Picnics are a great way to have an authentic travel
experience. And nothing influences a picnic more than the spot. All spots are
not created equal! Are you seeking solitude or the urban mosaic of a big city or
a stellar view? On your next adventure fill your day-pack with food stuff s from
the local market, add a bottle of wine and enjoy one of these picnic spots to
die for!
Huayna Picchu, Peru
At an elevation of nearly 9,000 feet, the view from atop this peak, which
towers over the 15th-century ruins of Machu Picchu, is breathtaking and one is
instantly rewarded with a panoramic perspective of the Urubamba River Valley
and the famed city of the Inca.
Milford Sound, South
Island, New Zealand
Rain forests hug dramatic cliffs, waterfalls cascade into rivers, and 4,000-foot rocky peaks tower over a deep fjord that has become New Zealand’s most famous destination.
Rain forests hug dramatic cliffs, waterfalls cascade into rivers, and 4,000-foot rocky peaks tower over a deep fjord that has become New Zealand’s most famous destination.
Villa Borghese
Gardens, Rome, Italy
Olives, pizza bianca, marinated artichokes, “salumi”, and—of course—a bottle of wine are all it takes to make a picnic break from the ancient ruins and Renaissance highlights of Rome.The Villa Borghese gardens, near the Piazza del Popolo, is a picnic-perfect landscape for escape.
Olives, pizza bianca, marinated artichokes, “salumi”, and—of course—a bottle of wine are all it takes to make a picnic break from the ancient ruins and Renaissance highlights of Rome.The Villa Borghese gardens, near the Piazza del Popolo, is a picnic-perfect landscape for escape.
Point Reyes National
Seashore, Point Reyes Station, California
The is spectacular nature preserve located
on a 70,000-acre peninsula north of
San Francisco is rich in wildlife, from
raptors to tule elk, and bordered by
a coastline favored by elephant seals.
Head to the nearby Point Reyes
Lighthouse for prime whale watching
in January and March and coastal
beauty year-round.
Kirstenbosch
Botanical Garden, Western Cape, South Africa
Make a quick green escape from Cape
Town for a picnic lunch in this spectacularly
rugged and refined space on the
slopes of Table Mountain. Pack a
bottle of wine from Stellenbosch and
some biltong and hike the trails
through natural forests and fynbos
(“fi ne bush” or shrubland in Afrikaans).
Jardin des Tuileries,
Paris, France
Fountains, sculptures, two museums and countless comfortable chairs make this garden on the perimeter of the Musée du Louvre a surprisingly tranquil space for staging your own “déjeuner sur l’herbe”.
Fountains, sculptures, two museums and countless comfortable chairs make this garden on the perimeter of the Musée du Louvre a surprisingly tranquil space for staging your own “déjeuner sur l’herbe”.
Haleakala National
Park, Hawaii
How many picnics can you fit into a day? Beat the sunrise and head to the
summit of Maui’s Haleakala volcano—to a 10,023-foot peak called Pu’u ‘Ula’ula—to enjoy a breakfast picnic as dawn unfolds over a massive
depression. Then get ready for the
volcanic hike of a lifetime; wear layers
to deal with the changing temperatures.
The descent from the summit is
roughly 27 miles, so pack a picnic
lunch.
Aran Islands, Ireland
The classic cable-knit fisherman’s sweater
may have put the Aran Islands on the
sartorial map, but this group of
three islands at the mouth of Galway
Bay has long been on the picnicker’s
map. Pick up some smoked salmon and
brown bread—and perhaps some whiskey—before
embarking on a scenic ferry ride to the
karst limestone landscapes and rough
green terrain of Inishmore island.
National Sculpture
Garden, Washington, D.C.
All summer long, the Jazz in the Sculpture Garden series is music to picnickers’ ears. As an extension of the National Gallery of Art, this elegant oasis adjacent to the National Mall garden houses 17 three-dimensional works of art from such notables as Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, and Roy Lichtenstein.
All summer long, the Jazz in the Sculpture Garden series is music to picnickers’ ears. As an extension of the National Gallery of Art, this elegant oasis adjacent to the National Mall garden houses 17 three-dimensional works of art from such notables as Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, and Roy Lichtenstein.
-Lesli
