As temperatures cool, you may find yourself not quite ready to embrace the pumpkin-spice season. One of the best ways to extend your summer is to head somewhere sunny and warm. Pack your travel bag with shorts, swimsuits and sandals, and visit one of these resort spots to maintain your summer vibes.
Snorkel on the Riviera Maya
What better way to cap off your summer than with an underwater adventure? Home to the world’s second-largest barrier reef system, the Mexican Riviera offers amazing snorkeling sites. Get up-close with colorful angelfish, sea turtles and perhaps dolphins! If you want to go deeper, take scuba classes with PADI-trained instructors or travel into the jungle to snorkel in the clear waters of cenotes, limestone sinkholes with pools full of marine life.
Coral-reef snorkeling is just one beach activity available at Fairmont Mayakoba Riviera Maya. You can also stretch your days under the sun with paddleboarding, kayaking or windsurfing. Of course, relaxing on the pristine white sand or in a beachfront pool may be more your speed. Beach toys are on hand to help entertain the kids while you September-proof your tan.
Reserve an afternoon for a round at El Camaleón, an 18-hole golf course that winds its way through the plush native landscape. The exquisite Greg Norman-designed fairways, nestled against the Caribbean shore, both challenge and distract as they ask golfers to contend with mangrove forests and freshwater canals.
Hit the Beach in San Juan
San Juan remains balmy in fall, letting you extend your summer while avoiding heavy tourist traffic. One of the city’s most popular destinations, Isla Verde Beach provides the longest and widest stretch of sand in San Juan along crystalline, calm waters, ideal for recreation.
Situated on this golden shore, Fairmont El San Juan Hotel features beachfront accommodation with fun pastimes like paddleboarding and beach volleyball. Zip through the water with a jet-ski tour by Ocean Pro Adventures, or learn how to ride the waves at WOW Surfing School. For diving lessons, snorkeling tours, and even night dives, Scuba Dogs can take you under.
Prefer to keep your beach time more zen? Participate in a seaside balancing/meditation session at the hotel. Or soak in the sun as you listen to the waves, either on the beach or by one of four sea-facing pools with personal cabanas and a swim-up bar. As the day winds down, you can enjoy a beachfront dinner at El San Juan Beach Club, which also offers a taste of San Juan nightlife with live music and dancing on the weekends. Book a special package to end your Summer in Style.
Increase Your Outdoor Time in Barbados
One way to prolong your summer is increasing your time outdoors, and where better to do that than Barbados? Of course, this tropical island has all the beach activities you’d expect, from sunbathing to snorkeling, but there’s much to discover inland as well. View gorgeous flora with a tour of Andromeda Botanic Gardens or Hunte’s Gardens, or explore nature underground with a cavern swim in the Animal Flower Cave, followed by a curry and fishcakes at the adjacent restaurant.
For the ecologically minded, Barbados offers no shortage of sustainable activities you can include in your vacation, from assisting with sea-turtle rescues to planting trees and native vegetable gardening.
Fairmont Royal Pavilion embraces its beautiful surroundings with private beachfront balconies, al fresco dining, outdoor fitness classes, tennis courts and yoga on the beach. Tours of the on-site garden, designed by famed landscape architect Fernando Tabora, guide you past native tropical flowers and fruit trees. Even in-room spa treatments take on an open-air vibe as the sound of the sea filters in through your open balcony. Oh, and there’s also the idyllic white-sand beach with kayaking, paddleboarding and sailing included in your resort stay.
Escape with the Family to Tangier
Plan one last getaway with the family, and make it memorable by choosing Morocco. Early fall is an optimal time to visit as the summer heat has begun to fade, but it’s still warm enough to hit the waterslides at Mnar Park aqua park and swim, sail or scuba-dive at the beach. While at the beach, make sure to include a camel ride! Then, for another iconic animal encounter, visit a snake charmer, which you’ll most likely find in the casbah, where you can get a sense of the city’s history.
For a day trip, take the hour ferry ride across the Strait of Gibraltar to Spain. On return, your myth-lovers will want to explore Hercules Caves, the coastal cavern complex where the Greek hero purportedly rested after his famous labors. Above the heat of the city, you’ll find Fairmont Tazi Palace Tangier perched on a hillside. Here, your family can relax with a swim in the marble-accented outdoor pool. And a kids’ club has planned activities for youngsters, so you can unwind further at the hotel spa’s traditional hammam.
Extend your summer with a Fairmont getaway today.