While for most, September is the month to go back to work, for some it is a time of well-earned rest.

September is the perfect month to treat yourself to a holiday. With the days still relatively long and warm, people choose to travel in September and enjoy the best of the year’s sea on less-crowded beaches; the temperature’s perfect for walking, trekking or cycling along seaside paths. Let’s head off and discover the finest seaside resorts to finish up this summer in glorious Italian style. 

Eastern Sicily: Oasi Faunistica di Vendicari, Sicily.

Nature is at is most resplendent on this stretch of coast between Noto and Marzamemi, in Eastern Sicily. The Vendicari Wildlife Nature Reserve offers a plethora of different natural habitats: freshwater areas, salt marshes, coastal dunes and kilometres of beaches.

• Spiaggia Marzamemi.

On the Noto coast in the province of Syracuse, in summer this beautiful fishing village is very popular with tourists out to find the perfect beach. Marzamemi is rightfully-known as one of south-eastern Sicily’s highlights, as well as being one of Sicily’s most evocative and characteristic villages. Near here is the paradisiacal beach of San Lorenzo. where the sand is a bright white and the waters crystal-clear. 

• La Spiaggia di Calamosche, Syracuse .

Calamosche beach is without doubt the most famous in the Vendicari Reserve: a cove surrounded by rocks, the sandy beach boasts crystal-clear waters protected from the currents. Access is via a kilometre-long path. If you’re in the mood for adventure, swim out from the beach and explore caves, nooks and crannies. 

Where to stay in Sicily.

UNAHOTELS One Syracuse awaits near Syracuse, the cradle of Eastern Sicily, offering elegance and wellness a stone’s throw from the sea. The hotel has a wide range of amenities, from the famous Akademia restaurant serving local dishes with a gourmet touch to its atmospheric Sky Roof. 

If you’re planning to tour eastern Sicily, staying in Catania is the ideal solution. We recommend Palace Catania | UNA Esperienze, in the heart of town with breathtaking views of Mount Etna. The hotel is a typically-Sicilian idyll where you can enjoy a refined aperitif on the terrace and a good glass of wine with dinner. 

Gargano coast, Apulia

The 140 km-long Gargano National Park coastline has so many beautiful beaches it’s hard to list them all, not least because they are some of Puglia’s most stunning strands. Here are two of the most beautiful:

• Baia delle Zagare.

The beach at Zagare Bay is incredibly white, with rocks and stacks that create natural arches and fantastical shapes. Beach access is a fifteen-minute walk down a path off the Mattinata to Vieste coast road.

• Baia dei Mergoli, Mattinata

The beach at Baia dei Mergoli is probably the most spectacular in the whole Gargano, backed by white cliffs and sloping into an extraordinarily azure sea. Access is along an 800-metre path through nature. 

Where to stay in Apulia.

These are just two of Apulia’s wonderful beaches, loved by tourists and locals alike for their pristine beauty. Visitors to Puglia usually make a complete tour of the region. Bari is a perfect base, offering easy access to both the Gargano and Salento. UNAHOTELS Regina Bari fits the bill: architecturally-inspired by ancient Apulian villages, it offers a wide range of amenities, including its famous Noha restaurant, serving traditional Mediterranean dishes, and a variety of wellness and fitness services.

• Riserva Naturale delle Bandite di Scarlino, Tuscany

We end with the splendid Bandite Nature Reserve, almost 9000 hectares of fragrant and luxuriant Mediterranean maquis. The reserve’s network of paths are great to explore in this uncontaminated corner of nature. Here are our tips on perhaps the most beautiful beaches in this area:

• Spiaggia di Cala Violina (GR)

Surrounded by Mediterranean maquis, this heavenly beach in the heart of the Natural Reserve of Bandite can be reached on foot after a half-hour walk through a beautiful coastal pine forest. You reach the bay of Cala Violina, an evocative name in which the “violin” refers to the sound the wind makes when you walk across the fine white sand. The waters at this half-moon-shaped beach are crystal-clear. An absolute highlight!

Where to stay in Tuscany.

What better time to visit the beaches along the Tuscan coast than September? Versilia is also a great destination this month. Try Versilia Lido | UNA Esperienze, which offers the finest Tuscan cuisine at its UNA Restaurant in an authentic selection of Tuscan and Tyrrhenian dishes. In addition, the hotel boasts a wide range of wellness and fitness facilities, ideal for getting back into shape before autumn arrives. 

If you’d like to enjoy not just the sea but the mountains, good food and fine dining, just an hour and a half from the beach is Montepulciano, a unique small Tuscan town with elegant Renaissance buildings, age-old churches, beautiful squares and wondrous discoveries round every corner. Here, try Relais Villa Grazianella | UNA Esperienze, an elegant residence immersed in the enchanting Siena hills.