And unlike Costa Rica, Panama maintains a higher level of internet connectivity as the business epicenter of Central America (ahem, Panama City!). It has even more remote mountain and island retreats-the San Blas Archipelago alone houses a labyrinth of nearly 400 outlying islands, almost all of which are unnamed, uninhabited, and/or comprised entirely of coral. (Confession: I did it too-at first.) But Panama actually beats CR in a lot of categories. Panama is often compared to-and passed over for-Costa Rica, its sought-after neighbor to the north.

It's enough to make you forget about that famous canal. The literal crossroads of two oceans and two continents, Panama is a tropical wonderland packed with a surplus of mountainous cliffs, breathtaking beaches, and rich culture. In a twist of irony, the “hub” of Central America is also the most overlooked when it comes to vacation spots. Did we mention there are private island resorts, too? | Islas Secas The responses zigzag across the globe from quiet coastlines in Africa to island countries rich in music and mountainous terrain-plus everything from underwater safaris to vampires in between. We polled our vast network of travel writers and editors to hear what underrated countries top their list of places everyone should visit (yet aren’t at risk of over-tourism).

We’re all for familiarity and sticking with someplace we know and love, but if you’re looking for a new kind of adventure (because you’ve already checked off so many on your bucket list), why not travel to a place you’re less likely to see popping up in all of your friends’ Instagram posts? Should the next trip be a favorite stretch of tropical shoreline or a capital across the globe? Has binging on Emily in Paris made you long for a trip back to France, where you can spend your days indulging in croissants and endless amounts of wine on a terrace? After a few pandemic years dreaming about where you’ll travel once the world reopens again, the list of places has grown unrealistically long.

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