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Most beaches in Aruba are the very definition of paradise: palm trees, soft white sand and turquoise waters. But there are also some others that are exciting for water sports enthusiasts, perfect for families, great for marine life, and those that are far from a typical beach.

So get ready to discover the best beaches Aruba has to offer. Let’s dive into the most breathtaking and must-visit spots that will make your island getaway unforgettable. 

1. Eagle Beach

Best for beach for a day out

Having been named the best beach in the Caribbean several times, Eagle Beach is renowned for its wide stretch of pristine white sand and crystal-clear waters. There are shady spots, beach huts and all sorts of activities, such as yoga, snorkeling and beach tennis, which is a favorite among the locals, especially on the weekends. The sand is super soft and it’s a lot of fun, so feel free to watch or join in.

The iconic, photogenic Fofoti trees are often featured in advertising and social media – you’ve probably seen an image of Eagle Beach and its trees whilst researching for your trip to Aruba.

Eagle Beach is a key nesting site for four species of sea turtles, adding to its natural charm. Some parts of the beach might be closed off to keep the nests safe.

Planning tip: If you plan to spend the day, bring enough cash. Some places charge US$50 and more for two simple beach chairs.

2. Hadicurari Beach (Fisherman’s Huts)

Best beach for windsurfing and kitesurfing

If you are an adventure seeker or water sports lover, Hadicurari Beach is for you. It is the best place on the island for windsurfing and kitesurfing thanks to its steady winds and calm, shallow waters. Both beginners and experienced surfers come here to have a good time. Sign up for a class and try the sport out for yourself.

Aruba Hi-Winds is a windsurfing competition taking place every summer. It’s the largest of its kind in the Caribbean. Sarah-Quita Offringa is an Arubian 24-time world champion windsurfer who often trains here when she isn’t competing internationally.

Whether you surf or not, make Hadicurari Beach part of your Aruba itinerary and enjoy the show of colorful kites in the sky.

3. Baby Beach

Best beach for families

Near San Nicolas in the southern part of Aruba, you’ll find Baby Beach. It’s a wonderful place for families with young children. Thanks to its unique shape, the beach is quite protected, with shallow areas and only small waves. Make sure to stay in the designated areas as the bay opens up to the ocean.

With refreshment stands offering drinks, snacks and serving up BBQ and seafood, you’ll be well fed. Rent beach chairs, windbreaks and snorkel gear, or simply relax in the shade of one of the free huts.

Planning tip: Baby Beach is about a 40-minute drive from Oranjestad.

4. Mangel Halto Beach

Best beach for snorkeling, kayaking and SUP

Mangel Halto Beach is a great place for adventurers who enjoy snorkeling, kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding (SUP). And once you’re done, spend the evening watching the sunset over a delicious seafood dinner.

The beach is located right next to the road, so it’s not super quiet, but the mangroves and the trillion shades of blue in the water make up for it. There are wooden decks and stairs in some parts of the beach and its surrounding area. Some of it is a sandy beach, some of it is rocky cliffs that aren’t too steep, but as the water is generally pretty shallow, you shouldn’t try to jump in.

Planning tip: Certified scuba divers will enjoy the reef that drops to approximately 30m (100ft) and is home to colorful fish, octopuses and barracudas.

5. Tres Trapi

Best beach for marine life

You’ll find Tres Trapi Beach – which translates to Three Steps in Papiamento – almost at the very northern tip of Aruba. Malmok Beach, Boca Catalina Beach and Arashi Beach are its neighbors, and they are all beautiful, but if you are looking for a special treat, then Tres Trapi is the spot for you.

Thanks to its clear waters, chances seeing turtles in the wild here are high. In fact, they’re almost guaranteed, so bring your fins, mask and snorkel and enjoy the show. Note: keep a good distance from the marine wildlife and never attempt to touch them.

Planning tip: You can drive right up, park and hop in the water at Tres Trapi. You probably won’t be spending an entire day here, though, as there is hardly any shade and the rocks aren’t very comfortable.

Detour: Drive up to California Lighthouse at sunset and enjoy the magical colorful show as the sun disappears on the horizon.

6. Arashi Beach

Best beach for relaxing

Arashi Beach is especially popular with families because it is great for snorkeling, swimming and sunbathing. Palapas (sunshades) and sunbeds are available for rent, but feel free to bring one from your apartment or hotel, as many offer them free of charge. Beach huts, a lively bar and showers are also available. Occasional live music adds to its charm. The waves and currents are gentle and usually safe for swimmers.

Planning tip: If you enjoy snorkeling, head to the left side of the beach to find marine life.

7. Natural Pool (Conchi)

Best for a unique Aruba experience

While not technically a beach, the Natural Pool aka Conchi had to make this list of top beaches. Located inside Arikok National Park and only reachable by 4WD, horseback or hiking, it’s a unique spot on the island. The desert landscape and rough rocks make this dip one of a kind. Bring water shoes so you don’t hurt yourself when going in. 

Planning tip: To get to Conchi, you need to be an experienced off-road driver. If you have little to no experience, consider joining a 4WD tour with a driver.

If your first port of arrival in Thailand is Bangkok, the notion of taking to the road might seem nuts.

In the Thai capital, cars are stacked bumper to bumper, motorcycles vie for space with pedestrians and seemingly anything goes when it comes to road rules.

But Bangkok is not all of Thailand. Far from it.

Once you escape the capital, traffic conditions calm considerably – though you’ll always need to be cautious of speeding trucks and buses and a steady throng of motorcyclists. The good news is that Thailand’s roads are mostly well maintained, car- and motorcycle-rental costs are moderate, and there’s so much to see in this fabulous country that you’ll discover something exciting on even a short jaunt.

The smart way to road trip in Thailand is to start outside Bangkok, renting a vehicle in one of Thailand’s smaller towns. The further you veer from the tourist trail, the quieter the roads and the more there is to encounter in the towns and villages you pass through on the way.

Excited yet? Read on for more about our favorite road trips in Thailand.

1. Mae Sa Valley

Best road trip for first-timers

Chiang Mai–Chiang Mai; 80km (50 miles); allow 1 day

A great taster trip to get you used to driving or riding in Thailand, this circuit through the forested mountains north of Chiang Mai will introduce you to village life and the jade-green rainforest landscapes of Northern Thailand. After leaving Chiang Mai, the crowds drop away as you get closer to Nam Tok Mae Sa, a natural swimming pool that makes a lovely picnic spot.

Continue to the Queen Sikrit Botanical Gardens, a collection of plantations, walking trails and greenhouses plus a family-friendly natural-history museum. From here, you enter a part of the country that was once used to grow opium poppies before the Thai royal family persuaded hill tribe farmers to switch to fruit and flowers.

Experience village life with a detour north to the Hmong community of Nong Hoi, where the local restaurants at Mon Cham serve tasty village food and Thai fruit liqueurs in pavilions overlooking the valley. The loop back to Chiang Mai on the 1269 passes Samoeng village and a series of spectacular viewpoints where you can pause for photos before arriving back to town.

Planning tip: Get an early start to make the most of this day-long road trip, grabbing a portable breakfast at the Talat Thanin food market before you set off.

2. Bangkok to Chiang Mai

Best road trip for history

Bangkok–Chiang Mai; 583 km (362 miles); 3 to 4 days

If you’re brave enough to start in Bangkok, the drive from the capital to Chiang Mai packs in a lot of history and some of Thailand’s most spectacular ancient sites. The hardest part is the beginning, as you escape Bangkok’s gravitational pull on Route 347. Fortunately, it’s only 90 minutes to Ayutthaya, the first stop on the route.

Explore the ruins of the imperial city that was Siam’s capital from 1350 to 1767, then continue north on Route 32, making a detour east to view Lopburi’s monkey-thronged Prang Sam Yot temple. Back on the highway, it’s a sustained slog north to Phitsanulok, where you can pay your respects to one of Thailand’s most revered Buddha images at Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat.

The next stop is stunning Sukhothai, whose ruined stupas and temples were the hub of a powerful Thai kingdom from the 13th to the 14th century. Break the journey north with a homestay at Ban Na Ton Cham or an overnight (or longer) stop in hip Lampang, where more local movers and shakers throng cool cafes. Lamphun makes for another worthy stop before you roll into Chiang Mai and head straight for the night markets to feast.

Detour: To add some contemporary history to the trip, tack on a detour to Kanchanaburi, between Bangkok and Ayutthaya. Made infamous by the Burma–Siam Railway, this town on the Mae Nam Khwae Yai River is today a hub for encounters with history and day trips to splash in the waterfalls of Erawan National Park.

3. An Isan loop

Best off-the-beaten-track road trip

Nakhon Ratchasima–Nakhon Ratchasima; 830km (515 miles); one week

Travelers gush about Thailand’s Isan region – the tract of land that runs northeast from Bangkok up to the Lao and Cambodian borders. In this gently slumbering corner of the country, the cuisine is spectacular, the pace of life unhurried and crowds are rare. In other words, conditions are perfect for a slow road trip by motorcycle. Spare yourself the drive out of Bangkok by taking a bus or train to Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat) and pick up some wheels there.

Hit the trail and meander east through Phanom Rung Historical Park, a striking Khmer temple complex atop an extinct volcano. Track the Cambodian border eastward to reach Ubon Ratchathani, an off-the-tourist-track town studded with handsome monasteries and balanced beside the Mae Nam Mun river. Loop through Yasothon (worth a stop during the rocket festival in mid-May) and lake-centered Roi Et to reach Prasat Puay Noi, a fine Khmer Hindu temple complex from the 12th century. Keep the Khmer theme going at Phimai, a grand temple ruin that fuses Hindu and Buddhist motifs, then close the loop back in Nakhon Ratchasima, grazing on Isan delicacies at RN Yard.

Planning tip: A big part of traveling in Isan is sampling the food. Essential Isan dishes to try include larb (a zesty ground meal salad with lime, mint, chili and toasted rice), som tam (a pounded salad of green papaya, green beans, peanuts and shrimp) and sai krok isan (a sour, smoky, fermented pork sausage).

4. Hua Hin to Surat Thani

Best road trip for low-key beaches

Hua Hin–Surat Thani; 580km (360 miles) one way; 3 to 4 days

Southern Thailand’s long, slender profile doesn’t lend itself to looping road trips, but there’s plenty to see here by sticking to the coast. Start in Hua Hin, Thailand’s original beach resort, where one-way car rentals can be arranged through Thai Rent a Car. Slide south through the low-key, locals-oriented beach towns of Prachaup Khiri Khan, Ban Krut and Bang Saphan Yai to Chumphon, where the Muslim culture of southern Thailand will start to be visible. Before ending the trip at Surat Thani, duck inland to Khao Sok National Park, one of the world’s oldest rainforests, one that provides shelter for bears, tapirs, gibbons, elephants and tigers, myriad birds and the enormous Rafflesia kerrii (the world’s largest flower). The fun doesn’t have to stop at Surat Thani: the town is a jumping-off point for the Gulf Islands of Ko Samui, Ko Pha-Ngan and Ko Tao, where you can bask, party and enjoy some of the world’s best-priced scuba diving.

5. Phuket to Satun and back

Best road trip for island adventures

Phuket–Satun–Phuket; 1100km (690 miles) round trip; one week

Because of political unrest in Thailand’s far south, the Andaman Coast is best explored as an out-and-back road trip starting from Phuket, avoiding the troubled east coast. With hundreds of idyllic islands offshore, you’ll want to stop regularly for overnight sojourns on tropical islands along the way.

Starting with a seafood feast in Phuket, follow the Andaman Coast around Phang-Nga Bay, stopping for a boat trip around the otherworldly karst islands of Ao Phang-Nga Marine National Park. Keep following the bay south to Krabi and the epic rock-climbing cliffs around Railay, one of the world’s most enjoyable adventure-sports hubs.

Hug the south to Ko Lanta to enjoy more time on the sand, then return to the mainland to reach Trang, gateway to its own collection of idyllic karst islands. (Do we see a pattern here?) The final leg south passes through townships that feel almost Malaysian in character. Turn around at Satun and take a couple of days to snorkel and hike on the unspoiled islands of Ko Tarutao Marine National Park before you retrace your steps to Phuket.

Planning tip: Since the seas off the Andaman Coast can get very choppy from May to October and many ferry routes and some national parks close for the season, it’s best to avoid this time of year.

6. Mae Hong Son Loop

Best road trip for traveler vibes

Chiang Mai–Chiang Mai; 604km (375 miles); 4 days

A more ambitious road trip from Chiang Mai meanders through the green hills to the southwest, following Routes 108 and 1095 through the lively traveler town of Mae Hong Son. This twisting loop is famous for having 1864 curves; the Chamber of Commerce in Mae Hong Son even issues souvenir certificates for drivers who complete the circuit. On the way, you can swing into some of the most interesting townships in northwest Thailand.

Leaving Chiang Mai on the 108, the first stop is Doi Inthanon National Park, a lush, green mountaintop that’s one of the few places in Thailand where temperatures can dip below freezing. You’ll want to pause for a day or two at Mae Sariang, a relaxing riverside town that’s a great base for hiking and sustainable adventures in the hills.

There’s time for another stop at Khun Yuam to explore wartime history before you roll into Mae Hong Son, one of Northern Thailand’s best hubs for monastery-hopping and treks to hill-tribe villages. On the loop back to Chiang Mai on Route 1095, make stops at the Su Tong Pae bamboo bridge, the “Little Switzerland” of Pang Oung and the bustling traveler hub of Pai, where you can kick back for a while, enjoying everything from treks to yoga classes and cooking schools.

Planning tip: Be ready for cold temperatures at Doi Inthanon National Park; chilly fog can swirl around the summit year-round, so bring a warm layer.

7. Chiang Rai to Phayao

Best road trip for dramatic vistas

Chiang Rai–Phayao; 250km (155 miles); 3 days

Crammed with temples and cultural sites like Chiang Mai but with less of a backpacker vibe, Chiang Rai is Northern Thailand’s second great city. A stop at the “white wat” of Wat Rong Khun is almost obligatory – if only to view the pop culture murals showing such diverse subjects as the 9/11 attacks and Keanu Reeves in The Matrix.

To reach the Lao border town of Chiang Khong, follow back roads through a region that was once notorious as the heart of the opium-growing Golden Triangle. Take your time drifting through villages tucked along forest-cloaked ridges, then stop for a day or two in Chiang Khong to soak up the Lao influences seeping in from Huay Xai, just across the Mekong River.

Divert south on the 1020 and follow Routes 1093 and 1155 through dramatic emerald hills to epic viewpoints such as Pratu Siam and Phu Chi Fa. Pause to enjoy the hot waterfall at Nam Tok Phu Sang before you roll onward to finish up in leafy Phayao, an overlooked Northern Thai town with pretty wooden houses, wetland scenery and a lost-in-time mood that will give you a sense of what all of the region was like before the arrival of mass tourism.

Planning tip: This route follows many back roads off the main highways; turnoffs are usually signposted; if not, ask at roadside cafes and gas stations.

Tips for driving in Thailand

Thailand officially drives on the left – though be wary of locals flouting the rules, particularly motorcycles, which often ride against the traffic flow on the hard shoulder. Always give way to larger vehicles such as buses and trucks, and watch out for pedestrians. Driving slowly is always sensible.

You can rent cars, motorcycles and scooters with your own (presumably foreign) driver’s license. We recommend taking out as much insurance as is available and keeping your license and passport (or copies of the identity pages) handy for police checks.

No matter where you stay in the Florida Keys, you’ll feel a bit outside of normal USA time.

Throughout this chain of coral islands drifting south from the tip of Florida, you’ll find incredible things to do: lost-in-time dive bars and weather-worn marinas are interwoven with oceanfront views from five-star resorts and Michelin-star-worthy dining experiences.

While all of the Keys share a relaxed, easy energy – and an appealing blend of beauty and laid-back inelegance – each island maintains its own distinct character, and it’s easy to hop between them. From the scuba paradise of Key Largo to the unapologetic eccentricity of Key West, whatever kind of vacation you’re looking for, you’ll find it here. Here’s a guide to the best islands in the Florida Keys.

1. Key Largo

Best for adventures on land and sea

Key Largo, the biggest island in the Upper Keys, acts as a bridge between the mainland and the rest of the archipelago. Water and land-based thrills here will meet the demands of even the most intrepid explorer; start the adventure at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, a 70-sq-mile tract of protected seaspace, teeming with marine life. Pennekamp is a scuba and snorkeler’s dream, boasting stunning coral reefs that can also be viewed on glass-bottomed boat tours. There’s even an undersea statue of Jesus known as Christ of the Abyss, a 9ft-tall replica of the famous statue in Genoa, Italy.

Take a kayak out along the shores of Blackwater Sound and scan the swampy forests for birdlife and American crocodiles at Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, a 6600-acre nature preserve in the northern part of Key Largo.

Activities abound on land, too, starting with the Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park. This patch of wilderness was saved from developers, and now, instead of condominiums, it’s home to one of America’s largest West Indian tropical hardwood hammocks (the local term for areas of forest that form an ecological island, distinct from surrounding types of vegetation). Visitors can walk along nature trails surrounded by land that still feels wild and untamed, and the area is also open to cyclists.

Planning tip: If you want to beat the heat on the trail, March to May might be the best time to visit.

2. Islamorada

Best for a bit of everything

Islamorada is widely known as the sportfishing capital of the world, and with the abundance of marinas and plentiful stocks of billfish and other desirable catches, it’s hard to argue with this moniker. The island has a well-developed scene for both backcountry and deep-sea fishing, but there are plenty of other unique draws, too.

For rest and relaxation, head to the white sands of Anne’s Beach, book a massage at Blu Bamboo Salon Spa or just perch at the poolside in a luxury resort such as Cheeca Lodge or the Moorings Village.

Just offshore, Lignumvitae Key, a haven for native plants, provides a chance to experience the natural beauty of the islands. Bougainvillea, lignum vitae and hardwood hammock forests thrive in this undeveloped landscape, giving a hint at what the whole archipelago might have looked like hundreds of years ago.

Planning tip: Time your visit for the third Thursday of the month, when the Morada Way Arts and Cultural District hosts an evening arts walk (6 to 9pm) with live music over a six-block stretch of downtown studded with studio spaces and galleries.

3. Marathon

Best for beaches

Marathon’s main beach, known to locals as Sombrero Beach, is one of the best in the Keys. Open to the public year-round, it’s sprinkled with some of the archipelago’s finest sand and is also a protected nesting ground for turtles. Sun-worshippers will find more fine sand at Coco Plum Beach, a smaller and more natural beach popular with windsurfers.

Planning tip: As the halfway point of the Keys, Marathon is also a great place to stay for travelers looking to explore more widely. Head north to Long Key State Park – one of the quieter preserves in the Keys – or drive south across the famed Seven Mile Bridge to adventures in Bahia Honda State Park or Key West.

4. Big Pine Key

Best for nature lovers

Nature nuts will not be disappointed by a trip to Big Pine Key. This sparsely populated island is mostly devoid of luxury and nightlife, especially as you move further away from US Route 1. But what Big Pine Key lacks in action, it makes up for in tropical beauty.

The most famous wild space in the Lower Keys is Bahia Honda State Park, just east of Big Pine along the highway. You can swim, snorkel or kayak in the park’s turquoise waters before hiking up to one of the highest points in the Keys. Watch the sky burst into color as the sun sets, then stick around to gawk at the sparkling stars. The best view of all, though, is of the landmark Saddleback Bridge, a rusty remnant of Henry Flagler’s ill-fated Overseas Railway.

Big Pine Key is also home to the rare Key deer, a small, endangered subspecies of white-tailed deer found only in the archipelago. Wander the rambling trails of National Key Deer Refuge and stop at Blue Hole, the only freshwater lake in the entire Florida Keys – an unmatched place to see the diversity of local wildlife.

5. Key West

Best for art, culture and nights out

Key West, perhaps the most famous island in the Keys, is a sun-filled carnival and the closest thing to a proper city in the archipelago. For vacationers seeking parties that spill out into the streets, late-night wining and dining and epic drag shows, Key West is your best bet.

While its wild child reputation is well earned, there are many reasons to visit the southernmost Key beyond the rowdiness of Duval St. Literary pilgrims flock to the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, where the famed writer lived from 1931 to 1939 (the cats that wander the grounds are descendants of Papa’s six-toed kitten, Snow White).

Other worthy stops include Audubon House, where ornithologist John James Audubon produced some of his famous bird illustrations in the 1830s, and the Key West Historical Society, showcasing the rich history of the island. Take time for a stop at the Key West Pottery and Key West Island Books, a new and used bookstore with a great assortment of local titles.

There’s plenty to keep you busy in the town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Yet most visitors use the valley as a home base to explore the staggeringly wild and beautiful wider area, too.

Two of America’s most famous national parks are within 60 miles (97km) of Jackson Hole, and the history of the American West feels omnipresent in the region. These four day trips show you just how.

1. Follow the bison to Mormon Row and Lower Slide Lake

Travel time: 20 minutes by car (15 miles)

Follow the Gros Ventre River northeast from Jackson through the lush Antelope Flats to reach Lower Slide Lake in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. A short detour north takes you to Mormon Row, a historic site within the bounds of Grand Teton National Park that was once the settlement of Grovont. Today, all that remains are a handful of homesteads featuring picturesque barns whose rugged loneliness against the backdrop of the mountains makes them sought-after by photographers. A herd of more than 700 bison calls this valley home, so your chances of a good photograph of the beasts are high.

Another 30 minutes in the car takes you to Lower Slide Lake, where a boat ramp offers easy access for kayaks, canoes, paddle boards and row boats. Stocked with trout for those eager to fish, the lake is stunning in the fall when the cottonwoods and aspens ring the shore with gold. A short interpretive trail explains local geology, in particular the massive landslide that formed the lake. Continue along and past the lake to find several pretty campgrounds and numerous trailheads providing access to the surrounding Bridger-Teton National Forest.

2. Get close to nature at its wildest at Yellowstone National Park

Travel time: 75 minutes by car to South Entrance (57 miles)

Rainbow-hued mineral springs, boiling mud pots, spouting geysers and spitting fumaroles: these geothermal mysteries lured 19th-century explorers to document a mysterious and dramatic landscape they described as a “hell.” These naturalists subsequently urged the government to preserve the area as Yellowstone National Park, establishing the national park system in the process.

Also designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Yellowstone preserves 10,000 hydrothermal features – more than half of all the geysers in the world. Among these is the world’s most famous: Old Faithful, which erupts every one to two hours and sends water as high as 180ft (55m) into the air. Underneath all of this, the geothermal forces that created Yellowstone continue to exert their power: scientists now believe Yellowstone sits atop one of the largest supervolcanoes in the world – and one that might be more active than previously thought.

While mud pots and geysers like Grand Prismatic Spring and Artist Paint Pots may provide you with your most spectacular photographs, there’s much more to the 2.2-million-acre park than these water features. See the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone with its Upper and Lower Falls; marvel over the travertine terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs; and leave plenty of time to spot wolves in the meadows, admire moose in the forests and stop your car to yield to bison slowly crossing the road. 

3. Explore the jagged peaks of Grand Teton National Park

Travel time: 7 minutes by car (5 miles)

Almost contiguous with Yellowstone to the south, Grand Teton National Park is all about the Teton peaks and the best places to view and explore their jagged, snow-capped splendor. With most of the park’s must-see attractions strung along the north-south artery of Teton Park Rd (open May through October only), many visitors make the mistake of stopping at a few viewpoints, then checking the park off the list. While you’ll certainly want to pull over at Albright View, Glacier View, Snake River Overlook and Willow Flats Overlook – all of which provide a different silhouette of white-capped Teton spires against the sky – the park has much more to offer.

Take a pause to picnic at Colter Bay on Jackson Lake and watch the fly fishers throw in a line along Oxbow Bend, but save your longest stop for Jenny Lake, where a ferry waits to whisk you across the water for the one-mile trail to Hidden Lake and Inspiration Point. If you’ve got enough time, skip the ferry trip back and return via the trail around the lake. Detour very slightly to Moose Pond and you just might catch the marshy waterway’s namesake foraging along the shore or even watching over a baby among the reeds.

A hike to a pristine mountain lake is among Grand Teton’s National Park’s great pleasures. An easy one for all ages is the 1.8-mile round trip to String and Leigh Lakes, which are peacefully off the radar of most park visitors. You’ll see more crowds on the five-mile trek to Bradley and Taggart Lakes, both popular with photographers thanks to their mirror reflections of Grand and Middle Teton.

4. Visit the Wild West town of Cody

Travel time: 4 hours by car (177 miles)

Founded in 1896 by William F Cody – better known to millions of 19th-century Americans as “Buffalo Bill” of the popular traveling Wild West show – this eponymous town is essentially a Western film set come to life. Cody is surrounded on three sides by mountain ranges – the Absarokas, the Bighorns and the Owl Creeks – and lies just 53 miles (85km) east of Yellowstone (practically next door in this part of the world). The town was developed to salute the lives of cowboys and mountain men; today, that Wild West fantasy feel still prevails.

Featuring five museums in one, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West introduces visitors to the life and times of the larger-than-life showman and offers an overview of life on the frontier. One of the most enlightening and enlivening museums within the complex is the Plains Indian Museum, which houses a nationally recognized collection of art and objects created by the Crow, Blackfeet, Cree and other peoples whose land this region belonged to prior to colonization. 

A livelier introduction to life on the frontier comes with a visit to Old Trail Town and the Museum of the Old West, a collection of 26 log buildings brought together from various settlements, including blacksmith and woodworking shops; the cabin hideouts used by Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and their outlaw Hole-in-the-Wall Gang; and a barn full of pioneer wagons.

Cody Calls itself the Rodeo Capital of the World, and the culture of bull riding and calf roping is still alive and kicking here. The Cody Nite Rodeo, celebrating more than 80 years of operation, runs every night from June 1 through Labor Day weekend. Sheridan Ave, Cody’s main street, continues the cowboy vibe with old-timey saloons and restaurants, along with shops selling handmade saddles, cowboy boots, and silver jewelry.