Rediscover hidden gems that time forgot.
Hearing the static hum of an old travel reel sparks a craving for places that once captivated adventurous souls. In the 1970s, intrepid explorers carved paths to off-beat locales that thrived on authentic local culture and unspoiled landscapes. As the decades ticked by, many of these destinations slipped beneath the radar, preserved in memory but absent from glossy guidebooks.
Now is the moment to dust off those faded postcards and step back into resorts, towns, and islands that once glittered with promise. Each of the following spots beckons with echoes of bell-bottomed crowds, vinyl-spun soundtracks, and sunrise panoramas rarely seen by today’s tourists. Reawaken your inner time traveler, pack light, and prepare to wander through history—these fifteen forgotten destinations are ready to surprise and inspire you all over again.
1. Wander through the abandoned ski resorts of Eastern Europe.
In the 1970s, slopes in Bulgaria, Romania, and the former Czechoslovakia welcomed skiers seeking less-crowded runs than the Alps offered. Today, rusting chairlifts creak in the breeze and half-built chalets stand silent, overgrown by pines and ivy. Snow still blankets these peaks in winter, transforming derelict infrastructure into surreal landscapes that beg for exploration.
Walking under frost-laced cables, you’ll feel the thrill of discovery as you trace old ski tracks and imagine the chatter of boots and poles. Local guides sometimes lead small groups, sharing folklore of Cold War–era escapes and the ghost stories that cling to each slope, according to Caroline Cahill at BuzzFeed. By day’s end, sipping hot tea in a refurbished village inn, you’ll sense the quiet majesty of a time left behind—and understand why it deserves to be rediscovered.
2. Explore the ghost towns along Route 66.
Once a ribbon of promise stretching across America, Route 66 thrived in the 1970s with motels, diners, and neon signs. Many towns faded after the interstate bypassed them, leaving empty shells of service stations and boarded-up cafes. Today, scrub-lined streets and peeling paint invite you to wander through mid-century Americana.
As you push open a diner door, you might find a lone jukebox still humming faintly under dust. Behind cracked windows, vintage cars rest in driveways, frozen like time capsules. Enthusiasts have restored some landmarks—think chrome-edged benches and hand-painted murals—offering peek-in tours and classic-car rentals. Driving those stretches at dawn, past rust-speckled signs, you’ll feel the romance of a journey that once defined American road trips, shares Soo Kim at Newsweek.
3. Dive into the sunken city of Shi Cheng in China’s Qiandao Lake.
Constructed over 1,300 years ago and submerged in 1959, Shi Cheng lay hidden until scuba technology revived it in the 1970s, as stated by Lindsay Galloway at BBC. Divers discovered ornate stone gates, palace ruins, and carved steles lying intact beneath turquoise waters. Today, certified divers can explore its silent courtyards and vertical walls draped in aquatic life.
Descending along ancient staircases coated in algae, you’ll glide through archways etched with calligraphy and watch fish weave through broken beams. Guides equip you with underwater lights that illuminate jade-green tiles and stone lions frozen in time. Surfacing at sunset, you’ll swap tales with fellow explorers over steaming bowls of local freshwater fish, marveling at how one reservoir conceals a medieval marvel.
4. Discover the hidden beaches of Tinian in the Northern Mariana Islands.
In the 1970s, Tinian was best known for its World War II airfields and quieter stretches of coastline. Visitors seeking solitude found pristine coves shielded by limestone cliffs and palm-thatched fishing huts. Access remains challenging—gravel roads and shallow reefs guard these sands from mass tourism.
Morning light glimmers off untouched shores where hermit crabs scuttle and corals bloom offshore. You can kayak past Japanese-era ruins half-buried by sand, then snorkel among parrotfish and sea turtles. Evenings bring tiki torches at small local bars, where Chamorro families serve grilled octopus and coconut rice. In those moments, you’ll realize Tinian’s 1970s charm is alive in every sunset-kissed wave.
5. Stay in the crumbling film-set towns of Almería, Spain.
Spaghetti Westerns boomed in Almería’s deserts during the late 1960s and 1970s, spawning dusty facades and saloon-style storefronts. After filming ended, many sets were abandoned, leaving ghostly streets that evoke Clint Eastwood’s silhouette against red-rock horizons. Today, film buffs roam these skeletal towns, camera in hand.
Wandering Main Street, you’ll kick up fine sand and trace bullet holes in weathered wood. Local guides recount anecdotes of stunt horse chases and improvised stunts that defined the genre. Nights under star-strewn skies carry the echo of harmonica riffs, and a cold cerveza at a nearby tapas bar feels like a toast to cinematic history.
6. Uncover the Soviet-era seaside resorts of Yalta, Ukraine.
In the 1970s, Yalta drew crowds to its promenades, pavilions, and grand sanatoriums overlooking the Black Sea. Today, crumbling facades and rust-flecked domes recall a bygone era of dachas and balneotherapy. Walking along the waterfront, you’ll spot peeling mosaics and wrought-iron benches etched with Cyrillic slogans.
Enter a former spa to find marble pools drained of water and tiled corridors echoing with distant laughter. Local historians lead tours to hidden grottoes once used for therapeutic mud baths. As you sip herbal tea in a refurbished lounge, you’ll imagine the chatter of Soviet families seeking rest and renewal beneath subtropical palms.
7. Hike through the overgrown trails of Costa Rica’s Monteverde Cloud Forest.
Before Monteverde became a tourist hotspot, its trails were narrow enough to keep the jungle voices at bay. In the 1970s, conservationists barely glimpsed quetzals or resplendent orchids. Now, some original paths lie forgotten beneath roots and ferns, waiting for curious hikers to rediscover their silent beauty.
Navigating moss-cloaked stairs and vine-draped bridges, you’ll track the calls of howler monkeys and watch sunlight scatter through emerald canopies. Your guide teaches you to identify tiny poison dart frogs and rare bromeliads clinging to tree trunks. Pausing at a mist-shrouded lookout, you’ll realize that solitude in these hidden nooks rivals any crowded hanging bridge.
8. Camp among the sand dunes of Iran’s Maranjab Desert.
In the 1970s, Maranjab’s rolling dunes and salt flats offered adventurous Iranians an escape from urban life. Today, remote campsites still allow you to pitch a tent beneath star-laden skies, with only nomadic tents and ancient caravansaries for company. Nights echo with wind through dune ridges and distant sheep bells.
By day, you’ll traverse surreal landscapes of white salt crusts and shifting sands, guided by Bedouin families who prepare fragrant stews over open fires. Sunrise paints the horizon in oranges and purples, and in those golden hours, you’ll sense what drew early explorers to this silent expanse.
9. Roam the empty boulevards of Varadero’s abandoned Cuban hotels.
Varadero dazzled beachgoers in the 1970s with Art Deco resorts and sugar-white sands. Economic shifts left some grand hotels half-finished or deserted, their lobbies echoing with coquettish 1970s ballads. Today, you can slip through vine-choked corridors and peer into once-lavish suites.
Local guides share stories of Havana’s glitterati flocking here for salsa nights and sun-soaked days. Behind broken windows, you’ll glimpse faded wallpaper and wrought-iron bed frames rusting under tropical humidity. By dusk, walk to an active cabaña for fresh ceviche and soak in how the island’s resilience breathes life back into forgotten corners.
10. Paddle to the limestone islets of Thailand’s Phang Nga Bay.
Before James Bond’s canoe scenes made Phang Nga famous, its karst towers and hidden lagoons were a well-kept secret in the 1970s. Few tourists ventured here, leaving caves and tidal pools undisturbed. Rental canoes still glide past towering pinnacles, giving you a sense of discovery.
Inside sea caves, candles flicker as you navigate narrow passages lined with stalactites. Local guides slip through low arches, revealing secret grottos where monkeys forage among tree roots. Pull over to a secluded beach to taste coconut water straight from the shell and feel the echoes of ancient seafaring stir your imagination.
11. Visit the deserted hippie communes of Goa’s hinterlands.
Goa’s beaches buzzed with counterculture crowds in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Inland, communes thrived on yoga, music, and vegetable gardens. Many disbanded over time, leaving palm-thatched huts and cracked mud floors behind. Today, a few remain accessible by narrow dirt roads.
Walking barefoot through waist-high grasses, you’ll find drums rusting in open-air halls and signs painted with peace slogans. Some locals offer tea and reminisce about gatherings where sitar melodies mingled with morning prayers. In these silent compounds, you’ll taste the free-spirit ethos that first drew seekers to India’s west coast.
12. Photograph the crumbling colonial buildings of Bénin’s Ouidah.
In the 1970s, Ouidah retained much of its coastal colonial architecture, though maintenance waned. Mansions, fortresses, and chapels stood as testaments to centuries of trade and cultural exchange. Today, vine-choked courtyards and chipped facades create haunting backdrops for photographers.
As you wander along sun-bleached walls, local guides explain the stories of sailors, slaves, and storytellers who passed through these corridors. You might stumble upon an abandoned chapel where sunlight filters through broken stained glass. Each click of your shutter revives a chapter of history lost to time.
13. Trace the rail tracks of India’s Nilgiri Mountain Railway.
Launched in 1908, this steam-powered train climbed into misty hills, enchanting travelers of the 1970s. Parts of the original narrow-gauge tracks were later replaced, leaving sections of rusted rails winding through tea plantations. Today, you can hike alongside these relics, imagining the hiss of steam and the jangle of bells.
Every bend reveals emerald terraces and distant peaks veiled in clouds. Tea pluckers wave as you pass by crumbling stations overtaken by roots. Pausing on a mossy sleeper, you’ll feel the pulse of colonial-era engineering and the simple joy of journeying at walking pace.
14. Stand amid the silent tank turrets of Akko’s old harbor in Israel.
Akko’s Ottoman walls and fortress loomed large in the 1970s tourist circuit, but the adjacent harbor stored World War II tanks for display. Over time, the metal hulks corroded and ships docked elsewhere, leaving turrets half-submerged in saltwater.
You can wander across rocky piers where barnacles cling to steel and seabirds roost atop gun barrels. Local fishermen share tales of naval parades and military ceremonies that once thrilled summer crowds. At sunset, the rusted silhouettes against pastel skies remind you how even instruments of war can become relics of quiet reflection.
15. Wander through the silent corridors of Japan’s Gunkanjima.
Hashima Island, nicknamed Battleship Island, bustled with coal miners and families until 1974. When the mine closed, residents left overnight, sealing buildings in an eerie time capsule. Today, guided tours allow you to glimpse decaying apartment blocks and shuttered schools.
Following a narrow path, you’ll peer into doorways where desks still stand and faded posters cling to crumbling walls. The wind whistles through broken windows, carrying echoes of children’s laughter and factory whistles. As you step back onto the tour boat, you’ll carry with you the ghostly beauty of a community frozen in history.