Where it's cool in October

Top 10 destinations in October

1. 1.Colca Canyon, Peru

   16°5° daily spread13 rain dayshiking

   Why Colca Canyon, Peru?

   Averages 16° in October with swings barely 2° either side of 16° and 13 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

2. 2.Lake District, United Kingdom

   13°5° daily spread16 rain dayscouples

   Why Lake District, United Kingdom?

   Averages 13° in October with swings barely 2° either side of 13° and 16 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

3. 3.Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia

   18°5° daily spread30 rain dayshiking

   Why Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia?

   Averages 18° in October with swings barely 2° either side of 18° and 30 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

4. 4.La Paz, Bolivia

   16°9 rain dayshiking

   Why La Paz, Bolivia?

   Averages 16° in October with a 6° day-to-day spread around 16° and 9 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

5. 5.Dublin, Ireland

   14°10 rain daysculture

   Why Dublin, Ireland?

   Averages 14° in October with a 6° day-to-day spread around 14° and 10 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

6. 6.Mont Saint-Michel, France

   17°10 rain daysculture

   Why Mont Saint-Michel, France?

   Averages 17° in October with a 6° day-to-day spread around 17° and 10 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

7. 7.Goes, Netherlands

   16°11 rain daysfamilies

   Why Goes, Netherlands?

   Averages 16° in October with a 6° day-to-day spread around 16° and 11 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

8. 8.Lake Titicaca, Peru

   18°5° daily spread11 rain daysculture

   Why Lake Titicaca, Peru?

   Averages 18° in October with a 6° day-to-day spread around 18° and 11 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

9. 9.Aalborg, Denmark

   13°14 rain daysculture

   Why Aalborg, Denmark?

   Averages 13° in October with a 6° day-to-day spread around 13° and 12 rain days on the ten-year record. Cool without being wintry. Layers, not a coat.

10. 10.Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Iceland

    8°15 rain dayshiking

    Why Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Iceland?

    Averages 8° in October with a 6° day-to-day spread around 8° and 15 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 October?

The driest 12-18°C cool-comfort picks in October, all with a wider day-to-day spread, are: Mogao Caves, Dunhuang (18°C, about 0 rain days, a 9° spread); Bamiyan (12°C, about 4 rain days, a 10° spread); Danube Delta (18°C, about 4 rain days, an 11° spread); Odesa (17°C, about 4 rain days, a 12° spread).

What counts as a coolcation in October?

On this site, a coolcation is anywhere with a mean daily high at or below 18°C. In October that filters 68 of 295 curated destinations with a ten-year record. The warmest in-band pick is Xi'an at 18°; the steadiest day-to-day is Bale Mountains National Park with a 5° spread.

Is October the right month for a coolcation?

It depends on where you go. In October the ten-year record puts 68 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.