Holiday Hotlist: Why the Canary Islands top the rankings this month

Canary Islands weather and value

There was a clear winner in the September update of the Holiday Hotlist, and that was the Canary Islands.

With Fuerteventura, the most on-trend destination right now, taking top spot, Tenerife climbing to second and Lanzarote rising to #6, it’s clear that prices are looking attractive and TravelSupermarket customers are increasingly comparing deals to these exotic islands.

The main appeal of the Canary Islands at this time of year is that while summer is drawing to a close across Europe, and many other destinations will turn chilly over the autumn and winter, they get lovely warm weather - despite being just a four-hour flight from the UK.

But the other most appealing thing about the Canaries - and a key factor in their rise to the top of the Holiday Hotlist - is how remarkably affordable they are. Average prices for Fuerteventura holidays departing over the next six months come in at just £604 per person.

And the price of last-minute holidays, another factor in the Holiday Hotlist rankings, are eye-catchingly low too. September averages for Fuerteventura and Tenerife are both below £575 per person.

If you are considering a Canary Islands holiday, the one that isn’t representing as good value right now is Gran Canaria, which dropped out of the Holiday Hotlist this month. Average prices were up 3% to £660 and last-minute getaways were only marginally cheaper.

Seeking shoulder season sun elsewhere?

It’s not just the Canary Islands that offer winter sun and balmy temperatures outside the summer months, and several destinations combine this appeal with low average prices at the moment.

Egypt returns to the Holiday Hotlist top 10 as TravelSupermarket searches rose by nearly 50% in August compared to July. And understandably so. Fantastic Red Sea resorts like Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada get warm weather right the way through the winter months.

Not only that, but average prices for seven-night holidays departing over the next six months have dropped by almost 10% to £722, while Egypt is also among one of the cheapest places for an all-inclusive holiday in September.

Just ahead of Egypt on the latest Holiday Hotlist is Malta at #9, another destination loved for its shoulder season sun. While this diverse Mediterranean archipelago may have dropped from #2, it remains the cheapest place for a beach holiday right now at an average of just £482 per person.

But if you’re looking for the best value, it’s best to look for dates beyond September. Last-minute prices for Malta are significantly higher, at £841 per person, contributing to its slide down the rankings this month.

Why Rhodes is on the rise

We picked Rhodes as our ‘rising star’ on this month’s Holiday Hotlist, after the Greek island rose from well outside the top 10 to #3.

This was driven by several factors. TravelSupermarket searches were up a massive 162% and average seven-night holiday prices over the next six months fell 6.5% to £629 per person.

No other Greek island saw such a sizable decrease, or such a spike in interest, making it a popular and affordable pick right now. When we reviewed our data ahead of summer, which included September departures, it was also the second-cheapest Greek island for a five-star holiday, so there’s value to be found in luxury breaks too.

What else happened in the latest Holiday Hotlist update?

There were a few other key takeaways from the Holiday Hotlist update for September, all of which could be useful to know if you’re weighing up a holiday booking.

The Antalya area saw one of the most significant drops in average seven-night holiday prices in August, falling by more than 10% to £583 per person. Kefalonia also saw a similar price drop, with the average over the next six months down to £549 per person.

Majorca remains popular among TravelSupermarket customers, and holiday prices dropped 7% from July to August, which saw it return to the top 10 at #5..

July’s number one destination Menorca dropped out of the top 10 as search interest declined slightly, though prices have also declined by 8%, making it a good pick if you’re looking to go against the grain to bag a bargain break.

The Greek islands of Zante, Corfu and Santorini all dropped out of the top 10, with searches falling significantly as the attention switches to shoulder season and winter sun destinations.

*Please note: The data for the Holiday Hotlist is based on TravelSupermarket clicks for seven-night holidays for two people departing over the next six months. We analyse the top 20 most searched-for destinations on TravelSupermarket each month to create this leaderboard. Find out more about how the rankings are decided.