Surpassing many popular tourist resorts in the Mediterranean, Larnaca managed to emerge as the third best destination in southern Europe for autumn holidays in the shoulder season, i.e. the period between the peak season and the low season.
Larnaca was behind Antalya in Turkey and Tenerife in the Canary Islands, while surpassing well-known destinations in Greece, Portugal, Spain and Italy.
The ranking was published by British travel insurance comparison company Quotezone, which published a list of the ten best 2026 destinations for autumn looking at factors such as sunshine, temperatures, rainfall and accommodation costs.
For Larnaca, it is reported that visitors can enjoy days at the beach until autumn, with a sea temperature of 27°C, an average air temperature of 25.5°C and just 12 millimeters of rainfall during the two months. The survey also states that Nissi Beach, which is one of the best in Europe, is nearby.
As noted on the company's website, Quotezone.co.uk travel insurance experts created the 2026 Shoulder Season Index in order to help travellers identify the best destinations in southern Europe for a sunny autumn vacation, without the extreme temperatures and high costs. "Travel during the intermediate tourist season – the period between the peak season and the low tourist season – is steadily gaining ground among travellers, with the British travel business association ABTA labelling its growing popularity as Super September," notes Quotezone, indicating that there is a noticeable increase in demand in all age groups and not just among older travellers.
Quotezone's survey confirms the trend, with nearly half of travellers (48%) saying they would consider moving their annual vacation to autumn, rather than traveling during the peak summer months. Extreme temperatures in much of Europe are reinforcing this shift, the company says, with more than half of holidaymakers (52%) saying they would actively avoid southern Europe in the summer because of the heat. "This year, western Europe experienced the warmest June-July period on record, while forest fires broke out in parts of several countries, including France and Spain, just one year after the worst recorded forest fire season in the European Union."
For more than a quarter of travellers, however, it's not just the very high temperatures that make these months before winter so appealing. 26% said that lower prices influence their decision to travel in the fall. More than four in ten (42%) are also willing to wait for a last-minute price cut before booking their autumn holidays, while 11% confirmed that they always expect an autumn offer. Avoiding summer crowds is also an important factor for travellers.
21% said the main reason they prefer to travel in the fall is that there is less crowding, 16% because there are fewer children, and 3% because it is easier to secure time off from work.
Quotezone is one of the largest price comparison sites in the UK and helps more than 4 million people each year to compare prices and save money on bills and essential services, including travel insurance.
