Connemara beats the Swiss Alps on trail density in new European coolcation ranking.
New research places Connemara among Europe's best destinations for an active coolcation, with trail density outperforming two Alpine national parks.
As summer draws to a close, Europe's best destinations for an active ‘coolcation’ have been revealed in new research from sports travel insurance provider SportsCover Direct, with France's Mont Blanc region taking first place, beating Scandinavian hotspots that routinely dominate for coolcations.
Following another summer of record breaking temperatures, searches for 'coolcations' have risen 74% year-on-year, with 65% of holidaymakers now saying they'd rather avoid travelling during the hottest time of year.
But, rather than giving up on travel altogether, many are simply choosing to visit somewhere cooler instead, and for a growing number, it’s not just about swapping sunloungers for shade, but staying active outdoors, favouring locations perfect for walking, hiking and cycling adventures over scenic beach breaks.
Active coolcation case study: "I wanted a holiday where I didn't have to plan around the heat"
Connemara, Galway. (Tourism Ireland)
SportsCover Direct analysed 30 of Europe's most popular adventure destinations, ranking each on average summer temperature and humidity, hiking and cycling trail density, and travel time from the UK, to reveal the ultimate ranking of Europe's best active coolcations for this year.
Overall, the Alps dominate the rankings, claiming four of Europe's top 10 active coolcation destinations, including France's Mont Blanc region (1st), Austrian Tyrol (5th), Hohe Tauern National Park (8th), and Switzerland's Valais (9th).
Google searches for "Alpine summer" are up 222% worldwide year-on-year, with its trail access and comfortable travel time making the Alps hard to beat.
By contrast, only two Nordic destinations made the top 10, Sweden's Åre & Jämtland Mountains in second place, and Norway's Lofoten Islands in seventh
You don't need a passport for some of Europe's best coolcations
The UK and Ireland also came out as top contenders for a coolcation this year, with the Scottish Highlands ranking third overall, Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park placing fourth and Connemara, Ireland placing 10th.
The ranking sees the Galway wilderness beat several of the continent's more established Alpine destinations on trail access.
With 90 hiking and cycling trails per 100km², Connemara offers almost three times the trail density of Austria's Hohe Tauern National Park (32) and over three times that of Switzerland's Valais (26)
Connemara recorded an average August temperature of 14.6°C.
Connemara, Galway. (ICP)
Theodora Taylor Franks, Co-chair of the AITO Sustainable Tourism Committee and General Manager at Fleewinter said: “The coolcation trend is less about abandoning traditional destinations and more about matching the destination and season more carefully to the experience travellers want.
“Travellers understand that summer heat is unlikely to be an isolated occurrence, so they are thinking more carefully about temperature, seasonality and what they actually want to do while away."
Chris Trotman, Head of Sales & Underwriting at SportsCover Direct commented:
"What our research shows is that an active coolcation doesn't mean compromising. Some of the best hiking and cycling in Europe is found in destinations that are cooler, quieter and, in many cases, easier to reach than the Mediterranean hotspots people more traditionally choose for their holidays."
The top 10 destinations for an active coolcation
- Mont Blanc Region, France
- Åre & Jämtland Mountains, Sweden
- Scottish Highlands, Scotland
- Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park , Wales
- Austrian Tyrol
- French Pyrenees, France
- Lofoten Islands, Norway
- Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria
- Valais, Switzerland
- Connemara, Ireland
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