Geocaching – Modern Day Treasure Hunting

Spotted By Locals
June 27, 2018
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2 min read

In the first year that I moved to Rotterdam, I found it hard to keep up with everything this city has to offer. So much to see, so little time! But more importantly, I found it hard to explore the city at my own pace.

It’s not difficult to find places to go to, the trick is to discover more hidden, secret spaces that weren’t too crowded. Luckily one of my friends told me about Geocaching, so I decided to give it a go.

Geocaching Amsterdam (by Matthew on)

With my phone and walking shoes, I started this journey. For those who aren’t familiar with the app, Geocaching is an app that is kind of like a little treasure map. They have millions of caches all over the world.  These caches usually contain the name of the people who have also found it, and the date. Sometimes you can also find some cute, little trinkets in there like a ring, a feather or a bead.

The app shows you a little map with different spots where these little gems are hidden. However, the app only gets you so far as it doesn’t give you the exact location, only the area in which you can find the cache. Usually, you’ll get a little written clue as well, to keep it a bit more fun and also a bit more possible.

Street art in Rotterdam (by Jet Veenhoff)

So there I go, with my app and my positive attitude. And I was pleasantly surprised, following the trail of these secretive caches led me to explore my city in a way I had never done before. It led me to before unknown statues, street art, the tops of parking garages (with amazing views), the cutes little neighborhoods and much more! For anyone who is still getting familiar with a city (or for anyone who thinks they’ve seen it all), this app is a lovely way to find the hidden spots that a city has to offer. Some of our Spotters have already discovered the app as well, and have found some great places to go geocaching, like this spot in Bucharest. 

I love these kinds of experiences, and I love checking out the app when I visit a new city to see if there is anything hidden nearby. If you haven’t tried it, it’s good fun and helps you discover a city from a whole new perspective!

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