Favorite small towns

[Anonymous]

So many. A mix of large and small cities and towns (like mixing in beach or mountain towns if you like scenery, hiking etc) is perfect.

Just one example because I’ve traveled there a lot - Peru.

Biggest / capital city Lima for a few days. Cuzco of course - not a big city but the biggest tourist city in Peru because of Machu Picchu and other ruins and hiking.
A city in the Amazon for just one day (l did Iquitos) then travel to a small lodge for 3-4 days.
Huaraz is a great small mountain town which is a base for scenery and hikes.
Arequipa is a beautiful smaller city.
Mancora was a small beach on the North Coast - might have gotten a lot bigger by now. I loved it 25 years ago but no recent intel.
And more if you’re interested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who wants to go to a small town when you visit these places? I'm not a local! I want to see the bucket list items and cities.

What a weird comment. Some bucket list items are in / around small towns. Like Petra in Jordan. It’s not close to the main city Amman. Or Antelope Canyon near Page Arizona. Many hours drive from a city.

[Anonymous]

Rincon, Puerto Rico

Toledo, Spain (not super small, but not Madrid/Barcelona either)

[Anonymous]

Akaroa in New Zealand

[Anonymous]

De Haan, Belgium. Cute beach town. Fun for kids (in summer). Train ride to Bruges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:De Haan, Belgium. Cute beach town. Fun for kids (in summer). Train ride to Bruges.

It's fun doing image searches of these suggestions.

[Anonymous]

Obidos Portugal

[Anonymous]

Hot Springs, AR

[Anonymous]

UK - Kenilworth, Lewes, Woodstock, Tring/Aldbury, Berkhamsted, Guildford, St. Albans , Avebury, Leighton Buzzard. Most of these are market towns, but have historic sites, picturesque river walks, and decent lunch options. The smaller cities of Canterbury and Coventry are great too.

Spain - Sitges

US - Sausalito, Ca; Bellingham, WA; Salem, MA; Manchester by the Sea, MA; Woods Hole, MA; Ogunquit, ME; Oak Bluffs, MA

[Anonymous]

Thomasville, Georgia

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fairhope, Alabama

+1

[Anonymous]

Shout out to my hometown area, Rhinebeck NY. Lots of cute towns in the area now and if you go in the Fall the foliage is amazing (there's a boat cruise I believe that leaves out of Kingston).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UK - Kenilworth, Lewes, Woodstock, Tring/Aldbury, Berkhamsted, Guildford, St. Albans , Avebury, Leighton Buzzard. Most of these are market towns, but have historic sites, picturesque river walks, and decent lunch options. The smaller cities of Canterbury and Coventry are great too.

Spain - Sitges

US - Sausalito, Ca; Bellingham, WA; Salem, MA; Manchester by the Sea, MA; Woods Hole, MA; Ogunquit, ME; Oak Bluffs, MA

I don't think of Bellingham as a small town, but if you find yourself up there, go to Mount Vernon and then Bow. Bow is truly a small town and the town and its surroundings are worth the trip from Vancouver or Seattle.

[Anonymous]

Niagara on the Lake, Ontario. Ottawa. Quebec City. Kelowna, BC. Cheticamp, Nova Scotia.

[Anonymous]

Mousehole (Cornwall, England)