As summer heatwaves become longer and more intense, a growing number of travelers are embracing the “coolcation” trend, swapping traditional beach holidays for destinations that offer genuine climate relief. Holafly’s Global Cool Escape Index highlights top retreats like Queenstown, Mexico City, and Cape Town, evaluating locations based on climate relief, accessibility, traveler demand, visitor experience, and value.
As another summer of extreme temperatures grips much of the Northern Hemisphere, more travellers are swapping sunshine for cooler destinations.
To identify where travellers can genuinely escape the heat, Holafly has launched its first Global Cool Escape Index, ranking destinations based on climate relief, accessibility, traveller interest, visitor experience and value. Rather than highlighting the coldest places on Earth, the index identifies the destinations offering the best overall “coolcation” experience.
The results reveal that the world’s best summer escape is Queenstown, New Zealand, thanks to its winter climate, tourism infrastructure and international appeal. It is followed by Tromsø (Norway), Bariloche (Argentina), Helsinki (Finland) and Anchorage (United States).
The rise of the “coolcation”
For decades, summer holidays have been synonymous with beaches and sunshine, but as heatwaves become longer and more intense, travel preferences are beginning to shift.
Instead of chasing the hottest destinations, more travellers are choosing places where they can comfortably hike, explore cities and enjoy the outdoors without extreme temperatures. The growing “coolcation” trend is reshaping summer travel, bringing attention to destinations that have traditionally been overlooked in August.
Southern Hemisphere winter takes centre stage
One of the clearest trends is the growing appeal of the Southern Hemisphere during August. While much of Europe experiences temperatures above 35°C, destinations such as Queenstown, Bariloche, Cape Town and Ushuaia are enjoying winter, offering cooler weather and outdoor experiences.
Queenstown topped the ranking thanks to its strong performance across every category, while Bariloche and Cape Town also featured in the top ten for combining cooler temperatures with excellent visitor experiences.
Europe still offers cool alternatives
Long-haul travel isn’t the only option. Northern European destinations including Tromsø, Helsinki, Reykjavik and Tallinn also ranked highly thanks to their mild summer temperatures and quality tourism infrastructure, while Alpine destinations such as Zermatt continue to appeal despite their higher costs.
As traditional summer hotspots become increasingly hot, cooler destinations are emerging as an attractive alternative for travellers seeking a more comfortable holiday.
Top 10 “Coolcation” Destinations for Summer 2026
- Queenstown, New Zealand
- Tromsø, Norway
- Bariloche, Argentina
- Helsinki, Finland
- Anchorage, United States
- Reykjavik, Iceland
- San Francisco, United States
- Banff, Canada
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Zermatt, Switzerland
Where should Californians go for a “coolcation” this summer?
As temperatures continue to climb across California each summer, more travellers are rethinking what makes the perfect holiday. Instead of chasing sunshine, many are looking for somewhere they can comfortably explore cities, enjoy the outdoors and escape extreme heat.
To identify the best destinations for a summer “coolcation”, Holafly analysed international destinations using five key factors: climate relief, accessibility, traveller demand, visitor experience and value. The result is the California Cool Escape Index, revealing the destinations that offer the best overall balance for travellers seeking cooler temperatures this August.
The ranking places Mexico City first, ahead of Santiago, Chile, and Guanajuato, Mexico, outperforming traditional favourites such as Canada’s mountain destinations. Rather than simply rewarding the coldest places, the index highlights destinations that combine comfortable weather with easy access and memorable travel experiences.
Mexico City offers the best balance of comfort and convenience
Despite Canada’s reputation as a natural summer escape, Mexico City emerged as the overall winner. Its mild high-altitude climate, direct flights from California, strong tourism infrastructure and high traveller interest helped it outperform every other destination analysed. Guanajuato also secured a place in the top three, reinforcing Mexico’s growing appeal as a cool-weather summer destination.
South America climbs the rankings
The Southern Hemisphere also performed strongly, with Santiago taking second place and Bariloche ranking fifth. Because August is winter south of the equator, these destinations offer travellers a complete seasonal contrast, combining cooler temperatures with mountain scenery, winter activities and fewer crowds than many Northern Hemisphere hotspots.
Cooler holidays are reshaping travel choices
The findings reflect a broader shift in travel behaviour as increasingly hot summers encourage travellers to prioritise comfort alongside cost and convenience. Rather than seeking the hottest destinations, more people are choosing places where they can spend longer outdoors, explore cities on foot and enjoy nature without extreme temperatures. As “coolcations” continue to grow in popularity, destinations offering genuine climate relief are becoming an increasingly attractive alternative.
Top 10 “Coolcation” destinations for Californians
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Santiago, Chile
- Guanajuato, Mexico
- Jasper, Canada
- Bariloche, Argentina
- San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico
- Zacatecas, Mexico
- Pucón, Chile
- Tofino, Canada
- Ushuaia, Argentina
Where should Europeans go for a “Coolcation” this summer?
As another summer of extreme temperatures grips Europe, more travellers are looking beyond traditional beach holidays in search of cooler destinations.
To identify the best places to escape the heat, Holafly analysed international destinations for travellers departing from the UK, Germany and Spain, ranking them based on climate relief, accessibility, traveller demand, visitor experience and value. While all three markets are searching for relief from rising temperatures, the findings show that the ideal destination depends on where the journey begins.
For British travellers, Cape Town tops the ranking thanks to its winter climate and strong overall visitor experience. Germans are best served by Innsbruck, whose combination of Alpine weather and excellent accessibility secures first place. Meanwhile, for Spanish travellers, Bariloche emerges as the number one “coolcation” destination, helped by its genuine winter conditions and stronger long-haul connectivity with Spain.
One continent, three different travel patterns
Not all Europeans face the same summer heat, also flight networks and traveller demand create very different rankings.
But still, mountain destinations dominate across all three markets, with Chamonix, Innsbruck and Zermatt consistently appearing among the highest-ranked destinations. At the same time, winter destinations in the Southern Hemisphere continue to appear, particularly for travellers willing to fly further in exchange for cooler temperatures and a completely different season.
As increasingly hot summers reshape travel behaviour, “coolcations” are becoming an attractive alternative for travellers seeking more comfortable holidays without sacrificing outdoor experiences.
Top 5 Coolcation destinations for UK travellers
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Chamonix, France
- Queenstown, New Zealand
- Innsbruck, Austria
- Zermatt, Switzerland
Top 5 Coolcation destinations for German travellers
- Innsbruck, Austria
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Zermatt, Switzerland
- Chamonix, France
- Bariloche, Argentina
Top 5 Coolcation destinations for Spanish travellers
- Bariloche, Argentina
- Chamonix, France
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Zermatt, Switzerland
- Reykjavik, Iceland
