BBC Travel's favourite stories of 2024

From freediving in Mexico's cenotes to sketching in Bhutan's cafes, these 20 stories helped us see the world in a new way this year.

Every year, we publish hundreds of awe-inspiring, immersive travel stories from across the globe. Many of these transport us to places we've never been, others reveal new sides to places we think we know and all of them celebrate the people and places that make this world so wonderfully diverse.

These are the stories we couldn't stop talking about this year – the ones that moved us, changed us and reminded us that the world can still be a wondrous place. From freediving in Mexico's cenotes to sketching in Bhutan's cafes, we hope you enjoy reading these stories as much as we did.

The hidden wonders of Mexico's sacred underwater world, by Alex St-Jean

"This is one of my favourite photo essays that we've done. The images were just incredible and really managed to capture both the beauty and the sacredness of Mexico's cenotes." – Lynn Brown

Mottainai: In Japan, creativity is key to a no-waste ideal, by Johnny Motley

"'Waste not, want not' is the driving force behind the Japanese concept of mottainai. In this piece of hyper-visual food writing, we learn about delicious dishes made from 'the nasty bits' many people throw away – and what mottainai means for Japan's star chefs." – Eva Sandoval

El Hierro: How the youngest Canary Island escaped mass tourism, by Sarah Gilbert

"In a year where overtourism has repeatedly hit the headlines, it was refreshing to read about El Hierro's quiet defiance against commercialisation and its commitment to low-impact travel. This story shows that quieter corners do still exist, offering beauty, culture and sustainability in equal measure." – Ellie Cobb

The secret meaning behind the World Tree Hugging Championships, by Laura Hall

"I love everything about this story: it's whimsical, fascinating and a unique (and playful) look into how forests have helped shape the Finnish soul." – Eliot Stein

The 89-year-old woman who is still travelling the world solo, by Mia Taylor

"This deeply engaging story about Joy Fox, an 89-year-old Englishwoman who has been rejoicing in exploring the world on her own since she was 20 years old with no signs of stopping, is straight goals." – Eva Sandoval

Point Comfort: The little-known birthplace of African American culture, by Patrice Worthy

"Travel is such a powerful vehicle for telling stories, particularly those that have fallen by the wayside. I appreciated the way that this piece highlighted a little-known fact of history and the people and the town doing the hard work of bringing these unknown stories to light."  – Lynn Brown

How TikTok is embracing the food of 'third culture kids', by Clarissa Wei

"I have childhood memories of my mum spiking her spag bol with cumin and chilli and serving my friends fish fingers with raita. The embarrassment I felt back then has been replaced with pride in my multicultural upbringing – and this wonderful story about Jon Kung and his fierce 'rejection of the notion that there is one right way to do things' made my heart sing." – Ellie Cobb

An ethical – and safe – place to swim with whales, by Keri Bridgwater

"I appreciated how the writer highlighted the Indigenous wisdom of the locals in this piece about whale encounters off the coast of French Polynesia. It really speaks to the ways that Indigenous communities around the world often already have the solutions for how to safely and respectfully interact with nature. Visitors can have an amazing travel experience while also supporting the local community and the environment, and this piece was a great example of that." – Lynn Brown

Fort Mose: The first free Black town in the US, by Lina Zeldovich

"A good travel story reveals things you never knew about places you think you know, and this delivered on that for me. I had no idea that long before the Underground Railroad, Black freedom-seekers journeyed south instead of north to escape bondage. This is an interesting and important story." – Eliot Stein

Where to find Italy's dolce vita in real life, by Andrea Carlo 

"I loved this story, which lives somewhere between travel writing, cultural commentary and film critique. Film so often inspires our wanderlust, and it was fun showing readers how to have a 'real' dolce vita holiday, while exploring how Netflix's Ripley drenched the watercolour painting of the Amalfi coast in moody noir greys." – Eva Sandoval

Shrovetide football: England's ancient and chaotic ball game, by Daniel Stables

"This lively story dives into the centuries-old tradition of Shrovetide football, an exuberant and near-lawless game played through the streets and rivers of Ashbourne. The writing perfectly captures the chaos, camaraderie and sheer spectacle of this uniquely English event, offering a glimpse into a community fiercely proud of its history and traditions." – Ellie Cobb

Irish chef Richard Corrigan's Christmas menu, by Chris Dwyer

"This holiday food story, with its tasty descriptions of a traditional Irish Christmas feast and delightful observations from celebrated chef Richard Corrigan, really got me in the holiday mood." – Eva Sandoval

Skiing Mount Etna: Europe's tallest and most active volcano, by Louis Supple

"When most people picture Sicily, they likely don't imagine tearing down a snow-capped volcano on skis, but this evocative, adrenaline-inducing read makes a compelling case for the island as one of Europe's great ski mountaineering destinations." – Eliot Stein

Scotland's offbeat world championship of stone skimming, by Mike MacEacheran

"I love nothing better than a bit of whimsy, and this delightful story fully captures the charm of Scotland's annual stone skimming championship, a quirky tradition that transforms a simple childhood pastime into a spirited global competition. It's a lovely reminder that travel often finds its magic in the unexpected." – Ellie Cobb

Why urban sketching retreats are taking off, by Shikha Shah

"The illustrations in this story are stunning, and the idea of slowing down to quietly appreciate the small details that make a place a place is really lovely. It's a nice reminder that sometimes the best way to see more of a destination is by not rushing through it." – Eliot Stein

Is Italy breaking up with you? By Anna Bressanin

"What can I say? I love a good metaphor! The idea of the relationship between tourists and the country of Italy as a romantic one really spoke to me. A lot of us have a romance with travel, but respect and boundaries are important cornerstones of any healthy relationship, including the one with the destinations that you're visiting." – Lynn Brown

The ingenious wines birthed from black volcanic craters, by Sofia Perez

"On Spain's Lanzarote Island, wine is produced in conical, black volcanic craters, giving the earth an eerily lunar appearance. The images for this story are stunning, and the writing is as intoxicating as the subject matter." – Eva Sandoval

The underground pasta school in an abandoned Italian ghost town, by Stefanie Ellis

"This is the exact experience I want to have on my next holiday: finding a hidden pasta school where I can learn age-old culinary traditions in the most unexpected of places. Could there be anything more heartwarming?" – Ellie Cobb

California's little-known ancient society, by Amber Taupin

"Did you know that an island off the coast of California is known as the 'Galapagos of North America'? Or that it's home to some of the oldest remains in the Western world? Or that the discovery of these skeletal remains changed what we thought we knew about how the earliest humans migrated from Asia to the Americas? Or that the descendants of these early settlers still live in California today? This is a fascinating read on so many levels." – Eliot Stein

The Train Maya: Mexico's ambitious new tourism megaproject, by Jessica Vincent

“When asked to give an example of the type of story I love to see on the BBC, this story always comes to mind. The way it straddles the line between a beautiful account of the writer’s travels and a deeply reported piece about a controversial bit of travel infrastructure, while still managing to keep that sense of wonder about the world feels classic BBC Travel to me." – Lynn Brown

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