National Geographic has named 15 of the world’s best food destinations as part of its Best of the World 2026 feature, placing both Crete in Greece and Bozcaada in Turkey among the globe’s most compelling places to eat right now. The list, compiled by the magazine’s global writers and editors, spans continents and cultures, reflecting a worldwide shift toward travel built around culinary identity, local produce, and authentic regional experiences.
Crete received one of the feature’s most detailed profiles. The Greek island was recently designated a European Region of Gastronomy, an honour that adds formal recognition to its long-standing reputation as a food destination. National Geographic noted that wine cups and food remains excavated at the ancient Palace of Knossos, dating back to 1900 B.C., show that the island’s relationship with food stretches back thousands of years. Many consider Cretan cuisine to be the blueprint for the Mediterranean Diet, a science-backed eating pattern linked to longevity and low rates of heart disease. The island’s food culture is built around extra-virgin olive oil, seasonal fruits and vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, with some 40 million olive trees thriving across its landscape. Signature products include thyme honey, graviera cheese, and raki. At Ntounias restaurant in the village of Drakona, farmer and cook Stelios Trilirakis keeps traditional methods alive, preparing snail-and-vegetable stew over an open fire. In the port city of Chania, the taverna Chrisostomos serves slow-cooked lamb seasoned simply with salt and olive oil, while restaurant Periplous reinterprets island ingredients in a contemporary style, offering dishes such as wild amaranth greens with celeriac cream and fresh-catch sashimi with citrus.
Bozcaada, the small Turkish island off the northwestern Aegean coast near Çanakkale, is the only destination from Turkey to appear on the list. National Geographic described it as one of the country’s hidden gastronomic treasures, pointing to a food culture deeply rooted in local farming, fishing, and seasonal ingredients. The island, known in antiquity as Tenedos and mentioned in Homer’s Iliad, carries centuries of blended Turkish and Greek culinary tradition. Its cuisine features Aegean herbs, olive oil, seafood, and traditional pastries, alongside distinctive artisanal products such as tomato jam and poppy syrup. The Bozcaada Women’s Cooperative is recognised as a key local producer of preserves and mezze, embodying the island’s commitment to small-scale, sustainable production. At Koreli Restoran, overlooking Ayazma Beach, the same family has been serving seafood mezze since 1967. The island is also known for its winemaking tradition, which stretches back thousands of years, and will mark the 10th anniversary of its jazz festival this year, giving visitors an added reason to visit in summer. Just a 30-minute ferry ride from the mainland and roughly two-thirds the size of Manhattan, Bozcaada combines beaches, a well-preserved historic castle, and narrow cobbled streets of old Greek stone houses with its growing international culinary profile.
Elsewhere on the list, Kelowna in British Columbia, Canada, was recognised after receiving designation as the country’s first UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. Set in the Okanagan Valley, the city is home to more than 800 farms and 40 wineries, many of them family- and immigrant-owned. Standout producers include Volcanic Hills, founded by the Gidda family with roots in East Punjab, and Little Straw Vineyards, where chef Bhawna Tandon blends Indian culinary heritage with local ingredients at the new Tula Restaurant.
Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh in India, was also highlighted after becoming the second city in the country to earn UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy status in late 2025. Its cuisine evolved from the royal kitchens of Persian and Mughal rulers in the 17th and 18th centuries, producing dishes defined by aroma and technique. The dum pukht method, in which meat is sealed in heavy-bottomed pots and slow-cooked over low heat, remains a cornerstone of the city’s culinary identity, alongside kebabs and saffron-perfumed rice.
On the Caribbean coast of Colombia, Cartagena and Barranquilla were described as rising gastronomic centres where a new generation of chefs, food festivals, and restaurants are bringing regional ingredients to a wider audience. Vietnam’s Central Highlands, particularly the Buon Ma Thuot area, were featured for their robusta coffee culture, a defining element of Vietnamese coffee identity. Hawaii’s saimin noodle soup was highlighted as a dish at risk of fading, developed from the traditions of Japanese and Chinese plantation workers and served with dashi broth, egg noodles, and barbecued meats. Prague was presented as an emerging European food destination, with restaurants blending traditional Czech cooking with contemporary influences. Tasmania in Australia also made the list, reflecting the island state’s growing reputation for premium local produce and distinctive food culture.
Taken together, the selections paint a picture of global food travel in 2026: a movement driven not by Michelin stars alone, but by history, heritage, and the desire to eat in places where the connection between land, people, and plate remains visible and alive.
Top Photo Credit: Bozcaada, Nadir Keklik / Shutterstock.com
