Destinations for June: From Raves in Italy to Solstice in Finland
Welcome to the June edition of Where to Travel When. In this series, we select our key destinations for each month, from party spots to off-grid locations via coastal picks.
Summer is upon us. For those of us who live in seasonal regions and don’t have the experience of summer all year round, this may feel somewhat like an awakening. A time when the slumberous nature of winter and spring falls away, and cold nights are replaced with balmy evenings primed for late-night meals and dancing.
For those of us who are in need of some sweat-soaked zen, we’ve selected an off-grid spot amongst our key party destinations for the month ahead. Whatever your mood, experience it in one of our hotspots for June below.
Festival Pick
Milan, Italy
Festival season has started, and our pick for the month is the Trippin 50 highlight Terraforma. Experience the quiet of Milan before fashion week kicks off, and while you’re there, take a trip to Villa Arconati where the electronic festival Terraforma is taking place. Across three days, the event will play host to a roster of established, international artists amongst emerging, cutting-edge talent. The intimate location is a Baroque palace set against the picturesque gardens of Villa Arconati.
Party Destination
Finland
In need of some vitamin D? Solstice Finland takes place this month; a music festival where the hedonistic qualities of raving aren’t tucked away in the dark corners of clubs but sprawled out across days of endless sunlight. Nighttime doesn’t come with the sunset here, but rather stays illuminated under the sun. Last year, the event took place in a resort in the hills above Kuusamo: an idyllic, intimate area in which to enjoy the intersection of club and experimental music under a canopy of light.
Into the Heat
Martinique, Caribbean
Visit the beautiful island of Martinique in its off season. By travelling in the off or shoulder season, you won’t be adding to the negative effects of mass tourism, but you’ll be contributing to the economy when the island needs it more. You’ll likely find that accommodation prices and flights are significantly cheaper. There might be patches of rain, but we see this as welcome refreshment – a revitalising interjection – from the heat of the Caribbean sun.
Off-grid
The Scottish Highlands
For those in the UK, we’d recommend staying relatively local and heading north to Scotland. Inner-city neighbourhoods in the UK have a reputation for being rather, well, grey, and it’s easy to forget that the island contains an abundance of natural beauty up in Scotland. Here, expect to experience panoramic views of natural, off-grid scenery where the sunsets sprawl across the mountaintops.
