Where to travel in September: the five best destinations
4. Cornwall
September is a good time to visit Cornwall when the sea temperatures are at their highest, when brass towns like St Ives and Padstow are freed from the hustle and bustle of summer and the beaches are much less busy. Two weeks every September, St Ives celebrates the arts with a festival of film screenings, art exhibitions, comedy and concerts – from folk to rock, classical to choral – as well as talks and guided walks around the town and surrounding area, covering everything from local history to megalithic tombs and Virginia Woolf’s Talland House. September is also the time Heritage Open Days (September 9-18), when iconic buildings across the country that are normally closed to the public open their doors for tours. There are some notable addresses in Cornwall.
A tip for sustainable travel: Ditch the car and explore by bike. Cornwall has a growing number of coastal and rural cycle routes linking many Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The last route open in 2021: the West Kernow Way is a 140 mile loop route that starts in Penzance and takes in landmarks such as Land’s End, St Michaels Mount and Lizard Point.
5. Slovenia
Last call for hiking in the Alps, where the hiking season ends in autumn, as the weather makes access to the mountains difficult. September is a spectacular month to be at altitude as it is still warm, dry and sunny while the trees put on a fiery seasonal display. The Slovenian Julian Alps at the eastern end of the mountain range are defined by jagged limestone peaks that offer more and more marked hiking trails. In the heart of the mountains is the 9,400 m high Triglav, the highest peak in Slovenia, rising above the beautiful glacial lakes Bohinj and Bled. The Juliana hiking trail is a recently mapped network of trails across 168 miles of northwestern Slovenia that runs through Triglav National Park and crosses some of the country’s most spectacular alpine areas in 16 10-mile sections.
A tip for sustainable travel: To find the most eco-friendly hosts and campsites, ask around Entries of the Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism.
Subscribe to National Geographic Traveler (UK)
Follow us on social media