Ah, October. The Goldilocks time to travel, when everything’s just right. Weather, crowds, and prices are all moderate, and the only thing over the top is the schedule of events and festivals.
We’ve scoured the world for the best this month, whether you want to see the opening of the Mediterranean’s newest cultural high point, mix music with mayhem in a unique Halloween mash-up, or tackle some hikes in an unexpected mountain range where spring is breaking.
Here are our 10 favorite spots to visit this October. Plus, we got the inside scoop on every location from a smart, trustworthy local expert.
The World Creole Festival will be hosted in Roseau, Dominica’s capital.
Photo by Dennis MacDonald/Shutterstock
1. Dominica
October is great for: Celebrating the Caribbean’s musical heritage
October 25 to 27 is the weekend for the World Creole Festival. Hosted at Windsor Park Stadium in the capital, Roseau, it’s intended to champion music indigenous to this island, which also has influences from both Great Britain and France. The festival caps off Creole Heritage Month and draws more than 10,000 visitors from around the globe to hear music like bouyon, which emerged on the island in the 1980s and has become popular across the entire Caribbean region. This year’s headliners include reggae singer Valiant and Trinidadian singer Nadia Batson.
Where to stay
- Book now: Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort
Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort is an unusual all-inclusive option, as its rates don’t just bundle F&B; activities like lionfish catching and hikes to Trafalgar Falls and Titou Gorge are also gratis.
Insider tip
Go get some grilled lionfish at Keepin It Real, a local café that serves standout Dominican food, says Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort concierge coordinator Viviana Alfred. “And a must-have souvenir is a hand-woven basket crafted by the Indigenous Kalinago people. The traditional techniques have been passed down through generations.”
Marrakech will become more accessible to U.S.-based travelers this fall.
Photo by Kevin Nirsimloo/Shutterstock
2. Marrakech, Morocco
October is great for: More Marrakech in less time
It’s easier than ever to reach this Moroccan city in October, as United Airlines finally launches a direct, nonstop flight from the United States. It will run from Newark three times weekly over the winter, when the weather is seductively balmy: Temperatures day and night this month usually stay between the low 60s and low 80s. Until now, of course, airlift to this country from the United States has been solely channeled to Casablanca, which is a two-hour drive or a short flight from Marrakech. It’s not surprising to see United landing on this route since it scored major wins on unexpected long-haul links like its summertime Mallorca flight (also from EWR), which started two years ago and was so successful that the airline opted to fly larger planes on the route this summer.
Where to stay
- Book now: Riad Botanica
This 10th-century riad, opened as a boutique hotel last year, is offered either as a buyout for 12 people or with the five rooms sold piecemeal. The design is a fusion of the cultures of the owners, an Australian Moroccan couple who undertook this as a labor of love.
Insider tip
Riad Botanica owner Angela Mellak recommends heading to the city’s Jewish quarter, the Mellah, to pick up spices to take home, like paprika and ras el hanout (literally “top shelf”). “Ask them to be ground whilst you wait, for the freshest quality,” she says, noting that fresh sweet paprika might smell surprisingly damp. “And make a note of which spice is which, on a piece of paper, and stick it to the top of the bag, so there are no issues when you go through customs in your home country,” Mellak recommends.
The Anderson-Abruzzo International Balloon Museum in Albuquerque details the area’s history of ballooning.
Photo by Kobby Dagan/Shutterstock
3. Albuquerque, New Mexico
October is great for: Eye-popping, sky-bopping balloons
This month’s balloon festival in New Mexico’s biggest city, running from October 5 to 13 this year, is, fittingly, the largest in the world: It had almost a million visitors last year. Highlights of the weeklong celebrations include Mass Ascension at 7 a.m. on the first day, where all the participating balloons take to the sky together to the strains of The Star Spangled Banner, and farewell at the same time on the final day. There are skydiving displays, nighttime drone light shows in the sky, and even a fly-in competition that pits balloon pilots against each other to demonstrate their technical prowess.
Where to stay
- Book now: Hotel Andaluz
This hotel was the fourth ever built by hotel magnate Conrad Hilton, and it dates back to 1939. Now the Moorish-style design is offset with more contemporary touches, like a rooftop bar that’s ideal for the warm fall nights here, when temperatures rarely dip below the low 60s.
Insider tip
The brand-new exhibit at the city’s Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum is worth a detour, notes Isaac Tarin, the hotel’s assistant general manager: “It’s all about Ed Yost, who’s considered the father of modern hot-air ballooning.” For more aerial derring-do, take a tram up 10,300 feet above the city on the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway, an amazing perch for balloon viewing.
Malta is home to several UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Photo Courtesy of Shutterstock
4. Malta
October is great for: A new cultural anchor in the Med
Make that not one, but two reasons to visit this tiny three-island nation just south of Sicily. Over the last weekend of October, the years-long MICAS project makes its splashy debut: This ambitious, 16,000-square-foot exhibition space aims to make Malta a pit stop on the contemporary art circuit, starting with a show from Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos, whose knitted, social media–friendly sculptures earn accolades both from the arterati and casual observers.
Earlier in the month, Malta’s naval heritage comes to the fore; the island was long a prime base for British sailors when it was part of the empire, and it remains one of the Mediterranean’s foremost yacht-repair sites. The Rolex-sponsored Middle Sea Race, starting on October 19, starts in Valletta’s jaw-dropping natural harbor before snaking up north to Sicily and circling back down via Pantelleria before finishing here.
Where to stay
- Book now: Iniala Harbor House
The 23 rooms in this decade-old boutique hotel, artfully shoehorned into a series of old houses in the heart of Valletta’s city center, date back to the 1600s. Make sure to book dinner at the rooftop restaurant run by British Michelin fave Simon Rogan.
Insider tip
Drive to the north of the island and take a ferry to the rural second island, Gozo, says Iniala’s Martina Brtnická, and visit the Xwejni Salt Pans: “The family has been running the business for six generations, and the owners themselves sell the salt so you can talk to them about it.” Even better, it’s just six euros for a small bag.
The beauty of the Algarve lies in its heart-stopping seascapes.
Claudio Schwartz/Unsplash
5. The Algarve, Portugal
October is great for: A centuries-old celebration of culture
For 10 days this month, starting on October 17, the city of Faro at the Algarve’s tip lures 200,000 people to celebrate the Feria de Santa Iría, or the festival of Saint Irene—a young girl martyred for her Christian faith here in the seventh century, per folklore. It’s been a feature of the calendar here for more than four centuries, starting in 1596. Today’s iteration operates much like a state fair, centered on the town’s main square, Largo de São Francisco, with everything from fair rides to stalls selling local crafts. Try local delicacies cooked in food trucks, such as cataplana, the tomato and pepper-spiked fish stew that’s synonymous with the Algarve, and spicy piri piri chicken, another world-famous dish that originated here.
Where to stay
- Book now: W Algarve
The two-year-old, 134-room hotel sits on the west side of this coastal town, with decor that nods to local traditions, including Portuguese tilework by heritage company Vista Alegre and decorative surfboards.
Insider tip
Hit the waters on a kayak tour to explore the nearby Benagil Cave, a cathedral-like hideout carved into the limestone cliffs by the crashing Atlantic waves, says Christian Humbert, the hotel’s general manager.
Every month in the Big Easy is music month, but October’s got plenty to go around.
Photo by f11photo/Shutterstock
6. New Orleans, Louisiana
October is great for: Jazzing up your trip, Nawlins-style
October’s anchored by a raft of live performances every night and an industry conference, NOLA MusiCon, a three-day confab that kicked off last year, with sessions on everything from songwriting to fan engagement. This year, it runs from October 28 to 30, with speakers including rapper-producer Deezle and label owner Justin LaMotte. Then again, you could just come for the Krewe of Boo! Halloween Parade on October 19 or any of the monthlong spooky offerings, including tours of its above-ground cemeteries and events at voodoo shops.
Where to stay
- Book now: Pontchartrain Hotel
The 106-room hotel is an ideal respite from the hectic hedonism of the Quarter, as it’s situated in the more residential Garden District. Bayou Bar here has live music five nights per week, a nod to the hotel’s onetime regular pianist, jazz icon Tuts Washington.
Insider tip
Matthew Iacobucci is the hotel’s GM, and he recommends one dish no guest should leave the city without trying. Go to Café Reconcile, he says, which is a daytime spot that trains at-risk youngsters for hospitality careers; order the chili-glazed salmon with sweet potato crumble and jalapeño cornbread. “And be sure to ask for the crawfish sauce topping on the salmon—that’s delicious.”
Grace Bay, one of the most well-known beaches in Turks and Caicos, is one of the archipelago’s must-visit beaches.
Photo by jpbarcelos/Shutterstock
7. Turks and Caicos
October is great for: An offseason insider bargain
Yes, it’s hurricane season, but it’s also a chance to score great deals on resorts in the Caribbean that remain open. (Many, of course, choose to shutter, as they typically don’t have enough guests to stay open and instead choose to use the time for repairs.) One prime spot to consider? Turks and Caicos. Not only has the archipelago been lucky to escape major hurricane damage for more than 15 years, but also it’s an easy short-hop flight for most East Coasters.
Take a puddle jumper to the outlying island of South Caicos, which was once largely known for salt production; the old pans still dot the landscape here. It’s a perfect hideaway, with ample water sports options, including kayaking and bonefishing.
Where to stay
- Book now: Sailrock
The 38-villa property owns 90 percent of South Caicos, which keeps development at bay: As a result, each of its rooms has ocean-view private pools. The price, at just under $750 for two people, is more than 40 percent cheaper than peak season in January.
Insider tip
“Imagine a backyard setting where you can experience a combination of local and Jamaican cuisine,” says Benjamin Zirin, who grew up nearby and now leads the hotel’s excursions program. That’s why he recommends the local café Triple J’s, his favorite spot for some BBQ. Or, if you’d rather try locally caught conch salad, check out Sunset Café.
Visit Athens for colorful sunsets and historic celebrations.
Photo By Sven Hansche/Shutterstock
8. Athens, Greece
October is great for: Showing your Greek pride
On October 28, 1940, Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas bravely stared down Mussoloni’s demands and precipitated his country‘s entry into World War II (and, eventually, occupation by a Nazi-helmed force). That moment is now commemorated every year on Ohi Day, erroneously a nod to what he was purported to have said—Ohi, Greek for “No!” (Metaxas actually replied in French, Alors, c’est la guerre—"Then it’s war.”) As a public holiday, it’s a chance for patriotic parades throughout the country, with marching bands and clubs marking the moment; the most impressive parade is in Athens, where it winds through the center of town via the Parliament on Syntagma Square.
Where to stay
- Book now: Brown Acropol
This three-year-old, design-forward hotel has a deliberately retro vibe, aiming to evoke the Onassis-era, 20th century heyday when Athens was a hot spot for the jet set; it sits right in the center of town on Omonia Square, a short stroll from the namesake landmark.
Insider tip
The fine-dining scene in Athens has been on a major upswing. Make the most of it by sampling two top-tier restaurants, says general manager Georgia Filaktou. Try the meatballs and the potato-garlic dip known as skordalia at traditional tavern Leloudas, or go to Linou Soubasis Kai Sia for a modern riff on Greek classics. “Don’t skip the bread there. It’s incredible,” Filaktou advises.
Combine fall foliage and the beach on a trip to Cape May.
Photo by EQ Roy/Shutterstock
9. Cape May, New Jersey
October is great for: Falling for old-fashioned seaside fun
The Jersey Shore’s wide golden beaches might be summertime mainstays, but pause to consider a trip once the weather’s a little cooler. This fall, the Lighthouse Challenge of New Jersey celebrates its 25th anniversary: Over the third weekend in October, guests are challenged to complete a visit to 11 lighthouses here, three life-saving stations, and one museum, spanning a route from Sandy Hook to Cape May to Paulsboro. Start at any site and register there for $5, which allows you to collect souvenirs at each check-in. It’s sort of like a miniature, treasure-hunting The Amazing Race! Tack on a trip to Lambertville; the fall foliage here is as Insta-worthy as a New England hideaway.
Where to stay
- Book now: Congress Hall
This property, which dates back to 1816, claims to be one of the original seaside resorts stateside, and its colonnade façade has a retro glamor, as does its history: Four presidents, including Ulysses S. Grant, have spent summers here.
Insider tip
Go to Cape May Point Science Center, says Bob Haislip, who works for hotel operator Cape Resorts. The science center has a superb family-friendly program for stargazing and viewing the full moon.
Explore the colorful Argentine Lake District this October.
Photo by danilovieira1/Shutterstock
10. Bariloche and Lakes Region, Argentina
October is great for: Springtime in the south
Remember, it’s spring for the southern hemisphere—and the countryside is carpeted with vibrant blooms set against the dramatic backdrop of the Patagonian Andes; it’s the ideal time to hike or bike through the countryside.
Hiking and biking will allow you to work up an appetite for the Bariloche a la Carte food festival in San Carlos de Bariloche, which sits on the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi and is the gateway to this region. The festival runs from October 4 to 13 this year, with more than 40 different tastings and master classes, plus special menus at dozens of local restaurants. Try moreish cakes and pastries from chef Valu Ramallo or Mexican-inflected modern dishes from Veracruz native Antonio Bautista.
Where to stay
- Book now: Hosteria Las Balsas
The Relais & Chateaux villa sits at the heart of native forests, enveloped by the Nahuel Huapi National Park, and each of the 20 rooms has views over the namesake lake.
Insider tip
Olivia Schellenberg runs product development for Extraordinary Journeys, a travel operator with particular expertise here. Don’t leave without enjoying a locally produced beer alfresco with an Andean backdrop, she warns. “Cerveceria Patagonia, which was founded in Bariloche, has become a staple of Argentina’s craft beer scene in recent years. Its flagship location is tucked into an unassuming spot along the scenic drive known as the Circuito Chico and has plenty of outdoor seating.”
