Heatwaves vs Holidays: The Real Story Behind Intrepid Travel’s “Cancelled” Euro-Summer

Quick answer: Yes, Intrepid Travel has pulled the plug on some strenuous July–August 2025 trips in Spain and Portugal because guides can’t safely march travellers through 40 °C canyons. No, the company has not abandoned Europe, and many city-based or cooler-climate tours are still on sale.

Intrigued? The headline-grabbing “mass cancellations” left out crucial nuance—and even got a few facts plain wrong. We dug into company statements, climate data and previous press coverage. Here’s what we found.

1. The Surprise: Only a Slice of Trips Are Gone

The original article painted a picture of a blanket shutdown. Reality check:

Bottom line: Headlines shouted “cancelled”, but the fine print says “redesigned”.

2. Two Big Errors We Caught

1. Greece’s record heatwave timing
   • Article said: “last year.”
   • Fact: The 16-day record heatwave hit July 2023, not 2024. (DW)

2. When Athens hired a Chief Heat Officer
   • Article implied it was a new response.
   • Fact: Athens appointed Europe’s first Chief Heat Officer in 2021. (The Guardian)

Mistakes? Yes. Conspiracy? No. Just proof that climate stories move fast—and details matter.

3. What the Numbers Really Say About Europe’s Hot Future

• 2,300 excess deaths in 12 European cities during the 23 Jun–2 Jul 2025 heatwave.
• Human-driven warming made the event 1–4 °C hotter. (World Weather Attribution / Imperial College, Euronews)
• Portugal: 284 excess deaths. (Euronews)
• June 2025: third-hottest globally, hottest ever in western Europe. (Copernicus)

These are not one-off blips. They’re the new summer soundtrack.

4. The Traveller Pivot: Shoulder Season Is the New Peak

Intrepid’s own booking data (unverified externally) show:

• Off-season demand for Italy up 166 %.
• Peak-season (Jul-Aug) bookings down 72 % year-on-year.
• September now beats July for Aussies heading to Europe.

Why the shift?

1. Heatwaves make cobblestone sightseeing feel like a pizza oven.
2. Air-conditioning costs and emissions soar.
3. Overtourism fatigue: smaller crowds in April, May, September.

Travel insiders call it “the shoulder shuffle.”

5. What’s Still Unclear

• Exact number of Intrepid trips disrupted in 2024. The company hasn’t published a full list.
• How many other tour operators will follow suit for 2025. Some rivals still market “summer sun” packages.
• Long-term viability of Mediterranean hiking in mid-summer if temperatures keep rising.

We’ll keep watching—and requesting those spreadsheets.

6. How to Heat-Proof Your Own Euro Adventure

1. Shift your calendar: Aim for April–May or late September–October.
2. Choose elevation over exposure: The Dolomites beat the plains of Andalusia in July.
3. Ask operators for climate policies: Do they adjust start times, provide hydration stations, or cancel outright if temps spike?
4. Buy insurance that covers “extreme heat” cancellations. Read the fine print.
5. Support destinations spreading the load: Lesser-known Minori (Amalfi) over jam-packed Positano; Mljet instead of party-centric Hvar.

7. The Bigger Picture

The shifting itineraries aren’t just a business tweak—they’re a living map of climate change. When a global tour company quietly erases parts of a continent’s peak season, it signals that the climate crisis has jumped from abstract graphs to everyday holiday plans.

Yet travel isn’t over; it’s evolving. Think dawn hikes, alpine rail journeys, seaside towns in October. The question is no longer “Will climate change affect my trip?”
It’s “How will I adapt?”

Stay curious, stay cool, and we’ll keep fact-checking the road ahead.