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10 alternative attractions in the world’s top tourist destinations, from Utah to Sicily to Galicia in Spain

If you want to avoid the crowds when everyone starts travelling again, try our alternative sightseeing options in the world’s 10 most visited countries

Swap Times Square for Utah’s red rock country, the Colosseum for Taormina, Cancun for San Cristobal de Las Casas and La Sagrada Familia for Galicia’s beaches

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Füssen in Germany is an alternative to the fairy-tale Neuschwanstein Castle, and an example of attractions to be found off the beaten track in the world’s most visited countries. Photo: Tim Pile

Published: 6:15pm, 23 Apr 2022

Huge pent-up demand for international travel means that, when all pandemic-related travel restrictions are removed, the world’s alpha attractions are likely to be even busier than they were in pre-coronavirus times.

For those who would prefer fewer crowds, here’s an alternative sightseeing suggestion for each of the planet’s 10 most visited countries.

Disneyland, the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre rank highest on the to-do lists of visitors to France, but as Paris may soon be packed with travel-starved tourists, let’s head to the French Basque Country (Pays Basque) instead.

Straddling the border between Spain and France, at the western edge of the Pyrenees, the Basque Country offers awe-inspiring natural landscapes, mountains and forests of beech and fir.

The French Basque Country is known for buildings painted in traditional dark red and white. Photo: Tim Pile

Drivers dodge sheep on rural roads that lead to villages where firewood is stacked in neat piles beside houses painted in traditional dark red and white.

Track down a bed-and-breakfast, order a hearty Axoa d’Espelette stew and congratulate yourself on being half a country away from Mickey Mouse and Co.