The Best Bucket List Travel Destinations For Sports Fans

In a normal year, there are some amazing sporting events that go on all around the world. Although some of those events haven’t happened as planned in 2020, when normal events can resume, we will all have a lot of great sports to look forward to, from Olympics to regional team events. In this post, you will find a list of the best travel destinations sport fans should have on their bucket lists!

If you want to explore some areas around the world, or locally where you live, then there are a whole bunch of destinations that are great for sports fans. Whether you want to see a game or match itself, see an iconic stadium, or just take it all in, in a new city, then there are so many places to choose from.

Photo by Marcus Wallis

Top 6 World’s Travel Destinations For Sports Fans

Where are the top destinations for sports fans to visit? Here are some iconic sports cities and destinations, as well as the things that you will be able to do there.

Fenway Park – Boston, USA

If you are based in the USA, then this will be a destination that you will have no doubt had on your list. Even if you’re like me, and not based in the USA, then you are still going to have heard of Fenway Park, the home to the Boston Red Sox baseball team. I would love to explore the area of Boston in general, with Harvard there, as an example. But during football season it will be even more enjoyable, especially if there is time to fit in watching a game at the historic Fenway Park. For foodies like me, you can also grab a famous sausage and pepper sandwich from the street food carts outside of the stadium.

Photo by todd kent

Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Club – London, England

London is a city known for its fashion, shopping, history, art and theatre scenes. London is also home to a number of great sporting events, with one of the most famous being the tennis at Wimbledon. A short train ride just out of the main centre of London, you will find Wimbledon, where you can see the Wimbledon Championship Trophy for yourself, as well as watch some games of tennis (if you’re there in late June or early July). Eating strawberries and cream is part of the tradition for a day at The Championships, Wimbledon. With its iconic status, fun traditions and lush green laws, Wimbledon really is a place to add to the sporting destination bucket list!

Allianz Parque – São Paulo, Brazil

There is not a lot more than can bring the whole world together, like football (or soccer for the colonials among us). The 90,000-seat Allianz Parque in Brazil is home of the Palmeiras. They are one of the most popular and famous professional clubs in Brazil, and the stadium is iconic. If you love football, then you will know all about it! If, like me, you want to know what else there is to do in the city, then it is a place that is hustling and bustling. You can find a lot of authentic Italian restaurants right by the stadium, as well as one of the best traditional Brazilian bakeries  in the city, right by the stadium. The salgadinhos, tempting Brazilian snacks, are a must to try (especially the Coxinha, which is unquestionably the most famous Brazilian salgado)!

Photo by Nathana Rebouças

Camp Nou – Barcelona, Spain

There is something so special about visiting Barcelona. Whether you are looking for a day at the beach, which I love, or wandering the streets of the city taking in the stunning architecture or the local cuisine, more things I love, there is something for everyone. If you are looking for an adventure, then heading to the Gothic Quarter of the city is a must. If you are looking for something sporty, then the home to the Barcelona football team, Camp Nou, is another must. It is the largest stadium in the whole of Europe, and it was opened way back in 1957. One of the best things to eat by the stadium is a classic butifarra sausage, which is kind of like a hot dog. Take it all in and you can get guided tours of the stadium.

Photo by Tim Roosjen

Field of Dreams Movie Site – Iowa, USA

Although this is not technically a stadium, it still deserves a place on the list of destinations for sports fans. The Field of Dreams Movie Site is a really iconic landmark, especially if you have seen the 1989 movie and fell in love with it (if you haven’t seen it, then get to it, pronto). Fans of the movie can see and run around the bases of the baseball field, as well as tour the first floor of the home, which is just like the one in the movie. There is a gift shop too, of course. If you will be looking for somewhere to eat afterwards, then a place that comes highly recommended is the many family-style restaurants in the city, with tasty American street food, as well as good coffee; I love the sound of it.

Metricon Stadium – Gold Coast, Australia

If I could pick a destination a little further afield, then it would be Carrara Sports Centre on the Gold Coast of Australia. Located at the Metricon Stadium, this multi-purpose arena is the home of a variety of different sports, such as Badminton, Para Powerlifting, Weightlifting and Wrestling. In April 2018, Carrara Stadium was one of the venues hosting the Commonwealth Games. It is one of the most contemporary stadiums in Australia, as well as being one of the greenest, which I think is why it deserves a place on this list. It is also the home of the Gold Coast SUNS (Aussie Rules football). For things to do and food to eat near the stadium, you will be spoilt for choice! There are a lot of different takeaway foods, as you might imagine, but there are also pizzerias, sushi, and seafood restaurants. The classic food to have, so I hear, is a hot beef pie.

Photo by Metricon Stadium

Have you got any sporting destinations that you would add to the list? I would love to hear what you think, and which locations are already on your travel bucket list. Here’s hoping we will all be able to travel again as normal, sooner rather than later.

Disclaimer: this is a collaborative post.