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. |
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. |
Rincon, Puerto Rico
Toledo, Spain (not super small, but not Madrid/Barcelona either) |
Akaroa in New Zealand |
De Haan, Belgium. Cute beach town. Fun for kids (in summer). Train ride to Bruges.
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It's fun doing image searches of these suggestions. |
Obidos Portugal |
Hot Springs, AR |
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 |
Thomasville, Georgia |
+1 |
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). |
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. |
Niagara on the Lake, Ontario. Ottawa. Quebec City. Kelowna, BC. Cheticamp, Nova Scotia. |
Mousehole (Cornwall, England) |