A country that can be underwater, the destination that measures happiness and the one that resurfaced after being devastated by a volcano

While some destinations no longer know what to do to combat mass tourism – Venice is one of the cases and began to charge admission to visitors who arrive for the day -, at the other end of the world tourist flow there are destinations that eagerly await (and desire) the arrival of foreign travelers.

The quota of international tourism that this last group of places receives usually places them among the least visited in the world. For reference: among the most visited countries is Spain, which in 2023 exceeded 85 million international visitors, and in this selection there are places where a few thousand travelers arrive and others that, prior to the pandemic, received around 300,000.

The reasons are very varied, such as remoteness -isolation, in reality and, therefore, the difficulty of getting there-, the lack of knowledge about the place, a infrastructure poorly developed or situations that complicated their tourist future and now they must turn around.

One of the least visited destinations on the planet is Montserrat, an island in the Caribbean near Antigua, whose history changed abruptly in 1995, when the Soufrière Hills volcano erupted for the first time in 400 years. As a result, two-thirds of the southern part of the island – including the capital, Plymouth – was buried in ash and mud, and much of the population emigrated.

The devastated area remains an “exclusion zone” and can only be visited with an authorized guide.

On this island, which is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, there are currently 5,000 residents and eager to receive tourists who activate their economy.

Now, the Montserrat Volcano Observatory monitors the Soufrière Hills activity (and can be visited), as does Jack Boy Hill, a panoramic viewpoint of the volcano, plus the remains of the old airport and the ocean.

Like every Caribbean destination, it has several beaches, such as Fox’s Bay, which borders the Exclusion Zone; Isle’s Bay, which is ideal for swimming; or Lime Klin, which invites you to dive and observe sea turtles. In Little Bay – next to Marine Village – you can practice stand up paddle boarding and kayaking. New Beach emerged, as its name suggests, after volcanic activity near Bottomless Ghaut: very pretty but not for swimming, due to its strong currents.

The only white sand beach is Rendezvous Beach, with abundant schools of fish and a reef. Sea turtles nest in the Woodlands between May and December (more information at www.visitmontserrat.com and on Instagram, @islandofmontserrat).

On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Sao Tome and Principe It is one of the micro states of Africa. Located in the Gulf of Guinea, northwest of the coast of Gabon, it takes its name from its largest islands: São Tomé (São Tomé, is 50 km long and 32 km wide and is the most mountainous) and Príncipe (16 km long and 6 km wide).

A destination that the New York Times already named as a place to visit in 2018, and that has received international aid to revitalize the tourism sector and improve infrastructure.

The islands – they were a colony of Portugal and Portuguese is spoken – stand out for their jungle landscape, Portuguese colonial architecture, virgin beaches, the possibility of observing humpback whales (between June and August) and dolphins, and enjoying life under the sea ​​with diving trips.

A historical must-see is farm Monté Café, the oldest coffee plantation of the place, where they also grow cocoa and you can learn about the process.

In the lists that are usually published about “the least visited destinations” there are several islands in the Pacific Ocean. Just look for them on the map to see how isolated they are; They are just a dot in the middle of the blue of that enormous body of water: Kiribati, Tuvalu, Niue, the Marshall Islands, Solomon, Samoa, Tonga…

Those who ever thought of reaching Tuvalu, they will have to hurry, because it is expected that climate change and ocean growth will end up “engulfing” this archipelago in the next 80 years (there are already two of its atolls that are mostly underwater). This is why, after signing a treaty, Australia decided to offer a “climate refuge” to the 11,000 inhabitants of these islands, and will grant 280 visas per year for Tuvaluans to settle there to study and work. Meanwhile, the place invites you to “find your paradise” at www.timelesstuvalu.com.

Known as “the Rock of Polynesia”, Niue It has free association status with New Zealand (2,400 kilometers to the northeast). It has 1,500 inhabitants and, to promote itself for tourism, it says: “Arrive as a visitor and leave as a friend… You will know half of the island before you leave,” in reference to the low population density.

In Niue, the water clarity -ideal for snorkeling or diving; They promise unforgettable dives – and invite you to share “our world apart, without crowds, without queues, without traffic lights and with a pace of life that many long for.” To get there, since April there have been two flights a week departing from Auckland. More information at www. niueisland.com.

With 33 coral islands (21 of them uninhabited) and 4,000 km from Hawaii, Kiribati has a great peculiarity: it is the only country in the world that extends across the four hemispheres. All but one of the islands are atolls, and like many places in the Pacific, it is a perfect destination for diving. Remnants of World War II can also be seen (www.kiribatitourism.gov.ki).

Butane It has many more tourists than the previous destinations, but we can still place it among the “little visited ones; “little known.”

Located in the middle Himalayan mountain range, between India and Tibet, is considered the last Vajrayana Buddhist country in the world and has a particular history, since its tourist history is quite recent: it began receiving visitors in 1974, but wanted to keep the flow of foreigners at bay with the premise of a more responsible and respectful tourism (on its official website it claims to be one of the first countries with negative carbon emissions). For this he has always charged a Sustainable Development Ratewhich is why it used to be ranked among the most expensive destinations.

From the first 300 visitors who arrived in 1974, the number grew to 315,600 in 2019. But after the pandemic, needs to recover touristsand that is why since September 2023 that rate dropped from 200 to 100 dollars per night, per person.

Traveling to Bhutan, a constitutional monarchy, is to immerse yourself in a Tradition and culture which is reflected in architecture, religion, language and clothing, and also a trip to protected nature. They are part of the axes of the concept of “Gross National Happiness” that they created in this kingdom and that put happiness above GDP in importance. If you go to the official website (bhutan.travel), you are going to want to travel.

Further south, Brunei It is on the island of Borneo, on the South China Sea. In pre-pandemic it reached 333,000 visitors. It is a sultanate and also calls itself “Abode of Peace”. There are beaches, as Brunei’s coastline stretches for 160 km. The most popular are Muara, Meragang, Seri Kenangan, Serasa and, for lovers of sunset and beachfront exercise, Tanjong Batu. There is diving: the coral reefs are mostly “pure and intact.” You can see leopard shrimp, barracudas and octopuses, lionfish, moray eels and seahorses.

The history and culture of this destination, very conservative in its traditions and customs, and where Islamic heritage takes center stage, is part of the journey. They say that the most photographed monument is the Mezquita Omar Ali Saifuddien en Bandar Seri Begawanwith its dome covered in gold and white marble columns.