Soaring temperatures during the summer travel months can make a vacation to paradise suddenly feel like it's headed elsewhere in the proverbial handbasket.

Looking to keep your cool during your summer vacation? Consider setting your sights on some of the planet's most refreshing destinations.

Up First: Iceland

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Its name alone is enough to entice heat-haters to this northern European island nation adrift in the Atlantic Ocean, but Iceland's climate is kept surprisingly temperate thanks to Gulf Stream currents.

Up Next: Mackinac Island, Michigan

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Summertime temperatures that stick mostly to the 70s (the average July temperature is a sublime 75 degrees) make this tiny island in Lake Huron abundantly appealing.

Up Next: Shimla, India

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When Delhi dwellers want to flee the Subcontinent's sizzling heat, they head north (nine hours by bus or 12 hours by train) to Himachal Pradesh's mountainous terrain and the quaint hill station of Shimla.

Up Next: South Coast Maine

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It's less than two hours driving time from Boston to the southern coast of Maine, where pleasant summertime temperatures that hover in the 70s make visiting the area's historic 19th century villages, nature reserves, bird and wildlife sanctuaries and miles of sandy beaches all the more alluring.

Up Next: Nova Scotia, Canada

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Pristine beaches scattered with secret surf spots, authentic fishing villages and rugged inland terrain give Nova Scotia across-the-board appeal. Temperatures rarely escape the 70s in the summer months.

Up Next: North Island, New Zealand

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The northern hemisphere summer is prime-time to hit the Antipodes for some temperature relief. The North Island offers milder climes year-round, with an average temperature of about 60 degrees on the coast during its winter months.

Up Next: Olympic National Park, Washington

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Can't make it all the way to New Zealand? This domestic gem is as impressive in its own right, with rain-forest valleys, glacier-encrusted peaks and wild Pacific Ocean beaches. Summer is the park's driest season, with average temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees.

Up Next: Argentina

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A two-hour flight from cosmopolitan Buenos Aires lands you in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in Argentina's Patagonia. During the northern hemisphere's summer months, Bariloche lures skiers and snowboarders for some of South America's best terrain.

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