19 of the world's most beautiful unspoiled places for your bucket list

Unspoiled beauty

Patagonia, Chile/Argentina

South America’s vast Patagonia region is as off-the-beaten-track as it gets. One of the world's last true wildernesses and roughly twice the size of Spain, you can expect deserted beaches and expansive national parks.

For road trippers, there are some incredible driving opportunities along the Carretera Austral (Chile’s Route 7) through northern Patagonia – 770 miles (1,240km) of wild and remote highway.

Patagonia, Chile/Argentina

Los Glaciares National Park in southern Patagonia, close to the Chile-Argentina border, is the perfect destination for a lonely hike. Towering Monte Fitz Roy dominates the scene and very few people attempt the technically challenging climb to its granite peak.

Patagonia, Chile/Argentina

The biggest tourist draw in Los Glaciares National Park is the incredibly beautiful Perito Moreno Glacier, famous for the spectacular cracking and crashing of the fracturing ice. 

Namibia

On the southwestern coast of the African sub-continent, sparsely populated Namibia is a spectacular off-the-beaten-track destination. Its otherworldly landscapes include startling canyons, vast ever-changing sand dunes and Dead Vlei, an eerie 'dead marsh' in the central Namib Desert (pictured). 

Namibia

Opposing southwest and north winds have sculpted the Namib Desert’s colossal vivid red sand dunes, which are the world’s tallest and oldest. Visit at sunrise and it’s likely you won’t see another soul.

Namibia

Visitors keen to spot Africa’s 'Big Five' (lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and African buffalo) should head off-road to the wilderness of Etosha National Park. Yellow Zebra Safaris organises self-drive safaris in this stunning wildlife sanctuary.

Oman

The Middle East is a top destination for intrepid travellers and Oman should be first on your bucket list. The charming low-rise capital of Muscat is a port city with incredible architecture, including Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque (pictured), Muttrah Souq and the Royal Opera House Muscat.

Oman

Northern Oman’s dramatic scenery includes rugged mountains and unique landforms like the limestone Bimmah Sinkhole with its dazzling turquoise water.

Oman

For some, the highlight of Oman is the desert and a glimpse of nomadic life. Intrepid’s Discover Oman tour takes in Wahiba Sands and a dune sunset, before setting up camp around an open fire, under the stars.

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Nunavut, Canada

While this ancient northern landscape has spanned millennia, it's only been a Canadian territory since 1999. 

One of Canada's coldest and most sparsely populated areas, Nunavut is home to only around 33,000 people. Yet it's huge – roughly the size of Western Europe – meaning its beautiful lands remain largely untouched.

Nunavut, Canada

You'll need to be pretty determined and have some cash to spare to visit however, as there are no roads to Nunavut, with air travel the only viable option. Once you find your way here you'll be rewarded with some amazing natural landscapes.

You can hike in awe-aspiring glaciers, explore the shoreline of the amazing Arctic Archipelago while kayaking, or go dog-sledding in the vast tundras. 

Nunavut, Canada

This wilderness is home to an abundance of wildlife including polar bears, walruses, beluga whales, muskox and packs of Arctic wolves that freely roam the landscape. Adventure Canada offers a range of itineraries that take in the best of the territory including Baffin Island, where you'll find the capital, Iqaluit.

Albania

Picture-perfect Albania is a hugely overlooked country in southeastern Europe only just finding its feet with tourism. It has a dazzling coastline and rugged interior, and for now, visitors to beauty spots like dazzling Lake Koman share it only with in-the-know locals.

Albania

Stupendous landscape aside, one of the joys of visiting Albania is taking in its traditional towns. UNESCO World Heritage Site Berat is a wonderfully timeless town in central Albania where Ottoman houses line the hillside beneath the 13th-century castle.

Albania

Albania’s craggy Alpine countryside is crying out to be explored, and Drive Albania Tours can arrange bespoke self-drive or chauffeur-driven tours in a variety of different sized vehicles to visit remote areas like the picturesque valley of Valbona.

Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada

This remote archipelago, made up of 150 islands, is hidden 62 miles (100km) off British Columbia’s mainland.

Previously known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, they are home to miles of empty beaches, gargantuan forests, thousands of sea lions and humpback whales. This place isn't nicknamed the Canadian Galápagos for nothing.

Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada

Get back to basics at the All The Beach You Can Eat cabins at Masset. They're accessed via an enchanting secret path, hidden by trees dripping with moss. You’re off grid here, but when it’s light until 11pm in summer, who needs electricity anyway?

Wood-burning stoves will keep you toasty and you’ll be provided with a kit so you can catch and cook crabs from the shore. 

Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada

To get to Graham Island, you’ll need to take a ferry from Prince Rupert on the mainland. There are also daily flights from Prince Rupert and Vancouver. 

Maple Leaf Adventures offers a nine-day land and sea expedition around the islands. 

Guyana

Guyana in South America is all too often known for its political instability, but the country's dense jungle offers unrivalled raw adventure. There are no roads or hotels here – instead, paddle up the Burro Burro River using a dugout canoe and sleep in hammocks under the forest canopy.

Guyana

The rainforests here are home to tapir, macaws, squirrel monkeys, anaconda, giant otters and golden frogs, to name but a few. Andean Trails offer treks, 4x4 or boat travel through its myriad of rivers and into virgin jungle areas.

Now discover the world's most beautiful waterfalls

Guyana

For more of nature's bounty, head to magnificent Kaieteur Falls. Some 30,000 gallons of water cascade over the 741-foot (226m) drop, making it one of the world’s highest waterfalls. 

Enchanted Expeditions offers an 11-night ecotourism experience exploring Guyana's natural highlights.

Ethiopia

Until recently Ethiopia’s well-documented struggles have dominated the limelight, which means its many treasures have remained little-visited by foreign travellers. But make the journey and you'll be well rewarded; after all, this is a place with more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country in Africa.

Ethiopia

With its lakes of molten lava, boiling volcanoes and gigantic salt plains, the Danakil Depression in Ethiopia’s northern Afar region could be straight out of a sci-fi film. A five-hour overnight climb will take you up Erta Alta volcano, where you’ll be met by the sight of vast pools of red-hot lava bubbling away.

Ethiopia

Dallol's sulphur springs take the eerie lunar landscape a step further. Here, steam spits out from openings in the Earth’s crust and chemicals released by the hot springs colour the rocky mineral deposits yellow, orange and green.

Be prepared to swelter, this is one of the hottest places on Earth. Without a well-trodden tourist route, travelling here can be a challenge, but Native Eye offers nine, 13 and 18-day group trips with expert guides to take the pressure off.

The Ifugao rice terraces, the Philippines

Hand-carved into the mountains 2,000 years ago, the rice terraces in the Philippines’ Ifugao province are staggeringly spectacular. There are five vast, UNESCO-listed terraces stretching hundreds of feet into the air.

Local law has it that if you joined all the terraces end to end, they’d reach halfway round the Earth. 

The Ifugao rice terraces, Philippines

The hotspot is Banaue, but for a more off-the-beaten-track experience take the road to Mayoyao – which was only paved in 2018 – some 24 miles (38.6km) away. Here, the giant steps are scattered with pyramid-shaped houses and domed burial tombs. 

The Ifugao rice terraces, Philippines

Until recently, the rice fields were only accessible by a 10-hour bus journey. Now there are hour-long flights from Clark to Bagabag and from there it’s another hour to Banaue. 

Audley Travel’s 16-day Highlights of the Philippines itinerary includes three nights at Banaue.

Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is often overshadowed by its neighbours, China and Uzbekistan, but the advantage is that it remains a little-visited destination for tourists. A stopping point on the Silk Road – the ancient trade route between China and the Mediterranean – it’s a country with breathtakingly wild mountains, flower-filled valleys and welcoming people.

Kyrgyzstan

Explore the Skazka Canyon – the name means Fairy Tale Canyon and, with its bright red rock formations and winding sandy passageways, it’s easy to see why. The best time to visit Kyrgyzstan is May-October, before the chill sets in. 

Kyrgyzstan

Those up for a challenge should hike to Ala Kul Lake, 11,482 feet (3,499m) above sea level in the Tian Shan Mountains. Your muscles might well ache after the hard climb, but the views of the turquoise glacier-fed waters, set against the snowy mountains, pay dividends.

Papua New Guinea

Dubbed the soul of Papua New Guinea, the Sepik River snakes through the north of the country. The area surrounding the river is sparsely populated with a few Indigenous tribes.

A world of lush, tropical forests, mountain valleys and cascading waterfalls, Papua New Guinea remains largely uninterrupted by the modern world. The lack of roads and communications makes travel here a challenge, but it’s certainly worth the effort.

Papua New Guinea

This is truly remote – local guides will take you up the river using motorised dugout canoes.

Don’t expect shops, restaurants or much electricity, and do expect to sleep in traditional village houses, using pit toilets. This isn't luxury, but that’s the joy of the experience. 

Papua New Guinea

Hike into the forest to spot the elusive Bird of Paradise. Crocodiles feature heavily in legends here and, if you’re lucky, you might see one on the river. 

PNG Frontier specialises in sustainable ecotourism, offering guided trips on the Sepik and supporting the local communities.

Jiuzhaigou National Park, China

With its snowy mountains towering above 100+ glassy, multicoloured lakes and 17 cascading waterfalls, Jiuzhaigou National Park in China’s Northern Sichuan Province is a wondrous, fairytale world.

Jiuzhaigou National Park, China

In Rize Valley, you’ll find Five Flower Lake. Its shallow waters are so impossibly clear that you can see 130 feet (40m) underwater – so it isn’t surprising locals consider it to have holy properties.

Visit Jiuzhaigou in late September to mid-October to see the stunning autumn colours reflected in the glassy surface. Jiuzhaigou is a 40-minute flight or an eight-hour bus ride from the nearest city, Chengdu.

Jiuzhaigou National Park, China

With sub-zero temperatures, winter may be chilly, but the frozen waterfalls and ice-crusted lakes make for an enchanting spectacle. Five Flower Lake is fed by a hot spring, which means it’s eerily the only body of water that doesn’t freeze in winter. 

The Antarctic Peninsula

The Antarctic Peninsula is an isolated, virtually uninhabited, frozen landmass and if you’re seeking solitude, you’ve come to the right place. Get in touch with Adventure Life to arrange a remote expedition (and don’t forget that you can only visit in the Antarctic summer between November and March).

The Antarctic Peninsula

Wildlife in the Antarctic Peninsula is most active in the austral summer months, and penguins migrate here to breed and feed on Antarctic krill, fish and squid. Standing in the middle of a crowded penguin colony is certainly an unforgettable experience. 

The Antarctic Peninsula

The region is sadly experiencing the impact of climate change. There's been a major increase in CO2 absorption levels over the summer months in the peninsula due to climate change, a study analysing CO2 levels by the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers University discovered.

The shift could lead to more CO2 in the air and more global warming worldwide, highlighting the need for tighter monitoring of the area.

Lord Howe Island, Australia

Fly around 434 miles (700km) northeast from Sydney and you'll find Lord Howe Island, an idyll of vanilla-coloured beaches and crystal-clear waters. To preserve its natural beauty, just 400 visitors are allowed at a time and it's home to only around 382 permanent residents.

Lord Howe Island, Australia

Lord Howe is so remote there's only limited mobile phone reception. But the incredible marine life more than makes up for the lack of instant access to Instagram.

With over 490 species of fish swimming about, it's a quiet paradise for snorkellers and scuba divers. You might also see green sea turtles, hawksbills and bottlenose dolphins.

Lord Howe Island, Australia

If you prefer dry land, you can hike up the magnificent Mount Gower or marvel at the flocks of seabirds which nest on the island each year.

Among the species you might spot are the red-tailed tropicbird, wedge-tailed shearwater and sooty tern. Known locally as the ‘wide-awake’, around 100,000 sooty turns visit the island each summer to breed.

Supai, Arizona, USA

Nestled inside the Grand Canyon is Supai, the capital of the Havasupai Indian Reservation and often billed as the most remote community in the lower 48 US states. The area is inhabited by only around 200 members of the Havasupai Tribe. 

Supai, Arizona, USA

The village has no roads, the nearest being eight miles (13km) away, so it's only accessible via helicopter or by hiking or riding a mule through a challenging trail. 

Supai, Arizona, USA

To visit and camp you need to book well in advance, with camping reservations for a minimum of three nights.

Being organised will pay off however, as once you're inside the reservation you'll have access to the pristine year-round waterfalls. There are five in total: Navajo Falls, Fifty Foot Falls, Havasu Falls, Beaver Falls and Mooney Falls, pictured here.

The Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

The Galápagos is an isolated group of islands 605 miles (973km) off the west coast of Ecuador. Famous for being the place that inspired naturalist Charles Darwin’s Origin of the Species, the diversity of wildlife here is mind-blowing.

The Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

The archipelago is a harsh and remote land where species have adapted to survive. The Galápagos is home to over 300 different reptile species and birds such as the blue-footed booby; 50% of the world’s breeding pairs live here.

The Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Wildlife is the big draw here, and the Galapagos Conservation Trust is best to contact about a visit. The company organises an annual eco-focused supporter cruise, although numbers are limited to only 15.

Svalbard, Norway

This remote archipelago in the Arctic Ocean is located just 650 miles (1,050km) from the North Pole and a three-hour flight from Oslo. The region is home to about 2,500 residents, with Longyearbyen – the most northernly urban community in the world – the main inhabited area of Svalbard.

Activities you can book locally include dogsledding, hiking and 'safari' boat trips to spot the local wildlife.

Svalbard, Norway

Around 65% of Svalbard is protected, with the landscape dominated by glaciers, mountains, frozen tundra – and polar bears. In fact, the area is home to around 3,000 of these ‘Kings of the Arctic’.

The world’s largest land carnivores, polar bears generally live on drifting sea ice, but land encounters are possible, so it’s important to use an experienced local guide when exploring Svalbard. You might also spot reindeer, walruses and adorable Arctic foxes.

Svalbard, Norway

The seasons here are stark, each bringing their own unique Arctic beauty. Sunny Winter lasts from March to mid-May, heralding the ‘midnight sun’ (round-the-clock daylight), which extends through the Polar Summer to the end of September.

The majestic Northern Lights are visible 24/7 over the winter, as there is no direct sunlight. During ‘dark season’, there are magical outdoor tours and a programme of indoor events in Longyearbyen to enjoy.

Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, Mexico

This pristine 1.3-million-acre reserve is located around two hours from Cancun, close to the village of Tulum, on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The largest protected area in the Mexican Caribbean, Sian Ka'an became a designated Biosphere Reserve in 1986 and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site a year later.

Because the ecosystem is so fragile, much of the reserve is inaccessible to the public. To see the area, visitors should join one of the authorised tours operated by a licenced guide.

Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, Mexico

Home to an abundance of flora and fauna, Sian Ka'an’s residents include jaguars, monkeys and turtles, while the marine areas feature manatees, dolphins and over 400 species of fish.

Visitors might even spot a Morelet’s crocodile or an American crocodile lurking in the clear waters, though they may be hidden away in the lush mangroves waiting for their next meal.

Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, Mexico

Sian Ka'an also hosts around 300 bird species, including the Yucatan jay and the rare jabiru stork. The most notable feathered resident is the roseate spoonbill, with its bright pink feathers and piercing red eyes.

Anyone taking an authorised tour of Sian Ka'an is sure to see a variety of wildlife in this protected ecosystem, which includes coastline, swamps, tropical forests and corals.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Uganda

Located in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the Rift Valley, this 25,000-year-old rainforest is one of Africa’s oldest. Covering an area of around 79,000 acres, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its ecological importance and biodiversity.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Uganda

There are several magnificent waterfalls in the forest, notably Munyaga River Falls and Bayenda Falls. As well as looking spectacular, the waterfalls have cultural significance for the Indigenous Batwa People and play an important role in supporting the ecosystem.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Uganda

The forest features nearly 350 bird and 120 mammal species, including elephants, chimpanzees and rare golden monkeys. There are also 400 plant species and 200 types of butterflies.

However, many visitors come to catch a glimpse of the mountain gorillas. The forest provides shelter for over 400 gorillas, with a special permit required to join an organised trek to see one of the habituated groups, which are accustomed to humans.

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