Romania's little-known Bucovina region has claimed the number one spot in Time Out's annual ranking of the world's most underrated travel destinations for 2027, beating 40 other cities and regions around the globe.

The verdict is a nod to what lies just beyond Romania's famous Transylvania: Time Out says Bucovina offers the same wild mountain scenery, age-old traditions and striking architecture, but without the coach tours. The region has also become the gateway to the Via Transilvanica, a 1,400 km-long hiking trail that has been quietly gathering a following among long-distance walkers.

Europe does well across the list. Third place goes to Spain's Asturian cities — Oviedo, Gijón and Avilés — an underrated alternative to the already busy Asturian coast, pitched especially at food lovers. Portugal lands two entries: Zambujeira do Mar, a cliffside town in the Alentejo region ranked sixth, which pairs a Blue Flag beach with near-empty sands outside the MEO Sudoeste festival weekend; and the Azores at number 12, the remote nine-island archipelago often called the 'Hawaii of Europe'. The Azores are certified by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and have policies in place to protect their natural and cultural assets, so growth there is being managed deliberately.

France rounds out the European picks with Carry-le-Rouet at ninth, a seaside resort on the Mediterranean that Time Out compares favourably with St Tropez and Cannes — sea-to-cliff scenery, turquoise water and fresh seafood at a fraction of the Riviera prices.

Further afield, the global top 10 includes South Dakota, the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica, Peru's San Martín, Bisbee in Arizona, Shenzhen in China and California's Tioga Pass.

Why does this matter for travellers? The list is essentially a crowd-avoidance guide. If overtourism has soured you on the big-hitters — Venice, Barcelona and their ilk — these are places where you get similar scenery, food and culture without queueing for it, and often without the prices that come with a famous postcode. Bucovina's painted monasteries, the Azores' volcanic hiking, or a quiet Atlantic beach in Alentejo all deliver the goods at a gentler pace. For 2027 trip planning, this ranking is a solid starting shortlist.

Story via Euronews Travel.