Geocaching is a modern version of a treasure hunt that combines searching for hidden containers called geocaches with spending time in the great outdoors. Since the recreational activity began more than 20 years ago, it has spread across the world, spawning communities that have bonded over the zeal for the hunt.

Worldwide, 3 million caches have been hidden, according to geocaching.com. Within the world of geocaching, there are geotours — a collection of geocaches that serve to showcase a particular area.

Last year, the Bend Arts, Culture & Adventure GeoTour, sponsored by The Bulletin and EO Media Group, brought geocachers to Bend from 15 countries, including Finland, Morocco and Spain. Participants of the BACA GeoTour got a unique taste of Central Oregon by visiting 15 caches as far west as Mount Bachelor and as far north as Smith Rock State Park.

Francisco Yáñez traveled from Spain in August with his family of five to complete the BACA GeoTour. The family was visiting the U.S. for the first time to attend the 20th anniversary celebration of geocaching in Seattle. They spent three weeks on the West Coast and chose to include Bend on their itinerary to complete the tour.

“The combination of outdoor and cultural activities gave us the feeling we were in an idyllic place,” said Yáñez, who was impressed by how the tour balanced parks, historical buildings and commercial districts.

Nancy Seiler, who was visiting from Florida to watch her cousin perform at the Tower Theatre and spend time with her daughter, describes the BACA GeoTour as excellent. She’s experienced approximately a dozen geotours.

“The tour really showed us all of Bend and the surrounding area in a fun and exciting way,” said Seiler.

Ann Scout, of Washington, said that while all 15 caches may be completed on the BACA GeoTour in a matter of days, it’s worth spending additional time to experience the areas surrounding each cache. Scout especially appreciated the quirky public art at the Eastside Gardens and Cascade Culinary Institute in addition to the six public parks.

Getting started with geocaching is as easy as downloading the Geocaching app on a smartphone and creating a free account on geocaching.com.

The one-year anniversary celebration of the BACA GeoTour will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Oct. 8 at Walt Reilly’s, 225 SW Century Drive, Bend. A new passport will be rolled out for the tour, with an additional six geocache locations in the Redmond area. If you plan to attend the anniversary event, please RSVP on geocaching.com by searching for the code GC9ZQYJ.

The one-year anniversary celebration of the BACA GeoTour will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Oct. 8 at Walt Reilly’s, 225 SW Century Drive, Bend. A new passport will be rolled out for the tour, with an additional six geocache locations in the Redmond area. If you plan to attend the anniversary event, please RSVP on geocaching.com by searching for the code GC9ZQYJ.