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Now don’t get us wrong – we love winter in the UK. Cold, crisp mornings, roaring fires, hearty stews and if we’re lucky, a covering of soft fluffy snow. But here’s the thing – winter lasts quite a long time. And it’s not always blue skies and frost – a dark, cold morning with the sleet stinging your face is enough to make the most ardent winter-lover dream of warmer times.
That’s where a winter walking trip to southern Europe comes in. A week or two soaking up some warm sunshine, topping up the vitamin D levels and experiencing some fabulous food, nature and culture is the perfect way to break up the winter. Plus, a winter walking holiday will help you burn off some of those comfort food calories.
So, as you reach for your slippers and turn the central heating up a notch, take a look at our top picks for a warm winter break.
Best known for its gourmet food and wine, year-round, mild, sunny climate and breath-taking scenery everywhere you look, Madeira is the ideal destination to visit at any time of year. Our walking holiday in Madeira is focused on the south and eastern parts of the island, where you’ll have the chance to stay in small charismatic villages full of friendly locals, explore lush green levada walking trails and feel on top of the world as you perch on the highest peak in Madeira.
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Available as an 8-day or 11-day trip.
La Gomera is a spectacular volcanic island, away from the hustle and bustle of the busier neighbouring islands. Because of its relative lack of beaches, La Gomera has escaped the levels of development that other parts of Spain and its islands have experienced. As a result La Gomera has an old world, rural feel to it with homesteads, small vineyards, layers of terraces and large rocky peaks set in an amazing crown of Laurisilva - a laurel cloud forest.
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Walking in Tenerife is hugely varied and the aim of our walking holidays is to show you as much as possible. From the ancient university town of La Laguna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the elegant resort of Puerto de la Cruz on the north coast, we have selected a programme of varied walks. Your trip includes a walk to the crater of Mount Teide, a spectacular 3,718m high volcano.
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Cyprus may be best know for its popular, and busy, seaside resorts – but head a few kilometres inland and you’ll find an older, sleepier world of villages, farms and forests. The trip is focussed around the Akamas Peninsular, a beautiful nature reserve populated by friendly, welcoming people. If you’re there at the end of winter, you’ll witness the bloom of wild flowers that cover the landscape from February onwards.
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This walk along the Vermillion Coast starts in France and finishes in Spain, taking you along the coastline where the mountains of the Pyrenees meet the Mediterranean. You’ll experience pretty fishing villages, amazing French and Spanish cuisine, and spectacular coastal landscapes. This is also a region with a strong artistic heritage – from the French sculptor Aristide Maillol to Spanish master of surrealism, Salvador Dali.
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The daily walks on this trip are relatively short, giving you plenty of opportunities to relax or try some of the many activities available on La Gomera, such as swimming, snorkelling, kayaking or whale-watching. The places you’ll visit are peaceful and unspoilt, with plenty of family-run restaurants to help you sample the delights of the local cuisine as you make your way around the south of the island.
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November 27,
2018By
Sherpa Team Canary Islands, Cyprus, France, La Gomera, Portugal, Spain
canaries, canary islands, cyprus, france, la gomera, madeira, portugal, pyrenees, spain, tenerife, vermillion coast, walking, winter 0 Comment
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The Summer was a busy time for our resident guide, John, who tried out a couple of new walks that we will be operating in 2019. In fact, the first one was not a new walk at all, but the oldest National Trail in Britain - the famous Pennine Way.
Walking by Hadrian's Wall on the Pennine Way
Blessed with great sunshine, and with only 1.5 hours of rain during the duration of the walk over some 20 days, the 260 mile walk was completed in ‘redneck’ style! The trek follows the high trails, packhorse routes and Roman roads from Edale in Derbyshire to Kirk Yethom in Scotland, along the Pennine chain of hills, aptly named by the Romans after their own Appenines running along the spine of Italy. There are some amazing views and features on this walk, particularly the waterfalls of the Tees Valley, the limestone scenery around Malham and the most attractive part of Hadrian’s Wall. Hopefully you’ll get the views from several big peaks such as Kinder Scout, Blackhill, Cross Fell and The Cheviot. Very few people walk the Pennine Way compared to the Coast to Coast -some areas have limited accommodation, but those who do tend to revel in the experience of visiting attractive villages that they would not normally have heard of, such as Edale, Bellingham, Dufton and Alston - mixed with more famous places such as Malham, Horton and Keld. There are also some very idiosyncratic places such as Tan Hill and Byrness. It’s a tough old walk but the challenge is made worth it not by a medal at the end, but by a certificate and the free half-pint of beer given to you at the Border Hotel in Kirk Yethom. Mind you, by that time you’ll have probably already drunk at least 30 pints of the finest beer in Christendom!
Cross Fell from Dun Fell
Descending towards the Schill from Cheviot
River Tees
The second new trip is one to join those that we already offer in the Canary Islands - this time to La Palma, a gorgeous dormant volcanic island whose rich soils have spawned a profundity of the special Laurisilva vegetation, that at times creates its own clouds on the eastern side of the mountain.
La Palma - the Caldera de Taburiente
The island of La Palma is essentially one huge caldera that tapers to the south to more recent volcanoes - the last eruption was in 1971. On a two centre based stay in the towns of Santa Cruz and Los Llanos, John ventured out on walks that threaded through the forests to view points, and others that took him to the highest points of the island on peaks, down gorges and to the coast. La Palma is quite old fashioned, offering a good selection of restaurants and a nice family atmosphere in the villages and towns. As expected there is a lot of great seafood including tuna, squid and octopus. There are avocados, apples and a large banana cultivation, which is the island’s main economy. There are certainly things to do on a day off from walking, including boat trips to whale watch and a visit to dramatic sea caves. La Palma is also a world centre in astronomy. Visiting the island has certainly been made easier by the introduction of Easyjet flights from London Gatwick from autumn through to spring.
La Palma - Coastal Scenery
Near the caldera
Laurisilva Forest
Both of these trips will be available to book soon – so watch this space. To register your interest, email [email protected] and we’ll contact you when booking opens.