places

Winning tip: an eerie clifftop castle near Aberdeen

Dunnottar Castle, perched on cliffs above the crashing North Sea, is one of Scotland’s eeriest places. The most haunting part is the Whigs Vault, where more than 160 prisoners were confined in dreadful conditions in 1685. Standing in that dark chamber, it’s impossible not to imagine their fear and suffering. With my Fraser ancestry, the castle’s history feels especially poignant. The names of multiple Frasers are recorded, their details written on the wall. The wind whistles through the stonework, the waves thunder below, and there’s a sense that the past hasn’t quite left. It’s beautiful, tragic and wonderfully spooky, especially beneath Aberdeenshire’s brooding grey skies.

Rosie

A Neolithic burial chamber in Pembrokeshire

My dad and I reached Pentre Ifan on a November evening, just before dark. The burial chamber defies explanation: 16 tons of weathered capstone, barely touching three sharp stone points, as though something unseen was holding it up. There was a low hum from somewhere; I hoped it was the wind spilling over the Preseli hills. As the daylight crept away, the chamber beneath grew darker than the settling dusk around us. My dad, who has an explanation for everything, stood silent. I think we walked back to the car a little faster than we had come.

Tom

Haunted by criminals in Somerset

My recommendation is Shepton Mallet prison, or “the Mallet” as it used to be called, back when it was used as a military prison. It opened in 1625, and you can still crawl through a wall into an original cell. The prison has three Victorian blocks and umpteen stories of past prisoners, including the Kray twins. You can have a daytime tour, or a night-time ghost tour, where you’ll hear stories of spooks and ghouls witnessed by many visitors and staff over the years. You can even stay the night in a real, cold, grim prison cell. The staff are friendly and all great characters, I can’t recommend it enough!

Charlie

Hollowed out tower in West Yorkshire

Perched high above Hebden Bridge in the historic hilltop village of Heptonstall lies the roofless shell of St Thomas à Becket church. Raked into ruin by a storm in 1847, this 13th-century structure was left to decay alongside its 19th-century successor, creating a rare site where two parish churches share a single churchyard. Gaunt, towering arches frame open skies, and the hollowed-out stone tower feels like the Tower tarot card made real. Expect goosebumps!

Finbarre Snarey

A pub night you won’t forget in Staffordshire

The Four Crosses Inn is the most haunted pub in England – and I should know: it was in my mother’s family for many generations! I grew up hearing about all the ghostly goings on. It was also one of the oldest pubs (it’s only open for tours now), and family lore has it Dr Johnson stayed there. On the edge of creepy Cannock Chase moor in Staffordshire, the scene of many murders, it has dank cellars and creaking attics for you to get really scared in.

Rob

Poltergeist stories in County Fermanagh

Cooneen Ghost House, near Fivemiletown, is one of Northern Ireland’s eeriest places. The abandoned farmhouse is private, but it can be glimpsed from the road, which somehow makes its old poltergeist stories feel even more unsettling. Nearby Crocknagrally Forest is perfect for a cold-weather ramble to make a day of it, especially on a misty winter afternoon when the tracks are wonderfully secluded and it all feels very remote and spooky. The kind of walk where folklore seems woven into the landscape: dark trees, lonely roads and an old haunted house just out of reach. There are loads of stories around this place that locals will share.

Christina Hawe

Romantic tragedy on Llŷn peninsula

The once abandoned quarrying village of Nant Gwrtheyrn, on Llŷn peninsula, lies at the foot of Yr Eifl, down a terrifyingly steep and winding road. On a misty autumn day, with the crashing waves below you and the unsettling presence of a wild goat peering down at you from the cliffs above, it can be truly eerie. The woods in the valley are home to the tale of Rhys and Meinir – a traditional prenuptial game of hide and seek gone awry, with the skeletal remains of a bride-to-be revealed by a bolt of lightning. The site is free to visit.

Sioned

Crashing waves and call of rooks in Aberdeenshire

On a cold grey day Slains Castle on the east coast of Scotland, north of Aberdeen, certainly has a spooky air. Although rumours about the castle inspiring Bram Stoker when writing Dracula are apparently untrue, the castle ruins bring to mind bats pouring out of windows and unsavoury aristocrats lurking around corners. It is precariously located on cliffs above the North Sea and the crashing waves and calls of rooks and jackdaws provide an evocatively eerie soundtrack to your visit.

Joel Rawlings

Unexplained screams on the South Downs

Chanctonbury Ring is an iron age hill fort ringed by beech trees, on the South Downs in West Sussex. Folklore claims that by walking or running around the ring seven times you’ll see the devil. Writer Robert Macfarlane certainly had an unnerving experience there while camping, as recounted in his 2012 book The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot, when awakened in the dead of night by terrifying human-sounding screams high above him in the tree canopy, which seemed to divide and converge before swooping down upon him. Accessible only on foot, who dares follow in Macfarlane’s footsteps to check out the myth?

Kirsty McHattie

Gothic atmosphere in Whitby

My favourite spooky spot is Whitby Abbey, perched high above the Yorkshire coast. Its ruined arches and weathered stone look dramatic in daylight, but imagine them at dusk, with mist drifting in from the North Sea and the wind moving through the empty windows. Whitby’s narrow streets and harbour add another layer of atmosphere, especially when the lamps come on and the town grows quiet. It is easy to see why Bram Stoker found inspiration here for Dracula. I would love to explore the abbey as the light fades, then wander down towards the harbour, listening to the waves and letting my imagination do the rest. The best spooky places are where history, landscape and legend meet – and Whitby has all three. Its magic endures.

Emilio

NEW YORK — Democrats and outside watchdogs are planning a massive presence at the polls on Election Day driven by concerns that President Trump will further leverage the vast resources of the federal government to interfere with a midterm that could hobble his final two years in office.

They won’t be the only ones there. A sprawling election protection effort on the left that is expected to deploy tens of thousands of monitors will be met by the largest-ever monitoring program by the Justice Department and still more observers from Republican-aligned groups. The result could be unlike anything seen at the polls in modern times.

The effort among Democratic and nonprofit groups includes training volunteers to stand watch outside polling places and report activities they consider concerning. The network includes traditional government watchdogs such as Common Cause and the American Civil Liberties Union plus a flood of volunteers assembled by state Democratic parties, congressional leaders, national activist groups and organizations focused on protecting democracy.

The Democratic National Committee created a first-of-its-kind cybersecurity unit staffed by former CIA and FBI officials to monitor and report online misinformation, including artificial intelligence deepfakes, said Jane Kleeb, vice chair of the DNC.

That’s as Democratic mayors, attorneys general and secretaries of state host tabletop exercises simulating worst-case scenarios, such as a surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials at voting locations or the seizure of ballots and voting equipment.

On Capitol Hill, Democratic leaders have assembled a legal team that rivals that of any presidential campaign.

“We’ve never done this before,” Kleeb said of the party’s sweeping efforts. But “we’ve never had to deal with the president of the United States saying that he may seize ballots, put ICE agents outside polling locations and other kinds of very clear direct threats to the voting process.”

The Department of Justice has already filed lawsuits in California and Alaska that could affect ballot counting or certification.

While Trump continues to make baseless allegations of cheating in the election, administration and military officials have said they have no plans to deploy immigration agents or troops to polling sites.

White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis blamed “radical Democrats” for creating fears about election security by refusing to enact voter ID requirements and other Republican-backed measures.

“President Trump has done more than any other president to ensure we have free and fair elections,” Bis said.

Tens of thousands of volunteers trained to observe

State Democratic parties have trained an estimated 10,000 volunteers to observe polling places and report anything potentially concerning they might see from federal agents. Common Cause has trained roughly 16,000 more volunteers to stand watch at voting precincts, said Suzanne Almeida, vice president of states for the group.

She said a broader Election Protection coalition involving 300 other groups has trained tens of thousands more.

Smaller pockets of volunteers from other groups also are preparing to show up, including roughly 100 organized by Senate Democrats and hundreds more from a Democratic-allied group called Save America, which is training clergy members, veterans, teachers and other local community members. National groups such as Indivisible and MoveOn are activating their own expansive networks.

There are so many organizations working to protect the voting process — including many that cannot legally coordinate with each other — that some officials involved worry about unintentionally creating chaos outside polling locations.

Almeida said Election Day confusion is possible in some precincts but the nature of the threat requires a collective effort.

“It will actually take all of us if some of the threats we are most worried about come to pass,” she said.

Trump administration sends its own team

Harmeet Dhillon, a Trump appointee who leads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, was asked on CBS’ “60 Minutes” whether the Republican administration is planning to send ICE agents to polling places.

“There is no plan to do that,” she responded.

Still, the Justice Department is planning its largest-ever election monitoring effort, with about 1,000 department staff expected to observe voting and ensure federal laws are being followed, spokesperson Kiersten Pels said. That comes after a primary season in which the department said it deployed more than 100 election monitors across hundreds of polling locations.

At least one of those placements sparked tensions with local officials. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, a Republican, said the behavior of two monitors during that state’s primary was “a bit aggressive” and “irregular.” A Laramie County clerk said the Justice Department monitors arrived at the polls intending to interview voters, but her office didn’t allow it.

The department disagrees that the monitors did anything improper, Pels said. She added that the monitors are trained to comply with federal law governing conduct at polling places and won’t “interfere with the voting process.”

Democratic lawmakers and voting rights advocates have raised concerns that the Trump administration’s monitors could intimidate voters or abandon the duty they’ve had for decades to protect against civil rights violations.

The department plans to send them to every state, focusing on high-population areas, jurisdictions that have had problems in the past and districts with close elections, according to a senior department official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity.

The Republican National Committee said its operation involves deploying “election integrity deputy state directors” in 22 states, among them Arizona, Michigan, Georgia and North Carolina.

Those workers are the “eyes and the ears of the RNC in the field” who recruit volunteers and organize trainings, said Ally Triolo, the RNC’s election integrity communications director. Their mission is to surface anything that seems unlawful.

At the same time, the RNC has enlisted nearly 22,000 poll workers and is recruiting poll-watching volunteers for competitive districts. The poll watchers will “observe the process and help ensure election rules are followed in accordance with the law,” Triolo said.

Local election officials prepare for increased attention

While federal monitors have quietly observed elections for decades, largely without incident, some election officials are taking precautions.

Chris Swope, the city clerk in Lansing, Michigan, said he preemptively contacted law enforcement and his attorney in case federal monitors violate election law, although he expects them to abide by the rules.

The Democratic Mayors Association issued guidance to local Democratic officials with detailed instructions about what to do if federal agents appear at polling locations.

It notes that federal law prohibits the presence of federal immigration agents, the FBI or other investigative personnel. It also issued a reminder that federal agents are not allowed to be armed at the polls, nor are they allowed to interact with voters or handle ballots or election equipment.

Justice Department officials have said their monitors won’t be armed and will not interfere with voting. Asked about department monitors being sent to Georgia, Trump told a reporter recently: “They’re not going to do anything other than watch.”

Some of the poll observations have already begun. Mary Corcoran, Save America’s executive director, said her group’s volunteers have been monitoring precincts during early voting in Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Ohio to help give voters a sense of security.

“The fear is the point, and we must do something about it,” she said. “Left unanswered, fear does the work of keeping people home without a single agent setting foot at a polling place.”

Peoples and Swenson write for the Associated Press. AP writers Jacqueline GaNun in Lansing, Mich., Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington and Jessica Hill in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

This quaint town in Somerset has been named one of the best places to live in the UK time and time again – so I headed back to find out what all the fuss is about

I recently found myself back in Somerset for the first time in several years, taking a nostalgic journey with my friend who had flown halfway across the globe to mark their mum’s 60th birthday. A road trip from the capital to sweeping fields of countryside felt like the perfect way to spend a crisp autumn weekend.

My friend is originally from Frome, Somerset, but now lives on the shores of New South Wales. I hadn’t visited this charming West Country town for nearly eight years, yet had noticed its name cropping up in headlines as one of Britain’s finest places to live.

In fact, it appeared so frequently that I’ve lost track. It featured once more on Muddy Stiletto’s Top 260 Best Places to Live in 2025.

I’d never given it much thought, as Frome has always simply been my mate’s hometown, but if it’s collecting awards repeatedly, there must be something I’ve overlooked over the past decade.

What’s more, Frome’s Rye Bakery also earned a mention in Britain’s Best Bakeries by Milly Kenny Ryder. The Times even branded the town “Wokeville”, home of the “conscious hipster”. Yet to me, it’s always been a tight-knit community hub that’s cricket-obsessed, where everybody knows one another, and where pints are shockingly affordable compared to London prices.

Nestled on the edge of the Mendip Hills, Muddy Stilettos described Frome as a “community-minded town packed with arty, artisan shops, eateries and other businesses, with an indie cinema and a music venue where the likes of Paul McCartney ‘just pop in’. And it hosts the best designer-maker-producer street market in the West.”

Either I’d never properly clocked it before or the town has experienced a remarkable transformation during my eight-year absence. The town centre, filled with cobbled side streets that climb upwards, is lined with tiny boutiques and quirky independent shops, stocking everything from vintage clothing and antiques to its very own apothecary emporium.

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Streets like Cheap Street and Catherine Hill are packed with independent retailers, upmarket coffee shops, and sufficient micropubs and wine bars to keep you busy for ages. What Muddy Stilettos celebrated as “interesting indies”, my mate’s mum labelled “artisanal… and we aren’t the artisanal type”.

Another draw for both locals and visitors from further away is Frome’s abundance of markets, which by pure coincidence were running the weekend I wasn’t there. At the Frome Independent Market you’ll discover designer makers alongside artisan food and drink producers.

You’d struggle to spot many chain shops or restaurants here, which is brilliant if you’re keen to avoid the overwhelming presence of typical high street brands. I spotted just one Costa Coffee, and that was it.

My first real stop was Rye Bakery at its Station Approach site. The other branch can be found inside a church on Whittox Lane.

Even the old railway house at the station has been transformed into a compact independent food market and events venue. Alongside Rye Bakery, you’ll discover its sister wine bar, cheesemonger The Cheese Lord, Indian and Trinidadian street food, a charcutier, another wine bar, plus a community sauna and cold plunge.

Oh, and there’s a milk vending machine thrown in for good measure. You genuinely wouldn’t need to venture beyond the station.

Naturally, it would be churlish not to sample Rye’s offerings. I devoured a cinnamon bun alongside my iced coffee (on a freezing cold Sunday morning), plus a special sandwich crammed full of salami, Glastonbury cheddar, and salsa verde mayo.

It’s precisely the sort of fare I crave from a bakery, though I can appreciate that to some it might appear a touch… gentrified. The sandwich was bursting at the seams, with the heat of the salami tempered by the zesty mayo and punchy cheddar. All these trendy new bakeries have turned the humble sarnie into something rather fashionable.

Rye’s cinnamon bun proved just as delightful as the sandwich, boasting soft, fluffy dough and beautifully spiced cinnamon sugar. Not overly sickly sweet, but sweet enough to satisfy my appetite.

We even discovered an Australian serving behind the counter, and if that’s not an indication of quality coffee, I don’t know what is.

It was also pleasant to revisit some of the neighbourhood drinking establishments. You’ll encounter a mixture of traditional country pubs or independent craft beer venues. Personally, I’d head just beyond the town limits for an authentic taste of Somerset living.

I nearly shed a tear when I discovered a pint of cider for under £6. It makes me appreciate just how costly London has become, and truly, that the prices needn’t be as eye-wateringly steep as they are.

Frome has both evolved and remained unchanged. It’s still the same charming Somerset town where everybody knows everybody; where the tranquillity of the town centre feels so unfamiliar to someone from London.

The residents may not have altered, but it appears the atmosphere has, attracting a fresh generation of people to its cobbled streets. There’s a feeling of togetherness that you only encounter in small towns like Frome.

It offers an escape from hectic urban existence, where you can retreat into the countryside within moments rather than hours. It may not be exactly the same Frome I recall, but I’ll always maintain a warm attachment to the town.

IN JUST over two months, we will be in 2027 and with that in mind you might want to start planning your next getaway.

The good news is that the best 25 places to visit in 2027 have just been revealed.

The list compiled by National Geographic features far-flung islands as well as European city gems.

So here are some of our favourites from the list:

Vestland, Norway

Vestland can be found in the southwest of Norway and is known for its waterfalls and wilderness.

Head to Folgefonna National Park where you can see one of the country’s largest glaciers and Trolltunga, a massive rock formation that sticks out of a lake.

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There’s also Sognefjord, which is Europe’s longest and deepest fjord.

The best way to get to Vestland is by heading to the capital of the country, Bergen, with flights from the UK taking around two hours and costing from £91 return.

Luxor, Egypt

Luxor in Egypt is often forgotten about compared to the likes of Cairo and El Gouna but the destination is known for an ancient city and tombs.

Travellers can head to The Lost Golden City, which is the ancient city of Aten and is thought to be one of the largest ancient cities ever found in Egypt.

National Geographic also noted how getting to Luxor will be easier soon as there will be an extension of two free visas – the summer entry visa for travellers visiting on Egyptian-owned airlines and a four-day transit visa.

Flights direct to Luxor from the UK take around five-and-a-half hours and cost from £149 return.

Puerto Rico

Dubbed the ‘La Isla del Encanto’ which translates in English to ‘The Island of Enchantment’, Puerto Rico is dominated by a central mountain range covered in tropical rainforest.

In addition to this, the island is littered with white sand beaches and crystal clear waters.

Visitors can explore the historic forts of Old San Juan, where you’ll find blue cobblestone streets.

Flights from the UK to Puerto Rico usually include a stopover, taking between 11 and 15 hours and costing from £550 return.

Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland

The only UK spot to feature on the list is Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland, with sandy beaches and rugged coastline.

Often nicknamed the ‘Scottish Riviera’, Dumfries and Galloway can be found in the southwest of Scotland and is home to medieval castles, such as Caerlaverock Castle, which is a triangular pink sandstone castle with its own moat.

There’s also Galloway Forest Park, which is the UK’s first International Dark Sky Park, with clear views of around 7,000 stars as well as the Milky Way.

If heading to the region, it is about an hour-and-a-half from Glasgow Airport, which costs as little as £30 return to fly to from London.

Grenada

The Caribbean island of Grenada is known as the ‘Spice Isle’ for producing nutmeg, mace and cocoa, but also has beautiful mountains, rainforests and beaches.

Each August you could even travel to Spicemas on the island, which is an annual carnival with parades, street parties and Jab Jab (where people paint themselves with molasses and mud) – and the festival is celebrating 150 years in 2027.

While on the island you can also snorkel Molinere Bay, which features life-size submerged art.

Flights from the UK to Grenada usually involve a stop and cost from around £932 return.

Santander, Spain

If you are looking for somewhere different in Spain to head to in 2027, look no further than Santander, the coastal capital of the country’s Cantabria region.

Full of history, the city has a vibrant Old Town where you can visit the Magdalena Palace.

The city also has a fishing quarter, which is the ideal spot to dig into some local cuisine with favourite dishes including calamari with onions and clams in marinara sauce.

Flights between the UK and Santander take around two hours and cost as little as £29 return.

Normandy, France

Known for its Gothic cathedrals, Normandy is a great European destination for history lovers.

And in 2027 the city will celebrate Millennium 2027: European Year of the Normans with more than 1,000 events planned across the year including medieval feasts, street performances and concerts.

One event in June will see 40 Viking-style ships sail along the Normandy coast.

And you don’t even have to hop on a plane to get to the destination – instead, you could catch the ferry from Portsmouth costing as little as £28 per way.

Melbourne, Australia

For a long-haul trip, Melbourne in Australia is one of National Geographic’s highlight destinations for 2027 with sports, a vibrant nightlife and thriving food scene.

And for rugby fans, the waterfront Docklands district will host eight matches during the Rugby World Cup next October.

Make sure to visit St Kilda Pier and beach as well to spot the colony of local penguins.

Flights to Melbourne from the UK usually involve a stopover and cost from around £550 return.

Leipzig, Germany

For somewhere different in Germany, in 2027 you should head to Leipzig, which is the largest city in the state of Saxony.

The city is home to one of Europe’s largest railway stations, Leipzig Hauptbahnhof, which has a grand 300 metre facade as well as a multistorey shopping centre.

In 2027, there will also be several events celebrating all the famous musicians to come from the city including Bach and Beethoven, with a Beethoven Festival in May and Bachfest in June.

The closest airport with direct flights from the UK is Berlin with returning flights costing from £41 – it then takes around an hour-and-a-half to drive to Leipzig.

Tricity, Poland

Sat on Poland‘s Baltic coast, Tricity refers to the three neighbouring cities of Gdańsk, Sopot, and Gdynia.

Each city has its own character, heaps of history and vibrant seaside resorts.

For example, in 2027, Gdynia will host the regatta of the World Sailing Championships meanwhile Gdansk will have its St Dominic’s Fair with food, concerts and performances.

The best way to get to the region from the UK is by flying direct to Gdansk, which takes around two hours and costs from £29 return.

Kalkan, Turkey

A Kalkan sunset is always a beautiful thing – the horseshoe-shaped bay deepening to azure blue against an apricot-rose sky – but, in October, when the light is low and the sun drops early, it’s almost transcendentally lovely. In some Turkish resorts, you’d be sitting watching it surrounded by quiet streets, half-empty bars and that melancholic sense that another season is over. In Kalkan, it still feels like summer; the harbourfront restaurants throng with visitors, the day gulets (wooden boats) still putter in and out of the bay and you don’t have to wait an hour to get a taxi back to your villa.

For me, the best thing about an autumn break – besides the sunsets – is that I can visit some of my favourite places that just get overrun in summer. The glittering beach at Kaputas, sandwiched into a triangular gap on the mountainous Kalkan-Kas road, has become a victim of Instagram; from May to September, it’s impossible to get near. In October, the waters are still warm and the beach – although still busy – has plenty of space for a dip and a laze.

About 20 minutes’ drive inland, the mountain village of Bezirgan, which used to serve as a summer retreat for wealthier Kalkan residents, settles back into complete peace in autumn, save for the woodpeckers battering away at the bark of the almond trees and the squirrels skittering through the leaves. The Lycian Way weaves through the village, past Ottoman-era grain stores, with the lush gardens of the Pirha Köy Sofrası restaurant a great bet for a plate of traditional manti (dumplings in yoghurt) or kofte (meatballs), before setting off for a hike (they do fantastic breakfasts too).

Back in Kalkan, it’s always cocktail hour somewhere; often on a roof terrace, with a jazz soundtrack floating out above the streets of the Old Town. This year, the Fountain Terrace Cocktail Bar has been popular, but I still love sitting in the Merkez Cafe, a Kalkan institution since the early 1990s, smack-bang in the heart of the village and a prime spot for people-watching when the evening begins.

And because the season’s end is in sight, all the restaurant owners and waiters are cheerfully giddy, and the whole place swings with an end-of-term vibe. Sitting at the Blue Marlin (tucked away beneath the Pirat hotel) with a cold Efes beer and a selection of the town’s best meze, the only thing that makes me rueful is that it will be several months before I’ll be back here again.

White House has doubles from £120 B&B

Annabelle Thorpe

Agua Amarga, Spain

Along Spain’s wild Costa de Almería are a handful of exquisite little towns and villages. San José is probably the best known, put on the map by its most famous inhabitant, the late Joe Strummer, but 25 miles east is the real jewel of the Almería coast. Agua Amarga is a typical Andalucían fishing village moonlighting as a stylish low-key holiday destination, perfect for late-season sun-seekers.

Its location, on a crescent bay, makes for spectacular sunrises and sunsets over the arid headlands that bookend the 500-metre-long beach. In the narrow, whitewashed streets, a lush palm grove and splashes of pink bougainvillaea remind you that north Africa is just a short hop across the Mediterranean. In the summer, Agua Amarga’s unspoilt sands and turquoise waters attract plenty of visitors, but the vibe remains relaxed. There are a handful of restaurants and bars around the main plaza, and a few eateries on the beach, including Los Tarahis, a traditional chiringuito (beach bar) where you can enjoy dishes such as arroz negro con bogavante (black rice with lobster) with your toes in the sand. In winter, the town goes into hibernation, but in autumn the sun and sea are still warm and the bars and restaurants are still open for business.

Agua Amarga is not the place to go to party. It’s a world away from the overdeveloped costas to the west and north, but it is the perfect base to immerse yourself in nature. Hiking trails lead from the village over the cliffs to a string of isolated coves and the ruins of 18th-century forts dotted along the headlands. And if you tire of following the shimmering sea, you can strike out inland to explore the Cabo de Gata nature reserve, with its winding ramblas (dry riverbeds), prickly pears and eerie abandoned goldmines.

This corner of Spain is famous for its movie locations, notably Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns and Hollywood blockbusters including Lawrence of Arabia and Conan the Barbarian. For UK cinephiles, British gangster classic Sexy Beast was filmed in Agua Amarga, and Ray Winstone’s swanky villa is available as a holiday rental (minus the boulder in the swimming pool).

The name Agua Amarga translates as “bitter water”, dating back to the 19th century and the contamination caused by mining iron ore. Those days are gone, and now Agua Amarga couldn’t be sweeter.

Hotel Las Calas has doubles from £80

Lois Pryce

Cascais, Portugal

As many of Portugal’s southern resorts prepare to hibernate for winter, Cascais’s green-fingered municipal workers set to work on the town’s well-manicured flower beds, ensuring a seamless seasonal rotation. Violas, primroses and cyclamen furnish pops of purple, magenta and orange below tall palms lining a promenade punctuated with palatial homes and pockets of golden sand. Even in late autumn, the semi-tropical scene banishes the blues.

My happy place when the off-season rolls around, Cascais has enough energy and atmosphere to entertain, and is arguably at its finest after summer’s beach throngs and Lisbon day trippers (Cascais lies 20 miles west of the city, a 30- to 40-minute train ride from Cais do Sodré station) have receded.

Once the summer retreat of Europe’s nobility, Cascais is now Portugal’s year-round crowd-pleaser – and come autumn, accommodation prices are far less aristocratic. There are stately manors and spa hotels aplenty, but my pick is Casa Vela, a surprisingly spacious sidestreet bolthole. Its sauna, shrouded in tropical gardens imported by the owner and his grandfather, brings joy even on the chilliest days. And if rains do come, there are a clutch of cultural attractions in the town, including the pyramid-shaped, terracotta-hued Casa das Histórias Paula Rego, featuring works by the acclaimed Portuguese-British artist.

Still, with about 300 sunny days a year, Cascais’s main off-season pull is for those who like to be active outdoors. Blue-sky mornings see waterfront joggers pass pretty squares carpeted in black-and-white calçada portuguesa (the distinctive patterned pavement mosaics), the hulking 15th-century citadel, and a mustard-hued palace overlooking a cove. Swimming is bracing, but kayaking on the calmer waters where the Tagus River meets the Atlantic more than compensates.

Better still, hire a bicycle and trace the craggy coastline, which grows wilder as it arches north-west, with sheer cliffs appearing in the distant haze. Praia do Guincho is the star, a glorious dune-backed beach battered by winds that keep surfers of all stripes well sated.

A half-hour bus ride from Cascais, Sintra’s iconic palaces and quintas unfurl across the forest-clad mountains. Summer in the town will test your patience. But with fewer crowds in the off-season, the essence of this former elite enclave and trove of European Romantic architecture returns. Hiking the hewn stairs to the Moorish Castle in thick fog is magical, while the vibrant burgundy-and-yellow facade of the fairytale National Palace of Pena brightens the greyest of days.

As the nights start to draw in, you can chase the dwindling sunlight by heading to windswept Cabo da Roca at Portugal’s far western tip. Not only are the sunsets here spectacular, for much of autumn and winter they are the latest in mainland Europe – a sweetener for the shorter days.

Casa Vela has doubles from €79 room-only

Daniel James Clarke

Senigallia, Italy

Velvet Beach (Spiaggia di Velluto) is the alluring name for the miles of fine sand that fringe the town of Senigallia, in Italy’s Marche region. But from May to September, that golden loveliness all but disappears under the umbrellas and sunbeds of beach clubs.

Italians love the place, some returning every summer for decades, but in high season it is probably best left to them. However, Senigallia has an allure beyond the beach that can be enjoyed year-round – and autumn is particularly rewarding.

It’s known in Italy as the “five-star town” for the number of Michelin stars its top two restaurants hold between them. At Uliassi (three stars) and Madonnina del Pescatore (two), ambitious locally born chefs have kept one another on their toes for decades, and their fame has encouraged other restaurateurs to up their game.

If Uliassi’s famous €280 tasting menu is beyond your budget, Senigallia has plenty of innovative, quality places that are more affordable. It’s hard to eat badly here, but fish fans will relish the exquisitely prepared raw stuff at Cuoco di Bordo (two courses from €34) on the seafront. The more rustic Rimante (two courses from €27), in the cobbled centre, offers super-friendly service, great pasta and a roast goose speciality. For pizza nights, nearby O’sarracin has superlative margheritas (€8.50) and tasty ragù-filled arancini to start.

Pizza al formaggio, by contrast, isn’t pizza at all, but a sort of savoury panettone, flavoured with parmesan and pecorino cheese, maybe with chunks oozing out of a warm slice. It’s usually an Easter treat, but bakery Pandefrà makes it from October until May. Autumn in Senigallia also brings amazing fresh produce (chestnuts, persimmons, grapes and pomegranates; pumpkins, greens and radicchio) to chefs and market stalls.

And, of course, it brings the olive harvest, with new oil to taste in local delis and at the Festa dell’Olio Nuovo (6-10 November) in Scapezzano, three miles inland, reached by a pleasant hour’s walk up the quiet Strada di Fontenuovo (there’s a bus back).

With so much eating, you do need to work up an appetite. Hiking the Heron Trail along the Misa River will help, and offers downy oaks in their autumn finery, but the best walk for me starts at the splendid Rotonda a Mare gallery on its 1930s pier, heads inland on quiet lanes to Gabriella and Montignano villages, then descends to the coast for a sunset stroll back along that – now peaceful – Velvet Beach.

Al Foro Annonario has doubles from €80 B&B

Liz Boulter

Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France

Tucked away in the corner of France just before the Basque coast runs into Spain, Saint-Jean-de-Luz hangs on to the warmth of summer a little longer than the rest of the west coast. Its enticing crescent beach is sheltered by two headlands and so, as the Atlantic crashes against the rest of the coast, you can dig your toes into the golden sand as the sea gently laps the shore and truly feel as if you’ve escaped the world.

The town makes for a great introduction to the French Basque Country, with its traditional red or green timber-framed architecture, adorned in many cases with strings of the local espelette chilli pepper – its gentle heat infuses many of the local dishes. Pick up a pot at the local market hall, which is a good place to find other hero products of the local cuisine, such as Ossau-Iraty cheese and black cherry jam.

Elsewhere, the patisserie Maison Adam is the place to find the local almond macaron called the pare gabea (it means incomparable in Basque), which was first made in 1660 to celebrate the marriage of King Louis XIV and Marie-Thérèse of Spain. Their nuptials took place just round the corner at the Saint-Jean-de-Baptiste church – half-built at the time – which has an extraordinarily detailed gilt altarpiece that was installed in 1669, as well as a three-tiered gallery for the congregation. Meanwhile, a votive ship hanging from the ceiling is a nod to the town’s close relationship to the sea, with small fishing boats departing the neat harbour to fish for hake, a local speciality.

You can venture out on to the seas too, with a boat trip on the small cruiser Nivelle V (€20), which goes along the coast towards Spain, first passing the 17th-century cylindrical fort at Socoa and its sea wall that juts across the bay. As you cruise past the Flysch cliffs, which look like layers of diagonally stacked cardboard, you might spot a few silver flying fish jumping out of the steely blue Atlantic.

On arrival back at port, take the short walk across the bridge that spans the River Nivelle to the neighbouring village of Ciboure. It’s a warren of red and green Basque townhouses that overlook narrow streets winding up the hill. Between them sits the restaurant Chez Mattin (mains from €28), a local institution, where chef Michel Niquet serves his signature dish, ttorro, a fish stew that was invented by his grandfather.

The Madison has doubles from €125. For more information, see saint-jean-de-luz.com

Carolyn Boyd

All accommodation prices are for October/November and were correct at the time of publication