Coast & island escapes, around the world.

Lodève

This small town in the Hérault department of southern France's Occitania region, Lodève sits at the confluence of several rivers and offers a compact central…

Owase

A compact Japanese port town where densely packed low-rise streets meet a working harbour, backed dramatically by steep, forest-covered mountains that drop a…

Catemaco

A town on the shores of Lake Catemaco in southern Veracruz, known across Mexico for a pre-colonial tradition of sorcery and witchcraft — practiced largely by…

Corte

Corte served as the capital of independent Corsica under Pascal Paoli between 1755 and 1769, and the town still carries that history at its centre — the cita…

Plentzia

A small Basque resort town on the Bay of Plentzia, a short metro ride from Bilbao, with a sheltered beach on the River Butrón estuary, a café and pintxos bar…

Nordeste

Little town on the northeastern tip of São Miguel Island in the Azores, Nordeste sits on the Atlantic coast with mountains rising close behind, including Pic…

Carleton-sur-Mer

A modest town on the south shore of Quebec's Gaspésie region, Carleton-sur-Mer sits along Chaleur Bay, where two sandbars meet to form a barachois lagoon fre…

Neuville-sous-Montreuil

The Chartreuse Notre-Dame-des-Prés, a Carthusian monastery founded in 1325 and the largest preserved Carthusian monastery in France, sits in this small villa…

Blanes

A beach town on the Costa Brava marking the southern gateway to that stretch of Catalan coastline, Blanes sits where mountains meet the Mediterranean, with c…

Tywyn

Home to the Talyllyn Railway and the Cadfan Stone — an early medieval cross bearing the oldest known written Welsh — this small seaside town sits on the Card…

Marmaris

This Mediterranean port resort on the Turkish Riviera where mountains meet the sea, Marmaris has a walkable centre dense with restaurants and bars alongside…

Santa Lucia del Mela

This densely built hilltop town in Sicily's Messina province, its stone houses climbing toward a medieval fortress above tree-covered slopes, with surroundin…

Newlyn

England's largest fishing port sits on the shore of Mount's Bay in south-west Cornwall, where Newlyn's medieval quay — long a subject for the Newlyn School p…

Wimereux

Seafront resort town on the Opal Coast in Pas-de-Calais, Wimereux sits where the river of the same name meets the English Channel, just north of Boulogne-sur…

Goes

This walkable town in the Dutch province of Zeeland, on the Zuid-Beveland peninsula, Goes has a compact historic centre dense with listed buildings, multiple…

Srodmiescie

Broad pedestrian boulevard lined with ornate Hanseatic-style facades and a soaring red-brick clock tower forms the walkable heart of Gdańsk, Poland's Baltic…

Mackinaw City

At the northern tip of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, this tiny village anchors the southern end of the Mackinac Bridge and serves as a ferry gateway to Mackina…

Alcobaça

The Monastery of Alcobaça, built on the orders of Portugal's first king to mark the 1147 Conquest of Santarém from the Moors, is one of the country's great G…

Varazze

Small Ligurian town on the Riviera di Ponente with a seafront position, a strong café and restaurant scene, and an unusual concentration of churches for its…

Saint-Pierre

This waterfront city on the southwest coast of Réunion with a dense café and restaurant scene and a strong reputation for street photography, Saint-Pierre is…

Jardim Itanhaem

Coastal city on the São Paulo shore with a strong beach profile, Itanhaém holds the distinction of being the second-oldest municipality in Brazil, founded in…

Gallipoli

A historic town on the western coast of Salento in Apulia, Gallipoli is built around a limestone island connected to the newer mainland district by a 17th-ce…

Llanes

Little coastal town on Asturias's eastern Costa Verde, Llanes sits between the Cantabrian Sea and the limestone ridge of the Sierra del Cuera, with the Picos…

Kazimierz Dolny

Photogenic little town on the Vistula river in eastern Poland, Kazimierz Dolny owes its Renaissance streetscape to a grain-trade boom in the 16th and early 1…

Townsville

This coastal city in tropical north Queensland, Townsville sits beside the central section of the Great Barrier Reef and faces Magnetic Island, most of which…

Tursi

Tursi is a little city in Basilicata's Matera province with scenic views over the surrounding landscape and a strong visual character that rewards photography.

Henningsvær

Little fishing village on several islands off the Lofoten archipelago in northern Norway, Henningsvær is known for its traditional fishing architecture and a…

San Carlos

On the Sea of Cortez coast in Sonora, Mexico, San Carlos is a tiny beach town designated a Pueblo Mágico in 2023, known for clear, warm water in its shallow…

Copacabana

A small Bolivian town on the shore of Lake Titicaca, Copacabana draws visitors to its 17th-century Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana — home to the image of…

Castel San Pietro Romano

Small hilltop village east of Rome recognised among Italy's most beautiful villages and, since 2019, named the most beautiful village in the Mediterranean —…

Capileira

High in the Sierra Nevada, Capileira is the uppermost village in the Poqueira Gorge and the highest point public traffic can reach on the road toward Mulhacé…

Wasserburg am Inn

This modest Bavarian town whose historic centre occupies a peninsula formed by a loop of the river Inn, Wasserburg am Inn has a strong café and restaurant sc…

Nardò

A Baroque town on the Ionian coast of Salento, Nardò has a walkable historic centre dense with palaces, churches, and chapels built in the ornate local style…

Nonza

Small Corsican hillside village of stone and pastel houses, crowned by a watchtower, with dramatic mountain ridges behind and the sea close below.

Vilafamés

This small village in Castellón's Plana Alta comarca, Vilafamés has been listed among Spain's most beautiful villages since 2015, a designation that reflects…

Sperlonga

This photogenic coastal town on the Tyrrhenian Sea, roughly midway between Rome and Naples, Sperlonga is best known for the ancient Roman sea grotto found wi…

Myrtle Beach

A resort city on South Carolina's Grand Strand — a long, continuous stretch of Atlantic coastline — Myrtle Beach draws visitors with miles of beach, a subtro…

Svolvær

This little town on the island of Austvågøya serves as the main hub of the Lofoten archipelago, where abrupt mountain peaks rise directly from the ocean alon…

Aieta

A village in Calabria's Pollino National Park whose historic centre is dominated by a baronial palace considered a rare example of Renaissance architecture i…

Harbour Breton

A fishing village on the south coast of Newfoundland's Connaigre Peninsula, Harbour Breton sits at the edge of Fortune Bay with hilly terrain rising behind i…

Sillamäe

Sillamäe's most striking feature is its mid-20th-century Stalinist-era town centre, described as the most complete and intact neoclassical architectural ense…

Giarre

A walkable Sicilian town on the Ionian coast with a centre full of cafés, restaurants, and historic churches, Giarre sits midway between Catania and Taormina…

Sète

This Mediterranean port town in southern France's Hérault department, Sète is built across canals between the sea and the Étang de Thau lagoon, climbing up t…

Masuleh

A mountain village in Iran's Alborz range, Masuleh sits high above the southern Caspian coast in Gilan province, known for its dramatic stepped layout — wher…

Castellammare del Golfo

A seafront town in Sicily's Trapani province, Castellammare del Golfo takes its name from the medieval fortress in its harbour — "Sea Fortress on the Gulf" —…

Port Moody

Waterfront city at the east end of Burrard Inlet in Metro Vancouver, Port Moody pairs a walkable food-and-drink scene with views of the Coast Mountains and s…

Greymouth

This small South Island town sits where the Grey River meets the Tasman Sea, making it a natural base for exploring the West Coast region of New Zealand.

Lavagna

This compact Ligurian seafront town of terracotta rooftops and domed churches, Lavagna sits between the Ligurian Sea and a backdrop of green hills, with a li…

Nafpaktos

Known in the West as Lepanto, this modest Greek town on the north shore of the Gulf of Corinth was the site of the 1571 Battle of Lepanto, the decisive Holy…

Ericeira

One of only two European World Surfing Reserves, Ericeira is a modest seaside town on Portugal's western coast, a short drive northwest of Lisbon, widely reg…

Numana

This compact Adriatic village on the Conero Riviera in the Marche region, Numana sits directly on the water with vineyards nearby and scenic viewpoints along…

Tolaga Bay

This small East Coast village on New Zealand's North Island, Tolaga Bay sits directly on the water and is known for its long 1920s wharf — the second longest…

Douarnenez

This photogenic port town on Douarnenez Bay in Brittany, long famous for sardine fishing and canning, with a walkable centre and a food-and-drink scene to ma…

Scalea

A tiny coastal town on Calabria's Tyrrhenian shore, Scalea pairs a modern beach resort strip — developed since the 1960s along the Riviera dei Cedri — with a…

Yachats

Modest Oregon coastal village with a disproportionately strong café and restaurant scene and a photogenic shoreline right on the Pacific, Yachats sits at the…

Telegraph Cove

A tiny former fishing and cannery village on northern Vancouver Island, Telegraph Cove is now a base for kayaking and whale-watching in Johnstone Strait, whe…

Sciacca

This coastal Sicilian town on the south-western shore of the island, Sciacca is known for its historic carnival, its ceramics tradition, and a walkable centr…

Ilwaco

A small waterfront city on Baker Bay where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean, Ilwaco sits at the southern tip of Washington's Long Beach Peninsula w…

Souris

This small waterfront town near the northeastern tip of Prince Edward Island, Souris sits in a region known for its beaches and has a café and restaurant sce…

Atrani

Tiny village on the Amalfi Coast, Atrani sits right at the water's edge just a short walk from Amalfi itself, with a heritage-dense streetscape, a striking n…

Shuzenji

A Japanese hot-spring town on the Izu Peninsula where a rocky river rushes through a compact centre of traditional inns, autumn-coloured maples, and wooded h…

Freshwater

Freshwater, at the western tip of the Isle of Wight, was the birthplace of physicist Robert Hooke and the long-time home of Poet Laureate Alfred Lord Tennyso…

Castelsardo

A photogenic coastal town on Sardinia's northwest shore, at the eastern end of the Gulf of Asinara, Castelsardo sits right on the water with scenic viewpoint…

Sao Joao da Pesqueira

This tiny Portuguese wine town high above the Douro River, São João da Pesqueira sits within the Alto Douro Wine Region UNESCO World Heritage Site and accoun…

Borkum

Germany's largest East Frisian Island by area, Borkum sits in the Wadden Sea off Lower Saxony and has built its economy almost entirely around tourism since…

Grottammare

A walkable Adriatic beach town in the Marche region, Grottammare pairs a seafront café and restaurant scene with a medieval hilltop quarter that belongs to t…

Sagunto

The ruins of ancient Saguntum, the Iberian and Roman city whose siege in 219 BC triggered the Second Punic War, are the defining reason to visit this Mediter…

Plomari

A coastal town on the southern shore of Lesbos, Plomari sits right at the water with mountains close behind and an unusually dense concentration of cafés, re…

Conca dei Marini

A compact village on the Amalfi Coast between Amalfi and Furore, sitting directly on the water with scenic viewpoints nearby and an unusually dense cluster o…

Penparcau

A pocket-sized village just south of Aberystwyth in Ceredigion, Wales, Penparcau sits between Tan y Bwlch beach, the River Ystwyth, and the River Rheidol, wi…

Sikinos

This quiet Cycladic island between Ios and Folegandros was known in antiquity as Oenoe — Island of Wine — and carries an unusual density of religious archite…

Porto Cesareo

This modest Apulian town on the Ionian coast of the Salento peninsula with a café and restaurant scene that punches well above its size, Porto Cesareo is bes…

Harlingen

A waterfront town in the Dutch province of Friesland, Harlingen has a walkable centre dense with listed historic buildings, a working harbour that is the pro…

Setúbal

This port city south of Lisbon with a dense café and restaurant scene, historic churches in the centre, and a waterfront position at the edge of the Arrábida…

Iglesias

A walkable town in southwestern Sardinia with a centre dense with historic churches, cafés, and restaurants, Iglesias was one of the most important royal cit…

Dénia

A walkable coastal town on Spain's Costa Blanca, Dénia sits between Alicante and Valencia with a food-and-drink scene dense enough to reward several days of…

Santa Cruz (Torres Vedras)

A beach town on the Atlantic coast of Portugal's Oeste region, Santa Cruz is known for its extensive beaches and strong surf conditions, hosting the annual O…

Perast

A tiny village on the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro, Perast sits between mountain peaks and open water, with an unusual number of churches and cafés for its size.

Opatija

Historic seaside resort on Croatia's Kvarner Gulf, Opatija sits right on the water with a café and restaurant scene that would suit a town twice its size.

Myrina

A waterfront capital of the Greek island of Lemnos, in the North Aegean, Myrina has a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, a strong concent…

Sainte-Anne-de-la-Perade

Every winter, a temporary village of fishing huts rises on the frozen Sainte-Anne River at this compact Quebec municipality, which calls itself the world cap…

Collingwood

A compact waterfront settlement at the far north-west tip of New Zealand's South Island, Collingwood sits on Golden Bay with Kahurangi National Park and Fare…

Lamezia Terme

This coastal Calabrian town with a walkable centre full of cafés and churches, set between the sea and mountain views, with vineyards in the surrounding coun…

Peníscola

This small Mediterranean coastal town in Castellón, Peníscola sits on a rocky promontory jutting into the sea, giving it strong photographic appeal and sceni…

Çankırı

City in Central Anatolia, northeast of Ankara, Çankırı sits at elevation on a historic trade route across the Anatolian plateau and retains several old build…

Salemi

A medieval hill town in western Sicily's Trapani province, Salemi clusters around a castle whose battlemented tower offers wide views across the landscape to…

Toluca de Lerdo

The highest capital city in Mexico and North America, Toluca de Lerdo sits well above sea level in the State of Mexico, giving it a temperate climate year-ro…

Tyros

This pocket-sized coastal village in the Peloponnese where the Parnon mountains meet the Myrtoan Sea, Tyros is one of the older naval settlements in the regi…

Ascain

A modest Basque town in the French Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Ascain sits on the Nivelle river at the foot of La Rhune — the last peak of the Pyrenees before the…

San Andres Tuxtla

Since the 19th century, San Andrés Tuxtla in southern Veracruz has been the centre of Mexico's fine tobacco and cigar production, a distinction that still sh…

Motril

Coastal town on the Mediterranean shore of Granada province, Motril sits at the southernmost point of the province with the Sierra Nevada visible inland and…

Camaiore

A Tuscan town in the Versilia region whose compact centre holds a concentration of historic churches and a real café and restaurant scene, Camaiore stretches…

Southport

Southport Pier, the second longest seaside pleasure pier in the British Isles, is the centrepiece of this Victorian coastal town in Merseyside, founded in 17…

St. George's

Settled in 1612, St.

Tripoli

Lebanon's second-largest city and its northernmost seaport, Tripoli sits on the eastern Mediterranean with a walkable centre dense with cafés and Mamluk arch…

Coxen Hole

Coxen Hole is the main town and administrative capital of Roatán, Honduras's largest Bay Island, set on an ancient coral reef rising well above sea level in…

Saint-Florent

A former fishing port on the Gulf of Saint-Florent in Haute-Corse, this small Corsican village now fills its harbour with pleasure boats and its waterfront w…

Olinda

Founded in 1535, Olinda is one of Brazil's best-preserved colonial cities, with its historic centre — a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982 — dense with ba…

Langeoog

One of the seven inhabited East Frisian Islands in Germany's Lower Saxon Wadden Sea, Langeoog is a dune island with a long sandy beach, cycle paths, and a na…

Civita

Founded in the 15th century by Albanian refugees fleeing the Ottoman invasion, Civita is a hill village in Calabria's Pollino National Park whose Albanian-or…

Rovies

This compact seaside village on the western coast of Euboea, Greece, Rovies sits directly on the water with mountains close behind, giving it a strong visual…

Husum

Birthplace of the novelist Theodor Storm, who called it "the grey town by the sea," Husum is a walkable North Sea town in Schleswig-Holstein with a café-fill…

Polruan

This modest Cornish village on the water, bounded on three sides by the sea, the River Fowey, and Pont Creek, with a strong photographic profile and more caf…

Trzebiatów

A little town on the Rega River in north-western Poland, Trzebiatów has a well-preserved medieval Old Town — registered as a protected historical monument —…

Honningsvåg

The main gateway village for North Cape — the northernmost point in Europe reachable by car — Honningsvåg sits on the water along the southeastern shore of M…

Combe Martin

This small seaside village on the North Devon coast, Combe Martin sits in a sheltered cove at the northwest edge of Exmoor National Park.

Termoli

This coastal town on the Adriatic in Molise, Termoli holds a medieval walled quarter alongside a lively seafront promenade lined with restaurants.

Salmon Arm

Salmon Arm sits on the shores of Shuswap Lake in British Columbia's Southern Interior, home to the longest wooden freshwater wharf in North America.

Clacton-on-Sea

This seaside town on the Essex coast that developed as a resort from the 1870s, Clacton-on-Sea has a walkable centre with a concentrated food-and-drink scene…

Lacco Ameno

Rebuilt after a devastating 1883 earthquake that destroyed most of its buildings, Lacco Ameno transformed from a fishing village into a thermal-spa resort on…

Karon

This dense mix of resort hotels, pool villas, and local housing spreads across forested hillsides right down to a long stretch of turquoise-water beach, maki…

Cilaos

Mountain town on the French island of Réunion, Cilaos sits inside a volcanic caldera — known locally as the Cirque de Cilaos — high above sea level in the is…

Stokmarknes

Stokmarknes, a small town on the northern coast of Hadseløya island in Norway's Vesterålen archipelago, is the headquarters of the Hurtigruten coastal expres…

Matalascañas

A coastal resort village on Spain's longest beach, Matalascañas sits at the edge of Doñana National Park in Huelva province, with fine golden sand, mobile du…

Port Angeles

A waterfront town on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, Port Angeles sits on the Strait of Juan de Fuca with ferry service to Victoria, British Columbia, and mo…

Itri

Sitting in a valley between the Monti Aurunci and the Gulf of Gaeta, Itri is a tiny agricultural town in Lazio's Latina province with a photogenic medieval c…

Gustavia

This little Caribbean capital on the island of Saint Barthélemy sits directly on the water, with a compact centre of cafés and restaurants and a strong visua…

Marken

Photogenic former island in the Markermeer, Marken is a North Holland village whose wooden houses — many built on stilts or raised earthen mounds — have draw…

Boothbay Harbor

A photogenic coastal village in Lincoln County, Maine, with a waterfront setting and a café and restaurant scene that is unusually rich for its size.

Abersoch

Small sailing village on the south coast of Wales's Llŷn Peninsula, Abersoch sits where the River Soch meets the sea and has grown into one of Britain's more…

Mahone Bay

A small waterfront town on Nova Scotia's South Shore, Mahone Bay is known for its photogenic streetscape of historic churches and sits near a UNESCO World He…

Marinha Grande

Set within a 700-year-old pine forest in Portugal's Leiria District, Marinha Grande sits close to several beaches including Nazaré and São Pedro de Moel, wit…

Mata-Utu

This compact waterfront capital of Wallis and Futuna — a French overseas collectivity in the Pacific — sits on the island of Uvéa with mountains as a backdro…

Ayamonte

Sitting at the mouth of the Guadiana River on the Portuguese border, Ayamonte is a walkable Andalusian town with a café-filled centre, waterfront views, and…

Waihi

Gold-mining history defines this small North Island town at the foot of the Coromandel Peninsula, with a compact centre offering cafés, restaurants, and a co…

Trondheim

Founded in 997 as a trading post, Trondheim served as Norway's capital through the Viking Age and remains the site of Nidaros Cathedral, the country's great…

Rossano

The Codex Purpureus — one of the oldest illuminated Gospel books in the world and a UNESCO Memory of the World document — is held in Rossano's Diocesan Museu…

Xalapa

A mountain capital in central Veracruz state with one of Mexico's densest café and restaurant scenes and the oldest symphony orchestra in the country, Xalapa…

Port of Spain

Busy Caribbean capital spread along a working waterfront, with glass-tower high-rises rising against forested mountain ridges, a walkable centre packed with…

Lussan

This compact village on a rocky outcrop above the garrigue scrubland of the Gard in southern France, Lussan was added to the Les Plus Beaux Villages de Franc…

Amarynthos

This coastal town on Euboea's southern gulf, Amarynthos has a tiny central core with cafés and restaurants along the waterfront, and the surrounding plain st…

Tucepi

A small Dalmatian village on the Makarska Riviera in Croatia, Tučepi has an unusually dense café and restaurant scene for its size, several historic churches…

Gruissan

A little Mediterranean coastal town in the Aude, southeast of Narbonne, Gruissan sits within the Narbonnaise en Méditerranée regional nature park alongside l…

Oliva

This walkable Valencian town with a Mediterranean beach stretching along its eastern edge, Oliva sits in the Safor comarca of Valencia, close to mountains an…

Patti

This small Sicilian town on the western shore of the Gulf of Patti, known for the remains of a Roman villa within its limits and the ruins of the ancient cit…

Caplan

A waterfront municipality on Quebec's Gaspé Peninsula with a strong photographic profile, Caplan sits along Chaleur Bay in the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine…

Villaviciosa

This compact Asturian coastal town where an ornate sandstone town hall with a clock tower anchors a palm-lined square, backed by green hills and a waterfront…

Oranjestad

Aruba's colorful capital spreads across low, arid terrain toward a volcanic peak on the horizon, its walkable waterfront centre packed with vividly painted D…

Diamante

This pocket-sized coastal town on Calabria's Tyrrhenian shore, Diamante lends its name to the Diamante citron, a variety still grown in the region.

Viveiro

This coastal town on Galicia's Cantabrian shore, Viveiro sits at the mouth of the Río Landro where it meets the Ría de Viveiro, with a walkable centre dense…

Aitoliko

Built on a modest island rooted in the middle of the Aitoliko-Messolonghi lagoon, this modest Greek town connects to the mainland on both sides by stone arch…

Enna

Italy's highest provincial capital, Enna sits atop a ridge at the centre of Sicily, earning it the nickname "Belvedere of Sicily" for its sweeping views acro…

Wiscasset

This tiny waterfront village on Maine's Mid Coast, Wiscasset is known for its early architecture, an unusual concentration of historic churches for its size,…

Liepāja

Known throughout Latvia as "the city where the wind is born," Liepāja is a Baltic Sea port city in western Latvia, chosen as European Capital of Culture for…

Inverness

This little waterside village on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, sits within an hour's drive of Cape Breton Highlands National Park to the north and the Can…

Deshaies

A compact coastal town on the northwest shore of Basse-Terre Island in Guadeloupe, Deshaies sits where mountain terrain meets the Caribbean, with a café and…

Le Touquet-Paris-Plage

One of France's most storied seaside resorts, Le Touquet-Paris-Plage sits on the Opal Coast at the mouth of the Canche river in Pas-de-Calais, with a wide be…

Waihi Beach

A long sandy beach at the western edge of the Bay of Plenty anchors this small North Island coastal town, with the undeveloped Orokawa Bay and its native bus…

Pawcatuck

Sitting on the Pawcatuck River across from Westerly, Rhode Island, this pocket-sized Connecticut village has a historic core — the Mechanic Street Historic D…

Talmont-sur-Gironde

Founded in 1284 by Edward I of England, Duke of Aquitaine, this tiny hamlet on a promontory above the Gironde estuary in Charente-Maritime holds the 12th-cen…

Albenga

This heritage-dense coastal town on the Gulf of Genoa, Albenga is known as the city of a hundred spires and holds a well-preserved historic centre within eas…

Limenaria

Waterfront village on the southern end of the Greek island of Thasos, Limenaria has drawn summer visitors since the 1960s.

Sandefjord

Sandefjord, on the Skaggerak coast of southern Norway, is the self-styled whaling capital of the world — home to the only whaling museum in Europe and the si…

Saint-Martin-de-Re

This waterfront village on the Île de Ré, off the Charente-Maritime coast near La Rochelle, Saint-Martin-de-Ré is home to Vauban's 17th-century fortification…

Levuka

Levuka, on the eastern coast of Ovalau island in Fiji, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013 for its exceptional record of late colonial Pacific port t…

Horseshoe Bay

This photogenic bay village on Magnetic Island, Queensland, with direct beach access, mountain views, and a tiny but real café and restaurant scene for its s…

Bidart

A small Basque Atlantic-coast town in southwestern France, Bidart stretches along several kilometres of shoreline where heavily folded cliffs drop down to be…

Kamena Vourla

A little seaside town on the coast of central Greece's Phthiotis region, Kamena Vourla has a café and restaurant scene that outpunches its size, making it a…

Umm al-Quwain

The capital of the Umm al-Quwain emirate sits on the Khor al-Badie peninsula, with mangroves lining the coast and a local economy built largely on fishing an…

Ambleteuse

This compact coastal village on the Opal Coast in northern France's Pas-de-Calais, Ambleteuse sits at the mouth of the Slack river where, on clear days, the…

Gemlik

A waterfront town on the Gulf of Gemlik in Bursa Province, this industrial port traces its origins to the ancient Greek settlement of Cius and is widely know…

Iznájar

White-village pueblo blanco in Córdoba province, Iznájar sits on a large rock above the Embalse de Iznájar — the largest lake in Andalucía — with wide views…

Sumoto

Waterfront town on Awaji Island in Hyōgo Prefecture, Sumoto sits where mountains meet the sea, with scenic viewpoints in the surrounding hills and a compact…

Collesano

The Targa Florio Museum sits in Collesano, a small Sicilian town in the Madonie Park with a long ceramic-making tradition.

Lynton

A pocket-sized village on the Exmoor coast in North Devon, sitting above a steep gorge that separates it from the neighbouring village of Lynmouth below.

Waterford

Founded by Vikings in 914, Waterford is Ireland's oldest city, sitting at the head of Waterford Harbour in the south-east of the country.

Taihape

A small New Zealand North Island town with a handsome early-twentieth-century town hall in pale green and white, serving as a gateway to the upland Rangitike…

Sauðarkrokur

This waterfront town on Skagafjörður in northern Iceland is the largest settlement in Northwest Iceland, with mountains rising nearby and a fjord setting tha…

Skerries

A small coastal town north of Dublin with a real café and restaurant scene for its size, Skerries sits directly on the water in County Fingal.

Tokushima

Tokushima, the capital of Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku island, sits at the water's edge and markets itself as a "water city," with mountains close by.

Sueca

Since 1961, Sueca has hosted the International Valencian Paella Competition, a fitting role for a rice-farming town in eastern Spain whose surrounding fields…

Pizzo

This modest seaport town on Calabria's Costa degli Dei, Pizzo sits on a steep cliff above the Gulf of Saint Euphemia and is locally known for its gelato trad…

Nykobing Mors

This modest Danish island town on the Limfjord, Nykøbing Mors has held a town charter since 1299 and sits at the water's edge on the island of Mors.

Floro

Norway's westernmost town, Florø sits on the island of Florelandet in Vestland, founded by royal decree in 1860.

Cullera

A coastal town in Valencia where the Júcar river meets the Mediterranean, Cullera sits between the sea and a modest inland peak that shapes its natural setting.

Córdoba

Founded in 1618 by thirty Spanish noblemen — earning it the nickname "City of the Thirty Knights" — Córdoba is a colonial city in the highlands of Veracruz,…

Ribeira Quente

A compact coastal village on São Miguel island in the Azores, Ribeira Quente sits where a river meets the Atlantic, with a fishing harbour and a compact beac…

Bandon

Little Oregon coastal town at the mouth of the Coquille River, Bandon draws visitors for its waterfront setting and regularly photographed scenery, with a co…

Kuressaare

This well-established spa and resort town on the southern coast of Saaremaa, Estonia's largest island, Kuressaare has been one of the country's most visited…

Saint-Jean-de-Luz

A little beach resort on the Bay of Biscay in France's Basque Country, Saint-Jean-de-Luz sits at the mouth of the River Nivelle near the Spanish border, with…

Capelas

A coastal village on the northern shore of São Miguel in the Azores, Capelas sits right at the water with scenic viewpoints in the surrounding area and a com…

Skyros

This small island capital in the Aegean sits right on the water, with an unusual density of cafés, restaurants, and churches for a village its size.

Cariati

Cariati, on Calabria's Ionian coast, is a pocket-sized southern Italian town divided between a hilltop historic centre and a marina district along the shore.

St Huberts Island

This small canal estate suburb on the Central Coast of New South Wales, St Huberts Island is connected to the mainland at Daleys Point and sits within walkin…

Figueira da Foz Municipality

Coastal city at the mouth of the Mondego River on Portugal's Atlantic coast, Figueira da Foz has several beaches, a walkable centre with a dense food-and-dri…

Orihuela

Orihuela's historic centre, declared a protected monumental ensemble, holds an exceptional concentration of churches alongside a walkable café and restaurant…

Şile

A Black Sea resort town on Istanbul's Anatolian side, Şile draws summer crowds from the city for its coastal access and compact centre with cafés and restaur…

Morfa Nefyn

This sandy beach village on the northern shore of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales, Morfa Nefyn sits on Porth Dinllaen bay and draws visitors to its golf…

Elne

Once the first capital of the historical province of Roussillon before Perpignan took that role, Elne is a small town in southern France's Pyrénées-Orientale…

Whitianga

A seaside town on Mercury Bay, on the east coast of New Zealand's Coromandel Peninsula, Whitianga sits on Buffalo Beach and has a café and restaurant scene t…

Amami

This waterfront city on Amami Ōshima island in Kagoshima Prefecture serves as the island's main port and economic hub, with a walkable centre well supplied w…

Leucate

A small Mediterranean coastal town in the Aude, Leucate sits between the sea and the Étang de Leucate lagoon, with a café and restaurant scene that punches a…

Herrliberg

This tiny Swiss town on the right bank of Lake Zurich, in the stretch known as the Goldküste (Gold Coast), Herrliberg sits in the canton's wine country with…

Montignoso

A tiny Tuscan town positioned between the Apuan Riviera and the Versilia coast, Montignoso sits where the mountains of Massa-Carrara meet the sea, with Forte…

Port-Lesney

A small village on the banks of the Loue river in the Jura, Port-Lesney draws visitors with a five-star château hotel, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and a r…

Pljevlja

Mountain town in northern Montenegro, Pljevlja sits along the Ćehotina river with a walkable centre of cafés and restaurants.

Whangamata

A pocket-sized beach town on the southeast coast of the Coromandel Peninsula with two ocean beaches safe for swimming and surfing, a harbour, and a café and…

La Condamine

La Condamine is Monaco's commercial ward, running along Port Hercules between the old rock of Monaco-Ville to the west and Monte-Carlo to the east.

Al Hoceima

Sandy Mediterranean beaches — among them Cala Iris, Bades, Quemado, and Tala Youssef — meet the high peaks of the Rif Mountains at this Moroccan coastal city…

Te Kuiti

A small town in New Zealand's King Country region that bills itself as the sheep shearing capital of the world, hosting the annual New Zealand National Shear…

Norris Point

This pocket-sized waterfront village on Bonne Bay in western Newfoundland, Norris Point sits at the edge of Gros Morne National Park amid mountain terrain.

Victoria

Victoria, the capital of Seychelles, sits on the north-eastern coast of Mahé, the archipelago's main island, with mountain terrain rising sharply behind the…

Knysna

A Garden Route town on the Western Cape coast built around a lagoon protected from the Indian Ocean by dramatic sandstone cliffs known as the Heads, Knysna h…

Milan

This tiny waterside municipality in Quebec's Estrie region, Milan sits in sight of mountains in the Le Granit area.

Tréguier

Small port town on the Breton coast in Côtes-d'Armor, Tréguier has a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, with waterfront access and a hist…

Saint Vlas

A compact Black Sea resort town on Bulgaria's southern coast, Saint Vlas has a café and restaurant scene that punches well above its size, with scenic viewpo…

Santo Antao

This pocket-sized civil parish on the eastern tip of São Jorge island in the Azores stretches from the northern to the southern coast, with shoreline on both…

Cerbère

Pocket-sized French village where the Pyrenees meet the Mediterranean, Cerbère sits at the southernmost seaside point of mainland France and serves as a key…

Rincón de la Victoria

This Costa del Sol town on the Mediterranean coast east of Málaga, Rincón de la Victoria is known for its sea caves and beaches, with a food-and-drink scene…

Raslina

A small Croatian village on the clear turquoise waters of a sheltered bay, Raslina offers a compact waterfront with moored boats, a pine-fringed beach, and w…

Llangefni

The county town of Anglesey in Wales, Llangefni sits on the River Cefni — from which its Welsh name derives — and has served as the island's main market and…

Stafa

A modest town on the right shore of Lake Zurich, in the canton of Zürich, Stäfa sits along the stretch known as the Gold Coast, with vineyard country rising…

Sønderborg

Sønderborg is a walkable Danish town on the island of Als, near the Danish-German border, with a centre full of cafés and restaurants and water close at hand.

Estoril

This Portuguese Riviera town on the Atlantic coast is home to Casino Estoril, one of Europe's largest casinos, and has long attracted royalty, celebrities, a…

Mamoiada

Mamoiada, a small village in Sardinia's mountainous Barbagia region, is known across the island for its traditional carnival, in which participants wear the…

Mariveles

A colorful low-rise town in Bataan spreads across lush tropical hillsides down to a working waterfront bay, with green mountains rising on all sides and a hi…

Karatsu

This coastal city in Saga Prefecture on Kyushu, Karatsu sits on Genkai-nada bay with scenic viewpoints across the surrounding area and UNESCO World Heritage…

Lanciano

Lanciano, a town in Abruzzo's province of Chieti, is known as the site of the first recorded Catholic Eucharistic Miracle, drawing pilgrims to its historic c…

Covadonga

The site of the 722 Battle of Covadonga — the first Christian victory over Arab forces in the Iberian Peninsula and the traditional starting point of the Rec…

Port Noarlunga

A small seaside suburb south of Adelaide on Gulf St Vincent, Port Noarlunga has a café and restaurant scene that outpunches its size, a jetty connecting to a…

Castelmola

Tiny hilltop village above Taormina on Sicily's east coast, Castelmola occupies the site of ancient Taormina's acropolis and is listed among Italy's most bea…

Ratzeburg

Surrounded by four lakes and connected to the mainland only by three causeways, Ratzeburg is a small island-town in Schleswig-Holstein whose old town sits en…

Haugesund

This coastal town on the Karmsundet strait in southwest Norway, Haugesund has a compact centre with a concentration of cafés and restaurants within walking d…

Guarapari

A coastal city in Espírito Santo, Brazil, Guarapari draws visitors to beaches whose sand carries an unusually high level of natural radioactivity, a quality…

Sessa Aurunca

This town in Campania's Caserta province built on volcanic tuff from the extinct Roccamonfina volcano, Sessa Aurunca occupies the site of ancient Suessa Auru…

Vrsar

This pocket-sized seaside village on Istria's western coast, Vrsar has a café and restaurant scene that outpunches its size, a historic hilltop centre with t…

Hualien City

The main gateway city for Taroko Gorge on Taiwan's Pacific coast, Hualien is known locally as the "marble city" for its streets, pavements, and road dividers…

Kyrenia

This harbour town on the north coast of Cyprus with a walkable centre dense with restaurants and cafés clustered around the waterfront.

Urrugne

This tiny Basque Country town on France's Atlantic coast, Urrugne pairs a handsome half-timbered town hall with flower-box balconies, a compact café scene, a…

Hanmer Springs

Hot-springs village in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island, Hanmer Springs sits at the base of Conical Hill with mountain terrain on all side…

Kemer

This Mediterranean resort town on the Turkish Riviera where the western Taurus Mountains meet a long stretch of coastline, Kemer sits a short drive southwest…

Massa

Once the capital of the Duchy of Massa and Carrara during its medieval peak, this Tuscan town sits between the Apuan Alps and the Tyrrhenian Sea, with a heri…

Qir Moav

Jordanian hilltop town dominated by a vast crusader-era stone fortress whose walls stretch across an arid ridge, with the surrounding valleys and proximity t…

Olafsvik

Little fishing village on the north coast of Iceland's Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Ólafsvík sits where mountains meet the water and offers a handful of cafés and…

Neapoli

This compact coastal town at the southern tip of the Malea peninsula in Laconia, Neapoli has a lively café and restaurant scene and a striking number of chur…

Thames

Sitting at the foot of the Coromandel ranges on the Firth of Thames, this tiny New Zealand town offers mountain terrain, waterfront access, and a café and re…

Peschici

This small coastal town on the Gargano promontory in Puglia, Peschici sits within the Gargano National Park and has built a reputation as a seaside resort si…

Vila Praia de Âncora

This pocket-sized coastal town in Alto Minho, Portugal, with a café and restaurant scene that punches well above its size, set directly on the water with mou…

Tokoroa

This compact Waikato town in New Zealand's North Island has a central core with cafés and restaurants and an unusually high concentration of historic churche…

Castroreale

This compact Sicilian village holds an extraordinary number of churches — over 80 — for a settlement of its size, alongside houses dating to the 13th century…

Falkenberg

A coastal town in Halland on Sweden's west coast, Falkenberg sits at the mouth of the river Ätran where it meets the Kattegat, with a compact centre of cafés…

Zadar

Croatia's oldest continuously inhabited city, Zadar sits on the Adriatic coast in northern Dalmatia with a walkable old town dense with historic churches, ca…

Procida

This little island off the Naples coast, between Cape Miseno and Ischia, has a café and restaurant scene, a concentration of historic churches, and vineyards…

Lepe

Founded by Phoenicians on the Río Piedras and later settled by Romans and Arabs, Lepe is an Andalusian town near the Portuguese border with a compact centre…

Loupian

This rural coastal village in the Hérault département of southern France, Loupian sits on the edge of the Étang de Thau lagoon, within three overlapping Natu…

Quinta Grande

Cabo Girão, considered the highest promontory in Europe at 580 metres, sits above this modest Atlantic-facing parish in Madeira's Câmara de Lobos municipalit…

Benavites

A narrow whitewashed street leads toward a striking brick tower in this tiny Valencian village, where historic architecture holds a surprising number of opti…

Christchurch

Smugglers worked the rivers Avon and Stour through much of the 18th and 19th centuries in this Dorset coast town, founded in the 7th century at the confluenc…

Punta Gorda

Waterfront town on Florida's southwest coast, Punta Gorda has a walkable centre with a real café and restaurant scene along the harbour.

Beykoz

A district of Istanbul along the northern Bosphorus on the Anatolian side, Beykoz has a walkable centre with a concentration of cafés, restaurants, and histo…

Ladysmith

A small harbour town on the east coast of Vancouver Island, Ladysmith sits right on the water at the 49th parallel, with a café and restaurant scene that pun…

Jiufen

This hillside town in New Taipei City's Ruifang District, Jiufen rose to prominence through gold mining before falling quiet — then found new life after the…

Seferihisar district

This coastal district on the Aegean Sea southwest of İzmir, Seferihisar is known for its tangerine and satsuma orchards, the seaside resort neighborhood of S…

Gudhjem

This tiny fishing port on the northern coast of Bornholm whose name translates as "God's Home," Gudhjem is known for its steep streets running down toward th…

Kurunegala

Six large rocks encircle Kurunegala, each named for the animal its shape suggests — the largest, Ethagala or Elephant Rock, rising dramatically above the sur…

Bicheno

A tiny fishing port and beach resort on Tasmania's east coast, Bicheno has a disproportionate number of cafés and restaurants for its size, scenic viewpoints…

Raymond

A small waterfront city in Pacific County, Washington, with a modest café and restaurant scene and several historic churches for a place its size.

La Vall d'Uixó

A compact Spanish town spread across a valley between scrubby hills, La Vall d'Uixó offers a walkable centre with cafés, historic churches, and easy access t…

Çeşme

A beach resort town on Turkey's Aegean coast, Çeşme sits at the western tip of its own peninsula, just a short distance from the Greek island of Chios.

San Francisco de Campeche

San Francisco de Campeche, on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico, is one of the few cities in North America with most of its historic colonial walls still intac…

Chester

This small Nova Scotia sailing village wrapped around a deep blue harbour dotted with moored boats, where wooded shorelines, waterfront docks, and a compact…

Orhangazi

A town in Bursa Province sitting on the western shore of Lake Iznik, with the Sea of Marmara close to the north and mountain ranges on both sides.

Vrbnik

A medieval walled village on the island of Krk, Croatia, set on a limestone outcrop above the Adriatic and known for its local white wine, Vrbnička žlahtina.

Miedzyzdroje

A Baltic seaside resort on Wolin Island in northwestern Poland, Międzyzdroje sits between wide sandy beaches backed by high cliffs and the forests of Wolińsk…

Orizaba

This Pueblo Mágico city in Veracruz, Orizaba sits along rivers and parks in the highland mountains between Mexico City and the port of Veracruz, with a walka…

Seyðisfjörður

A small fjord-side village in East Iceland known for its arts scene — anchored by the LungA Art Festival and LungA School — and as Iceland's only ferry port…

Frontignan

Frontignan, a coastal town in the Hérault department of southern France, is the home of Muscat de Frontignan, an AOC sweet wine made solely from the Muscat g…

Marigot

Marigot is the capital of the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, a small waterfront town in mountain terrain with a café and restaurant scene that punches…

La Merced

A modest commercial hub on the western bank of the Chanchamayo River in Peru's Junín Region, La Merced sits at the edge of the central jungle, with waterfall…

Patos de Minas

Mid-sized Brazilian city in Minas Gerais state, Patos de Minas presents a lively urban centre with a white-spired church anchoring a palm-lined square, surro…

Yelapatapa

This small Mexican beach village where colorful houses and palm trees spill down a forested hillside to a calm blue bay, with boats along the shore and a han…

Santa Severina

This hilltop village in Calabria's Crotone province, Santa Severina rises on a steep rocky outcrop with wide views stretching from the Neto river valley to t…

Bartoszyce

This town on the Łyna River in northern Poland, Bartoszyce has a compact centre with a concentration of historic churches, cafés, and restaurants.

Mamoudzou

The capital of Mayotte, a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean, Mamoudzou sits on the main island of Grande-Terre with a walkable centre full of ca…

Red Bluff

This compact California city on the upper Sacramento River, Red Bluff served as the last steamboat stop — the so-called Head of Navigation — during the Gold…

Corycus

Corycus, an ancient city in Cilicia Trachaea on the southern Anatolian coast, now lies beneath the modern town of Kızkalesi in Mersin Province.

Tertenia

This modest Sardinian town in the Ogliastra province sits where a highland valley meets the eastern coast, with mountain views inland and water access close by.

Izunokuni

A Japanese town on the northern Izu Peninsula where forested hills rise directly from a broad residential valley, offering elevated viewpoints across layered…

Eu

Small Normandy town where a grand French château with formal clipped gardens and slate mansard roofs anchors a compact riverside centre close to the Channel…

San Marco d'Alunzio

A small Sicilian hill village on the north coast of Sicily, San Marco d'Alunzio holds a striking number of churches for its size and is listed among I Borghi…

Amfilochia

This modest town on the Ambracian Gulf in northwestern Greece, Amfilochia sits on the site of ancient Amfilochia and retains traces of two ancient cities — A…

Jolly Harbour

A small Caribbean marina village on Antigua's west coast, where turquoise bays and white-sand beaches wrap around a compact waterfront of boats, restaurants,…

Norðurþing

Húsavík, on the shores of Skjálfandi Bay in northeast Iceland, is regarded as the whale watching capital of Iceland, with whales sighted on the vast majority…

Sukumo

This compact Japanese port town where forested ridgelines meet a deeply indented bay, with small islands dotting the inlet and the town's low-rise streets ru…

Vestmanna

Boat excursions to the sea cliffs of Vestmannabjørgini are the main draw of this small village on the west coast of Streymoy, the largest of the Faroe Islands.

Orşova

Modest Danube port town in southwestern Romania's Mehedinți County, where the Cerna River meets the river at the edge of the Iron Gates gorge, with vineyards…

Mers-les-Bains

A small seaside resort on the Somme coast, Mers-les-Bains is known for its Belle Époque seafront villas — a listed quarter that earned the town second place…

Roseau

Roseau, the capital of Dominica, sits on the island's west coast between the Caribbean Sea and the mountains, with a compact centre that mixes colonial Frenc…

Maasin

The capital of Southern Leyte province in the Philippines, Maasin sits on the water at the southern tip of Leyte island, with a compact centre holding a conc…

Tevaitoa

A tiny waterfront village on Raiatea in French Polynesia, Tevaitoa sits at the edge of vivid turquoise lagoon waters, backed by densely forested volcanic rid…

Pietraserena

A tiny Corsican hamlet of weathered stone houses and a square church tower, where a quiet road winds through an upland village that feels genuinely rooted in…

Shawnigan Lake

A small lakeside town on Vancouver Island, where dense Pacific Northwest forest surrounds a little pond and Tudor-style buildings, with forested hills rollin…

Amasra

A Black Sea port town in Turkey's Bartın Province, Amasra sits on a headland flanked by two sheltered harbours and two small islands, with beaches and forest…

Hellevoetsluis

A waterfront town in South Holland, Hellevoetsluis sits on the Haringvliet with sea, beach, and dunes close by, and a walkable centre with cafés and restaura…

Wakayama

This Japanese castle complex with dark-tiled rooftops and autumn foliage commands elevated views over this coastal Kansai city, where a broad bay and arched…

San-Martino-di-Lota

A stone-built Corsican village spread across terraced hillsides above dense maquis, with a prominent church tower, sweeping mountain backdrops, and coastal p…

Serra de Agua

Highland parish in Madeira's interior, Serra de Água sits at elevation along the road connecting the island's north and south coasts, with scenic viewpoints,…

Centralia

Compact Pacific Northwest town midway between Seattle and Portland, Centralia's tree-lined main street mixes late-19th-century brick storefronts with antique…

Bergama

Bergama, a town in the Northern Aegean region of Türkiye, is best known as the site of Pergamon, a World Heritage-listed ancient city that served as a major…

Rabaul

A low-rise town spread around a sweeping volcanic harbour in Papua New Guinea, where cone-shaped volcanoes rise directly from the water's edge and ships dot…

Skopelos

This little port town serves as the capital of Skopelos island in the Sporades, with an unusual density of cafés, restaurants, and churches for a settlement…

Necochea

An Atlantic beach town in Buenos Aires Province, Necochea has drawn summer visitors to its broad sandy beaches since the late 19th century, when the Díaz Vél…

Pago Pago

Pago Pago sits at one of the deepest and most sheltered natural harbors in the South Pacific, a geography that made it strategically valuable enough to shape…

São Filipe

This modest Cape Verdean town of sun-faded colonial facades and cobbled streets dropping toward the Atlantic, São Filipe rewards visitors with historic churc…

Blonduos

A small village on Iceland's Ring Road where the glacial river Blanda meets the sea, Blönduós sits in a natural hollow between steep riverbanks.

Santo Antonio

This parish on the northwestern edge of Funchal extends from the city into the mountainous interior of Madeira, reaching as far as Pico do Areeiro, one of th…

Norheimsund

Steinsdalsfossen, one of Norway's most-visited natural attractions, sits just outside this modest Hardangerfjord town in Vestland, where the waterfall leads…

Ilhéus

Founded in 1534 on the southern Bahia coast, Ilhéus is the hometown of Jorge Amado — author of Gabriela, Cravo e Canela and Terras do Sem Fim — and the setti…

Santa Maria Maior

A parish of Funchal on the island of Madeira, Santa Maria Maior offers lush tropical vegetation, red-tile rooftops cascading toward the Atlantic, and elevate…

Stamsund

A fishing village on the southern shore of Vestvågøya in Norway's Lofoten archipelago, Stamsund sits where mountain terrain meets the Vestfjorden.

Covarrubias

Known as "the cradle of Castile," this compact village on the Arlanza river in Burgos province was made a capital of the region by the 10th-century Count Fer…

Rosais

This little village on the western tip of São Jorge island in the Azores, Rosais sits above dramatic coastal cliffs, with the ruined Rosais Lighthouse at Pon…

Cabourg

Marcel Proust's favoured retreat on the Normandy coast, Cabourg is a Belle Époque seaside town on the Côte Fleurie where the river Dives meets the English Ch…

Youghal

A designated Irish Heritage Port on the estuary of the River Blackwater in East Cork, Youghal is a historic walled seaside town with medieval and early moder…

Ston

Compact stone village on Croatia's Pelješac peninsula, Ston pairs red-tile rooftops and a historic church with working salt pans stretching to a calm inlet,…

Choeng Thale

This Phuket town fronting calm water, where multi-storey buildings with dark gabled roofs and white balconies line the shoreline among palms, backed by a liv…

Trinidad

This tiny California coastal hamlet sits directly on the Pacific, with ten public beaches, offshore rocks protected as part of the California Coastal Nationa…

Bexhill-on-Sea

A seaside town on the East Sussex coast, Bexhill-on-Sea sits between Hastings and Eastbourne with a walkable centre full of cafés and a heritage-dense street…

Fort-de-France

Fort-de-France, the capital of Martinique on the Caribbean coast, centres on the Bay of Fort-de-France — one of the largest natural bays in the Lesser Antill…

Atuona

Paul Gauguin spent his final years in this pocket-sized village on the southern shore of Hiva Oa, French Polynesia, and is buried in Calvary Cemetery alongsi…

Mithymna

This waterfront village on the northwest coast of Lesbos, Mithymna — still widely known by its older name Molyvos — sits beneath a medieval fortress that ris…

Arco de Sao Jorge

Small wine-growing hamlet on Madeira's north coast, Arco de São Jorge sits between the Atlantic Ocean and the mountains to the south.

Tybee Island

A barrier island off Georgia's Atlantic coast, Tybee Island is a long-established beach getaway for Savannah residents that has grown into a broader vacation…

Koroni

This little Peloponnese town on the Gulf of Messinia, Koroni is known for its Venetian castle rising above the waterfront, the olive oil variety Koroneiki, a…

Ruakaka

A modest beachside village on Bream Bay in Northland, Ruakākā sits a short drive south of Whangārei on New Zealand's North Island.

Luri

This compact Corsican village on the Cap Corse peninsula holds an unusual number of churches for its size, with the mountains close behind and the sea at its…

Sigri

This pocket-sized fishing village at the western tip of Lesbos with a natural harbour sheltered by the islet of Nissiopi, Sigri sits right on the water and h…

Kavarna

Black Sea resort town on Bulgaria's northeastern coast, Kavarna has a beach, a modest yacht harbour, and a central core with cafés and restaurants.

Volda

A modest Norwegian town on the northeastern shore of the Voldsfjorden, with mountain terrain rising around it and scenic viewpoints in the surrounds.

Polichnitos

Pocket-sized village on the central south coast of Lesbos, facing the Bay of Kalloni, Polichnitos has a handful of cafés and restaurants and several historic…

Venzolasca

A hilltop Corsican village of grey-stone houses crowned by a tall church tower, with open sea views stretching to a distant island silhouette and nearby vine…

Nanaimo

Nanaimo sits right on the harbour along British Columbia's Vancouver Island, with a walkable centre dense with cafés, restaurants, and heritage buildings, an…

Leer

This waterfront town on the rivers Ems and Leda in East Frisia, northwestern Germany, Leer has a well-preserved old town that locals call the most historical…

Zunil

This highland town in Guatemala's Quetzaltenango department, Zunil sits on the bank of the Salamá River and is known for its volcanic thermal baths, includin…

Santillana

A modest historic town in Cantabria known by the old saying that it is "the town of three lies" — neither a saint, nor flat, nor by the sea, despite what its…

Holbaek

A waterfront town on Holbæk Fjord in northwestern Zealand, with a walkable centre full of cafés and restaurants and a working harbour that includes a marina…

The Dalles

A compact inland port town on the Columbia River in Oregon, The Dalles sits within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, with cafés and restaurants…

Yawatahama

A port town on the western tip of Ehime Prefecture in Shikoku, Yawatahama has long been a trading hub — once nicknamed "the Osaka of Iyo" for its sea commerc…

Belize City

A low-rise Caribbean city where colourful buildings and red-tile roofs spread to the waterfront, with a walkable centre full of cafés, restaurants, and histo…

Hydra

A densely built Greek island village where whitewashed and terracotta-roofed houses climb a steep hillside above the water, with a lively café and restaurant…

Otranto

Italy's easternmost town, Otranto sits on the Adriatic coast of the Salento peninsula in Apulia, with a café and restaurant scene that holds a surprising num…

Achadas da Cruz

Modest Atlantic-facing parish on the north-western coast of Madeira, Achadas da Cruz sits where the ocean meets the mountains that rise to the southeast.

Juan Griego

Port town on the northern tip of Margarita Island, Juan Griego draws visitors to its bay, where the sunset is a well-known draw, and to the colonial-era Fort…

Acireale

Heritage-dense coastal town at the foot of Mount Etna, Acireale is thick with historic churches — among them the Sicilian Baroque St.

Candeleda

A small town on the southern slopes of the Gredos mountains in Ávila province, Candeleda sits close to the Tiétar valley and benefits from a mild Mediterrane…

Bagnols-sur-Cèze

Wine-country town in the Gard department of southern France, set on the Cèze river with a walkable centre full of cafés and restaurants.

Castanheira de Pera

This tiny Portuguese town in the Beira Litoral hills, where sailboats dot a calm riverside marina, palm-lined waterfront promenades back onto forested slopes…

Nea Selefkia

This small coastal village just outside Igoumenitsa in the Thesprotia region of northwestern Greece, Nea Selefkia sits right on the water and has a handful o…

Castelnou

A compact village in the Aspres region of Pyrénées-Orientales, Castelnou sits among vineyards and Mediterranean terrain between the Têt and Tech river valleys.

Baltrum

The smallest of the inhabited East Frisian Islands, this tiny North Sea barrier island off the coast of Lower Saxony offers dune landscapes, beaches, and sce…

Dili

Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste on the north coast of the island of Timor, has a walkable centre with a real café and restaurant scene and a concentration o…

Waikanae

A beach town on New Zealand's Kāpiti Coast, Waikanae sits beside a long stretch of sand, the Waikanae River estuary, and within reach of Kapiti Island and it…

Balanga

Balanga, the provincial capital of Bataan in the Philippines, has a compact centre with a concentration of historic churches and a growing café and restauran…

Mytilene

A port town on the southeast coast of Lesbos with a walkable centre dense with cafés, restaurants, and historic churches, Mytilene has served as the island's…

Tres Arroyos Partido

This Buenos Aires province partido with roughly 100 km of Atlantic Ocean beach frontage, taking in the coastal resorts of Claromecó, Reta, and Orense along t…

Nakskov

Lolland's largest town sits at the inner end of Nakskov Fjord, a wildlife reserve known for its bird life, with a little central core of cafés and restaurant…

Philipsburg

This broad arc of white sand meets vivid turquoise water in this compact Caribbean capital, where colorful low-rise buildings back the beach and green hills…

Le Grau-du-Roi

The only commune in the Gard department with a Mediterranean coastline, Le Grau-du-Roi is a small southern French town with a real café and restaurant scene,…

Bukha'

Traditional wooden dhow carries visitors across turquoise water toward a tiny stone-and-whitewash village wedged between the Arabian Gulf and dramatic bare r…

Bagheria

Known since the 17th century as "the city of villas," Bagheria is a Sicilian town east of Palermo where the nobility built their Baroque and Rococo holiday e…

Corbère

A rural village in the Aspres region of Pyrénées-Orientales, southern France, set between the Têt and Tech river valleys in Mediterranean mountain terrain, w…

Karamürsel district

Sitting on the south shore of the Gulf of İzmit with ferry connections to İzmit and Hereke across the water, Karamürsel takes its name from the founder of th…

Chieti

This ancient Abruzzo town sits between the Pescara and Alento rivers, within sight of the Gran Sasso and Majella mountains and a short distance from the Adri…

Puerto Chacabuco

Puerto Chacabuco sits at the head of Aisén Fjord in Chilean Patagonia, serving as the main port of the Aysén Region and a departure point for vessels heading…

Spakenburg

This traditional fishing village on the Eemmeer in the Dutch province of Utrecht, Spakenburg has retained its working waterfront character even as its fleet…

Marmelete

A compact Algarve village of whitewashed houses with terracotta rooftops set among orchards and scrubland, backed by forested hills, offering a quiet rural c…

Assos

Stone-built waterfront buildings line a small, boat-filled harbour beneath a dramatic rocky hillside in this compact Aegean village, where waterside restaura…

Anapa

This Black Sea resort town in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, Anapa has functioned as a health and climate spa destination and ranks among the country's largest chi…

Munising

Sitting on the southern shore of Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Munising is the western gateway to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, with scen…

Cuglieri

Small Sardinian hill village in the Montiferru region with an unusual concentration of churches for its size, Cuglieri sits amphitheatre-style on the Bardosu…

Šibenik

Two UNESCO World Heritage sites anchor Šibenik's historic centre on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia: the Cathedral of St.

Yuquot

Yuquot — also called Friendly Cove — on Nootka Island off British Columbia's west coast was the first place in British Columbia visited by Europeans, when Ja…

Fermo

A hill town in the Marche region of central Italy, Fermo sits on the Sabulo ridge a short distance from the Adriatic coast, with mountain views in the other…

Tuzla

A waterfront district on Istanbul's Asian side, Tuzla sits on a headland along the Sea of Marmara at the city's eastern edge, with a café and restaurant scen…

Hadsund

A little Danish town on the narrow strait where Mariager Fjord narrows, Hadsund grew up around a historic ferry crossing first recorded in 1736.

Fasano

A walkable Apulian town with a café-filled centre and a notable concentration of historic churches, Fasano sits at the boundary between the Salento and the T…

San Patricio

A coastal tiny town on Jalisco's Pacific shore, San Patricio — commonly known as Melaque — sits on Bahía de Navidad between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, f…

Toledo

A pocket-sized Oregon town on the Yaquina River with a walkable central core of cafés and restaurants, Toledo sits a short drive from the beaches of the Cent…

Krk

This pocket-sized Croatian island town on the Adriatic has an unusually dense concentration of historic churches and cafés for its size, with scenic viewpoin…

Tokat

This city in Turkey's mid-Black Sea region set at the confluence of the Tokat River and the Yeşilırmak, with hills rising on all sides above a broad fertile…

General Trias

A growing Philippine city in Cavite province where an aged coral-stone church with a decorative bell tower and religious statuary stands as a striking center…

Caulonia

A compact Calabrian village in the Stilaro Valley with several historic churches for its size, coastal access, and views toward the mountains.

Pukekohe

South Auckland town with a café and restaurant scene that punches above its weight, Pukekohe sits at the southern edge of the Auckland Region between the Man…

Nobeoka

A coastal city in northern Miyazaki Prefecture, Nobeoka sits where rivers meet the sea with mountain terrain close by.

Peregian Beach

This modest coastal town on Queensland's Sunshine Coast sits directly beside the beach, with hinterland hills rising to the west.

Buscemi

This compact hilltop village in Sicily's Siracusa province, Buscemi rises above scrubby Mediterranean slopes with a skyline of aged stone buildings and sever…

Mauguio

This Mediterranean-climate town in the Hérault with a compact centre of cafés and restaurants, Mauguio sits in the heart of Languedoc wine country and extend…

Port Fairy

This pocket-sized waterfront town in south-western Victoria where the Moyne River meets the Southern Ocean, Port Fairy sits on the Princes Highway between Wa…

Reit im Winkl

This Bavarian village on the German-Austrian border known for reliable snowfall and a ski resort that earned Germany's first-ever Premium Winter Trails Certi…

Termini Imerese

This Sicilian coastal town on the Gulf of Termini Imerese, with a compact historic centre dense with churches, Roman ruins, and thermal baths fed by volcanic…

Djupivogur

A little settlement on a peninsula in eastern Iceland, between two fjords, with the pyramid-shaped peak of Búlandstindur as its most prominent landmark.

Occhiatana

A compact stone-built Corsican hamlet in the Balagne hills, its orange-roofed houses and tall church tower rising above flowering olive trees, with upland wa…

Ozieri

Ozieri, in Sardinia's Logudoro region, is the centre of the earliest known archaeological culture on the island — the Ozieri culture — giving it a deep prehi…

Dzaoudzi

Dzaoudzi sits on the small island of Petite-Terre in the French overseas department of Mayotte, in the Indian Ocean, and served as Mayotte's capital until 1977.

Calatañazor

Tiny fortified hilltop settlement in Soria, Castile and León, Calatañazor takes its name from the Arabic for "Castle of Vultures" and was the site of the 100…

Pietrasanta

This walkable coastal town in northern Tuscany's Versilia district, Pietrasanta sits at the foot of the Apuan Alps with a centre full of cafés, restaurants,…

Burhaniye

This Aegean coastal town in Balıkesir Province known for its olive oil production, Burhaniye sits on the Gulf of Edremit with a port, a compact café and rest…

Criccieth

A tiny seaside town on the south coast of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales, Criccieth is dominated by the ruins of Criccieth Castle, which look out over…

Bortigiadas

This compact hillside village of terracotta-roofed houses rising through dense Mediterranean scrub in Sardinia's Gallura uplands, Bortigiadas rewards slow tr…

Trakai

Trakai's Island Castle, a 14th-century fortress built when this pocket-sized Lithuanian town served as the medieval capital of Lithuania, rises from Lake Gal…

Numazu

Coastal city in Shizuoka Prefecture where a working harbour and bay views sit directly beneath the snow-capped volcanic peak visible on the horizon, with a w…

Mont-de-Marsan

Founded in the Middle Ages at the confluence of three rivers on the Vézelay route of the Camino de Santiago, Mont-de-Marsan is the prefecture of the Landes d…

Aqaba

Jordan's only coastal city sits on the Red Sea at the country's southern tip, known for diving along its Red Sea reefs and a walkable centre with a dense caf…

Borgarnes

A modest Icelandic town on a peninsula at the edge of Borgarfjörður, Borgarnes serves as a gateway to Snaefellsnes National Park and a stopping point on the…

Yampupata

This compact Bolivian village on the northern tip of the Yampupata Peninsula, sitting on the shore of Lake Titicaca at high elevation and just over a kilomet…

Hemnesberget

Tiny village on the Hemnes peninsula along the southern shore of the Ranfjorden in Nordland, Norway, with a working modest-boat harbour and walking access to…

Xylokastro

Modest seaside town on the Gulf of Corinth in the Peloponnese, Xylokastro draws weekend visitors from Athens with a long white-pebbled beach, a marina, and a…

Eidi

A compact Faroese village spread across steep tawny hillsides above a fjord, with a vivid green football pitch at its heart and dramatic flat-topped mountain…

Dalvik

A tiny fishing village on Eyjafjörður fjord in northern Iceland, Dalvík sits at the mouth of the Svarfaðardalur valley with mountains close behind.

Valdivia

Founded in 1552 by the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia at the confluence of several rivers in southern Chile, this riverside city built one of the mos…

Espiye

This Black Sea town in Giresun Province sits directly on the coast, with district boundaries that stretch from the shoreline up into mountains and highland p…

Akranes

This little port town on Iceland's west coast, Akranes sits on a peninsula between Hvalfjörður and Leirárvogur, with the mountain Akrafjall rising at its cen…

l'Ametlla de Mar

A fishing port on the Catalan coast with a café and restaurant scene that would suit a town twice its size, l'Ametlla de Mar — also known as La Cala — sits i…

Hirvensalmi

This lake-laced municipality in Finland's South Savo region, Hirvensalmi is largely defined by water — roughly a third of its area is lakes and waterways, wi…

Rønne

The largest town on the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea, Rønne has a waterfront position, cobbled streets, half-timbered houses, and a café and r…

Caraguatatuba

A beach city on São Paulo state's north shore, Caraguatatuba — widely known as Caraguá — sits where Atlantic forest-covered mountains meet a coastline of bea…

Nadi

Low-rise Pacific town set along a river with a compact commercial centre, backed by broad green valleys and a dramatic mountain range, serving as a practical…

Aabenraa

A fjord-side town in Southern Denmark with a walkable centre and a working harbour that ranks among the country's deepest, Aabenraa sits at the head of Aaben…

Usulután

A whitewashed colonial church and a colonnaded municipal building frame a tree-filled central plaza in this Salvadoran departmental capital, set between the…

Beppu

Beppu, on the eastern coast of Kyushu's Ōita Prefecture, is one of Japan's three great hot spring cities, known above all for the Hells of Beppu — a collecti…

Leipsoi

Compact Greek island in the northern Dodecanese, Leipsoi sits between Patmos and Leros and is well connected by ferry from Piraeus.

Gouyave

Colorful Caribbean town on Grenada's west coast, Gouyave spreads down forested hillsides to a dark-sand beach and tiny fishing pier, with turquoise water and…

Towednack

This small churchtown and civil parish in Cornwall, close to St Ives and the Atlantic coast, sitting within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty —…

Evdilos

This tiny port village on the northern coast of Ikaria in the North Aegean, Evdilos was once the island's first capital and today serves as its second port.

Montesano

This grand Beaux-Arts courthouse with a clock-topped dome anchors this tiny Washington county seat, where wooded hills, waterside setting, and a compact down…

La Floresta

The oldest resort on Uruguay's Costa de Oro, La Floresta dates to 1909 and sits on the Canelones Department's Atlantic coast.

Kymi

This small coastal town on the island of Euboea, built on a hill above its port village of Kymi Beach, has an unusual concentration of churches for its size…

Novi Vinodolski

Adriatic coast town in Croatia with a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, Novi Vinodolski sits where the Vinodol Valley — long used for wi…

Tórshavn

The capital of the Faroe Islands, Tórshavn sits on the water with mountains rising close behind, and carries a café and restaurant scene that punches well ab…

Taumarunui

Sitting on the upper Whanganui River in New Zealand's central North Island, Taumarunui is a pocket-sized King Country town with a café and restaurant scene i…

Iruya

Founded in 1753 high on the eastern slopes of the Sierra de Santa Victoria in Salta Province, Iruya is a little Argentine town surrounded on two sides by the…

Ulcinj

Montenegro's southernmost coastal town, Ulcinj has a café and restaurant scene that punches well above its size, alongside a beach, a lake, and Ada Bojana Is…

Gränna

Gränna, a small lakeside town on the eastern shore of Vättern — Sweden's second largest lake — is known for its peppermint rock candy, called polkagris in Sw…

Agios Nikolaos, Halkidiki

A waterfront village on the Sithonia peninsula in Halkidiki, Agios Nikolaos has a café and restaurant scene that runs well beyond what its size would suggest…

Tarrafal de Sao Nicolau

This small port town on the west coast of São Nicolau, Cape Verde, serves as the island's main harbour and most populous settlement, with a compact centre of…

Andoany

The main town on Madagascar's island of Nosy Be, Andoany is more widely known by its colonial name, Hell-Ville — a reference to French admiral Anne Chrétien…

Miagao

Miagao's Baroque church — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines — anchors this small Iloilo town on the western coa…

Hvammstangi

Small fishing village on the Vatnsnes peninsula in northwest Iceland, Hvammstangi sits directly on Miðfjörður with mountains close by.

Mazagan

Mazagan is the former name of what is now El Jadida, a Portuguese settlement established on Morocco's Atlantic coast in 1502 and held for some 267 years befo…

Gulfport

Founded in 1887 as a railroad terminus on Mississippi's Gulf Coast, Gulfport grew into the largest lumber export city in the United States before transitioni…

Grebbestad

This small Swedish harbour village on the Bohuslän coast where Norway lobster and oysters are landed in quantity, Grebbestad has a café and restaurant scene…

Parepare

Parepare, a port city on the southwest coast of Sulawesi, is the birthplace of B.

Stockton-on-Tees

A market town on the northern bank of the River Tees in County Durham, Stockton-on-Tees has a walkable centre dense with listed buildings, historic churches,…

Clifden

A small harbour town on the northwest coast of County Galway, Clifden sits where the Owenglin River meets Clifden Bay, with mountain terrain rising behind it.

Kuwana

This Japanese city in Mie Prefecture where a broad river meets the bay, offering elevated viewpoints over patchwork rice fields, winding waterways, and a low…

Aberaeron

A small Welsh harbour town on the Ceredigion coast, Aberaeron was built from 1805 by the Reverend Alban Thomas Jones-Gwynne in a formal street pattern said t…

Pringle Bay

This small coastal village in the Western Cape's Overberg region, Pringle Bay sits at the foot of Hangklip — a rock formation that leans out to sea and marks…

Lebu

This port town on the south bank of the Lebu River mouth in Chile's Bío Bío Region, with historic churches in the centre, scenic viewpoints in the surrounds,…

Soufriere

This little fishing village on Dominica's southwest coast, Soufriere sits where a rocky shoreline meets cloud-draped volcanic peaks, with colorful waterfront…

Jableh

This Mediterranean coastal town in northwestern Syria, Jableh holds the tomb and mosque of Ibrahim Bin Adham, a Sufi mystic who, according to tradition, reno…

Germencik

This compact Aegean town of red-tile rooftops spread across a green valley, with a domed mosque at its centre, forested hills rising on all sides, and easy a…

Vik

Iceland's southernmost village sits on the black-sand coast of the south shore, backed by Mýrdalsjökull glacier and the volatile Katla volcano beneath it.

Simon's Town

This pocket-sized naval town on the eastern shore of the Cape Peninsula, Simon's Town has served as a military harbour for more than two centuries — first fo…

Demre

Demre, on the Mediterranean coast of Antalya Province, stands over the ruins of ancient Myra and is home to the tomb of Saint Nicholas — the 4th-century bish…

Wolgast

Wolgast is a small town in northeastern Germany on the Peenestrom, facing the island of Usedom, which it serves as a gateway.

Ingonish

A cluster of small settlements on Cape Breton Island's Atlantic coast, Ingonish sits within Cape Breton Highlands National Park and along the Cabot Trail sce…

Söke

A sizeable Aegean town spread across a broad plain beneath a dramatic rocky mountain, with terracotta rooftops stretching to the horizon and easy access to n…

Holmestrand

A compact Norwegian fjordside town where a large marina packed with sailboats sits below wooded rocky bluffs, with a walkable waterfront core offering cafés…

Barfleur

Modest fishing village on the Normandy coast in Manche, Barfleur holds membership in the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France association and was one of the bus…

Maslin Beach

A long arc of pale sand curves below dramatically layered red and ochre cliffs on Adelaide's southern coast, making Maslin Beach a striking coastal stop with…

Pwllheli

Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalist party, was founded in Pwllheli, a tiny market town on the southern coast of the Llŷn Peninsula in north-west Wales.

Tongyeong

This coastal city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, Tongyeong is built around the legacy of Admiral Yi Sun-sin — the city's very name means "command…

Anse La Raye

A pocket-sized fishing village on Saint Lucia's western coast, Anse La Raye sits where mountain terrain meets the Caribbean Sea and holds several examples of…

Carloforte

Carloforte occupies the whole of Isola di San Pietro, off Sardinia's southwestern coast, and combines a waterfront café and restaurant scene with wild cliffs…

Quanzhou

Once the world's busiest port under its Arabic name Zaiton, Quanzhou was praised by both Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta as among the greatest trading cities on e…

Vrboska

A small fishing harbour on the north coast of Hvar island in Dalmatia, Vrboska dates to the 15th century and holds several historic churches for a village it…

Alholm

Aalholm Castle, on the south coast of the Danish island of Lolland near Nysted, is the oldest castle on the island, with origins traditionally traced to the…

Ikongo

A compact town in eastern Madagascar's Fitovinany region, Ikongo spreads across a lush river valley floor, ringed by steep green mountains and rice paddies,…

Gulangyu

This UNESCO World Heritage island off the coast of Xiamen, Gulangyu is a pedestrian-only zone where cars, motorcycles, and bicycles are banned — making it qu…

Duba

This Red Sea port town in Saudi Arabia's Tabuk region, Duba has served as a safe harbour for trading and fishing vessels in the northern Red Sea for centurie…

Lipari

The largest of the seven Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea off northern Sicily, Lipari is the main gateway to the archipelago and the administrative cent…

Croyde

Modest North Devon village on the west-facing Atlantic coast, Croyde sits near Baggy Point — National Trust land on the South West Coast Path — within the No…

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