SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ –Travel publisher Matador Network announced 12 winners of the 2025 Matador Network Travel Awards.
“The end of the year is a great time to reflect, and for travelers it’s an opportunity to be grateful for all the amazing new experiences we’ve had the opportunity to enjoy,” says Matador Network CEO Ross Borden. “It’s up to each and every individual to make the most of every trip no matter where you go, but the award-winning destinations this year certainly set you up for success. Whether you’re a full-time world traveler or just taking one big trip next year, use this list to plan your 2026.”
Half of the dozen honorees were nominated and chosen via ranking criteria developed by the in-house team of Matador world-travel experts, and the other six are readers’ choice honorees voted on by Matador readers. In addition to the five traditional awards, this year marks the inclusion of a new category: Best Wildlife Destination.
Also, the Matador Network staff and readers once again voted on their favorite airline to fly to get to their soon-to-be-favorite vacation destination.
Matador Network Travel Awards
Readers’ Choice
Estonia has long been overlooked, but better flight connections and visible progress on sustainable tourism have helped make it Matador’s Next Big Destination. Tartu, its second-largest city, was named the European Capital of Culture 2024.
In Oaxaca, adventure is everywhere, from mountain biking the Sierra Norte to surfing the coast.
Over the past few years, the Portuguese island of Madeira has turned itself into an example of what a popular, modern, climate-aware destination can look like.
In Türkiye, wellness is baked into daily life, from weekly hammam rituals and thermal baths to long seaside walks and slow breakfasts that stretch into the afternoon.
The inaugural winner of Best Wildlife Destination is Baja California, where desert mountains fall into two very different bodies of water, like a wildlife corridor you can road-trip.
And because you can’t road-trip everywhere, Qatar is the experts’ choice for Best Airline. Emirates took the top spot among the readers.
For the other readers’ choice awards, Albania is the Next Big Destination. Coastal scenery comes without sticker shock, and mountain landscapes feel genuinely wild.
Patagonia is a place where you can string together multi-day treks, ice hikes, whale watching and long-distance road trips and barely skim the surface.
Costa Rica, home to last year’s experts’ pick for Wellness, is this year’s readers’ choice pick for Best Sustainable Destination.
Rotorua, New Zealand, sits over some of the country’s most active geothermal fields. Geysers, mud pools and hot springs shape the streetscape.
Nairobi National Park is less than 30 minutes from downtown Nairobi, meaning you can watch lions, rhinos and giraffes with office towers and high-rises on the horizon.
“When there’s always somewhere new to go, the hardest question travelers face isn’t ‘Where Next?’ It’s ‘Why there?'” says Nickolaus Hines, editorial content director at Matador Network. “Our winners are the places and airlines that have proven, year after year, that they can deliver on the kind of experiences people travel for.”
View the 2025 Matador Network Travel Awards.
Matador Network is a media brand for modern adventurers and the creator of GuideGeek, the award-winning AI travel genius. With more than 15 million followers across social media, Matador became a leading travel brand through its production of feature articles, city guides, creator-first content and original streaming shows. Matador’s videos generate over 140M monthly views and its content distribution deals with major airlines, airports, gas stations and ride sharing companies reach travelers throughout their journey. The GuideGeek AI platform has over 1M consumer users and powers custom conversational AI for dozens of travel brands and destinations.
Information at matadornetwork.com and guidegeek.com.
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