Mountain Field Guide

🏔️ Overview Dominica is one of the most mountainous islands in the Caribbean. Steep volcanic peaks rise abruptly from the sea, forming a rugged interior of rainforests, cloud forests, waterfalls, crater lakes, fumaroles, and deeply carved river valleys. The island’s mountains belong to the Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc. Unlike an extensive continental mountain range, Dominica …

Cuba is best known for tropical beaches, historic cities, fertile valleys, and classic Caribbean scenery, but mountains form an equally important part of the island’s landscape. Forested ridges rise above the southeastern coast, limestone towers dominate the countryside around Viñales, and remote eastern massifs protect some of the Caribbean’s richest concentrations of endemic plants and …

🏔️ Overview Romania is one of Europe’s great mountain countries. The Carpathian Mountains sweep through the nation in a broad arc, surrounding the Transylvanian Plateau and creating a landscape of forested ridges, rocky alpine summits, glacial lakes, deep gorges, and traditional highland villages. The Romanian Carpathians are generally divided into three major regions: the Eastern …

🏔️ Overview Portugal is often associated with Atlantic beaches, historic cities, vineyards, and warm Mediterranean scenery, but the country also contains a remarkably varied collection of mountain landscapes. Ancient granite plateaus rise across the mainland, jagged volcanic ridges dominate Madeira, and the enormous cone of Mount Pico towers above the Azores. The country’s highest mountain …

🏔️ Overview Poland is often associated with broad plains, historic cities, and the Baltic coast, but its southern frontier contains some of Central Europe’s most varied mountain landscapes. Sharp granite summits, glacial lakes, forested ridges, limestone gorges, sandstone labyrinths, and high alpine meadows can all be found within the country. Most of Poland’s mountains belong …

🏔️ Overview Norway is one of Europe’s great mountain countries. From the glacier-covered summits of Jotunheimen to the sharp coastal peaks of Lofoten and the Lyngen Alps, mountains shape the country’s scenery, climate, wildlife, and outdoor culture. Most of Norway’s mountains belong to the Scandinavian Mountains, a long system extending through Norway, Sweden, and a …