Crete and the Peloponnese Among Europe’s Greatest Autumn Beach Breaks

Pylos, Peloponnese.

Crete and the Peloponnese are among the top 10+1 European destinations ideal for an autumn beach break, according to a recent feature in UK newspaper The Telegraph.

Written by Telegraph Travel’s longtime collaborator and travel expert Sophie Butler, the article proposes 11 European fall destinations that are “crowd-free, affordable, and with perfect weather.”

When it comes to Greece, Butler recommends the island of Crete as the “Greek island with the longest summer season for reliable weather,” with September temperatures that peak at 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) and drop only to around 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit), with 10 hours of sunshine per day.

Balos beach, Crete.

The Telegraph’s editor goes on to highlight the island’s many holiday options, from its more popular northern areas like Heraklion to its more secluded, off-the-grid locations in the southern parts of the island.

With regard to the Peloponnese, Butler notes that while the northern part has more to see and do, the southern areas offer the warmest September temperatures, peaking at 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit) with around nine hours of sunshine, and sea water temperatures that are “only a couple of degrees lower than the air, at around 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit).”

Aerial view of Kalamata.

The editor also adds that the southwestern coast of the Peloponnese, near Kalamata and Pylos, offers many upscale hotel options and is ideal for a “fly-and-flop” week-long vacation.

The rest of Europe’s Greatest Autumn Beach Breaks list, according to The Telegraph, includes destinations such as Hvar, Cinque Terre, the South of France, Majorca, Cyprus, Turkey, Puglia, Andalusia, the Costa del Sol, and Sicily.