The Best Places to Go in North America and the Caribbean in 2026

The year 2026 is going to be a momentous one for the United States as it celebrates its 250th anniversary. Across the country, national parks, historic sites, and cities will gear up to show up—and show off—in ways big and small. Against this backdrop, how does one pick where to visit? Inevitably, we were led by some nostalgia: Route 66, for instance, was an easy one. Next year, visitors can commemorate 100 years of cruising the Mother Road, and whether you’re driving on stretches in Missouri or New Mexico, you’ll not only get to appreciate a neon-lit glow-up but you’ll also be reminded of the role this byway has played in America’s history and how its story has been told. Celebrations will also be underway on Catalina Island, the tiny but beguiling island off the Southern California coast that will celebrate its own centennial as a resort destination with some thoughtful nods to its glamorous past. We were inspired even more so by stories of reinvention: Former industrial cities Portland, Oregon, and Buffalo are both looking to script new futures anchored in cultural openings and urban revitalization efforts. And over in Deer Valley, Utah, the end of one dazzling chapter (the Sundance Film Festival) just means there’s room for a new one: in this case, the largest ski resort expansion in North American history.

But this list, which covers countries in North America and the Caribbean as well as Mexico, is about so much more than just the US—or 250 years of history. The earliest human settlers arrived on these noncontiguous lands tens of thousands of years ago, and the entity itself is, quite literally, a layer cake of ancient geological evolutions accrued over billions of years. It is upon one such ancient limestone seabed that Prince Edward County in Southern Ontario, Canada, sits, which gives the region’s new cool-climate wines their distinctive old-world character. PEC has long been a weekend destination for East Coast Canadians, but a spate of boutique hotels, family-run wineries, and excellent restaurants is sure to draw crowds from farther afield. And over in Jalisco, Mexico, another historically rich region, the one that birthed the thriving city of Guadalajara, there’s another kind of rebirth—one that’s helmed by creative entrepreneurs and artists eager to pave a path for Mexico’s second city that’s distinct from ever-popular Ciudad de Mexico.

Guadalajara will also be one of 16 cities across Canada, the US, and Mexico to play host to the much-awaited 2026 FIFA World Cup—as will Boston, on this list for its emergence as a vibrant and dynamic capital where past and future coexist. Because isn’t that the greatest gift of looking back at history—a chance to shape a better future?

We hope you will enjoy reading this list and use it to chart your own future journeys, near and far. —Arati Menon

This is part of our global guide to the Best Places to Go in 2026—find more travel inspiration here.

The Best Places to Go in North America and the Caribbean in 2026

Arkansas

Go for: a world-class mountain biking destination; new hiking trails flanking the Mississippi River

Fittingly nicknamed the Natural State, Arkansas is rich in outdoor landmarks that include the bubbling thermal waters at Hot Springs National Park and teeming forest ecosystems across Ozark National Forest and the Ouachita Mountains. In 2026, two new chairlift-served mountain cycling parks will cement the state as the country’s cycling epicenter and broaden its reputation as a gateway for outdoor recreation. In the Ouachita Mountains, the Trails at Mena project, which breaks ground in 2026, will become the largest lift-served mountain bike park in the world when it opens, featuring 100 miles of exhilarating trails built for all levels, including mountain bikers and backcountry users. In northwestern Bella Vista, OZ Trails Bike Park will be the state’s first chairlift-served downhill mountain biking park when it opens in mid-2026, which will will offer a state-of-the-art Poma-Leitner high-speed chairlift system that can carry four passengers and their bikes; more than 20 miles of downhill biking trails across 200 acres; dedicated paths for hiking and running; and a buzzing central hub with restaurants, bars, and communal gathering spaces. Set against pin-drop-silent remote flatlands and forests buoyed by swamp and marsh wetlands, new segments of the Delta Heritage Trail next spring will round out 84.5 miles of hiking and biking trails flanked by the Mississippi River. When you’re ready to head indoors, find your way to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, where there are two new galleries showcasing five centuries of American art across 114,000 square feet of new space, broadening the cultural appeal of a city already well-loved for its biking opportunities. Just steps away from the museum—and a stone’s throw away from the forest trails that beckon adventure travelers—visitors can check into The Compton, a newly opened 142-room boutique property that celebrates the region’s great outdoors with a sculptural bluff in the central atrium inspired by the natural cliffs of Buffalo National River. —Kristin Braswell

Boston, Massachusetts

Go for: FIFA World Cup, Sail Boston, and America’s big birthday

Boston already wears its history proudly, but America’s 250th anniversary will shine a brighter spotlight on the historic capital. The city is experiencing a turning point, and the world is starting to see the version of Boston that its residents have always known: not a college town or a business-first destination but a vibrant and dynamic metropolis where past and future coexist. And 2026 is going to be a banner year for goings-on. There’s something old: the return of Sail Boston in July, an event held roughly every eight years when Boston Harbor gets packed with floods with historic tall ships from around the world, many of which guests can board and explore for free. There’s something new too: Boston is one of the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which organizers are already calling the single largest sporting event ever. But even if you visit outside of those dates, you’ll find that the city is percolating with new energy. Take James Beard Award finalist Comfort Kitchen, for instance, which offers comfort food inspired by the African diaspora, or Row 34, which continually ups the ante with best-in-class seafood, in a city home to what must be the highest number of seafood snobs in the world. That’s just the amuse-bouche of it all. A new wave of artists and diverse entrepreneurs is drawing visitors to less-explored neighborhoods like Charlestown, Dorchester, and East Boston, and the forthcoming Atlas Hotel in Allston will further shift the city’s center of gravity away from its downtown core—contributing to a renewed sense that yes, in fact, what is old can be made new again. —Todd Plummer

Buffalo, New York

Go for: a comeback kid with a revitalized waterfront and new cultural stalwarts

What was once one of the country’s wealthiest cities is looking to cement something of a comeback. Buffalo, New York, has become a postindustrial punching bag, attracting visitors primarily due to its proximity to Niagara Falls—and the Buffalo Bills. But urban revitalization efforts will come to a head in 2026 with a spate of openings worth paying attention to. There are green spaces galore: 2025 already saw the reopening of Wilkeson Pointe, part of New York State’s $300 million restoration plan for the Buffalo Waterfront with hiking trails, kayak and bike rentals, and eventually, a public beach, while the first-phase rollout of the 100-acre Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Park begins in 2026 with the unveiling of a pedestrian bridge that will link the west side to the waterfront. Sports fans can anticipate the summer opening of the new $2.2 billion Highmark Stadium, just ahead of the Buffalo Bills’ 2026 season—it is claimed that this facility will have the world’s largest heated roof. That’s not all: The Hispanic Heritage Cultural Institute will open on Buffalo’s west side and a brand-new visitor center at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff (FLW designed several significant buildings in Buffalo) are also forthcoming in the summer. In fall 2026 the Lipsey Architecture Center, which focuses on advancing Buffalo’s architectural legacy including cultural institutions built by Eero Saarinen, will get a new home on the Richardson Olmsted Campus. Programming announcements for America’s semiquincentennial celebration are yet to come, so keep your eyes peeled—but in the meantime there’s much else to plan on as Buffalo blossoms. —Charlie Hobbs

Catalina Island, California

Go for: a century of Art Deco glamour and some wild surprises

In 2026, Catalina Island is celebrating its 100th anniversary as a resort destination, so there’s never been a better time to rediscover the Channel island located just an hour off the Southern California coast. Starting in 1919, William Wrigley Jr. transformed the island into a “playground for all.” He invited the Chicago Cubs to train in Avalon in 1921 and had an Art Deco gem of a theater, the Catalina Casino, built in 1929. A herd of bison—originally brought over for a silent-film shoot in 1924—still roam the island’s wild interior today. Thanks to the Wrigley family’s conservation legacy, 88% of Catalina is protected, preserving habitats for endemic species like the Catalina Island fox. Adventurers can hike the 38.5-mile Trans-Catalina Trail, snorkel the turquoise waters at Lover’s Cove Marine Reserve, or kayak to hidden coves in search of sea lions and bright-orange garibaldi fish.

If indoor sports are more your thing, don’t miss your chance to lace up vintage skates and twirl across the same polished floor where big bands once played, beneath glittering Tiffany chandeliers, in the Catalina Casino’s former ballroom. It now moonlights as the coolest roller skating rink in the world owing to its current creative director, Wesley Alfvin, a former member of the Dapper Dans a cappella group at Disneyland. And over at Mt Ada, William Wrigley Jr.’s former mansion perched above Avalon Bay, a 2024 refresh means rooms now feature spa-style bathrooms, curated period antiques, and a 24/7 butler’s pantry stocked with handcrafted gelato. —Amy Bizzarri

Deer Valley, Utah

Go for: one last (Sun)dance; double the skiable terrain

For decades Deer Valley has been synonymous with groomed slopes, polished service, and the starry energy of the Sundance Film Festival. In January 2026, that story will come full circle. After over four decades in Park City, Sundance will mark its final year in Utah, culminating with what organizers call “a celebration full of gratitude and joy” to honor founder Robert Redford and the cultural milestone this moment represents. As Sundance bows out, Deer Valley enters a new era with the largest ski-resort expansion in North American history. The Expanded Excellence initiative more than doubles skiable terrain to 4,300 acres, with nearly 100 new runs and 31 lifts. This winter also brings seven new chairlifts, including the East Village Express gondola, alongside the continued rollout of East Village, which offers streamlined mountain access and more than 70 shops and restaurants. Upon completion, East Village will also feature eight hotels, including the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley, which opened in late 2024, the forthcoming Canopy by Hilton (Hilton’s first ski-destination property, set to debut in summer 2026), and further out, a Four Seasons resort and residences slated to open in 2028. Add in the swanky Chute Eleven Champagne yurt, returning for its second year, plus 300 inches of annual snowfall backed by a state-of-the-art snowmaking system, and Deer Valley stands ready to show travelers what its next chapter looks like. —Lauren Dana Ellman

East Coast, Barbados

Go for: a new (unspoiled) slice of island life—and more access than ever

With new direct flight routes and luxe cruise itineraries, the Caribbean’s easternmost island is becoming more accessible than ever in 2026. Delta and KLM recently launched nonstop routes from their hubs in Atlanta and Amsterdam, respectively, and the port of Bridgetown completed a $2 million upgrade in 2023. The island is also developing the port of Speightstown on the north end of the island, which now offers new moorings for smaller luxury vessels like the Emerald Sakara, from Emerald Cruises, which docks here on a number of itineraries during its 2026 winter season.

All of this will invariably mean more visitors. But that doesn’t mean you can’t easily escape the crowds should you choose. While Barbados’s most popular luxury resorts lie along the tranquil western shores on the Caribbean Sea, adventure-minded travelers can drive just a half hour northeast from Grantley Adams International Airport or the busy Bridgetown cruise ports to reach the island’s more rugged Atlantic coastline, where dramatic scenery, world-class surfing, and colorful fishing villages preserve the island’s unspoiled character. Start in Bathsheba, where powerful waves have long drawn surfers to the Soup Bowl, a reef break revered by international pros. There’s plenty of outdoor activities for nonsurfers too, with a national park and wildlife reserve protecting the majority of the east coast from commercial development. Hike from Bath Beach to Bathsheba on a scenic six-mile path that follows the former route of the island’s coastal railway. Then round out the day in the nearby village of Martin’s Bay on Thursdays, when the Bay Tavern Fish Fry brings together neighbors and visitors alike for fresh-off-the-boat red snapper, baked mac and cheese, and rum-fueled karaoke sessions.

In the past, the majority of east-coast accommodations have consisted of family-owned inns and seaside cottages. This September hotelier Paul Doyle, who owns the island’s oldest operating hotel, The Crane Resort, finished the three-year construction on a new all-villa property called East Resort—bringing upscale yet intimate lodging to what they call Barbados’s best-kept secret. —Mariette Williams

Guadalajara, Mexico

Go for: world-renowned festivals; FIFA World Cup games; and vibrant female-fronted industries

As the epicenter of traditions synonymous with Mexican culture—mariachi, ceramics, tortas ahogadas, and of course, tequila–Guadalajara has been ready for the spotlight. In 2026 the third-largest city in Mexico will also showcase its cultural achievements as host of several world-class events. The Guadalajara International Film Festival returns in April, FIFA World Cup brings four matches in June, and November marks the 40th edition of the weeklong Guadalajara International Book Fair. But it’s the tapatías (women from Guadalajara) who are blossoming all over La Ciudad de las Rosas. Guadalajara’s first female mayor, Verónica Delgadillo García, is a sign of progress, as are gender-sensitive bike-share programs and women-fronted mariachi and cumbia bands who serenade the public. Guadalajara’s artisanal heritage intersects with art and food. Touring Cerámica Suro, a ceramics factory in Colón Industrial, you’ll paint your own piece with guidance from Juliana Suro and her father, José Noé Suro, who host a residency program with local women artists and sister art gallery Plataforma and their rotating artists in residence. This feminine spirit touches modern gastronomy too. At Santa Teresita’s Xokol, chef Xrysw Ruelas is a storyteller of ancestral Mexican ingredients and matriarchs. Juana Segundo Alcántar, abuela to Xokol chef Óscar Segundo (Ruelas’s husband), is depicted in a lifelike mural overlooking the dining room’s communal tables, where guests are treated to tortillas freshly pressed with multicolored circles. Matriarchal culture is also a family affair at well-known Jalisco distilleries like La Alteña—2026 marks Jenny Camarena’s first full year as CEO of El Tesoro de Don Felipe Tequila. While Guadalajara has long been a gem of a destination, evolving quietly while neighboring cities get more attention, the spotlight is shining a bit brighter. —Alisha Miranda

Portland, Oregon

Go for: exciting art and culinary projects that tell a fresh story

For a few years now, this perpetually overcast town—with the prevailing tired image of hipster Portlandia—has developed a thornier reputation. But in 2026 a series of major art, architecture, and culinary projects conspire to tell a fresh story about the City of Roses. Travelers will sense the city’s plot twist the moment they disembark at Portland International Airport, which, in early 2026, opens the final third of its new terminal, acclaimed for its award-winning mass-timber architecture. Built with wood sourced from nearby forests and via tribal partnerships, the wavy ceiling extends over some two dozen local shops and restaurants. In the city’s walkable downtown, the Portland Art Museum (PAM), the oldest art museum in the Pacific Northwest, completes a massive expansion in November 2025. With an additional 100,000 square feet, PAM will display nearly 300 new major acquisitions and introduce new galleries, including one dedicated solely to Black artists. In a city with one of the continent’s most acclaimed food scenes, which has spawned stars such as Gregory Gourdet of Kann, summer 2026 will bring yet another reason to celebrate the Willamette Valley’s bounty: the James Beard Public Market, which finally comes to life after more than a decade of planning starts and stops. The indoor-outdoor venue, filled with small-scale growers and producers, will be one to rival Seattle’s Pike Place. For sports lovers there is the new WNBA team, the Portland Fire, which will kick off its first season in May, drawing droves of fans to The Sports Bra. And while these developments signal Portland’s evolution, the city’s soul remains intact—where else would a sprawling bookstore (Powell’s), an urban forest (Forest Park), and one of the country’s longest-running drag venues (Darcelle XV) rank among the top attractions? —JD Shadel

Prince Edward County, Canada

Go for: a newer wine region with an old soul

Prince Edward County—or PEC—is already a favorite long-weekend destination for many Canadians, especially those from Toronto and Montreal (it’s only a few hours drive from each). The region has been coming into its own for the past decade as a hot spot for boutique hotels, small family-run wineries, and world-class restaurants, but there’s plenty more to come. On the hotel front in 2025 alone, newly renovated properties such as Claramount Club and The Wellington General swung open their doors, and the stylish lakeside escape Wander the Resort expanded its experiences focused on local food and outdoor recreation and opened a lakefront Nordic spa. Happy Sailing started to offer sailing lessons along PEC’s curving shoreline, and Charlie, a playful neighborhood bistro in Consecon, is already pulling in the crowds.

A lot of what’s new is centered in the quaint town of Picton, which has been transformed over the last few years by hotels including The Royal. It’s become a community hub of sorts, drawing locals and travelers alike, and has been joined by excellent dining establishments like farm-to-table wine bar Theia and Spanish restaurant Bocado. But don’t be afraid to venture out of town to explore the county’s food scene—PEC is now a mecca for exciting young chefs who are opening their own spots with a local focus. Top tables include Darlings, Stella’s Eatery, and La Condesa, all of which rival anything you’ll find in major tourist centers. If wine tourism is of interest, be sure to explore vineyards like Traynor, Closson Chase and Hinterland Wine Company. PEC may be one of Canada’s youngest wine regions, but you’ll find elegant reds, crisp whites, and sparkling pét-nats thanks to its unique terroir and crisp, cool climate.

When it comes to Prince Edward County, 2026 is when the world will catch up on what Canadians have known for years. —Kyle Beechey

Riviera Nayarit, Mexico

Go for: an amped-up barefoot-luxury game anchored in chic stays and buzzy restaurant openings

The Riviera Nayarit is a quiet, scenic slice of coast boasting over 200 miles of golden beachy nooks that Mexican travelers have long retreated to—but now it’s receiving infrastructural boosts that are effectively setting out the welcome mat for others. Regional hub Puerto Vallarta Airport is set to open a second terminal in 2026, just in the nick of time for three new Canadian routes on Porter Airlines, from Toronto, Ottawa, and Hamilton, that kick off this winter, while Los Angeles residents now benefit from direct flights between LAX and Tepic-Riviera Nayarit International Airport (farther north) with Mexican carrier Volaris. The improvements continue on solid ground too: The new highway between Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta cuts time behind the wheel by an hour.

And though the charming beach bungalows of Nayarit are still on offer, the portfolio of high-end stays is only getting stronger: Rosewood Mandarina opened in May 2025, while the 91-suite, 34-residence Siari, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, is set to become Ritz-Carlton Reserve’s ninth property when it is unwrapped at the end of 2025. One&Only Mandarina, meanwhile, has unveiled a nine-hole golf course designed by former pro Greg Norman, which is shared with the Rosewood Mandarina next door. The supporting act to these chic stays is world-class dining, as Nayarit emerges as a great place to eat—and not just with tasty traditional cooking, like camarones a la cucaracha or aguachile—thanks to buzzy outposts from big-name chefs. Rubra is the latest brainchild of top Mexican chef Daniela Soto-Innes, who has created a milpa-driven edible art gallery in Punta de Mita. Over at the One&Only Mandarina, Carao offers Enrique Olvera’s prowess on premises, and at Rosewood Mandarina, Diego Muñoz collaborated with chef José Mascarós on the Japanese-infused Toppu, which opened in September 2025. —Sorrel Moseley-Williams

Route 66, USA

Go for: 100 years of the Mother Road

Neon lights are burning a little brighter along Route 66, the iconic US highway that stretched between Chicago and Santa Monica, as it celebrates its centennial in 2026. While the contiguous highway was decommissioned in 1985, sections of it have been preserved for historic interest. Along these, vintage motel and diner signs have been restored to their midcentury brilliance, including more than a dozen along Albuquerque’s 18-mile (the country’s longest) urban stretch. In St. Robert, Missouri, long-abandoned neon signs have been polished and collected in the just-opened Route 66 Neon Park. Celebrations are planned along the 2,448-mile route, from Springfield, Missouri, host of the Route 66 Centennial National Kick-Off in April, to Tulsa’s Capital Cruise in May, a world-record attempt for the largest-ever classic-car parade, and Amarillo’s 10-day-long Texas Route 66 Festival in June.

A trip along the Mother Road invites nostalgia for the past but also consideration of how history has been told. Historically, over 25 tribal nations lived along the route, but for years their diverse cultures were largely represented through reductive stereotypes, with concrete tipi storefronts and signage adorned with Hollywood-style depictions of Native peoples. Now travelers can get a more realistic view at Indigenous-run institutions including Albuquerque’s Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, operated by the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico, which celebrates its 50th year in 2026, and at the First Americans Museum, which opened in Oklahoma City in 2021 to tell the stories of Oklahoma’s 39 nations. —Karen Gardiner