Ask any of the passionate locals - especially Red Sox baseball fans and they'll say it's still an accurate description. The star at the centre of this particular galaxy is a compact 400-year-old downtown, home to a collection of historic sites that form the core of the Freedom Trail, and the harbour where the Boston Tea Party protest took place 250 years ago. You'll find most of the best hotels in the Back Bay or South End areas, both flanking the downtown and close to the culinary and cultural action.
Best all-rounder
BOSTON HARBOR HOTEL
Anchoring the oceanfront Rowes Wharf, this heavyweight hotel is the host venue for the Boston Wine & Food Festival, a three-month event that kicks off every year in January. It's also home to one of the city's finest seafood restaurants, Rowes Wharf Sea Grille, which serves a memorable lobster fried rice. The bright, recently renovated rooms have blue tones and maritime art that pay tribute to the setting; the ones marked with even numbers have a guaranteed sea view. There's an enormous pool beneath reception, hotel boat trips out to the harbour islands and live music on a floating barge every evening. Add the fact that the Children's Museum and Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum are within easy walking distance, and you have a true all-rounder. ROOMS: From £485. bostonharborhotel.com
Best for bargain hunters
THE REVOLUTION HOTEL
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January/February 2024 من National Geographic Traveller (UK).
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January/February 2024 من National Geographic Traveller (UK).
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
HOW I GOT THE SHOT
JONATHAN GREGSON EXPLAINS HOW HE SECURED A CLOSE-UP IMAGE OF AN AFRICAN ELEPHANT FOR OUR JAN/FEB 2025 ISSUE
THE STATE OF ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL
FOR DISABLED PEOPLE, TR AVEL CAN PRESENT M ANY CHALLENGES, SUCH A S LOST WHEELCHAIRS AND POORLY TR AINED STAFF — BUT A NEW GOVERNMENT TA SK FORCE OFFERS HOPE.
BREAKING THE ICE
LIFE ALONG THE WEST COAST OF GREENLAND, HIGH ABOVE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, CONTINUES MUCH AS IT HAS FOR CENTURIES, WITH THE NATURAL WORLD AND A RESPECT FOR HERITAGE SETTING THE RHYTHM DURING THE LONG, FROZEN WINTERS
THE WORLD'S BEST TRAIN TRIPS
Glimpses of local life caught through the window, moments of connection with your fellow passengers, the chance to slow down and watch landscapes unfold with the miles - train journeys are the most memorable way of getting from A to B. From luxury heritage routes to regular services passing through extraordinary scenery, here's our pick of the best
HEAVEN &EARTH
IN PORTUGAL'S WILD NORTHERN BORDERLANDS, SURVIVAL AND SPIRITUALITY GO HAND IN HAND WITH THE CHANGING SEASONS, AS THEY HAVE FOR MILLENNIA. A ROAD TRIP THROUGH ITS REMOTE REACHES UNCOVERS PAGAN FESTIVALS, AGE-OLD CRAFTS AND ROMAN RELICS IN THE COUNTRY'S ONLY NATIONAL PARK, PENEDA-GERÊS
HONG KONG
It may be best known for its skyscrapers and shopping, but Hong Kong offers untold outdoor activities, from coastal kayaking and mountain hikes to quiet bike rides and unusual food tours
Joe Boyd
A GLIMPSE OF AN ALBANIAN FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL, CAUGHT ILLICITLY ON FILM, TRANSPORTS THE MUSIC PRODUCER INTO A LIFE LED BY ANCIENT RHYTHMS
Passion project
AS THE PROMISE OF SPRING BRINGS RENEWED VIGOUR, WE TURN TO STORIES OF LIFELONG OBSESSIONS AND POWERFUL LABOURS OF LOVE
Lighthouse solitude
PLAY CASTAWAY ON AN ITALIAN ISLAND, WHERE YOU CAN SPOT WHALES FROM A STYLISH TUSCAN RETREAT SET IN A WORKING LIGHTHOUSE
IBARAKI Secret lives & sacred mountains
From ancient shrines and mountain trails to cooking classes with charismatic locals, travelling through Ibaraki gives adventurous visitors an authentic taste of Japan.
