We’ve just announced our top destinations for the upcoming year in travel. The list is divided into 4 segments and includes something for every travel style – from urban destinations to cultural and foodie hotspots, to places ripe for exploration and adventure, and locations that are maybe new on your radar. You’ll find the complete list here, and you’ll find “Part 1, Top Urban Destinations,” here.
Now we turn our focus to the best food destinations in the world ideal for travelers seeking cultural and foodie experiences. We have 7 of the best: Lima; Ottawa; Taiwan; Jerez de la Frontera-Cadiz; Austria; Croatia; and Phoenix, Scottsdale, & Tempe. Here’s why we made the list:
Lima, Peru
Lima rises above the cliffs of the Pacific coastline where paragliders soar above the foggy shore. Historic colonial buildings are nestled amid contemporary high rises. Many travelers scurry through this sprawling metropolis on their way to Machu Picchu, Cusco or the Peruvian Amazon, but Lima is a worthy destination in its own right.
Cultural experiences are everywhere. Housed in an 18th century viceroyalty-era mansion, Museo Larco’s Cultures Gallery showcases pottery, stone and wooden pre-Columbian artifacts depicting more than 5,000 years of Peruvian history.
For foodies, Lima is heaven on earth. Peruvian cuisine has long been lauded as one of the best food destinations in the world and Lima is at the heart of the country’s culinary scene. Throughout history, Peru has been a melting pot for immigrants from a variety of countries including Spain, Italy, France, China and Japan. The result is an exotic blend of culinary delights.
If you’re looking for a mix of culture and food, there’s no better place than Huaca Pucllana. Pre-Incan ruins dating back 1500 years stand at the edge of the restaurant’s property. At night, the ruins are bathed in light providing a spectacular backdrop for your dining experience. The food—a blend of traditional and contemporary dishes bursting with Peruvian flavors—is equally spectacular.
Ottawa, Canada
Stately Gothic Parliament buildings anchoring downtown let you know right away—this is Canada’s capital. It’s home to a wide variety of museums showcasing everything from Canada’s military history to the indigenous Aboriginal community to Canada’s contributions to the world of flight.
At its heart, the Rideau Canal—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—delights locals and visitors year-round with bike trails in the warmer months to a 5-mile-long skating rink in winter. This is a city that celebrates the seasons, from Winterlude, where playgrounds are built from snow and ice sculptures dazzle onlookers, to the Canadian Tulip Festival in spring and music festivals in summer.
Ottawa also has a thriving culinary scene. Designated one of the best destinations in the world, a Savour Ottawa initiative is bringing Ottawa’s restaurants and local food producers together to serve locally-sourced and prepared foods to visitors across the region.
Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute located in the historic Sandy Hill neighborhood is the only Canadian campus of this world renowned culinary school. And fortunately for locals and visitors, the onsite Signatures Restaurant brings this exceptional French cuisine to the public.
Taiwan
It’s named IIha Formosa—the beautiful island. And it’s true. Located in the middle of Japan, China, and the Philippines, the island of Taiwan is home to blazing sunsets, lush tropical forests and a dizzying number of mountainous peaks that beckon adventurous climbers.
Taiwan’s population traces a long history and a wide range of nationalities, including Dutch, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and indigenous tribes. The remnants of these multifaceted cultures provide the country with a unique blend of architecture, folk art, and traditions. This cultural diversity is also evident in the cuisine.
Hakka villages keep the culture and cuisine of past generations alive and the temples and monuments of the ancient capital, Tainan, provide a historic reference. Night markets around the island serve endless feasts of favorite Taiwan snacks. You’ll find shrimp rolls, steamed dumplings, shaved ice, grilled seafood, exotic fruits, and the delicious Piggy Steamed Custard Buns that are almost too cute to eat. Eating well and often is a national pastime, and you’ll find a pot of something delicious being cooked up on almost every street corner.
Jerez de la Frontera-Cadiz, Spain
Located in the province of Cadiz, Jerez de la Frontera is a trifecta of Spanish culture. It’s the capital of Andalusian horse culture, stop number one on the famous Sherry Triangle, and the cradle of Spanish flamenco.
The Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art is the place to go to see the equestrian ballet of the Andalusian horses. In the gardens, you’ll find the indoor arena, Picadero. Quintessential Spanish music and 18th century-style costumes accompany the impressive equestrian dance.
We have the Andalusian triangle (Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlucar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa Maria) to thank for sherry. In Jerez, Bodegas Lustau produces more than fifty varietals along with sherry wine vinegars. At Bodegas Tradicion, you will taste some of the oldest sherry produced. Add a sherry cooking class to your itinerary for a bodega to table experience. Sherry and tapas? Yes, please.
With its Moorish castle and large gypsy quarter, Jerez is the heart of flamenco. Every day of the year you can discover flamenco in the numerous peñas (clubs) dotted around the city. But at the beginning of March, flamenco takes over the entire city when the International Flamenco Festival comes to town, bringing with it the best flamenco dancers from all over the world.
Austria
From the soaring snow-capped Alps to lakes that sparkle like gemstones to cities straight out of storybooks, Austria is a place of spellbinding beauty. As the cultural meeting point of northern and southern Europe, the Austrian city of Salzburg earned its well-deserved place on the UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage sites in 1997.
In 2018, another UNESCO heritage of Austria celebrates its 200th birthday. It was Christmas, 1818 when Franz Xaver Gruber and Joseph Mohr performed “Silent Night! Holy Night!” for the first time in the St. Nicholas church. The Silent Night Memorial Chapel marks the spot where this beloved carol was first heard.
All this culture is bound to make you thirsty. Never fear, Austria’s vibrant wine scene has earned a worldwide reputation for quality and innovation. And nothing goes better with wine than cheese, which just happens to be very much ingrained in Austria’s cuisine. From Pinzgau beer cheese to Tennengau hill cheese (and Flachgau hay-milk cheese to goat cheese specialties from the Lungau region), local cheesemakers are constantly creating new tastes. In huts along the many hiking trails in Austria, homemade cheeses and cheese dishes are the traditional snack. That’s worth hiking for, don’t you think?
Croatia
Situated on the Adriatic Sea with a long coastline and more than a thousand islands, Croatia’s natural beauty is undeniable. Combine that with ancient cities surrounded by 16th-century walls, Gothic and Renaissance architecture, a history influenced by ever-changing rulers, and you have one very intriguing country to explore.
For foodies, Croatia is one of the best food destinations in the world. Its culinary offerings are immense and date back to ancient times, blending European traditions from both the East and the West. Coastal regions offer an abundance of fresh, Adriatic seafood: The oysters of the Dalmatian Coast are dream-worthy. In the north, traditional dishes like goulash grace the dining tables. And in Istria, the truffles are legendary.
Known as the home of the white truffle of Istria, Buzet sits high above the fertile Mina valley surrounded by truffle forests. In September, Buzet hosts the Subotina truffle festival. The 3-day festival kicks off the truffle season with a procession, folk music, a bike marathon, and of course, plenty of truffle-inspired foods. But if you can’t make the festival, you can still enjoy a day of truffle hunting in an Istrian forest. Local guides and their truffle sniffing dogs accompany you into the forest for the hunt. Afterwards you’ll be treated to a truffle-based lunch paired with the best of Croatian wines.
Phoenix, Scottsdale & Tempe, Arizona
With 325 plus days of sunshine each year, metro Phoenix and its suburbs, including Scottsdale and Tempe, are known as the Valley of the Sun. It’s one of the best food destinations in the world for golfers and desert hikers, the Valley has plenty of other pursuits—including those of the culinary variety.
Foodies will swoon over Scottsdale’s Virtu Honest Craft, farm-to-table style Mediterranean dishes by Chef Gio Osso; El Chorro, an authentic Arizona dining experience with beautiful views of Camelback Mountain; and Chef Charleen Badman’s synthesis of local flavors at FnB, which also boasts an all-Arizona wine list.
As home to Arizona State University, Tempe has an eclectic international foodie scene with buzz-worthy eateries serving a little bit of everything. You’ll find burger joints, Sichuan stir fry, Japanese sushi, Irish pub favorites, ramen noodles, Mediterranean cuisine, an Ethiopian restaurant, and of course, Southwestern favorites.
The craft beer scene is alive and well in the desert, too. The metro has become something of a hops haven with plenty of choices for drinking local.
Burn off extra calories by hiking through McDowell Sonoran Preserve or bear witness to Arizona’s desert-toned visage on a hot air balloon tour from Float Balloon Tours.