Last Minute Holidays

Last Minute Sun Holidays

Looking for last minute sun holidays that don't compromise on heat or hotel standard? These five keep coming up as the safest late bets for reliable warmth and short flight times from Ireland.

• Costa Del Sol: A flight of around three and a half hours from Dublin lands you on Spain's busiest sun coast, where late rooms turn up fastest along the Torremolinos-Benalmadena strip. It won't be a quiet corner, but for guaranteed heat and choice at short notice it's hard to beat.
• Costa Blanca: Alicante airport sits close to most of the resort strip, which keeps transfer times under 45 minutes even on a booking made this week. Benidorm's high-rise skyline isn't for everyone, but the beaches either side of it are genuinely excellent.
• Algarve: Portugal's south coast runs a longer late season than most, with warm sea temperatures well into October. Faro airport puts most hotels within half an hour, so a Friday booking can still mean a Saturday departure.
• Antalya: Turkey's stretch of Turquoise Coast regularly undercuts other Mediterranean sun destinations on late all-inclusive pricing, sometimes by a third or more for the same star rating. The trade-off is a longer flight, at just over five hours from Dublin.
• Crete: Greece's largest island has enough hotel stock that late deals appear even in the first two weeks of August, when smaller islands sell out completely. Chania's old town is worth the detour if your resort sits on the west coast.