World Beautiful Hidden Locations

Huachina, Peruvian desert. Sandboarding and dune buggy rides attracts backpackers and adrenalin junkies to this striking dessert oasis, 4km west of Ica, in southwestern Peru.

Fancy something more exotic than sun loungers and sangria?

These breath-taking spots should satisfy your wunderlust – head there while they’re still secret by Alix O’Neill.

Hallstatt, Austria. Apparently, the Chinese have created a copy of this ancient salt mine village in Austria’s Salzkammergut region. (REX)

Lord Howe Island, Australia. This tiny island off Australia’s east coast has a population of less than 400. Home to more than 500 species of fish, it has one policeman, no mobile phones and a 15mph speed limit.

Cala Coticcio, Caprera Island, Sardinia. Formerly a NATO naval base, the Maddalena archipelago off Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda has only recently started to welcome tourists. With its translucent waters and rugged coastline, it won’t be a hidden gem for long, so book a flight pronto. (REX)

Mount Hood, Oregon. Home to 12 named glaciers and the highest point in Oregon, Mount Hood is considered the volcano most likely to erupt in the state. (REX

Luskentyre Bay, Isle of Harris. The perfect place to hide out if you’re on the run from the law, this remote stretch of coastline in the Outer Hebrides offers little else for company except wild ponies, dolphins, otters and deer.

Ristorante Grotta Palazzese, Bari, Puglia. Dine Batman style in this astonishing cave restaurant. Carved out of limestone rocks overlooking the Adriatic Sea, it sits 74 feet above sea level. (Grotta Palazzese Hotel)

Huachina, Peruvian desert. Sandboarding and dune buggy rides attracts backpackers and adrenalin junkies to this striking dessert oasis, 4km west of Ica, in southwestern Peru.

Tiger’s Nest Monastery, Bhutan. Built on a rock in 1682 (though founded in the 8th century as a meditation cave), this jaw-droppingly beautiful temple is 3,000m above sea level and is only accessible by foot. (Flickr/Hockadilly)

Waterfalls at Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia. There are 16 lakes in this World Heritage site, all separated by natural dams of travertine limestone on the Plitvice Plateau. (Flickr/Clark & Kim Kays)