The best places to travel in June
From the sacred to the deliciously profane (see: super-sized peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwiches), June packs countless reasons to grab your bags and see places near and far. Read on for eight of our favourites this month.
Montréal
Though it’s always a good time, the Montreal Jazz Fest is going all out for its return and 43nd anniversary (June 29 – July 8) with so many legends, other cities will be operating at a talent deficit. The shortlist of performers includes Diana Krall, Melody Gardot, Vance Joy and Christine and the Queens. But if your idea of a flag-waver has more to do with racetrack officials than up-tempo swing, get here earlier in the month for the Montreal Grand Prix (June 16-18), when Formula One superstars take to the state-of-the-art Circuit Gilles Villeneuve racetrack on Notre Dame Island. And if you’re feeling spendy (that's kinda how the Grand Prix crowd rolls), consider staying at the swanky Four Seasons, with floor-to-ceiling views of Golden Square Mile and an outpost by celeb chef Marcus Samuelsson — a restaurant-terrace-lounge combo aptly named Marcus.
Pentecost Island, Vanuatu
Welcome to a place where “go take a flying leap” is more encouragement than snub. In this remote corner of the South Pacific, land-diving season is in full swing (every Saturday through the end of June), with brave locals attaching only vines to their ankles before hurtling themselves off 100-foot towers. The music- and dance-intensive yam harvest ritual with dysfunctional marital origins was actually AJ Hackett’s bungee inspiration — and seeing it for yourself is certainly reason enough to make the trip to Vanuatu. But there are plenty of other reasons to extend your stay: Gawk at the pyrotechnics (from a safe distance) at Tanna Island's Mt Yasur Volcano. Swim with ridiculously adorable manatee-like dugongs off the coast of Efate Island. Or take a scuba tour of Espiritu Santo’s SS President Coolidge—the world’s largest, most accessible, recreational diving wreck.
Tupelo, Mississippi
Whether you love him tender—or crush hard on him—you’ve got to make a pilgrimage to the King’s birthplace at least once in your life, and now's the time: The Tupelo Elvis Festival takes place June 7-11, with wall-to-wall impersonators, back-to-back tribute shows, plus the all-important Elvis Pet Parade (think Labradoodles in mirror shades and rhinestone jumpsuits). You’ll have ample opportunity to strut your own stuff, too, whether you croon like the king at the Tribute Artist Contest or work off all that Elvis-worthy PB&B in the Running With The King 5K race. Of course, a visit to his childhood home is a must, as is a burger at his favourite diner, and a stroll through Tupelo Hardware ("where Gladys bought her son his first guitar," per the store's slogan). For a whole King-themed circuit, check out the self-guided Elvis driving tour where you'll visit all the places Elvis frequented in his youth.
Sydney
June is technically winter here, bringing down costs and crowd size—but the weather’s still lovely (highs in the mid-60s, generally) and there’s a lot going on: Vivid Sydney (May 26 – June 17) is a one-of-a-kind multicultural mish-mash of art, music, and technology. Check out mesmerizing art displays, 3D light projections. exhilarating live music performances, thought-provoking debates and deep-dive discussions from some of the world’s brightest minds. If you prefer your multiculturalism in cinematic form, you’ll find tons of it (plus plenty of Australia-made movies) at the Sydney Film Festival (June 7-18), where you’ll also find directors, cast and crew sitting down to talk film.
Copenhagen
Scandinavia specializes in fun midsummer’s eve festivals — schnapps-fuelled all-nighters around bonfires that recall pagan solstice celebrations. But only Copenhagen’s — known as Sankt Hans Aften (St. John’s eve, June 23) — comes with this add-on: the Tivoli Midsummer Concert, when The Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir leads an evening of choral singing, folk ballads, and poetry at the Tivoli Concert Hall, on the grounds of the magical gardens. Midsummer also marks a big moment in the foodie world: Vegetable Season (vegetarian and vegan heaven) at Copenhagen’s Noma, four-time leader of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants pack, which kicks off its summer menu on June 20.
Newfoundland and Labrador
To get a taste of nature that you really can't see anywhere else, head to the eastern province of Newfoundland and Labrador to see huge chunks of glacier that have floated in from Greenland and the Canadian Arctic. The Labrador Sea is also known as Iceberg Alley, and late May into June is the best time to see these hulking chunks of ice float by. Icebergs can be seen by boat, kayak or on land from all sorts of coastal points. Battle Harbour, Red Bay, Twillingate and Witless Bay are great places to start. The bay around Newfoundland and Labrador is also one of the best places to go whale watching, and you can spot more diverse species of whales around these waters than almost anywhere else in the world. It's also the beginning of whale season and some species that you may see include belugas, minkes, humpbacks, sperm whales, and maybe even a giant fin whale if you're lucky.
Cusco and the Sacred Valley
To be clear: At no point during the year would you not be awed by Machu Picchu, but June brings several bonus reasons to visit the greater Cusco metro region. The first (June 14-16) involves a three-ish-hour drive from Cusco followed by a two-ish-hour hike into the Sinakara Valley, where you’ll arrive to a mind-bending display of syncretism and nature: the festival of Qoyllur Rit’i, a blend of ancient Quechua rites and Catholic pilgrimage that brings round-the-clock dancing, singing and parading in costume at the foot of an Andean glacier.
Next up is Corpus Christi (June 11), a Eucharist-centric holiday celebrated throughout the region, but nowhere more dramatically than Cusco, where elaborately festooned saints take to the cobbled streets of the historic centre in a seemingly endless procession. Should you find yourself at Machu Picchu the following day (June 12), don’t miss the solstice-timed appearance of the mystical light beam at the Temple of the Sun. But you’ll have another opportunity to catch the sun god a few days later (June 24) in the Saksayhuaman ruins just outside Cusco, where most of Inti Raymi goes down. Though this reenactment of the Inca-era homage to Tata Inti (Father Sun) no longer features llama sacrifice, you will likely see many deceased, plated and garnished guinea pigs. Known locally as cuy, they’re considered delicacies and are especially popular during fiestas.
For another take on eating local, stay at Explora Sacred Valley. This eco-luxe hotel set between Cusco and Sacred Valley — an ideal base camp for anyone who loves hiking and off-the-beaten-path adventures — partnered with the legendary chef Virgilio Martinez to produce an haute and hyperlocal menu, where the likes of potatoes, corn, and quinoa will turn up in stunning incarnations.
Coastal Maine
June marks the beginning of the short-lived puffin-watching season in the only U.S. state that can lay claim to these avian A-listers. Start with a Puffin Watch Cruise to the thriving colony at Eastern Egg Rock on the Pemaquid Peninsula. And diehards can keep the party going on gorgeous Mount Desert Island (pardon us, the Warbler Capital of the World) at the annual Acadia Birding Festival (June 1-4). And while the warblers, peregrine falcons and Arctic terns are indeed fab, you should check out the occasional supersized mammal for scale: Yes, you can see humpbacks in June, too, so hop a whale-watching cruise from Bar Harbor.