6 min readEach season, a handful of destinations tends to rise to the forefront—they get talked about at dinner parties, show up in group chats, and inundate your algorithms. Because much like the shoe or the bag or the silhouette that everyone’s talking about for this season, travel, too, has its trends.
This fall, the hot spots on our radar are a mix of established favorites and unusual suspects. In Sicily, for instance, you can still catch the last gasps of Mediterranean summer while the waters are still warm. An iconic European seafood spot opening on St. Barth’s makes fashion’s favorite Caribbean island feel as relevant to the conversation as ever. And a new opening in Patagonia makes the case for finally—finally!—taking that bucket list trip to South America’s southernmost region. Consider this your cheat sheet for where in-the-know travelers are flocking this fall.
Sicily, Italy
Where Eurofall is the new Eurosummer
Shoulder season travel is having its moment. According to Virtuoso—the leading global network of luxury travel advisers—this fall’s bookings are up 59 percent, suggesting that travelers no longer feel bound by traditional notions of keeping their beach vacations to “peak summer season.” Insiders have long known what September and even parts of October in the Mediterranean can deliver: warm waters and scarce crowds.
That shift is most acutely felt in southern Mediterranean destinations like Sicily. According to Backroads, the luxury bike tour operator, its Sicily Bike Tour is one of its top-selling fall adventures, with 12 departures this season alone, moving cyclists through vineyards and coastal roads by day and depositing them at luxury hotels like Il San Corrado di Noto by night. The opening on every Italophile’s mind, though, is Palazzo Castelluccio—a meticulously restored 18th-century residence set to round out Rocco Forte Hotels’ presence on the island. That opening is still a few months out, but there’s still plenty of reason to visit now: its sister properties Verdura Resort and Villa Igiea are some of Sicily’s most in-demand hotels, and this time of year is perfect for a low-stress visit.
Baja California Sur, Mexico
For Baja California at its best
Just when you think you know Cabo, the destination transforms once again. If you’re in search of a sun-drenched Mexican escape this fall, book a flight to Los Cabos and tell your taxi to leave the more touristy hubs in the rearview: It’s all about the East Cape right now, where luxurious openings have put this once-sleepier corner of Cabo on the map. Check out the Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos at Costa Palmas, which abuts a marina and two miles of swimmable beach, or the brand-new Amanvari next door, which offers the ultimate in exclusivity and privacy.
Further up the peninsula you’ll also find the bohemian enclave of Todos Santos, long a favorite for surfers and creatives. The wellness-focused, high-design Paradero Todos Santos sits on 60 acres of unspoiled farmland and is widely considered Mexico’s finest experience-based luxury hotel; and nearby, Hotel San Cristóbal Baja brings a luxe-boho ethos to undeveloped Punta Lobos Beach. Big spenders, honeymooners, and true luxury connoisseurs should head to the East Cape, and understated travelers who want something a little more low-key will feel right at home in Todos Santos.
St. Barth’s
Fashion’s favorite Caribbean island feels as relevant as ever
St. Barth’s has a way of staying in the conversation, and this fall the island’s social calendar is looking particularly lively. The superyacht set traditionally arrives around the holidays, but late October into November is arguably when things get interesting: seasonal hotels and restaurants begin reopening, boats start filling the harbor, and the island gradually slips back into its familiar rhythm.
At Cheval Blanc St-Barth, a new outpost from buzzy European seafood institution Langosteria will debut this fall. There are also two dates worth knowing: November 18 to 22, when the St. Barth Cata Cup attracts some of the world’s top sailors to the island for a high-octane Formula 18 catamaran regatta; and November 19, when Le Toiny hosts its 100th Beach Extravaganza, with French DJ Bob Sinclar behind the decks and, presumably, very little sitting happening once the music starts.
Sunnmøre, Norway
Fjord country makes a compelling case for going off-grid
This quiet corner in northwest Norway sits at the nexus of two major travel trends right now: “coolcations” to escape warming temperatures, and going off-grid. And if there’s a destination built around the art of disappearing into fresh air, it’s Sunnmøre, a spectacular dreamscape of fjords, glaciers, and peaks. This is where Norwegian couple Knut and Line Frank have spent years turning their home turf into something of a private playground—and where their two hotels, Storfjord Hotel and Hotel Union Øye, serve as bases for hiking, fjord fishing, and helicopter excursions.
London, U.K.
London’s hotel scene is having (another) moment
Is London ever not a hot spot? The answer is no, especially these days, thanks to a fresh crop of hotels redefining the city’s vibrant hospitality scene. The big one, of course, is Six Senses London, a wellness-centric luxury property housed in the former Whiteley’s, an Art Deco department store in the Bayswater neighborhood adjacent to Nottingham Hill. And new for this fall is St. Clement, the first independent hospitality venture from Nick Jones, former CEO of Soho House. We hear that its bar, Bobbi’s Bar, has already become the nightcap of choice for stylish Londoners in the know.
Namibia
A fresh wave of energy in safari’s most dramatic landscapes
One of the most sparsely populated countries on the planet, Namibia is a place where everything feels bigger—the landscapes, the night skies, the adventures. Fall is technically the “off-season,” but it’s also known for greener landscapes, dramatic skies, and excellent birding. And now there are more places to experience it: Natural Selection has debuted two new camps, Hoanib Elephant Camp near the Skeleton Coast and Nkasa Linyanti set on a private concession within Nkasa Rupara National Park. That’s a lot of activity, relatively speaking, for this highly undeveloped corner of the continent—making this the place to go if you’re looking to impress even your most seasoned safari traveler friends.
Udaipur, India
Doubling down on the palace fantasy
Udaipur has never been short on romance. Set around Lake Pichola and surrounded by the Aravalli Hills, this Rajasthani city has built an entire hospitality identity around palaces, courtyards, marble arches, and a very specific genre of over-the-top grandeur. The arrival of the Fairmont Udaipur Palace has brought a major international player into the market, while The House of Things—a sprawling new design destination showcasing over 200 Indian brands—makes the case for Udaipur as a place to shop and engage with India’s design present, not just its past.
Even the old guard is keeping things fresh. At The Leela Udaipur Palace, the hotel’s new Arq at Pichola villas take the classic palace experience in a decidedly more private direction: just three villas, waterfront daybeds, and hyper-personalized service. If you’re looking to venture into India beyond the biggest cities of Delhi and Mumbai this fall, this is where to do it.
Patagonia
Patagonia gets a little more luxe—but no less wild
The challenge with Patagonia, once you get there, is to figure out how to see it all. Not anymore. Later this fall, trusted operator Explore will open a dazzling new lodge in the region: Explora El Calafate, a 20-room El Calafate lodge that puts guests within a vast steppe where the attraction is, admittedly, nothing. Well, not nothing: you’re in close proximity to the iconic Perito Moreno Glacier, as well as over 30 guided explorations to help you experience the richness and biodiversity of this landscape. Don’t miss the heavenly spa, which incorporates South American bodywork traditions and Patagonian botanicals. You’re still at the edge of the map, but now you can do it in a more decadent way.