Words by Ashley Bowling
The Best Places to Visit in Fall to Avoid the Crowds
There is a savory (yet sweet) spot in arriving just after everyone else has gone home. The umbrellas may still be out, but there is room between them. The waiter has time to pause and share what he actually orders for lunch. Hotel rates begin to loosen their grip on your wallet, and that coveted dreamy room with the balcony is a little less irresponsible. Historically, airfare and lodging soften after the summer rush. And after surviving an Austin summer, trading I-35 for an uncrowded coastline might feel more like a medical necessity. An autumn escape is a time when the sun still lingers, but it no longer feels as if it is actively trying to fry you like eggs on asphalt. These are some of the best places that quietly whisper “Welcome to shoulder season.”
The Algarve, Portugal
Golden cliffs tumble toward blue-green water, while whitewashed villages sit quietly above the Atlantic. This place is the quintessential Portugal images we all have saved somewhere on our phones, only this season removes much of the summer commotion. Late September into early October still brings warm weather and swimmable seas, while beaches and restaurants grow noticeably quieter. Lonely Planet says that May and October can also bring lodging prices down by 30% or more, which is good enough for me.
Enjoying mornings wandering Lagos, afternoons tucked into a rocky alcove with a book, and evenings lingering over good company, grilled fish, and vinho verde, this trip is definitely one to be savored slowly. Hot take: Give it a week. After traveling this far, rushing Portugal should be illegal.
Madeira, Portugal
For the traveler who cannot sit still for an entire vacation, Madeira merges the set of Jurassic Park with Portugal but politely asked them to share an island with humans, and it relented. Autumn brings mild temperatures, fewer visitors than summer, lush landscapes, dramatic mountain hikes, natural swimming pools, and tiny villages tucked between its dramatic cliffs. The Madeira Tourism Board says that September and October remain pleasant for exploring, and autumn brings a more relaxed pace across the island. This is a wake up, drink espresso, hike above the clouds, jump in the Atlantic, eat grilled fish, sleep extremely well destination. Yet, for the adventurist heart, you can somehow still feel rested in such a wild place.
Newport, Rhode Island
Summer Newport is sailboats, society, and a lot of visitors. Fall loosens the collar. As the beaches empty, the Cliff Walk becomes easier to enjoy, Gilded Age mansions lose some of their crowds, and New England foliage gives the entire place a cinematic backdrop that almost makes you want to cable-knit sweaters and wear nutmeg as a perfume. This is the place to order chowder, walk the cliffs, or tour a mansion that contains approximately 47 more rooms than your house. Then find a waterfront bar and enjoy being the kind of person who “summers” somewhere, even though you very cleverly arrived in October.
San Sebastián, Spain
This northern mountain town is for people who consider dinner an activity. Yes, there is also a stunning beach. But let’s not pretend that is the reason for an impromptu visit. San Sebastián may be one of the world’s greatest destinations for eating extremely well without making the occasion feel too serious. Pintxos bars crowd the streets, autumn brings mushrooms and seasonal produce into local markets, and the surrounding Basque countryside takes on fall color. Walk, eat, walk again, eat something else are on repeat. Technically, it counts as exercise, right?. Hot take: October 2026 is particularly great for foodies, with the city celebrating 50 years of New Basque Cuisine.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Sometimes escapes do not need an ocean to be magical. We just need someone else to make breakfast and a sky big enough to remind us that our inbox is probably not that big of an emergency. Santa Fe calls October its “secret season:” temperatures cool, crowds dissipate, and aspens golden. And the city’s already potent combination of art, architecture, food, mountains, and wonderfully, strange energy gets even better. For Austinites, this is the long-weekend answer. Spend one day wandering galleries, one hiking, one eating green chile on everything, and the fourth wondering if you are the kind of person who can pull off turquoise jewelry.
San Diego, California
October may actually be San Diego’s best month given its warm-but-not-too-warm weather, fewer crowds, cheaper flights, and accommodations that fall from summer highs. Translation for Texans: beach weather without Gulf humidity, the best Baja tacos without a passport, and stepping outside into a morning that does not feel like opening a piping oven door. Stay near the coast for sunset views, surf if you’re brave or pretend to surf if you’re not, visit Balboa Park, Sunset Cliffs or the San Diego Zoo, and call the trip a success. Hot take: In October, many Balboa Park museums and the San Diego Zoo are free for kids 12 and under.
Curaçao
For Caribbean blue without quite as much weather anxiety, Curaçao makes for a beach-lovers paradise in the fall. The Dutch Caribbean island sits outside the main hurricane belt and considers September through November part of its off-season. Beaches and restaurants thin out, water remains warm, and lodging can be less expensive than during the winter rush.
Willemstad adds candy-colored architecture, street art, restaurants, and actual city life to endless seas of turquoise water. For the laptop crowd, this one just makes sense: work in the morning, snorkel in the afternoon, then reconsider every life decision that did not involve moving to the beach.
