In part three of our Anglesey hike, we hike around Red Wharf Bay estuary, W hike through some pretty rolling hills to Penmon Point. We visit Penmon Priory, and we get chased by a bull on the way to Bangor.
Hiking Isle of Anglesey: Benllech to Bangor
Hiking Isle of Anglesey: Cemaes to Benllech
In part two of our hike around Anglesey we visit a tiny church founded by St. Patrick himself. We spot the dorsal fins of porpoises just offshore. We put in a long day to end up at gigantic Benllech beach.
Hiking Isle of Anglesey: Holyhead to Cemaes
In part one of our Anglesey hike we visit Holyhead, a port town on the Irish Sea. We hike along sandy coves and rocky headlands to Church Bay, where we stay in a loft above a seafood restaurant. We then hike to Cemaes, where we get lost in a nuclear power plant.
Hiking a section of the Rota Vicentina, Portugal
Imagine a red-rock desert with vibrant spring wildflowers at the edge of a deep blue sea. We found just this along the Vicentine Coast of southern Portugal, a stretch of coastline spared from development. We stumbled upon this hike rather by accident.
Davit-Gareja, Georgia
When we traveled from Kakheti back to Tbilisi, we arranged for a sidetrip to Davit-Gareja. Davit-Gareja is a monastery on the Georgia-Azerbajan border. The landscape here looks somewhat like parts of Utah or New Mexico, and as such it is quite different than the areas visited before. Around Telavi and Tbilisi are wooded hills and agricultural lands with vineyards, but here there are extensive grasslands and exposures of reddish sandstone.
The Caucasus Mountains: hiking Kazbegi, Georgia
We spent a day hiking to Gergeti Trinity Church and the alpine meadows above it. Most tourists have themselves driven up in Lada 4x4s on a rutted, rocky road. We almost got carsick just looking at the cars bouncing in the track, and decided to hike up instead.
From our guesthouse we walked down into town, crossed the river on the bridge, and then hiked through a meadow to meet up with the dirt track. The road switchbacks up a hillside with ever-expanding views.
Hiking Santorini
Santorini, Greece, is a very well-known and popular travel destination. This is for a good reason: it is very beautiful. The hiking trail that leads from Fira to Oia takes in some of the key sights of the island. It’s a truly spectacular dayhike.
Hiking Madeira
Madeira is a volcanic island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. It is a very rugged island with coastal cliffs all around. Madeira is known for its irrigation channels called levadas. The levadas contour around steep mountainsides, taking water from streams in the rainy interior and delivering it to drier areas. Alongside the levadas are pathways for maintenance, and these pathways are great for hiking.
How to organize a long-distance hike in Britain
Britain is one of the premier destinations in the world for long-distance hiking. Surprisingly, very few North Americans know about this. Many people are aware of the Appalachian trail in the eastern U.S. and the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain, but ask someone about Offa’s Dyke or the Pennine Way and you’re bound to get puzzled looks. In short, these trails are a well-kept secret.
Hiking UK southwest coastal path: Ilfracombe to Croyde
In part three of our North Devon coastal hike, we hike past a lighthouse to a rocky point that juts far out into the sea. We enjoy a day with spectacular weather, and hike around Baggy Point to the golden sands of Woolacombe Beach. We finish our hike at the pub in Croyde, a surfing town.