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The latest travel news, interviews, traveller reviews, inspiration & advice on cycling and walking holidays in the UK and Europe..
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Guernsey is a unique place with a stunning coastline. Not legally a part of the UK and in close proximity to Normandy in France, the Channel Island is a mix of both countries and this will show when you leisurely discover the island on foot. Our team member Nathalie visited Guernsey just a couple of weeks ago for a check on the services we deliver and came back with a camera full of stunning images.
Of course, we wanted to share these with you as soon as possible and have therefore compiled this elaborate photo album to give you a bit of an idea what walking in this part of the British Isles, south from England, can also be like.
From a two-celled prison and German WWII bunkers to cosy pubs and the most spectacular trails, scroll down to view some splendid shots.
Stunning Scenery of Guernsey
>> Show me the Guernsey walking holidays
Historical Interest in Guernsey
Where to Eat along the Channel Island Way
>> Discover Guernsey on foot
The Channel Island Way of Life
>> Find out how you can organise your Guernsey walking holiday with Sherpa Expeditions
There are many reasons to travel to the Portuguese island of Madeira, but we believe that a walking holiday is the best way to fully appreciate the island. Spend your days in Madeira hiking the levadas and take in the beautiful viewpoints while at night roaming the charming streets of capital Funchal and other quaint towns.
If you’re curious to understand a little more what a Madeira hiking holiday may look like, check out the images below.
Wainwright's Coast to Coast is an all-time popular walking path in the English Lake District. Travellers Carol and Mona set off on foot to explore the coastal paths, moors and country towns of northern England in May this year. Their photos give a fantastic image of what walking the Coast to Coast Path looks like and we are enthusiastic and were thankful of them for sharing their English Lake District pictures with us.
If you’re curious to understand a little more what walking in the English Lake District and following Wainwright's Coast to Coast looks like, check out the images below.
Signboards on Wainwrights Coast to Coast
An image of Lake District Fauna
Accommodation on the Coast to Coast Walk
Lake District Paths in Pictures
Carol and Mona did the self guided Coast to Coast Walk in 16 days and walked in the spring of 2017, from 3-18 May.
For more information on the English Lake District, have a look at all blog articles related to Wainwright's Coast to Coast >>
For more impressions of Sherpa Expeditions' walking holidays, check out the Picture This! series >>
Joining in Perpignan, this walking quest in the foothills of the Pyrenees delves into the rich history of the Cathar Country of Corbières area of Southern France. The trip follows the tragic fate of the Cathar heretics, whose ‘Perfects’ or priests were burned at the stake or driven into hiding. As well as its rich and evocative historical heritage, the area offers outstanding scenery of wild flowers, forest, charming French towns and fine local dishes.
If you’re curious to understand a little more what a walking tour of the Cathar castles in this part of southern France looks like, check out the images below.
Way-marks on a Cathar Castles Walk
Hilltop Castles & Forts in the French Pyrenees
Ancient Trails of the Cathars
French Wining & Dining
Flora & Fauna
For more information on Cathar castles walks, how to get to and from Perpignan and any other queries you may have, please contact our team of travel experts or download the trip notes.
Being one of Europe’s most impressive mountain regions, extraordinary Mont Blanc is hard to grasp in words. A diverse flora and fauna, ever changing scenery, charming settlements, and a plethora of tracks and trails all make up the mountain area that covers France, Italy and Switzerland.
To give you an idea what you may expect on one of our walking holidays circumnavigating the peak, check out this overview of Mont Blanc images and be awed.
Tracks & Trails
Flora & Fauna
Scenic Mont Blanc Region
Alpine Mountain Hamlets
Inspired?
Do you, after seeing these fantastic Mont Blanc images, like to experience this part of France, Italy and Switzerland for yourself? You can on one of our Mont Blanc walking holidays:
Tour du Mont Blanc – 14 Days >> An extended self guided circumnavigation around the highest mountain in Western Europe, through the meadows and mountain passes of Mont Blanc in France, Italy and Switzerland.
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Tour du Mont Blanc – 11 Days >> A classic alpine walk that starts in Les Houches and finishes in Chamonix walking around Western Europe’s highest mountain through the valleys of three contrasting countries.
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Mont Blanc Classic Walk – 8 Days >> Discover the highlights of the Mont Blanc region on this self guided walk through France, Switzerland and Italy.
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Mont Blanc Guided Walk – 8 Days >> An exhilarating hike around Mont Blanc taking in sweeping vistas of famous peaks and glaciers.
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Mont Blanc Family Adventure – 7 Days >> A special family walking adventure through the Alps to view the Mont Blanc regions famous peaks and glaciers.
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Mont Blanc in Comfort – 6 Days >> An exhilarating guided horseshoe circuit hike around Mont Blanc staying in private rooms instead of dorms.
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With the rugged limestone mountain range of Sierra de Tramontana, Majorca has one of the most spectacular coastlines of the Mediterranean. This is where you’ll find rocky and arid mountain tops, thickly forested slopes, ancient olive, orange and almond groves, and small coastal villages. There’s even an opportunity to overnight in an actual monastery! Get to know more about walking in Majorca via this image impression of the Spanish island.
A walk around Puig Roig is a popular classic for walking in Majorca. The views of the rugged coastline are fine and you can see Majorca’s highest peak Puig Mayor: a fantastic introduction to the island of Majorca.
The beach at the small coastal inlet of Cala Tuent is the starting point for your walk on the fourth day of our Majorca walking trip. It’ll prove to be an amazing day following a scenic coastal footpath that then takes you inland through olive groves.
©jlastras
During a fine day of walking, enjoy a fantastic lunch or dinner of some fine Spanish paella. It’s one of those dishes not to be missed on a Majorca walking holiday!
On your free morning in Soller, there are plenty of activities to undertake. Enjoy the village’s terraces and church while you wait for the afternoon bus, or take a boat trip to the beach of Sa Calobra, take a scenic train ride, or visit Soller’s fossil museum and botanical garden – one of the best you’ll come across while walking in Majorca.
Mountain villages, such as Valldemossa, Soller, Deia, Biniaraix and Fornalutx are particularly attractive, with yellow stonewalls and flower-bedecked balconies.
Our carefully compiled route guides you along the 19th century "Archduke's trail" above Valldemossa. It’s named after Austrian archduke Ludwig Salvador who purchased an estate here in the late 1800s. Much of the path you’ll follow was constructed during his time.
Valldemossa is famous for its Carthusian monastery and for its associations with Chopin and the Austrian Archduke Ludwig. It is one of the three centres that our walking trip is based on.
Has this inspired you to go on a walking holiday in Majorca yourself as well? Or do you have any questions based on our pictures? Have a look at our 8-day walking holiday in Majorca: Sierras and Monasteries (on which you’ll stay in an actual monastery!) or get in touch with our team of travel experts in our London offices.
It's just two months until the walking season of the Mont Blanc in France kicks off again. To already get you into the mood of long hikes, picnic lunches and scenic mountain vistas, we thought it a good idea to bring you this magnificent trek in pictures.
>> Via the Col du Bonhomme we reach Notre Dame de la Gorge with its ancient pilgrimage church. It's remoddeled in 1699 and can be a place of prayer for walkers of the Tour du Mont Blanc.
>> When crossing the Torrent des Glaciers at the hamlet of La Ville des Glaciers, you bypass the Chalet des Mottets and ascend via switch backs through flower fields with a backdrop of glaciers.
>> On the 700 meter descend through forest on the way to La Palud from Les Chapieux. In the summer this can be a great piece of shaded walking.
>> Walk from meadows to mountain passes and make sure to have enough time to take in the stunning views along the way.
>> After a steady ascent past Ville de Glaciers, the Tour du Mont Blanc leads walkers to the Col de la Seigne (2516m) from where you cross into Italy.
>> Trient is a tiny village in the Val Trient and is home to some simple relais or auberges.
>> Scenic spots like these make walking the Tour du Mont Blanc a most rewarding trekking holiday in France.
The Tour du Mont Blanc, also known as TMB, circumnavigates western Europe's highest mountain. With Sherpa Expeditions the circular walk takes 14 days and is shaped as a semi-individual walk: where you guide yourselves and walk along with other Sherpa travellers. Accommodation is in 2-3 star hotels with en-suite facilities. For more information or booking requests, please contact our team of travel experts in our London office.
The Fjordland in Norway is a fantastic area to visit in the summer months of July-September. The area is dotted with traditional villages, glaciers, some fantastic peaks up to 1900m, and of course the fjords with dramatic views that Norway is so well-known for. But summer in this Scandinavian country can also look very different...! Here's some stunning images of some of the sights you'll pass on our walking trip in Norway.
>> Handsome town houses of the prosperous Norwegian old village of Aurland. Lovely and quiet to wonder through on a summer’s afternoon. The town honours
deer by a statue in the town's centre, there is a small museum and of course cafes with freshly brewed coffee to start your day's walk.
>> At the end of the cruise from Flam to Gudvangen you spill out the boat to an area where local Vikings are doing carvings in wood.
>> Approaching Aurland by the ferry, the Sognefjord stretches out in glassy beauty to a bend where it meets a back wall of huge mountains. We normally stay in a nice and friendly hotel just a street back from the waterfront.
>> The Sognefjord has lots of boat sheds from where the locals can go out fishing.
>> Nesbo is a tiny hamlet on the Aurland gorge walk between Østerbø and Vassbygdi. Crossing a tiny bridge, one walks into the farm which is suspended from the side of the gorge. It is the ideal time for sandwiches.
>> Geilojordet is a street of traditional and old housing from around the area. Most of these old Norwegian houses that were saved, were moved and reassembled piece by piece in this street - usually because new developments threatened them. Some date from the 1600s. The villagers sometimes hold cultural events on the grass in front of the houses.
>> Hardangervidda Plateau. It is summer, but the plateau is still covered with snow and of course glaciers. This is close to the town of Finse and the big boulders have been brought down by glaciers from somewhere else. Notice the little green tent in between the boulders? When researching our self-guided walking trip the hotel was closed, so we had to overnight in this tent. Although somewhat cold at the time, it was beautiful waking up to peaceful Norway in the morning!
>> A footpath sign directing you up through the ‘Priest hole.’ This walk is perhaps the best walk you can do in the Geilo area on a clear day and gives you the opportunity to climb the Prestholskarvet (1863m). A climb of some six hundred metres on at times steep and loose terrain, up to the great Hallingskarvet plateau with some truly fantastic views.
>> I am not sure of the origin of these boulders on a farm at Skjerdal. Are they prehistoric siting stones? It is likely they were placed there by man in antiquity, but it is not so many thousand years ago that the Ice Age bit deep into the landscape of Norway.
>> Early summer landscape from the peak of Sankt Paul (1694m), although located in the heart of Norway, it's mischievously named after the London cathedral. In all honesty we think it doesn’t look anything like it, but the views with the clouds bellowing over the snow are dramatic.
>> Seagull eye view of Aurland from the ferry that goes from Flam in the Sognefjord. One of the World’s most dramatic locations?
If you like to experience the summer in Norway as well and want to see the spectacular landscapes, glaciers and charming Norwegian towns for yourself, our 8-day self-guided walking holiday to the Fjordland departs daily from mid-July until the end of September. For more information you can download the trip notes or get in touch with our team of experts.