Have you ever arrived at some magical, bucket list destination and thought, “This is it??” We definitely have. In this blog post we want to share some of our biggest disappointments in famous sights and cities around the world. For us, these famous places just didn’t live up to the hype. For some famous places that exceeded our expectations, check out our post Ten Famous Places That Really Were Outstanding.
Of course these are purely our opinions, based on our preferences and experiences. Some of these spots may be controversial and you should absolutely visit and form your own opinions. One man’s heaven is another man’s … er, bad vacation …
1. Santorini, Greece
I remember getting to Santorini and thinking that it looked like the worst part of the Arizona desert, but with an ocean. The name Santorini was so strongly associated with beautiful Mediterranean beaches and white-washed houses in my mind. It was a bit of a shock to find it hot, a little grubby, very crowded, and with not much to see or do besides join the crowds in shopping.
As it turns out, unless you can afford to rent a very expensive beach villa, Santorini’s biggest draw is being a transit hub to get to the more beautiful beaches.
Don’t get me wrong, that Aegean blue sea contrasting with the whitewashing is very beautiful and we were treated to a pretty sunset. But there are so many more beautiful beaches and stunning sunsets to be seen (see Seven Sunset Spots that Will Blow You Away) that I just didn’t think Santorini lived up to the hype.
2. Alishan, Taiwan
One of the biggest tourist destinations in Taiwan. This one is controversial even for me, because we did enjoy an incredible sunset here. From the roof of our hotel.
3. The Spanish Steps (Rome, Italy)
Why are the Spanish Steps so famous? It truly had us puzzled when we were walking through Rome. Ultimately they seemed more like a shortcut to get from point A to point B than anything …
4. Albufeira, Portugal
Once again controversial. Albufeira is lovely. Particularly if you are a British expat or a California surfer …
5. Nice, France
Very nice. But did it stand out?
To Be Continued …
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