Worst Travel Destinations You Should Avoid

Every place has its charm, but if you’re looking for something with a soul, avoid these worst travel destinations.

It’s a wide wide world filled with countless wonders — and you’ll never get to see them all. Because of this sad reality, travelers need to be intentional with the places they visit.

While every destination has its own charm, certain spots lack soul. Yes, they may be pretty and have plenty of things to do, but everything they offer is superficial. Who wants to waste precious travel time on that?

At the risk of ruffling some serious feathers, we recommend people avoid these 10 places that are simply not worth a visit.

10. San Jose, Costa Rica

Beautiful aerial view of of the Baroque Church of the Merced in San Jose Center in Costa Rica.

Gianfranco Vivi / Getty Images

We hesitated to include the Costa Rican capital on this list because it isn’t completely terrible, and it actually does have some interesting things to do (like visiting the National Museum of Costa Rica and doing an urban sloth tour).

The real problem with San Jose is that it is absolutely lackluster compared to the rest of the country. Like all cities, it’s loud and dirty, but it’s also relatively small, so it doesn’t make up for it with entertainment and dining. Maybe in another country, it would be passable, but everything outside of the capital is so astonishingly amazing that even one day here is a waste of time.

Our advice? Plan a couple of hours in the city to see the center and visit the museum, then get right on the road to visit Costa Rica’s volcanoes, beaches and nature preserves.

9. Laganas, Greece

Navagio Beach with shipwreck on Zakynthos island.

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Laganas is the longest beach on the Greek island of Zakynthos. Set in the breathtaking Ionian Sea, the island attracts people mainly with its shipwreck beach, where a vessel decays on a small cove of sand surrounded by cerulean water and arid rock formations.

If it sounds like a dream, it’s because it is. And we encourage everyone to go to Zakynthos. Just avoid Laganas at all costs. Laganas is the most frequented town on the island, thanks to its beach. It’s always crowded, but the real issue is that the crowds are made up mostly of drunk, 19-year-old British tourists who clearly haven’t been sober since they boarded the plane.

The streets leading up to the beach are filled with American fast-food restaurants and tacky bars. What you’ll barely see is anything written in Greek. Also, the beach isn’t that nice.

Hard pass. Go elsewhere on the island.

8. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

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The Dominican Republic is an exciting country with an interesting history, great food, friendly locals and a lot of spirit. But Punta Cana is … a bunch of all-inclusive resorts.

People come here because the beaches are just as dreamy as everyone says, but you can easily get access to the Caribbean Sea in places that aren’t built for the sole purpose of catering to tourists. Definitely make plans to visit DR, but skip Punta Cana in favor of destinations where you’ll be enjoying the sand with locals.

And if you really want to get a feel for the culture, head over to the highly underrated but amazing capital, Santo Domingo.

7. The Maldives

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The Maldives is an incredible destination ruined by tourism gone wrong. The island nation sits on the Indian Ocean and boasts extraordinary marine biodiversity. This makes it an exceptional place to go snorkeling or scuba diving.

The country also has a rich and interesting local culture — that almost no tourist ever gets to see. Why? Because as soon as you land, you’re whisked away to an island completely gobbled up by a resort.

Don’t believe us? Ask anyone who’s gone to the Maldives about the country’s official religion and language, and see how many people can answer.

We’re all for going to beautiful places that inspire the heart. We’re also all for taking a break from life and just enjoying the sea. But if we’re going to pay a hell of a lot of money to be in the middle of nowhere, we need a little bit more than that.

6. Cancun, Mexico

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Like the Maldives, Cancun only sucks because overtourism has ruined it. Set at the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, this destination should be a dream. It sits on the sparkling Caribbean Sea, is a stronghold of Maya culture and boasts several nature reserves that hide immense biodiversity and sacred cenotes (underground sinkholes).

But Cancun’s popularity has been its downfall, with the city now existing solely for the purpose of tourism. What should be its prettiest spot is now a hotel zone, where all you’ll see are rows and rows of resorts that have appropriated beaches locals once enjoyed. Drive outside of the city toward Playa del Carmen and Tulum, and you’ll see the road flanked by more hotels and luxury apartments for foreigners.

While the Yucatan Peninsula is always worth a visit and has many, many interesting attractions, tourism has sucked the soul out of Cancun.

5. Phuket, Thailand

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First of all, let’s be clear that we’re talking about Phuket City and not the entire island of Phuket, which is certainly worth visiting.

The provincial capital, however, is a place best bypassed if you want to leave with a good impression of Thailand. It’s not necessarily a horrible place to be, but it is incredibly “meh.” And when you’re in one of Southeast Asia’s most beautiful places, being somewhere uninspired is a waste of time.

Our advice is to stay in a more rural spot, where you can still go to markets, visit beaches and make a pilgrimage to the Phuket Big Buddha, one of the world’s tallest Buddha statues. Plus, beaches in less touristy areas will be much cleaner than in the city, where they are often so filled with litter, you’ll lose any desire to go into the water.

4. Orlando, Florida

Orlando, Florida, USA Downtown Drone Skyline Aerial

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More than a real city, Orlando is a place built around substance-less thrills. Disney and Universal Studios reign supreme because they’re the only things worth seeing in the city. Outside of them, you’ll find mostly your generically bland, beige strip-mall-filled Central Florida city.

If you love the excitement of amusement parks, you’ll be in heaven, as the parks certainly don’t disappoint. But other places offer culture and thrills (like Mexico’s ecological and cultural Xcaret parks), so it’s certainly possible to get both.

3. Monaco

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Monaco is elegant; we’ll give it that. Here, people have had money long enough to avoid being desperate to flash it. You won’t find ostentatious displays of wealth but will be constantly reminded that you’re too poor to step foot in this micronation — don’t be surprised to see billboards advertising insurance for things like private jets.

That said, Monaco’s problem isn’t that it’s basically a country built to keep the ultra-wealthy apart from the peasants. The issue is that it’s only that. Standing over the Mediterranean, Monaco is visually gorgeous, but we’re way past the times when looks were enough to deem something attractive. Do yourself a favor and stay in the surrounding places in France, which are just as pretty and have more to give.

2. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

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Dubai is the definition of a gilded destination. It shines so bright that it almost feels blinding, and it’s easy to be seduced by its modern skyscrapers, glitzy beaches and the never-ending stream of gorgeous sports cars.

But the city is the personification of an insecure bro that inherited daddy’s money: The showy glamour is meant to hide a severe lack of personality. Travelers interested in learning about different cultures are much better off in Abu Dhabi or other emirates.

Sure, if you want to “ohh” and “ahh” about the world’s tallest skyscraper (built mostly on exploitative labor) and malls with designer shops, have at it.

1. Atlantic City, New Jersey

Atlantic city waterline aerial view. AC is a tourist city in New Jersey

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Vegas isn’t the most interesting place for anyone who isn’t into hedonistic trips where you learn nothing and just party. But if you feel like taking a Hunter S. Thompson trip, at least do it right.

There are much better places to blow your life savings than in the cheap version of Vegas, aka Atlantic City. While other places on the list have redeeming qualities, there are absolutely no positives we can think of for this destination … except its proximity to New York City, a place that actually warrants spending obscene amounts of money.

In all seriousness, there are no buts with Atlantic City. There is no reason to visit. Ever.