StansWorld

Ideal Weather

This post is about choosing slow travel destinations with Ideal Weather, the first category on my Destination Checklist.

Other Checklist Categories Affected By Weather

• Require Ideal Weather
  • Open Water Swimming
  • 100% Walkable

• Affected By Weather
  • Café Culture
  • Music & Dance

Open Water Swimming Weather

Open Water Swimming Weather data are the only weather data need to choose slow travel destinations because they are the most restrictive weather requirements of all categories on the Destination Checklist.

• Water Temperature
  • 65 °F (18 °C) to 85 °F (29 °C).
• Minimal Rainfall
  • Less than 2 in (5 cm) per month.
• Only Weather Data Needed

Onshore and offshore weather conditions of large bodies of water are highly correlated. Destinations with suitable offshore swimming weather will invariably have ideal onshore weather for walking and outdoor café culture, music and dancing. Water temperature and rainfall are the only data needed to determine if and when locations have ideal weather.

Weatherspark.com

Water temperature and rainfall are the only weather data needed to choose slow travel destinations.

Weatherspark.com is where to find these data.

Water Temperature Windows

Sámara’s water temperature is swimmable all year but Makarska’s water temperature window is late May to early November.

Rainfall Windows

Sàmara’s rainfall window is more restrictive than its water temperature window.  Sámara has minimal rainfall from late November through April.  Makarska’s rainfall window is mid-May through August.

Ideal Weather Windows

Sámara and Makarska’s Ideal Weather windows are on opposite ends of the calendar. Croatia is a Schengen zone country that grants tourist visas for 90 of every 180 days. The best 90 days for Makarska would be from around the first of June to near the end of August.  Costa Rica’s 180-day tourist visa is indefinitely renewal with border runs.  There are no visa limitations to visiting Sámara during its five months of Ideal Weather between late November through April.

Makarsaka

• Water Temperature – late May to early November
• Minimal Rainfall – mid May through August
• 90-day visa
• Best time to visit – June 1 to August 30 

Sámara

• Water Temperature – all year
• Minimal Rainfall – late November through April
• No visa restrictions
• Best time to visit – December 1 to April 30 

Possible Slow Travel Itinerary

Slow travel to just two destinations, Sámara and Makarska, results in eight months per year of Ideal Weather.  The other four months can be filled with other ideal weather destinations, sightseeing and adventure excursions or U.S. pitstops for medical, dental, legal and financial reasons.

Ideal Weather is a vital part of a slow travel lifestyle that works well for me in my late seventies.  I am confident it will continue working well into the future.

In other posts, I present in-depth explanations of the other six categories on my destination checklist.

Please submit questions, comments and suggestions about slow travel and nomad living beyond 70.