Every time I see an article entitled ‘secret places in [Destination X] revealed’, I cringe at the mere thought that someone may have exposed to the world a special place that was supposed to be kept away from others.
I’ve been writing about travel for more than 10 years, and during that time I’ve come across places – real secret hideaways – that I will never reveal to anyone else. I will never share photos of these places on Facebook, and I’ll definitely never provide directions online or invite strangers to come join me there.
What is a secret place?
A secret place is not something you read about on the internet and then visit just so you can share a photo of it on Instagram.
It’s not something that ‘only’ two travel blogs have written about.
It’s not something from the ‘Secret Places’ section of a city’s website.
It’s not a rarely visited place presented as a secret spot.
But it could be…
… somewhere a special person brought you.
… a place you came across by chance.
… a spot that feels magical so long as you’re the only person there (OK, maybe you can bring one special person. But only if it’s their birthday and you can’t think of another present…).
Keeping the secret
Benjamin Franklin was quoted as saying “Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead”. I’m definitely not encouraging you to ‘get rid of’ those two others… but indeed, there’s no greater sense of disappointment than when you and your big mouth inadvertently destroy the serenity of your favorite secret place.
So here are the secret places I will never show you
A natural three-room apartment in the cliffs.
A rock (with a natural staircase leading to it) that looks over a lake.
A secret rooftop with a view over my city.
A secret cove where it’s only me and the seabirds.
What do you think about the secret places? Would you share your secret places in the comments section? But remember the rules: no names, no photos and definitely no directions!
COMMENTS