I’ve always had a soft spot for underdogs. This said it’s logical that I really root for landmarks that aren’t normally among the traditional travel itineraries that everyone shares online. Those places that are labeled as “dangerous”, “bland” or “unremarkable” have an undeniable “come here” factor that I can’t resist, since most of the times, they respond to none of those adjectives.
Following this intuition has led me to some amazing discoveries:
The Yaxha ruins in Guatemala, which tend to be overlooked in favor of their most popular sister Tikal.
The Borbón Market in my hometown of San José, Costa Rica, which is regarded by many as a “dangerous place”, but it’s actually the true people’s market as not many tourists visit it. Visitors usually leave it aside in favor of the more popular (and expensive) Central Market.
El Hueco and La Minorista in Medellín, Colombia. The first one is an extensive, baroque shopping center area where you can find the cheapest goods in town, along with some urban folclore and characters that give color to the city that once was called “the most dangerous in the world”. The second is a huge market where you can find all the fruits you imagine plus some the most delicious fish soup ever.
The place of birth of Jorge Luis Borges, one of the greatest Argentinean writers, located in the Old Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
And these are just a few!
Ok, ok…but aside from rooting for underdogs, why is it that I love sharing places that are within the less traveled roads? I think it’s because these places teach me so much more than the usual suspects in relation to people, culture, and arts. As well, they show me different faces of the same country, its realness, its inequality and the endless potential of human creativity and resilience.
It’s not that I don’t share traditional stops within the normal travel routes, but I definitely have a weakness for hidden gems and this is why I contribute each time I can in Google Maps to help make them more visible. Wait, wait, wait… but isn’t that a contradiction? Well…yes it is but hopefully, only those adventurous souls that get past the outer beauty or the shiny armor will discover them. Or… maybe those who never thought of these spots as worth it will have a new world of possibilities open right in front of them once they see the beauty beyond the obvious.
I’ve been traveling regularly once or twice a year since my 30th birthday, and though I tend to mix well-known landmarks with unusual spots, these last ones have been the ones I’ve enjoyed the most personally. Not only because I like seeing what other people think of as “dangerous”, “bland” or “unremarkable”, but because many of these places have taught me different realities about people, inequality, human creativity and the endless beauty of this world, which sometimes is overlooked due to the popularity of the bucket-list musts.
So, whether I have reviewed a not so touristy market in my hometown of San José (Mercado Borbon), an underrated archaeological site in Guatemala (Yaxha), a baroque shopping center in Medellin (El Hueco), or the birthplace of a writer in Buenos Aires (Jorge Luis Borges House) , I’ve contributed to increase the visibility of places that otherwise people wouldn’t know that exist, since they rarely appear in the usual itineraries for tourism.
While I also share reviews and information on popular places (they are popular for a reason!), I try to be as honest and authentic as possible about them, so people who read these contributions can see both sides of the story. My main focus, nevertheless, is sharing those hidden gems, those secret places that many overlook because they don’t shine on the outside. Who knows, perhaps someone else with a keen adventure sense can use my contributions to discover a world full of excitement or at least, to see the beauty within the small, “insignificant” details. As well, off the beaten paths may lead to unexpected friendships or culinary experiences.
So, do you like off the beaten spots? Let me know your favorites, I will love to include them in my list of pendings!
I’ve always had a soft spot for underdogs. This said it’s logical that I really root for landmarks that aren’t normally among the traditional travel itineraries that everyone shares online. Those places that are labeled as “dangerous”, “bland” or “unremarkable” have an undeniable “come here” factor that I can’t resist, since most of the times, they respond to none of those adjectives.
Following this intuition has led me to some amazing discoveries:
The Yaxha ruins in Guatemala, which tend to be overlooked in favor of their most popular sister Tikal.
The Borbón Market in my hometown of San José, Costa Rica, which is regarded by many as a “dangerous place”, but it’s actually the true people’s market as not many tourists visit it. Visitors usually leave it aside in favor of the more popular (and expensive) Central Market.
El Hueco and La Minorista in Medellín, Colombia. The first one is an extensive, baroque shopping center area where you can find the cheapest goods in town, along with some urban folclore and characters that give color to the city that once was called “the most dangerous in the world”. The second is a huge market where you can find all the fruits you imagine plus some the most delicious fish soup ever.
The place of birth of Jorge Luis Borges, one of the greatest Argentinean writers, located in the Old Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
And these are just a few!
Ok, ok…but aside from rooting for underdogs, why is it that I love sharing places that are within the less traveled roads? I think it’s because these places teach me so much more than the usual suspects in relation to people, culture, and arts. As well, they show me different faces of the same country, its realness, its inequality and the endless potential of human creativity and resilience.
It’s not that I don’t share traditional stops within the normal travel routes, but I definitely have a weakness for lhidden gems and this is why I contribute each time I can in Google Maps to help make them more visible. Wait, wait, wait… but isn’t that a contradiction? Well…yes it is but hopefully, only those adventurous souls that get past the outer beauty or the shiny armor will discover them. Or… maybe those who never thought of these spots as worth it will have a new world of possibilities open right in front of them once they see the beauty beyond the obvious.
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