Spotlight on: the joy of off-season travel

As temperatures cool, classic summer destinations transform. Promenades, once jostling with beach-goers, are now quiet enough to hear the swell of the sea. Birds migrate across winter sunsets, and there's a renewed slowness and authenticity to even the most sought-after spots in Spain, France and Portugal.

For those willing to go against the grain of summer travel, there’s the promise of something enchanting. A sense of being privy to a secret. A remarkable side to familiar summer favourites.

As the calendar months roll on, consider this an invitation to revisit nostalgic holiday destinations in a fresh way, from Christmas on the Amalfi coast to off-season Algarve.

November on the French Riviera

‘There’s something healing about winter in the Riviera’, says journalist Sarah Baxter—we couldn't agree more. Especially when the morning autumn sun hits the Baie des Anges.

December on the Amalfi Coast

Christmas time offers a fresh take on this summer classic. Wind through the light-strung cobbles of hilltop Amalfi and indulge in hot zeppole washed down with local red wine.

January in Andalusia

See in the new year in Madrid (join in the local tradition of squeezing 12 grapes into your mouth as the clock strikes) and fiesta till dawn, before journeying on to the Andalusian cities of Seville and Córdoba.

February by Lake Bled

Whether it's valentines, galentines or palentines, there's an air of romance to Lake Bled when blanketed in mist, snow or frost. A journey by sleeper adds an extra hint of magic.

March in the Algarve

Low-season is a coveted secret amongst lovers of the Algarve’s most authentic side. The surf is failsafe, the seafood fresh, and the Ria Formosa teem with rare waterfowl and flamingoes.