adventure

DID you know there’s a place in the UK so dark that you can see planets, shooting stars, and even the Northern Lights.

There’s an observatory in Northumberland nestled in a huge National Park that’s set to be the ‘world’s best travel adventure’ for this year.

National Geographic recently revealed their ’20 travel adventures to book in 2026′.

And at the very top of the list is going on a ‘mini stargazing safari in Northumberland’.

The publication suggested that adventure-hungry Brits head up to Kielder Forest which has a huge public observatory and organises over 700 events a year.

Kielder Observatory is one of the best places to see the night sky as it sits in Europe’s largest Gold-Tier International Dark Sky Park – Kielder Forest.

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It’s also the third-largest protected Dark Sky reserve in the world.

The fact it’s unaffected by light pollution means you’re likely to see thousands of stars and the Milky Way on a cloudless night.

Through binoculars or observatory telescopes, visitors can sometimes see Andromeda Galaxy, planets and the Northern Lights.

Many visitors say the experience was “unbelievable” and “out of this world” with lots seeing them.

One added: “When the clouds eventually started to clear we were given the chance to use the telescopes and stay a bit longer after the experience had finished to see Jupiter and some stars.

“Absolutely brilliant night, would fully recommend it to anyone! And the hot chocolate is amazing…”

Tickets for the observatory start from £25 and it’s open all year-round.

There are other experiences in the surrounding areas for stargazing; the local Twice Brewed Inn country pub offers some too.

You can enjoy a two course meal before an evening of stargazing with astronomers from the Kielder Observatory.

There’s even a ‘stargazing, supper and slumber’ package which is tailored to guests.

For those who are keen to embrace the great outdoors, you can also pitch up at the ‘remotest campsite in England‘ which is Kielder Village Camping & Caravan Site.

The three-star site is right in the heart of the forest, so there’s no phone signal and very little Wi-Fi.

Facilities include a dish washing room, showers, hair dryer sockets, drinking water, washing machines and BBQ stands.

It’s dog-friendly too and there’s a children’s play area onsite.

There are pitches for tents, caravans, motorhomes, touring caravans and two family pods – these don’t have beds but are more weather-proof than tents.

The campsite will reopen to the public on March 27, 2026 with bookings available from February 1, 2026.

Rates start from £12 for a single occupancy tent, with two-man tents increasing to £20 per night – or £10 per person.

For more on the Northern Lights – here are the five best places to see the Northern Lights near the UK.

Plus, one Travel Writer spent the night in the UK’s biggest National Park with both stargazing and Northern Light spotting.

Here are the top 10 travel adventures to book in 2026…

Here are all the adventures you should book in 2026 according to National Geographic…

1. Stargazing Safari in Northumberland
2. Take a modern-day pilgrimage in Portugal
3. Conquer Slovenia in six days
4. Try forest bathing in Japan’s Kii Peninsula
5. Wallow in a warm mud bath in Italy
6. Get a change of scenery on a grief retreat
7. Sweat it out in an urban sauna in London
8. Soak with seaweed in Brittany
9. Take a football pilgrimage across South America
10. Play padel under the sizzling Spanish sun

SPANISH theme park PortAventura is home to the fastest rollercoaster in Europe – and it’s gearing up for two exciting additions.

PortAventura is not just a theme park, as it also has a huge waterpark, Caribe Aquatic Park, and Ferrari World.

It’s one of the most popular amusement parks in Europe and sees between three to five million visitors each year.

The first new addition will be inside the Polynesia area of PortAventura’s main park.

It will be a new outdoor adventure trail and visitors can explore the ‘heart of the jungle’ on its elevated walkways and rope bridges above the park.

The second will be inside Caribe Aquatic Park which is a 6,000 m² family area inspired by pirates called ‘Coral Bay The Lost Legend’.

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The new zone will have a family water coaster, an adventure pool with a one-of-a-kind aquatic obstacle course.

It will also have new water slides and a new food and drink outlet.

Fernando Aldecoa, CEO of PortAventura World, commented: 
“At PortAventura World, we continue to evolve our offer to deliver increasingly memorable experiences.

“We listen closely to our guests, and the new attractions launching in 2026 reflect our commitment to surprising them and creating unique experiences for visitors of all ages.” 

PortAventura is one of Europe‘s biggest theme parks with over 40 rides and attractions in its main park.

There are smaller rides the little ones like the carousel, bumper cars, and tea cups.

Or those who want more thrills, there’s roller coasters like Shambhala which is the park’s tallest hypercoaster at 249 feet.

The neighbouring waterpark, Caribe Aquatic Park, has waterfalls, huge pools, racing slides all surrounded by tropical plants and palm trees.

Meanwhile, Ferrari Land has 16 attractions and games – all with a racing theme of course.

One of the most popular rides is Red Force in Ferrari Land – the record-breaking launch coaster that goes from 0 to 112 mph in five seconds.

Guests wanting to stay overnight can do in one of the 10 hotels which start from €67 (£58.10).

For Brits, it’s not hard to get to either as the park is just a couple of hours away on Spain’s Costa Daurada – an hour away from Barcelona.

The closest airport is Reus which is just a 14-minute drive from the theme park.

The park has closed for the season but will reopen on February 28, 2026 and on select days afterwards.

It will fully open every day of the week from March 30, 2026.

Tickets start from €50 (£43.35) for adults and €44 (£38.15) for children and seniors.

Hear what one writer got up to when she visited the Spanish theme park…

Writer Caron Curnow took a visit to PortAventura and here’s what she got up to…

“With my eyes screwed tightly shut, I brace myself for the plummet.

“Suddenly, I’m being hurled an agonising 76 metres down a sheer drop, approaching terrifying speeds of 83mph before being thrown through a helix loop.

“When it’s all over, I can barely recall what had just happened. This is Shambhala, one of Europe’s best hypercoasters, found at PortAventura World on Spain’s sizzling Costa Dorada.

“The theme park is celebrating its 30th birthday this year but, judging from the spine-tingling ride I’d just been on, the park is far from slowing down. In fact, it is positively thirty and thriving.

“The park is not just bold, it’s also beautiful, with lush landscaping across the six themed lands of Mexico, Polynesia, China, Far West, Mediterranea and SesamoAventura, where we could recover from the adrenaline rush and soaring temperatures.”

For more on theme parks, here are the ones in the UK that you can reach by train.

And here’s more on the mega £8.72m ride that’s ‘tallest of its kind’ in UK that’s closer to launching in an iconic seaside theme park.