After yet another spring and early summer full of heat warnings and wildfires in the Med, we’re beginning to rethink where we should be heading this holiday season. If your most beloved destination is seeming too sultry for comfort, try one of these cooler-destination swaps instead, where you’ll get similar appeal in more moderate temperatures. You might just discover a new favourite place…
You want: Active adventure
Swap Mallorca for Iceland
With its mountainous topography for cycling, plunging blue depths for jet-skiing and rocky coastline for windsurfing, Mallorca is a summer go-to for adventure sports. But with even more dramatic scenery and far cooler climes to temper the activity-induced perspiration, Iceland is a superb swap with seriously brag-worthy activities; you can snorkel past icebergs, climb snow-capped volcanoes and trek across glaciers. Discover the World has group trek tours and family escapes to remote corners. discover-the-world.com
Must-do: Whichever way you head afterwards – south to the scenic waterfall-lined coast or north to more remote, unexplored corners, ensure you factor in a visit to Thingvellir National Park, where two tectonic plates meet. Experienced divers can even swim through ultra-clear mineral waters in a fissure that has formed between them. thingvellir.is
Stay: Keep up the adventurous vibe with a full immersion in nature staying in a transparent pod, Bubble, in Hrosshagi or Ölvisholt (buubble.com, from £163).
You want: Island-hopping
Swap Croatia for the Stockholm Archipelago
With its pebble beach-ringed deserted isles covered in dense greenery, the thousands of islands in the Stockholm archipelago could be cooler-climate doppelgängers for Croatia’s versions in the Adriatic azure. There are 24,000 of them in total set just outside the Swedish capital’s centre, many uninhabited and several accessible by local ferry or helicopter. You can visit a smattering of the most charming islands on a self-guided, seven-day hiking trip with The Natural Adventure. thenaturaladventure.com
Must-do: Who needs the blingy superyachts of Hvar? Join a day-long understated sailing trip weaving between the islands and punctuated by serene swims and sightings of local birdlife, including sea eagles and ospreys. stockholmadventures.com
Stay: On Utö a historic windmill spikes the horizon and tree-lined trails winding past painted wooden cottages converge around a tiny harbour town with pay-per-hour sauna. Here Hotel Utö Värdshus has a timeless feel and relaxed veranda dining (utovardshus.se, from £209).
You want: cute hilltop villages
Swap Provence for the Lake District
You might not believe that the Lake District could sub in for Provence but let’s break this down: both have rolling landscapes topped with photogenic old villages, and Roman ruins, and a rich creative legacy (Turner vs Van Gogh, Beatrix Potter vs Peter Mayle). And in summer the seas of purple heather on Cumbrian slopes are every bit as photogenic as the lavender fields of the Luberon. Your top Insta-perfect villages to try? Ambleside for boat trips, Grasmere for the former home of William Wordsworth and Hawkshead for general cobbled loveliness.
Must-do: It doesn’t get any more quintessentially cute than Beatrix Potter’s cottage, which provided inspiration for her books and is now run by the National Trust. nationaltrust.org.uk
Stay: With spa suites and a first-rate restaurant, luxurious Relais & Châteaux hotel The Gilpin will banish any feelings of French Riviera envy (thegilpin.co.uk, from £280).
You want: wellness
Swap Ibiza for Switzerland
Famed for its upmarket yoga retreats, macramé-lined juice bars and mythical Es Vedrà rock, Ibiza is a hippie hub for contemporary wellness. But Switzerland was seasoned in feel-good breaks when the Ibiza tourist scene was still in nappies, enticing monied travellers with its hot springs and medi-retreats since the 19th century. Make for the mountains, where a combination of world-class spas and reliably warm and sunny weather redefines your vision of summer wellbeing.
Must-do: Architecturally ambitious – a vision rendered in 60,000 slabs of local quartzite stone – the 7132 Therme Vals by architect Peter Zumthor in Graubünden shows that Switzerland isn’t playing second fiddle to anyone when it comes to spa-ing. Enjoy the mineral-rich benefits of the St. Peter’s spring water before dining on two-Michelin-starred dishes in the onsite restaurant Silver. 7132.com
Stay: Combining top-tier medi-wellness, soothing thermal waters and Michelin-starred cuisine, Grand Resort Bad Ragaz is the ultimate feel-good place to check in in St. Gallen (resortragaz.ch, from £296).
You want: coastal glamour
Swap Bodrum for Le Touquet
Glossy seaside resorts, chic party scene, trendy beach clubs, strong sunshine: Bodrum is a current hotspot, in more ways than one, for glam travellers. But for a cooler rendition of the globe-trotting scene take your runway looks to Le Touquet, an old-school getaway for the well-heeled set, once visited by the likes of Édith Piaf and Ian Fleming. Set on France’s Opal Coast in Pas-de-Calais, it’s got art deco architecture, swish casinos and golden beaches, as well as moderate climes.
Must-do: Hit the 18 holes of the La Mer links course at Le Touquet Golf Resort, open since 1904. letouquetgolfresort.com
Stay: First opened in 1924, Le Westminster – set on a 12km-long beach and coddled in forest, gives a retro-elegant energy to your vacay, with views out to the verdant Parc de Pins and Le Touquet Lighthouse (hotelsbarriere.com, from £279).
You want: family fun
Swap the Algarve for Austria
While the resort-packed Algarve has become a stalwart for family fun, Austria gives it fierce run for its money with a range of top-tier ‘kinderhotel’ – children’s hotels – typically featuring farm animals, kids’ clubs, outdoor activities, family spas and more. The Seefeld Plateau, 1,200m above sea level in the Tirol, is home to everything from adventure playgrounds made from local forest trees to biking trails, plus wild swimming lakes and bridge-linked gorges for exploring. Inghams runs family-friendly walking holidays. inghams.co.uk
Must-do: Get the kiddos to stretch their legs on a 7km easy walk from Wildmoosalm to Lottensee, taking in woodland by the Mösern Lake.
Stay: Klosterbräu Hotel & Spa has a kids’ club with knight’s castle, family-sized rooms featuring serene wood-lined environs, six-course dinners and petting zoo (klosterbraeu.com, from £183).
You want: a weekend city break
Swap Lisbon for Helsinki
Compact, stylish and packed with great places to eat, the waterside capital of Finland has average July highs of 22C, a refreshing temperature for wandering around compared to the intense sun spells of the Iberian peninsula. Peruse the market stalls in front of the landmark columned cathedral, then take in the contemporary Kiasma art museum and shop the homewares boutiques of the Design District.
Must-do: Take a plunge in the Allas Pool on the seafront – the 11m sea water pool is open year around – then relax on the adjoining beach area or dry off in a very Finnish way: via the sauna. allaspool.fi
Stay: Klaus K near the Design District combines Helsinki’s signature style creds with a rooftop bar and a French-inspired restaurant (klauskhotel.com, from £100).
You want: just a lovely beach
Swap the Greek islands for Föhr
Just 82 square kilometres, the island of Föhr sits just off Germany’s border with Denmark in the North Sea, an idyllic smattering of historic thatched-roof cottages, windmill-studded agricultural fields, cute villages – and beaches. With its fine white sand stretches, open blue skies and wildlife-rich Wadden Sea, the ‘Frisian Caribbean’, as it’s known, brings to mind the more paradisical, unpeopled stretches of the Aegean isles. Regular ferries sail from Dagebüll on the mainland.
Must-do: Rent one of the wicker beach chairs, complete with a roof to protect from wind or excess sun, dotting the sands between Nieblum and capital Wyk auf Föhr.
Stay: Clean lines, big windows overlooking a pool and a restaurant serving seafood define the scene at Upstalsboom, right on the beach at Wyk auf Föhr (upstalsboom-wyk.de, from £250).
