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Lockdown Blues? Get ready to travel.

With vaccinations well under way in many parts of the world, there’s real belief that travel restrictions will gradually ease in the next few months. We make no apology for offering the information about our free digital maps once again; last time we posted this information we were pleased and surprised at how many people enjoyed them and started planning ahead to travel.

We’d like to help you get planning. Where to next? Why not start by getting your hands on our Free Digital Maps.

Read all about it HERE.

There are free maps to 19 tempting walking destinations to check out, including :

CANARY ISLANDS

La Gomera & El Hierro, Lanzarote, La Palma, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria

Las Canadas, Tenerife, Canary Islands
La Palma, Mirador del Time, Canary Islands

BALEARIC ISLANDS

Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera

Dragonera, from La Trapa, Mallorca, Balearic Islands (Spain)

GREEK ISLANDS

Zakynthos (Zante), Corfu

SPANISH MAINLAND

Costa Blanca Mountains, Costa del Sol (Axarquia), Alpujarras, Sierra de Aracena

The ancient bell-tower, Aracena Castle

– and also:

Malta & Gozo

Madeira

Azores

Levada Nova, Madeira

To see more details about the free digital maps and how to get them, LOOK HERE

Plan Your Next Walking Adventure With our FREE Digital Maps

With the real hope of vaccines within reach, we can look forward to planning walking adventures again. Once travel freedom returns, there’s going to be a lot of pent-up desire to get away, so this could be the best time to make some plans.

We’d like to help you get planning. Where to next? Why not start by getting your hands on our Free Digital Maps.

Read all about it HERE.

There are free maps to 19 tempting walking destinations to check out, including :

CANARY ISLANDS

La Gomera & El Hierro, Lanzarote, La Palma, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria

La Palma, Mirador del Time, Canary Islands

BALEARIC ISLANDS

Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera

Dragonera, from La Trapa, Mallorca, Balearic Islands (Spain)

GREEK ISLANDS

Zakynthos (Zante), Corfu

SPANISH MAINLAND

Costa Blanca Mountains, Costa del Sol (Axarquia), Alpujarras, Sierra de Aracena

The ancient bell-tower, Aracena Castle

– and also:

Malta & Gozo

Madeira

Azores

Levada Nova, Madeira

To see more details about the free digital maps and how to get them, LOOK HERE

Canary Islands – Here We Come!

At last the Canary Islands are back on the British Government’s unrestricted travel list. The Canaries offer so much variety, each island unique and unforgettable, and with a warm, welcoming climate, the perfect choice as northern hemispheres feel the first shivers of winter.

Gran Canaria (photo by Joel Rohland on Unsplash)

Gran Canaria – the miniature continent, a roughly circular island of ravines and 60 kilometres of beaches, winding forest roads and criss-crossed with walking routes. Plenty to discover, day and night.

Wooden balconies, Gran Canaria (photo by Joel Rohland on Unsplash)

For more information click here.

Want the Gran Canaria Tour & Trail Super-Durable Map? Look here.

La Gomera, just west of Tenerife and easily reached via a short ferry crossing – plunging barrancos and soaring forest-topped mountains sprinkled with hamlets and farmsteads clinging to the slopes. Walk, bike, swim, explore – enjoy.

On La Gomera – Tenerife’s Teide visible

El Hierro, small, fascinating, the most remote and westerly Canary Island promises rugged terrain, narrow winding roads and great walking. A world-class marine reserve, free island-wide wifi and electric car charge ports contrast with the traditional feel of the island. Yet, there are very few tourists – for now.

El Hierro

There’s more information on La Gomera and El Hierro here.

La Gomera and El Hierro Tour & Trail Super-Durable Maps can be bought onlime including HERE.

Lanzarote – the Fire Island; volcanic, mysterious and mesmerising terrain, lava seas and alpine meadows. Other-worldly. Once visited, never forgotten.

Montaňa Corona, Lanzarote
Lanzarote coastal adventure

Find out more about Lanzarote here.

Buys the map from online selllers including HERE.

Fuerteventura, known for beautiful beaches and great water sports, also offers a surprising variety of fascinating walking adventures. Wild coastlines contrast with traditional towns and views across pristine seas.

Established in 1405, Fuerteventura’s original capital of Betancuria is a step back in time.
Aloe Vera thriving in Fuerteventura’s desert conditions.

See more information about Fuerteventura here.

Maps can be foundfrom online sellers including here.

La Palma – La Isla Bonita; dramatic landscapes; a breathtaking mountain spine splits this volcanic island. Black beaches, Lush vegetation and 1080 kilometres of waymarked walking paths.

La Palma – walking on volcanoes

There’s more information about walking on La Palma here.

Buy La Palma maps online including here.

Tenerife – a Walker’s Island There’s so much to Tenerife. 2034 square kilometres offer coastal adventures, mountain hikes, pine and laurel forest trails, strolls and strenuous challenges including Spain’s highest peak (Mount Teide).The choice is almost endless.

Tajinastes – wonderful endemic flora in Tenerife.
Tenerife – unspoilt rugged coastline in the island’s north-east (Walk 41)

See all the information here.

You can buy the walking guide, walking maps and bus map online.

Travel Gets The Green Light

The British Government has published the list of countries you can travel from, into England, with no quarantine needed. At last, the brakes are off and all of us who want to get away have a tempting array of countries to choose from.

Plenty of fresh air and views, Las Canadas, Tenerife, Canary Islands (Spain)

Of course, keeping safe is important, so what better than getting out and about on airy mountain walks or breezy coastal trails, well away from the crowds.

Palaiokastritsa Bay, Corfu (Greece)

Greece and its lovely islands is on the ‘good to go’ list, along with all of Spain including the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.

Dragonera, from La Trapa, Mallorca, Balearic Islands (Spain)

How about the quiet beauty of Brittany (France), or fascinating Malta and Gozo?

Pointe de Landunvez, Brittany (France)
Malta

There’s plenty of information to help you choose your getaway destination here.

Have a look at our free digital maps, fully detailed and just what you need for adventuring away from the crowds. Take a look at our printed maps and walking guidebooks too.

We can offer maps (many also available as free digital downloads) and guidebooks for most of the following destinations which are all on the UK Governments ‘free to travel‘ list:

Our maps and/or guides:

FRANCE
Brittany

SPAIN
Canary Islands: Gran Canaria
La Palma
Tenerife
Lanzarote
La Gomera & El Hierro
Fuerteventura

Mainland Spain: Costa Blanca Mountains
Sierra de Aracena
Costa del Sol
Alpujarras

Balearic Islands: Mallorca
Ibiza
Formentera
Menorca

GREECE

Zakynthos (Zante)
Corfu

Malta & Gozo

Lanzarote’s north, Canary Islands (Spain)
Costa Blanca Mountains – Puig Campana (Spain)

A Little Good News – Free Digital Maps For Everyone

We may not be able to go adventuring for a while yet. However, we can plan ahead for when we can travel again. Have a look at our digital maps, clear and fully detailed for adventure planning of all kinds, including walking, climbing, biking or maybe daydreaming about your next big trip.

Mirador Del Time, La Palma, Canary Islands
Here’s the map section of the area shown in the photo (above).

There’s a whole hatful of exciting free maps to be had. Take a look at this list of adventure destinations.

Balearic Islands

Mallorca

Menorca

Ibiza

Formentera

Menorca’s rugged north-east coast

Madeira

Madeira – approaching Ribeira Funda

Azores

Greek Islands

Corfu

Zante (aka Zakynthos)

Malta, Gozo & Comino

Spanish Mainland

Axarquia / Costa del Sol

Costa Blanca

Alpujarras

Sierra de Aracena

Axarquia

Canary Islands

Gran Canaria

La Palma

Tenerife

La Gomera & El Hierro

Lanzarote

Fuerteventura

La Gomera, Canary Islands

We hope that we’ve inspired you to think about your next big adventure. To get your free digital maps, please look here https://www.dwgwalking.co.uk

Gran Canaria – it’s a whole new world

They don’t call it the ‘mini-continent’ for nothing!

 

Though it’s under a 5 hour flight away (from the UK and western Europe), it feels like a different world.

There’s plenty to see and do, though the best thing of all is to walk the trails and marvel at the views, the forests, flora and fauna and the ancient villages.

Gran Canaria Tour & Trail Super-Durable Map is now in its 5th edition. This is the level of detail you need when exploring the island.

Here at Discovery Walking Guides, we’ve watched the rise and rise of this fascinating island as a hiking/biking/touring destination over the past few years. Gran Canaria has emerged from the shadows to become a ‘must walk’ destination in the Canary Islands.

There’s wonderful dramatic scenery and unspoilt villages, plus clean, spacious beaches for the days you don’t want to walk (or bike or drive).

 

To get the best from your visit, get the best map. Here’s a small segment – look at that clarity and detail. To find out more about the map look here.

There’s plenty of walking information from Rambling Roger, who lives there and knows the island like the back of his hand.

 

If you fancy 18-23C and mostly sunny days from December to April, hop over to Gran Canaria.

Tour and Trail Maps Go To Sea

We know that most people use our Tour & Trail maps for hiking and biking, for driving and occasionally while horse riding. Their strength, toughness, foldability and waterproof qualities make our maps ideal for all these pursuits.

Look at those magical blues! Paddle Boarding off Northern Menorca

But here’s a first! We received an interesting email from Oliver, a kayak, open canoe and paddle board guide. He uses our maps to navigate around coastlines and sent us a couple of photos showing how he does it.

Paddle Boarding off Menorca’s North Coast

“Just wanted to say how impressed I am with the quality of your maps, I use them to navigate our way around coastlines, most recently around some of the awesome north coast of Menorca on Stand Up Paddle Boards, (I guide in both sea kayak and Open canoe too).

Your maps definitely make life easy while afloat …

Oliver”

(Received 24 August 2018)

And here’s how to use your Tour & Trail map while paddle boarding.

Thanks Oliver!

You can see that map and many others from Discovery Walking Guides here.

Any more unusual uses for our maps out there? Let us know.

Who got a Garmin for Christmas?

If you are one of the many who found a Garmin GPS in their Christmas stocking, this post is for you.

Get your hands on a free sample ‘real-time’ map and see your Garmin come to life. You can choose a sample map of Graciosa ( off Lanzarote, Canary Islands) or Sierra de Aracena (Andalucia, Spain).

What you’ll get is a highly detailed real-time Tour & Trail digital download map, which you can save on your hard drive, transfer to your Garmin GPS CustomMap memory or onto a micro-SD card; you can also use the maps in Garmin Basecamp and Google Earth.

If you like what you’re seeing then you can purchase more mapping to download, for a whole host of destinations including:-

CANARY ISLANDS

Sample segment, Gran Canaria.

Sample segment, Gran Canaria.

Gran Canaria
Tenerife
La Palma
La Gomera
Lanzarote
Fuerteventura

MAINLAND SPAIN
Alpujarras (Sierra Nevada, Andalucia, southern Spain)
Costa Blanca Mountains (Alicante, southern Spain)
Axarquia (Andalucia, southern Spain)
Sierra de Aracena (Helva province, southern Spain)

BALEARIC ISLANDS
Mallorca
Menorca
Formentera
Ibiza

PORTUGUESE ISLANDS
Madeira

For more information about Tour & Trail Maps take a look HERE.

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands – New 3rd Edition Tour & Trail Map

It may not be as well-known as some of the other Canary Islands – that means there’s plenty of room for you to explore this bold, beautiful and dramatic island.gran-canaria-tt-map-2016-cover

You want mountains and ravines? You want remote, unspoiled sleepy villages? You want abundant verdant woodlands, paths and tracks? You want endemic plant life found nowhere else? You’ve got them all on the island of Gran Canaria.

Map section, Gran Canaria

Map section, Gran Canaria

This third edition includes new walking routes, even clearer ways to show routes and other map features and all the detailed cartographic information that afficionadoes of the Tour & Trail series have come to expect and rely upon. Take a look at this small extract (left).

Look here for full details.

 

Detailed updating and addition of new walking routes and additional data have been researched by our ‘on the ground’ walking expert, ‘Rambling Roger‘ and his fellow walking researchers who know the island like the backs of their hands.

 

If you’re looking for an adventure away from the European winter, with almost guaranteed good weather and great walking (definitely guaranteed) then take a look at Gran Canaria.

(Custom Map digital edition for Garmin Users is available from Discovery Walking Guides’ website. Digital editions are available for 3G/4G GPS apps from Viewranger and My Trails.

 

 

 

 

Gran Canaria – wonderful walking

Gran Canaria Towards Gui Gui (copyright Chris Kurton)Thanks to Chris Kurton who has just had a wonderful walking holiday on the dramatic Canary Island of Gran Canaria.

Here’s one of Chris’ photos taken while walking; a view from a col towards Gui Gui.

 

See the GPS record of one of Chris’ routes, a circuit of Mount Tauro, http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/695801198/share/0?lang=en

See lots more images taken by Chris while walking the island in Walking The World group on Facebook; click https://www.facebook.com/groups/discovery.walking/

And for information on maps and walking on Gran Canaria see http://www.dwgwalking.co.uk/gcan.htm

 

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