Hiking Destinations You Haven't Thought Of
Everyone knows about the Inca Trail, Torres del Paine, and the Camino de Santiago. These are extraordinary hikes — but they're also crowded, expensive, and often require booking months in advance.
Here are five destinations where the hiking is just as stunning but the trails are far less traveled.
1. Reunion Island, France
A French overseas territory in the Indian Ocean, Reunion is essentially a volcanic cone covered in tropical forest. The GR R2 trail crosses the island from coast to coast through three massive calderas (cirques), past waterfalls, and along knife-edge ridges.
Most Americans have never heard of it, which means the trails are quiet even in peak season. And because it's French territory, the mountain huts (gîtes) serve three-course dinners with local rum.
Best for: Multi-day trekking, volcanic landscapes, solitude. Daily budget: $80–120 (accommodation in gîtes includes dinner).
2. Faroe Islands, Denmark
Eighteen islands of dramatic sea cliffs, grass-roofed villages, and weather that changes every 20 minutes. The Faroe Islands have some of the most photogenic hiking in the world — the trail to Trælanípa (the lake above the ocean) went viral on Instagram, but the islands have dozens of equally stunning routes that see a fraction of the traffic.
Best for: Coastal hiking, photography, dramatic weather. Daily budget: $100–150 (the Faroes aren't cheap, but they're uncrowded).
3. Oaxaca State, Mexico
Most people think of Oaxaca for food and mezcal, not hiking. But the Sierra Norte mountains above the city contain a community-run ecotourism network called Pueblos Mancomunados — a system of trails connecting indigenous Zapotec villages at 3,000+ meters. You hike between villages, sleep in community cabins, eat home-cooked meals, and the whole thing costs about $30/day.
Best for: Cultural hiking, budget travel, off-grid experience. Daily budget: $30–50.
4. Azores, Portugal
Nine volcanic islands in the middle of the Atlantic with trails through crater lakes, hot springs, and laurel forests. Sao Miguel's Sete Cidades trail — a walk along the rim of a volcanic crater with twin blue-and-green lakes below — is one of the most beautiful day hikes in Europe.
The Azores are also shockingly affordable for a European destination, with daily costs closer to Eastern Europe than Western.
Best for: Volcanic landscapes, hot springs, affordable Europe. Daily budget: $60–90.
5. Drakensberg, South Africa
The Drakensberg escarpment in KwaZulu-Natal is Africa's best-kept hiking secret. The Amphitheatre (a 5km-wide cliff face) and the chain ladders leading to the top of the Tugela Falls (the world's second-highest waterfall) are genuinely world-class experiences.
Best for: Dramatic cliffs, wildlife, affordable adventure. Daily budget: $40–70.