‘Coolcations’ in Europe: New index reveals where to escape the heat

Published on
17/06/2026 – 8:00 GMT+2

As the popularity of “coolcations” continues to rise amid another summer of above-average temperatures, a new travel index has ranked the best European destinations to beat the heat.

Travel app Polarsteps has launched its first “Summer Heat Escape Index”, analysing 25 European countries on everything from day and night temperatures to sea swimming conditions.

The research follows a Polarsteps survey conducted in April 2026, which found that 35% of British travellers had chosen a cooler destination for their summer holiday this year, with more than one in five making the switch for the first time.

Rather than just measuring air temperatures, the index combines six different factors that influence how comfortable a destination feels during the summer months. These include:

Average daytime temperatures in August
Average night-time temperatures in August
Coolest average sea water temperatures in August
Forest coverage
Population density
Wild camping access

According to Polarsteps, each factor was normalised to produce a final score out of 100. Air temperature data was sourced from Meteostat and EN Climate Data using 1991-2020/2021 climate averages, while sea temperatures were based on the past decade of observations from seatemperature.info.

Where to go to beat the heat

Iceland tops the overall ranking with a score of 83.81 out of 100, thanks to average August daytime temperatures of just 10.7C, cool nights of 8.1C, legal wild camping and the lowest population density in Europe. The country also offers some of the continent’s coldest sea swimming, with water temperatures around Akureyri averaging just 9.5C.

Finland takes second place, earning the highest marks for nature. Nearly three-quarters of the country is covered by forest, while August temperatures average a comfortable 17C, making it well suited to hiking and outdoor adventures during the height of summer.

Norway completes the top three, combining mild summer temperatures with Europe’s coldest sea swimming. Waters at Ny-Ålesund average just 5.3C in August, while the country’s extensive wilderness and legal wild camping add to its appeal.

With daytime temperatures in August averaging 17C, Sweden ranks fourth. The country also benefits from its vast forests and the constitutional right to roam, known as “Allemansrätten”.

Meanwhile, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania all feature in the top 10, highlighting the Baltic states as emerging alternatives for travellers seeking cooler summer holidays without venturing as far north as Scandinavia.

Polarsteps recommends that travellers should head to Europe’s Atlantic coast if they are seeking warmth with a “cool-off option”.

Atlantic currents mean that parts of France (Portsall, 15.1C), Spain (A Guarda, 16.6C) and Portugal (Viana do Castelo, 16.6C) offer some of the coldest sea swimming in Europe despite their warm summer climates.