Five inches of rain in Toronto this morning has me thinking that maybe instead of cool-weather vacations, which I mentioned in this space yesterday, it’s time to look at dry-weather destinations.
I don’t normally dream of the desert in summer, but maybe it’s time to look at places where you’re vacation is unlikely to require a heavy-duty umbrella and thick, rubber rain boots.
With that in mind, here are some great, dry (not in an alcohol availability sense) vacation places you could think of.
The Atacama Desert, Chile
There was a pretty good rain here a few years ago, but this region in northern Chile average less than two-tenths of an inch of rain per year. Leave the rain gear at home, folks. But bring lots of sunscreen.
Scottsdale, Arizona
Hiking at The Boulders Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Fabulous resorts like The Phoenician, The Boulders Resort and Mountain Shadows, terrific food options, and hardly a cloud in sight. It does rain here on occasion, but only a smidge in summer. The Weather Channel’s forecast for the next few days calls for temperatures in the low 40’s Celsius, but with only a 10-20% chance of rain.
Osoyoos, British Columbia
Located at the south end of the Okanagan Valley in the B.C. interior, Osoyoos gets less than 12 inches of rain a year, and almost none in summer. The wineries are outstanding, and the water in Osoyoos Lake gets nice and warm in summer. Great cycling, too.
Palm Springs, California
Sure, it can get over 100 degrees in summer. But it’s a dry heat. And there are swimming pools galore, cool canyons for morning and evening hikes, and misters on the sidewalk to keep shoppers from overheating.
Perth, Australia
A quokka on Rottnest Island, Western Australia. Tourism Australia Photo
This lively city in Western Australia gets only about five inches of rain per year, and that’s mostly during our summer/their winter (May to September). A vacation here between October and April would almost certainly be dry and warm. Perth has great museums, lively shopping districts and terrific food. There are great beaches on the mainland and also on Rottnest Island, which also features adorable marsupials called quokkas.
Pelican Point, Namibia
The sand dunes of Namibia are a striking sight, and the country averages barely 3/10th of an inch of rain per year. Pelican Point is famous for surfing, while Namibia’s Etosha National Park is sometimes home to rhinos, giraffes and other wildlife.
Hawaii
Hiking near Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii. JIM BYERS PHOTO
What? Are you crazy, Byers? We know you love Hawaii, but it’s a tropical place, right? Yes. But no. Due to prevailing winds from the east, Hawaiian islands have their wet side (the east) and their dry side (the west). On Maui, the town of Hana on the east coast gets around 100 inches of rain a year. Across the island, perhaps four hours by car, Wailea averages less than 10 inches of rain per year. Remarkable. Same for the other islands. On Kauai, Hanalei gets a fair bit of rain, mostly in winter. But Poipu gets almost none. Hilo can be quite rainy on Hawaii Big Island, but Kona is as dry as a bone almost every day. Waikiki Beach and Honolulu get maybe 20 inches of rain a year, which isn’t much. So there.
Antarctica
Antarctica’s Dry Valleys are sometimes described as the driest place on earth. You might not break out your shorts on a visit here, but you almost certainly won’t need a raincoat.
Malta
Valletta, Malta. Joseph Buhagiar/Unsplash Photo
Having a Mediterranean climate (duh), Malta does get some rain in winter. The island nation averages about 23 inches of rain per year, but less than half an inch of precipitation tends to fall in July and August. The city of Valletta is a wondrous place with narrow streets, fun shops and terrific sidewalk cafes. There’s tons of cool history and great beaches in Malta, as well.
