Rhodes – beaches, history and walking
At the time of writing, travel restrictions to Greece have disappeared, making it easy to visit. If you are into islands, sunshine, great beaches, ancient history, beautiful countryside and flora, and white villages clinging to hillsides, you’ll be in seventh heaven.
The best way to experience this island (79.7 km x 38 km) is to walk. There are so many lovely trails, some ideal for a short relaxed stroll, others ideal for a half day or full day out.
Spring is the best time to visit Rhodes, especially if you plan to walk. The island is green and the temperatures perfect.
Your adventures on Rhodes will be most rewarding with the aid of a really good map for planning your walks. Discovery Walking Guides’ Rhodes Tour & Trail Super-Durable Map is clear, up to date and highly detailed.
Perhaps you’ve never considered the island of Rhodes for a walking holiday destination, so you might be surprised to know that there are almost one hundred (actually, 98) walking routes, with descriptions and a map for each walk, in the Rhodes Compendium of Walking Adventures.
The Rhodes Compendium of Walking Adventures is available as a digital edition which means you can carry it with you on your phone to guide you when you’re out and about on the island.
El Hierro? Where’s That?
El Hierro is small, unique and unforgettable. It’s the most westerly of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, for centuries thought to be the westernmost point of the known world – until Columbus went further west to the Americas. He stopped off here to gather supplies before making his second voyage to the Americas.
El Hierro’s Punta de Orchilla was the original prime meridian of 0º established by Egyptian astronomer, mathematician and scientist Ptolemy (born c. 100 ce—died c. 170 ce). It remained earth’s prime meridian for over 200 years until 1884 when an international conference voted to move it to Greenwich, England.
El Hierro has only around 10,000 inhabitants and modest numbers of visitors. It’s small but offers a wide variety of landscapes from rocky cliffs to green meadows, hamlets and farms to ancient gnarled forests. You can hire a car, walk, bike or hire a taxista or explore by public bus at pocket-money prices. For all the travel information once you’re on the island see http://www.transhierro.com/
If you have already travelled to Tenerife you can either fly to the tiny capital of Valverde in 40 minutes, or ferry in about 2-3 hours. There are also flights from Gran Canaria (approx. 55 minutes).
El Hierro may be a small island, yet it has developed its own character and cuisine. They make excellent cheeses, wines and local specialties.
The island is in the forefront of using renewable energy sources. obtained from inexhaustible natural resources such as wind or waterfalls. A combination of hydro and wind energy at the Gorona del Viento Power Plant supplies a sizeable proportion of the island’s energy needs.
There’s a good website with plenty of useful and inspiring information:
https://elhierro.travel/en/information/
If you’re tempted to visit, we suggest a really detailed and up to date map from Discovery Walking Guides
Ready For Some Tenerife Sunshine?
Cold enough for you yet? Are you already tired of the short, dark winter days? How about Tenerife? About four and a half hours’ flight from the UK and western Europe could see you in the picture; big, impossibly blue skies, clear seas and everything from beaches, shopping, walking and snow-capped mountains (including Mount Teide, Spain’s highest point).
Typical temperatures in winter reach the low 20s centigrade, with an average of 6 hours of wonderful sunshine a day. Hike the trails, climb a mountain, laze around a pool or relax with a cerveza watching the sun slip into the dark blue Atlantic.
Leave the coastal resorts behind and explore the small towns, villages and hamlets. Car hire is good value, or use the local buses for a more relaxing adventure.
It’s well worth taking a good guidebook, detailed walking map and a bus map with you to get the most value and fun out of your adventures. See HERE for more information.
The Isle of Wight Walking Festival
This wonderful festival had to be cancelled in 2020. The 2021 date was postponed – and now, the Isle of Wight Walking Festival is back! Held later than usual (from 09 October to 22 October 2021) it should make for an interesting experience for walkers. If you’ve been before, when the festival has typically been held in May, then you’ll enjoy your favourite walks and views in the glow of autumn colours this year.
Find all the information you need on the official website HERE.
Make sure you get the most out of your visit with a really good walking map. This one from Discovery Walking Guides is ideal; large scale, clear and waterproof tto. All routes are clearly marked and easy to follow. See the details HERE.
Malta, Gozo (and Comino) get the green light!
Great news! Last night (24 June 2021) the UK Government moved Malta to the green list for travellers from England. You’re free to go! Malta and sister island Gozo offer a wealth of experiences. The tiny limestone islet & bird sanctuary of Comino sits between them and is home to Blue Lagoon bay; there’s also a 17th century tower & chapel. The climate is kind and there’s plenty of walking adventures to explore.
The islands are rich in history (there are three UNESCO World Heritage Sites), having been inhabited since around 5900 BC.
Many of the powers that ruled the islands, from the Phoenicians to the British, have left their marks, making the islands a living museum.
With unique flora, architecture and beaches, a visit to the islands (25 minutes ferry connection between Malta and Gozo) offers plenty to interest and fascinate.
Discovery Walking Guides have published their Malta & Gozo Tour & Trail Super-Durable Map, ideal for walkers, bikers, adventurers and visitors. The map is also available for use on some GPS devices; click here for details.
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
BALEARIC ISLANDS
Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera
GREEK ISLANDS
Zakynthos (Zante), Corfu
SPANISH MAINLAND
Costa Blanca Mountains, Costa del Sol (Axarquia), Alpujarras, Sierra de Aracena
– and also:
Malta & Gozo
Madeira
Azores
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
BALEARIC ISLANDS
Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera
GREEK ISLANDS
Zakynthos (Zante), Corfu
SPANISH MAINLAND
Costa Blanca Mountains, Costa del Sol (Axarquia), Alpujarras, Sierra de Aracena
– and also:
Malta & Gozo
Madeira
Azores
To see more details about the free digital maps and how to get them, LOOK HERE
Greece? You’re welcome!
Zakynthos (Zante) is one of the Greek islands that’s back on the green travel list for Travellers in the UK England, Wales, Northern Ireland (not Scotland). As the UK autumn takes hold, how does the idea of warm sunshine and beautiful islands appeal?
Other Greek islands that were already on the British Government’s ‘green’ good to go travel list include Kefalonia and Corfu.
Kefalonia Tour & Trail Super-Durable Map published by Discovery Walking Guides Ltd
Updated lists of countries exempted from quarantine on return to the UK can be found HERE.
If you plan to go overseas, it’s a good idea to also check your destination country’s regulations for arriving visitors.
Corfu Tour & Trail Super-Durable Map published by Discovery Walking Guides Ltd
For information about each of these three beautiful islands and how to get the detailed maps to enhance your adventures, take a look at Zante Kefalonia and Corfu.
Madeira – good to go!
Although many parts of the UK enjoyed some warm sunny September days, the switch seems to have suddenly flipped to full Autumn. Chilly, windy and rain that sets in for hours on end. Overseas travel is still tricky to plan, though Madeira remains one of the Government’s ‘green list’ destinations.
How does the weather in Madeira compare to London’s at this time of year? A quick check of BBC weather services for October 03 2020 has London’s temperature range as 10C – 15C, heavy rain, zero sun. Madeira should enjoy 19C to 25C, little chance of a shower and plenty of sunny intervals. Madeira gets plenty of rain too; look at those beautiful forests, trees and flowers. But the island’s sunshine and temperature figures look tempting as winter beckons.
Madeira is a classic destination for keen walkers, though you don’t need to be an expert. There are plenty of lovely strolls as well as high end challenges for experts, with plenty of variety in between. Or, why not explore by bus, a pocket-money way to experience the island. For plenty more information on discovering Madeira, take a look HERE.
Thanks to author-researcher Shirley Whitehead for these beautiful photos of her home island.
The Amazing Island of La Palma
La Palma is the most north-westerly and the steepest of the Canary Islands; arguably it’s the steepest island in the world.
La Palma – walking on volcanoes
If you’re looking for a walking destination that’s wild, beautiful and unforgettable, La Palma will not disappoint.
![07 [03] Views from Pico Birigoyo (Wp.9) EDITED](https://discoverywalking.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/07-03-views-from-pico-birigoyo-wp.9-edited-2.jpg)
Views from Pico Birigoyo
La Cumbrecita
Discover this remarkable place on foot or by bike. Take a look at more information including Walk! La Palma guidebook and the newly-published 7th edition of La Palma Tour & Trail Super-Durable Map.
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