São Miguel, Azores (Portuguese Mid Atlantic Island)
São Miguel Island is ones of the Portuguese Azores islands in the mid Atlantic. It is very rugged and volcanic but with few beaches, so little tourism. There is only 1 large town, Ponta Delgada, in the south east.
Recently, walking has been promoted, and there are a series of walks around the island. These include coastal walks, walks around the rim, and into a volcanic caldera, and a few mountain walks.
You will need a hire car. The island is 60 km (40 miles) long by 15km (10 mi) wide. Due to the terrain, driving can take a long time, so a 2 centre holiday is advised. A few days in the east near the capital, and a few days near Furnas in the west.
The capital has few sights apart from a wander around the old town. In the east there is a large, dramatic volcanic caldera with a lake in the middle, and a town!
In the west, there is a mountain region, and Furnas, with many hot springs. One hotel, the Terra Nostra Garden Hotel, in Furnas is particularly recommended - it is art deco, set in a botanical garden, and has its own hot springs fed mineral lake to swim in. It was (very) faded grandeur, but has recently been renovated.
Unfortunately, the guidebooks tend to be to the Azores chain of islands, so, especially with the walking books, only a few walks will be on São Miguel. Fortunately, there are a series of 30 or so free walking leaflets - it would be a good idea to get these beforehand. The walks are online, but unfortunatley, not in an easily printable format.
The East
PR3SMI - Vista do Rei – Sete Cidades : 7km : Stunning walk around the rim of a massive volcano caldera, then down into it. Recommended.
PR4SMI - Mata do Canário – Sete Cidades : 11 km : The other side of the caldera rim
Both the above go round part of the rim, then down to the bottom, I think there is one other (PR 17?) which takes you back to the starting point of walk 3, i.e. join #3 and #4, with a long quiet road walk, to make a full circle, or use #3 and #17 to do a half circle through the middle.
PRC20SMI - Rocha da Relva - 4.5km one way - out and back trail down to a coastal hamlet with no road access. Recommended
PRC5SMI - Serra Devassa - 4.2 km - short circular walk over open terrain with OK views
The Middle
Serveral one way walks which we didn't try - getting back to the start would be a problem
The West
PRC2SMI - Praia – Lagoa do Fogo - Out and Back levada walk (small canal carrying water) - recommended
There were 3 long 1-way walks from the coast to the highest mountain, Pico da Vara. You would have to do out and back by the same route. Or use #7, from a nearby road.
PR7SMI - Algarvia – Pico da Vara : 3.5 km one way : Relatively easy out-and-back walk to the highest point on the island, from an already high road
PR12SMI - Trilho do Agrião : 8.4 km : Great coast walk, but no easy way of returning to your car, so best to do half as an out and back walk
PR22SMI - Pico do Ferro – Caldeiras da Lagoa das Furnas : 2km one way : Viewpoint over Furnas Caldera lake down to the lake. Return the same way.
PR23SMI - Povoa̤̣o РPico da Vara : 15.2 km and 3,000 feet climb : South coast to highest point on the island
Quiet a few of the walks are linear - i.e. no obvious way to get back to the start, so you's have to go out and back by the same route. But there are some great short walks, which are great if you're riving around the island, and do 2 or 3 in one day. Some of the coast walks take you to hidden beaches, which is also cool.
Guide books : The best (only) guide books is the Bradt. The Sunflower and Rother walking guides each only have a few walks on the island
Accommodation : There are relatively few hotels. Its old school - best to book a package tour, e.g. Sunvil in UK, or with a 'Expedia' type website. Pontal Delgada (the capital) is a good place to stay, either near the motorway or the old town. The other good option is Furnas - its in the east of the island, and handy for many good walks. Navigation is easy in most of the island once you get the hang of it, but the capital can be very difficult without a satnav.
When to go : Year round, but mid winter can a bit rainy. Mid-summer isn't too hot, but the sun can be fierce if you're outside walking in the mid-day sun, so spring and autumn are best.
Getting Around : Hire a car. The roads are windy but not too bad. Its still slow going in many part of the island.
Getting There : Fly to Ponta Delgada Airport on the east coast take about 3 hours from London. Its a bit of a monopoly, so no bargains.
Cost : About £500 (Euro 400) for a hotel and flight package for weeks. More in Summer or Christmas/New Year. Based on 2 sharing. Add £100 (Euro 150) for a rental car. Either breakfast and dinner, or self-catering with breakfast is a good option, especially if you are outside the capital. Away from it, the variety and quality of restaurants is poor, so a breakfast and dinner package might be better, but do check times for the earliest breakfast, and latest dinner. Away from the coast, cafes are very cheap. About 1 euro for a coffee or beer. But meals seemed expensive for the price.
What Else To See : Apart form the landscape, only the Botanical garden and hot springs lake at the Furnas hotel
Algarve (Southern Portugal)
The Algarve is a great winter sun destination for walkers. The sunlight glinting off the sparkling sea is a great antidote to overcast northern Europe. Winter is ideal walking weather - bright and sunny, but not too hot (shorts in the day, but sweater at night), and no problem with sunburn
Cost walks are the big draw, especially the XXX walk which must rate at one of the world's best walks - a cliff walk past kast (limestone) towers, arches, stack, towers and blowholes. You can follow the cliff path, or clamber through rock arches from bay to bay. This really is a spectacular walk. Think the island in the Jame Bond film, Man with the Golden Gun.
There are several other great coast walks around Algarve's south west corner (i.e. west of Lagos, and the west facing Atlantic coast).
There are a few inland mountain walks
In the winter, £200 for a 2 week package holiday (or Expedia style flights plus hotel deal), and £50 for a week's car hire is possible. Most towns will be quiet outside of Christmas and New Year.
In practise, you will need a car to get to most walks. Outside of city centres, there is very little traffic. The Algarve motorway is now a toll road. There are no toll booths - you get seen by cameras, then pay at a post office afterwards. Which means you cannot use the motorway to drive to the airport at the end of your holiday!
Lagos (about 50 miles west of the airport) is a good base.
The Cicerone book is good, however, there is no travel information other than walking, and its hard to tell which are the OK walks, and which are the truly great ones.
The Sunflower and Rother are new editions since we were last there. Its useful to have a Lonely Planet or Rough Guide if you have any interest other than walking.
By the way, the photos were taken in January.
Cost walks are the big draw, especially the XXX walk which must rate at one of the world's best walks - a cliff walk past kast (limestone) towers, arches, stack, towers and blowholes. You can follow the cliff path, or clamber through rock arches from bay to bay. This really is a spectacular walk. Think the island in the Jame Bond film, Man with the Golden Gun.
There are several other great coast walks around Algarve's south west corner (i.e. west of Lagos, and the west facing Atlantic coast).
There are a few inland mountain walks
In the winter, £200 for a 2 week package holiday (or Expedia style flights plus hotel deal), and £50 for a week's car hire is possible. Most towns will be quiet outside of Christmas and New Year.
In practise, you will need a car to get to most walks. Outside of city centres, there is very little traffic. The Algarve motorway is now a toll road. There are no toll booths - you get seen by cameras, then pay at a post office afterwards. Which means you cannot use the motorway to drive to the airport at the end of your holiday!
Lagos (about 50 miles west of the airport) is a good base.
The Cicerone book is good, however, there is no travel information other than walking, and its hard to tell which are the OK walks, and which are the truly great ones.
The Sunflower and Rother are new editions since we were last there. Its useful to have a Lonely Planet or Rough Guide if you have any interest other than walking.
By the way, the photos were taken in January.
Northern Ireland (and Donegal)
Highlights:
Now completely safe after the troubles, and with Ryanair and the other low cost carriers, a very cheap to fly to.
Before you go
Northern Ireland has one of the best tourism agencies in the world. Lots of brochures on walking - and also on cycling, canoeing, accomodation, etc. and some very useful websites.
No walking specific guide books that can be recommended - the best is a Lonely Planet walking guide, but its to the whole of Ireland, so stick to the Walk NI website.
The Rough Guide to Ireland, which we had, isn't recommended for its coverage of the North.
You'll need a car, book in advance [2009 advice] as the airports often run out of cars. However, rates are as low as £12 a day in low season.
Accomodation - B&B's:
The ones sampled were expensive (£55 - £65 per double) and poor quality - tea making facilities were rare, flock wallpaper and carpets common. Use Trip Advisor, and book the recommended ones in advance. One B&B owner wondered how we could afford them, and said she'd never use them herself, and recommended mid-week deals in small hotels. There are lots of YHA and hostels, many of which now have individual rooms.
Accomodation should be easy to find [2009], as the number of tourists is 50% down on last year(the recession, the euro, and Ryanair cutting flights)
Walks
Many of the "Walk NI" walks are short ones in NT properties (so membership will help) and parks/nature reserves, but there are day walks, and several multi day walks.
It will rain
So plan some non-walking days:
The Bushmills tour (Irish Whiskey, near the Giants Causeway), but check the factory isn't on summer break,
Some good NT houses and gardens (Florence Court near Enniskillen, Mount Stewart near Belfast)
Websites
Walk Northern Ireland - official website with list of walks
Ireland's Mountains - peak bagging info about each hill
- The north east and north coast of Northern Ireland are the highlight, with many fine coastal walks, e.g. around Giants Causeway - stay near the Causeway itself, there are 2 fine pubs nearby. There is a (summer) coastal bus service to take you back to your car.
- ??? and Temple (NT) : short but lovely coastal walks with ruins
- Belfast - its not Dublin and is quiet weeknights, but there are a couple of hills near the centre. Mount Stewart (NT Gardens) is nearby.
- Donegal (the Irish coastline west of Northern Ireland) has dramatic but bleak 'north west of scotland like' coastline - beautiful, but it rains!
Now completely safe after the troubles, and with Ryanair and the other low cost carriers, a very cheap to fly to.
Before you go
Northern Ireland has one of the best tourism agencies in the world. Lots of brochures on walking - and also on cycling, canoeing, accomodation, etc. and some very useful websites.
No walking specific guide books that can be recommended - the best is a Lonely Planet walking guide, but its to the whole of Ireland, so stick to the Walk NI website.
The Rough Guide to Ireland, which we had, isn't recommended for its coverage of the North.
You'll need a car, book in advance [2009 advice] as the airports often run out of cars. However, rates are as low as £12 a day in low season.
Accomodation - B&B's:
The ones sampled were expensive (£55 - £65 per double) and poor quality - tea making facilities were rare, flock wallpaper and carpets common. Use Trip Advisor, and book the recommended ones in advance. One B&B owner wondered how we could afford them, and said she'd never use them herself, and recommended mid-week deals in small hotels. There are lots of YHA and hostels, many of which now have individual rooms.
Accomodation should be easy to find [2009], as the number of tourists is 50% down on last year(the recession, the euro, and Ryanair cutting flights)
Walks
Many of the "Walk NI" walks are short ones in NT properties (so membership will help) and parks/nature reserves, but there are day walks, and several multi day walks.
It will rain
So plan some non-walking days:
The Bushmills tour (Irish Whiskey, near the Giants Causeway), but check the factory isn't on summer break,
Some good NT houses and gardens (Florence Court near Enniskillen, Mount Stewart near Belfast)
Websites
Walk Northern Ireland - official website with list of walks
Ireland's Mountains - peak bagging info about each hill
The 7 Sisters (South Coast of England)
The Seven Sisters is a dramtic coastal walk in south-east England, about 90 mins by train or car from London. It is soon to be part of the new South Downs National Park.
The whole are is open downland (short grass, no trees), with hills around 600 feet/200 metres, so good views.
The classic walk is Seaford along the coast to Eastbourne (both have train stations, or return to your car by regular bus service). This walk is along open downland, along the top of chalk cliffs, passing a river valley (paddle at low tide, or 2 mile detour inland to a bridge) and Beachy Head.
Equally good is the rest of the South Downs Way (marked on the OS map) Southease (train station) to Alfriston to Eastbourne.
Short Walk Ideas: 1) Anywhere along the Seven Sisters coast - accessable be road and (in summer) an open topped bus. 2) Alfriston to Wilmington Hill and back 3) Along the Eastbourne Seafront promenade
See Time Out Country Walks Volume 2, which has 3 walks in this area
Eastbourne: south coast seaside town with pier and promenade
Alfriston: beautiful village with green and picturesque church, YHA, hotels.
Lewes: pretty town with castle, but hard to park
Smaller village with pub: Jevington
Also worth visting is the Blomsbury Farmhouse (poor art, but lovely garden and location)
The whole are is open downland (short grass, no trees), with hills around 600 feet/200 metres, so good views.
The classic walk is Seaford along the coast to Eastbourne (both have train stations, or return to your car by regular bus service). This walk is along open downland, along the top of chalk cliffs, passing a river valley (paddle at low tide, or 2 mile detour inland to a bridge) and Beachy Head.
Equally good is the rest of the South Downs Way (marked on the OS map) Southease (train station) to Alfriston to Eastbourne.
Short Walk Ideas: 1) Anywhere along the Seven Sisters coast - accessable be road and (in summer) an open topped bus. 2) Alfriston to Wilmington Hill and back 3) Along the Eastbourne Seafront promenade
See Time Out Country Walks Volume 2, which has 3 walks in this area
Eastbourne: south coast seaside town with pier and promenade
Alfriston: beautiful village with green and picturesque church, YHA, hotels.
Lewes: pretty town with castle, but hard to park
Smaller village with pub: Jevington
Also worth visting is the Blomsbury Farmhouse (poor art, but lovely garden and location)
Gower (South Wales)
The Gower is an area of outstanding natural beauty in South West Wales. Its a peninsular, are is most famous for its beaches, particulaly Rhosilli and Three Cliffs bays, which often gets in to "top 10 beaches in the world" lists. Its an easy weekend trip from London, and it doesn't get too crowded even in summer. Outside the summer holidays its possible to have a beach to yourself, and even during them, on weekdays, or further into Gower.
Besides beaches, there is The Mumbles (Swansea's latin quarter) and several rolling downs (about 150m/450 feet). Besides walking, Gower is great for mountain bikes, but you'll need to be quite fit. All the downs are suitable for cycling, they are hard with short grass under-wheel - a bit like the South Downs.
There is a coastal path around the entire peninsula. Its possible to walk a section, and then get the bus back. More than any other place, these walks are to enjoy, explore and take photographs, linger and take side-tracks, especially around Three Cliffs and Rhossili - don't just hurry round.
Maps : The OS 1:25,000 Explorer is a good idea.
Following the coast around from Swansea :
Swansea : B&B's and Hotels, train and bus station, shops and banks. If you're there at the weekend, try Wind Street (pronounced Wine) for bars and clubs.
Swansea Bay : Can cycle or walk along the sea front from Swansea. Half way along at Black Pill, there is a old railway line turned cycle track that heads inland, through a wooded valley, to a nice pub.
Mumbles (Oystermouth) : Pretty fishing village, castle, pier, lighthouse, B&Bs. Although the Mumbles mile (pub crawl) is not what it was - the pubs have been turned into appartments. The Village Inn is the pick, the Rose has got pretty rundown. Mumbles Head is a nice walk. Can walk around the coast to the next 2 bays.
Langland and Caswell Bay. Sandy beaches. Bus from Mummbles. Can follow the cliff path from Mumbles to get here. These 2 are 1 at low tide. Just along the coastal path is Brandy Cove, and then on to...
Pwildu Bay : Stoney beach. No road access. But a nice cliff walk to the next bay. Then on to ...
Three Cliffs Bay : World class beach. This is when it starts getting good. Can park at Parkmill or Southgate (better, NT Pay carpark). Over the headland, or around the cliffs at low tide to ...
NB There is no connection from these places by bus to Mummbles - you'll need to go back into Swansea to change. The South Gower bus route stops at all the following.
Great Tor and Oxwich Burrows : A very long and wide beach with sand dunes behind. Great place for a beach party. Park on the A road behind it, and walk down. Inland is Cevyn Bryn (188m) which is well worth the climb.
Oxwich : Expensive car park and hotel, bus service, but the far end of Oxwich bay. Nice walk aroud the headland.. Less intersting stretch to the next bay
Port Eynon : YHA, chip shop, Bus Service. Cliff Walk : A long cliff walk to Rhosilli, but there's a bus service back. Pass Mewslade bay (small) almost at the end. Mewslade would make a nice walk from Rhosilli, Out around the cliff path, back inland.
Rhossili : World class beach. Pub, Hotel, B&B, car park, bus service. Long Beach, with downs behind it and the Worms Head at 1 end
Worms Head Walk : Only do this walk at low tide. See notices. If you get it wrong, do not try and beat the tide on the way back, ring the bell for the coastguard to rescue you. If the tide is in, is still a nice walk around the headland
Rhossili Downs Walks : Follow the downs above the beach. Great views. Walk back along the beach
Lanngennith : North Gower Bus service. Pub. Great Camp site. The other end of Rhossili Bay. Llanmadoc Hill, above the top is a nice walk. Also can follow the coast out to Spaniard rock, then round to Broughton Bay
Whiteford Sands : . A real hidden treasure. No bus, can walk over the hill from Llangennith. Park in Llanmadoc (£1, honesty box). Walk down the road, through the pine forest, then cut through the dunes to the wide beach, walk out along the beach backed by sand-dunes, and back through the pine forest behind it
Walk : A all day great walk would be to start at Llanngennith, follow the coast round to Whiteford burrows, then return over Llanmadoc hill.
North Coast : Just mud flats
Inland : Reynoldstone has a great pub, follow the road to where it meets the Cevyn Bryn ridge for a nice easy walk to the trig point.
Cyclists : A good day long route would be : Mummbles - over headland via Newton and inland to - 3 Cliffs bay - Up to Cevyn Bryn hill, along ridge to Reynolstone (traffic free) - Rhossili - back along the North Gower Road to Upper Killay, and pick up the old railway cycle track down to the coast, and follow the seafront (car free) back to Mummbles.
Getting There : Hourly train from London, National Express or Megabus. Its about 3 hours drive from London. The train is about £70 return on Fridays, much cheaper if booked in advance.
Getting Around : There are hourly buses to each of the bays, but its much better to have your own car, besides its cheaper than the train.
When to go : Its nicer in summer, but as the hills are low, you can go year round.
Besides beaches, there is The Mumbles (Swansea's latin quarter) and several rolling downs (about 150m/450 feet). Besides walking, Gower is great for mountain bikes, but you'll need to be quite fit. All the downs are suitable for cycling, they are hard with short grass under-wheel - a bit like the South Downs.
There is a coastal path around the entire peninsula. Its possible to walk a section, and then get the bus back. More than any other place, these walks are to enjoy, explore and take photographs, linger and take side-tracks, especially around Three Cliffs and Rhossili - don't just hurry round.
Maps : The OS 1:25,000 Explorer is a good idea.
Following the coast around from Swansea :
Swansea : B&B's and Hotels, train and bus station, shops and banks. If you're there at the weekend, try Wind Street (pronounced Wine) for bars and clubs.
Swansea Bay : Can cycle or walk along the sea front from Swansea. Half way along at Black Pill, there is a old railway line turned cycle track that heads inland, through a wooded valley, to a nice pub.
Mumbles (Oystermouth) : Pretty fishing village, castle, pier, lighthouse, B&Bs. Although the Mumbles mile (pub crawl) is not what it was - the pubs have been turned into appartments. The Village Inn is the pick, the Rose has got pretty rundown. Mumbles Head is a nice walk. Can walk around the coast to the next 2 bays.
Langland and Caswell Bay. Sandy beaches. Bus from Mummbles. Can follow the cliff path from Mumbles to get here. These 2 are 1 at low tide. Just along the coastal path is Brandy Cove, and then on to...
Pwildu Bay : Stoney beach. No road access. But a nice cliff walk to the next bay. Then on to ...
Three Cliffs Bay : World class beach. This is when it starts getting good. Can park at Parkmill or Southgate (better, NT Pay carpark). Over the headland, or around the cliffs at low tide to ...
NB There is no connection from these places by bus to Mummbles - you'll need to go back into Swansea to change. The South Gower bus route stops at all the following.
Great Tor and Oxwich Burrows : A very long and wide beach with sand dunes behind. Great place for a beach party. Park on the A road behind it, and walk down. Inland is Cevyn Bryn (188m) which is well worth the climb.
Oxwich : Expensive car park and hotel, bus service, but the far end of Oxwich bay. Nice walk aroud the headland.. Less intersting stretch to the next bay
Port Eynon : YHA, chip shop, Bus Service. Cliff Walk : A long cliff walk to Rhosilli, but there's a bus service back. Pass Mewslade bay (small) almost at the end. Mewslade would make a nice walk from Rhosilli, Out around the cliff path, back inland.
Rhossili : World class beach. Pub, Hotel, B&B, car park, bus service. Long Beach, with downs behind it and the Worms Head at 1 end
Worms Head Walk : Only do this walk at low tide. See notices. If you get it wrong, do not try and beat the tide on the way back, ring the bell for the coastguard to rescue you. If the tide is in, is still a nice walk around the headland
Rhossili Downs Walks : Follow the downs above the beach. Great views. Walk back along the beach
Lanngennith : North Gower Bus service. Pub. Great Camp site. The other end of Rhossili Bay. Llanmadoc Hill, above the top is a nice walk. Also can follow the coast out to Spaniard rock, then round to Broughton Bay
Whiteford Sands : . A real hidden treasure. No bus, can walk over the hill from Llangennith. Park in Llanmadoc (£1, honesty box). Walk down the road, through the pine forest, then cut through the dunes to the wide beach, walk out along the beach backed by sand-dunes, and back through the pine forest behind it
Walk : A all day great walk would be to start at Llanngennith, follow the coast round to Whiteford burrows, then return over Llanmadoc hill.
North Coast : Just mud flats
Inland : Reynoldstone has a great pub, follow the road to where it meets the Cevyn Bryn ridge for a nice easy walk to the trig point.
Cyclists : A good day long route would be : Mummbles - over headland via Newton and inland to - 3 Cliffs bay - Up to Cevyn Bryn hill, along ridge to Reynolstone (traffic free) - Rhossili - back along the North Gower Road to Upper Killay, and pick up the old railway cycle track down to the coast, and follow the seafront (car free) back to Mummbles.
Getting There : Hourly train from London, National Express or Megabus. Its about 3 hours drive from London. The train is about £70 return on Fridays, much cheaper if booked in advance.
Getting Around : There are hourly buses to each of the bays, but its much better to have your own car, besides its cheaper than the train.
When to go : Its nicer in summer, but as the hills are low, you can go year round.
Maderia (Portuguese Atlantic Island, north of the Canaries)
Madeira is a Portuguese island off the coast of North West Africa, a few hundred miles north of the Canaries.
It is very mountainous... 90% of the island is over 1,500 feet (500 metres), and there is almost no flat land on the island. Its possible to be at 3,000 feet (1,000 meters) only a mile from the coast. Almost everywhere, there are fantastic views out to sea - you can see for miles! There are almost no beaches either (the land falls steeply into the Atlantic) which means much less tourism than the Canaries. The island is 35 miles (60 km) wide.
What it does have though are levandas. These are small canals that contour around often very dramatic mountains. They were originally built to carry water from the wet side of the island to the inhabited side. They have a footpath by the side of them, and are often planted with tropical plants. Walks in Maderia are graded both for toughness (how hilly) and scariness (how precipitous the drop and how narrow the ledge alongside the canal).
For walkers, especially less fit or olders walkers, this can be magical. An incredible mountain walk, with beautiful tropical flowers, with almost no change in elevation.
For more adventurous walkers, there are the tunnels (take a torch), which take the canals under ridges from one side of the mountain to the other.
There are a wide range of levanda walks. Some have wide, well maintained paths planted with tropical paths, and fences on exposed stretches, and are suitable for the elderly and children. Others are along older levandas with exposed drops and very narrow or crumbly paths. Guidebooks will tell you which is which beforehand.
Some of the levanda walks are in alpine regions, with dramatic views. The trailheads are easily accessible by car, but you need to be OK with hairpin bends, steep drops and hill starts. Others are between towns in the more populous south east corner of the island. These are reached by either car or bus from Funchal (capital and only big town).
There are 2 other types of walks on the island. A few alpine ridge walks in the centre of the island, and a few coastal walks. The paths are well maintained.
The west side of the island (Paul do Serra) has a flat top at about 6,000 feet (1,800 m), with many levanda walks, from which you can see nearly 100 miles out to sea at this altitude. It is easily reached by car. The east side has a more mountainous centre, with some alpine walks.
The levanda walks can be a little strange. On one side, the there are tropical plants and stunning out to sea views, with little physical effort. On the other, doing a 10 mile walk with a 5 metre gain in altitude can be a little unfulfilling. Strange :)
Guide books : The best guidebooks are the Sunflower and Rother. However these are pure walking guides, they don't have any general tourist stuff
Accommodation : There are relatively few hotels, and not so much camping. Its best to book as part of a package tour, or with a 'Expedia' type website. Funchal is a good place to stay, either near the motorway or the old town if you have a car, or by the bus station if you don't. The other good option is Riebeira Brava - its on the coast near the middle of the island, and handy for many good levanda walks. We stayed in Paulo do Mar (south east coast), while nice is meant a lot of driving to/from it each day. Navigation is easy in most of the island, but Funchal can be very difficult without a satnav.
When to go : Year round, but mid winter can a bit rainy with cloud on the high peaks.Mid-summer isn't too hot, but the sun can be fierce if you're outside walking in the mid-day sun, so spring and autumn are best.
Getting Around : Best to rent a car. Many walks can be done by bus, but if you do this, you MUST base yourself in the centre of Funchal (near the bus station, the centre of the bus network). The islands roads are truly amazing. They've recently built a series of tunnels (many a couple of miles long) through the mountains and bridges over ravines, so drives that used to be all day can be done in an hour! Beware though, that away from the motorway along the east and south coasts, travel can be very slow, zig zag bends down into a ravine, and backup the other side, the down into the next one...
Getting There : Fly to Funchal Airport on the east coast take about 3 hours from London. Easyjet, BA, and TAP (Air Portugal) fly direct.
Cost : About £400 (Euro 500) for a hotel and flight package for weeks. More in Summer or Christmas/New Year. Based on 2 sharing. Add £100 (Euro 150) for a rental car. Self-catering with breakfast is a good option, especially if you are near Funchal with a variety of restaurants to choose from. Away from Funchal, the variety and quality of restaurants is poor, so a breakfast and dinner package might be better, but do check times for the earliest breakfast, and latest dinner. Once there supermarkets are reasonable, with some interesting local produce, e.g. dates, which are very cheap here. Away from the coast, cafes are very cheap. About 1 euro for a coffee or beer.
What Else To See : Wander around Funchal's old town. Drive up to Monte for the view and tea on the terrace, but give the tropical gardens a miss - you'll see nice flowers on the Levanda walks.
More Photos
Brecon Beacons (South Wales)
The Brecon Beacons are a National Park in South Wales, consisting of steep, rounded, treeless hills, almost reaching 3,000 feet (1,000 metres). To the east of the park, on the English border, are the Black Mountains. From the summits, there are stunning views on a clear day
The main centre is Brecon, but it grey slate building can look a little gloomy in bad weather.
Transport: Its best to have your own car.
There are several Maralyns in the park, each making a good day's walk.
Walks: From East to West.
- Black Mountain (Fan Brycheiniog, 802m) . Park just north of the Dan-yr-Ogof caves on the A4067. Follow the obvious path (only the start is marked on OS maps), then the obvious ridge to the summit. Return the same way. Usually quiet.
- Fan Gyhirych (725m) and Fan Nedd (663m). Between the A4067, and a minor road north of Ystradfellte
- Fan Fawr (734m). East of the Storey Arms.
- Pen-y-fan (886m) and Cordn-du (873m): A glacial peak at the top of a horseshoe shaped ridge. 2 options:
1) park at the Storey Arms car park (named after a long closed pub) on the A470 road, and follow one of the 2 obvious, well maintained paths to the summit. The start is at the top of a pass, so you're already at 439m. Busy at weekends.
2) for a better but harder circular walk, park at the Neuadd Resevoir access road (south of the mountain), and follow the horseshow ridge of the subsidary peaks.
Fom either walk, if time permits, follow a subsidary ridge east to Waun Rydd (769m) - Cefn yr Ystrad (617m). Further south than the other peaks, Access from a minor road north of Tredegar, or the Pontsticilli resevoir.
Safety: Apart from the tourist route up Pen-y-fan, and the Black Mountain, you must have a map and compass. Always take waterproofs. People die every year in the Brecon Beacons, even in summer.
Avebury (Wiltshire, England)
[ej]
The Pewsey Downs, just South of the 5000 year-old stone circle of Avebury in Wiltshire and its neighbour the ancient Silbury Hill are recommended as a real treat. They could qualify as the most beautiful place in England, and certainly Southern England, because of their ancient and unusual shapes and rich heritage.
There are not many B&Bs in the area, but one suitable one might be the New Inn at Winterbourne Monkton (google it), which can accommodate between 6 and 10 people at time of writing (May 2008). The area is probably best seen by doing round walks and is only easily accessible by car or on foot, but not by railway.
The Pewsey Downs are the site of unusual flora and fauna, including rare butterflies in September. The easiest paths in the area are found by following the White Horse Trail, all of which is clearly marked on OS maps.
[Andrew]
Avebury is a small village inside 3 concentric rings of stones, similar to the nearby Stonehendge. Within walking distance is the start of the Ridgeway Long Distance Path along a grassy ridge, and an unexplained burial mound (Silbury Hill, a stone age, man made, hill). The village itself has a lovely church and a great pub that caters to tourists, kids dressed as Harry Potter, bikers and druids.
The area is easily reached by car from London. Public transport is harder, bus from Swindon (train from Paddington), or a day's walk from Pewsey (train from Paddington). Both are outside the Network Card area.
The Pewsey Downs, just South of the 5000 year-old stone circle of Avebury in Wiltshire and its neighbour the ancient Silbury Hill are recommended as a real treat. They could qualify as the most beautiful place in England, and certainly Southern England, because of their ancient and unusual shapes and rich heritage.
There are not many B&Bs in the area, but one suitable one might be the New Inn at Winterbourne Monkton (google it), which can accommodate between 6 and 10 people at time of writing (May 2008). The area is probably best seen by doing round walks and is only easily accessible by car or on foot, but not by railway.
The Pewsey Downs are the site of unusual flora and fauna, including rare butterflies in September. The easiest paths in the area are found by following the White Horse Trail, all of which is clearly marked on OS maps.
[Andrew]
Avebury is a small village inside 3 concentric rings of stones, similar to the nearby Stonehendge. Within walking distance is the start of the Ridgeway Long Distance Path along a grassy ridge, and an unexplained burial mound (Silbury Hill, a stone age, man made, hill). The village itself has a lovely church and a great pub that caters to tourists, kids dressed as Harry Potter, bikers and druids.
The area is easily reached by car from London. Public transport is harder, bus from Swindon (train from Paddington), or a day's walk from Pewsey (train from Paddington). Both are outside the Network Card area.
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