Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous areas on hiking trails. This practice is a perfect symbiosis between sport, culture and environment that has more followers every day.
The hiking places are endless, so today, we have done a small selection of the best places in the world for this sport.
1. Great Smoky Mountains, United States.
It is the most visited national park in the United States. Located in the high Appalachian Mountains, it has over 900 miles of trails for hiking. It also counts with beautiful vantage points, impressive peaks, waterfalls and lots of history as it is considered the homeland of the Cherokee Indians.
2. Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica
It is a biological reserve that has more than 10,500 hectares of rainforest, of which 90% is virgin forest. Hangout for ecotourism lovers due to its wonderful scenery, suspended bridges, rivers, and its many species of plants and animals.
3. Cinque Terre, Italy
This coastal area bordered by the Ligurian Sea, consists of five villages Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore and it is one of the most beautiful landscapes of Italy, thanks to its particular orography. You can find beautiful hiking trails in this area, beside the Mediterranean Sea in contrast with the mountains and charming fishing villages.
4. Bhutan
The whole country is in a strategic point in the Himalayas. Their routes are a mixture of Buddhist temples, verdant valleys, wooden houses, hills, rivers…which along the local culture friendliness, makes it a paradise for hiking and trekking.
5. La Laguna Negra, Spain
It is a glacial lake located in the Picos de Urbión in Soria. According to legend, the Black Lagoon or Laguna Negra is bottomless and it is said that it lives a creature that devours everything that falls into the lagoon. The route starts in the village of Vinuesa about 2,000 meters altitude in the granite walls that surround it.
6. The Alps, Switzerland
It houses some amazing routes of different difficulties along its 62,000 km of marked trails. It is an ideal setting for hiking and to practise other mountain sports such as skiing due to its extraordinary mountains and landscapes.
7. The South West of Ireland
It is an ideal place for hiking through spectacular scenery cliffs, abbeys, castles, lakes and islands in places like the Dingle Peninsula.
One of the largest national parks in the country as well as one of the most important for their diversity of natural environments such as mountains, glaciers, valleys and rivers.
Very suitable for hiking, it is a place where contact with nature is vital: rivers, waterfalls, rugged cliffs and beautiful lakes. You can also visit the Saguenay National Marine Park, where you can learn about marine wildlife while you are walking through a unique setting.
10. Overland Track, Australia
One of the most famous long distance trails in Australia. Located on the island of Tasmania, its full path has a length of 74 km from Cradle Mountain to Lake St. Clair.
Tags: ecotourism, hiking, hiking tours, home, mountain, nature, trekking
