Forget road trips, beaches or the golf course — this summer, go somewhere that’ll get your blood pumping and your adrenaline effectively depleted.
We’re talking sharks, volcanoes and outdoor survival. Basically, these are your Naked and Afraid moments.
Pick your (near literal) poison.
Adrenaline Spike: Heights and ziplining
Destination: Acampa’s Toro Negro Rainforest Adventure (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
Take on your inner Tarzan at Acampa, situated more than 3,000 feet above sea level. Located a scenic drive away from the beautiful beachfront San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, here you can rappel up a waterfall or zipline through the rainforest.
Adrenaline Spike: Scuba diving
Destination: Red Sail Sports Excursion (Aruba)
Aruba is home to one of the largest shipwrecks in the Caribbean: the sunken 400-foot-long German freighter Antilla is situated about 60 feet below surface level. The wreck is surrounded by tons of exotic marine life, including barracudas, yellowtail snapper, butterflyfish, southern stingrays, green moray eels and corals. And Arashi Reef, where parts of a sunken Lockheed Lodestar airplane wreck are scattered at 35 feet below surface level, features abundant parrotfish, angelfish and corals.
Adrenaline Spike: Spelunking
Destination: Waitomo Caves (New Zealand)
New Zealand has some of the most spectacular caving systems in the world. Waitomo Caves are accessible for all levels of spelunker. There are walkable caves, floatable black-water rafting caves, climbing caves — and all are supported by experienced operators.
Adrenaline Spike: Volcano boarding
Destination: Tierra Tour (Nicaragua)
Hike up the rocky side and down the sandy side of the youngest volcano in Central America with a guide on Nicaragua’s Tierra Tour. You’ll visit two active craters, feel the heat and smell the gas, then enjoy the views as you boarding the volcano — basically, rock sledding.
Adrenaline Spike: Wilderness survival
Destination: Boulder Outdoor Survival School (Boulder, UT)
BOSS (Boulder Outdoor Survival School) is the oldest outdoor and largest survival school in the world. The institute teaches indigenous skills in field courses lasting 7-28 days. Participants carry little more than the clothes on their back, a poncho and a knife in order to travel light and be immersed in the wilderness.
Adrenaline Spike: Hiking steep, ancient terrain
Destination: G Adventures Active Travel (South America)
Take an eight-day trek with G Adventures Active Travel, where you’ll follow a challenging course from Lima to Cusco. Steep passes eventually lead you to the final destination, the fabled “Sun Gate,” where mist-shrouded views of Machu Picchu are sure to leave you with the memory of a lifetime.
Adrenaline Spike: Sharks
Destination: Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas (The Bahamas)
Skip watching Shark Week (or Sharknado). Instead, be Shark Week. With Stuart Cove’s daily adventure, you can get up close and personal with wild Caribbean Reef Sharks — and feed them. Same island alternative: Go cage diving with tiger sharks.
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