Seven lesser-known European holiday destinations where the locals go

 British holidaymakers are sticklers for tradition. Data provided by the Spanish Tourist Office showed how in 2023, a mammoth 52 per cent of the 17m British tourists visiting Spain made for either the Canary Islands or the Balearics, despite some locals on the islands railing against mass tourism.  

A recent Which? Travel investigation revealed a similar story across a crowded continent. Paris, which hosted 44m international tourists in 2023, is the most-visited city in Europe. The same investigation named Zakynthos – a popular island getaway for Britons – the Greek capital of overtourism, with a staggering 6m overnight stays on an island with a tiny population of 40,000.

To avoid being surrounded by a sea of British chatter or anti-tourism placards, peace-seeking holidaymakers need to rediscover the joy of unfamiliar destinations. Venture off Europe’s beaten track and you’ll be rewarded with lower prices, quiet beaches and meaningful local interactions. From the gorgeous winelands of La Rioja in northern Spain, to the empty mountains of Montenegro, here are seven European regions where Britons have yet to catch on.

La Rioja, Spain  

More than 5m Brits descend on the Canary Islands every year, but data from the Spanish Tourist Office reveal how on the mainland, La Rioja welcomed just 10,000 British tourists – or 0.1 per cent of UK holidaymakers visiting Spain – in 2023.

“The Spanish region of La Rioja is perfect for visitors looking to venture off the traditional tourist trail and enjoy the temperate weather and varied landscapes of northern Spain,” says Manuel Butler, director of the Spanish Tourist Office. “Aside from its internationally famous wines, Rioja remains remarkably undiscovered, yet it is a rewarding region of contrasting countryside, wooded mountain ranges, olive groves and vineyards.”

Pack your Spanish phrasebook and base yourself in Logroño, where the Camino de Santiago pilgrim route intersects a regional capital founded by the Romans. Local company Rioja Like a Native offers half and full-day vineyard tours from €170pp. Visit in late June, and you can soak up La Rioja’s wine culture (quite literally) at the Batalla del Vino (Battle of the Wines), an annual fiesta in the village of Haro celebrating local food, wine – and more wine.

Vueling flies from Gatwick to Bilbao, a one-and-a-half hour drive north of Logroño, from £25 each way. Doubles at Sercotel Calle Mayor, a converted 16th-century palace, start from £65, room only.

Maremma, Italy  

Italy welcomed 68m visitors in 2024, fuelling anti-tourism sentiment in hotspots like Rome and Venice. Still, quiet bastions of solitude remain, including Maremma, a low-key coastal region in southern Tuscany where sun-drenched beaches and rural retreats are beloved by domestic, rather than international tourists.

Maremma has all the trappings of a marvellous Italian getaway, and hardly a British voice in earshot. The fortified stone towers of medieval towns such as Sorano rise above a countryside dotted with vineyards. Take a dip in Saturnia’s thermal hot springs, hike coastal paths in the Parco Regional del Maremma, and soak up la dolce vita in Talamone, a fishing village overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Fly into Florence or Rome, and it’s a two-hour drive to Grosseto, Maremma’s regional hub. Rooms at Grand Hotel Bastiani, in Grosseto’s historic city centre, start from £50 per night, room only.

Lika, Croatia

Some 21.3m international tourists visited Croatia in 2024, with the bulk of visitors (and Britons) heading to coastal destinations such as Split and Dubrovnik. Bisera Fabrio, director of the Croatian Tourism Board in London, recommends heading inland to Lika, Croatia’s largest, yet least populated region.

“Located between the Adriatic and central Croatia, Lika is a region of untamed beauty where majestic mountains, ancient forests, and crystal-clear rivers invite you to breathe deeply and reconnect with nature,” says Fabrio. She describes the mountainous region – home to the Unesco World Heritage-listed Plitvice Lakes National Park, where waterfalls crash down into turquoise lakes surrounded by limestone karst cliffs – as a “Croatian fairytale”.

Fabrio highlights how rural traditions and hospitality thrive in Lika, where tourists can enjoy artisanal cheeses, cured meats, and plum rakija (fruit brandy), while hearing local “stories that turn every meal into a cultural experience”. Fly to Split, Zadar or Zagreb, then transfer to Plitvice Lakes National Park, where rooms at Hotel Jezero start from £102 B&B.

Durmitor National Park, Montenegro  

Montenegro welcomes around 2.5m tourists each year, and according to the Statistical Office of Montenegro, just three per cent are from the United Kingdom.

The former Yugoslav nation might not be the Balkan secret it once was – endless cruise ships dock in Kotor in summer – but Ben Heywood, co-founder of Undiscovered Balkans, says: “there are many areas in Montenegro qualifying for off-the-beaten-track status, once you get away from the coast.”

He recommends chasing waterfalls, kayaking alpine lakes, white-water rafting, tackling hiking trails, e-biking and mountain climbing in Durmitor National Park, home to soaring peaks (the highest, Bobotov Kuk, is 8,277ft) and Europe’s deepest gorge (Tara Canyon at 4,265ft) in the north.