Best Places to Travel in June - Top 10 for 2024 (Pt.1)
1. SICILY, ITALY
As the largest Mediterranean island between three seas, Sicily has so much to offer that’s not just its beautiful beaches, and some of the bluest waters you'll find anywhere in Europe. This island really is a true cultural crossroad: ancient Greeks and Arabs, medieval Normans, Spanish and English conquerors, and visitors all left their marks. This mixed inheritance of sorts is clear to see in the island’s historical sites: the ancient Hellenic and Roman monuments of Agrigento, Siracusa, and Taormina; Palermo’s Norman Palace and nearby cathedral Monreale – all much less crowded before peak season in July and August, but with weather that’s beautifully warm for relaxed strolls and wanderings. Sicily’s heritage has also shaped the island’s distinctive food offerings. Allowing at least a week for a foodie tour around the island, you can taste hints of North African in oranges and couscous. Appreciate tuna, anchovies, and sardines if you’re into your seafood, snack on arancini (filled, fried rice balls), cazzilli (potato croquettes) and panelle (crispy chickpea fritters). Look for teardrop-shaped caciocavallo and sheep’s milk ricotta cheeses stuffed into pastry tubes for the sweetest cannoli, then sip on the excellent Corvo, Regaleali and sweet Malvasia and Marsala wines.
2. BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Warm, pre-season June is Canada’s National Indigenous History Month, concluding with Indigenous People’s Day on the 21st - this was absolutely my favourite month when I lived in Canada. A visit in June allows you to immerse in the cultural heritage of its First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples and Indigenous tourism is really blossoming in Canada, not least in British Columbia: there are more than 200 First Nations communities that call the province home, and a multitude of ways of discovering their cultures, from stays at Indigenous-owned wilderness lodges to traditional wellness breaks and Pow Wows (in situations where visitors are welcomed). The remote, mystical Haida Gwaii archipelago, off the far northern coast, is the place to engage with Haida people: stay at a float-lodge in the forest, walk to age-old totem poles with Haida elders, visit the heritage centre and watch for whales when numbers peak here in earlier part of June. To easily add an Indigenous experience in Vancouver, explore Stanley Park (former site of the Xwayxway First Nations village), visit the Museum of Anthropology and shop at the Bill Reid Gallery of northwest Coast Art.
3. AVEIRO & COIMBRA, PORTUGAL
It’s said that Portugal’s brightest minds have studied and celebrated in Coimbra for over seven centuries, since it’s hilltop university opened in 1290. By June though, the youngsters have dispersed, leaving the cobbled streets echoing with the tones of the cities distinctive style of fado music. Once you’ve admired the magnificent Romanesque 12th Century Sé Velha (old cathedral) and climbed 180 steps of the Torre de Universidade for city views, make the short hop north to Aveiro, the “Venice of Portugal”. Glide along its canals aboard a colourful moliciero, a traditional seaweed-harvesting boat, which you’ll often find with a cheeky painting at the front (bring your sense of humour). Stroll the streets lined with elegant Art Nouveau villas and absorb the action at the Mercado do Peixe (Fish Market) – this is where you’ll find the freshest seafood around. Do also seek out Aveiro’s sweet speciality, ovos moles – shell-shaped egg and sugar delicacies typically displayed in wooden barrels. Then slip across to the nearby coast for the sand and surf at Praia de São Jacinto or Praia de Costa Nova before other holidaymakers arrive in force from July onwards.
4. BORA BORA, FRENCH POLYNESIA
Blue, turquoise, azure, teal, indigo…there aren’t enough words to describe the colours of the Pacific Ocean around French Polynesia on a clear, calm, sunny day. And there are plenty of those in June, the start of the driest season when the main island and its motu (ring of islands) bask in temperatures of around 25 – 30 °C. This is the stuff of dreams! Stay in a luxurious resort perched over crystal waters, shaded by swaying palm trees, and if this scene doesn’t sound like paradise enough, the snorkelling and diving, over coral gardens and with sharks and rays is nothing short of spectacular. Travel in June to avoid the busiest months of July (when the traditional Heivi i Boro Bora festival is held) and August.
5. COPENHAGEN
For such a small city, Copenhagen is seriously cool. In summertime there’s a multitude of festivals and music events to enjoy, Danes zip around on brightly coloured bikes, enjoy craft beer outside and sip coffee by the sea. Eating here is a national pastime; Noma, the Danish restaurant that started to the New Nordic movement back in 2004, inspiring chefs to ferment, forage, pickle and preserve, is in its final run before closing at the end of this year. This incredible restaurant has three Michelin stars and became the most-talked-about foodie destination ever, so you’ll be in for an absolute treat if you dine here, but if your tastes are more low-key, grab some organic street food at one of Papirøen's stalls. Sit yourself down in the town square and join in with “After Work” – the Scandi term for happy hour, which starts suitably early, at 4pm. Cheers to that! The Danish capital is particularly green-minded – basically everyone here cycles and eats organic, farm-to-table fare – and that ethos extends to shopping too. Check out Gågrøn! for sustainable designer homeware, BauBau for upscale second-hand menswear, Pure Shop for organic beauty and perfumes, and an endless number of vintage boutiques (Devantier, Carmen, Edison & Co to name a few).
Want to know my favourite day trip from Copenhagen, and my not-to-miss attractions to visit?
To check out Part 2, click Next post --> below!
