In Europe the Autumn period seems to be the time when many areas host festivals celebrating local produce and cuisine. A little research has revealed that food fairs are now held in many popular tourist areas at the end of the summer season and serve to provide visitors with a taste of local cuisine and traditions.

In the past these traditional food festivals would have been attended mainly by local residents and not openly promoted to tourists and visitors, but that seems to be changing. Local tourist authorities have recognised that they are of great interest to tourists and are starting to promote them more publicly. One example would be the Jamon Serrano Circuit in Alcudia, Mallorca . Alcudia is a coastal resort in the north of Mallorca and Jamon Serrano is a type of dry cured ham popular in Spain. The ham is cured and then sliced very thinly. It looks and tastes similar to Italian Prosciutto. The event in Alcudia runs for a whole month starting at the end of September. Each Friday a certain restaurant in the area is selected to host that week's event, where anyone can go along and sample the hams on offer.

Other foodie traditions which took place this Autumn included an Almond fair on Tenerife and the Fair of Santa Iria on the Algarve . The Largo de Sao Francisco in Faro is the venue for this typical Portuguese fair, where roast chestnuts are the celebrated food item. The fair took place between the 16th and 25th October. We've mentioned before the big cheese event that took place on Gran Canaria during October. The World Cheese Awards was a three day event showcasing over 2,000 different cheeses.

Flights to Gran Canaria during November start at 50.99 for a one way ticket. Prices depend on departure date and airport.