Destinations that put an emphasis on eco-friendly practices and responsible tourism are honored in the sustainability category. Five locations in Europe have been selected by Lonely Planet as the most sustainable travel destinations for 2024. The professional travel guide has revealed its picks for places to visit throughout the world in 2019; they are divided into five categories: value, sustainability, cities, regions, and countries.

Spain is renowned for its initiatives to promote lesser-known locations and improve travel during the off-season. The nation is making significant investments in environmentally friendly modes of transportation, like establishing new train routes, implementing electric bus technology, and growing networks of bicycles. Valencia, a coastal city in Spain, has been named the European Green Capital for 2024 as a result of several sustainability projects. These projects include the designation of new peri-urban farmland, the conversion of 30,000 square meters of public space into pedestrian zones, and the enhancement of high-speed train connections to neighboring cities. Explore the 9-kilometer Turia riverbed in Jardín del Turia, a car-free park in Valencia where visitors may hire bicycles and sign up for guided cycling tours.

With its enormous ice sheets and pure tundra scenery, Greenland draws in daring tourists. The tourist board of Greenland, Visit Greenland, is actively trying to protect and conserve its natural environments while regulating tourism activities in order to meet the problems provided by an increasing number of visitors. The nation is well known for offering some of the best views of the Northern Lights; Lonely Planet predicts that when the sun approaches its peak activity in the coming years, there will be an increase in sightings of the phenomenon. The travel book suggests a two-day camping trip on the second-largest ice sheet in the world for an eco-friendly adventure. It starts from Kangerlussuaq, which is a short drive away.

Wales, one of the world’s first nations to enact laws supporting sustainability, has cemented its position on the list of destinations for sustainable travel. Lonely Planet praises the country for its significant train network upgrades, which increase the environmentally friendly opportunities for visiting Wales’ wild and magical western regions.

The secluded Pembrokeshire National Park will be easier to reach in early 2025 thanks to the opening of new train stations and increased service on South Wales’ main rail line. In addition, Dr. Beynon’s Bug Farm in St Davids offers a glimpse into the future of food. Not only is this exceptional research facility and nature reserve a sanctuary for fauna, but it also houses the UK’s first edible-insect café, Grub Kitchen. You may explore the realm of sustainable cuisine there and, if you’re feeling very daring, indulge in a cricket biscuit.

Portugal is a great place to begin an amazing long-distance hiking adventure to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, for those looking for an incredible pilgrimage. You can enjoy a beautiful walk or ride a bicycle along the Portuguese Way (Caminho Português de Santiago). This trip starts in Lisbon and passes through charming villages, picturesque rivers, and Romanesque churches. According to Lonely Planet, you may really immerse yourself in the culture by staying at locally run albergues, eating at authentic eateries, and touring rural communities whose populations have declined due to migration to larger cities.

The Baltic countries offer a chance to practice meditation in the stunning natural surroundings. These trails make up what could be the longest meditation practice in Europe, according to Lonely Planet. You can go on a soul-soothing voyage of self-discovery in these serene Baltic settings, whether you travel to Estonia with its stark and serene landscapes, Lithuania with its fine sands along the Curonian Spit, or Latvia, where the Gauja River winds through a forested valley ideal for leaf-peeping in the autumn.