Majestic Barranco de Masca (Tenerife) Reopens!
27 March is the long awaited date for the re-opening of this majestic and challenging barranco (ravine) walk on Tenerife’s north-west coast.
However, the option of doing only the downhill walk from Masca village to the beach and hopping on a boat to get back to civilisation is not (for now) available as the jetty isn’t yet refurbished. This means you need to be fit enough to walk it both ways and this is challenging for many.
To walk the ravine, Masca can be accessed in public transport from Buenavista del Norte or from Santiago del Teide.
In order to access the ravine, pre-booking is advised at http://www.barrancodemasca.com.
You can also book at the Masca Visitors Center, although availability is not guaranteed for walking the ravine on the same day.
At the moment, entry is free, although in the future (presumably when all work is completed on the jetty), a fee of 8 euros (residents) and 16 euros (visitors) will be charged (Check the official website for the latest entry information.)
The ravine is not recommended for under 8 year olds.
Safety helmets must be worn.
Access will be in groups of 25 walkers, every half hour.
Opening hours of the ravine will be 8:00 to 18:00 in summer, and from 8:00 to 17:00 in winter (though for now, it will only be open weekends and holidays).
Three checkpoints have been established at the beginning, halfway point and on the beach.
Active tourism companies will be allocated 50 % of tickets. For more information and to book your place, go to the official website HERE.
Take a Walk around Fuerteventura
Is Fuerteventura a good choice for a walking holiday? While it may lack the mountains or forests of some more conventional walkers’ favourites, it offers a unique experience for those discovering the island on foot.
Located in the Atlantic Ocean in the eastern Canary Islands, Fuerteventura may be Spanish, yet it owes its geology and geography to Africa’s west coast, the closest significant land mass.
If you want perfect beaches and water sports, it’s an ideal choice. But there’s far more to the island, best discovered on foot.
The key to a walking adventure is setting out with the right kit, and that includes a detailed, up to date map such as Discovery Walking Guides’ Fuerteventura Tour & Trail Super-Durable Map.
Take a virtual walk and get inspired by watching this video:
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.
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.
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.
How about the quiet beauty of Brittany (France), or fascinating Malta and Gozo?
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:
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, the Alpujarras and Cape Verde
Until these strange days are over, we can think about places we would like to visit once we have the freedom to travel. Here at Discovery Walking Guides, we’re working on new maps and walking guidebooks that will be ready to go when travel becomes possible again.
One destination that has its own unique attraction is Lanzarote (Canary Islands). There’s plenty of walking to keep you busy for a couple of weeks’ visit.
For somewhere more mountainous, with white Moorish villages, how about the Alpujarras (Spain)? It’s a rugged area with a timeless quality, with marvellous landscapes and history.
We’ve just released our latest Enewsletter which includes information about Lanzarote, the Alpujarras and Cape Verde. The Enews also includes links to free digital maps, which are highly detailed especially for walkers, hikers and mountain bikers. Once you’ve chosen your destinations you can see the area and the walking routes in Google Maps, for a ‘virtual tour’.
There’s a bit of fun too, with a walking destinations crossword puzzle.
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.
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
Madeira
Azores
Greek Islands
Corfu
Zante (aka Zakynthos)
Malta, Gozo & Comino
Spanish Mainland
Axarquia / Costa del Sol
Costa Blanca
Alpujarras
Sierra de Aracena
Canary Islands
Gran Canaria
La Palma
Tenerife
La Gomera & El Hierro
Lanzarote
Fuerteventura
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
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.
2019 – a good year to go back to the Canaries?
2019 looks like being a good year for bargain holidays. Apparently, the unusually long, sunny summer of 2018 in the UK and large parts of Europe made staycationing a logical choice. As a result, travel companies, airlines and hotels offering holidays in many popular European resorts had a lean time of it last year. As a result, there are some attractive prices around for 2019.
If you’re looking at a Canary Islands break, there’s additional good news. The islands’ president wants a special deal for British tourists and hopes to get rid of IGIC (VAT) to make the islands even more attractive.
Each of the islands offers different experiences. Flight time from the UK is approximately 4 hours. And the blue skies and sunshine? Ah, that’s what keeps most visitors coming back again and again.
Tenerife, walking above the west coast
The best known of the Canaries is, perhaps Tenerife, offering something for everyone. The highest peak in Spanish territory, great beaches, wonderful walks and bike rides, seafood, local fruit, vegetables, cheese and wine .. if you’ve not been, you’re missing out.
Want more reasons to take a trip to Tenerife ? Have a look at ‘Tenerife – antidote to the winter blues‘ and ‘Tenerife South Walks – Back To The Future‘.
Axarquia? Think Costa del Sol
There’s so much more to Spain’s Costa del Sol than sun, sea and sangria. Turn inland and you’re looking at the Axarquia, an unspoiled wildly beautiful and rugged area, waiting for you to explore it. Mountains, wooded hills and plunging gorges, dotted with small towns, tiny settlements and farmsteads give a sense of the true heart of this unique region.
Almond, olive, lemon and orange groves thrive in valleys fed by springs and from streams descending from the mountains, fertile land carved into terraces to maximise the best agricultural areas.
The best way to explore is on foot or by mountain bike. Let’s get started with this free sample circular walk, quite short and not too energetic.
Find out lots more from Discovery Walking Guides HERE.
You’ll also find information about using your device for accessing walks in the Axarquia as well as how to get your hands on the area’s most detailed guidebook and map. There’s also another free walk (pdf format) for you to download.
Lanzarote – what an experience!
Walking in the Haria region of Lanzarote
Each of the Canary Islands has its own unique personality. Lanzarote is strangely surreal. There’s plenty of wide open unspoiled places ideal for exploring by car, bike or on foot.
Lanzarote coastal adventure
Before you visit, get a really good map – and perhaps a walking guidebook.
The best map by a long way is Lanzarote Tour & Trail Super-Durable Map.
But don’t take our word for it – there are dozens of user reviews on line. Here’s a few of them:
Lanzarote Toast Rack Thingy
Kung Fu Panda
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended if planning a driving holiday on Lanzarote
Compared to many “travel” maps this map is very good with an impressive level of detail, including different road types, paths and tracks, contouring, etc. The map itself is printed on a very durable (and ultimately recyclable) plastic sheet material. I would highly recommend this to anyone planning to drive around Lanzarote and perhaps to combine that with some walking. I have just driven around 500 miles during a 10-day holiday and found this invaluable.
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great product.
I’m a regular user of OS maps & wanted a map of Lanzarote for our forthcoming holiday. This map, with the accompanying book, looks just the job. I particularly like the way the map & book cross-reference each other & the useful information about the walks.
Dylan
5.0 out of 5 stars great product
Fantastic map at a very reasonable price. Large scale shows walking trails etc. Great for research prior to our planned trip.
Freddie
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Excellent map, a must for driving around as road signs are atrocious on Lanzarote for independent motorist! Very good for walks too. Also, yes bended, folded, chucked on back seat & footwell several times, and not a single tear of hole on the folds. Would recommend & will buy for other Canaries when we visit them.
Lanzarote for sunshine, blue seas, amazing huge skies and volcanic sci-fi landscapes. See it for yourself. You’ll never forget it.
Los Cocoteros, Costa Teguise
Tenerife – antidote to the winter blues
Some folk don’t mind the short, dark days of northern European winters. If you’re like me and you really DO mind them, how about hopping over to Tenerife? With temperatures to 23C and 6 hours of sunshine daily, it’s just the place to recharge your batteries. If you’re able to travel just before or just after the Christmas and New Year rush, you can get good value all-inclusive or full board deals that won’t cost much more than paying your home heating costs and food bills at home.
Ifyou tire of the sun and sea of the coastal resorts, you can visit the mountainous interior of Tenerife where there’s often snow in the winter months on the highest peaks, then go back down to the coast by sunset to warm up again.
Tenerife is a great destination for relaxing – and for hiking and biking too.
For more information and reasons to be on Tenerife this winter, take a look HERE.
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