Author: Eric Grundhauser / Source: Atlas Obscura
Getting lost in the age of the smartphone isn’t just unlikely, it’s actively difficult. To find yourself in a position where you truly don’t know where you are is an experience that’s becoming more and more rare—which might also be a shame, because getting lost can be a terrific opportunity for discovery.
We recently asked the Atlas Obscura community to tell us about their strongest memories of getting lost, and the result was an incredible collection of stories about travelers turning mistakes into meaningful experiences.Get lost in a selection of some of our favorite responses below. And if you have your own incredible tale of getting lost, head over to our Community forums and tell us about it. The best part of being lost isn’t being found, it’s that feeling of pleasant uncertainty you can’t get any other way.
Following the Music in Portugal
“I get lost quite often, even with the help of Google Maps in my hand. My partner finds it exciting to explore without maps. One recent fond memory of getting lost in a new city was when we were trying to find our way back from the University of Coimbra (where we just toured the famed Biblioteca Joanina and the science museum with the taxidermy collection), to our hotel. There were many winding and narrow alleyways set on cobblestone paths. At some point, we heard the amazing sound of guitar playing and decided to check it out. We found ourselves at a pub and there was a guy playing guitar just outside the pub. The pub was almost empty that afternoon, so we decided to get some beer and just enjoyed the music for awhile. It’s become one of my favorite memories from that trip.” — nagnabodha
Beer, Soccer, and Unexpected Discovery
“It hardly feels like being lost because you’ve found something… amazing, exhilarating, that you weren’t looking for. I think this serendipitous way to travel is wonderful, though not for everyone (it can be very stressful). We had a similar experience in Munich where we ended up at a fabulous little Italian family cafe near St. Anne’s Church in Lehel, eating carpaccio on a pizza, having another great beer, and surreptitiously watching the World Cup on their TV one summer’s evening. Bliss.” — Persey
On an Island, You’re Never Truly Lost
“Lost in Desroches, Seychelles. One of my most perfect travel days… No roads, only footpaths on this island. Thought I’d go for a walk. Sort of zoned out looking at giant spiders, birds, coconuts. Soon, I have no clue where I am! Well, it’s an island. If you go to the edge and circumambulate, you should get back to where you started, right? Not to worry, I have my backpack—water, camera, sunblock, a towel. Woman alone with nature. I play tag with sand crabs. Play tag with the ocean. Find red coral. Whew. Those sand vistas are deceptive. What looks like a short walk takes an hour, then another, and another. Soaked in sweat, covered with sand, exhausted, I found my way back. It was great.” — penelopeashe
Waking Up With the Sheep
“We’re from the Antipodes and took a family holiday ‘across the ditch’ (pronounced ‘detch’ if you’re a kiwi) and got lost on the South Island. You’d think being from mainland Australia for the most part and island Tasmania more recently, we’d have distances worked out, like migratory birds… but no. We had a small campsite in mind on the coast also between Invercargill and Dunedin, and drove for hours in the dark, (pre-GPS, and maps prove useless between spouses) not knowing if we were even on the right road. Eventually we came to the end of a road, to a paddock, stopped and set up the tent, a bit worried we were on private land as we could hear sheep close by. Bailed the kids in and went to sleep. Woke at first light to see the sheep just on the other side of a fence only a meter away, everything else hidden in a bank of fog. Went back to the tent to snuggle, then after an hour got up to see the bay and amazing coastal cliffs which I drew in my sketchbook while everyone else slept. We discovered later that it is the setting for the castle used in first Narnia movie.” — Persey
Waiting For the Bus, Saved By a Taxi
“Lost in the Moroccan desert. We’d probably still be there if a goat herder hadn’t happened along. So, while the goats were nibbling at my skirt, we started a literal United Nations conversation. I asked the goat herder in French if there was going to be a bus coming by here. He answered to my boyfriend in Spanish (because I couldn’t understand his Moroccan French accent) who translated it to me in English. Get the picture? Turns out that there was a bus supposed to come by, so we waited. And waited. And waited. Just when we were about to despair, we saw a…
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