Turkey, on the red list, has state-of-the-art coastal hotels such as Fethiye’s Hillside Beach Club and Bodrum’s Macakizi equivalent to their long summer until November; and Jet2 flies later than usual to Dalaman. British Airways has scheduled 13,000 additional seats in October, compared to pre-pandemic volume, on popular late-summer routes such as Bodrum, Malaga and Zakynthos.

“The Greeks are on vacation this time of year,” says Ben Shearer, owner of the Peligoni Club in Zakynthos, which remains open for an additional five weeks until October 31. “The weather may be autumn in Britain, but it is still summer here – the seas are warmest, the evenings balmy – without the school holiday crowds. After the past 18 months, everyone deserves an extended summer.

When I ask Sofia Mavroudis, owner of Cabanon Concrete Retreat, if November is too late to visit Crete, she tells me that more and more people are choosing to come later in the year when the Northwest Hills are covered in clover, but the best restaurants are always open – “because that’s where we locals go”.

Even in Provence – where cooler autumns are synonymous with bike rides and food festivals – hotels close late in fashion: Crillon Le Brave until December 5, La Bastide de Marie until November 14. The recently renovated Coquillade Provence has decided not to close at all.

Maybe, even if it takes a little more effort, fall will be a rewarding time to experience the Mediterranean – without the crowds, as locals do – not just in 2021 but beyond. . Indeed, talk to any native and he will tell you how much he loves his island at this time of year.

“October is just beautiful in Ibiza,” says Serena Cook. “It’s 26 to 28 degrees, everyone is heading for the beach… it’s beautiful. Like an English summer.