Mountain tips

If you're on the hunt for a quick escape to an iconic destination, consider booking a stay in Vail. This Colorado favorite attracts travelers throughout the year, but stopping by at the break of springtime is a perfect way to catch the last of the ski season and avoid holiday crowds. Vail's slopes are still in full swing in March and April, and there's plenty of shopping, strolling and gourmet dining to enjoy in town as well.

Central Asia encapsulates the romance of the Silk Road.

The Mediterranean island of Sardinia is home to some of Italy's most off-the-beaten-track beaches, archaeological sites and culinary experiences, many of which are inaccessible by public transport.

Within the last decade, advancements in gear technology, a rising cost of lift tickets, and a desire to escape crowds have resulted in a boom in backcountry skiing. But as with other outdoor activities, an increase in people hitting the backcountry has resulted in a strain on our natural resources. As backcountry skiing continues to become more popular, as it inevitably will, it makes it that much more important to take care of each other and respect the land they’re recreating on.

It’s understandable to imagine that there’s no point in going to an Austrian mountain resort like Das Edelweiss unless it’s to ski. But that’s also incorrect.

Croatia is known for its gorgeous coastline strewn with islands, but the country packs a punch with its hiking opportunities too. 

Millions flock to the national parks every year to witness spectacular fall color light up the Great Smoky Mountains or to see the otherworldly geothermal pools in Yellowstone. Last year, in particular, was a banner year for national park visitation, according to newly released figures from the park service: The parks welcomed 325.5 million visitors to the more than 400 national park sites. The visitation numbers are up 4% from 2022, though not a full rebound from the years leading up to the pandemic when the parks saw nearly 330 million visitors.

While tourist taxes are not new—Bhutan has been charging visitors since it opened up to tourists in 1974—and many countries and cities around the world already charge visitors a nightly fee.

I’m splashing around in the Atlantic, having fallen off my board for what feels like the thousandth time this morning. The water is beautiful, the sky clear and immense, and the Atlas mountains loom behind me. But despite all this serene beauty, I am boiling with frustration: who knew learning to surf would be this hard? Thankfully, psychologist and psychotherapist Josh Dickson is on hand to help me resolve my conflicting emotions. Having been in a severe midlife depression for seven years, I have decided, in my mid-forties, to join the pioneering surfing and group therapy Resurface retreat that is his brainchild.

It was a summer’s morning in the Lepontine Alps in Ticino, Switzerland’s Italian-speaking canton, and there was the vague threat of a storm on the horizon. I was already out on a trail through larch and hazelnut forest, backpack shouldered, aiming for a mountain pass. Up ahead, a herd of short-haired goats grazed, their bells chiming merrily, while behind me the peaks that tower over the Maggia Valley shuffled in and out of view from behind the clouds – each top grimacing, stone teeth chipped and bared.

The Scotland-based company Slow Adventure advocates a more mindful approach to activity holidays. Options include climbing and yoga in the Italian Alps, mountain biking in Sweden and horse riding and rambling in Iceland. On the Finnish Happiness trip, guests stay in log cabins by a lake in Lapland and activities include canoeing under the midnight sun, hiking, swimming, swamp foraging and daily saunas. On all trips, 5% of the fee goes to local conservation projects, which in Finland could mean helping protect the rare Saimaa ringed seal, preserving forests or supporting a children’s environmental charity.From £876 for five nights, slow-adventure.com

Spring in northern Lake Garda is an adventure paradise. I’ve been several times and enjoyed the via ferratas: iron cables fixed to scrambling routes, which require fitness and sense of adventure but not technical mountaineering skills (safety equipment required). The views are amazing and varied, from gorges and ledges to grassy mountaintop finishes and, for the bold, huge vertical ladders – with castles, bastions and shrines along the route. It’s a great area, too, for hiring a bike or picking one of the many apartments that include them, to explore the paths and see the lakes and mountains by pedal power. Bored with all that? There’s also paddleboarding, windsurfing, swimming and river boat trips. All accompanied by brilliant food and gelato.David Thomas

Sri Lanka has been on my must-visit list for years. The teardrop-shaped island in South Asia is known for its stunning beaches, lush jungles, and foliage-covered mountains.

Just across the Potomac River from Washington DC, northern Virginia is legendary for its Civil War battlefields, Mount Vernon and other historic sites.

The 19th-century chestnut ‘The journey is the destination: really doesn’t do justice to the epic-scaled scenery that accompanies every trip in Sicily, big or small. This Italian island straddling three seas might be modest in size, but its varied landscapes are larger than life. Bus, boat, car, train or two wheels: however you get around, Sicily throws up stupendous coastline, mountain and volcano scenery in spades. Going slow is key – but even then, you’ll struggle to ingest a fraction of the natural grandeur en route.

The influencers were not in Aspen to ski. In their Barbie-pink ski suits and matching Moon Boots, they rode the Silver Queen gondola to the top of the mountain, smiling and jumping for their cameras and social media feeds. Soon they would get back on the gondola and ride down, perhaps to pose for more content with a glass of Champagne at Ajax Tavern at the resort base.

Cappadocia is one of Türkyie's most popular destinations for a good reason – its stunning scenery is quite unlike anywhere else.

For skiers and snowboarders who dream of hitting a smorgasbord of mountains come wintertime, the Ikon Pass is like a passport to a kingdom of potential adventures. If you’ve been waiting for these golden tickets to become available again, there’s good news: Starting March 14, you can buy the 2024/2025 Ikon Pass. They will be valid for the remainder of the current winter season which, thanks to recent storms, will probably see lifts spinning beyond Memorial Day at some resorts (we’re looking at you, Mammoth).

Setting out to choose Europe’s top national parks was no easy task.

Explore Spain’s world-famous natural scenery and cultural heritage – and savor its acclaimed cuisine at every pit stop – with a road trip across this beautiful country.

Imagine a weekend away, exploring exquisite mountain villages that overlook Lake Como, then making your way to the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia to round out your evening with newly-promoted Como 1907 at home to seven-time European champions AC Milan.