Content library
Every guide for chasing summer.
Browse the full editorial archive: warm-place rankings, water-condition reports, and planning guides for all twelve months.
January - Best Places
The Best Warm-Weather Places in January
January is the month most travelers underestimate. Half the planet is shoveling snow and the other half is rubbing sunscreen into shoulders that haven't seen UV in months. This gui...
9 min read - Updated January 2026
January - Beach Guide
Beach and Water Conditions to Expect in January
Sea temperatures: Phuket 28 C, Maldives 29 C, Sydney 22 C, Costa Rica Pacific side 27 C. The Andaman Sea is mirror calm before sunrise off Kata Noi. The Maldivian atolls have visib...
8 min read - Updated January 2026
January - Planning
How to Plan a January Summer Trip the Smart Way
What to book first, where to base, and the mistakes worth avoiding in January.
7 min read - Updated January 2026
February - Best Places
The Best Warm-Weather Places in February
February is the sweet spot of the southern hemisphere summer and the cleanest stretch of the Indian Ocean dry season. Bali finishes its wet weeks early in the month and settles int...
9 min read - Updated February 2026
February - Beach Guide
Beach and Water Conditions to Expect in February
Bali's east coast, especially around Sanur and Amed, has glassy mornings ideal for snorkeling. Mauritius lagoons protected by the reef stay perfectly flat at Belle Mare and Trou au...
8 min read - Updated February 2026
February - Planning
How to Plan a February Summer Trip the Smart Way
What to book first, where to base, and the mistakes worth avoiding in February.
7 min read - Updated February 2026
March - Best Places
The Best Warm-Weather Places in March
March is a strategic month. The Caribbean is still in its driest stretch, the rains haven't started in Sri Lanka, and Mexico's Riviera Maya is at its most pleasant before the sprin...
9 min read - Updated March 2026
March - Beach Guide
Beach and Water Conditions to Expect in March
Punta Cana and the Dominican north coast around Las Terrenas have warm, calm Atlantic water at this point in the year. The Caribbean side of the Riviera Maya, especially Tulum, Aku...
8 min read - Updated March 2026
March - Planning
How to Plan a March Summer Trip the Smart Way
What to book first, where to base, and the mistakes worth avoiding in March.
7 min read - Updated March 2026
April - Best Places
The Best Warm-Weather Places in April
April is when the Greek islands shake off winter and the Aegean light returns, when Cyprus hits its first warm beach days, and when Egypt's Red Sea coast becomes one of the most re...
9 min read - Updated April 2026
April - Beach Guide
Beach and Water Conditions to Expect in April
The Red Sea is the standout. Water around Marsa Alam, Dahab, and El Quseir is bath warm with visibility past 30 meters. Greek south coast bays on Crete, Karpathos, and Rhodes start...
8 min read - Updated April 2026
April - Planning
How to Plan a April Summer Trip the Smart Way
What to book first, where to base, and the mistakes worth avoiding in April.
7 min read - Updated April 2026
May - Best Places
The Best Warm-Weather Places in May
May is the month frequent Mediterranean travelers swear by. Cyprus is fully warm. Sicily's beaches open. The Greek islands are at their wildflower peak with the temperature finally...
9 min read - Updated May 2026
May - Beach Guide
Beach and Water Conditions to Expect in May
Cyprus is bath-temperature compared to most Mediterranean choices in May. The south coasts of Crete, especially around Loutro and Plakias, are protected and warm faster than the no...
8 min read - Updated May 2026
May - Planning
How to Plan a May Summer Trip the Smart Way
What to book first, where to base, and the mistakes worth avoiding in May.
7 min read - Updated May 2026
June - Best Places
The Best Warm-Weather Places in June
June is when summer breaks open. Italian beaches reach full warmth, Greek islands hit their first peak, southern France warms by mid-month, and Turkey's southwestern coast becomes ...
9 min read - Updated June 2026
June - Beach Guide
Beach and Water Conditions to Expect in June
Italian beaches in Puglia and Sardinia hit their stride. The Amalfi coves at Praiano and Marina di Praia are warm and clear. The Greek Cyclades have settled into reliable meltemi-f...
8 min read - Updated June 2026
June - Planning
How to Plan a June Summer Trip the Smart Way
What to book first, where to base, and the mistakes worth avoiding in June.
7 min read - Updated June 2026
July - Best Places
The Best Warm-Weather Places in July
July is the loudest month of the European summer. The Greek islands are full, the Croatian coast is a moving party, the Italian Riviera bottlenecks at every gelato counter. There a...
9 min read - Updated July 2026
July - Beach Guide
Beach and Water Conditions to Expect in July
Albanian coast around Ksamil and Dhermi is the hidden chapter of Mediterranean July. The water is clear, the prices are reasonable, the beaches are emptier. Corsica's eastern coast...
8 min read - Updated July 2026
July - Planning
How to Plan a July Summer Trip the Smart Way
What to book first, where to base, and the mistakes worth avoiding in July.
7 min read - Updated July 2026
August - Best Places
The Best Warm-Weather Places in August
August is when half of Europe goes on holiday at the same time. The math is unforgiving. Where this works in your favor is in the destinations the big-city traffic ignores. Portuga...
9 min read - Updated August 2026
August - Beach Guide
Beach and Water Conditions to Expect in August
Comporta and the Alentejo coast in Portugal have wild Atlantic beaches with surf and pine forest behind. The Baltic dunes of Nida in Lithuania are some of the largest in Europe. Ga...
8 min read - Updated August 2026
August - Planning
How to Plan a August Summer Trip the Smart Way
What to book first, where to base, and the mistakes worth avoiding in August.
7 min read - Updated August 2026
September - Best Places
The Best Warm-Weather Places in September
September is the most consistently underrated travel month in the calendar. Mediterranean water is at its yearly maximum because the sea takes all summer to heat up. The crowds col...
9 min read - Updated September 2026
September - Beach Guide
Beach and Water Conditions to Expect in September
Greek south Crete, especially around Sougia and Loutro, has perfect calm seas in September. Sicilian coast around Cefalu and the Egadi islands is glassy. Turkey's Turquoise Coast i...
8 min read - Updated September 2026
September - Planning
How to Plan a September Summer Trip the Smart Way
What to book first, where to base, and the mistakes worth avoiding in September.
7 min read - Updated September 2026
October - Best Places
The Best Warm-Weather Places in October
October is a transition month with great pockets. The Mediterranean stays warm enough for swimming through mid-month in the southern parts. The Caribbean comes out of hurricane sea...
9 min read - Updated October 2026
October - Beach Guide
Beach and Water Conditions to Expect in October
Cyprus and southern Crete remain swimmable through October. Maldives by late month is in pristine dry season form. Caribbean coral on Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire is at maximum visi...
8 min read - Updated October 2026
October - Planning
How to Plan a October Summer Trip the Smart Way
What to book first, where to base, and the mistakes worth avoiding in October.
7 min read - Updated October 2026
November - Best Places
The Best Warm-Weather Places in November
November is when the chase begins in earnest. Europe is over. Southeast Asia's Andaman coast comes back online. The Caribbean is fully back. South Africa enters its summer. Austral...
9 min read - Updated November 2026
November - Beach Guide
Beach and Water Conditions to Expect in November
Thailand's Andaman coast at Phuket, Krabi, and the Phi Phi islands is in form by mid-November. Caribbean Barbados, Antigua, and St Lucia are in their dry season opening. South Afri...
8 min read - Updated November 2026
November - Planning
How to Plan a November Summer Trip the Smart Way
What to book first, where to base, and the mistakes worth avoiding in November.
7 min read - Updated November 2026
December - Best Places
The Best Warm-Weather Places in December
December is the peak of the southern hemisphere summer and the most reliable warm-water month for tropical destinations close to the equator. The Maldives is at its absolute cleare...
9 min read - Updated December 2026
December - Beach Guide
Beach and Water Conditions to Expect in December
Maldivian house reef snorkeling is unbeatable in December. Mauritian lagoons are at peak warmth at Le Morne, Trou aux Biches, and Belle Mare. Phuket and Krabi waters glass over by ...
8 min read - Updated December 2026
December - Planning
How to Plan a December Summer Trip the Smart Way
What to book first, where to base, and the mistakes worth avoiding in December.
7 min read - Updated December 2026