Adventure tourism has experienced a huge boom in recent years that sets the preferences of travelers.
Increasingly, travelers are ready to leave their comfort zone and try new things, mainly in contact with nature and practice some sport. They are no longer just waiting to meet new destinations or enjoy the sun and the beach in exotic places, moreover, they crave for more real and emotional experiences that change their lives.
Finding alternatives to traditional travel, getting out of daily life, meeting unique and exotic places, and doing some activity in incredible places and little known is the new trend of tourism. They are willing to take risks and let out the adventurer they carry inside.
In just four years, from 2009 to 2013, adventure travel increased by 65 percent ”
A survey of the international travel network Virtuoso luxury shows that this style of travel is increasing. Hiking, trekking, kayaking, rafting, climbing, cycling, and diving are the main activities, and among the main destinations are:
Iceland is a country with just over 300,000 inhabitants and an area of only 103,000 square kilometers. With hardly any vegetation and mainly volcanic, its fantastic landscapes offer a multitude of activities in places like geysers, impressive waterfalls, glaciers on which to walk, black beaches …
In fact, the country is considered as a paradise for lovers of hiking, there are many routes, such as those around the national park of Vatnajökulsþjóðgarður that do not leave anyone indifferent.
National Park of VatnajökulsþjóðgarðurThe Galapagos Islands are an archipelago made up of 13 large islands, 5 medium islands and some 205 islets of volcanic origin located in the Pacific Ocean, 960 kilometers from Ecuador. It is one of the most impressive nature destinations on the planet and is full of iguanas, giant tortoises, sea lions and all kinds of endemic animals. The islands were declared a World Heritage Site.
On Isabela Island, you can surf or dive surrounded by blue-footed boobies, frigates, white-tipped sharks, seahorses, lobsters and Galapagos sharks, something to remember for a lifetime.
Costa Rica is a Central American country stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea. A country where there are so many variations of landscape and climate: tropical forests, steaming volcanoes, steep valleys, beaches, rivers, and lagoons. This allows it to be a worldwide reference in terms of adventure tourism.
But if there is something fascinating is to travel the beautiful tropical rivers practicing rafting or canyoning. One of the best places is the white waters of the Pacuare River in San Jose.
Chile is a country with 18,000,000 inhabitants and has a very wide territory, only coast has an extension of 6,435 km in length. Its landscapes are fascinating and can move from the driest desert to lush forests to end on glacial lands.
To the south of the country, in Patagonia, high peaks and volcanoes are the ideal places for expert athletes, in places such as the Villarrica volcano or the Torres del Paine, where you can still traverse totally virgin routes. Not in vain, last year was chosen the best adventure destination in the world at the World Travel Awards.
For lovers of trekking, the Torres del Paine are the perfect destination: forests, hills, waterfalls, lakes and privileged views to the Southern Ice Fields.
New Zealand is a country formed by two large islands: the North Island and the South Island, along with many other smaller islands, which are in the middle of the South Pacific. The country has 14 natural parks, and almost a quarter of the surface is protected land. The highlights are the Maori culture, and the wild and lush nature offering very varied adventure experiences.
Queenstown is the capital of adventure sports, nestled on the shores of pristine Lake Wakatipu, among towering mountain ranges. Activities are almost unlimited: skiing, paragliding, jetboat, horse riding, and trekking, extreme mountain biking, skydiving, Rafting and, above all, bungee jumping, on the Kawaru River.
