5 Popular '80s Destinations That Are Making A Comeback

Nostalgia is a powerful thing. For those of you looking to rekindle the wanderlust you felt decades ago, we've put together a guide that could be just what you've been searching for. It reaches back in time while keeping one finger on the pulse of the present, all to pinpoint a handful of popular '80s destinations that are now making something of a comeback.

To compile this list, we pored over research from leading travel publications and popular online platforms and forums, which helped reveal those spots that are having a second moment in the limelight after their initial glory days more than 30 years ago. The parameters are global — we covered everything from the nostalgia-brimming sunshine of the Spanish Balearics to the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. The types of destinations we selected are equally varied; we weighed hedonistic party cities against outdoor adventure hubs and more.

Consider it a bit of a redux on our list of once-glamorous tourist hotspots that fell on hard times but never recovered. Only these comeback kings have most certainly recovered (or at least have begun to), and now tout everything from sun-kissed Greek beaches with nice amenities to walking tours of Art Deco history neighborhoods for the modern traveler.

Travelers keen to relive the classic American outdoors adventure can look to the land of the Big Sky, where West Yellowstone is currently in the throes of something of a renaissance. According to a 2025 study by Campspot, a major U.S. campsite booking portal based in Grand Rapids, this corner of Montana is experiencing a surge in would-be visitors. The platform cross-referenced the most popular outdoor destinations in the 1980s with today's most-searched getaways on Campspot, and West Yellowstone topped the list as the '80s nostalgia destination in the American West. That's saying something, since it edged out the likes of Yosemite and the Grand Canyon.

The truth is that the 1980s were a bit of a rollercoaster for West Yellowstone. Towards the end of the decade, huge, raging wildfires tore through great swaths of the country here, igniting more than 1.4 million acres across the region. Those events eventually kick-started a decades-long reforestation project, and valuable lessons were learned about the future of wildfire fighting. But the fires were one low point in an era that has since seen record visitation. Since 2007, Yellowstone National Park has welcomed 3 million visitors or more each year. 

Studies have also shown an increase in tourism across Montana in the wake of the hit TV show "Yellowstone," which ran from 2018 to 2024. That further backs up Campspot's findings that this is one of the nostalgia destinations of the moment. And why not? West Yellowstone is a lively gateway to Yellowstone National Park, offering a grizzly bear sanctuary, souvenir shopping aplenty, and — of course — prime access to its namesake national park.

The 1980s were the decade when the fabled White Isle of the Balearics really cut its teeth as a global party destination. Speaking to Huck magazine in 2021, photographer and former Time Out nightlife editor Dave Swindells, remarked that "Ibiza had been attracting a pan-European crowd of bohemian socialites since the late '70s" and was sprouting "superclubs" the likes of which cities like London hadn't even conceived.

Ibiza remained ultra-popular among the hedonistic crowd in the years and decades that followed, too, with the late '80s seeing the rise of the distinctive Acid House music genre, and then the phenomenon of day partying in open-air beach bars throughout the '90s and onward. Fast forward to today, and there's a distinct whiff of longing in the air for the pre-party Ibiza, with a whole new drive towards more luxury, wellness, and experiential, responsible travel underway.

The trend is easy to see among travel bloggers, many of whom are focusing on the more off-the-radar, "hippie" corners of the island. According to IbizaPreservation, a foundation established to counteract the island's overtourism, Ibiza and nearby Formentera have welcomed more than 2,000 visitors per 100 residents every year since 2017. Even the island's 1980 heyday wasn't so crowded, so if you want a more nostalgic experience on Ibiza, trade in the big clubs for small drum circles on Benirrás Beach at sunset and viewpoints over the magnetic Es Vedrà rock. Or, head to a yoga retreat on a secret beach like Es Portitxol, reached via a hike through fragrant pine forests.

Between the big sites of the Acropolis and the great temples of the Athenian Agora, who would've known that Greece's capital has a once-glamorous mainland riviera full of beaches and resorts that's now making a comeback? Cue the Athenian Riviera, a place that hummed with life, with celebs, with A-listers, and with money from the 1960s onwards, when it started drawing big-name luminaries like Frank Sinatra and The Beatles. According to the Athens Riviera Journal, that heyday continued on throughout the '80s, with sleek hotels and clubs beckoning city slickers to towns like Varkiza and Vouliagmeni.

But all good things come to an end, as they say, and so it was with this stretch of shoreline running south from the big city of Athens. The turn of the millennium saw popularity wane as those VIPs turned their gaze away from the riviera and toward the Greek Isles. But today, the internet is ablaze with articles about how Athens' run of coast is back in business, with the particularly luxurious Four Seasons Astir Palace leading the way.

The whole region spans 40 miles along the edge of the sparkling Saronic Gulf and is capped off by the ancient Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, which is hailed as a darn fine place to watch the sunset. So the next time you're in Athens, nothing's stopping you from cosplaying your '80s throwback fantasy among the riviera's stylish yacht-filled marinas, easy-going tavernas, and beaches fringed with palm trees.

Ah, Miami, the Magic City that conjured its way into the pop culture consciousness of the 1980s arguably more than any other urban center in America. Much has been written about how Miami became the ultimate destination for those on the hunt for beach living, partying, and just a touch of neon-lit grit and danger, all largely thanks to the filming of the now-legendary TV hit "Miami Vice." Indeed, many have observed the uncanny effect the show had on the city, as Miami morphed into a colorful, cool town of zingy buildings and glamorous hangouts partly because of the show's influence.

In the words of one Redditor, writing on the r/moviecritic subreddit, Miami Vice "completely transformed the city of Miami, South Beach in particular, turning it from a broken down retiree haven to one of the hottest travel destinations in the world." Well, folks, the buzz is back. British Airways, the official flag-carrier of the United Kingdom, named Miami as one of their hottest destinations for 2025, while Travel Pulse picked it as one of 2026's leading group travel spots for its watersports, sand, and oodles of sunshine.

Tempted? South Beach is Miami's artiest neighborhood, offering block upon block of retro Art Deco architecture next to a wide, powdery run of Atlantic shoreline. It's also the gateway to the vast Everglades of southern Florida, where you can go looking for crocodiles and rare waterbirds.

Las Vegas has always been popular. Official statistics from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority show that this legendary city in the Nevada desert has drawn over 20 million people each year since 1990, with over 41 million vacationers coming its way in 2024 alone. But there's one part of this neon gambling hub that's been on a bit of a rollercoaster ride: the downtown area.

Laid out in the early 1900s, it was one of the town's original urban hubs, centered on bustling Fremont Street. Folks would head there to see landmark neon signage looming high above the sidewalks, or to hit the casinos lining Glitter Gulch. But the downtown's days were numbered, and the area slowly fell into obscurity with the rise of the iconic Las Vegas Strip, and by the early 1990s, the Strip was the main star of the Las Vegas show by a mile.

Downtown's fortunes began to change after a major revitalization effort, Downtown Project, was launched in 2012, bringing $350 million in investment to the area. Fremont Street is now home to the Fremont Street Experience, a car-free clutch of five blocks that's got dazzling light shows, ziplines, and a good hit of Sin City nostalgia — you can even visit The Mob Museum, where you can peer into the gritty underbelly of Vegas history.

Our list of '80s destinations that are making a comeback today is based on extensive research across multiple blogs, travel publications and platforms, and online forums that provide an on-the-ground window into a destination's history and character today. 

All of the destinations above are mentioned in recent studies and surveys on places staging a return, featured in numerous articles about locations climbing back onto people's travel radar, or discussed extensively in forum threads. They share a demonstrable history of being popular throughout the 1980s and are now being discussed with increasing enthusiasm due to their reemergence.