Meanwhile, you'll enjoy not only sun and sea but also the unique landscapes of "the green island". Corfu, in the Ionian Sea between Greece and Italy, has heather, ferns, cypress trees, colorful oleanders and bougainvillea, wild spices, and of course countless olive groves.

Corfu also has rain; how else could it be so green? Lightning storms begin in November.

Still, October can be a splendid, less-crowded month to visit.