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Adventure travel


ARENAL, COSTA RICA Set around one of Costa Rica’s


most active volcanoes, the Arenal Volcano National Park is made for postcards. Home to the extinct Cerro Chato as well as its perfectly conical big sister, Arenal — which erupted 41 times per day, on average, until it went dormant in November 2010 — this lush, 46 sq mile territory hosts four climatic zones and 53 percent of Costa Rica’s bird species. But the destination isn’t just a


photographer or birdwatcher’s paradise. Adventure tourism is the name of the game here, with key activities including canyoneering, white-water rafting, zip-lining, mountain biking and every intensity of hiking, from mild to extreme — a fi rm favorite being a three-hour trek along the eco-tourism-project-turned- sightseeing-attraction, the Arenal Hanging Bridges. Situated equidistant between


Costa Rica’s two international airports at San José and Liberia (around 80 miles from each) the park is also becoming increasingly accessible to U.S. thrill-seekers. Southwest, for example, has announced a daily route between Fort Lauderdale and San José, commencing November 5 — in time for the dry season. T is complements daily Los Angeles and weekly Baltimore-Washington fl ights to Liberia, which the airline introduced earlier this year. visitcostarica.com


ICELAND Listed as a top fi ve adventure


destination in the 2017 Virtuoso Luxe Report — with an earlier survey from the same network indicating that it’s number one in terms of popularity — Iceland


is unlikely to disappoint the active vacationer. Peppered with volcanoes, glaciers, fjords, geysers and waterfalls, the ‘land of fi re and ice’ is a veritable playground for summer and winter visitors alike. Options start with soft


adventure escorted tours around popular sightseeing route, the Golden Circle, with common inclusions being trips to Gullfoss waterfall, the 3,000-year-old Kerid volcanic crater, and the impressive Strokkur geyser, which spews its scorching waters every six to 10 minutes — sometimes as high as 100ft. For the more intrepid traveler, possibilities range from lava tunnel caving to ice-climbing. T ere’s even the opportunity to scuba dive between two continents at Silfra fi ssure. With more hotels coming to


market, it’s small wonder that Iceland is striking a chord with U.S. visitors — regardless of the adventures they undertake while there. Upcoming product includes the luxurious 62-room Moss Hotel which, at the time of writing, was set to open this fall on the banks of Grindavik’s famous Blue Lagoon. inspiredbyiceland.com ▶


From top: Langjokull glacier, near Reykjavik, Iceland; zip-lining, Golfi to National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica; Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica


ASTAnetwork | Fall 2017 | 63


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