Sometime, what’s hot is what’s ‘not hot’. That’s the thinking behind Intrepid’s annual Not Hot List, which highlights 10 places around the world that are undervisited, want tourism, have a great reason to visit in 2027, and have the facilities to welcome more travelers. Find out which cities, regions, islands and experiences made it into the Not Hot List 2027.
What do you know about Timor-Leste? And you may know your Greek islands, but have you been to Alonissos? And did you know the Latvian city of Liepāja is European Capital of Culture 2027?
These are some of the destinations on this year’s Not Hot List 2026. Carefully selected using insights from Intrepid Travel’s local leaders and destination experts alongside independent research from trend forecasting agency Globetrender, the list is based on three core criteria.
Firstly, these places are lesser-visited with lower awareness and visitor numbers compared to nearby or similar spots. Secondly, they’re ready for tourism—this means they already have the capacity to welcome more visitors—responsibly— through their infrastructure, community alignment, and sustainable destination planning. Thirdly, there’s good reason to visit in 2027, be it a major event, new transport links, or new initiatives.
“One of the biggest challenges is distinguishing between a destination that’s genuinely overlooked and one that simply isn’t ready for more visitors,” Jenny Southan, editor, founder and CEO of Globetrender tells us. “We have to consider whether there’s appropriate accommodation, transport and tourism infrastructure, whether local communities are ready to welcome more travelers, and whether growth can happen without putting undue pressure on the environment or local life.”
The list also has to balance newsworthiness with under-appreciation. “A destination needs to be genuinely overlooked, but there also needs to be a strong topical reason for us to recommend going there in 2027,” adds Southan. “Liepāja in Latvia achieves this well—it’s a European Capital of Culture next year, but few people have heard of it.”
To mark the launch of the Not Hot List 2027, we asked 10 writers who live in or regularly visit these destinations to share what they love about them—and why they’re excited for more travelers to follow in their footsteps.
Backed by one of Chile’s largest infrastructure investment programs in decades, the Carretera Austral is a remote road trip through Northern Patagonia, featuring fjords, glaciers and rainforest landscapes and offering an alternative to the more visited southern parks.
Mark Johanson: “Every turn reveals a remarkably feral landscape—one that, unlike most parts of our planet, is actually more biodiverse every year.”
Where is it? A trip down the ‘Southern Highway’ into the lesser-visited wildlands of Northern Chilean Patagonia, the Carretera Austral is the perfect counterpoint to the crowds swarming Torres del Paine further south.
Why I love it When I dream of Patagonia, it’s the Carretera Austral that comes to mind. This ‘highway’—which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2026—alternates between paved, gravel-topped or simply absent for long stretches, before the road is replaced by a string of car ferries across sinewy fjords.
Over a span of 770 miles (1,240 kilometers), it traverses temperate rainforest, jagged lava fields, and golden steppe. There are hanging glaciers, turquoise lakes, and rivers famed for whitewater. Every turn reveals a remarkably feral landscape—one that, unlike most parts of our planet, is actually more biodiverse every year.
I’ve visited regularly over the past decade and witnessed the return of native species like guanacos, pumas, and rheas thanks to the work of NGO Rewilding Chile. I’ve also met with gauchos who’ve become unlikely conservationists, developing innovative multiple-use conservation areas in regions like Alto Palena and Torres del Avellano, which allow for seasonal grazing in Andean valleys while safeguarding the mountains and forests above.
I’m excited for travelers to… Stroll the boardwalks of Caleta Tortel, a fairytale village where wooden walkways replace conventional roads and a milky green fjord is the local highway.
About the writer: Mark Johanson is a Santiago-based writer who’s often found hiking in Patagonia. Author of the travelogue Mars on Earth, as well as two-dozen Lonely Planet guidebooks, his words regularly appear in publications such as Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, and Outside.
Read Mark’s story, Democratizing the mountains: Inside Santiago’s bid to turn itself into the ‘Kathmandu of the Americas’, on Adventure.com
Following a period of regional disruption, Jordan is continuing to focus on diversifying tourism beyond Petra and Wadi Rum, with the Northern Highlands emerging as a greener, less-visited region of Roman ruins, forest reserves and community-based travel experiences.
Madeline Croad: “I love its [Umm Qais] vast ruins, black basalt stone buildings, and Roman columns and theater.”
Where is it? Stretching from the town of Umm Qais down to the north of Amman, Jordan’s Northern Highlands is a green oasis of historical ruins, sprawling forest hikes, and views over the Jordan Valley.
Why I love it: The drive from the bustling capital of Amman to the Northern Highlands took just an hour, but it felt like I’d arrived in a different country. Roadside coffee stands and rolling hills soon enveloped the landscape, before I arrived in the city of Jerash.
Zoubia Forest near the ancient city of Jerash, was dense and wild. While I lost my bearings, the track ended up leading me to a local, who ushered me along a path to ruins of old wine presses near Burqush Cave dating back to the Roman and Byzantine era. Not on any map, I might easily have missed them.
After a history lesson in the middle of the forest, he pointed in a vague direction, and I continued to hike through terrain that reminded me of the rolling hills back home in the South Island of New Zealand. But less than an hour later, I was wandering around the halls of the 12th-century Ajloun Castle.
Further in the Highlands, closer to the Syrian border, sits the town of Umm Qais, frequently visited for its proximity to the ancient Greco-Roman city of Gadara. I love its vast ruins, black basalt stone buildings, and Roman columns and theater, a distinctly different feel to cities in southern Jordan.
I’m excited for travelers to… Explore the ancient city of Gadara. Sit outside at Um Qais Rest House and eat traditional Jordanian dishes such as hummus, fatteh (layered pita, chickpeas and tahini) and mutabbal (eggplant dip) with khubz (bread). On a clear day, look left to appreciate the ruins and beyond them, a view of Syria, Palestine and Lebanon. It’s a a Jordanian experience unlike any other.
About the writer: Madeline Croad is an award-winning freelance multimedia journalist from New Zealand. Currently based in Amman, Jordan, she corresponds from the MENA region and specializes in social issues. Her work has appeared in WIRED Middle East, Stuff NZ, Al Jazeera, The Press and more.
As Kenya works to spread the benefits of safari tourism beyond its busiest parks, Samburu National Reserve offers a more intimate wildlife experience where community-led tourism supports conservation and local livelihoods.
Harriet Akinyi: “Game drives revealed wildlife I’d never seen before: Samburu’s ‘Special Five’.”
Where is it? Samburu National Reserve is a protected wildlife area in the remote northern region of Kenya, about 220 miles (330 kilometers) from the capital Nairobi, and home to what’s often dubbed ‘the Special Five’.
Why I love it: The landscape in Samburu National Reserve was reason enough to make the journey. From the red earth to the rugged hills surrounding the reserve to the tall doum palms lining the Ewaso Ngíro River, everything seemed to glow beneath the northern sun.
Game drives revealed wildlife I’d never seen before: Samburu’s ‘Special Five’. Reticulated giraffe, known for its distinctive brown patches separated by clear white lines; Grevy’s zebra, the largest species of zebra, recognized by its narrow, closely spaced stripes and large rounded ears; the wonderfully unusual gerenuk, a type of antelope also called the giraffe gazelle, which stands upright to feed; Somali ostrich, an ostrich subspecies known for the blueish skin on its neck and legs; and striking East African oryx (Beisa oryx), a species found only in East Africa.
But it was the smaller moments that stayed with me. I spent hours watching Samburu’s birdlife from golden-breasted starlings and lilac-breasted rollers to Kori-bustards, listening to their calls and spotting flashes of color among the trees. I watched the men, particularly the Moran warriors, perform traditional dances and met Samburu women as they made intricate beadwork, jewelry and handicrafts which visitors can purchase directly from them. I also learnt about the instrumental role women play in constructing and maintaining their homes, using local materials such as sticks, grass and cattle dung.
I’m excited for travelers to… Come to Samburu for the wildlife moments you can’t plan. An elephant emerging from the palms. A leopard in the shadows. A herd appearing beyond the majestic Ewaso Nyiro river.
About the writer: Harriet Akinyi is an award-winning Nairobi-based travel journalist with ten years of experience covering travel, culture and sustainable tourism in Africa. Passionate about storytelling and sustainability, her work has appeared in publications such as AFAR, Lonely Planet, Fodor’s, Skift, and Condé Nast Traveller.
Read Harriet’s stories on Adventure.com
Following Timor-Leste’s admission to ASEAN, Dili is entering a new era of tourism, with new flights, upgraded infrastructure and community-led experiences making it easier than ever to explore one of Southeast Asia’s least-visited destinations.
Jonty Crane: “Beyond its established sights, lies a capital wrestling with its past while rapidly building its future.”
Where is it? With a population of 300,000 people, Dili is the capital of Timor-Leste (East Timor)— an independent nation since 2002 after a long Portuguese then Indonesian occupation—located on the country’s north coast and a couple of hours by air from Darwin and Bali.
Why I love it: I’ve explored every neighborhood in Dili on foot, a city of contrasts and contradictions. Beyond its established sights—the 89-foot-high (27-meter) Cristo Rei de Dili (Jesus) statue, Tais Market, the Timorese Resistance Museum, the Chega! Exhibition (set in a former prison), Santa Cruz Cemetery, and Areia Branca’s beaches—lies a capital wrestling with its past while rapidly building its future.
The gleaming Ministry of Finance tower sat beside makeshift houses along open stormwater channels, and a Second World War Japanese pillbox in someone’s front yard in the historic neighborhood of Bidau. Street art is equally diverse: Portraits of the Pope and Timorese independence heroes share space with the Joker and Bart Simpson.
With around 95 percent of the population identifying as Catholic, almost every neighborhood contains a grotto dedicated to the Virgin Mary. At Christmas, the Presidential Palace is home to dozens of elaborate community-built nativity scenes—some gatecrashed by Santa Claus.
Five miles (eight kilometers) west of Dili, I’d frequently return to the protected coastal wetlands of Tasi Tolu (Three Lakes) to watch migratory birds around its mirror-like lakes. Nearby, a series of white Stations of the Cross leads up to the hillside of Foho Cruz Tolu for incredible views of the city, sandwiched between rugged hills and the Wetar Strait which separates the island of Wetar from the eastern part of the island of Timor.
I’m excited for travelers to… Seek out Arte Moris, Timor-Leste’s first fine arts school, now tucked inside a former airport control tower, where young Timorese artists create striking contemporary work.
About the writer: Jonty Crane, travel writer, photographer and host of The Tramping Life podcast, spent a year volunteering in Timor-Leste, and he wrote the country’s first new guidebook in 15 years. Based in Wellington, New Zealand, he has traveled widely in New Zealand and overseas, with a particular interest in hiking in unusual destinations.
As Greece seeks to disperse visitors beyond its most crowded islands, Alonnisos is gaining momentum as a low-impact Aegean destination, with new port upgrades, improved international access and a growing focus on marine conservation and sustainable island tourism.
Heidi Fuller-Love: “… the sea is the biggest lure on this island, its sea caves home to one of the world’s rarest marine mammals.”
Where is it? A vital habitat of the endangered Mediterranean monk seal, this forward-thinking, sustainability-focused island is part of the Sporades archipelago chain in the northwestern Aegean, and home to Greece’s first marine park.
Why I love it: Flinty sunlight glints on the cobbles of Alonissos’ capital, Patitiri—it translates to ‘wine press’, so-called for the viniculture that flourished here for centuries. Crunching almond-stuffed amigdalota cookies bought from Eleni’s bakery a short hike from the harbor, I follow the cobbled trail to ancient capital Chora, high on its rocky outcrop with striking views of Skyros and Skopelos opposite.
Later, I’ll visit favorite beaches Agios Dimitrios and Megalos Mourtias, or head over to Steni Vala’s fjord-like seafront lined with feet-in-the-water fish tavernas, but the sea is the biggest lure on this island, its sea caves home to one of the world’s rarest marine mammals.
Hopping aboard Wonderworker’s traditional wooden fishing boat, we glide over seas so clear I can spot sea urchins far beneath. Keeping our distance, we use binoculars to watch the puppy-eyed Mediterranean monk seals frolic near Piperi Island before ending the day with a swim in translucent seas.
I’m excited for travelers to… Dive 80 feet (25 meters) down to see Greece’s Parthenon of Shipwrecks, a ship filled with wine amphorae (two-handled ceramic jars) that sank near Peristera island, estimated to have been sometime in the 5th century BC.
About the writer: Heidi Fuller-Love is an award-winning British travel writer and broadcaster who’s lived in Crete for the past decade. A Greece destination expert for The Telegraph, she has written for The Guardian, The Times, LA Times, Food+Travel and Conde Nast Traveller. She also produces podcast guides and audio documentaries for the BBC, RFI and others.
Read Heidi’s story, Hunting for horta: The beloved Cretan pastime of foraging wild greens, on Adventure.com
Following the launch of the Arctic Canada Tourism Network, Whitehorse is emerging as the gateway to the Yukon, offering the wilderness, wildlife, Indigenous culture and adventure associated with the Canadian Rockies – without Banff’s crowds.
Becky Zimmer: “Winter is one of my favorite times … You can’t beat a hot chocolate by a roaring bonfire as the northern lights/aurora borealis dance across the sky above you.”
Where is it? Nicknamed ‘The Wilderness City’, the Yukon capital sits on the Yukon River along the Alaska Highway, just a two-hour flight from Vancouver’s hustle and bustle.
Why I love it: I moved to Whitehorse in 2025, excited for its pristine wilderness, dark skies, stories of First Nations culture, and Yukon’s history, community art galleries and eclectic cafés.
Located on the traditional territory of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and Ta’an Kwäch’än Council, you can learn about Indigenous history and culture at Whitehorse’s Kwanlin Dün Cultural Center, explore Gold Rush history at the MacBride Museum, and learn about Yukon prehistoric animals at the Beringia Interpretive Center.
Around Whitehorse are hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails, plus canoeing and kayaking on the fast-flowing Yukon River while just south of town is the suspension bridge across Miles Canyon. Before being tamed by the Whitehorse Dam, it was a treacherous stopping point for those who dreamed of golden riches on their way north to Dawson City.
But winter is one of my favorite times. For some, it’s snowy hikes, snowmobiling and dog-sledding, but you can’t beat a hot chocolate by a roaring bonfire as the northern lights/aurora borealis dance across the sky above you.
I’m excited for travelers to… Explore the 350-acre Yukon Wildlife Preserve. Only 30 minutes from downtown Whitehorse, it’s home to 11 Yukon species, such as woodland caribou, moose, and lynx.
About the writer: Now living in Whitehorse, Yukon, Becky Zimmer is a freelance journalist who grew up on the Saskatchewan prairies. She has traveled extensively throughout Canada and Europe, and enjoys pursuing her passions of travel, reading, writing, and photography.
Backed by eased visa rules, new international flights and Sri Lanka’s sustainable tourism strategy, the newly designated Pekoe Trail offers a slower, community-led alternative to the world’s busiest hiking routes through the country’s tea highlands.
Demi Perera: “Learn about the lives of tea pickers who work silently inside the tea estates.”
Where is it?: A 200-mile (325-kilometer) walking trail in Sri Lanka’s central highlands, crossing mountains and valleys from Hantana to Kandapola, the Pekoe Trail is the first of its kind in Sri Lanka.
Why I love it: I met my guide Irfhan in Haputale, a village 4,920 feet (1,500 meters) above sea level. Dawn hung low on this February morning but the town had been awake for hours; crowds piled out of the train station, and the sound of spoons beating against tin cups echoed out of tea shops, and vibrated in the cold air.
We walked nine miles (15 kilometers) towards St. Catherine, the end of the trail’s Stage 13. Around us, tea bushes spread down slopes, and a cloudless sky rose up from valleys; an unforgettable backdrop made extraordinarily human by the numerous makeshift shrines to Hindu god Shiva that we encountered on the path along the way, each one decorated with fresh flowers.
For the first time in two centuries, the gates to Sri Lanka’s closely-guarded tea estates have opened a portal to unchartered territory. The Pekoe Trail is an opportunity to understand this world long forgotten by time.
I’m excited for travelers to… learn about the lives of tea pickers who work silently inside the tea estates. Treat them with dignity, and support charities that foster their welfare.
About the writer: Demi Perera is a London-based food and travel journalist of Sri Lankan heritage. Specializing in covering stories in Sri Lanka and the US, she’s also the author of guidebooks on London and Sri Lanka. Fluent in Sinhalese, she has trekked several stretches of the Pekoe Trail.
With new airport investment and Georgia’s highland tourism strategy, Mestia is becoming more accessible as a gateway to the Caucasus, where UNESCO-listed landscapes, medieval tower villages and trekking routes on the Transcaucasian Trail remain relatively uncrowded.
Baia Dzagnidze: “You don’t have to be an expert hiker to enjoy the shorter trails to the region’s waterfalls and glaciers.”
Where is it? Mestia sits in the remote Svaneti region of northwestern Georgia, surrounded by the towering Greater Caucasus Mountains, ancient Svan towers, and some of the country’s best trekking routes, including the Koruldi Lakes and the Transcaucasian Trail.
Why I love it: I was stood next to the largest of the Koruldi Lakes, watching snow-capped mountains mirrored in the water, when three horses suddenly galloped in front. Their reflections moved across the lake as they ran, the sharp peaks of the Caucasus behind them. It was one of those rare moments that stop time and stay with you.
As someone who doesn’t usually hike, reaching the lakes was tough. The trail was steep and we climbed over 3.280 feet (1,000 meters). I kept wondering if I should have taken a shared taxi, but seeing the mountains loom larger with every step made me forget how hard it was.
Many people visit Mestia for the hiking, especially the well-known Mestia–Ushguli trek. But you don’t have to be an expert hiker to enjoy the shorter trails to the region’s waterfalls and glaciers. You can also try hearty Svanetian food such as Kubdari (Georgian meat piece) or Tashmijabit (mashed potatoes with brined sulguni cheese), explore Georgia’s history in the excellent Svaneti Museum of History and Ethnography , and learn about Mikheil Khergiani, Georgia’s legendary national champion climber, known as ‘Tiger of the Cliffs’ in his house-museum. And my favorite activity—watching sunset from one of Mestia’s tall defense towers with a view to the town below.
I’m excited for travelers to… Take their time here, explore beyond Mestia and visit charming Svan villages. I love Ushguli—it’s one of the highest settlements in Europe at the foot of Mount Shkhara, Georgia’s highest mountain.
About the writer: Baia Dzagnidze is a Tbilisi-born travel content creator, writer, and blogger behind Red Fedora Diary. She writes about Tbilisi, Georgia, and destinations beyond, covering culture, food, history, and travel experiences. Her work has appeared in National Geographic Food, Wanderlust, Lonely Planet, Horizon Guides, and other publications.
As European Capital of Culture 2027, Liepāja is taking centre stage as Latvia diversifies tourism beyond Riga, combining white-sand beaches, cultural heritage and military history on the Baltic coast.
Solveiga Kaļva: “Liepāja’s cultural scene constantly shifts between the unexpected and the traditional.”
Where is it? Located on Latvia’s western coast, Liepāja is lapped by the waves of the Baltic Sea and ready to take on the mantle of European Capital of Culture 2027.
Why I love it: Liepāja has a rock’n’roll vibe that fills me with a sparkling sense of adventure. Once, in March, I had a sudden idea to go for a quick swim in the sea as the sun slowly rose above the tree-lined, white-sand beach. The water was freezing cold, and the wind was blowing like crazy. There was no-one on the beach except my friend, who was hunting for amber and later showed me a handful of golden pieces of ancient resin.
On another occasion, I wandered through Liepāja’s streets in the rain, admiring the ornate façades of Art Nouveau buildings—you’ll find some impressive examples at Graudu iela 36/38 and 44, Ausekļa iela 9, and Rožu iela 8/10—and imagining myself living in one of the romantic wooden villas, many of which remain part of the city’s residential fabric. There’s great street art too, including large-scale murals—‘Pegasus’, ‘Wind, Sea and Freedom’, and ‘Elderly Man and the Sea’ are among my favorites.
Liepāja’s cultural scene constantly shifts between the unexpected and the traditional. There’s alternative culture at art and music hub Wiktorija and rock concerts at top Baltic rock venue Fontaine Palace alongside contemporary classical music at Liepājas Dzintars concert hall, performances at Liepāja Theatre and exhibitions at the Romas dārzs art gallery. With the city preparing for its year as European Capital of Culture 2027, there is even more to discover.
I’m excited for travelers to… Stop by ‘Boulangerie’, a lovely café right across from Peter’s Market filled with the aroma of fresh pastries, canaries singing, and a waiter who likes to say, “Don’t resist—just indulge.”
About the writer: Solveiga Kaļva is a travel writer and photographer based in Rīga, Latvia. With a master’s degree in folkloristics, she is interested in the ways people perceive places and believes that even the smallest village has a story to tell. Her writing has appeared in Lonely Planet, Baltic Outlook and Latvian media.
With new rail links set to strengthen access along Sweden’s west coast, Dalsland is positioning itself as ‘Europe’s Nearest Wilderness’, offering lakes, forests and gravel cycling routes that remain far less visited than Scandinavia’s better-known outdoor hubs.
Lola Akinmade Åkerström: “Dalsland forces me to slow down surrounded by accessible nature while returning to slow gastronomy.”
Where is it? ‘Sweden in miniature’ with over a thousand lakes, dense spruce forests, and verdant farmlands, experience friluftsliv (outdoor living) in the country’s lesser-visited Dalsland province, bordered by Norway and the country’s largest lake, Vänern.
Why I love it: Roadtripping through Dalsland for me felt like traveling offline, from another time. Falu red (a coppery red) cottages are scattered about its lush rural landscape like Monopoly houses, still lakes just made for canoeing, and fragrant wafts of pine as we stop for a quintessential fika (coffee) break with a view. Dalsland forces me to slow down surrounded by accessible nature while returning to slow gastronomy.
Allemansrätten, a government-instituted law in Sweden, gives us access to enjoy nature freely including foraging. This also means cycling and vandring (hiking) along its 62-mile (100-kilometer) Pilgrim Trail (once hiked by the Swedish Crown Princess Victoria) which goes from Vänersborg in the south to Edsleskog in Åmåls municipality in the north, kayaking along 19th-century Dalsland Canal and The Håverud Aqueduct, and feeding moose at Dalslands Moose Ranch.
Working KRAV-certified homesteads like Swedish Country Living offer farm-to-table experiences and off-grid, wifi-free hermitage cabins, while Swedish Wild Kitchen takes you on chef-led, forest-to-table experiences cooking lake-caught trout with juniper over open flames. Traveling through the region for me is about picking up handcrafted artisanal knäckbröd (crisp bread) and digging into husmanskost (Swedish soul food—think wild game meatballs—at Dalslands Skafferi.
I’m excited for travelers to… Travel 3,000 years back to the Bronze Age in Högsbyn, Tisselskog. There you’ll find over 50 granite rock faces with roughly 2,500 ancient carvings alongside Lake Råvarpen.
About the writer: Lola Akinmade Åkerström is a Stockholm-based writer and photographer. Represented by National Geographic Creative, she is also the author of award-winning non-fiction book Due North, international bestseller LAGOM: the Swedish Secret of Living Well, and several novels.
Read Lola’s stories on Adventure.com here
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