🚴Active recreation

The destination is chosen, and now you need to plan the activity itself. You want to know how many days a trek takes, whether you need a car, when the slopes have snow and which tour to a cave or cove to pick. Those answers decide your overnight stops, your tickets and the whole order of the trip. Here we gather articles that help you settle these questions before you leave.

Mountains and hiking routes are the core. There is a day-by-day Dolomites itinerary with overnight stops and lifts, a piece on trekking and glaciers in Mestia and Svaneti, and an overview of trekking routes around the world with the number of days each one takes. Historic walking routes comparable to the Camino de Santiago are covered separately. The winter part is about skiing: snow-sure ski areas in Germany, Austrian resorts you can reach by train, Italian resorts for beginners and experienced skiers, and the Tetnuldi resort in Svaneti.

The second large group is about water and nature. We write about how to choose an ice cave tour in Iceland, how to get to Benagil Cave and what is prohibited there, and how boat trips on Milos to Kleftiko and Polyaigos work. There are articles on surfing in Portugal, on choosing between Hikkaduwa and Unawatuna, and on a cruise along the Geirangerfjord. For wildlife watching there is the Pantanal in Brazil and places where whales and dolphins come close to shore. There are road trips too: the Luberon, Serra da Estrela, a loop around the Netherlands from Amsterdam. Among the less common topics: night adventures with manta rays and a glowing bay, zip line and bungee at Megazip Adventure Park on Sentosa, and the parts of Madeira with cliffs and levadas.

The section also includes articles with a wider scope. These are hotel selections in Turkey, on Rhodes, in Batumi and on Koh Samui, city routes around Istanbul, excursions in Lisbon and on Phuket, and overviews of resorts in Spain and the islands of Greece. They are useful when you need to combine the active part with a beach or a city. But that is not the main subject of the section.

Every article opens with a short answer to the main question. Practical blocks follow: how to get there, when to go, what to buy in advance, how much time to allow. For prices and timetables we give the source and the date we checked it. We write about the downsides plainly: lines, dependence on the weather, entry restrictions, difficult stretches.

The section suits people who plan a trip themselves and want to see it laid out day by day beforehand. It is also useful for beginners choosing a first trek or a first ski resort. There are no professional sports instructions here. We do not replace a guide, an instructor or a mountain rescue service, and we advise you to check fitness and equipment requirements with organizers and official services.

Start with the type of activity, not the country. If you are still choosing, open the overview articles: trekking routes around the world, ski resorts, surfing spots. Once the place is settled, move on to a day-by-day itinerary or to the article on a specific site. Read about accommodation and getting there last. That way the plan comes together in order.

The section is part of "Types of travel". If you are still looking for the idea of the trip itself, take a look at "Vacation ideas" and "Tourist ideas". For a budget plan there is "Affordable vacation", and for parks and shows there are "Entertainment" and "Water parks". Short practical tips are collected in "For a note", and informative pieces in "Interesting facts".

Conditions for active recreation change quickly. Access rules for natural sites change, and so do lift timetables, the season and event dates. That is why we update the articles and check the details against the official websites of parks, resorts and transport operators. Before your trip, check the update date in the text and open the original source named in the article. Look at the weather and the state of the trails, slopes and sea the day before: they decide whether the outing goes ahead.