Europe
7 Seven Canary Islands, 7 classic walking routes
if I had to recommend one circular route on each of the seven main Canary Islands these are the ones I’d choose. […]
hiking
Alentejo
Walking in smugglers’ footsteps in Alentejo
From the tiny hamlet of Galegos we climb a stony path which takes us past a flock of squawking azure-winged magpies into hills which mark the border between Portugal and Spain. […]
Crete
In search of traditional food with a difference on Crete
Chania on a Saturday night and we’re faced with an overload of what might be described in guidebooks as ‘inviting harbourside tavernas serving authentic Cretan cuisine’. […]
Crete
Tackling Crete’s Samaria Gorge
It’s not until I reach the stream at the bottom of the gorge, almost an hour into the route, that the crowds thin and then pretty much disappear, swallowed up by the vastness of the landscape. Finally I can relax and begin to take in my surroundings… […]
Hiking
Climbing to a climax, walking routes with a scenic pay-off
These are 10 walking routes of varying lengths which completely blind-sided us and delighted with a deliciously satisfying twist in the tail. […]
Chile
Bordering on the bizarre, Chile Chico in Chile
Where Chile Chico is like a frontier town in a dated western, our villa on the edge of the milky lake is 21st century cool; a comfortable, contemporary time capsule. […]
El Hierro
Hiking and Dining in the enchanted world of El Hierro
Maybe the mythical charm had been on its summer holidays during our last visit, but within a couple of hours of touching down, we’d succumbed to El Hierro’s friendly embrace once again. […]
Bavaria
Why Germany is a perfect match for British travellers
During four visits to Germany in the last three years we’ve regularly repeated one phrase. “Brits would love this.” […]
Europe
The problem with walking routes in the Canary Islands
The first time we fell foul of the Canary Islands’ anarchic approach to marking walking routes was on La Gomera when a couple of signposts on one trail weren’t where they should have been. […]
Chile
Paradise found at Posada Quelat in Chile
Patricio is owner of Posada Quelat, a series of wooden cabins dotted around a garden of Eden with gunnera’s so huge I could have used one as a hammock. […]
Austria
Being an experienced walker means knowing limitations
Appreciating, or not, the impact of walking at different altitudes is only one example of how being an ‘experienced walker’ can be a relative term. […]
Hiking
Walking across the Canary Islands on the GR131
A few years ago we decided one of our objectives would be to walk across the Canary Islands following the GR131 and staying at rural hotels… […]
Austria
The lunch spot, Rathlucken Hütte, Bad Goisern, Austria
The easy way to get to Rathlucken Hütte high above Goiserer Tal (valley) in Bad Goisern, Austria is to drive. It’s what a lot of the locals do. […]
Chile
The Carretera Austral and the Bosque Encantado in Aysen, Chile
It’s unlikely the Carretera Austral will test my map reading skills. Only one road comes into Coyhaique on one side of the town and only one leaves on the other. […]
Checking In
The best and worst of Paradors in the Canary Islands
We’ve stayed in all of the ones in Canary Island Paradors and each has thrown up a variety of experiences that weren’t always consistent with the others. […]