The best islands to visit in September

Crete is #1 for a third straight month. September weather scores a full 10: an 83°F (28°C) average high, an 80°F (26°C) sea and 0.7 inches of rain. That is cooler than August for Knossos and the gorge walks, with the sea just as warm. Beaches score 9 and things to do 9.5, the highest pair in Europe. The catch is the same as all summer: no US nonstop, and you need a car for Balos and Falassarna. Samaria Gorge is closed until further notice, so walk Imbros instead. The cheapest Chania room was $112 in July, and September usually eases from that.

Sicily is #2 because September fixes its one summer weakness. The average high at Catania drops to 85°F (29°C) from 91°F in August, the sea is 81°F (27°C), and the weather score reaches a full 10, with 1.8 inches of rain. Things to do scores 10, the most on the site: Palermo, Monreale, Agrigento, Siracusa, the Val di Noto and Etna. Beaches are its weaker side, at 7. Delta flies nonstop from New York JFK to Catania into the winter. Book flexible fares, because Etna ash can close the airport.

Fiji is #3. September is the end of its dry season: an 85°F (29°C) high, an 81°F (27°C) sea and 2.6 inches of rain, and the cyclone season does not start until November. Value and crowds both score 10, and the cheapest 3-star room in Nadi was $39 for July 14, 2027. Demand is rising: September 2026 set a record for visitors in that month. Fiji Airways flies nonstop from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Honolulu. Stay on a Mamanuca island for the beaches, not in Nadi.

Zanzibar is #4 with a perfect September weather score: an 83°F (28°C) high, an 80°F (27°C) sea and 1.8 inches of rain, before the short rains that the Tanzania Meteorological Authority expects from early October. Value scores 10, with $41 rooms in Nungwi on our July date, and things to do 8, for Stone Town, spice farms and Mnemba reef trips. Getting there is the hard part: no US nonstop, a $100 Tanzanian visa and $44 for Zanzibar's compulsory insurance.

Sardinia is #5 and the best beach island on this list. Its beaches score 9 and its September weather 9.9: an 83°F (29°C) high, a 78°F (26°C) sea and 1.4 inches of rain, with Italian summer crowds gone. Its own page names June and September as the best months. Two things cost it: a conditional verdict, worth 0.4 points, because it is a summer-only island, and no US nonstop until United's Newark to Olbia flight starts on May 27, 2027. Cagliari had rooms from $112 in July.

Mallorca is #6. September is one of its two sweet-spot months: an 82°F (28°C) high and an 80°F (27°C) sea, though our data shows 2.6 inches of rain as autumn downpours begin. It ranks below Sardinia on beaches and crowds, but above it on access: United flies Newark to Palma in season, daily from late May into October. Things to do scores 9, from Palma Cathedral to the Sóller train. The cheapest July room near Palma was $135, and the Balearic tourist tax still applies in September.

Maui is #7 and the only US island here. The weather is good, an 85°F (30°C) high, an 82°F (28°C) sea and 0.6 inches of rain, but September is deep in the Central Pacific hurricane season and our score deducts for it. In late September 2026, Hurricane Nolo passed south of the islands, cut power to more than 12,000 customers in West Maui and Upcountry, and fed a brush fire at Olowalu. September is also a shoulder month for prices. Kihei was $216 a night in July against $296 in January.

Rhodes is #8 and the best value in Greece: value scores 9.6, with a 3-star room near the Old Town for $96 in July and $36 in January. September weather scores 9.8, with an 86°F (30°C) high, a 78°F (26°C) sea and 0.3 inches of rain. You get the walled medieval city, Lindos and the sheltered sand of Tsambika. It ranks below Crete on beaches, 7 against 9. There is no US nonstop; fly via Athens, or take a ferry of 10 hours 40 minutes or more from Piraeus.

Bali is #9. September closes out its driest stretch: an 83°F (28°C) high, an 83°F (28°C) sea and 2.6 inches of rain, before the wet monsoon arrives from about October. Things to do scores 9.5 and value 10, with a well-reviewed Seminyak 4-star at $30 a night in July. Beaches score 6.5, since the calm swimming is at Nusa Dua and Sanur, and access is weak, with no US nonstop. Expect a $28 visa on arrival and Bali's $8 tourist levy.

Naxos is #10, and the third Greek island the region cap allows. September weather scores 9.6: an 81°F (27°C) high, a 76°F (25°C) sea and 0.3 inches of rain, with the meltemi fading by mid-month. Its long sandy west coast, from Agios Prokopios to Plaka, scores 8.5 for beaches and suits young children. It ranks last here because access is weak, with no US nonstop, and things to do scores 7.5. Ferries from Piraeus take about 3 hours 25 minutes to 5 hours 20 minutes.