Walking in Majorca

Majorca is a paradise for walking, particularly around the Soller Valley, a world away from Magaluf and the high rises of the south coast. Here is tranquillity, stunning scenery and, for us Brits, the wonder of guaranteed blue skies and sunshine! Our favourite time of year is May when it’s warm enough to walk unemcumbered with layers of clothing, a time when you can feel the warmth of the sun on your skin and yet you can exert yourself without feeling uncomfortably hot.

We have visited Soller a number of times, having fallen in love with it on our first visit 8 years ago. Since then we have returned a number of times, staying at our favourite hotel, the Ca’l Bisbe, a former bishop’s palace quietly tucked away in the heart of old Soller. From the balcony we look down on the inviting blue waters of the pool and marvel at far-reaching vistas of the surrounding mountains. There is no better place to breakfast (or dine) than on the sun-soaked terrace beside the pool, sipping freshly-squeezed orange juice or, later in the day, a glass of chilled wine!

We are very much looking forward to returning at the end of April when we will be preparing for two more groups of walkers who will be joining us on 7th and 14th May. We take great pleasure in introducing people to the wonders of this magical place and our reward is to see their smiling faces, to hear their excited chatter, to witness new friendships formed.

If you would like to get an idea of what Majorca has to offer the walker, visit our website, www.country-walks.com where we have posted photos of the holidays we organised there last May. You can also see our itinerary which lists our selection of the best walks in and around the Soller Valley.  You can also watch brief scenes from our walks on the video:

 

 

White Cliffs Country

Country Walks along a spectacular stretch of Kent coast

If you have not yet discovered the delights of White Cliffs country, we can highly recommend it as a spectacular stretch of heritage coast where butterflies dance over multi-coloured carpets of flowers, where the only sound is of skylarks singing above, where your feet gently tread soft downland turf and all around is unspoilt beauty and tranquillity. As you enjoy glorious clifftop walking you will see the French coastline across the Channel. And if you are interested in history, this area is completely steeped in history, both ancient and modern.

Above St Margaret's Bay

The area is easily accessible from London by road or rail, being only a few minutes from Dover. Fast, direct trains run from London to Dover in just over an hour. If you want to spend a day here, we recommend walking both east and west of St Margaret’s Bay and lunching at the highly-acclaimed Coastguard Inn, the nearest pub to France. For a more leisurely day out, walk towards Deal and enjoy lunch on the beach at the Zetland Arms at Kingsdown. Alternatively walk in the direction of Dover and lunch at the National Trust White Cliffs centre with fascinating views over the port below. Local walks ideas can be found on the National Trust website

We have organised a two-day break based at St Margaret’s from Tuesday 6 – Thursday 8 July at £261 per person for dinner, bed and breakfast and 2 days guided walks. We stay at the White Cliffs Hotel with the beach at the bottom of the hill and the White Cliffs of Dover soaring above (see the hotel’s website: www.thewhitecliffs.com). Here you can relax in the pretty walled garden with its climbing roses and in the acclaimed restaurant enjoy meat from Kent and fish from local waters. The hotel features in Alastair Sawday’s ‘Special Places to Stay’, is a ‘Best Loved Hotel of the World’ and is Johansens recommended with AA rosettes for cuisine. For details of this special walking holiday in Kent which includes commentary to highlight the numerous features of interest, visit: www.country-walks.com

Fun and Sun in the Austrian Tyrol

We are back in the beautiful Leutasch Valley staying at one of our favourite hotels, the Sporthotel Xander where everything is perfect. Also perfect is the location, surrounded by snow-covered mountain peaks and alpine meadows. The hotel is surrounded by tracks for cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing and walking and from nearby Seefeld (20 minutes on the bus which stops outside the hotel) there is alpine skiing. Swimming is another option, either in the hotel’s beautiful indoor pool or in the nearby Alpenbad, a short walk from the hotel. Here you can swim in heated water outdoors with snow and mountains all around. I doubt that one could find a more beautiful winter paradise and the very long and wide Leutasch Valley is renowned throughout Europe for its cross-country skiing.

It was with great excitement and some trepidation that we embarked on our first cross-country skiing lesson on a beautiful sunny day last week. But we need not have worried. Our instructor was very patient and spoke good English and although we had a few tumbles we soon realised that we would come to no harm falling in the snow; there was no pain, no bruises: the only problem was getting up again until shown how! Before long we were gliding along in the snow and even making small ascents and descents. We are looking forward to another lesson and to being proficient enough to embark on some of the wonderful trails running through the valleys, all especially prepared and frequently close to inviting mountain huts and hostelries!

We equally loved snow-shoeing. It is very easy to do – you do not need lessons and nothing beats crunching along in the silence of the forest in pristine snow in the tracks of deer and foxes. We have also spent two days walking on tracks which are cleared of snow and prepared with tiny flecks of a gritty substance which miraculously prevents slipping. On these tracks you can spend all day either walking or Nordic Walking.

We are very excited to have now almost finished putting together a varied programme of winter activities for the holiday we have planned here March 2011. As soon as our preparations are complete we will put all the details on our website: http:www.country-walks.com and our subscribers will be notified.

Walking in Sussex

Alfriston

Have you discovered Alfriston, a beautiful downland village nestling in a fold in the Sussex Downs? It’s a wonderful base for a walking holiday as well as a charming place to stay with its narrow streets, quaint historical buildings and fascinating shops. For hotel accommodation we recommend 14th-century Dean’s Place Country Hotel. It is idyllically situated in the heart of the village, is one of the ‘Best Loved’ hotels of the world, also recommended by Johansens and awarded an AA rosette for cuisine.  Or, if you like to stay in a ‘b&b’, we can highly recommend Dacres run by Patsy Embry. At Patsy’s you will receive the warmest of welcomes. And if you prefer to do your own catering, there is a fully-equipped kitchen.

We have walked in many different parts of the world but whenever we walk in the countryside surrounding Alfriston we invariably conclude that nothing can beat it. The walking is superb whether you are tackling the ‘Seven Sisters’ along one of Britain’s most beautiful stretches of heritage coast or opting for a gentle walk around the beautiful Cuckmere Valley. The South Downs Way will take you in one direction to Jevington with its lovely old Saxon church and our favourite pub, the Eight Bells. In the opposite direction you can walk to Firle Beacon or to Charleston Farmhouse, the country home of the Bloomsbury Group. The nearby Rose Cottage at Alciston is another old English inn well worth a visit. The possibilities for walking are too numerous to list as there are routes in all directions.

There are endless things to do and places to visit within easy reach of Alfriston. In the village itself is the 14th century Clergy House, the first ever property to be bought by the National Trust for the princely sum of £10. There is Tudor Firle Place, home of the Gage family for 500 years: a good choice if you enjoy looking at works of art. We always enjoy visiting Seaford Head Country Park at nearby Exceat. From here you can walk along the River Cuckmere to the sea at Cuckmere Haven at the foot of the cliffs, the only unspoilt estuary in south-east England. And you simply must have a morning coffee or cream tea in the old farmhouse. And on the topic of cream tea, nearby Wilmington Tea Gardens is famous throughout Sussex. I will say no more except that you will have no difficulty in finding some of the best routes in the UK to walk it off!

Alfriston can be easily reached by rail from London Victoria to Polegate or Berwick. Then it is a short bus or taxi journey to Alfriston. During the summer months at weekends there is the Cuckmere Ramblers Bus which will take you to some of the villages; it also meets the London train at Berwick Station. This links to the very handy coastal bus service which allows you to walk in either direction from Exceat, towards Eastbourne or towards Brighton.

For a guided walking weekend staying at Deans Place Hotel, see Country Walks webpage.

Walking Holidays in Cyprus

A Paradise for Walkers

What a long cold winter this has been. If, like us, you yearn for blue skies and sunshine, have you thought about taking a walking holiday in Cyprus this spring on the hottest, driest island in the Mediterranean? Here’s what this beautiful island has to offer:

Ideal Climate

• Brilliant sunshine for more than 320 days a year
• Average daytime temperatures of 22°C in April
• Water temperatures in April averaging 20°C
• Hours of daily sunshine averaging 9
• Only 4 rainy days in April

April in Cyprus is always warm and sunny,  ideal for walking holidays or sightseeing and at this time of year wonderful wild flowers abound, sunsets are spectacular and the clear night skies are alive with twinkling stars.

Varied, Scenic  Walking

We like to base ourselves in the far west of the island in the little laid-back unspoilt resort of Polis. It’s less than an hour from Paphos airport yet provides easy access to the beautiful Akamas Peninsular, one of the island’s last remaining wildernesses. The air is scented with wild herbs and the flowering plant species number 1600, resulting from the position of the Akamas in relation to the plant zones of Asia, Africa and Europe. Here you will see yellow, blue and red anemones, red poppies, rare orchids, cyclamen, gladioli, iris, tulips, chrysanthemum, hyacinth, daffodils and many more in full blossom. That’s not to mention the 44 different species of orchid to be found on the island.

The Republic’s second paradise for walking holidays is the Troödos Massif, also accessible from Polis. You can walk just below the summit of Mount Olympus at nearly 2,000 metres without climbing hardly a metre. The views extending to both the south and north coasts are truly magnificent. Or, if you prefer, there are other more strenuous options: the choice is yours and the tourist offices produce some useful literature. Where else can you spend the morning walking among pine trees with far-reaching views and, possibly, snow on the ground and in the afternoon swim in an azure sea?

Rich history and romantic legend

The ancients in classical times named this beautiful Mediterranean island, the Isle of Aphrodite after the Greek Godess of Love. The romantic atmosphere of this island still draws discerning visitors to the beautiful Akamas peninsular to see where Aphrodite bathed and met her legendary lover, Adonis.  Sunshine, beauty, sea, mountains and romance -  that  sums it up!  Well, almost!  On your walking holiday you could combine walking days with visits to historical sites; in fact to world heritage sites. One day you could visit Paphos to admire the remains of ancient Roman villas and their precious mosaics and  picturesque harbours where fishermen return from the sea every morning to sell their night catch fresh in the local market. Then there’s ancient Lefkos or Nicosia, the fascinating capital city, Kyrenia, a real jewel of a harbour, and world-famous monasteries such as Kykkos.

I have not even mentioned the lively tavernas, the culinary adventures, the delightfully friendly people. If you would like to join us this spring on a walking holiday in Cyprus, check out our webpage: http://www.country-walks.com/Latest_Country_Walks/A_Grade_Cyprus.html