Where should you travel in June?

Before the peak of the summer, the month of June offers travellers a more relaxed time of year for reliable sunshine, less crowds and perfect hiking and exploring conditions.

“A very big trend at the moment is ‘cool-cations’, which is realising that going to the Mediterranean in July and August is unbearable now,” says Tom Barber, co-founder of Original Travel.

“Europe, for me, is absolutely best in May and June. Anything rural with meadowland will be full of wild flowers.” It’s a great time for hiking, he adds. “June is not too hot and the sea is just warming up.”

So, if you’re planning your early summer adventure, where should you go?

Europe

Romania

History lovers will marvel at central Romania’s Transylvania, with it’s well-preserved medieval towns. The largest Gothic church in Eastern Europe can be found in Brasov, visit Sibiu for incredible Baroque architecture and cobblestone streets, or Sighisoara for a hilltop citadel and a clock tower dating back to the 14th century. And make sure not to miss the castles of Bran and Corvin.

“Transylvania is basically like time travel,” says Barber. “It feels like you’ve gone back a couple of hundred years; beautiful little villages, all traditional, people still use horses and carts, you can see herdsmen. Its like a scene out of medieval times. There are hardly any roads or cars – it’s genuinely old-school.”

Wildlife in the rural landscape includes wolves and bears (Romania has the largest brown bear population in Europe, outside of Russia).

Menorca, Spain

“Menorca, one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, I went last June,” says Barber.

The Spanish island is the second largest of the Balearics, in the western Mediterranean Sea northeast of Mallorca, Menorca combines archaeological and cultural monuments with natural beauty, unspoilt beaches, cliffs and ravines – it has been declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.

The 185km coastal path Camí de Cavalls circles the island. “Its an amazing footpath that has now been connected so you can walk the whole way around the entire island,” says Barber, “that would take maybe a couple of weeks but you can choose to do a section – for a morning or a whole day, and you always have the sea on one side.

“At that time of year you’re walking past fields where there are huge hay bales, for harvest.

“The food is sensational,” he adds. “I think its one of my all time favourites.” Think lobster stew (caldereta de langosta), pastries filled with pumpkin jam (ensaimadas) and Mahón-Menorca cheese.

Lisbon, Portugal

The Portuguese capital won’t yet have reached the heights of its summer temperatures so it’s a great time to wander the hilly, character-filled streets.

Lisbon “really comes alive in June with Santos Populares”, notes Pippa O’Keefe, travel designer at Asmallworld. It’s “essentially a month-long festival. The streets are decorated and hosting arraiais [open air] concerts, with barbecues on the street. The most notable celebrations are around June 12–13 for Santo Antonio.”

The Santo Antonio parade sees dozens of low-income couples marry for free at at Igreja de Santo António and Sé Cathedral, with full receptions sponsored by the city, she explains. “It’s a heartwarming tradition started in 1958 that embodies the saint’s role as protector of marriages.”

June is also Pride and Lisbon celebrates it in real style in the middle of the month, with Arraial Lisboa Pride. June also marks the start of sardine season in Portugal – “which the Portuguese love”, says O’Keefe. “You can only fish for fresh sardines between June and September.

“You’ll find barbecued sardines in every Lisbon neighbourhood during Santos Populares. Which is why one of the main symbolism of this festival is a basil plant – traditionally it was used to mark the scent of barbecued fish.”

An advantage to travelling in June is quieter beaches too. O’Keefe adds: “The lesser known beaches of Caparica aren’t as busy as they are in July and especially August.”

Worldwide

Peru

“Most people think of going to Latin America in our winter but actually Peru is amazing in June,” says Barber. “The weather is really good, it’s not too hot. Machu Picchu is very busy now but there’s a lot of amazing walking in and around the [The Sacred] Valley.”

Elsewhere in the country, Colca Canyon, with depths of up to 3,500 meters, offers a challenging down-and-up hike but an incredible opportunity to see Andean condors swooping above. Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) is another famous hike – for it’s colourful striped mineral layers, and don’t leave Peru without visiting the islands of Lake Titicaca.

“The temperature is just right, there’s lots of incredible food, but most people assume it’s best over Christmas,” says Barber.

Malaysian Borneo

The world’s third largest island, Borneo is split into three countries, with an Indonesian side, Malay side and Brunei. The Malaysian part – made up of the states of Sabah and Sarawak – is famous for ancient rainforests and rich indigenous culture.

“Borneo is brilliant, a remarkable island with incredible wildlife,” Barber notes. Besides pygmy elephants and proboscis monkeys, “You can see orangutans in the wild.

“You can also take a boat up river and stay with a traditional tribe for a night and learn about their way of life. It’s just a remarkable place. It’s not quite as popular as it should be.”