summer

ONE stunning five-star holiday park in Cornwall has been named the best in the country.

It’s got more than the usual offerings with a wellness barn for massages and luxury lodges – but you can also pitch up a tent for under £4 a night.

Wooda Farm Holiday Park in Bude received the accolade from The AA which has released the winners of its 2026–27 Caravan & Camping Awards.

The inspector called it a “much-loved holiday destination with families returning year-on-year”. So, what sets it apart?

First of all, the holiday park is in the beautiful seaside town of Bude and is close to lots of pretty beaches.

Visitors can easily get to Crooklets Beach, Sandymouth Beach, Widemouth Bay Beach, Northcott Mouth Beach, Summerleaze Beach and Bude Sea Pool.

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On-site there’s plenty to do as well including year-round fitness classes to tennis, woodland walks, golf, coasteering, little ones can enjoy the outdoor playground too.

During the school holidays, kids can try their hand at cheerleading, pottery painting, football, archery, arts and crafts.

Originally a farm, Wooda has lots of animals to see from the pygmy goats, chickens and lambs to the resident alpacas, Bruce, Boris and Bessie.

When it comes to food and drink, visitors can head into Bude, or enjoy the offers on the holiday park.

The Lodge offers quick fixes with takeaway options from fish and chips, to rice bowls, burgers, pizzas and salads.

The Yard Coffee, Bar & Kitchen is open during the summer months for sit down dinners or snacks like paninis and cream teas.

The Bar at The Mowhay is also open for the high season as is Cocktails at The Mowhay where there are also live music events.

On-site is a farm shop too which is stocked up with essential groceries as well as sweets, gifts and toys.

If you are looking to relax, then Wooda has its own wellness barn where there are treatments from massages to eyebrow shaping and tinting and lash lifts.

Even kids can have a little pamper from a mini massage to a mini facial.

The holiday park has 200 pitches for tents, caravans and motorhomes with lots of essentials.

Non-electric tent pitches which sleep up to six people start from £23 – or £3.80pppn.

On-site are three toilet and shower blocks with private cubicles inside along with sockets for hairdryers and straighteners

For those wanting a bit more privacy, there are four family bathrooms on-site which can be hired out during your stay at £10 per day.

Or check out the private bathroom pods which have a separate toilet and shower room – they also have their own fridge and hair dryer.

Other essentials include its Camper’s Kitchen with things like microwave, fridge and freezer, laundrette, Wi-Fi and picnic areas.

For a bit of comfort, Wooda also has cosy holiday homes, cottages, pods and luxury lodges.

If you want to go all out, take a look at the nine self-catered Gwelva Hills Lodges.

The eco-friendly lodges sleep between four and six people and are fully kitted out with beautiful bedrooms, a spacious lounge and modern kitchen.

There are floor to ceiling windows to show off the sea views too – these start from £464 for four nights.

Summer Strallen, who is best known for her career in the West End and is currently starring in Beetlejuice, has addressed her stint in Hollyoaks that acted as a publicity stunt almost 20 years ago

West End star Summer Strallen has admitted she is “embarrassed” by her role in Hollyoaks – almost two decades after she left the Channel 4 soap.

The actress, 40, has had a hugely successful stage career and in the late 2000s, she was cast in the leading role of Maria von Trapp in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production of The Sound of Music, acting as a replacement for Connie Fisher, who had won the part on the BBC reality show How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?

In an attempt to drum up more publicity for the musical, Summer was cast as aspiring actress Summer Shaw in Hollyoaks, and the storyline was designed around her fictional counterpart also landing the role made famous by Dame Julie Andrews. The publicity stunt also served as the exit for long-running character Sam “O.B.” O’Brien (Darren Jeffries) who left the fictional village to be with Summer when she moved to London.

Speaking about the odd plotline almost 20 years on, she said: “I did The Sound of Music for Andrew Lloyd Weber and did that whole Hollyoaks thing where I don’t know if I should [mention it]… It was like a publicity stunt where I went into Hollyoaks for five months and then I got the part of Maria on Hollyoaks.

“So it was around the programmes. Connie Fisher had done the first one, How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? and they were basically…they needed another bump of publicity for the new person coming in so they had this idea that I’d go into Hollyoaks for five months. I had a proper role, they called me Summer Shaw.

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“They called me Summer in it. And it was mad. I moved up to Liverpool and everything to do it and then went into The Sound of Music. It was hilarious. And Andrew was in it, we did scenes where be offered me the part of Maria and me and OB, who was my boyfriend, moved to London. I took OB with me, he was a massive part in Hollyoaks, and he left with me.”

Summer, who is the niece of West End legend Bonnie Langford, was chatting to fellow West End actress and former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Amber Davies on her Call to Stage podcast when she addressed her soap stint. When the ex-Love Island winner said she was going to dig out some clips on YouTube, Summer said: “It’s embarrassing!”

But the star, who also had a small role in Wicked: For Good opposite Ariana Grande and also appeared in BBC soap Doctors, is also thankful for the experience that working in television gave her at the time.

She added: “But it was good because I It meant that I did that. It was like in baptism of fire. for TV. So then when I did other TV jobs was great because I knew how to hit my mark. I knew not to drink, stuff like that. It’s totally different and so it really set me up.”

The late 2000s marked a time of using television to heavily publicise theatre and How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria was the first in a series of four BBC casting shows. It was followed by Any Dream Will Do, in which Lee Mead won the part of Joseph before going on to star in other West End shows and enjoy a stint in Casualty.

I’d Do Anything launched the acting career of Jodie Prenger, who won the part of Nancy in Oliver! and now plays Glenda Shuttleworth in Coronation Street whilst Jessie Buckley finished in second place in the years before she became an Academy Award winner.

In 2010, Over the Rainbow found Danielle Hope to play Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and also launched the career of Stephanie Davis, who is best known for her own Hollyoaks role and for appearing on Celebrity Big Brother. The talent searches were all headed up by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, and hosted by Graham Norton.

Various celebrities like stage actress Denise Van Outen, Loose Women panellist Zoe Tyler as well as Doctor Who actor John Barrowman, singer Charlotte Church and EastEnders star John Partridge all served as judges over the years.

Since her Hollyoaks stint, Summer, whose sisters are Zizi and Scarlett are also West End actresses and are known for the respective performances in Wicked and Mary Poppins, has mostly focused on theatre as well and is currently starring in the musical adaptation of Beetlejuice.

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“Heated Rivalry” will soon steam up a movie theater near you. Special Season 1 marathon screenings will celebrate the one-year anniversary of the smash sports romance series that set HBO Max ablaze last November.

Three sets of paired episodes will screen Nov. 6-30 in more than 650 theaters around the world (in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand): over 275 Regal theaters and 375 others, including AMC and Cinemark locations, distributor Sphere Abacus announced Thursday.

Tickets will cost $9.99 per screening, and Regal showings will include filmed greetings from the cast and show creator-writer-director Jacob Tierney. (The show is based on the novel of the same name by Rachel Reid.) Advanced tickets are available now at Regal (showtimes: Episodes 1 and 2, 3 and 4, and 5 and 6).

”Heated Rivalry” is a global phenomenon creating a rush of social media and press activity wherever it lands. We’re very excited to give audiences the opportunity to watch the drama unfold on big screens,” Hana Palmer, Sphere Abacus’ executive director of global distribution and partnerships, said in a statement.

For a limited time, participating locations will offer themed cocktails, including “Summer in Montreal” and “Russians Don’t Blush.” Shane (Hudson Williams) plays for the fictional Montreal Metros hockey team; although Shane’s cottage, where Ilya (Connor Storrie) agrees to spend the summer, is technically in Lanaudière, Québec, two hours outside of Ottawa.

Ilya, a gruff Russian from Moscow, is a fellow professional hockey player for the fictional Boston Raiders. The latter cocktail references a scene in the Raiders’ locker room: One of Ilya’s teammates sees him secretly texting Shane. “You’re straight up blushing,” he tells him. “Never in life have I blushed,” Ilya snaps back. “Russians do not do this.”

“Heated Rivalry” stars Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov.

(Sabrina Lantos / HBO)

“When a series connects with audiences the way ‘Heated Rivalry’ has, we look for ways to bring it to the big screen and give fans a reason to experience it together,” Regal’s SVP of U.S. content Brooks LeBoeuf said. “Nearly a year after its premiere, we’re proud to work with our partners to turn a season fans have watched again and again into a true theatrical event. It’s a chance to celebrate the story, its creators, and its performances before Season 2 arrives in 2027.”

Filming and production are still underway on Season 2, which is slated for release in spring 2027 on Crave and HBO Max.

WHO doesn’t love a holiday bargain? Well, British Airways is launching new flights that cost less than the average UK pint.

However, the two return journeys to the beautiful Mediterranean islands come with a small catch.

British Airways is launching two Avios-Only flights next summer – so you have enough points on its reward scheme to go on them.

The new return flights will be to Palma in Majorca and Heraklion in Crete.

Flights to the Greek island of Crete will depart on August 14, 2027 and returning a week later on August 21.

Seats will be available for 35,500 Avios + £5 return in Euro Traveller.

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For a return flight in Club Europe its 60,000 Avios + £40.

Crete is the largest island in Greece and one of the biggest in the Mediterranean Sea.

On the same dates, British Airways will also have an Avios-Only flight to Palma, Majorca.

Seats will be available for 28,000 Avios + £5 return in Euro Traveller.

In Club Europe, seats are available for 49,000 Avios + £40 return with checked baggage included as standard.

Majorca meanwhile has a beautiful coastline, picturesque villages and its busy capital of Palma has lots of bustling restaurants and a huge cathedral in the centre.

Once you’ve joined the British Airways Club, you can earn points by shopping online through the Avios portal, booking hotels and car hire, using co-branded credit cards, or converting Nectar points.

If you’re a frequent flier, you can earn through BA flights, as well as other IAG airlines like Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling and LEVEL, as well as partner airlines Qatar Airways, Finnair, and Loganair.

Other brands associated with IAG loyalty include brands like Domino’s, Deliveroo, River Island, Marks and Spencer and Boots.

For a more in-depth look at Avios and how to claim points, read more here.

The British Airways Avios-Only flights go on sale tomorrow.

Their face is gone, LeBron James getting kicked to a Philly curb.

Their voice is gone, longtime public address announcer Lawrence Tanter dying last month at age 76 after more than four decades of dulcet downtown tones.

A big piece of their heart is also gone, Jeanie Buss mired in an ugly court fight to maintain her last remaining sliver of influence in the wake of this summer’s sale to Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner.

Meet the 2026-27 Lakers, a team that will look different, sound different, feel different, play different and behave different from their recent predecessors in every way but one.

They’re still not winning a championship.

They’re still not getting to the conference finals.

Lakers guard Luka Doncic enters this season as the face of the franchise after LeBron James’ departure.

(Luke Hales / Getty Images)

They’re still destined to a sixth seed and a first-round knockout in the impossible West, a mediocre finish that is sure to convince new ownership to make massive changes — look out Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick! — and start all over again next season.

So call this a gap year.

They’ve graduated from LeBron, but they’re still not quite sure what they want to do with the rest of their life.

They’re planning on majoring in Luka Doncic, minoring in Austin Reaves and specializing in Walker Kessler, but there are flaws in all three, and the rest of the proposed curriculum is an unknown collection of ideas that have yet to be put together in a cogent package.

For now, the league’s biggest roster overhaul includes names that are just names, the likes of Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Kevon Looney. Who knows where they will fit? Who knows what they can do?

Noticeably missing are the names Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart, all decent contributors last season, and that’s too bad.

Then there’s the name Bronny James, whose future here took a nosedive when his pops moved to Philadelphia and he had a lousy training camp. Who knows how long Bronny will stick around, but at least the Lakers are out of the LeBron family drama business, which is good, because this team will create enough drama on its own.

First, there’s Doncic, and the risk in building around him, considering he’s missed an average of 20 games a season the last three years. He’s appeared in a total of five playoff games since leading the Dallas Mavericks to the Finals three years ago. He’s 27, but sometimes he trudges around the court like he’s 50.

Lakers guard Bronny James dribbles during a preseason game against the Kings at Crypto.com Arena on Oct. 8.

(Luke Hales / Getty Images)

Now that this is Doncic’s team, will he act like it?

Every centerpiece player in Laker history — from Mikan to West to Kareem to Magic to Kobe to Shaq to Pau to LeBron — has carried their group to a championship. They’ve not been considered a true Laker until they have done so. In the case of LeBron, one was not even enough.

Is Doncic prepared to shoulder this burden? He says yes. He says he’s done this before, although he’s never won an NBA title, so, um …

“It feels great,” he told reporters at media day last month. “Obviously, it’s a new challenge. I was in this position in my career a lot of times, so it’s not new to me. But I feel great. I feel excited, and like I said, I’m ready to go. It’s been a long time since I played basketball, so I’m ready.”

He got off to a good start this summer when he flew the team to his native Slovenia to spend a few days bonding. He is already acting like a captain. Now he needs to play every day like one.

“I see myself in this role, nothing new, but it’s very important,” Doncic said. “Everybody on the whole team, you know, look up to me, I have to look up to them. And it’s just, there should be many leaders, you know. You should be able to hold each other accountable.”

Lakers guard Austin Reaves dribbles past the Kings’ Nique Clifford during a preseason game at Crypto.com Arena on Oct. 8.

(Luke Hales / Getty Images)

Many leaders? Probably only two, Doncic and his newly minted $180-million running mate Reaves.

The Lakers were 30-11 when the two gunners were on the court last season, and no NBA duo averaged more points, but, again, this year is different.

Last year they both had LeBron as a safety net. This year, it’s all on them.

Just like Doncic, Reaves said he is ready to help guide his new teammates on this arduous journey.

“The expectation here of being a Laker is higher than it is anywhere in the world,” Reaves said. “The media presence, you know, every day something is going to come out about us, and just being able to know how to navigate that and help others navigate that is the main thing. One second we’re going to be the best team in the world. And the next you lose two in a row, you’re the worst team, you can’t figure it out. So, helping these guys understand that none of that really matters, it’s all about what goes on within these walls, is the main thing.”

Actually, for Reaves, the main thing is the postseason, where he has mightily struggled, even taking into account the slight guard usually enters each spring with all sorts of bumps and bruises. He’s been a lousy playoff shooter. He’s been a clumsy playoff playmaker.

But one of the greatest undrafted free agents in recent league history appreciates and embraces every chance to change the narrative, and he’ll have no greater chance than this season.

“You’re going to have failures within this long season,” he said. “But every single night you’re going to have an opportunity when you take the floor, especially for this organization, for this fan base to show the world what you’re capable of. So, you’re going to have every single opportunity to do good with the opportunities that you’re given.”

No Laker, it seems, will have a greater nightly opportunity to write his legacy than Kessler, who was acquired this summer from the Utah Jazz for the princely sum of two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps.

He is being projected as a perfect lob and pick-and-roll partner for Doncic and a long-awaited rim protector, but let’s be real.

He played in five games last year and never started a full season in his four years in Utah and even for a perpetually tanking team, that’s not a big resume. What sort of NBA center he will be is anybody’s guess.

The Lakers are guessing huge, and at least he sounds like he’s ready for it.

Laker Walker Kessler fouls the Warriors’ Yaxel Lendeborg during a preseason game on Oct. 13 in Las Vegas, Nev.

(Ethan Miller / Getty Images)

“And as far as the belief that they’ve shown in me, I mean, it makes me excited for this year,” he said. “It makes me feel like I can run through the wall for this organization, this team, my teammates, so yeah, I’m just so excited.”

Good thing about that wall, because with this unsettled bunch, there will be plenty of them.

But, hey, at least one looming question has been answered. During media day, new power forward Mamukelashvili gracefully explained how to pronounce his last name.

“So, a lot of people think it’s hard, but I don’t think so,” he said. “It is Mamu-kela-shvili. So if you take like, I feel like, two letters at a time, and “shvili” at the end, it’s not that hard.”

If only the rest of this season would go so smooth.

BUTLIN’S is continuing its all-inclusive family breaks into summer 2026 and 2027 – and absolutely everything is included.

From food and drink to waterparks and swimming pools to the adventure playgrounds – there are no hidden surprises.

Called the ‘All Inclusive Bundles‘ these include accommodation, breakfast, dinner, and drinks, Splash Waterworld, unlimited fairground rides, live shows, playgrounds and soft play.

The price starts from £125 per person for a family of four – or £41.50pppn.

When it come to the bundle, families have four different dining plans to choose from.

There’s the Food Court Dining & Drinks which has an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast and dinner, DineAround, which offers a choice of restaurants across each resort.

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Premium Buffet Dining Plan which is the best of the buffets including live cooking stations and themed nights, and Hotel Dining Plan which has the variety of the premium plan but at your own hotel restaurant.

Meanwhile, the drinks package includes unlimited soft drinks, spirits, wines, cocktails, draught beers and ciders, as well as non-alcoholic choices and Costa Coffee.    

In 2027, there will be eight brand-new shows to enjoy too including Britain’s Got Talent which will take place during all school holiday breaks.

It will be hosted by a celebrity presenter and performers will take to the stage in an attempt to get the Golden Buzzer.

During February half-term, there will be the new DreamWorks’ Madagascar – A Musical Adventure on stage.

Other new performances include K-Pop Forever! which has hits from groups like BTS and Blackpink.

Animals Magnified by the Animal Guyz which is a family show perfect for anyone who loves animals from hippos to tiny insects.

A Billion Streams will be its new concert-style show where guests can hear some of the world’s biggest hits from the likes of Harry Styles and Dua Lipa.

The Skyline Gang will compete in a Battle of the Bands competition so get ready to hear incredible drum solos and guitar riffs.

The price of an all-inclusive bundle starts from £499 for a family of four – or £41.50pppn.

This is based on two adults and two children in a Comfort Room on an October Half Term three-night break with Food Court buffet breakfast and dinner, and the All Inclusive Drinks Package. 

During the 2027 summer holidays, a three-night break to Skegness from August 13-16 with a Food Court Dining & Drinks bundle costs £739.98 – or £61.66pppn.

Travel Writer Helen Wright checked out the all-inclusive last year where she enjoyed cocktails, including a ‘Butlin’s on the Beach’.

While her kids headed to all the free activities from go karting to the fairground and outdoor playground.

Jon Hendry Pickup, CEO at Butlin’s, said: “The cost of a family holiday doesn’t stop at the booking price.

“Meals and drinks can be harder to budget for in advance, so extending our All-Inclusive bundles to school holiday breaks gives families a much clearer picture of the overall cost before they arrive.”

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.

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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

THE Cotswolds is one of the few places in the UK that looks even more beautiful at this time of year than during the summer months.

Gorgeous thatched-roofed cottages offer a snug escape, old pubs light up roaring fireplaces and woodlands are carpeted with fiery leaves.

I was visiting Bourton-on-the-Water, which offered all of this and more. In fact, the picture-perfect village has been dubbed the “Venice of the Cotswolds” thanks to its gorgeous scenery.

Weaving its way through the heart of the village, the River Windrush has a series of low stone bridges spanning its clear, shallow waters.

Honey-coloured homes line the grassy banks, creating a stunning backdrop that looks like the set of an English murder-mystery drama.

Its charm is magical and it comes as no surprise to learn that Kourtney Kardashian pipped me to the post, visiting the village and snapping the cottages I was lucky to call home for the weekend in her Instagram story.

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And Instagram-worthy this home certainly is.

Kestrel Cottage is the perfect bolthole for a weekend away. With one beautifully-decorated bedroom and a comfy sofabed, there is more than enough room for a couple, family or group of friends.

It’s one of four cottages set within an old mill and it’s bursting with character. It looked like it was straight out of an interior design magazine with fluffy carpets, a chic olive-coloured kitchen and bare-brick walls.

I loved how well equipped and homely the kitchen was, with enough facilities to whip up dinner for a cosy night in, along with all the decor you’d want to jazz up your own home.

My fairytale visit does come with a cautionary tale, though.

Where the Kardashians go, wannabe influencers will follow.

And Bourton-on-the-Water serves up the perfect picture spots, with a steady stream of visitors — although slightly less so now that summer is over (another good reason to visit in autumn).

Plus, staying in the heart of the village comes with the luxury of slipping out before the crowds for a peaceful wander in the sunshine to grab a morning coffee.

Bakery On The Water is the enemy of your waistline, but well worth it. Two cappuccinos and a side of pastry and sausage roll was the fuel we needed to explore.

We bounced from gift shop to restaurant, perusing all the lovely-looking menus, past the sweet store and ice cream parlour (making a note to return in summer), before turning the corner to find the beautiful Victorian Christmas Shop — a treasure trove for the festive-obsessed among us, myself included.

Coffees long gone, we treated ourselves to a pint or two by the fire at The Old New Inn, and wiled away the afternoon playing cards and debating where to eat that evening.

Bourton-on-the-Water leaves you completely spoilt for choice when it comes to food. With Smiths, the award-winning burger joint, two Italians, a Chinese, chippie and pizza spot, it’s almost impossible to agree.

After much debate, we opted for one of the lovely village pubs, The Willow, which has a huge garden overlooking the river.

This hostelry does pub classics properly, including a top-notch fish served with suitably crunchy chips (£19.95) and a traditional steak and mushroom pie loaded with moreish gravy (£19.50). The roast dinners looked good, too. Although those are best saved for Sundays.

Ahead of filling your belly, a Sunday in the Cotswolds is best spent strolling the scenic landscapes — and this time we decided to venture beyond the confines of the village.

A gentle, winding footpath guided us through the countryside towards the twin villages of Lower Slaughter and Upper Slaughter.

The peaceful, 1.5-mile route takes you along the banks of the River Eye, past wildflower meadows and yet more honey-coloured cottages.

The tranquillity of Lower Slaughter (despite its name) is what struck us most, especially when compared to its tourist hotspot neighbour. Crowds were minimal and all that could be heard was the chirp of birds and a gentle stream.

If you’d like to fuel here ahead of your walk back, Slaughters Country Inn is known for its excellent roasts.

Cosying up inside by the fire, we enjoyed another well-earned drink before ducking low ceilings to get to the restaurant, where we were met by giant Yorkshires, roast beef and all the trimmings.

Skip dessert, though, and end your meal at the Hawkstone Brewery instead — another gem we can thank Jeremy Clarkson for.

It’s less Aperol spritz and more traditional English pints — mine with an elderflower twist. The perfect way to toast an autumn escape.

It may even top Venice . . .