How to find hidden gems?

I’m writing this travel tip early because I’ll be traveling on Peru’s northern coast from October 11-18. Stay tuned for stories about Chan Chan, caballitos de totora and Trujillo next week!

Trujillo is the kind of hidden gem that’s not hidden, but that most international tourists never hear of. And yet, it has one of the oldest cities in the Americas and one of the oldest surfing traditions in the world!

So, how do you find these hidden gems?

1. My favorite way is to leave a few days unplanned towards the end of a trip and ask locals for recommendations during the first few days.

That’s how I found Concordia, Argentina. I first spent a week in Patagonia and asked employees at hotels and restaurants in El Chaltén where I should go next. I specifically asked them what places in Argentina are touristy, but that don’t get international tourists. Imanol Maschio recommended that I visit his hometown, which is how I got to published this article about the hot springs in Concordia. Visiting Concordia, I discovered the town’s connection with Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and his story The Little Prince.

2. Look for blogs and travel sites that aren’t mainstream.

Guidebooks like Lonely Planet and mainstream travel publications like Condé Nast may call something a hidden gem, but as soon as they’ve published, it’s no longer a hidden gem. Look for blogs and lesser-known publications.

One of my new favorites is Off the Beaten Travel, which specializes in travel destinations that don’t get many visitors or haven’t been written about in mainstream media.

I don’t necessarily look for hidden gems when I travel, but I usually stay somewhere long enough to see the most popular sights and quite a few lesser-known places as well. Check out my travel blogs from over twenty countries on my website.

Article

Three Great Alternatives to Machu Picchu

Several of my readers sent me a link to this New York Times article  Move Over Machu Picchu about alternatives to Machu Picchu. In case you missed it, above is the link to an article I wrote several months ago about my three favorite alternatives to Machu Picchu, published by Frommer’s.

I also wrote an article for Matador Network about the best 15 Inca sites that aren’t Machu Picchu in February, 2022.

Blogs

In case you are new to my blogs, here are the ones that I wrote about the three destinations mentioned in the Frommer’s article above.

Pisac is my favorite place for people who don’t want to do a lot of walking.

Waqra Pukará is a great day hike and the best alternative for people who want to hike to Machu Picchu from km104.

Choquequirao is my favorite alternative to the 4-day Inca Trail from km82. It is a very challenging multi-day hike but doesn’t go to quite as high an altitude as the Inca Trail. Matador Network also published an article I wrote about hiking Choquequirao.