Cultural France

There's a lot going on across France in September for culture vultures who like a little sunshine alongside their art. Perpignan is holding Visa Pour l'Image, an international photojournalism festival (1-16 Sept, visapourlimage.com). In Calvi, Corsica, visitors can listen to traditional music in beautiful settings during the Rencontres de Chants Polyphoniques de Calvi (11-15 Sept, myspace.com/rencontrescalvi). Contemporary and urban dancers will be performing at Lyon's Biennale OFF 2012 (14-30 Sept, scene-7.fr). There is jazz and fine wine at a festival combining the two in Beaune, Burgundy (16-17 Sept, jazzabeaune.fr). In Toulouse, Festival l'Occitania is a huge annual celebration covering most branches of the arts (22 Sept-27 Oct, toulouse-tourisme.com). Those who prefer shopping to shows can pop over to Lille on the Eurostar for the biggest flea market in Europe, Braderie de Lille (1-2 Sept, lilletourism.com).

Religious Italy

Religious festivals in Italy are predominantly associated with Easter, but September is another good time to experience them, thanks to feast days and the birthday of the Virgin Mary. At Florence's Festa della Rificolona on 7 September, hundreds of people parade through the streets carrying paper lanterns, and a procession of boats sails down the Arno. A huge food market is held in Piazza Santissima Annunziata, which is thronged with street performers and musicians. After the festival visitors could head out into the wonderful Tuscan countryside, which in September is characterised by pink dawns, misty views, grape harvests and truffle hunts.
• Johlea & Johanna Residences (johanna.it) has stylish doubles half a mile from the centre from £100 a night

Traditional Mallorca

Away from Mallorca's more obvious tourist towns, Port de Sóller is a village on the rugged north-west coast. Two sandy beaches are joined by a promenade full of bars and restaurants, with lighthouses standing at either end of the horseshoe bay. The trendy, Swedish-run Hotel Espléndido (doubles from £138, esplendidohotel.com) has a roof terrace infinity pool. Dinner options include El Pirata or the more flash Agapanto (agapanto.com), which often has live music. A wooden tram, built in 1913, rattles through orange groves to the town of Sóller, 5km inland, which has a market on Saturdays. There are boat trips out of the harbour and the village is a good base for walking in the surrounding Sierra de Tramuntana mountains. Nearby Fornalutx and Biniaraix, both at the base of Puig Major, the island's highest mountain, are perfect unspoilt Mallorcan villages.
• Get there by vintage train (trendesoller.com), bus or taxi from Palma de Mallorca. Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies from Stansted to Palma from £60 return

Mountainous Cyprus

The Troodos mountains in Cyprus shelter Byzantine monasteries and tiny villages, and make a great alternative (or add-on) to a beach break. In Kalopanayiotis, a village in the heart of the mountains, traditional buildings have been converted into a luxury hotel, Casale Panayiotis (casalepanayiotis.com), by local craftsmen using traditional methods. The spa is in a restored barn and the restaurant, overlooking the valley, serves Cypriot food and wine. There is a Unesco-listed monastery and six chapels in the village, a swimming pool with mountain views, an orchard and a trout-filled river. Activities on offer include exploring the forest tracks on quad bikes, kayaking and rock climbing, and further afield there are several boutique wineries on a tasting trail.
• Doubles from £65, casalepanayiotis.com. EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from Gatwick to Larnaca from £62 return, then Kalopanayiotis is a two-hour drive

Greek islands

Prices fall on the Greek islands as soon as August is over, even though September is arguably the best time for a sunshine holiday there: the sea is still warm enough for swimming, the scorching heat has mellowed and the crowds have dispersed. Skiathos is a lovely wooded island in the Aegean, with more than 60 beaches – some of which will be almost empty in autumn. Ionian and Aegean Island Holidays has up to 30% off certain villas, such as two-bedroom Villa Dimitrios in the hill village of Kolios, with a private pool and panoramic sea views. Guests can barbecue fresh fish on a terrace overlooking the sea, stroll down to the village tavernas, or drive 10 minutes to the restaurants in Skiathos Town.
• £552pp for seven nights departing 31 August, including return flights and car hire, based on four sharing, ionianislandholidays.com

Rural Portugal

Rural northern Portugal is a far cry from the busy resorts of the Algarve. The Minho region is lush and green, with forests, river valleys and ancient forts. Many of the traditional buildings have been restored and converted into holiday lets, such as Quinta da Bemvisa, a 17th-century farmhouse in the village of Calheiros (casasnocampo.net) with a swimming pool and tennis courts. The area is great for active family holidays, with horse riding, mountain biking and canoeing among the many activities on offer.
• Quinta da Bemvisa is one of six new holiday properties added to the Casa no Campo network of refurbished country houses this summer. Prices start at £51 a night, casasnocampo.net. EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from Gatwick to Porto from £56 return

Historic Jordan

Petra was rediscovered by Swiss explorer Johann Burckhardt 200 years ago this week. Before then, the ancient city was unknown to westerners; today it is Jordan's biggest tourist attraction. The country was expecting a large influx of visitors for the 200th anniversary celebrations, but the situation in the Middle East has kept many tourists away, even though Jordan itself is stable. This month and next, then, is a good time to take advantage of special offers from airlines, hotels and tour companies, and to explore the ruins without the usual crowds.
• Voyages Jules Verne (vjv.com) has four nights to Petra and the Dead Sea from £795, including return flights and B&B at three-star hotels

Foodie Guernsey

In the British Isles, sunshine can't be guaranteed in September (or any other month of the year for that matter), but there is a good chance of it on Guernsey. The island is generally warm and sunny in early autumn, ideal for exploring the 27 beaches, cliff tops and flower-filled green lanes. Next weekend, the inaugural Taste Guernsey Food Festival (31 Aug-2 Sept, tasteguernsey.com) takes place in St Peter Port, the island's pretty harbour capital. Visitors can sample Guernsey sushi, go on a hedgerow hike, guess mystery ice-cream flavours and enter the crab-picking race or pancake challenge. Many of the foodie events are free and hotels are offering special packages for the festival weekend. Two nights with breakfast at gastropub/boutique hotel Fleur du Jardin costs from £262pp, including return fast ferry from Poole to Guernsey (condorbreaks.com).
• South West Trains (southwesttrains.co.uk) has fares to Poole from London from £11 one-way