There were 54 winners in UNWTO's Best Tourism Villages 2023 category, including Morcote, Switzerland. Photo / Unsplash
There were 54 winners in UNWTO's Best Tourism Villages 2023 category, including Morcote, Switzerland. Photo / Unsplash
The UNWTO has revealed its 54 Best Tourism Villages for 2023 — Sophie Ibbotson picks her top 10.
If you are a tourist seeking authentic local experiences and to expose yourself to the everyday lives of people around you, you can do no better than Peru.
Or sosays the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), which at its 25th General Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, announced the Best Tourism Villages 2023.
Five communities in Peru received this prestigious accolade, which is awarded to villages that stand out for their commitment to sustainability in all its aspects — economic, social, and environmental.
Community-based tourism is a catalyst for development, especially in rural areas. By highlighting the best examples, the UNWTO hopes to encourage tourists to spend time and money in places they might not otherwise visit.
Almost 260 villages applied for Best Tourism Villages 2023, competing in categories that included cultural and natural resources, social and environmental sustainability, infrastructure and connectivity, and health, safety, and security.
The 54 winners stand out not only for their appeal to tourists, but for leveraging that interest to create jobs, empower vulnerable groups, finance heritage and environmental conservation, and make sure their villages are attractive places for local people to live, work, and relax.
Crossing continents, I’ve picked 10 of the most wonderful villages that feature in the list.
The spectacular Shirogane Blue Pond and bright patchworks of flowers bring tourists to Biei, where the villagers are adding value to their farms through agritourism. This ensures it’s viable for the younger generation to stay in the community rather than migrate to cities.
Getting there: Trains run from Asahikawa to Biei.
Where to stay: Check in to a forest dwelling at Ryotei.
Ericeira, Portugal
CBT has brought new life to the fishing community of Ericeira. It was the first World Surfing Reserve in Europe, and villagers promote a harmonious relationship with the sea through water sports, coastal walks, and a fantastic fish market.
Getting there: Local buses link Lisbon and Ericeira.
Where to stay: Ericeira Surf House uses solar power to reduce its carbon footprint.
Ericeira was the first village in Europe to be designated a World Surfing Reserve. Photo / 123rf
Filandia, Colombia
Arguably the coffee capital of Colombia, Filandia is part of the Unesco-listed Coffee Cultural Landscape. Coffee growing, coffee tasting, and coffee plantation tours are obvious activities, though Filandia is also the gateway to the Los Nevados National Natural Park.
Getting there: Buses run from Armenia to Filandia.
Where to stay: Opt for a geodome at Eco Hotel Monte Tierra Glamping.
Lerici, Italy
Picturesque Lerici has always drawn artists and writers: it was Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley who popularised its title, Gulf of Poets. Emma Orczy, author of The Scarlet Pimpernel, lived here, and hoteliers, restaurateurs, and tour guides all celebrate these literary connections.
Getting there: Buses link Lerici to La Spezia and Sarzana.
Where to stay: Doria Park Hotel overlooks the Gulf of Poets.
Historically, Lerci attracted writers like Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, earning the title Gulf of Poets. Photo / 123rf
Morcote, Switzerland
Morcote’s residents are preserving more than 1000 years of history on the shore of Lake Lugano. The chapel, church, and cemetery are national heritage sites, but it’s the combination of historic architecture and the water that makes the village so special.
Getting there: Take the ferry from Lugano to Morcote.
Where to stay: Stay at Relais Castello di Morcote, Lugano’s only medieval fortress.
Penglipuran, Indonesia
Penglipuran’s residents believe the bamboo growing in their village symbolises their ancestry and roots. Local guides explain the significance of the architecture, the Tri Mandala concept for the division of land, and their indigenous system of governance.
Getting there: Hire a taxi from Kuta to Penglipuran.
Where to stay: Homestays like Pak Ardana enable you to enjoy the village after hours.
Penglipuran in Indonesia deeply values its bamboo, seeing it as a symbol of its lineage and history. Photo / 123rf
Paucartambo, Peru
Paucartambo’s Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen is one of the biggest street parties in Peru, a colourful three-day celebration attracting visitors from throughout the country. The festival helps preserve Quechua folk culture through parades, acrobatics, dance battles, and music.
Getting there: Shared taxis run from Cusco to Paucartambo.
Where to stay: Watch the parades from the balcony of Hostel Kukuli.
Sirince, Turkey
Sirince was Greek until the fall of the Ottoman Empire, when its inhabitants were exchanged with Turks in a population swap. The car-free village clings to the hillside, its buildings dotted between orchards, vineyards, and olive groves.
Getting there: Minibuses link Selcuk to Sirince.
Where to stay: Nisanyan Hotel comprises three traditional houses, a defence tower, and a Turkish bath.
Once a Greek village, Sirince's charming buildings are nestled among orchards and vineyards on the Turkish hillside. Photo / 123rf
Sentob, Uzbekistan
Families in Sentob invite tourists to discover the Nurata-Kyzylkum Biosphere Reserve. There are Bronze Age petroglyphs, shrines, and waterfalls within walking distance of the village, where 200 residents now run guesthouses, cookery classes, guided walks, and orchard tours.
Getting there: Trains run to Navoi, then continue to Sentob by car.
Where to stay: Rahima’s Guesthouse is within a large garden. Book through Responsible Travel.
Slunj, Croatia
The rivers and cascading waterfalls of Slunj power the village’s watermills, inspired numerous writers, and now draw tourists to one of Croatia’s prettiest villages. During Dani Grada Slunja each summer, teams compete in swimming, snorkelling, and other river-based challenges.
Getting there: Buses link Slunj to Zagreb and Rijeka.
Where to stay: You can hear the river from Guest House Vuceta.
Slunj's rivers and cascading waterfalls, which historically powered the village’s watermills, are a significant tourist attraction. Photo / 123rf
The complete list of winners
Africa: Dahshour, Egypt; Lephis Village, Ethiopia; Siwa, Egypt.
Americas: Barrancas, Chile; Caleta Tortel, Chile; Chacas, Peru; Chavin de Huantar, Peru; Filandia, Colombia; Higueras, Mexico; Jalpa de Canovas, Mexico; La Carolina, Argentina; Omitlan de Juarez, Mexico; Oyacachi, Ecuador; Pisco Elqui, Chile; Pozuzo, Peru; Taquile, Peru; Zapatoca, Colombia.
Europe: Cantavieja, Spain; Ericeira, Portugal; Lerici, Italy; Manteigas, Portugal; Morcote, Switzerland; Onati, Spain; Ordino, Andorra; Cantavieja, Spain; Saint-Ursanne, Switzerland; Schladming, Austria; Siguenza, Spain; Slunj, Croatia; Sortelha, Portugal; St Anton am Arlberg, Austria; Tokaj, Hungary; Valeni, Moldova; Vila da Madalena, Portugal.
Asia: Al Sela, Jordan; Biei, Japan; Dhordo, India; Dongbaek, Republic of Korea; Douma, Lebanon; Hakuba, Japan; Huangling, China; Kandovan, Iran; Mosan, Republic of Korea; Oku-Matsushima, Japan; Penglipuran, Indonesia; Saty, Kazakhstan; Sehwa, Republic of Korea; Sentob, Uzbekistan; Shirakawa, Japan; Sirince, Turkey; Tan Hoa, Vienam; Xiajiang, China; Zhagana, China; Zhujiawan, China.
