Why our travel experts love the Mediterranean in the offseason
Even when the sunny days of summer are over, countries like Spain, Italy, and Greece still shine. Here’s how to make the most of a Mediterranean getaway in the offseason.
Travelers who visit Mediterranean destinations during the cooler months will find themselves enjoying comfortable temperatures, savoring seasonal specialties, and joining in on festive celebrations. (Not to mention smaller crowds and better prices.) Whether you have your eye on Italy, Spain, or Greece—here’s how to make the most of your Mediterranean getaway in the offseason.
1. Taste through Italy’s off-season flavors
From Tuscany’s autumn produce to Venice’s colorful Carnival, this Mediterranean country has a multitude of reasons to visit in the offseason. Some of our favorite things to do? Ringing in the new year in Florence and living like a local when less travelers are out and about!
Feast your way through autumnal Italian flavors on our Food & Wine: Flavors of Tuscany & Umbria tour. Join us in October or November to experience the fall harvest, when you can enjoy some of Italy’s most flavorful produce. From truffles (where the hunt for them is part of the fun), chestnuts, and grapes to mushrooms, eggplant, and pumpkin, there are plenty of seasonal bites to try as the weather cools down. Pro tip: Shop alongside locals in Florence at the Sant’Ambrogio Market in Piazza Lorenzo Ghiberti. This indoor and outdoor market is open year-round, save for holidays, and has stalls overflowing with fresh, seasonal produce. Not convinced yet? Check out these three more reasons to visit Florence in the fall.
Experience Italy like a local on our Off-Season Italy: Rome, Naples & Florence tour, where you’ll sink into the true, laid-back pace of local life. Admire the icons, from Rome’s Colosseum to Florence’s Duomo, in mild temperatures amongst smaller crowds than in the summer months.
Ring in the new year in Florence, with its especially lively atmosphere on December 31. See how locals welcome a new year with delicious food and colorful fireworks on our annual New Year’s Eve in Florence with Venice & Rome tour. Plus, you’ll get to experience the jubilation of the holiday season in both Venice and Rome, too.
Head to Venice in late-winter or early-spring to celebrate Carnival. Kaleidoscope costumes, elaborate masks, traditional music, and dancing—you’ll find it all in the City of Canals for two weeks leading up to the start of Lent. Venice bursts with merriment as revelers and entertainers take to the streets, so plan your off-season Venice tour accordingly and check out our insider’s guide to Venice Carnival before you go.
Psst... Do you have your heart set on Italy but not sure when to go? Discover the best time to visit Italy.
Dig into these Italy tours in the offseason
2. Enjoy Greece in cooler temperatures with smaller crowds
From the mythology to the archaeology to the wine to those aquamarine waters—and did we mention the feta? Greece has a thousand reasons to visit, no matter the time of year, but just like Italy, this Mediterranean hot spot shines in the offseason for its smaller crowds, comfortable temperatures, and sunny beaches.
- Linger longer—and snap better photos!—with fewer people around on our Grand Tour of Greece: Athens, Corfu & Santorini tour in the early spring. Staffer Rozlyn said, “A perk of smaller, off-season crowds is better photos! In the early spring, I was able to get photos of the sites themselves without hordes of pedestrians blocking my view.” Ready to head to Greece in the spring? Read more about Rozlyn’s trip and why she loved traveling in the spring.
- Soak up the sun, the seaside scenery, and seasonal produce sans summer crowds on the country’s glamorous islands. On The Greek Islands: Mykonos, Santorini & Crete tour, we’ll take you to three of the most iconic Greek Isles where you can dip your toes in the Aegean Sea and dine on fresh fall fruit like pears, clementines, and Cretan bananas. Don’t miss out on the country’s famous olives either—which fully ripen in the winter.
- Live like a local in Greece during the offseason, when life slows down, harvest time comes, and crowds thin out. You can get the best of two Mediterranean worlds on our Italy & Greece tour and really get a taste for life as a local. You’ll see all the ancient sites, taste all the seasonal bites, and avoid the summer crowds. Stroll leisurely through the city streets from Capri to Mycenae while window-shopping and people-watching. Pro tip: add the Santorini & Athens extension to take in even more uninterrupted magic of the Mediterranean.
- Hang on to that mask you bought for Venice’s Carnival because Greece has one too. Taking place in February and March on the island of Corfu, this Venetian-inspired holiday that dates back to the 11th century lights up the city streets with colorful costumes, dances, masks, and more. Our Grand Tour of Greece: Athens, Corfu & Santorini tour takes you to the storied island, and if you line up your tour just right, you can use your free evening to celebrate with the islanders.
Not sure about the offseason in Greece? Check out our seasonal guide and find the perfect time of year to visit according to what you want to experience.
Stay cool in the offseason on these Greece tours
3. Celebrate festivals, explore museums, and so much more in Spain
Spain is full of reasons to visit. From its vibrant history to its rich culture to its delectable food, there’s always a good excuse to add Spain to your travel wish list. (Add these top attractions to your Spain to-do list.) We love visiting this Mediterranean country no matter the time of year, but here are a few reasons why we particularly love it in the offseason.
- Admire famous works of art at one of Spain’s world-renowned museums. One of them is the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, where you can spend the day indoors marveling at the various artworks Picasso produced throughout his life—from sketches to sculptures, this museum has it all. On our A Week in Spain: Barcelona, Madrid & Seville tour, you’ll spend two nights in Barcelona within walking distance of this particular museum, which means you can easily spend your free time seeing all the priceless pieces.
- Welcome spring and celebrate Las Fallas in Valencia. The townspeople create and parade giant satirical, papier-mache sculptures. While some end up on display in the Fallas Museum, the rest are burned at the end of the celebratory week. Interested? Check out more festivals in Spain to enjoy on tour.
- Taste olives, freshly harvested, when you’re in Spain during the offseason. On our Portugal, Spain & Morocco tour, you’ll enjoy a guided tour of a local farm in Cordoba, where you’ll also taste freshly made olive oil. (Pro tip: Try the orange-infused olive oil on top of chocolate gelato—you won’t regret it!)
- Sink your teeth into seasonal, fresh produce that ripens in the offseason. Think: juicy, stone fruits like apricots and cherries and, of course, apples—some of which will be used to make Spanish cider (is there anything better than a funky sidra?) Join us on our Food & Wine: A Taste of Spain tour and take your taste buds on a tour of their own. Salud!
Wondering what the other seasons in Spain have to offer? Check out our seasonal guide to find the perfect time of year for your Spain tour.
