Missed your summer holiday? Need a late season sunshine fix? There is still time to find some warmth this autumn without having to endure a long haul flight. But you have to be careful where you go if you don't want to take too big a risk with the weather. In many parts of the Mediterranean, the summer can start to break by the end of September. And few holiday experiences are more miserable than sitting in a chilly, marble-floored hotel room watching the rain lashing across seafront.
The nearest microclimate where you can find reliably warm weather well into October, is Spain's Costa del Sol. Temperatures here normally still peak at about 22C or 23C until right at the end of the month. And you don't have to stay in one of the coasts mega resorts such as Fuengirola, or Torremolinos. There are plenty of more attractive options - Nerja or Marbella, perhaps - or you could head a little inland to the Alpujarras mountains.
The smaller resorts along the Costa Blanca, mainly north of Benidorm - such as Javea and Deia, are also good options. The weather here is only a degree or two cooler than the Costa del Sol, and you can be pretty confident of warm sun until late October.
If you prefer a more cultural time, rather than crashing out on the beach, southern Italy is an excellent option. Average daytime highs in October are around the 25C mark, dropping back to 21C in November. Sicily is a wonderful touring destination, especially in the milder autumn temperatures, when sightseeing among the ancient Greek ruins (especially Agrigento and Selinunte) is far more pleasant than during the scorching summer. And if you want to relax at the end of your tour, the hilltop resort of Taormina is stunning in both September and October.
Sorrento, too has a long, golden autumn. And there are excellent sights nearby in Naples, Pompeii and Herculaneum. But don't forget Puglia on the opposite coast, the heel of Italy. It is fast growing in popularity, with both BA and Ryanair flying into Bari, and some excellent masserias (hotels converted from former fortified farmsteads). There are few sights here, and not much in the way of resorts, but the local cuisine is outstanding and it makes for a wonderful gastronomic long weekend. Puglia makes 80% of Italy's olive oil and pasta; as well as vast quantities of fruit and vegetables - tomatoes, figs, fennel and melon - while mozzarella is another local speciality. The wines too are wonderful, especially the excellent primitivo grape.
Towards the end of October, your options are beginning to narrow. The south coast of Crete clings onto the sun longer than most places - peak daytime temperatures are still averaging 24C at this time of year. Rain is more likely than in September, but you should still see six hours of sun a day.
In November, one of my top options would be southern Morocco - Marrakech for example - which has very little rain and temperatures up to around 23C. Bear in mind though, that despite warm midday temperatures, summer is well and truly over. Shorter days and longer cooler nights give an autumnal feel to things even here.
It's a similar story in Cyprus, which offers the best November weather in the Med. On average it gets only six wet days in the month, temperatures are into the 20s, and even the sea is still warm. But you'll be reaching for a fleece once the sun goes down. It also has to be said that Cypriot resorts are not among the most beautiful - especially the big ones. Head instead for the Akamas peninsula in the west, you'll find some stunning scenery, good beaches and some much smaller and less developed seaside villages.
However, at four hours, the flight to Cyprus is more than a short hop. If you are travelling this far, you might want to consider Egypt. Luxor and Aswan have among the most idyllic winter climates anywhere in the world. Luxor's average December rainfall is zero; it gets 10 hours of sun a day, and typical daytime peaks of 25C. Hard to imagine anything much better.
Wherever you choose, don't forget that nothing involving the weather is an exact science, and that the autumn is inevitably a riskier bet than summer. But even if you are unlucky enough to catch a couple of wet days, at least you will be able to enjoy the sights, resorts, restaurants and shops without having to battle your way through the summer scrum. The airports will be quieter, prices lower, roads emptier, and you can be absolutely certain that the weather will be much worse at home.
