Plenty of the world’s most jaw-droppingly gorgeous sights are victims of their own success when it comes to the crowds they attract. But there are a shedload of just-as-impressive places that have somehow flown under the tourism radar – and to spotlight the best ones to visit in the coming year, Time Out has just updated its list of the most underrated destinations on the planet.
The roundup features everything from tiny Norwegian towns tucked away in the country’s fjords to newly accessible cities and landscapes in Mongolia, but one hidden pocket of Central America claimed the coveted top spot.
The place in question? That’d be the Osa Peninsula, a super remote patch of incredible wildlife in southern Costa Rica.
Getting there is no walk in the national park – it’ll likely take you a flight on a tiny plane, a trip in a 4x4 and a boatride – but trust us, it will be worth it. A staggering two percent of the world’s biodiversity is packed into this tropical part of the planet, and we’d put money on you spotting some incredible animals.
‘I spotted humpback whales leaping from Golfo Dulce, sloths clinging to the trees in Corcovado National Park, crocodiles lurking in mangrove mud beds, bands of coatis crossing the road, scarlet macaws and yellow-throated toucans soaring overhead – and so, so much more,’ writes Time Out’s travel editor Grace Beard.
‘You’ll need to pre-arrange your visit to Corcovado National Park, which comprises a huge chunk of the peninsula. You can do so by booking a tour with a licensed guide via your accommodation,’ she says. ‘I stayed in a jungle bungalow at the insanely beautiful SCP Corcovado Wilderness Lodge, where our brilliant, eagle-eyed guide walked us through the park’s inland and coastal trails, spotting tapirs, birds and an elusive sloth.’
Second place on our list went to Carry-le-Rouet, a small fishing town about an hour west of Marseille, and third went to the Tioga Pass, a cinematic winding road through California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. But, there’s plenty more where they came from – have a look below.
Check out our newly refreshed roundup of the most underrated destinations in the world.
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