As the summer holiday crowds die down and the autumn swell picks up, September is a great month for a surf trip.

Despite outside temperatures beginning to cool, the sea often stays warm well into October and November retaining the heat it absorbed throughout the summer. With the nights drawing in across the Northern Hemisphere, stunning sunsets will act as magical backdrops to your evening sessions.

Though September may have you heading south in search of heat, there are some surprising options on this list if you don’t mind less than ideal weather. After all, who cares about the rain if you are already wet anyway?

Here are our top picks for an autumn surf getaway.

Hossegor, France

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Hossegor on a more than 200km long stretch of sand.Unsplash

This seaside town roughly 30 km north of Biarritz is a renowned surf destination. Its streets are filled with surf shops on every corner and campervans laden with boards.

At the heart of the town is La Graviere, one of the world’s top-rated beach breaks - where waves are created by a shallow sandy shoreline.

Although summer sees smaller peaks with everyone paddling out for some fun, as the seasons change the swells increase and it becomes a place for more serious sportspeople. If you come in autumn, expect bigger waves and some of the best barrels you’ll ever experience.

This is just part of the region’s 225km stretch of golden sand, however, with more than enough space for surfers of all abilities.