Any September suggestions for DH and I?

[OompaLoompaa]

I’m looking to book a week long holiday in September for my DH and I. We like to sightsee but I’d also like some downtime either in a spa or in a country where the UV isn’t too high or there is a lot of shade.
We both enjoy water sports but not to spend all day on a beach, and nice food (not too many buffets).
We like to stay in hotels and are open to either a short or long haul holiday. We are going on a Baltic cruise at the end of the month so not another cruise or holiday in that region.
Budget is up to 3.5k.

Madeira might suit. It won’t be terribly hot in September. It’s not really a beach destination but there are a few and some man-made rock pools. There is some good walking along the irrigation water channels, the levadas, if you like that sort of thing. There are fine gardens to visit, golf too. It’s a stunning island, rugged and green. Funchal, the capital is a pretty city and there are various other towns to visit around the island. I don’t have specific hotel recs, just have a look on Booking.com etc.

Thank you, that’s a good idea, I’ve spent a day there and enjoyed it. I hadn’t thought of staying there.

Kefalonia?

The Italian Lakes or Tyrol area in Austria

Some friends of ours went on holiday to Madeira earlier this year. It was mainly a walking holiday, it looked amazing

Thank you, I’ll check out these suggestions.

Madeira is lovely and whilst Funchal has a “tourist area” it’s really just hotels and restaurants, there’s not loads of entertainment or bars etc like some resorts have.