Umbria’s hill town of Assisi, watched over by the fortress of Rocca Maggiore, takes the spotlight in 2026, as Italy marks 800 years since the death of St Francis of Assisi.
Photos: Shutterstock
2026
Too good to miss: Outdoor adventures
Words by the Wanderlust Team
Assisi, Italy
Events will coalesce in the UNESCO-inscribed basilica that bears his name. But travellers will find fewer crowds and greater freedom as they walk in the saint’s footsteps on the Via di Francesco pilgrim trail (518km), which runs from Florence to Rome. This route hits its stride deep in Italy’s ‘green heart’, when crossing the Ponte delle Torri to medieval Spoleto or among the Roman ruins of Gubbio, or even when rising into historic Assisi itself.
Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
This year marks 25 years since UNESCO extended its inscription of the Galápagos Islands to include the Galápagos Marine Reserve, a critical habitat for more than 2,900 species, many of them endemic just to this region.
Photos: Shutterstock
Most of the islands are only visitable by cruise, with strict limits on the number of boats, while a growing array of certified eco-friendly operators is making it easier to visit and reduce your impact. But despite strict policies, the wildlife here still faces pervasive threats, from illegal fishing (especially for shark fins) and invasive species. Travelling responsibly and supporting organisations such as the Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT), which is working to rewild several extinct species, will help to preserve this incredible park for future generations.
Iceland, Greenland & Spain
Astrotourism was one of 2025’s hottest trends. This year, all eyes are on the skies over Europe, where a total solar eclipse will envelop northern Spain, western Iceland and eastern Greenland on 12 August.
Photos: Shutterstock
In Spain, the Balearic Islands and all of Navarre, Asturias and Cantabria lie directly in the path of totality, offering a choice between mountain and sea views as the event happens. Or for something more remote, head to Iceland’s remote Westfjords, an area of 8,600 sq km home to barely 7,000 people, or join an expedition cruise to Greenland’s eastern fjords. You’ll get just over two minutes of totality as the darkness sets in, but when the sun reappears, the adventure will have only just begun.
Senegal
People have lived sustainably in Senegal’s UNESCO-inscribed Saloum Delta for thousands of years.
Photos: Shutterstock
More than 200 ancient shell middens have been found among its mangroves, salt marshes and lonely islands, where the Saloum Delta National Park was established in 1976. As the park marks its 50th anniversary, this fragile environment is still in the careful hands of its local peoples. Boat and canoe tours offer visitors a peek into the lives of Sérère and Diola island fishing villages, supporting communities who have sustained this region for generations, as well as a chance to see the area’s hundreds of bird species. The sight of a Goliath heron in flight is worth the airfare alone.
Türkiye
A host of new hiking trails is opening up corners of Türkiye that many visitors never see.
Photos: Shutterstock
On the Sea of Marmara, Yalova is a growing hub for several routes under development, including the 801km Sufi Trail, which follows the old Ottoman Hajj pilgrim route from Istanbul to Konya. The Mera Waterfall Trekking Route is due to open in 2026 in Yalova’s Termal District, taking visitors up into the mountains where little-visited cascades dot the hills. It’s also a good time to catch up with some under-the-radar hikes that have emerged in the last few years. The 500km Efeler Way in İzmir passes through spectacular peaks and plateaus, while the more manageable Zengibar Way (102km) takes in the ancient region of Isauria in Konya, rambling past canyons, castles and impossibly lush valleys.
United Kingdom
The UK’s countryside takes the stage in 2026 as several national parks mark their 75th anniversary, beginning in April with the Peak District
Photos: Shutterstock
Others include Eryri (Snowdonia), Dartmoor and the Lake District, where the artist and author Beatrix Potter’s 160th birthday is being celebrated with weekend tours around Bowness-on-Windermere in August. This year also welcomes the 250th anniversary of the birth of John Constable, with an ongoing retrospective of his paintings (together with those of JMW Turner) at the Tate London offering the inspiration to explore the artist’s old stomping ground in the beautiful Stour Valley of Suffolk. Meanwhile, September’s much-anticipated return of the Bayeux Tapestry to the UK for the first time in 900 years will no doubt inspire visits to Hastings and its Battle Abbey, as well as to London’s British Museum, where it’s on show. That’s only if you can tear yourself away from the coast, of course, with Britain’s 4,300km King Charles III England Coast Path finally set to be completed in 2026.
