End of season? No way!

As Mediterranean islands play catch-up after a slow start, the British are embracing late-autumn flings, says Laura Fowler

Traditionally, Ibiza’s closing parties in September mark the end of the season. Not this year. After a summer of little activity, the White Isle’s tourism scene is united in its drive to extend the season – with clubs finally allowed to reopen from October 8.

“October and November are looking busier than ever with Brits this year now that the laws have changed,” says Ibiza fixer-to-the-stars Serena Cook, founder of the concierge agency Deliciously Sorted (deliciouslysortedibiza. com). “Everyone wants to stay open to make up for the slow start – hotels, villa owners, restaurants like new beach club Casa Jondal.”

Indeed, Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay (nobuhotelibizabay.com) is still at 94 per cent capacity, according to general manager Edwin Kramer, who is witnessing a surge of late demand for the resort, which is opening until November 2 this year. Cook, meanwhile, is getting requests to rent party houses such as Fincadelica (fincadelica.com) even into December and January.

The neighbouring Balearic islands are following suit. “Many clients are concerned that booking a break to Mediterranean destinations late in the season will mean they find themselves in ghost towns, but this won’t be the case in Mallorca this year,” says Stephen Ellison of villa rental company Vintage Travel (vintagetravel.co.uk). The firm is taking November bookings for villas around Felanitx and Santanyi where, says Ellison, local life continues throughout the winter.

It’s a similar story across Europe. As travel opens up, demand is booming for autumn flings at our favourite Mediterranean hangouts – and the tourism industry has been quick to respond. Hot-off-the-red-list Turkey is having a last hurrah. Coastal hotels such as Fethiye’s Hillside Beach Club (hillsidebeachclub.com) and Bodrum’s Macakizi (macakizi.com) are eking out their long summer into November and Jet2 is flying later than usual to Dalaman. British Airways has laid on an extra 13,000 seats this October, compared with pre-pandemic volume, on popular routes such as Bodrum, Malaga and Zakynthos.

“The Greeks holiday at this time of year,” says Ben Shearer, owner of Zakynthos’s Peligoni Club (peligoni.

com), which is staying open an extra five weeks until October 31. “The weather is very much still summer here – the sea is at its warmest; the evenings mild – without the school-holiday crowds. After the past 18 months, everyone deserves an extended summer.”

When I ask Sofia Mavroudis, owner of Cabanon Concrete Retreat (cabanonconcreteretreat.com), if November is too late to visit Crete, she says more people are choosing to come later in the year “because this is when we as locals go”.

Even in Provence, hotels are fashionably late-closing: La Bastide de Marie

(labastidedemarie.com) until November 14; Crillon Le Brave (crillonlebrave. com) until December 5. Newly renovated Coquillade Provence (coquillade. fr) has decided not to close at all.

Perhaps we will start to find autumn a rewarding time to experience the Mediterranean – without the crowds, like the locals do – beyond 2021. Indeed, any native will tell you how much they love their island at this time of year. “October is just gorgeous in Ibiza,” says Cook. “It’s 26 to 28 degrees, everyone’s heading to the beach… it’s beautiful – Like an English summer.”

Still open: demand is up for autumn beach breaks – and islands like Ibiza are meeting it