Bucket List Destinations: The World's Top 10 Places Revealed in a New Report
What are the top travel destinations? For many people, the thrill of discovering new places and embarking on exciting adventures keeps their travel bucket list constantly growing. To help narrow it down, CEO Today conducted a study to identify the best bucket list destinations around the world. Here are our top 10 picks!
El Cajas National Park
El Cajas National Park can be found in the highlands of Ecuadorian Andes, nestled in the Azuay province in the southern part of the country. This park is an integral part of Ecuador's National System of Protected Areas. Visitors to El Cajas can enjoy stunning views of plateaus, misty forests, Andean moors, and numerous lakes and streams.
El Cajas is full of water bodies: there are about 165 lagoons that are over 1 hectare and 621 that are smaller than 1 hectare. In total there are 786 water bodies. This lagoon is among the top attractions in the park, making it a must-see on your itinerary during your time in Ecuador. It’s also inhabited by diverse wildlife, including Andean condors, large hummingbirds, and coatis that resemble raccoons.
La Toreadora lagoon in El Cajas National Park. ( Photo: Irina Kurilovich )
Karpathos
Karpathos is a slender, elongated island situated at the southern tip of the Dodecanese, nestled between Rhodes and Crete. With its stunning beaches and dramatic mountain scenery that exude a raw beauty, Karpathos has managed to escape the clutches of mass tourism, preserving its charm as an untouched paradise.
Due to its isolated setting, it has maintained a variety of unique clothing styles, traditions, and dialects, with the latter being similar to those found in Crete and Cyprus. The festivals in Karpathos are the most famous, featuring vibrant traditional music, local dances, and delicious traditional cuisine. With a stunning 160 km of coastline, Karpathos boasts an array of beautiful beaches to explore.
Apella Beach, Karpathos
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands, often referred to as "Cocos" by the locals, consist of 27 stunning islands arranged in a nearly perfect circle, with just two of them being inhabited. British sea captain William Keeling stumbled upon the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in 1609, and they were named after their coconut trees in 1622. Cocos Islands are a remote territory of Australia in the eastern Indian Ocean.
The islands lie 2,290 miles (3,685 km) west of Darwin, Northern Territory, on the northern Australian coast, and about 560 miles (900 km) southwest of Christmas Island. Cocos Islands offer the warm, crystal-clear lagoon where you can snorkel, boat, fish, kite surf, or dive in one of the largest marine sanctuaries globally. The Cocos Malays are the majority population of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. With only 600 residents and a limit of 144 visitors at any given time, these tropical islands provide a perfect escape.
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Corsica
Corsica is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean sea and is often referred to as the Island of Beauty, and it's easy to see why. Its stunning variety of landscapes, along with its protection from the pressures of development and mass tourism, truly makes it one of the gems of the Mediterranean Sea. Corsica has excellent sandy beaches, emerald river pools and spectacular mountain scenes.
Outdoor activities rank high on the list of things to enjoy in Corsica, offering a variety of experiences such as hiking, canyoning, sea kayaking, sailing, and snorkeling. Hiking in Corsica is fantastic, with a wide variety of trails to explore. The most famous one is the GR 20, which stretches from the northern part of the island to the southern end.
Rondinara beach, Corsica
Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly is the UK's largest archipelago and lie off the southwestern tip of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. There are only five inhabited islands - St. Mary's, Tresco, St. Martin's, Bryher and St. Agnes, while approximately 140 additional islands serve as a refuge for wildlife and seabirds. Scilly is rich in fascinating ancient history and archaeology, complemented by breathtaking sea views and untouched coastal landscapes, glorious sandy beaches with aquamarine waters and almost white sand. Beneath the waves, you'll find remarkable shipwrecks and a diverse array of wildlife.
The Scilly Isles don't have the usual tourist hotspots, but they offer some truly beautiful natural landscapes and historic sites to explore. A lot of the finest produce from Scilly is featured at the Local Produce Market. The Isles of Scilly offer coastal walks, kayaking and paddleboarding, sailing, snorkelling and scuba diving and it's a haven for birdwatchers.
St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly ( Photo by Stephen Rees )
Porto Santo Island
Porto Santo is a small island in the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira, together with the uninhabited islands Selvagens and Desertas. It is a small island an hour and a half flight away from Lisbon, Portugal, and 50 km to the North of Madeira. Porto Santo is called as Golden Island, due to golden sandy beaches and is well known for its unique natural scenery.
The healing benefits of Porto Santo's soft, warm sands and its its crystal-clear, turquoise waters are the key elements used in spa's treatments. As of November 2020, the entire island of Porto Santo received official recognition as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. For adventurous souls this island offers great outdoors through activities like diving, kayaking, snorkelling, swimming in natural pools, hiking, and enjoying boat rides.
Porto Santo beach
Isla del Sol
Isla del Sol is an island located in Lake Titicaca, Bolivia and it's forbidden to vehicles. The island, known in Spanish as "Island of the Sun," played a significant role as a hub of pre-Columbian habitation in the eastern region of the Andes mountain ranges. Isla Del Sol was a sacred place for the Aymara people and you can come across more than 80 Inca ruins located on the island. The simplest way to reach Isla del Sol is by taking a boat from Copacabana, which will get you to the island in about 1.5 to 2 hours.
Lake Titicaca located at around 4000 meters above sea level, holds the title of the highest navigable lake in the world and it is the largest lake in South America, straddling the borders of Peru and Bolivia. Pilko Kaina offers breathtaking views of Lake Titicaca framed by the stunning snow-capped peaks of the Cordillera Real. Hiking along the rugged and elevated paths, you'll encounter lush agricultural terraces, peaceful beaches, roaming livestock, quaint little villages, towering eucalyptus trees, and vibrant cacti.
Lake Titicaca ( Photo by Weeraporn Puttiwongrak )
Stewart Island
Stewart Island is the third-largest island in New Zealand, located 30 kilometres south of the South Island, separated by the Foveaux Strait. The island can be reached by a regular ferry service, which runs between Bluff and the island’s only township, Oban. Stewart Island is characterized by its lush forests, gentle hills, pristine sandy beaches, and rugged cliffs.
The island's tranquil isolation and commitment to conservation have transformed it into a sanctuary for marine and bird species, making it an ideal spot for nature lovers and those who appreciate unspoiled landscapes. A pristine wilderness area - Rakiura National Park, was opened in 2002 and forms roughly 85% of Stewart Island. Apart from Stewart Island's cooler climate, you can enjoy stunning golden sandy beaches like Halfmoon and Horseshoe, which gives it a vibe of a tropical paradise. The island offers a variety of thrilling activities, including tramping, birdwatching, fishing, diving, and kayaking.
Stewart Island ( Photo by R. Vickers )
Harstad
Harstad is a city in Harstad Municipality in Troms county, Norway and the area around the city was important and strong during the Viking age and medieval times. It is situated on the fourth-largest island in Norway, Hinnøya. The city is the perfect starting point for exploring Vesterålen and Lofoten. You can easily get here from other northern cities like Narvik, Tromsø, and Bodø.
Harstad is an awesome spot for hiking, skiing, biking, paddling around in a kayak or canoe and sailing. Whatever the time of year, the scenery will make your visit truly memorable! During summer, you can enjoy those long nights under the midnight sun, and in winter, you might just catch the stunning northern lights twinkling overhead. You can experience local food with excellent chefs, authentic shops, music festivals, an untouched archipelago.
Harstad
Skazka Canyon or Fairytale Canyon
On the southern shore of Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk Kul Lake, between Tosor (7 km) and Bokonbaevo (30 km), leading from Karakol town, lies Skazka Canyon, also known as Fairy Tale Canyon. The name "Skazka" translates directly to "fairy tale" in Russian and is undoubtedly one of the must-see attractions near Issyk Kul. Fairy Tale Canyon is a sanctuary for hikers and adventurers, featuring winding trails that lead to hidden alcoves, narrow passages, and stunning viewpoints overlooking Issyk-Kul Lake.
Years of erosion have created stunning natural sculptures, including formations known as the "Chinese Wall," as well as shapes resembling animals and even dragons. Fairy Tale Canyon is an enchanting place, brimming with mystery and mysticism, enough to ignite the imagination of anyone willing to pause, gaze, and contemplate. Legends say that the Issyk Kul basin once housed a number of prosperous cities rather than a lake. This may hold some truth, as archaeologists have uncovered the ruins of several settlements beneath the water.
Fairytale Canyon Skazka in Kyrgyzstan
Photo: Lukas Bischoff Photograph
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