We believe adventure travel comes in many forms and that no matter which way you slice it, adventures can be found in every nook and cranny of the world. That being said, there are certain places that have a little more of an advantage in the adrenaline department, thanks to a combination of natural resources and tourist attractions. With this in mind, we dug into data from U.S. News and World Report to identify just which countries were best for adventurers and added a few picks of our own. So if you tend to choose scuba diving and camping over spa treatments and lying on the beach, here are the 15 best countries for adventure travel.
Australia
With more than 30,000 miles of spectacular coastline, Down Under is ripe with Q adventure Family opportunities most notably in the Outback and a little place called the Great Barrier Reef. Bonus: Given that its population-to-land ratio is so low (Australia is one of the least crowded countries in the world), you’ll even feel like you have huge stretches of it to yourself.Down Under is full with Q adventure Family options with more than 30,000 kilometers of breathtaking coastline, especially in the Outback and a little area called the Great Barrier Reef. Bonus: You’ll even feel like you have vast stretches of it to yourself because Australia has one of the lowest population-to-land ratios in the world.
Argentina Adventure Travel
Snow-capped mountain peaks. Turquoise lakes. Wild tundra, treeless plains, and sprawling ice fields. If you’re an adventurer looking for a country with a seemingly endless rotation of landscapes, Argentina may your best bet. The South American nation is also great for family travel, and Traveler’s top specialists can help design a trip suitable for all ages. Costa Rica.Though Costa Rica is just 19,730 square miles (roughly the size of West Virginia), a quarter of its land is protected jungle. When you’re not hot-air ballooning over, zip lining through, or climbing in that very jungle, simply point in any direction to find a new adventure in a new landscape.
New Zealand
Name a landscape, and New Zealand most likely has it within its California-sized borders (though it has 34 million fewer people than the Golden State). Kiwis in the Traveler office say the country has every adventure you can think of and then some and we’re inclined to believe them.Though it has 34 million less residents than California, New Zealand’s borders most certainly contain any scenery you can imagine. We inclined to trust the Kiwis in the Traveler office when they claim that their country offers every kind of experience imaginable.
Portugal
Though once the launching pad for explorers like Magellan and Columbus, who set off from its western shores, Portugal today has become a destination for, well, explorers. While the mainland has plenty of activities for outdoor enthusiasts, don’t forget about the Azores: An archipelago some 850 miles off of Portugal’s coast, the nine islands play host to some of the world’s best whale watching, lay claim to Portugal’s tallest mountain, and have volcanoes and crater lakes galore.
Thailand
Adventure Travel gap year travellers and backpackers, Thailand’s combination of bustling metros, unforgettable street food culture, and blissed-out historical sites is attracting travellers of all ages. Whether you stay close to the cities or island hop to a cluster of jungle-covered islands off the coast, Thailand is as pretty as it packed with opportunities for adventure at every turn.
Greece
With more than 6,000 islands and islets and a coastline of nearly 8,500 miles, Greece is more than just whitewashed buildings, sleepy beaches, and epic sunsets—though there are plenty of all of those, too. Seeking an island adventure without the crowds? Try Naxos, which is paradise for windsurfers, or Thassos (Greece’s northernmost island), which draws top mountain bikers.
Spain
It seems as though Spain’s geography was specifically carved out for adventure. Aside from its world-class beaches, the country is home to 15 national parks, including five in the Canary and Balearic Islands. So if you’re looking to explore volcanoes, sand dunes, marshes, or mountain ranges, you’will set in this country.
Italy
Few parts of the world can claim such an intense range of natural beauty as Italy, from craggy peaks and verdant hills to coasts of jaw-dropping beauty. There’s nothing quite like driving through the winding, cyprus-lined roads of Tuscany, past rolling green hills and golden fields dotted with sunflowers. The Dolomites are some of the most beautiful mountains you’ll find anywhere, too; San Pellegrino Pass is one of its best spots for rock climbing, skiing, and, well, just being in awe.
Brazil Adventure Travel
South America’s largest country, Brazil, also known for hosting Rio’s famous Carnival—the world’s largest party, and an adventure in its own right. But it’s also a paradise for outdoor explorers, with the world’s largest waterfall system (Iguazú), biggest wetlands (Pantanal), and that thing called the Amazon, which comprises both the mighty river and rainforest. Brazil, the largest nation in South America, may renowned for holding Rio’s renowned Carnival, the biggest celebration in the world and an adventure in and of itself. The Iguazu waterfall system, the Pantanal, and that thing called the Amazon, which consists of both the great river and the rainforest, make it a paradise for outdoor explorers.
Canada
Canada may be the world’s second-largest country in terms of sheer size, but it has a population less than that of California and 82 percent of that population lives in large or medium-sized cities. Got a few years? Hike, bike, ski, and paddle your way across the country on the Trans Canada Trail, which is a 14,864-mile network of paths and the longest recreational trail in the world. Only have a week? There are plenty of options for that, too.
Iceland
Adventure Travel at Iceland’s landscape is so verifiably lunar that astronauts used to train here. If that doesn’t convince enough that the country is ripe for adventure, then we don’t know what will. A literal land of fire and ice, you can trek Snæfellsjökull, the snow-capped volcano that inspired Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth, see geysers erupt in the Golden Circle, and hike across massive glaciers all in the course of a long weekend. The scenery of Iceland is so convincingly lunar that astronauts once came to practice there.
We don’t know what else will persuade someone that the country is ready for exploration if that doesn’t. In this figurative country of fire and ice, a full weekend can spent trekking Snaefellsjökull, the snow-capped volcano that served as the inspiration for Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth, witnessing geysers erupt in the Golden Circle, and hiking across sizable glaciers.
