Hankering for some old-school charm? Travel + Leisure has revealed America’s Best Small Towns of 2026, and they’re ready to pull you off the main road.
Well-seasoned travellers know that the best way to get under the skin of a destination is to swerve the city lights – and America is no exception.
While the States’ big and bustling cities dazzle with world-class dining and museums, make sure to leave time to hit the highway and mosey into a small town for a few days. It’s in these undersung pockets of the country that you’ll find the full sweep of classic Americana, family-run diners, charming local traditions and natural attractions spanning blazing foliage to river gorges.
To help you narrow down where to go first, Travel + Leisure has released its annual America’s Best Small Towns list for 2026. There are lakeside gems, hidden foodie hotspots and emerging desert hubs on the list. But taking out the coveted title of Best Small Beach Town? A classic Californian pocket where mellow, nostalgic energy and dramatic bluffs are found aplenty – and new developments are breathing fresh life into the area.
Why Pismo Beach is America’s Best Small Beach Town for 2026
Head to Pismo Beach for surf breaks and classic California charm. (Credit: Unsplash/Lindsey Garrett)
If strolling wide sandy shores and classic piers in search of whale tails, marvelling at monarch butterflies in coastal estuaries and stopping by old-school ice cream windows sound like your speed, Pismo Beach may be the perfect place to head for your next overseas coastal getaway. The Californian beach town along Highway 1 in San Luis Obispo County – roughly halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles – offers charming surf shops, dramatic cliffs and an 880-acre nature preserve promising unique coastal views, hiking and horseback trails.
While its classic California charm remains a notable drawcard, Travel + Leisure said recent developments, including a new luxury cliffside resort and an expanded Amtrak train service, also contributed to the town being named America’s Best Small Beach Town of 2026.
“What makes Pismo Beach especially worth a visit in 2026 is a growing dining scene, upscale new accommodations and improved rail access. Each elevates a destination that remains, for the most part, the same seaside town that many travelers first fell in love with," the US publication wrote on its website.
The town has a 366-metre pier. (Credit: Pexels/Juan Montes)
Stroll the wide sandy stretches at sunset. (Credit Getty/ PhotographyPerspectives)
The shops lining the waterfront offer a taste of old-school America. (Credit: Unsplash/Vincent Y)
The town is fusing casual beach culture with high-end touches, thanks in part to the new Pacific Point Resort – a new, 170-key accommodation set high on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The resort is already being praised for its self-service wine wall, along with its real-time dolphin and whale alerts that allow guests the best chances of sightings.
Sought-after dining destinations are adding to the appeal. Westerly Shell Beach is a new design-forward restaurant serving up Californian coastal cuisine in its nautical indoor space and sun-drenched patio. Meanwhile, local favourites such as Oyster Loft continue to deliver standout seafood overlooking surfers carving waves.
Find thousands of seasonal monarch butterflies at Pismo Beach. (Credit: Unsplash/Jan Dommerholt)
In May this year, the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train expanded its Central Coast schedule, adding a new daily round-trip service that has improved access to the Pismo area and neighbouring town of Grover Beach (a seven-minute drive from Pismo).
For those who still need convincing Pismo Beach is worth a visit, the town is home to a monarch butterfly grove where tens of thousands of the colourful creatures cluster for the winter after migrating along California’s Central Coast. From November to February, spot their orange wings in the tall eucalyptus trees beside the coastal estuary.
America’s Best Small Towns of 2026
If you prefer the mountains to the coast, or food-led trips take your interest, there are more winning US towns to add to your travel radar, handpicked by the Travel + Leisure team.
Best small mountain town: Hood River, Oregon
Best small lake town: Laconia, New Hampshire
Best small desert town: Ely, Nevada
Best small arts + culture town: Frenchtown, New Jersey
Best small food town: Mystic, Connecticut
Best small spa + wellness town: Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
Best small sports town: Kohler, Wisconsin
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Eleanor Edström is International Traveller’s Associate Editor. El began her career writing for national magazines including Signature Luxury Travel & Style and Vacations & Travel, and has since developed a soft spot for wild landscapes, thoughtful design and the human stories that bring them to life. She holds an honours degree in English and philosophy from the University of Sydney, and has lived abroad in both Switzerland and France – ostensibly to sharpen her French, though the pastries made a strong supporting case. One day, she hopes to swim with humpback whales off the coast of Mo'orea.
Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.
The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.
1. Easy access to good food
Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.
One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.
In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.
In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.
Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.
At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.
While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.
It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.
2. Better sleep options
Sleep deeply with Novotel.
There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.
For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.
The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.
3. More ways to move
Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)
Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.
At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.
Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.
4. Better connections
Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.
One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.
Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.
A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.
Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.
All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.
