About the Atlas
An independent travel publication with a point of view.
The Unknown Atlas is a small editorial project. It writes about extraordinary places, hidden routes, unusual hotels, remote islands, ancient cities, road trips that reward the slow lane, and the lesser-known side of destinations the world thinks it already knows.
It is not a booking agency, and it does not aim to cover every country. The Atlas focuses on places worth a long flight, a slow ferry, or a winter weekend, written in the voice of a publication rather than a travel blog.
The editor
Duarte Pereira
The Unknown Atlas is written and edited by Duarte Pereira, from Portugal. It began as a way of keeping track of places that kept turning up in footnotes — a village reached by a single footbridge, an island with one guesthouse, a fort that now takes guests — and grew into a publication.
Every place named here is verified before it is published. Accommodation is checked against the property's own website and, where possible, against recent independent accounts. Where something could not be confirmed, it is left out rather than guessed at. Where a property has a constraint worth knowing — a season that ends in November, a house let only in its entirety, a road that does not reach it — it is stated.
This is a desk-researched publication. Where an article draws on a first-hand visit, it says so. Where it does not, it does not pretend otherwise. No hotel, operator or tourism board pays to be featured, and no sponsored content appears in the editorial.
How destinations are chosen
The Atlas favours places that are quieter than their reputation suggests, that ask something of the traveller, and where the architecture, the landscape, or the food makes the journey memorable. Corrections and clarifications are welcome through the contact page.
Editorial standards
Articles are written and reviewed by The Unknown Atlas Editorial Team. Every destination guide carries a published date and a last-reviewed date so readers can judge how current the information is. Affiliate relationships do not determine editorial inclusion.
Research and corrections
The Atlas researches destinations using official tourism authorities, recognised heritage organisations such as UNESCO, national parks, transport operators, and reputable local sources. Practical information — opening times, transport schedules, access restrictions and prices — changes often, and readers should confirm current details before travelling.
The publication does not claim first-hand visits to every place it covers. Where a destination has been visited by a contributor, that is noted in the piece itself; otherwise the article is a researched editorial guide. Factual errors, outdated details, and corrections are welcome and taken seriously — please write in through the contact page and The Unknown Atlas Editorial Team will review and update the article.
How the publication is funded
The Atlas is independent. Some links to hotels, experiences, flights, car hire, and travel insurance are affiliate links — when a reader books through one, the Atlas may earn a small commission at no additional cost. These commissions help fund the writing, and never determine which destinations or hotels are covered.
Get in touch
The Atlas is always happy to hear from readers, photographers, hoteliers, and tourism boards with stories worth telling. The contact page is the best place to begin.
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