One of the most ‘magical’ travel destinations in the world is in Britain

When you think of the planet’s most otherworldly, mystical and enchanting travel spots, your mind probably goes to faraway lands and distant shores. But, at least according to one new report, one of the world’s highest-ranking ‘magical’ destinations is actually much closer to home.

Website Slingo searched far and wide to find what it reckons are the Earth’s most otherworldly, mythical and fairytale-like attractions, putting them head-to-head to see which ones came out on top when it came to Google searches, TikTok and Instagram posts and the percentage of TripAdvisor reviews that contained the word ‘magical’.

The results are in, and the UK’s very own Stonehenge was deemed the third most magical travel destination in the world. 

Wiltshire’s prehistoric stone circle, thought to have been constructed between 3000BC and 2000BC, clearly continues to intrigue, if its millions of annual Google searches and Instagram posts are proof of anything. And the iconic monument recently got even more mystical thanks to a seven-metre-high neolithic hall constructed on site – a recreation of nearby archaeological findings that date back 4,500 years. 

Stonehenge was only outranked in the report by Peru’s Machu Picchu and Jordan’s Petra. Coming in at fourth place on the list, behind Stonehenge, was Sintra in Portugal, known for its fairytale palace and misty mountain forests. The scenic lakeside village of Hallstatt in Austria, known for its 7,000-year-old salt mine and 16th-century Alpine architecture, came fifth.

The top 15 most ‘magical’ destinations

1. Machu Picchu, Peru
   
2. Petra, Jordan
   
3. Stonehenge, UK
   
4. Sintra, Portugal
   
5. Hallstatt, Austria
   
6. Pamukkale, Türkiye
   
7. Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
   
8. Colmar, France
   
9. Hobbiton, New Zealand
   
10. Mount Kailash, Tibet
    
11. Shirakawa-go, Japan
    
12. Antelope Canyon, US
    
13. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
    
14. Tikal, Guatemala 
    
15. Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

Did you see that Scotland’s ‘Grand Canyon’ is up for sale? It could become a major tourist attraction.

Plus: you can now fly over a National Park on England’s longest, most epic zip line.