Every place worth the detour, on one world map

What Detourmap is

Detourmap is an Atlas-Obscura-style world map of 70,520 notable places drawn from open data. It leans deliberately toward the obscure: the map runs from world-famous icons like the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal and the Acropolis of Athens down through a long tail of hidden gems most travel guides never mention. Every pin has a photo and a link to read more on Wikipedia.

The sixteen layers

Each layer has its own page listing the best of it worldwide, and every country with eight or more places has one too — start from all 70,520 places by country and by kind.

• 🗿 Ancient & megalithic — ruins, stone circles, dolmens, pyramids, geoglyphs and hillforts (6,516 places)
• 🏛️ Monuments & statues — memorials, colossal statues and triumphal arches (3,610)
• ⛩️ Sacred sites — churches, temples, monasteries and shrines (14,267)
• 🏖️ Beaches & coves — shorelines worth the detour (768)
• 💧 Waterfalls — cascades and falls (1,185)
• 🕳️ Caves & caverns — show caves, grottoes and lava tubes (1,086)
• 🌋 Volcanic & geothermal — volcanoes, geysers, hot springs and crater lakes (1,261)
• 🏞️ Natural wonders — national parks, canyons, valleys, arches, impact craters and mountain passes (15,025)
• 🗼 Towers & lighthouses — lighthouses, campaniles and lookout towers (2,610)
• 🌉 Great structures — historic bridges and aqueducts (2,490)
• 🏰 Castles & palaces — castles, fortresses, palaces and châteaux (9,519)
• 🏚️ Abandoned & ghost towns — deserted villages, ghost towns and forgotten Arctic outposts (584)
• 💀 Macabre & curious — catacombs, ossuaries, shipwrecks and storied cemeteries (1,406)
• 🖼️ Museums & galleries — art, history and science museums (6,117)
• 🌳 Parks & gardens — botanical gardens, arboretums and grand city parks (2,413)
• 🎡 Fun & leisure — theme parks, zoos, aquariums, ski resorts and planetariums (1,663)

Frequently asked questions

What is Detourmap?

A free interactive world map of 70,520 places worth going out of your way for, across 350 countries. It works like an Atlas Obscura you can filter — pick a region, flip on the layers you care about, and explore from world-famous icons down to hidden gems.

Is it free?

Yes — completely free, with no signup and no ads. It is built entirely from open data: place records from Wikidata (CC0) and photos from Wikimedia Commons.

How do I find hidden gems instead of famous landmarks?

Every place carries a fame tier — Iconic, Renowned, Notable or Hidden gem — from its Wikidata sitelink count. Use the fame filter to hide the icons and reveal the long tail, or press “Surprise me”, which is biased toward the obscure.

Where does the data come from?

Place data comes from Wikidata (CC0) and every photo from Wikimedia Commons. Each place is required to have coordinates, a photo, an English name and a Wikipedia article.

Detourmap needs JavaScript and WebGL to run the interactive map. Sister atlases: Castlemap, Beachmap, Sunshine Atlas and TrainRouter.