June is the month of plenty. Waterfalls are in full flow, wildlife is abundant and the days are at their longest. Sandwiched between the May bank holidays and the packed peak of July and August, this month brings sunny settings without the cost or crowds.
While some parts of the world are braced against hurricanes, monsoons and heat waves, the Northern Hemisphere is in its prime. Europe’s pleasant days mean kicking back in piazzas and beer gardens and on sultry beaches. The southern Med is ripe for striking out on a Croatian sailing tour or crisscrossing the Cyclades. North of the Arctic Circle, the solstice ushers in brighter nights and scores of midsummer parties across Scandinavia.
The dry season starts in safari spots across the globe like Uganda, Tanzania, Borneo and the Peruvian Amazon, making June an ideal time to view the Serengeti’s Great Migration or orangutans swinging through Sabah rainforests. Meanwhile, as Arctic ice melts, cruises begin plying these remote waters for a glimpse of cold-weather creatures.
The comfortable temperatures also afford opportunities for lovers of the great outdoors, including hiking the mountainous Inca Trail or trekking through North America’s national parks for big-sky adventures. In Yosemite, waterfalls are booming and paths push through carpets of wildflowers. Take a deep breath — June is for luxuriating in the heady outdoors.
1. Nashville, Tennessee
Music City hits a high note this month. Its chock-a-block calendar of music festivals includes the annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. ‘Bonnaroo’ is Creole slang for ‘good stuff’ and there’s heaps of it: over 150 performances, as well as comedy, cinema, interactive art installations, food trucks, yoga and even sustainability workshops. It sprawls across a 700-acre farm on the city’s outskirts, a short shuttle ride from the centre.
While in the Deep South, take a deep dive into country music at the annual four-day CMA Fest in downtown Nashville. Musicians like Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood perform free to help raise funds for the Country Music Association Foundation’s music education programmes.
There’s plenty more to sing about, too, with tons of free music in June. Make Music Nashville takes tunes to the streets, sidewalks, breweries, parks and even the airport each solstice (21 June, this year), while concert series Musicians Corner hits the stage at Centennial Park each weekend in May and June. Inspired by London’s Speakers’ Corner, this Nashville version was created as both a musical landmark and community gathering space, drawing artists such as Emmylou Harris, Chris Stapleton and Vince Gill.
Responsible travel tip: The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development has more information on festivals, attractions and accommodation with sustainable practices, including Tennessee Music Pathways. This state-wide programme aims to highlight Tennessee’s rich music legacy by connecting visitors to people, places and genres across small communities and big cities.
