The case for mixing wild and mild on your next weekend getaway | Canada Voices

When planning their next vacation, travellers often think of the experience as either a non-stop adventure or a restful, restorative escape. But a travel trend that embraces the best of both worlds is gaining ground.

Today’s travellers aren’t as inclined to just sit on a beach to recharge as they were 10 or 15 years ago, instead looking for more layered experiences that help them see many sides of the destination they’re visiting. Just ask Jamsheed Pocha, co-founder of boutique luxury travel club The Pelican Club, who’s increasingly seeing members seek out experiences in “remote but exceptionally designed properties around the world where adventure, culture and self-care can be combined.”

Call it the “reset-after-the-rush” approach. Increasingly, travellers are planning trips that combine adrenaline-pumping adventure with serene moments of relaxation.

This can mean visiting two cities or regions in one trip, or combining activities like ski and spa or extreme sports and the beach. “[Members] commonly combine city breaks with resorts or spa retreats,” Poch says. “For example, visiting Mexico City and then heading to the West Coast to stay at One & Only Mandarina or Four Seasons Naviva, where spa and relaxation are a focus.”

While The Pelican Club typically caters to international travellers who are booking longer trips, pairing wild and mild activities is especially satisfying on weekend or long-weekend trips, giving travellers a well-rounded view of a locale.

As Toronto-based travel expert Jennifer Weatherhead Harrington points out, this approach is especially compelling for North Americans, who have comparatively less time off than European travellers. “It’s [the] perfect combination of getting to experience a place – the adrenaline rush [and] the reset at the same time,” she says.

Experiences can be fine-tuned to your personal propensity for adrenaline. While “wild” activities may bring to mind scrambling up steep rockfaces or braving the rapids while white water rafting, adventure “can be whatever is adventurous for you, whatever makes you step out of your comfort zone a little bit,” Weatherhead Harrington says.

Canada offers a plethora of options from the sea to the mountains, and everything in between. For those looking for an East Coast adventure with an emphasis on the sea, Weatherhead Harrington recommends her home province of Nova Scotia.

“One thing I think people forget about, especially when they’re visiting, is that [Nova Scotia] is a really good surfing spot,” she says.

While you’ll need to don your wetsuit year-round thanks to the frigid temperatures, it’s worth it to take the plunge into the Atlantic Ocean. Kick off your Saturday with a 30-minute drive outside of Halifax for a day of surfing at Lawrencetown Beach, where you can rent surfboards or sign up for lessons with East Coast Surf School. Afterward, grab a cup of post-surf coffee and snacks at Lawrencetown Beach Cafe. Then, spend your Sunday unwinding with a day at the Interlude Spa at the Muir Hotel, followed by a delicious seafood-forward dinner at Mystic, voted one of Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants.

If a winter wonderland is more your speed, spend the weekend in dreamy Quebec City. Start the weekend with ice climbing at Montmorency Falls and end the weekend with a dip at Strøm Nordic Spa.

In British Columbia, travellers can venture to Vancouver Island’s Campbell River. Start your Saturday with a boat tour and whale watching, led by Aboriginal Journeys Wildlife and Adventure Tours, then end your stay at Naturally Pacific Resort’s mineral pool.

This wild and mild formula is a great way to spend a long weekend, Weatherhead Harrington says.

“A long weekend is not enough time to actually relax, unwind and disconnect, so why not pair these two things together and excite yourself in a different way?”