Have a look at these infamous tourist attractions from around the globe which are certainly different than your average walk in the park and not for the faint-hearted.
Would you?
EL CAMINITO DEL REY, SPAIN
Inland, just an hour’s drive, is El Caminito del Rey (The King’s little pathway), an elevated trail built for workers at the hydro-electric plant in 1905 which became known by its present name when King Alfonso XIII crossed the walkway in 1921. Situated near the glorious azure lakes of El Chorro and finally renovated in 2015 it is now considered totally safe for visitors but you will still need a strong head for heights. Prior to be being repaired the 1 metre wide walkway rose over 100 metres above the river below and was a major draw for thrill seekers. The crumbling and sometimes non-existent concrete path with little or no safety barrier ran for over 3 km and claimed the lives of six people up to 2013.
MOUNT HUASHAN, CHINA
When it comes to extremes, China probably has the most. Mount Huashan is home to an even more white-knuckle version of El Caminito del Rey – ‘The Chang Kong Cliff Road’. Believed to have been built in the 13th century by monks seeking immortals who were thought to dwell in the mountains. The 30cm wide walkway (some sections are cut into the rock face) is constructed of wooden planks, rustically nailed together and positioned on a series of iron pegs driven into the vertical cliff face thousands of metres above the ground. Many thrill seekers, wanting to see the sunrise atop the mountain, choose to make the perilous journey at night (a plus is you can’t see the drop). Once started, a traveller must continue to the end because the narrowness of the path prohibits two-way traffic.
MOHER CLIFFS, IRELAND
The Cliffs of Moher run for over 8 km on the south-western edge of County Clare and are one of the most popular tourist destinations in Ireland, having topped the list in 2006 by drawing almost one million visitors. At over 200 metres of sheer rock they are also one of the most dangerous. The cliffs are a mecca for extreme (crazy) mountain bikers who traverse the narrow strip of uneven damp and moss covered pathways above the sharp rocks and crashing Atlantic below.
ALNWICK GARDENS, ENGLAND
How about a nice walk round the beautiful Alnwick Gardens up in Northumberland, England. Adjacent to Alnwick Castle and stately home it couldn’t be more picturesque but in a gated corner marked with skulls and crossbones awaits the ‘Poison Garden’. A cornucopia of toxic plants and flowers all vying to harm or kill you and definitely not a place for the green fingered amateur.
DEVIL’S POOL – VICTORIA FALLS, ZAMBIA
If you fancy a nice dip after all that walking then there is nowhere with a more spectacular view than the Devil’s Pool, Zambia. Probably the ultimate infinity edge pool is part of Victoria Falls, the largest sheet of falling water on the planet. Over 500 million litres of water a minute cascade over the 1700 metre wide and 100 metre high falls, causing a deafening roar of crashing water and glorious rainbow spray giving rise to it being known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke that Thunders). The naturally formed plunge pool is only usable when the water levels are low enough to not immediately be dragged over the edge by the current. Many visitors perch on or over the precipice where there is nothing but an underwater stone formation stopping you from certain death.
TROLLTUNGA, PREIKESTOLEN AND KJERAGBOLTEN, NORWAY
If you like hiking then head north to Norway. Three bizarre rock formations can be found near one another which are unsurpassed and sure to take your breath away. Trolltunga (The Trolls Tongue) is the most spectacular rock formation in Norway. Situated 700 metres above Ringedalsvatnet Lake and resembling what you would imagine a Troll’s tongue to look apparently. Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) at a height of 600 metres is a mountain formed like a huge flat monolith with sheer squared edges. It and the iconic and bizarre Kjeragbolten at 1000 metres tower over the Lysefjord. Kjeragbolten is as strange a rock you will ever see – a 5-cubic-metre glacial deposit wedged in the mountain’s crevasse.
TIANMENSHAN NATIONAL PARK, CHINA
China’s Tianmenshan National Park is likely the one place where you can get all the heart-stopping attractions in one place. Tianmen Mountain in the southern province of Hunan has just opened its third glass walkway ‘The Walk of Faith’. Stretching 60 metres, with a width of 1.6 metres, it hugs the mountain over 1500 metres above sea level overlooking Tongtian Avenue, known as ‘Coiling Dragon Cliff’. Add to that there is the 7 km, 30 minute joyride of the world’s longest cable car, as steep as 37 degrees over sheer cliffs to one of the mountain peaks. Suffer 20 minutes in an open chairlift for two over densely forested peaks or take the sedate and correctly named ‘99 Bends’ after which 99 steps or the ‘Stairway to Heaven’ await and you arrive at Tianmen Cave or ‘Heaven’s Door’ – the highest hole of its sort in the world. And you still haven’t even reached the Tianmen Temple at the top. Phew!
After visiting any of these places a nice relaxing beach break is probably what you need to get those energy levels back.
