th-century Castle Cornet. Watch out for the picture frames around the island that mark the exact places painted by the artists Turner and Renoir when they visited.
Kuala Lumpur
With its tropical temperatures, colourful temples and buzzy nightlife, the Malaysian capital is one of Asia’s most thrilling cities. Look out over it all from the 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers, then wander Chinatown’s lantern-strung Petaling Street Market for stalls selling peanut-filled pancakes, soyabean puddings and the popular winter melon drink. Work it off by climbing the 272 steep rainbow-bright steps to explore the Batu Caves carved into a limestone hill and watched over by a 42m gold state of Murugan, the Hindu god of war. Just watch out for the free-roaming (and food-snatching) monkeys.
Paphos
This lively coastal city in southwest Cyprus has beach weather long into autumn, with a bath-warm sea, golden sandy beaches and restaurants spilling on to the pavement for long alfresco lunches. Away from the lounger, you can potter round Paphos Old Town with its market, street murals and coastline views, try Cypriot wine at Tsangarides Winery in the hills outside the city or go hiking through the dramatic Avakas Gorge. The usually busy Unesco-listed archaeological site Tombs of the Kings, which dates back to the third century BC, will also be blissfully quiet to enjoy in peace.
Kefalonia
This pretty Greek island is a delight without summer’s crowds and scorching heat. Autumn makes it much easier to enjoy its pastel-painted villages, waterfront tavernas and the hiking trails of Mount Ainos National Park. Soak up the sun on the limestone cliff-backed White Rocks Beach, take a boat trip from Argostoli harbour to the uninhabited Vardiani island or head out sea kayaking from Agia Kyriaki. Be sure to call in on scenic fishing village Assos with its crescent-shaped bay, brightly coloured houses and 16th-century Venetian fortress overlooking the Ionian Sea.