Where it's cool in August

Top 10 destinations in August

1. 1.Lake Titicaca, Peru

   17°4° daily spread1 rain dayhiking

   Why Lake Titicaca, Peru?

   Averages 17° in August with swings barely 2° either side of 17° and 1 rain day on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

2. 2.Colca Canyon, Peru

   15°4° daily spread2 rain dayshiking

   Why Colca Canyon, Peru?

   Averages 15° in August with swings barely 2° either side of 15° and 2 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

3. 3.Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Iceland

   13°4° daily spread12 rain dayshiking

   Why Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Iceland?

   Averages 13° in August with swings barely 2° either side of 13° and 12 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

4. 4.Puerto Varas, Chile

   11°4° daily spread15 rain dayshiking

   Why Puerto Varas, Chile?

   Averages 11° in August with swings barely 2° either side of 11° and 15 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

5. 5.Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

   14°5° daily spread0 rain dayshiking

   Why Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia?

   Averages 14° in August with swings barely 2° either side of 14° and 0 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

6. 6.La Paz, Bolivia

   15°5° daily spread2 rain dayssolo

   Why La Paz, Bolivia?

   Averages 15° in August with swings barely 2° either side of 15° and 2 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

7. 7.Margaret River, Australia

   16°5° daily spread15 rain dayscouples

   Why Margaret River, Australia?

   Averages 16° in August with swings barely 2° either side of 16° and 15 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

8. 8.Mount Everest North Base Camp, China

   18°5° daily spread23 rain dayshiking

   Why Mount Everest North Base Camp, China?

   Averages 18° in August with swings barely 2° either side of 18° and 23 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

9. 9.Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen

   6°10 rain dayshiking

   Why Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen?

   Averages 7° in August with a 6° day-to-day spread around 7° and 10 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

10. 10.Perth, Australia

    18°12 rain daysculture

    Why Perth, Australia?

    Averages 18° in August with a 6° day-to-day spread around 18° and 12 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

Average temperatures by destination

Readings come from the last ten years of daily weather data, so they reflect the climate as it is now, not as it was decades ago. Data: Visual Crossing global historical archive. How we compute this

Frequently asked

Where is reliably cool in August?

In the 12-18°C cool-comfort band, the driest and steadiest August averages on the ten-year record are: Lake Titicaca (17°C, about 1 rain day, a 4° spread); Colca Canyon (15°C, about 2 rain days, a 4° spread). Also dry, but with a wider day-to-day spread: Salar de Uyuni (14°C, about 0 rain days, a 5° spread); Mendoza (18°C, about 0 rain days, an 11° spread).

What counts as a coolcation in August?

On this site, a coolcation is anywhere with a mean daily high at or below 18°C. In August that filters 36 of 295 curated destinations with a ten-year record. The warmest in-band pick is Mendoza at 18°; the steadiest day-to-day is Lake Titicaca with a 4° spread.

Is August the right month for a coolcation?

It depends on where you go. In August the ten-year record puts 36 curated destinations at or below 18°C mean daily high. If that count is small, the northern hemisphere is warming and southern-hemisphere hill stations or high-latitude coasts do most of the work. If it is large, the reverse.