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Ever wonder what places travel bloggers love? Me too! This article is the second in a series of collaborative posts about travel bloggers’ favorite destinations, featuring places in the Americas, Europe, and Asia and Oceania.
The 8 Best Places in the Americas: a Travel Bloggers’ Travel Bucket List
Costa Rica
by Tim of Universal Traveller
One of my most favorite destinations is without doubt Costa Rica. It is such a small country but has still so many different places to offer.
The pacific coast with the amazing Manuel Antonio National Park, one of the most biodiverse parks in the world, the Caribbean coast, volcano national parks, hot springs, mountains, rainforests, the Monteverde cloud forest, and many more.
Almost all places can be reached within 2 to 4 hours from the capital city San José!
My favorite place in Costa Rica is Puerto Viejo, a small town on the Caribbean coast. It is well known for surfing and its beautiful beaches. I recommend renting a bike and riding it all the way to Manzanillo. Make sure to stop at Cocles Beach!
I also really enjoyed the Tabacon Hot Springs at Arenal volcano in the north of the country. The water is heated by the magma of the Arenal volcano, a great place to relax!
If you are looking for some adventurous activities I can highly recommend the Monteverde cloud forest. There you can do zip lining,
New York City, USA
by Talek of Travel by Talek
New York City is never dull. You really do feel the possibilities are endless.
You could live here all your life and never get to experience everything the city has to offer. The ethnically diverse cuisines come immediately to mind. New York City’s history as a culturally welcoming city makes it an ideal spot to taste interesting cuisines from all over the world. The immigrant experience is further enhanced by visits to the ethnic neighborhoods of Chinatown, Little Italy, the Hispanic neighborhoods of the Bronx and Upper Manhattan, Koreatown and many more. In the borough of Queens, more different languages are spoken than anywhere else in the world.
There is definitely something in NYC for every one. If you love culture, you can visit anyone of the 113 in the island of Manhattan alone. Classical music, ballet, fashion, photography, foreign and independent cinema as varied as the Senegalese and Finnish Film Festivals. It’s all here.
Iconic sights that you have probably been familiar since birth due to their prominence in the universal culture are all here; think Times Square, Empire State Building, Lincoln Center and Central Park. They’ve been making movies and TV shows about NYC since the advent of film.
There is a lot of truth in what people say about New York City; it’s fast, exciting, always open. You really can get just about any food you want at any hour of the day or night delivered to your door.
It can be expensive for the visitor but locals find ways to live there without breaking the bank. The housing is costly and unimaginably small but people make do in return for what New York offers…a dream and a possibility of achieving it.
Grand Canyon, USA
by Marta of Learning Escapes
My favorite destination of all and one that takes my breath away every time is Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, USA.
The Grand Canyon is one of the wonders of the natural world and indeed, the first impression you get when you get a glimpse of this massive hole in the ground
The canyon is under the care of the National Park Service and it is easy to enjoy even with a short visit. If you like hiking, you can follow the many trails available (they go from very easy to strenuous); if you like cycling, the park has several areas open to bikes and if you prefer to take a cultural break, you can explore the several museums dotting the rim.
At night, you can go stargazing and make the most of the dark skies of this sparsely inhabited area.
Cali, Colombia
by Mitch Glass of Project Untethered
When I first left on my trip through South America, I never imagined Cali would be my favorite destination. Heck, I’d never even heard of it. It wasn’t even on my itinerary. It was just a city I needed to pass through to get from Colombia to Ecuador.
But as I was passing through, it hooked me in.
Cali, Colombia is the Salsa Capital of the World. Salsa is everywhere. It’s contagious.
On my trip, I figured I mind as well take a quick salsa class while in town—mostly just to check it off my “cultural experiences list”.
Well, that one salsa class turned into two classes. Two classes turned into two weeks of classes. And two weeks of classes turned into falling in love with another dancer, getting married, learning to earn money online, and staying for over two years (and counting).
Things escalated quickly. But I’m glad they did.
Cali is the most under-rated city in Colombia. It doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Part of me is thankful for this—it means I have it all to myself. The other part of me feels bad that so many people are missing out.
From salsa dancing to nature excursions to delicious food—Cali is a city you won’t want to skip over.
Quito, Ecuador
by Paul of Travel is Life
I didn’t have plans to visit Quito, and I knew very little about it. but it soon became one of my favorite cities in South America. A few years ago I had a ticket to Bangkok, Thailand to reunite with some friends. Unfortunately, about a week before I was scheduled to leave, Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away at age 88. He was the longest-reigning monarch of our lifetime and the people of Thailand adored him, so the country went into a period of mourning. I have tremendous love and respect for the people of Thailand and felt that it’d be inconsiderate to show up a week into their mourning, so I
Meanwhile, I needed somewhere to go, so I randomly chose Quito and bought a ticket for the next day, which turned out to be one of the best travel decisions I’ve ever made.
Quito is a perfect example of a city where modern life meets traditional Ecuadorian culture, which is evident through their blend of historic architecture, especially in Old Town. I call Quito the City of Views because it doesn’t matter where you stand, you’re always going to have a spectacular view. And for me, that’s a huge perk because beautiful views make me happy!
Another thing I loved about Quito is that the city is filled with beautiful parks in every corner – it offers a lot of green space for a city of its size. I love big cities that I can disappear into a park without having to travel very far.
I’ve met a lot of travelers who flew into Quito on their way to other areas of
Cusco, Peru
by Clare of Travels in Peru
My favourite destination has to be Cusco in Peru. I love it as there is so much to see and do in the area. There is so much Inca history in the region, you could spend weeks visiting all the nearby ruins. It is most famous for Machu Picchu, which is a beautiful and magical place. I have visited 4 times and each time I sit and look down at the ruins and fall in love with the place more.
The town of Cusco itself has had inhabitants since 500 BC but became the capital of the Incan empire in the 13th century, for around 200 years before the Spanish took over the city in 1534. Much of the Inca buildings and temples were destroyed at this time and the stones were used to build the city we see today.
It is a beautiful city to explore and hang out in the plaza de armas. The viewpoint from Sacsayhuaman is a short distance from the city and the closest of the Inca ruins from the city.
In the surrounding sacred valley there are many Inca ruins you can visit, my favourites are Pisaq, Tipon, Moray which you can do as day trips, but the ruins that rival Machu Picchu for me has to be Choquequirao. It is more remote and only accessible by a 22km hike but the ruins and views of the valley are stunning.
If you ever decide to visit Peru then Cusco is a place you have to visit, you won’t be disappointed.
Glacier National Park, USA
by Julie of Trekkn
Whenever I’m asked where one of my favorite places to visit is, without a doubt I say Glacier National Park in Montana. I’ll never forget the first impression this amazing place made on me. From the mountains that take your breath away to the lakes that create a picture perfect opportunity, there are countless areas for nature lovers to enjoy.
The last time I visited was by RV. We spent three weeks in the park in the fall during the off-season. Although restaurants were starting to close down, as well as the shops, this gave us ample opportunities to explore with little tourists crowds.
One of the highest trafficked hikes in Glacier is the Highline Trail Hike and there are many good reasons why. Not only do you get stunning views with minimal effort, but the higher you go up, the more wildlife there is to greet you. We saw bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and deer on our hike. If you’re worried about bear activity on this hike, it usually isn’t a problem due to the high crowds.
We definitely recommend hiking this trail very early in the morning. We barely saw a soul and had the trail to ourselves until we started heading back. That’s when the crowds picked up.
A few other spots we recommend in Glacier National Park are Hidden Lake, Lake McDonald and taking a drive along the Going to the Sun Road. When you visit this National Park, bring your camera and sense of exploration everywhere you go because you never know what you’ll see.
Caye Caulker, Belize
by Annick of The Common Traveler
With a motto like “Go Slow,” Caye Caulker is the perfect getaway from your everyday life. A favorite destination for backpackers, Caye Caulker now targets other travelers who appreciate the slow pace. With no private vehicles on the island, you’ll get around by golf cart, bicycle or walking. Freshly caught seafood is served at local establishments. Divers and snorkelers will enjoy the closeness of the world’s second largest barrier reef. Check out this list of great things to do in Caye Caulker!
While there may not be a lot to do, that is the attraction of Caye Caulker. We enjoyed mojitos while sitting on our rooftop hot tub. What a way to relax!
Are you feeling inspired to visit a new location? We are! If you enjoyed this collaboration, check out our posts about travel bloggers’ favorite destinations in Europe and Asia and Oceania too!
Happy travels!
Annick, The Common Traveler
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Raised as a third culture kid living in South America and Europe, Annick caught the travel bug early. As an empty-nester, Annick enjoys sharing her tips for traveling for those with champagne taste and beer budgets.