Choosing where to go to the sea in July is not as easy as it seems at first glance. July is the peak of the holiday season, tourists are faced with excessive hotel occupancy in popular destinations. Vacation can be spoiled by exhausting heat, limiting active rest, dangerous for small children and the elderly.
Collected for you a list of 15 destinations abroad, where you can comfortably relax in July, combine swimming in the sea, beach holidays, active sports and a rich cultural program, without hiding in rooms under air conditioning until the evening.
Montenegro
It is a small rocky country on the Adriatic Sea, separated from Serbia in 2006. The coastline is 299 km long, 72 km of which are beaches. July is the most suitable time for beach vacations in Montenegro and evening walks around the resort towns. The air temperature stays at the level of 28-30 °С. Sea temperature is pleasant 24 °С.
The largest resorts on the coast are Budva and Bar. Budva is notable for its medieval appearance and bar street, where club music, including Balkan tunes, continues until late at night. If you are looking for a secluded vacation, it is better to choose Becici, a village 10 km away from Budva. Prices here are more pleasant than in other places. The length of the well-maintained pebble beach is 2 km. Tourists in Becici rent villas, renting one floor for several families.
The beauty of Montenegro is the concentration of attractions on a small stretch of coastline. A cruise ship runs from Budva to the town of Kotor, deep in the Bay of Kotor, which resembles a Norwegian fjord in the Mediterranean.
From Becici you can drive to the tiny village of Sveti Stefan, located on an island connected to the coast by an isthmus. Many stars have stayed here, from Sophia Loren to Novak Djokovic.
Greece, Halkidiki
Greece is one of the most favorite destinations for all ages, the cradle of culture and civilization, attracting historical wealth and a variety of resorts on the islands of the Aegean Sea. In July, such popular places as the islands of Crete and Rhodes are languishing from the heat – the temperature rises to 40 ° C. Fans of Greece in July should pay attention to the northern part of the country – the peninsula of Halkidiki.
The region of Halkidiki consists of three peninsulas: Sithonia, Ayon-Oros and Kassandra, which from space resemble the trident of Poseidon. July air temperature in Halkidiki is 30 °С. The temperature of water in the sea is 26 °С. The length of the beaches is about 500 km.
Halkidiki is covered with coniferous and deciduous forests, the region is considered one of the most ecologically clean in Greece. Hotels are spread along the coastline, most of them have landscaped grounds with lawns, swimming pools and yoga areas.
If you want to change the calm of the resort for the buzz of the city, you can get out to Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece after Athens, to see Byzantine fortress architecture, the Roman forum and Greek Orthodox churches.
From the peninsulas of Halkidiki it is convenient to reach the monasteries of Meteora, located on the cliffs near the town of Kalambaka in central Greece. The drive to Meteora from Kassandra takes five hours and the tour can be booked at any hotel.
The beaches on the coast near the Kassandra Peninsula have a gentle slope. In the clear, transparent water, even at a distance of 500 meters from the shore, you can see the algae-covered bottom with small fish.
Georgia, Batumi
A resort city in the Georgian region of Adjara is experiencing a second birth. Turkish and Arab investments came to Batumi, construction of modern hotels with observation decks and multi-storey residential buildings with apartments for rent in the bathing season continues. May 6 Park is surrounded by modern architecture, the proximity of the city does not interfere with rest, privacy on the alleys of Primorsky Boulevard.
The promenade is full of casino signs, where guests from Arab countries come. In the evenings, tourists gather on the beach to see a stunning sunset. The temperature of air and water in July is 26 °С.
Batumi is worth going to if you want to combine an inexpensive vacation on the Black Sea with trips around Georgia. Batumi Botanical Garden, where plants and trees from different parts of the world – from Australia to South America and the Himalayas – are collected, presents itself to visitors in summer in a fragrant variety.
From Batumi it is easy to get to the most beautiful places of Georgia – Svaneti and Borjomi. There are many interesting places with subtropical nature in the vicinity of the city. Travelers can stay in the city center or rent a villa on the outskirts – the beach is easily accessible by cheap cab.
Batumi is a city in search of its identity, balancing between budget Dubai and a developing post-Soviet resort.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria is famous for its beaches with soft white sand and comfortable climate. People here care about the ecology of the coast. Bulgarian beaches regularly receive the European “Blue Flag”, the highest assessment of safety, water quality, service and environmental cleanliness. The air temperature in July is 26-27 °С, water temperature is 22-24 °С.
Bulgarian resorts offer an adequate ratio of European service and democratic prices, a complex of beach and sanatorium recreation depending on your goals. Golden Sands and Sunny Beach are noisy resorts with round-the-clock discos and crowds of young people. Pomorie is a quiet town known for its mud baths.
Varna, an ancient port with a population of almost 350 thousand people, is for those who want to combine their vacation with the opportunity to visit the old town, shopping centers and ancient monuments, such as Roman baths, as well as medieval Orthodox monasteries.
Bulgaria’s beaches are suitable for vacationing with children due to their width, soft sand and sloping entrance to the water, allowing you to safely teach kids to swim.
Seychelles
Seychelles is located in the Southern Hemisphere, off the east coast of Africa. It is a mysterious tropical paradise scattered across 115 islands. Time seems to stop here – an ideal place for family retreat, meditation and escape from the hustle and bustle. A visit to Seychelles is an immersion into a unique and isolated world. The islands are home to the Seychelles palm tree, a local endemic, giant land tortoises up to 150 years old, crystal clear ocean water, and summer all year round.
From November to April Seychelles is very hot (up to 35 °С), long tropical showers and storms are possible. In July the most comfortable weather comes: air and water temperature stays at 26 °С, the ocean is calm and there are no strong winds.
The largest island in the archipelago is Mahé. It is home to the capital Victoria and the Morne Seychellois National Park, a quiet tropical forest with exotic plants such as carnivorous lily, papaya, and pineapple. Popular with tourists are secluded islands with sandy beaches and picturesque rocky bays: Praslin, Frigate and La Digue.
July is the best time for surfing: monsoon winds provide ideal waves for riding. But the primary goal of tourists from all over the world in the Seychelles is diving. Lost tropical islands far from the mainland offer excellent visibility underwater. Aldabra Atoll is a UNESCO natural heritage site. Tourists travel between the islands by light-engine airplanes.
The Seychelles coastal area is home to stingrays, sea turtles, small sharks and tropical fish. Sea fishing enthusiasts come to the islands and take boats out to sea to catch marlin and tuna.
Tanzania, Zanzibar Island
Zanzibar is separated from the African coast by a 60 km wide strait. In the New Age, the island became a subject of discord between the Portuguese, Arabs and British, then played the role of an important port center until the opening of the Suez Canal. After independence from Britain and reunification with Tanzania, Zanzibar’s tourist history and the development of the island’s natural beauty began. The temperature in Zanzibar in July is 29 °С. Water warms up to 25 °С.
The most popular beaches for vacation are Pwani Mchangani, Nungwi, Paje and Kendwa. Tourists are entertained by the ocean tides and diverse fauna of the island. Dolphins, sea turtles and whales regularly swim up to the shore. In the clear turquoise water 10 meters from the shore you can come across colorful corals or colonies of sea urchins.
The island offers more than just enjoying the sea. At Cheetah’s Rock, you can observe and photograph cheetahs, lion cubs, hyenas and lemurs. In the north of the island, Nungwi Village offers swimming with sea turtles at the Baraka Natural Aquarium. There is an exotic butterfly garden in Pit Village, and Stone Town, the island’s capital, has retained its colonialist appearance.
When choosing a hotel in Zanzibar, tourists are guided by the features of the adjacent beach: the relief of the bottom, the color of the water, the calmness of the ocean, the height of the tides, the presence of places for active diving.
Slovenia
A small and incredibly picturesque mountainous country in the western part of the Balkans, on the Adriatic coast. Proximity to the Alps, dense forests throughout the territory, clean air, comfortable climate contribute to a measured vacation with children. The air temperature in July is about 24 °С, water temperature is about 21 °С.
The length of the coastline is only 46.6 km. The resorts are not very busy, there are few tourists here.
The largest city on the coast, Koper was influenced by Venetian rule. The Praetorian Palace and the Loggia Palace are built in the Venetian Gothic style. Piran is a postcard town on an artificial peninsula. The Strunjan thermal spa on the southern Adriatic coast is located near the Piran sea salt deposits and is known for its climatic thalassotherapy center. Spa treatments include massage baths, seaweed and sea mud wraps, sea salt baths, water gymnastics and aromatherapy.
From Koper you can reach the alpine resort of Kranjska Gora and the mountain lake Bled in two hours by car, changing the beach for mountain scenery. A 25-minute drive from Koper is the Italian border and the city of Trieste. Slovenia is a combination of Central European atmosphere and Mediterranean charm.
France, Côte d’Azur
The Côte d’Azur is a line about 300 kilometers long, covering cities from Monaco to Toulon. Thanks to its cultural heritage, the Cannes Film Festival, and the love of intellectuals for these places, the Côte d’Azur has gained fame as an elitist resort. The climate in the region is mild – the Mediterranean wind refreshes even on hot summer days. July air temperature stays at 26 °С, water temperature – 22 °С.
Vacationing on the Côte d’Azur means enjoying a variety of French cuisine, exploring iconic sites, contemplating stylish architecture, and being inspired by beauty and harmony. Picasso and Brigitte Bardot loved to relax on Pampelonne beach in Saint-Tropez.
In Cannes you can combine swimming with strolls along the Croisette, where all the stars of the world cinema stayed. The aristocratic Promenade des Anglais in Nice is decorated with palace hotels and casinos, allowing you to feel yourself in the vortex of elite life.
For a budget vacation you can choose the cities of Antibes and Mentonou, which have their own neat beaches and provincial charm. The Côte d’Azur is not far from Provence – it is easy to get out to the famous lavender fields.
Tunisia
In its history, Tunisia has experienced Phoenician, Roman, Berber, French and Arab influences. The country was home to the ancient city of Carthage, and director George Lucas chose Tunisia to film the desert planet Tatooine in Star Wars.
The Mediterranean Sea washes many kilometers of beaches, where you forget, walking for hours at sunset. The temperature in July is about 30 ° C, but the heat is easy to bear because of the dryness of the air. The water warms up to comfortable 24 °С. Pleasant warm winds favor those who like windsurfing and parasailing.
Tunisia is imbued with Arab exoticism – in every major city there are snow-white one-storey houses as if from oriental fairy tales, an old Arab quarter with narrow streets – medina with minarets, mosques and Muslim shrines. The most popular resorts are Sousse, Monastir and Hammamet. The latter is suitable for a vacation with children – there is an infrastructure with water parks and amusement parks.
If you do not limit yourself to a beach vacation, Tunisia has a wide range of excursions. You can go for two days to the border with Algeria and see the real Sahara, see the ruins of Carthage and the Roman amphitheater in El Djem. Star Wars fans are eager to visit the vilayet of Tatawin, from which the planet Tatooine takes its name, the small towns of Foum-Tatahwim, Tuazar and Matmata to see the familiar landscapes and clay houses of Tatooine’s inhabitants.
Prices in Tunisian hotels are more democratic than in similar European Mediterranean resorts.
Spain, Mallorca
The island of Majorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands and one of the most popular Mediterranean resorts in Spain. The island is covered with coniferous forests, surrounded by secluded rocky bays. Beaches with golden sand and tender turquoise Balearic Sea attract tourists from all over Europe to Mallorca. The air temperature in July reaches 29 °С, water – 26 °С.
The most popular resorts are located in the southwestern part of the island – Palma de Mallorca, Playa de Palma, Magaluf and Porto Cristo. Palma de Mallorca is famous for the Gothic Palma Cathedral, which was founded back in the XIII century, with the world’s largest stained glass window and the palatial building of the commodity exchange of the XV century. Mallorca offers tourists a wide range of activities: windsurfing, cycling on mountain routes, diving to underwater reefs. For vacation with children – safari parks, water rides and costume shows.
Indonesia, Bali
Bali differs from Muslim Indonesia with its unique culture based on the local variety of Hinduism. There are many large and small colorful temples scattered around the island, unique traditions and its own rhythm of life that quickly captivates the traveler. Bali is located south of the equator, and in July it is the height of winter.
Division into seasons on the island is conditional – all year round temperature varies from 27 to 30 °С with high level of humidity. In July there is a minimum amount of precipitation and short daylight hours. The island is washed by the Bali Sea, part of the Pacific Ocean. The waters around the perimeter of the island are turbulent and are not suitable for a classic beach vacation, but for lovers of surfing, diverse nature and adventurers here is a real paradise.
The capital Denpansar, Kuta and Seminyak attract young people with active nightlife, networking and art spaces. For a relaxing vacation with children or elderly parents, Europeans choose Jimbaran. Long-term visitors rent villas in the town of Ubud – from here an hour’s drive to the sea, but more privacy with views of jungle and rice terraces. Surfing is the second local religion, bringing both professionals and beginners looking to get up on a board from around the world to Bali.
Mauritius Island
A tiny island in the southern Indian Ocean, a former Dutch, French and British colony. Settled during European colonization, Mauritius is interesting for its authenticity. The majority of the population is made up of mestizo French-Afro-Malagasy and Indo-Africans. Due to its remoteness from mainland Africa, Mauritius has preserved unique birds such as pink pigeons and Mauritian necklace parrots.
The island has a tropical climate and monsoon winds. The hot season is from November to March. July has its advantages: minimum precipitation and monsoon winds, absence of crowds of tourists and lower prices in hotels, pleasant weather for vacation with children.
The temperature during the day is 23-24 ° C, at night it drops to 16 ° C, while the water in the ocean is 24 ° C. In July you can swim and sunbathe on the island, but you will have to take a little more warm things. The absence of exhausting heat will allow you to comfortably see local sights and explore the island.
The island can be traveled around the perimeter of the island in a few hours. The choice of resort depends on the nearest beach and the goals of tourists. Grand Bay is a versatile resort where you can combine noisy meetings and beach vacations. The most picturesque beaches are located on the northwest coast.
Le Morne beach is decorated with a picturesque mountain of the same name, which is included in the list of UNESCO natural heritage sites. It is worth paying attention not only to the ocean, but also to the natural treasures of the island – visit the Black River-Georges National Park, Chamarelle and Cascade 500 feet waterfalls, as well as a unique underwater waterfall at the Le Morne-Braban peninsula.
Turkey, Black Sea coast
Familiar to tourists Antalya, Alanya and Bodrum, as well as southern Greece, in July are languishing from the heat reaching 35-40 ° C, and the hotels are overcrowded. For the sake of productive rest in the middle of summer lovers of Turkey can go to the Black Sea resorts of the country. Climate in July is mild here: air temperature is 27 °С, water temperature is 24 °С.
The lack of a wide choice of luxury hotels is compensated by low prices for services and accommodation in guest houses, products in the bazaars, the opportunity to travel to the mountains or to Istanbul, which can be reached by shuttle bus. The Turkish Black Sea is dominated by sandy beaches. Antique Sinop, the birthplace of the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes, is located on the peninsula and has the most developed infrastructure.
In Rize you can combine beach vacation with hiking in the park “Kachkar”. Amasra is surrounded by mountains and coniferous forests, the air is the purest. Fatsa, a resort popular among locals, is famous for its mineral springs. Beach vacation is possible even in Istanbul – for this purpose go to the Prince Islands in the Asian part of the city.
Black Sea resorts of Turkey – the best option for those who want a budget vacation in July without packed beaches and crowds of tourists.
Croatia, Istria Peninsula
Croatia has a predominantly mountainous landscape, thanks to which there is no heat in the central part of the country and winds are regularly awake. The coast is covered with pine trees, riddled with rocky lagoons, and there are numerous islands scattered along the coast. The beaches are small in width, interspersed with vegetation, most of them pebble or stony. Because of the rocky coastline in Croatia in some places are equipped with stairs at the old marinas to descend into the water. The most comfortable region for rest in July is Istria peninsula. Air temperature is 27-29 °С, water temperature is 26 °С.
The Austro-Hungarian bourgeois liked to vacation in Istria in the century before last. Small coastal towns have preserved layers of ancient Roman and Venetian history, medieval harbors, streets with paving stones and tiled roofs, Venetian palaces.
The largest city of Pula has preserved the ancient Roman amphitheater and other ancient monuments. Tourists prefer the resort of Poreč, whose Old Town is a UNESCO heritage site. There is a water park for children and several city beaches with rocky terrain, one of which, the beach of St. Nikola, is located on an island in the city bay, where the ferry takes you to.
The rocky shores of Croatia may not suit lovers of wide sandy beaches, but the concentration of coniferous forests and clean air make Istria one of the most environmentally friendly resorts in the Mediterranean.
Thailand, Samui Island
Summer in India and Southeast Asia is generally considered the rainy season, but the intensity of rainfall varies from region to region. On Thailand’s second largest island Samui, located in the Gulf of Thailand, there are only 12 rainy days in July, and in August the rainy season begins, which go about an hour, mostly in the evening and night. But the soil dries quickly, so experienced tourists do not refuse to visit the island at this time. Of the disadvantages – a smaller number of sunny days. The air temperature stays at 28 ° C, water – 28-29 ° C.
Stereotypes about “rainy summer Thailand” scare away tens of thousands of “casual” tourists, so hotel prices are much lower than in the hot season. The island has a fully functioning tourist cluster: hotels, spas, diving centers, restaurants, nightclubs and excursion routes.
Samui is a cocktail of pristine tropical nature, bustling nightlife, and Thai cuisine. Sandy beaches are scattered all around the island. Chaweng Beach in the east is the busiest, with parties and local street food. For family vacations, Chong Mon in the northeast of the island is suitable for swimming with small children.
In July, the waters of the Gulf of Thailand are at their calmest. Tourists can take a ferry to the neighboring island of Pangan.
Travel Tips
1. The sun in Seychelles and Mauritius is unusually scorching for a resident of northern latitudes. Be sure to stock up on sunscreen.
2. The Adriatic and Balearic Seas are characterized by high salt content. Be careful when swimming with children.
3. On the coast of Zanzibar, Croatia and Montenegro the bottom is dotted with sea urchins, so you should buy special shoes – aqua-shoes.
4. Traveling to countries like Zanzibar does not require mandatory vaccinations, but if you are concerned about disease prevention, you can get vaccinated against malaria after prior consultation with your doctor just in case.
