Okay, so everyone goes to Paris and Rome, right? Been there, done that, bought the overpriced gelato. But let me tell you about the REAL Europe – the places my Instagram followers keep asking me about because they’ve literally never heard of them. These are the spots where I actually felt like I discovered something special, not just another tourist trap.
Faroe Islands – Basically Middle Earth But Real
OMG, you guys. The Faroe Islands. I can’t even describe how insane this place is. It’s like 18 tiny islands somewhere between Iceland and Norway (I think?) and there are literally more sheep than people. I’m not kidding – I counted like 50 sheep on one hillside alone!
I stayed in this tiny village called Gásadalur where apparently only like 10 people live? Maybe 15? Anyway, there’s this waterfall that goes straight into the ocean and I had it ALL TO MYSELF. No tourists photobombing my shots, no lines, nothing. Just me and this crazy beautiful waterfall.
Pro tip: Go in summer when it never really gets dark. It’s super weird but amazing for photos. Also the food is… interesting. They eat a lot of fermented stuff but honestly the lamb was incredible.
Matera, Italy – Living My Cave Woman Dreams
So I found out about Matera from some random travel blog and decided to check it out. Guys, people used to LIVE in these caves!! Like for thousands of years or something crazy like that. The whole city is basically carved into this big cliff and now they’ve turned the caves into fancy hotels and restaurants.
I splurged and stayed in a cave hotel (yes that’s a real thing) and it was actually super bougie. Like, stone walls but also rain showers and wifi, you know? Walking around early in the morning before the day trippers arrive is magical – the whole place glows this gorgeous golden color.
The pasta here is different from other parts of Italy but SO GOOD. I ate my weight in orecchiette.
Some Nature Park in Portugal I Can’t Pronounce
Okay so near Lisbon there’s this natural park area (Sintra-something?) that’s basically a fairy tale forest. Everyone goes to see some colorful palace but if you hike the trails along the coast, you won’t see anyone else. I got completely lost trying to find this one beach but ended up at these incredible cliffs instead.
There’s supposed to be some point that’s the most western part of Europe? I think I went there but honestly I was too busy taking selfies to read the signs properly. Found this tiny local restaurant where I pretended to know what I was ordering and ended up with these weird barnacle things. They were actually pretty good with enough wine!
Kotor, Montenegro – Like Croatia But Cheaper
You know how everyone’s obsessed with Dubrovnik? Well Kotor is basically the same vibe but without the Game of Thrones tourists everywhere. It’s this cute little medieval town with mountains all around it and the bluest water I’ve ever seen.
I climbed approximately a million stairs to get to some fort at the top (okay it was like 1000-something but felt like more in the heat). The view was insane though. The bay is all twisty and gorgeous. September is the best time – still warm enough to swim but not packed with people.
Saaremaa, Estonia – Wait, Where?
I literally had to google where Estonia was before I went (it’s by Finland, FYI). This island called Saaremaa is super random but in the best way. There are old windmills everywhere and this crazy meteor crater that’s supposedly thousands of years old.
The castle there is legit from medieval times and barely anyone visits it. I had whole rooms to myself! The local food is… interesting. Lots of black bread and smoked fish. They have this juniper beer that tastes like drinking a Christmas tree but in a good way?
The Azores – Literally Paradise
These islands in the middle of the Atlantic are INSANE. Each one is different – some have these bright blue and green lakes in volcano craters, others have the tallest mountain in Portugal (I think?). It’s like Hawaii but you can get there from Europe in a few hours.
I went whale watching and actually saw whales!! And there are these natural hot springs where you can just sit and soak while looking at the ocean. Even in July I had entire hiking trails to myself. The only downside is the weather changes like every five minutes so bring layers.
How to Actually Do This
Look, getting to these places can be kind of a pain. You might need to take multiple flights or ferries or whatever. But trust me, it’s SO worth it. Book directly with locals when you can – I used Booking.com but also just showed up places and asked around.
Rent a car if you can drive stick (I can’t and it was a whole thing). And honestly? Don’t plan too much. My best experiences were when I got lost or missed a bus and ended up somewhere random.
These places won’t stay hidden forever. I already saw more people in Kotor this year than last year. So seriously, go now before everyone else figures it out and ruins it!
