British Isles

The Isle of Wight is unexpectedly exciting this month, with a cycling festival from September 13 to 21 and White Air, Europe's largest extreme sports event, from September 19 to 21. Cyclists can try the “killer challenge” over hills or enjoy more relaxed rides through forests. At White Air, novices rub shoulders with top wind and kitesurfing performers. Wightlink has cut ferry prices for the events and has a two-night package at the Ocean Hotel, Sandown, from £135 with ferry travel, dinner, B&B. 0871 3761000

Watergate Bay, north Cornwall, has an extreme sports centre and features polo on the beach on September 9. For three weeks from Friday, breaksincornwall.com has flats for up to six with TV, DVD and wet rooms at Beachcomber Apartments, close to the bay, for £289 for four nights. 01621 784666

The City Inn Westminster, close to the Thames, Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey, has rooms for two for two nights at weekends for £178. It has space on September 13 and 14 for the Mayor's Thames Festival, which features circus acts, street art and music, fireworks and a marathon river race. 020-7630 1000

The 2008 Blackpool illuminations were switched on last week, with more than 1,000 lamps and 500 floodlights and spotlights stretching for six miles. See them while staying at the four-star Big Blue Hotel, next to the Pleasure Beach, where Superbreak offers B&B from £42 a night from Sundays to Thursdays this month. 0871 2223055

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Gardens are on the doorstep - and Brimham Rocks and Ripon Cathedral a short drive away from Downing Cottage in the village of Studley Roger, North Yorkshire. It sleeps up to seven, welcomes pets and costs £495 a week this month. 01765 604145

A converted croft house near Drumnadrochit, Inverness-shire, and 600ft above Loch Ness, is on offer for a week from the next two Fridays for £425 with Ecosse Unique. It sleeps five and has central heating. A nearby farmhouse for five is available for four nights from September 15 for £415. 01835 822277

Escape to White Cliffs Country with a short break at Wallett's Court Hotel, near Dover. Three-night breaks from October in the converted Jacobean manor house cost £199, with dinner on two nights. 01304 852424

Short haul

A week's self-catering on the easterly Greek island of Kos for £225 is among cut-price packages on offer with Monarch Holidays. Fly from Gatwick on September 10 and stay at the three-diamond rated Anna Studios. 0871 4238642

Sailing holidays in the Ionian Sea from a base on Lefkas are available from September 14. Choose from joining a small flotilla, living aboard, for a week and finding accommodation for a second week or spend two weeks sailing. Tuition is available for novices and the yachts moor up for social evenings ashore. Prices with Sunvil Sailing are from £499 with a flight from Gatwick and transfers. 020-8758 4780

Cadogan Holidays is marking Gibraltar National Day on September 10 with a special deal all this month at the rock's best-known hotel, The Rock. A week in a seaview room with B&B and a flight from Gatwick costs from £449. The day itself features entertainments and a rally with locals in national dress. 0845 6156793

A new three-bedroom villa for six with a pool, close to the hilltop village of Begur on the more attractive northern Costa Brava, is available for a week from September 20 with PCI holidays. Casa Angel costs £614 and is best reached from Girona Airport. Return flights from the UK start from £50. 0845 1301440

End-of-summer savings are on offer at Club Med resorts. A week from September 26 at Beldi, Turkey, is down to £499 and from September 28 at Kamarina, Sicily, to £539. Both deals include flights from London, meals and drinks and a wide range of group classes and sports activities. 0845 3676767

Book now for a good-value cruise sailing from Palma, Majorca, for the western Mediterranean on October 14. The week's voyage visits Sardinia and Minorca, Civitavecchia for trips to Rome, La Spezia for the Italian Riviera and Villefranche for the French version. The holiday costs from £479 with Ideal Cruising, including a flight from Gatwick, transfers, full board and entertainment on the 40,000-tonne Ideal Escape. 0800 9778561

Long haul

Head for the Maldives on Sunday and a week's B&B at the five-star Kurumba resort is down to £799 with Kuoni. The deal includes a flight from Gatwick; the resort, the first to open, is ten minutes by speedboat from the airport and has developed into a modern, well-established destination. 01306 747008

A week's all-inclusive on St Lucia is also available at a bargain price: £599, with Hayes & Jarvis. Fly Virgin Atlantic from Gatwick on September 28 and stay at the four-star Coconut Bay Resort & Spa. 0871 6640246

Kiwi Experience offers discounts on New Zealand back-packing tours booked online by the end of this month. The Top Dog pass for bus travel around South Island and up to the North - and the Zephyr pass for travel to all the country's iconic places - are both down to £255. www.kiwiexperience.com

All prices are per person and based on two travelling together and sharing a room unless stated otherwise.

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