The romance and excitement of the Blue Mountains is not a well kept secret. Popular with Sydneysider’s for an adventurous weekend away or a romantic tryst in the mountains, these majestic hills and valleys provide a range of accommodation options and activities to keep anyone occupied. Not that you need to be distracted from the stunning vistas found at every bend of the winding mountain roads!

Although not particularly high as a mountain range, the Blue Mountains is nonetheless renowned for its rugged picturesque scenery, its cultural attractions and its relatively tranquil, alternative mode of life.

The people of the mountains are as unique as the landscape and include retirees, artists, tree-changers and folks of all kinds looking for an alternative lifestyle, including a large gay and lesbian community. Staying in one of the many cosy B&B’s, ubiquitous among the mountains, will provide you with a chance to meet and mingle with some of these local characters, and experience their passion for the mountains they call home. This passion is evident in their resistance to development in the area; you'll only find two fast food restaurants between Glenbrook and Lithgow. If you stay long enough to get to know the place and the people, you'll find an interesting mix of 1860, 1960 and last year.

The panoramic views of the mountains can be appreciated at the many lookouts, of which Echo Point is the most famous, rewarding sightseers with an uninterrupted view of the Jamison Valley and the Three Sisters rock formation. Witness these sights from the Scenic Skyway, a glass-bottom aerial cable car, or the Zig Zag Railway, a steep steam train ride through the mountains.

The lush forests of the area also provide a range of activities including mountain biking, horse riding, fishing, four wheel driving and bushwalking. A visit to the Blue Mountains can be as relaxing or as strenuous as you want it to be, with just as many people engaging in extreme sports as there are chilling out in spa retreats or by a cosy fireplace with a glass or two of something nice.