Ted Hopton

I want to have a great trip, that’s what I want, and it’s almost here. Going to Costa Rica in February!

I read this article in the NYT Travel section, “Adventure Guide to Mexico,” by Bonnie Tsui, which covers surfing, rock climbing, deep-sea fishing, mountain biking, snorkeling with whale sharks, bird watching and hiking. I can’t say Mexico jumps to my mind when I think of adventure travel. But two of the activities described appealed to me.

First, snorkeling with whale sharks would be amazing. I’ll never forget when I first learned of whale sharks in dramatic fashion as Thor Heyerdahl recounted his terrifying encounter with one on his lonely and vulnerable raft in Kon-Tiki. Boy, did that adventure story ever capture my imagination! And it imbued me with such a healthy respect for the sea that I have little desire to challenge it, but the idea of swimming up close to the gentle but largest giants of fish is appealing.

But the adventure in Mexico that most caught my attention is the hiking trip in the Sierra Norte. Not only does the terrain sound cool to hike, but staying in local indigenous villages would be the greatest attraction for me. Put it all together, and it sounds like a fantastic trip:

A big draw is the rare chance to meet with local people and learn about the sacred traditions of the rural region. The itinerary also includes two nights spent at a beach-side lodge in the fishing village of Puerto Escondido on the Pacific; from here, guests can kayak and hike into mangrove-lined estuaries and perhaps view endangered sea turtles laying eggs. They can also scuba dive, snorkel, kayak and surf. The best is saved for last, when a hike from the slopes of the Sierra Madre del Sur leads through deep tropical lowland jungle to a crashing waterfall and swimming hole.

The biggest reason I recommend Barcelona is the Gaudi architecture. I am not a student of architecture, so I was not sure what to expect—would I appreciate his work?

Absolutely! Gaudi was a genius, a radical, and way, way ahead of his time. While La Sagrada Familia can’t be missed, my favorite spots were the houses he designed. Just astonishingly breath-taking and innovative!

I also enjoyed my day trip outside of the city to Montserrat, the monastery built up high in the mountains. I recommend the hike out to the highest point in that range—it is quite a view!

It’s cool to go there, but really only so you can say you went there . . . because there is not much to the place. Going to Seattle anyway? Sure, make sure you stop by, but don’t plan a ton of time for it. I’d spend more time in the Fish Market, personally, which is fun, but again, not worth a special trip to Seattle, IMHO.

Villefranche-sur-Mer is peaceful, scenic, charming and relatively uncrowded. Highly recommend it for a visit to the French Riviera. Found it through Rick Steve’s guide and his advice was excellent.