Where, if not Stonehenge: 6 alternatives to ancient ruins where there are not enough tourists

If you have a passion for ruins, but are allergic to a crowd of tourists, then you should look for places where there will not be hundreds of people. Moreover, in recent years, some historical monuments suffer from an excessive number of tourists. You don’t have to go far: Machu Picchu in Peru has long imposed restrictions on visits, because, otherwise, nothing will remain from the famous Inca city with such a stream of visitors in a couple of decades. However, there are places that, with their beauty and history, are not inferior to the vaunted sights, and even surpass them in their accessibility. You don’t have to stand in a kilometer queue to take pictures, and besides, there are much fewer restrictions, so you can literally touch the story with your hand.

Greece: Meteors instead of the Acropolis

Undoubtedly, the Acropolis has long become a symbol of Athens, and perhaps Greece itself. But in order not to suffocate from the crowd of tourists, you can look at it from the side (by the way, from afar it is more impressive, especially with night illumination). As for the historical structures on the rocks, the Meteors are much more interesting.

These are monasteries that are located on high rocky "pillars". In the Middle Ages, monks hid here from the barbarians: it was very difficult to get to the monasteries. Today a staircase has appeared here, and you can climb to any monastery for only three euros. However, if a hike in these mountains seems too tiring, then do not forget that the Meteors from the side are no less magnificent.

Cambodia: Banteaychma instead of Angkor Wat

Well, the famous Angkor Wat in Cambodia has not even one alternative. So, the wonderful city of Banteaychma took refuge right in the jungle, and it is no less magnificent. Here, by the way, they shot "Lara Croft". It was opened for tourists recently, in 2014, but Banteaychma has not yet managed to boast of popularity.

And one more ruin that all lovers of historical monuments will surely like is the Hindu temple Preahvihea. Incidentally, he is a hundred years older than Angkor Wat. And it is located on the border with Thailand, and from here you can also get to it.

Peru: Ollantaytambo instead of Machu Picchu

The landscape of Machu Picchu has become as recognizable as the Eiffel Tower. To see it, you need to book a trip for several months. But with the town of Ollantaytambo in the same Peru, everything is much simpler: it is located 2.5 hours from Cuzco, and here too there are plenty of ruins. But there are much fewer tourists, and it is likely to avoid the crowd altogether if you arrive here in the early morning or afternoon.

And one more life hack for budget travelers who cannot afford Machu Picchu: some places in Ollantaytambo are free. True, they are opposite the main structures of Ollantaytambo, and they themselves are not as impressive as the ancient city. But still the panorama from here opens beautiful.

Mexico: Koba instead of the Chichen Itza complex

It is impossible to come to Mexican Cancun and not visit Chichen Itza. This is the most popular ancient Mayan city, and also the one with the most restrictions. However, the Mayans lived in Central America not only near modern Cancun, their cities are scattered throughout the mainland. So, near Tulum there is the city of Koba: the main pyramid is bigger here, and you can climb it (but for now, so it’s worth hurrying). Perhaps Koba is less attractive in that the monuments here are not as well restored as in Chichen Itza. But it is worth looking at it from the other side: this fact makes the visit more exciting and adventurous.

Well, if you are ready to go further, then there is another great alternative: the ancient city of Copan is located in Honduras, which seems to miss tourists altogether.

Great Britain: Avebury instead of Stonehenge

Undoubtedly, Stonehenge has great archaeological significance, but if archeology is alien to you, but you still want to see the megalithic structure, and thousands of tourists are tired, you can go to Wiltshire. Here, next to the town of the same name, is the ancient Avebury Sanctuary, built around 2100 BC. Of course, it is smaller than Stonehenge, but you can wander among these stones and then drink a pint of beer in a local bar, where residents will gladly talk about the importance of their ancient structure. And such conversations are even more attractive than the monotonous story of the guide, is not it?

Indonesia: Chandi Sevu vs Chandi Borobudur

Borobudur is Indonesia's most visited attraction. This is a beautiful temple complex (Buddhist temples are called Chandi), which has thousands of fans.

They usually go to Borobudur after Chandi Prambanan. And just a 15-minute walk from it there is Chandi Sevu. For some reason, tourists bypass it. Probably, the reason is that the complex has not been restored yet, and some headless statue that suffered during the robbery scares off tourists. But we hasten to tell you that if you visited the Prambanan complex, then visiting Seva will be free for you, so a fifteen-minute walk will definitely not hurt. Not to mention the fact that a review of several complexes will give a much greater impression of the greatness of Hindu temples.