[Closed] where to go for lazy warm holiday in October??

Canary Islands....

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Cyprus

Have a look on the BA.com holiday finder - they have a flight time / temperature control on there, but I suspect for your budget you'll end up with

Canary Islands….

or

Cyprus

I like Portugal in October. Still shorts & T-shirt weather but hardly anyone about. In fact I like it so much I'll be going to near Nazare again at the start of October and probably surf at Peniche.

Eyepic has it.

All your boxes ticked. Fuertoventura is the nicest island IMHO. But anywhere in the Canaries is good

The riding is great and there’s plenty of bike hire places if you do fancy a break from lounging around

Canary Islands, though they might still be hotter than 20-odd Celcius in October, back in Jan 2005 and 2006 is was ~20C when we last went to Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Back then we got all inclusive
deals for ~£350pp. no idea how much that has gone up to ~13 years later.

Would love to return to Tenerife these days, preferably after losing some more weight and regaining more fitness, Mount Teide is the biggest climb in what is regarded as Europe.

We did Madeira many years ago in October. Got a great deal by booking late, lazy days by the pool overlooking the sea of plenty of places to go and see if that's your thing.

Your requirements don't really all work together. To guarantee mid-20s day time temperatures and sunshine, you probably need to go more than 5 hours or the Canary Islands. The Canaries are good for lazing, noting they can be windy, and day tripping into the mountains (the hills are cooler and generally there is a wet side to each island, depending on the season).

If you want activities / history / something to 'see', you probably need to accept the risk of some rain or a longer flight. The Mediterranean starts getting storms in October, so e.g. it is the wettest month in the Balearics. Further east there is still warm weather in the low 20s but a risk of rain (expect a few days of rain in a week's holiday). You could look at Dubrovnik / Croatian coast or the Turkey / Cyprus / Crete coasts, if you like history and culture. They are really cheap by October.

If you want guaranteed sunbathing on a beach in swinwear and no rain, then extend your flight time and accept a high rise hotel and do a package to Dubai or Thailand.

If you want low key and cheap, I would either (1) fly to Dalaman, hire a car and find a quiet self catering place on a cliff top or (2) fly to Seville (or Malaga or Faro), hire a car and stay in a finca in the hills or in one of the non-touristy beaches on the Atlantic side of Gibraltar (can be windy and may get rain).

The SW coast of Spain is lovely and will be warm enough in Septmeber

Lots of really nice places from the Portugal border to Tarifa

Cyprus if you don’t mind a stray missile landing on your head

We went to majorca in mid october last year. Mid 20s temperature, one bad day of rain, great blue skies and lots to see and do, some good caves and interesting fishing villages as well.

Flights were short enough that a 6 month old and a 2 year old were ok

We did Croatia a couple of years ago - it was perfect weather.

Canaries are likely around high 20s that time of year, potentially higher even, but the nights are cool enough. It's one of the few places the weather is reliably consistent, unless you go the one week of the year where it rains. That said, I think the weather can differ regionally, so check where you plan on going.

Croatia, definitely

Been to Rhodes, Crete and Cyprus in August and it's still high 20's to low 30's during the day. Maybe the odd thunderstorm

malaga, cadiz, granada etc

we had a week in futurventura for a couple of hundred quid each self catering in feb

The canaries can be fine if you get the right town / island. for that reason either do a lot of research or use a travel agent with knowledge to avoid being stuck in chavville

Canaries from me .

Canaries can be horrendously windy (personal experience). Shit hole tourist traps IMHO. Mainland Spain or Portugal for us.

Doesn't have to be shithole tourist traps Edukator. Plenty of nice places. They have very cleverly put all the tourist developments in the same areas

We’ve been going to the Canaries for years. Usually in November, when it’s mid 20’s and lovely.

Never been to a ‘Chaville’ shithole tourist trap. Just nice, quiet places generally populated by ageing golfists (renowned for slumming it while loading up on blue WKD and shots at night clubs), Waitrose families and cyclists.

Maybe ones staff have been booking one these places as a sort of adventure for you Edukator...

Turkey. Been a couple of times now and really surprised me. Will probably go back next year again

generally populated by ageing golfists (renowned for slumming it while loading up on blue WKD and shots at night clubs), Waitrose families and cyclists.

precisely what I was refering to. 😉

It's no longer of any concern to me anyhow, no chance of me ever going back. The bus driver will invent extra charges for things to be paid in cash for which they'll refuse a receipt (when they threaten to call the police make out as if you are doing exactly that). The taxi drivers will try to rip you off (there used to be a hot line to denounce the fruadsters in Barcelona but not on the islands) - just argue and argue and make to call the police if you think you're being ripped off. Buy food in supermarkets rather than eat in restaurants if you don't want a dose of the touristas. Always check what you're charged against the offical price list even if you have to ask for it. Don't tip on the basis that they're already ripping you off somehow and have tipped themselves. Maybe things have improved with booking.com scores to worry about but it's second only to Pisa in Italy in the milk the tourist idiots stakes IME. Or maybe it's all changed and it's all roses now.

Try the Spanish north coast where we usually get a genuine welcome. It's a bit cooler and damper but without the wind and volcanic dust, and nice landscapes rather than a pile of volcanic rubble - as a geologist an active volcano should be vaguely interesting but being cut up by tourist buses and riding into a howling gale are the abiding memories of the day out.

n.b. experiences may vary, or maybe you fans didn't understand or notice the contempt with which you were being treated. I went there not long after having worked in Barcelona for a year and it was a case of here we go again, but concentrated.

🙂

Actually compared to the contempt I got in mainland spain I found the canaries much better - once out of the tourist traps of course. Taxi drivers friendly and cheap, locals even more so. One chap went miles out of his way to take us back to our accomodation when we asked in a bar where we could get a taxi from.

I have travelled all over the place. Nowt wrong with the right bits of the right islands.

So where are these right bits of right islands that aren't "chaville"?

On the mainland I'll cite Guetaria and Zarautz in the Basque country, Comillas and Castro Urdiales in Cantabria, Navia and Luarca in Asturias... .

Morocco fits your requirements

Having been to Gran Canary 1-2 times a year for the last 6-7 years, I can honestly say I have only had one bad experience from a local on Gran Canaria ... a workman who stopped me walking my bike past some road works up in the mountain which meant I had a 30+ detour with about an extra 1500m of climbing; he was horrendous (although just doing his job).

The resorts closest to the airport are generally not good; but there are plenty of nicer places west and north of the island.

Edukator is obviously demonstrating his typical clueless uninformed traits again.

thanks for all the input so far.

form the above the majority seem to be pointing at the canaries and seems to fit budget and weather requirements. any advice on which island and / or villages / small resorts? looking for something a bit more chilled out, not hotels that have entertainment every night and hundreds of screaming kids running round a pool. our ideal would be a small development or some form of self catering in a chilled out area.

morocco also appeals but only ever been to Marrakesh (which is crazy nuts in a good way) any pointers on where to go near the coast

anyone been to the greek islands in October? are they a ghost town out of season?

Croatia is on the list but for another time, earlier in the year when the weathers better

Another vote for Madeira

Cadiz is lovely. Not too touristy (no airport too close - so need to rent a car) and lots to do. Great history everywhere

I note that none of the people extolling the virtues of the Canaries have yet stated which island and town they found so marvellous. I'll start with Lanzarote, Puerto del Carmen. A low rise hotel complex. It was busy but the owner claimed that it was out of season which explained why the pool wasn't being maintained, and why the outdoor furniture was covered in volcanic dust. It wasn't as if they lacked time, they sat around doing nothing. The beach bars and restaurants were grotty and clearly aimed at a stereotypical England football fan, the little supermarket a saving grace. There was the usual airport noise you expect on an island with an airport but it didn't bother us - and yes we were part of that problem having got there by plane. Emptying the hold consisted of chucking the luggage out onto a trolley a couple of metres or so below, including my bike. The wind blew or howled down from the volcano bringing clouds of dust. On a bike ride around the island I dropped into the famous Club La Santa training camp which looked more DDR than Spain.

Cadiz is lovely. However the first thing I recall is trying to hitch out of the place and trying to find a suitable place among all the pretty ladies lining the road doing crosswords or reading magazines. It's a naval port. A beach holiday in a proper Spanish town.

Put away your handbags sweeties.

I'm off to Corfu in October, really looking forward to it, I'm not sure of accommodation costs as we're lucky enough to be staying with friends who live there. Average 23C daytime high temp.

Morocco? not too far, warm, things to go and look at if you get bored

Our place ticks all your boxes. It's certainly quiet, near the mediterranean with lovely coves and beaches, weather in October is 20+degrees and dry, easy and cheap to get to by flying to Barcelona or Reus/Tarragona in 2 hours, local hill walking, we can rent bikes or guide on local rides. We'd recommend hiring a car if you want to do your own thing.
This is us Casa Tomillo

We went to Crete at the back end of October last year and it was perfect. The weather was great, 25 ish in the day with loads of sun, the rest was empty as everyone had gone home, and it was a very pleasant relaxed week.

Gran Canaria. Puerto Mogan. Stay in the Cordial Valle apartments.
It seems to answer all your requirements.
There are kids pool and quiet pools where lifeguard will ask you to keep noise down if it gets much above a whisper.
It’s a 5-10 min walk from busier harbour .. bars/restaurants/supermarket 5 mins walk ... very quiet relaxed place.
Harbour has boat trip up coast for couple euros.

Bike rental 300 yds away👌

On a bike ride around the island I dropped into the famous Club La Santa training camp which looked more DDR than Spain.

I go to La Santa every year. Sometimes twice. IMHO your impression is mistaken.

We’ve had several mid October holidays in Mallorca with the weather the OP wants. Last year was, however very different and I’m not rushing to head back this year. Might try Southern Spain or Portugal instead.

Just ignore Edukator, he's a doom-monger and rarely says anything positive.

CRETE!

Darlington!!