Welcome to The BackBeat. Looking for pro tips and a peek behind the scenes on trips around the world? Tips and tales from the road and trail? Inspiration for your next epic adventure? Find it all on The BackBeat.
March 10, 2026
4 Hidden Gems in Italy Perfect for Active Travelers
After decades of exploring Italy by bike and on foot, we’ve learned that some of the country’s most memorable spots lie far beyond the famous landmarks. With our deep local knowledge and carefully designed routes, we’re pros at leading guests into Italy’s quieter corners. We’re talking volcanic isla…
This year, World Bicycle Relief is reaching an incredible milestone: one million Buffalo Bicycles delivered to people who need reliable transportation to reach school, health care, markets and opportunity. And for Backroads, it also marks ten years of supporting this work alongside our guests and st…
I’m on a small electric-powered wooden ferry boat, skimming quietly along Slovenia’s Lake Bohnij, the misty Julian Alps reflecting in the mirror-calm water. This is why I travel, I think, the landscape before me an answer to a question I didn’t realize I had.
August lets the warm temps linger, so you can go all-out, all day and opt for some R&R in villages with mountain views or tiny towns shaped in every way by the sea.
Bolzano is a great base for Dolomites adventures—so much so that we start many of our northern Italy trips here. Nestled in the heart of South Tyrol, Bolzano blends Austrian, Italian and Ladin influences in everything from its architecture and cuisine to its language and traditions. Historically, Bo…
At Backroads, we believe people can do hard things, specifically hard hikes. Many guests come seeking a true mountain challenge. Others arrive certain they’ll choose the moderate route each day, only to decide they’re up for testing their limits. However you approach your next trek, our leaders and…
Looking for a challenge? Backroads has long been a favorite of riders who love big days in the saddle. With more than 20 biking trips that include Level 5 routes—our toughest option—these adventures will thrill guests who want to log longer miles, power up sustained climbs and enjoy the satisfaction…
As a Backroads Trip Leader and a musician, I’ve always believed you can learn just as much about a place through its music as through its landscapes. Music carries history in a way few other things can.
In the Galápagos, sustainability is a fundamental philosophy of local culture and policy, further emphasized by the islands’ remoteness and subsequent scarcity of certain resources. Santa Cruz Island is home to roughly 20,000 people—over half of the human population of the archipelago—with smaller a…