Hiking

A city in a valley ringed by peaks. Innsbruck mixes colourful old-town facades with cable cars that go straight up to the alpine skyline.

Jungle meets Caribbean: beaches, trails, and hammocks under the trees. Tayrona is raw coastal beauty.

Pristine rainforest reached only by longboat, with a canopy walkway rising above the jungle floor — one of Borneo's best-protected forests, kept intact by Brunei's oil wealth rather than logging.

One of the world’s deepest canyons, with condors riding the thermals. Colca is terraces, villages, and big drops.

Alpine wilderness, lakes, and wombats. Cradle Mountain is Tasmania’s icon.

Steep valley of waterfalls and alpine meadows under big cliffs.

Slovenský Raj, Slovakia — a limestone plateau riddled with narrow gorges where marked trails climb through waterfalls on ladders, chains, and metal rungs bolted straight into the rock.

Adventure capital at the foot of the Remarkables. Queenstown is mountains, lakes, and adrenaline—bungee, skiing, or just soaking in the views with a glass of wine.

Alpine lake with an island church and castle, plus a larger lake nearby in the Julian Alps.

A volcano, a lake, and an adventure town. Pucón is hiking, skiing, and hot springs.

Citadelle Laferrière, Haiti — the largest fortress in the Americas crowns a mountaintop above Cap-Haïtien, built by a newly freed nation determined never to be enslaved again.

A little-visited volcanic archipelago in the Indian Ocean — coral reefs, ylang-ylang plantations, and an active volcano you can hike into. Moroni's medina feels frozen in time.

Small city with big outdoor access. Bend is craft beer, river floats, and a staging point for mountains, lakes, and desert.

Lakes, peaks, and long valleys in the Canadian Rockies. Jasper feels wilder and more spacious than some neighbouring parks.

Roseau & the Boiling Lake, Dominica — the 'Nature Island' hides the world's second-largest hot lake at the end of a full-day rainforest trek through the Valley of Desolation.

High Karakoram valley with apricot orchards, fortresses, and views of 7,000m peaks.

Ålesund & Sunnmøre Alps, Norway — art nouveau port town looking out to sea, with jagged peaks just behind.

Lakes, chocolate, and the edge of Patagonia. Bariloche is alpine Argentina.

Flatirons, trails, and a walkable college town at the foot of the Rockies. Boulder is outdoorsy and health-focused.

Seoraksan National Park, South Korea — dramatic peaks and temples in the northeast.

Jungle-covered island with no cars, beaches, and trails. Ilha Grande is Brazilian island time.

Durmitor National Park, Montenegro — dramatic peaks, glacial lakes, and the Tara Canyon in the Dinaric Alps.

The main and most developed Cook Island — a lush, mountainous volcanic rim circled by one coastal road, with a lagoon calmer and less crowded than Aitutaki's.

Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia — jagged volcanic peaks plunging straight into the Pacific, remote and lagoon-free, the wild opposite of Bora Bora's postcard calm.