Three Next-Level Adventures

From breathing life back into our coral reefs to traversing towering mountain peaks, there are amazing experiences for every level of adventurer.

By Dave Lank

ADVENTURE LEVEL: MILD

1. Coral Gardening

If you’re yearning for an adventurous activity where you can leave a tangible, positive imprint on the planet while satiating your thirst for underwater exploration, then coral gardening is for you. It’s an environmental two-step that’s part restoration, part recreation, and it’s stirring up a wave of interest for eco-conscious travelers. Your mission is not just to observe, but to actively participate in rehabilitating our reefs.

A quarter of all marine species make their homes in coral reefs, which clean the water they’re in and provide food for about 500 million people around the world.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF CORAL GARDENERS.

WHERE TO GO

Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica, is your launchpad into the world of coral gardening. After an onshore lesson about coral’s crucial role in our planet’s health, you’ll enter turquoise waters to plant your own.

HELP OUT FROM HOME

By adopting a coral through the non-profit organization Coral Gardeners, you’ll contribute to global reef restoration, empowering local communities and nurturing a more sustainable blue economy.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF CORAL GARDENERS.

ADVENTURE LEVEL: MEDIUM

2. Stand-Up Paddle boarding Expedition

Stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) has been riding a wave of popularity that shows no sign of cresting. The sport offers the perfect platform for a low-impact workout combined with the thrill of paddling across untamed waters. SUP is now carving a niche in the adventure travel sphere with multi-day expeditions. On inflatable boards loaded with camping gear, explorers are SUP-ing their way through some of the world’s most spectacular waterborne settings. Imagine charting a course through UNESCO-protected fjords in Norway, gliding on mirrored waters encircled by towering cliffs and thundering waterfalls by day and camping out under starlit skies by night.

Some of the world’s first stand-up paddleboarders were fishermen in Peru who made their boards out of reeds 3,000 years ago.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF SUP NORWAY.

WHERE TO GO

SUP Norway leads six-day all-inclusive SUP adventures in Sognefjord, the longest and deepest navigable fjord in the world. And many cruise ships and tour operators offer optional SUP excursions, including Intrepid, where you can add one on to your Antarctica cruise, scanning glacial landscapes for wildlife as you captain your inflatable SUP.

Get the Gear

On a SUP expedition, dry gear is a must. The Sea to Summit Lightweight Dry Bag View is your trusty guard against the elements, ensuring nothing dampens your essentials, or your adventurous spirit. seatosummit.com

PHOTO: COURTESY OF SEA TO SUMMIT.

ADVENTURE LEVEL: ADVANCED

3. Via Ferrata Adventure

For those who prefer adventures that deliver a serious dose of adrenaline, traversing a Via Ferrata route is the answer. Via Ferrata (Italian for “iron way” or “iron path”) rose to prominence during World War I as a way to move Italian soldiers through the imposing Alps using steel cables and ladders. Today, the sport has reached dizzying heights of popularity with guided Via Ferrata routes springing up in some of the globe’s most epic mountainscapes.

A Via Ferrata (Italian for “iron way”) climbing route in Italy’s breathtaking Dolomite Mountains.

PHOTO: LUBOS CHLUBNY/ADOBE STOCK.

WHERE TO GO

For the ultimate Via Ferrata experience, head to its heartland in the northern Italian Alps, where, according to local mountain guide Paolo Tassi, “You’ll touch the history of the original routes and feel the sheer beauty of the Dolomites.”

PHOTO: CORTINA D’AMPEZZO.