Where’s hot in September? Holidays to take now and plan ahead

Catch the last of summer without the crowds

Walk along Menorca's scenic coastal trails (Shutterstock)

For many holidaymakers, September brings a sigh of relief and pleasure. School holidays will have finished – except in Italy, where they linger for an extra couple of weeks – and prices begin to dip to more reasonable levels. Days are sunny and seas are warm, but the pace is less frenetic and the crowds have thinned. For anyone not bound by the school calendar, September can be the best time to travel – particularly to other European destinations.

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Morocco

Morocco’s searing heat calms down a little in September, which is a good time to combine chilling out on the coast at Essaouria with diving into the madness that’s Marrakech. Fleewinter (fleewinter.com) offers a five-night holiday with three nights in Essaouria at the intimate Dar Les Sirènes riad before going on to Marrakech. There you’ll stay at Les Trois Mages riad in the Medina, where there’s a rooftop pool. Prices for September departures start at £255pp, including breakfast and transfers but not flights.

The beaches around Essaouira are popular with surfers (Getty Images)

Menorca

A welcome mellowness hits Menorca in September, when temperatures are in the mid to late 20s. It’s excellent walking weather for treks along the tranquil coastal trails, which you can explore in a seven-night walking holiday with Headwater (headwater.com). A converted finca with a panoramic pool is the base for this self-guided break, which costs from £1,109pp and includes flights, half-board accommodation, maps and hire car. Departs every Friday in September.

Puglia

While southern Italy won’t have quite the baking temperatures of August, it will still be pleasantly hot. Keep cool within the thick walls of a traditional trullo, the whitewashed conical cottages that are such appealing features of Puglia. Long Travel (long-travel.co.uk) has a week in Trullo Zingaro near Cisternino, which is about 14km from the Adriatric coast. This cosy trullo sleeps two and features a shared pool. Prices start at £953pp, including flights and car hire, for a 24 September departure.

Eastern Canada

Catch autumn’s blazing colours from behind the wheel of a car on a self-drive holiday through Ontario and Quebec. This 13-day tour with Wexas Travel (wexas.com) starts in Toronto before going past the Thousand Islands in the St Lawrence River towards Montreal and Quebec City. It then swings back into Ontario to the country’s capital, Ottawa, and delves into the wilderness of Algonquin Park and Muskoka before finishing in Niagara Falls. Prices start at £1,995pp and include flights, accommodation and car hire for departures before 30 September.

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Burma

This fascinating corner of South-east Asia continues to open up to tourists after years in isolation, and December marks the end of the rainy season. Discover the thousands of gilded stupas, sacred sites, ancient cities and lush landscapes on a 14-day tour with Experience Travel (experiencetravelgroup.com). It includes the former capital of Yangon, the temples of Bagan and the stilt villages of Inle Lake, as well as Mandalay. The price of £3,200 is for 1-23 December departures and includes international flights, internal transport and B&B accommodation.

The temples of Bagan (Getty)

Christmas in the Alps

The ski season hasn’t exactly had a promising start over the past couple of years, but things look better at high altitude. Snow-sure Tignes features the Grande Motte glacier at 3,456m and shares the Espace Killy ski domain with neighbouring Val d’Isère. Spend Christmas at Chalet Hotel Le Touring with Inghams (inghams.co.uk), where a week’s holiday starts at £899pp and include flights, transfers, half-board accommodation and a special Christmas menu, departing 23 December.

Cuba

As the dry season comes to Cuba, December is the time to enjoy its temperate climate – but move quickly as accommodation gets snapped up for the Havana International Jazz Festival (11-19 December). Start in the capital before spending a week along the 20km of white sandy beaches in Varadero. The Holiday Place (theholidayplace.co.uk) has a 10-night holiday from £1,599pp, with three nights’ B&B at the NH Capri in central Havana and an all-inclusive week at the beachfront Iberostar Tainos Hotel in Varadero. The price for a 12 December departure includes flights.

Start your Cuban holiday in Havana (Getty Images) (Getty)

Mary Novakovich is editor at large at 101holidays.co.uk