Latest news with #hidden gems
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Travel + Leisure
15-07-2025
- Travel + Leisure
This Beach Was Named Most Underrated in the U.S.–and It's in America's 'Hidden Beach Capital'
The summer sun is in full effect and you may be thinking about hitting the beach, but honestly so is everyone else. Luckily there are still plenty of beaches that fly under the radar, and thanks to a new report from boat tour company BoatBooker, we know exactly where they are. South Carolina's Vereen Memorial Park was named the top hidden gem by the boating site, which analyzed Google Maps data for key terms like "secluded beaches," "hidden beaches," and "quiet beaches," zeroing in on locations with fewer than 100 reviews. Each beach was then ranked using a combined score based on its average rating and number of reviews. "America's coast offers unparalleled diversity beyond the tourist beach resorts," Vukan Simic, the founder of BoatBooker, shared. "America's off-the-beaten-path coastline offers the authentic American beach experience, the one that travelers are seeking—unspoiled waters, stunning scenery, and the freedom to truly get close to the natural wonders of our country." When it comes to Vereen Memorial Park, which sits just north of Myrtle Beach, the 115-acre park "offers a serene escape into nature and a journey through history" and is "ideal for families, pet owners, and outdoor enthusiasts seeking adventure, tranquility, or both," according to Visit Myrtle Beach. The park also comes with the bonus of no admission fee. Beyond Vereen Memorial Park, South Carolina emerged as "America's hidden beach capital," according to BoatBooker, with five locations in the top 10 located in the Palmetto State. That includes Driftwood Beach at No. 2, Morris Island at No. 4, Station 22 at No. 9, and Edisto Beach State Park Campground at No. 10. California also earned high praise with nine spots on the list, including its highest-ranking beach, Torrey Pines City Beach in San Diego, at No. 5. Other top spots in California included Dana Strands Beach at No. 7 and Pirates Cove Beach at No. 8 to round out the top 10. The site also noted state and national parks dominated the rankings, with protected areas offering the most "pristine and uncrowded beach experiences across America." Check out the complete top 20 list from BoatBooker below. Vereen Memorial Park: South Carolina Driftwood Beach: South Carolina Gunnison Beach: New Jersey Morris Island: South Carolina Torrey Pines City Beach: California Caswell Beach: North Carolina Dana Strands Beach: California Pirates Cove Beach: California Station 22 - Public Beach Access: South Carolina Edisto Beach State Park Campground: South Carolina Ocean Isle Beach: North Carolina Salt Creek Beach: California Gulf Shores Beach: Alabama Beach Access #4 - Beach Circle: Texas Cape Hatteras National Seashore: North Carolina Kirby Beach: California Funston Beach: California Carolina Beach: North Carolina Santa Ana River County Beach River Jetties: California Coquina Beach: North Carolina Little Corona Beach: California Crissy Field South Beach: California
CBC
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
There's a giant hidden reservoir under this popular Toronto park
Toronto is full of hidden gems — and CBC's Haydn Watters is exploring them this summer, starting with a massive underground reservoir below a popular park.
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Future of Dan Walker's Channel 5 travel series with Helen Skelton REVEALED after his TV disappearance and her blossoming romance with co-star Gethin Jones
The future of Dan Walker and Helen Skelton 's Channel 5 travel series has finally been revealed after his recent disappearance from screens. Dan, 48, previously issued a plea to fans to share their praise of the show with bosses after the first series in a bid to get it recommissioned. It worked, as Dan and Helen, 41, returned to screens last year to explore Yorkshire's stunning landscape and its hidden gems. Stops on their trip included checking out the vast moorlands, Malham Cove and the picturesque villages in Bronte Country. Now, MailOnline can exclusively reveal the duo have signed a new deal with Channel 5 to front another travelogue series. The pair have already started filming the next instalment, which will once again be set in Yorkshire. Dan told MailOnline: 'It's great to be back on the road with Helen and where better than Yorkshire? Everywhere we go we see breathtaking views, meet some brilliant characters and uncover those hidden gems. 'There's something really special about exploring a place which is so rich in history and culture and getting to do it all with Helen guarantees plenty of laughs along the way. Boots on, brew in hand and pockets full of biscuits. 'We are ready for whatever Yorkshire throws at us!' A TV insider added: 'Dan and Helen's chemistry on air is plain to see and viewers adore watching them together. 'They're both big names for Channel 5 and are already part of the family, resonating with their core demographic. 'Dan and Helen are really chuffed at how popular the show has become and absolutely love making it, at the end of the day it's just like two mates hanging out.' In series one, viewers watched as the pair donned their hiking gear to explore the Pennine mountains, known as the 'backbone of Britain'. Last week Dan was forced to address fans' concerns after he disappeared from television and radio, leaving them worried he had 'quit' the roles. It comes after Dan was forced to speak out following an extended absence from the airwaves as fans were left concerned he had 'quit' his roles The dad-of-three anchors Channel 5 News and also hosts a breakfast show on Classic FM. In a video message, Dan said: 'Hello, I've been asked by quite a few people if I've left Channel 5 and why I've disappeared from Classic FM. The answer is twofold.' He continued: 'First is, I'm on holiday with the family for a couple of weeks and the second is that I'm filming a new series for Channel 5 which you should be able to see I think in September, which I can't tell you too much about but it's going to be great fun. 'So that's why I've not been on the telly. The radio I'll be back on Monday and I'll be back on 5 News in a couple of weeks time once I've finished filming the series. 'There you go, that's the answer, it looks like the lovely weather is over, the rain has returned, have a great day.' Meanwhile, it was recently revealed how mum-of-three Helen is reportedly dating her Morning Live co-star Gethin Jones. After appearing on-screen together, the pair's friendship is believed to have blossomed into something more in recent months. A source previously told MailOnline: 'Helen and Gethin have an extremely close working relationship and there's a feeling in recent months their friendship has blossomed into a deeper connection. 'They're both keen to keep a lid on it to avoid public scrutiny but there's no denying their closeness both off and on-screen.' The co-hosts, who appear on BBC's Morning Live together on weekday mornings, first sparked rumours of a possible romance in March during a joint 24-hour roller-skating challenge for Comic Relief.
The Guardian
07-07-2025
- The Guardian
Tell us about a favourite island in Europe – you could win a holiday voucher
There's something endlessly appealing about an island holiday – a chance to escape the rest of the world and kickback in beautiful surrounds. We'd love to hear about your favourite under-the-radar discoveries in the UK and Europe. Whether it was a wild island in an remote Norwegian archipelago or a lesser-known sun-drenched Croatian isle, tell us about where you went and why you loved it for the chance to win a holiday voucher. The best tip of the week, chosen by Tom Hall of Lonely Planet wins a £200 voucher to stay at a Coolstays property – the company has more than 3,000 worldwide. The best tips will appear in the Guardian Travel section and website. Keep your tip to about 100 words If you have a relevant photo, do send it in – but it's your words we will be judging for the competition. We're sorry, but for legal reasons you must be a UK resident to enter this competition. The competition closes on Monday 14 July at 10am BST Have a look at our past winners and other tips Read the terms and conditions here You can send in your best tip by filling in the form below. Please note, the maximum file size is 5.7 MB. First name only if you prefer This competition is only open to UK-based readers If you're having trouble using the form click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here.
Globe and Mail
25-06-2025
- Globe and Mail
Canadians rethink travel as overtourism crowds iconic destinations
When Lily Carlson and her husband sat down to plan their travel for the year, Greece and Thailand were high on their bucket list. But the pull of these iconic destinations was overshadowed by the thought of having to wade through the crowds at landmarks while contributing to the overtourism sweeping the countries. Greece, for example, saw nearly four times as many tourists as its own population last year, and its islands of Santorini and Mykonos are feeling the strain of surging water and housing demand. 'It's the drawback of mass tourism and the challenges that local communities there are facing' that persuaded Ms. Carlson and her family, from Acton, Ont., to consider lesser-known locales, she said. They headed to Nosara in Costa Rica, away from the tourist hotspots. Average nightly stays there hovered affordably around $95-$165 on the low end or around $290 for higher-end accommodations. Canadian travel boycott hurting U.S. tourism industry, northeast governors say The 'Canada Strong Pass' promoting national tourism will come into effect on June 20 A growing number of Canadians are looking to follow their lead. Data published in June from a YouGov survey commissioned by Flight Centre Canada showed that 71 per cent of Canadian travellers are concerned about the growing negative impact of overtourism on local communities, and 78 per cent said that many hotspots are too busy to enjoy. But seeking out less crowded destinations has become that much more complicated for Canadians avoiding the United States, making the list of international alternatives even shorter. In Portugal – where anti-tourism protests erupted again last week – Canadian visitor numbers jumped 11.3 per cent year-over-year. Airfares to Faro and Funchal jumped 3 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively, for summer 2025, Kayak data showed. Canadian travel to Japan rose nearly 30 per cent between January and April, 2025, from the same period a year earlier, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. In response to overcrowding, some towns are building barriers to block views of Mount Fuji, among other efforts to reduce tourist congestion. Elizabeth Becker, author of Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism, compared overtourism to throwing a dinner party clogged with uninvited guests. 'You invite 12 people and 2,000 show up.' Places are not meant to be 'trampled like this,' she said. 'And if they're not equipped to welcome you – that's overbooked.' Even for travellers who aren't motivated by sustainability, overtourism hurts their wallets – and travel experiences. 'Just imagine standing in line to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, shoulder to shoulder with thousands of people,' said Amra Durakovic of Flight Centre Canada. In Paris, that very scenario reached a boiling point last week when Louvre employees walked off the job, citing unmanageable guest volumes, a shortage of bathrooms and rest seating. Canadians visiting Paris and Barcelona – both at the epicentre of overtourism – are now likely to pay more for a lesser experience too. Barcelona recorded an all-time high of over 2.3 million overnight stays in January, 2025, and the highest-ever March average daily rate of €197.09 ($314), up 27.7 per cent year over year, according to CoStar. Average flight costs to the city from Canada jumped 2 per cent this summer to $1,149, Kayak data showed. Spain's consumer affairs ministry ordered Airbnb to remove over 65,000 listings in spring and plans to shutter all of the 10,000 licensed short-term rental apartments in the city by 2028. International tourism levels are back to pre-COVID levels, but there is uneven distribution, said Michael O'Regan, lecturer in tourism and events at Glasgow Caledonian University. 'Traffic is highly concentrated in a relatively small number of 'honeypot' destinations,' he said, including Venice, Amsterdam, Barcelona, parts of Paris. In Paris, another destination where the number of annual tourists exceeds the population, international air arrivals are projected to jump 13 per cent year-over-year from April to July. data also showed searches for Paris by Canadians surged 106 per cent year-over-year last month. 'It's not that locals don't want tourists, it's just excessive,' Ms. Durakovic said. Mr. O'Regan added that anti-tourism protests are typically small and targeted at politicians. They link to 'deeper issues [around] housing costs, quality jobs and broader inequalities,' he said. Destinations want and need tourism for economic reasons. But he added that some have focused on maximizing visitor numbers without adequately planning for the social, environmental and infrastructure impacts. 'Many of these honeypot destinations are near equally stunning towns,' he said. 'Provins is just 90 minutes from Paris. Sirmione is an hour from Verona.' In Portugal, Ms. Durakovic suggested skipping Porto in favour of Braga or Guimarães. Braga, often called the 'Rome of Portugal,' is the country's oldest Christian city. 'Rich in religious heritage, and baroque architecture, it's also in the heart of the Vinho Verde region, ideal for vineyard tours.' Bruges in Belgium and France's Strasbourg offer similar magic to Venetian canals, where locals have been chafing against overtourism – most recently with the backlash to Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos all but taking over the city for his wedding. 'Romania's great for those seeking slower-paced, culture-driven travel beyond the usual tourist spots,' said Ms. Carlson, who also shares sustainable travel tips on her social media accounts. She stayed in Brașov, where nightly costs ranged from $55 to $95 on the low end and up to $290 at the high end. The city, nestled in the Carpathian Mountains, is a gateway to sites like Bran Castle, better known as Dracula's hideaway and well-preserved medieval towns like Sibiu and Sighișoara.
