Several most popular places to spend your October holidays

All the tourists and avid travelers know that October is the perfect time for having a holiday. The truth is that early autumn is a more favorable time for exploring new sites due to several reasons. One of the most important of them is that in autumn there are fewer tourists and therefore more opportunities to visit intriguing places without the annoying presence of dozens of other people. So if you are looking forward to have a magnificent and unforgettable vacation you should definitely consider early autumn as a perfect time for that. Here are some most intriguing places for your consideration.

Intriguing France

You would never regret visiting France in October, due to its numerous cultural events which attract art vultures from all over the world. Perpignan photo festival is a grand event which can be a good motivation to visit a small Mediterranean city in the southern part of France. During the days of the festival the whole city is actually covered in posters, which promote Visa Pour L’Image, the international festival dedicated to photojournalism. The key figure of the festival is Jean-Francois Leroy, the main organizer. Corsica is another place in France you might want to visit in early autumn. Approximately in the middle of September you will have a unique opportunity to enjoy the traditional French music during the well-known festival Rencontres de Chants Polyphoniques de Calvi. If you are into dancing, you might want to visit Lyon as well. There is an exciting dancing festival starting from the middle of September – Lyon’s Biennale OFF. It is an annual festival, which gives the opportunity to the urban and contemporary dancers to perform and demonstrate their talent. If you are a jazz connoisseur, you should definitely visit Beaune, Burgundy. Besides the music, you could enjoy a glass of remarkable Burgundy wine, which has a world-wide fame. You probably have heard about L’Occitania festival. If you haven’t, you should definitely make a stop in Toulouse and spare some time for visiting this interesting annual celebration of art. It is worth noting that L’Occitania festival covers most branches of the arts, and without any doubt you would find something interesting there. Those who are interested more in shopping than in different art shows can visit the biggest flea market in Europe – Braderie de Lille. 

Religious festivals in Italy

Easter is probably the major religious event in Italy. However even in October you can still participate in some feast days and experience the celebration of Virgin Mary’s birthday. Florence is another place you might be interested in. On the 7th of September you will have a unique opportunity to participate in a parade and march along the streets of Florence with hundreds of other people, carrying paper lanterns. You will also witness the procession of boats sailing down the Arno. Piazza Santissima Annunziata is famous for its impressive food market. Along with the actual food market, you will have an opportunity to enjoy the show of talented street musicians and performers. Among the other famous tourist destinations in Italy Tuscan countryside is one of the most visited ones. Avid travelers note that in early autumn the picturesque countryside of Tuscany is characterized by remarkable misty views, pink dawns, exciting truffle hunts and grape harvests.

Remarkable Mallorca

Mallorca is mostly known for its capital and biggest city Palma da Mallorca, however we would recommend you to visit Port de Soller – a small picturesque village on the north-western part of the Mallorcan coast. There are two beautiful beaches, which are linked by a promenade full of fancy restaurants and bars, where you could spend several hours and taste some of the tasty local specialties. You could also enjoy the view of the lighthouses, which are standing at each side of the bay. If you would like to take a look at the village from above, you should definitely visit the modern hotel “Esplendido”, which has a beautiful roof terrace. There is also a swimming pool on the roof of the Swedish-run trendy hotel. Most of the tourists who’ve already been to Port de Soller, strongly recommend visiting such restaurants as Agapanto or El Pirata, both of which often have live music. In order to get to the village of Soller you may use a vintage wooden tram, which was built a century ago. It moves through the picturesque orange groves of the town and reaches the place where weekly market is held every Saturday. Among the local entertainment the boat trips are one of the most popular ones. This way you would have an opportunity to explore the island from the sea. You might also be interested in two beautiful villages – Biniaraix and Fornalutx – which are situated at the base of the highest mountain of Mallorca – Puig Major. 

Exciting mountainous Cyprus

One of the most famous and visited landmarks of Cyprus is of course the magnificent Troodos Mountains. It is worth noting that there are several byzantine monasteries and charming little villages nestling up at the foot of the mountains. Such place is a wonderful alternative for a typical holiday at the beach, or it may be a good add-on. You will be surprised to find an outstanding hotel in a village, situated at the very heart of the Troodos Mountains - Kalopanayiotis.  The hotel is notable because it consists of several traditional buildings, which were eventually converted in a fancy luxurious hotel called Casale Panayiotis. You would definitely enjoy staying at this hotel! The hotel’s spa deserves your great attention as far as it is a restored barn. As regards the restaurant, it is well-known for its remarkable view over the valley and wonderfully cooked Cypriot food and wine. You will also find there a distinguished monastery and remarkable six chapels, which were added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. If you have an active life-style you should definitely visit the swimming pool, from where you could enjoy breath-taking mountain views. Other attractions include visiting an orchard, and try fishing in a river full of trout. It is worth noting that you have some other options of how to spend your precious time. For example you could explore some forest tracks on bikes; you could try rock climbing or kayaking. Moreover you will have a unique opportunity to taste some of the most popular Cypriot wines. 

Lovely Greece

You should probably take into consideration that as soon as August ends the prices on the Greek islands fall considerably even in spite of the fact that early autumn is without any doubt the best time for an outstanding sunshine holiday. There are certain advantages of visiting Greece particularly in this period of time – the sea is still warm enough, so it won’t be a problem to enjoy swimming; the heat is no longer scorching, so you will have an opportunity to spend as many hours at the beach as you like without fearing to get burned in the sun or get a head stroke; and finally the most attractive thing is that there won’t be endless crowds of tourists, and you would have a better opportunity to explore the landmarks of Greece. Skiathos is a very famous tourist destination in Greece. It is a lovely island in the Aegean Sea, where you will find more than 60 beautiful beaches. It is worth noting that most of them will be almost empty in early autumn. If you decide to visit Aegean or Ionian islands you should note that you would have a 30% discount for certain villas such as for example the wonderful Villa Dimitrios with two bedrooms. It is situated right in the Kolios hill village, and has a breath-taking panoramic sea views and a private pool. It is a remarkable place to stay! You could spend lovely hours at the terrace and barbecue fresh fish. If you prefer not to cook anything yourself, you could visit some of the village tavernas or drive directly to Skiathos Town, which is famous for its fancy restaurants. 

Rural attractions of Portugal

The northern part of Portugal doesn’t attract as many tourists as the Algarve; however it doesn’t mean that the rural area doesn’t have its own landmarks and places of interest. The Mihno region is a good example for that. It is all green and lush with age-old forests, picturesque river valleys and hoary forts. It is worth noting that most part of the ancient traditional buildings were restored and then turned into holiday lets. Probably the most famous of them is the Quinta da Bemvisa, which was a farmhouse in the 17th century. Today it has a large swimming pool and several tennis courts. Without any doubt it is a perfect place for active family holidays. The rural parts of Portugal attract mainly people interested in mountain biking, horse riding, canoeing etc.

Astonishing Petra

Petra is without any doubt is the most visited and astonishing landmark of Jordan, which attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world. Surprisingly, but for centuries this ancient city was forgotten and unknown for the westerners. Only two centuries ago this wonderful and outstanding place was rediscovered by Johann Burckhardt, a distinguished Swiss explorer. Most of the citizens of Jordan considered that there will be an impressive influx of tourists and travelers for the 200th anniversary celebrations, but unfortunately the problematic situation in the Middle East was a demotivating factor for tourists, even in spite of the fact that Jordan is stable. As the matter of fact early autumn is a perfect time to visit Petra. You should definitely use some of the special offers from hotels, airlines and tour companies. This way you will have a unique opportunity to explore the astonishing gem of the whole Middle East – Petra – without the annoying crowds of tourists. 

British Isles

The weather on the British Isles has always been the talk of the town. It would be quit presumptuously to say that it would be sunny in Great Britain during the early autumn period. However you might have an opportunity to enjoy sunshine on Guernsey. The weather on the island is generally sunny and warm, especially during October. It is a great place to explore numerous beaches, flower-filled green valleys and cliff tops. You could also visit the well-known Taste Guernsey Food Festival which traditionally takes place in the islands pretty harbor capital, St. Peter port. At the festival you will have an opportunity to taste different kinds of Guernsey sushi, guess the mystery flavours of an ice-cream, go on hedgerow hike, participate in a pancake challenge or enter a crab-picking race. It is worth noting that most of these events are free, and due to that reason the hotels offer special packages for the period of the festivals. You could spend two nights at the Fleur du Jardin hotel, and it will cost you only 262 pounds. Breakfast is usually included in the price. 

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