How We Chose the 2021 World’s Greatest Places

The challenges of the past year and a half have transformed our world, and few industries have been as affected as travel, tourism and hospitality. In many ways, our third annual list of the World’s Greatest Places is a tribute to the people and businesses at the forefront of those industries who, amid extraordinary circumstances, found ways to adapt, build and innovate. It shines a light on ingenuity, creativity, revitalization and reopenings in destinations across the world.

To compile this list, TIME solicited nominations of places—including countries, regions, cities and towns—from our international network of correspondents and contributors, with an eye toward those offering new and exciting experiences.

The result: a list of 100 unique destinations, from the idyllic Portuguese town of Arouca, now home to the world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge, to the continent of Antarctica, which this December will experience a rare total solar eclipse. And while it may not be possible to safely visit each place just yet, they’re all well worth reading (and dreaming) about until it’s time, once again, to explore.

To see the full list, click here.

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