Wondering where is hot in September? This is the connoisseur’s month: the Mediterranean is still summer-warm but the crowds thin out the moment schools go back. Cyprus and Antalya hold 31°C, the Greek islands sit around 27°C to 28°C, and the sea is warmer than in June everywhere, because it has had all summer to heat up.
September also reopens the long-haul map: the Red Sea is superb, and by late month the first of the winter-sun destinations start to make sense. Prices drop noticeably after the first week. Here is where the weather is at its best, with typical September daytime highs and sea temperatures.
CYPRUS
Cyprus is the safest September bet in Europe: 31°C in Paphos and Ayia Napa early in the month, still 29°C at the end, and a sea holding a remarkable 27°C. Rain remains a rarity until October. Summer, minus the school holidays.
ANTALYA, TURKEY
The Turkish Riviera stays properly hot into autumn: 31°C to 32°C in early September, easing to 29°C by month end, with a 27°C sea. All-inclusive prices fall sharply after the first week, which makes this one of the best value-for-heat plays of the year.
RHODES AND CRETE, GREECE
The southern Greek islands hold 27°C to 28°C through September with a 25°C sea and day after day of clear skies. The meltemi wind of high summer fades, the beaches empty out, and restaurant tables that needed booking in August are suddenly free.
MALTA
Malta in September is 28°C with the year’s warmest sea at 26°C: better swimming than June by some margin. The first autumn showers can appear late in the month but rarely last long. A strong shout for combining beach days with Valletta and Gozo sightseeing in bearable heat.
MAJORCA, SPAIN
Majorca eases from 29°C to 26°C across September while the sea stays at 26°C. The island exhales when the August crowds leave: cycling and hiking seasons start, and the beach clubs stay open with room to breathe. Late September can see a thunderstorm, but sunshine dominates.
COSTA DEL SOL, SPAIN
Marbella and the Costa del Sol run at 27°C to 28°C in September with sea temperatures around 22°C. Andalusia’s cities come back into play too: Seville and Córdoba drop from their furnace-like August peaks to a manageable low 30s early in the month.
ALGARVE, PORTUGAL
The Algarve delivers 26°C September days, warm evenings and thinner crowds on those huge beaches. The Atlantic is at its annual warmest, about 21°C. Golfers know September here well; beach families who can travel outside school terms should copy them.
TENERIFE, SPAIN
Tenerife holds a steady 27°C in September with a 23°C sea, the Canaries’ warmest of the year. It is a transitional month here: summer heat without winter-sun prices, and the calmest sea conditions for boat trips to see the pilot whales off the west coast.
SHARM EL SHEIKH AND HURGHADA, EGYPT
The Red Sea comes back into its own in September: 33°C, guaranteed sunshine and 28°C water with world-class snorkelling and diving. It is still hot in the middle of the day, but nothing like the 40°C of high summer, and five-hour flights make it an easy heat upgrade over the Med.
FURTHER AFIELD IN SEPTEMBER
Long-haul in September rewards the dry-season pickers: Bali (29°C) and Zanzibar (29°C) are both at their best, and the Maldives’ rainy season is starting to matter less by late month. The Caribbean remains a hurricane-season gamble until November, whatever the brochure price says.
SEPTEMBER AT A GLANCE
Hottest short-haul: Antalya and Cyprus (31°C). Warmest sea: the Red Sea (28°C). Best value: Turkey after the first week. Best all-rounder: Rhodes or Malta, summer weather with autumn space. Avoid: Caribbean hurricane-season bargains.