Bulgaria has an ancient and rich history the Tracians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Bulgarians, Slavs and Turks have all inhabited the country in their time all leaving behind their mark either through buildings language gastronomy or culture. The country is one of the EC’s newest additions bringing benefits to the visitor.
We have put together a stunning trek combining some of the prime walks South West Crete has to offer taking in three gorges and three coastal sections of the E-4 route. Walk along ancient mule tracks linking coastal villages often still only accessible by boat or on foot with a chance to take a swim in the enticing Libyan Sea along the way. Gorges including the renowned Samaria provide shady contrasts to the coastal sections and a night in Omalos at 1080m provides a feel for the high landscapes of the White Mountains. The walking is of moderate to challenging level with an element of scrambling and several short but potentially vertiginous sections. The only real hazard is dehydration during hotter months which may easily be prevented.
This self-guided 7 day trek has been designed to be as varied as possible making the most of the wonderful terrain in the Exo Mani covering coastal merchants’ routes gorge and hill walking and mountain trails. The 50 mile route starts from the small coastal village of Kardamili and winds its way down the Mani peninsula following the Exo Mani to its border with the Messa Mani.
You start in an area of Poland that is a very popular walking territory for the Polish people but surprisingly not frequented by other European walkers. You start in the low Carpathian Mountains but always with the sight of the High Tatras, your ultimate goal, spectacularly rising in the distance. Life in this area of rural Poland appears to have changed little over the years; both men and women continue to work the land with horses and wooden implements, you will see and experience this first hand. Your destination of the High Tatra Mountains is one of the best walking areas in Europe and attracts walkers from throughout the world.
The Bieszczady mountains lie in the far south-east of Poland, in the Eastern Carpathians, bordering Slovakia and the Ukraine. The countryside is characterised by the ridge-and-valley pattern - long mountain ridges stretching parallel to one another. It is the most underpopulated and underdeveloped of the Polish mountains and ideal for hiking. There are unique mountain meadows - the polininy - above primeval forest which offer sanctuary to wild animals such as the lynx and wolves. The peaks offer mountain panoramas of unusual beauty and vastness.
Why not take the opportunity to stay in the countryside in small hotels and experience Madeira to the full?We have put together an itinerary taking in levadas coastal walks and high mountain trails. The hotels are all family owned and therefore you are assured of a fine welcome and the quality local food will be something to look forward to at the end of a day’s walking. Your luggage is transferred for you between the hotels and sometimes you will be transferred by car to the finest paths that Madeira has to offer. You have a free day in Funchal at the end of the holiday so you can experience the island’s capital its old town shops and restaurants.
A chance to visit the enticing and less populated Western region of Madeira offering both coastal and mountain walking. Stay in just three hotels starting high in the mountains progressing to a small coastal village in the north-west and finishing on an impressive cliff top location with fine views of the south-west coast. Your route follows coastal and mountain paths and delightful levadas winding their way around dramatic hillsides. You will be rewarded with stunning vistas of the varying landscape of this side of the island.
This trek is one of magnificent ever changing vistas with far reaching views to the sea as you walk across the central mountains of Gran Canaria. We have researched a north to south route across the island linking family run hotels taking in a wide variety of spectacular scenery which will have you wondering why you have not walked here before. We are particularly proud of this holiday as we are the only walking company to offer such a trek on this island. It was only possible to put it together using extensive local knowledge.
This trek takes you across the island from east to west giving you the opportunity of seeing the best landscapes that La Gomera has to offer. We descend into deep valleys walk through formerly cultivated terraced fields and pass by a unique laurel forest which is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are some long and tough days but the route ensures that you experience all aspects of this beautiful and tranquil island. You will pass through Gomerean villages that in many respects continue traditions going back to pre Spanish conquest. You will enjoy many stunning vistas taking in the ever present coastline on this small island.
The Gredos mountains are a spectacular range with wild scenery and abundant wild life with the highest peak at 2592m. We have put together a two centre holiday where you experience the contrasts of the two sides of the Gredos. The north side is the more rugged and remote of the two the area being criss-crossed by fast flowing mountain streams which also flow through the small villages inhabited mostly by farmers. Cross the ridge to the south and the scenery is softer with larger villages set amongst orchards and vineyards still with the backing of the impressive ridge of the Gredos. The walking scenery and wildlife are more than enough reason to visit this beautiful area. However combined with two delightful hotels they make the whole proposition irresistible. The hotels are both family run havens with food of the highest quality and rooms of excellent individual décor and finish. You have 4 nights in the Milano and 3 nights in the Esquiladores.
The Alpujarra is one of the most wild and undiscovered mountain ranges of Spain stretching from the highest peaks of the Sierra Nevada down to the Mediterranean below. Life has changed little since the Moors first cultivated the terraces many centuries ago and you are likely to see the farmers tending the land with their mules and the local women washing clothes in the village springs or shelling almonds by hand. The tiny whitewashed villages which cling to the mountain side are linked by the ancient track of the Camino Real or GR7 and you will walk amongst olive and almond groves crossing tiny mountain springs with the snow capped mountains above and the Mediterranean in the distance below. Whatever the season whether it is the stunning almond blossom in February and March the flowers of late spring and early summer or the colours and fruits of autumn (when you will be able to pick almonds wild figs mulberries and grapes along your route) you are unlikely to bump into any other walkers apart from the odd shepherd tending his herds. Sometimes the route takes you high into the Sierra amongst pine forests where you may see ibex birds of prey or even wild boar.
This hotel to hotel trek has been specifically deigned to reveal many aspects of this beautiful part of Catalonia; you will walk along the "wild coast" with its miles of coastal cliffs solitary beaches and coves with crystal clear water. You will walk inland through the Aiguamolls Nature Reserve where innumerable seabirds and songbirds have settled. You will walk up mountain trails offering spectacular views sweeping far into the Pyrenees.From the coast to the mountains from sea to crag from sandy beach to shady Mediterranean forest – the diverse and changing natural landscapes exert a powerful attraction to walkers. To walk here is a revelation.
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The eastern Pyrenees offer the hiker all the attributes of high mountain walking along with exploration of the lower foothills. Close to the Mediterranean it is a region of great geological interest with mountain peaks plunging to deep valleys where stone built villages nestle beside rushing rivers. Rare flowers, glaciated lakes and soaring birds of prey add to its appeal and all is enhanced by the proud warm-hearted people of Catalunya and the special culture unique to this part of Spain.
This trek takes you through some of the most stunning scenery to be found in this part of Spain. It is a journey of discovery through beautiful Mediterranean countryside with overnight stays whitewashed Moorish villages. As you walk through terraces of oranges lemons and olives first cultivated by the Moors over 1000 years ago you will enjoy the sights and scents of a multitude of fragrant flowers and herbs. Your ascents are rewarded by viewpoints with panoramic views of the surrounding valleys. We use accommodation that will blend in with the journey and heighten the experience.
Our Maestrazgo trek provides walkers with the rare opportunity to travel through a little known region of Spain which remains untouched by the modern world. Straddling the regions of Teruel and Aragon in Northeast Spain Maestrazgo has been designated an area of outstanding cultural interest and natural beauty. Overnight stays are often in villages founded by the Knight Templar - El Cid castellated strongholds perched on rocky crags above deep ravines. Walking between villages each day offers ever changing awesome landscapes. Jagged mountains rivers and canyons moorlands and forests all interspersed with fields where farmers continue to eke out a living as their ancestors have done for generations. As yet Maestrazgo is little known by walkers and tourists. We think this is heaven!
The Picos de Europa (literally translated as the Peaks of Europe) without doubt are the most impressive mountains in all of Spain. It is a compact range of mountains no more than 30 miles long and 15 miles wide but within it's confines there is some spectacular walking with stunning scenery that will not disappoint. Our trek takes in all the best that the Picos has to offer, that a single base does not easily allow due to the long drives around the mountain range.... you just walk over it.
The famous Way of St. James (El Camino) is a five hundred mile pilgrims' trail across Northern Spain which has been walked for over 1000 years. From many starting points in Western Europe it becomes one route across Galicia - an autonomous region
of North West Spain with its own culture cuisine and language (Galego - distantly related to Welsh) although
Spanish is still understood by everyone.El Camino ends at the magnificent Gothic cathedral of Santiago de Compostela – the final
resting place of St. James the Apostle. Our fully flexible hotel to hotel trek can offer any combination of the stages onwards from Burgos crossing the Cordillera Cantabrica into Galicia. The full route from Burgos to Santiago could take up to 28 days (26 walking) but it is possible to select any part of the route for as many days as you wish. Many clients choose to just walk the last week from the mountain village of O Cebreiro (1310m) to Santiago.
This trek takes you through some of the most beautiful mountain scenery that Switzerland has to offer crossing two major passes and combining stays in small Swiss towns and villages with hotels high on the passes. You walk within sight of some of Switzerland’s most stunning peaks: Titlis Jungfrau and Eiger to name but a few. You will view magnificent glaciers as you walk which feed many of the mountain streams you cross. At the end of a day’s walking you are assured of a friendly welcome at each of our hotels with meals prepared from fresh local ingredients.
Although the trek is entirely in the Valais (Wallis in German) you walk from the French speaking area to one that is Swiss German spoken. Alpine flowers carpet the valleys early in the season extending to high passes throughout Summer. Here the high Alps are at their most majestic.
A wild natural landscape that is the ancient Castle of Tarasp, the Baths of Scuol, the Romanisch culture varying from village to village rich in tradition but nevertheless innovative and modern. This is the Lower Engadine situated on the southern side of the Alps, a valley far away from the busy tourist routes; it is a valley ‘waiting to be discovered’. This journey is especially enjoyable combining the beautiful timeless villages rich in culture and tradition and with their own unique architecture and walking high on the valley sides with far ranging views over the Alps. The local language is Romansch the least spoken of the four official languages of Switzerland - but do not worry as English is widely understood.
On this trek you will
experience the more extreme, dramatic and challenging walks of the Lycian Way
as the trail nears its end in Anatalya’s Old Town – basically, it is the Grand
Finale with soaring peaks, deep river gorges and sheer cliffs…..but we feature
this section in reverse heading from the high mountains to the sea. You will experience the shaded tranquility of
deep river gorges crossing crystal clear waters or bathing in natural
pools. There are serene green valleys
filled with lush pastures and grazing cows.
One superb day's walking takes you over the plateau below the summit of
Mount Tahtali with far reaching views of mountain and sea, carpets of wild
flowers and strange rock formations. See Chimaera – The Eternal Flames which
suddenly meet you on your final descent to Cirali – a relaxed, very Turkish,
unspoiled beach ‘resort’ where turtles share the beach with humans. Here, rest and swim, visit archeological sites
or take a superb coastal walk. Then walk along the coast for two quite
demanding days past ancient ruins and many far reaching views.
On this walk you are always tracking the coast line which is truly spectacular. Rugged cliffs of pine forests plunge into turquoise Mediterranean Sea. Between them are small bays of sand and shingle accessible only by boat or on foot. You quickly leave the area of tourism development and are soon surrounded by Turkish rural life which has changed little over the centuries. You pass through villages clinging to the mountain side where the inhabitants eke out a living farming on the not so fertile land. You walk through pine forests with the beautiful resin filled air so evocative of this area. You are in area that has been inhabited for centuries and testament to this is the many historical sites you will visit, dating back beyond roman times to a pre-classical period. All in a truly spectacular landscape.
Bulgaria
Dominica
Greece - Crete
Iceland
Malta - Gozo
Poland
Portugal - Azores
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain - Canary Islands
St. Lucia
Switzerland
Turkey
Guided Walking
You start in an area of Poland that is a very popular walking territory for the Polish people but surprisingly not frequented by other European walkers. You start in the low Carpathian Mountains but always with the sight of the High Tatras, your ultimate goal, spectacularly rising in the distance. Life in this area of rural Poland appears to have changed little over the years; both men and women continue to work the land with horses and wooden implements, you will see and experience this first hand. Your destination of the High Tatra Mountains is one of the best walking areas in Europe and attracts walkers from throughout the world. 
