27C

NOT only is the Algarve one of Europe’s most affordable holiday destinations, but also still gets some great October warmth.

But if you want to avoid the crowds, there are some barely-known-to-Brits islands that are just of the coast where you can enjoy gloriously quiet beaches.

To get to the Algarve, most Brits will fly into Faro before heading over to their resort along the coast.

But I highly recommend staying in the city as it is home to Ria Formosa, a group of islands.

I was told about the islands by a local, as I had never heard about them or even seen them promoted as a holiday destination.

But just a few euros by boat (taking around 20 minutes) you’ll find empty beaches that rival Caribbean.

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My favourite is Ilha Deserta, also known as Barreta.

But don’t expect to see any huge holiday resorts or even houses, as no-one lives on the island.

Instead, the boardwalk stretches around the coastline, making it a gloriously peaceful walk.

There is one building on the island, however, which is a restaurant called Estamine.

It first opened in the 1960s, but sadly burnt down in 2021.

Thankfully it has since been rebuilt and it’s worth the boat ride – after all, where else can you go to a desert-like island just to see a restarant?

The huge glass windows mean you still get fantastic views, albeit the Portuguese wine and freshly caught fish help too.

Otherwise if you want something a bit more built up, try Isla Armona instead.

There are a few houses and cafes, with a pathway winding through the boat pier to the beach.

Yet that peace and quiet remains, with the stone cottages covered with flowers and tiled patterns.

Get to the soft sand and you can grab an ice cream and a drink before sitting on the beautifully quiet beach.

It still remains quiet however – the boat gets onto the island at one end, with along single path winding through the tiny cottages to the beach on the other side.

However, this beach is just as quiet, with just a small bar serving drinks and snacks.

Now is a great time to go – it’s 27C next week and you can still get flights to Faro for under £20.

If you need somewhere to stay, I highly recommend splashing out on 3HB, which was Faro’s first 5* hotel.

Rooftop restaurant, chic bedrooms and friendly staff all make it worth the stay.

STAYING in the UK for October half-term sounds like the smart, budget-conscious choice… until you sit down and crunch the numbers.

Between filling the fridge, shelling out for soft play, buying fuel for days out and those innocent-looking theme park trips that somehow cost £50 before you’ve even passed through the turnstiles, you could easily spend hundreds in a week.

And that’s before the mental toll of cooking three meals a day, clearing up the constant mess and playing full-time entertainment director.

So, I did the maths on another option – cheap resorts with all-inclusive packages for October half-term, starting from £255pp or £51 a night.

With accommodation, meals and selected snacks and drinks included, as well as free childcare at some resort hotels, flying abroad starts to look like something worth pricing up against your half-term plans at home.

Here are the seven best-value resorts I’d be searching for this October half term – and someone else can handle the cooking.

7. Kusadasi, Turkey – from £433pp

Kusadasi gives families an all-inclusive holiday and a change of scenery from the usual Spanish resorts.

It also gives you plenty of scope for time outdoors, with an average October daytime high of 24C.

My pick of hotels for October was the Grand Blue Sky International.

It has pools, (including a children’s pool), play areas and a club advertised for children aged four to twelve.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served buffet-style as part of its All Inclusive programme, with a later breakfast option if the family pulls off the rare miracle of sleeping in.

At £408pp, this is the priciest of the seven, but it gets you five nights at a mega-resort, with flights and meals included. Not bad.

6. Albufeira, the Algarve – from £378pp

Albufeira is a good fit for an autumn break that mixes beach time with getting out and exploring.

The October daytime high is 23C, ideal for a walk along the beach or an afternoon in the brilliant bars of Albufeira’s old town.

Grand Muthu Forte da Oura is around 750 metres from Praia da Oura beach, with a main pool, children’s pool and playground.

And its stellar all-inclusive programme covers breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon snacks and selected locally produced drinks.

Lunch and dinner can be buffet-style or served from a set menu, but either way, having those meals accounted for makes your spending money easier to plan.

There is also free childcare year round – check availability before booking.

The five-night deal I found here was just £378pp, with flights, accommodation and all-inclusive food and drinks chucked in.

5. Callao Salvaje, Tenerife – from £330pp

As you’d expect, Tenerife has the highest October average on this list.

With an average daytime high of 27C in October, Callao Salvaje is a strong pick when maximum warmth is what you’re after.

I found a great deal at BLUESEA Callao Garden here.

The apartment-style accommodation has three outdoor pools and activities including mini golf and table tennis.

Its all-inclusive board includes buffet meals, so there’s less need to hunt for somewhere to eat whenever somebody gets hungry.

And for all of this – guaranteed October heat, all you can eat and drink, return flights and your accommodation sorted – you’ll only need to part with £330pp.

4. Benidorm, Costa Blanca – from £325pp

Benidorm makes family time in the sun easy – you’ve got massive beaches, promenades that aren’t a nightmare with a pushchair and plenty to see without committing to a full day’s excursion.

And the weather’s great too, with an average October daytime high of 25C.

I wouldn’t look much further than the highly-rated Hotel Cuco, just ten minutes’ walk from Poniente Beach.

Its buffet restaurant serves Mediterranean dishes with show cooking, and there’s a decent pool at the hotel too.

There’s a mini club for the little ones, as well as a rooftop pool bar which mum and dad might have more interest in exploring.

I found a deal for five nights this October for only £325pp, all-inclusive – that’s mega value for half-term.

3. Oropesa del Mar, Costa del Azahar – from £293pp

If your family wants proper entertainment rather than five quiet days by the pool, Oropesa del Mar could be the perfect pick.

With an average October daytime high of 24C, you get great conditions for getting out, topping up the Vitamin D and working on your tan.

And this hotel’s something special for both adults and kids too.

Magic Fantasy Hotel goes big on the family theme, with fantasy-inspired rooms and a Pirates Buffet serving Spanish and international food with a children’s section.

Over the October break there’s live entertainment, costume contests, and the waterparks fully open. 

At £293pp for five nights all-inclusive, you’re getting flights, meals and plenty to get your teeth into for the week before you’ve planned a single day out.

2. La Pineda, Costa Dorada – from £283pp

La Pineda makes family days super-straightforward.

Its long, flat beach gives everyone room to spread out, and the resort has an average October daytime high of 22C.

Not boiling, but that’s plenty of warmth for time on the sand, whether or not anyone fancies getting in the sea…

Gran Hotel La Hacienda is around 550 metres from the beach and has pools and a mini club for younger guests.

Meals are served buffet-style at its Riviera Maya restaurant, taking the daily “where shall we eat?” discussion off your hands, thank God.

PortAventura World is nearby too if you fancy a theme park day out, though tickets cost extra.

And the five-night all-inclusive package I found comes in at £283pp. Bargain.

1. Lloret de Mar, Costa Brava – from £255pp

My number one pick, Lloret de Mar, gives you beaches, coastal walks and a town to explore with the kids.

October’s average daytime high is around 22C.

That’s a comfortable temperature for a beach stroll or an afternoon exploring the Costa Brava without worrying about caking the kids in sun cream every ten minutes.

Guitart Central Park Aqua Resort has several pools, children’s clubs for different age groups and buffet restaurants serving Mediterranean, Italian and Catalan dishes, including loads of great options for children.

Its aquapark is the star of the show though with enough slides and features to keep the kids busy all week.

At £255pp, or £51 a night, this is the cheapest five-night all-inclusive deal I found too, and the one I’d personally be booking.

Brits looking for cheap Spain holidays where it’s still warm and sunny into late October may want to check out one particularly charming destination

Summer may officially be over, but there’s good news for those not quite ready to accept this fact, as Europe still offers a host of holiday options with hot and sunny weather.

In fact, there’s one Spanish destination that’s been tipped as one of the best holiday hotspots for October, thanks to its balmy temperatures, beautiful beaches and cheap flights.

Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands, still boasts daytime temperatures of 25-27C, with sea waters still warm enough for swimming if you fancy a beach day and a dip. (Just pack some light layers for the evenings when temperatures drop to about 18-19C). Temperatures stay warm well into the winter months – it’s why the Canaries are such popular destinations year-round.

As for Lanzarote, it offers a wide array of different stays from luxury resorts ideal for a romantic getaway, to family-friendly all-inclusive breaks with kids’ clubs, poolside entertainment and family-friendly rooms.

Playa de Papagayo is the highest-rated beach according to TripAdvisor, with holidaymakers praising the golden sands and turquoise waters, although be warned that you’ll need to face a slightly dusty and bumpy road to reach the beach, and cross over some sand dunes. In terms of popularity, Papagayo is closely followed by Playa Blanca, another shoreline made up of soft sands and azure waters with a nearby port and marina if you fancy a waterfront lunch.

The island is also full of brilliant accommodation options. Some of the more popular resorts include the likes of ILUNION Costa Sal Lanzarote, H10 Suite Lanzarote Gardens, Iberostar Selection Lanzarote Park, and Princesa Yaiza Suite Hotel Resort, while the likes of MAGMA Rooms Lanzarote and Apartments Agua Marina Lanzarote offer rooms under £100 a night, outside of half term dates.

As for getting there, when we took a look on Skyscanner, there were plenty of flight options from 12 UK airports with fares from under £30 each way, based on two adults travelling outside of the half term dates. For example we found one-way fares from £17 from Liverpool, £19 from London, £21 from Bristol and £24 from Manchester. (For a family of four travelling during half term, the cheapest flights appeared to be from Bristol with prices from £148pp each way).

Given the weather, cheap flight options and array of accommodation, it’s therefore no surprise that Lanzarote has been named one of Europe’s top 10 best holidays for October, in a recent study from the travel experts at Solmar Villas. The team ranked 105 holiday destinations looking at factors including weather and affordable flights, with Lanzarote coming out sixth in the overall rankings.

Cyprus was the top destination taking four spots in the top ten, while Greece had three destinations on the list and Spain two, followed by Malta – you can check out the full top 10 list below.

Top 10 best October holidays in Europe

1. Ayia Napa, Cyprus
2. Limassol, Cyprus
3. Larnaca, Cyprus
4. Paphos, Cyprus
5. Athens Riviera, Greece
6. Lanzarote, Spain
7. Fuerteventura, Spain
8. Rhodes, Greece
9. Kos, Greece
10. Malta

This stunning island, less than five hours from the UK, has been named the best destination for October sun

As the weather starts to drop and we head further into autumn, you may be looking for somewhere to jet off to for a week or two in order to enjoy some sun. Some of our favourite summer destinations can always carry a bit more of a weather risk in autumn, and British holidaymakers are increasingly likely to get caught in the rain while away.

With this in mind, the travel experts at Solmar Villas have looked at average weather patterns across Europe to determine the top 10 destinations for sun between September and November. Topping the list was Ayia Napa in Cyprus, with the beautiful island taking all four top spots, with Limassol and Larnaca in second and third, respectively, and Paphos in fourth.

It is perhaps unsurprising that Cyprus topped the list with an average of just 2.3 wet days per month during autumn, and an average temperature of 24°C to 29°C.

According to Skyscanner, the flight fare can be as little as £31 one-way, and will take around just four and half hours for most UK flyers.

Ayia Napa may be best known for its summer party scene, but in the autumn it begins to quieten down (although there certainly is still some nightlife for those wanting some), and you’ll certainly get a much better price than in party season.

The resort town is full of stunning beaches, from Nissi Beach with its beautiful white sands, and the clear waters of Makronissos Beach.

Taking to TripAdvisor, a September visitor to Nissi Beach wrote: “Nissi Beach is heaven just around the corner! Probably one of the most popular beaches in Cyprus—and for good reason.

“Crystal-clear water, beautiful soft sand, and that creamy, turquoise texture that makes you feel like you’re in paradise. Add the amazing atmosphere and beautiful people, and you have the perfect beach experience.”

While an autumnal visitor to Makronissos commented: “The most beautiful beach, clean, lots of sunbeds, clear warm waters, absolutely amazing. The best beach we found. Lovely atmosphere. Bravo municipality, this beach and its staff do you proud. The sunbed prices are the same on every beach, ten euros for a set, so cheap compared to most places, bravo.”

Top 10 destinations for autumn sun:

1. Ayia Napa, Cyprus
2. Limassol, Cyprus
3. Larnaca, Cyprus
4. Paphos, Cyprus
5. Athens Riviera, Greece
6. Lanzarote, Spain
7. Fuerteventura, Spain
8. Rhodes, Greece
9. Kos, Greece
10. Malta, Malta