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Top Ten Riverside Walks

There is something very peaceful about walking alongside a river. The sound of running water is wonderfully soothing, there are endless opportunities – particularly appealing on a hot summer’s day – to sit on the bank and dip your feet in the water, and you may be lucky enough to see a variety of wildlife, from dragonflies to herons.

Lacave to Calès on the Paths to Rocamadour walk. This is a walk that explores one of the tributaries of a great French river: the Ouysse, which flows into the Dordogne. Its small, wooded valley is idyllic, with plenty of pleasant spots by the river that are perfect for a picnic. Half-way along is a 14th-century fortified mill that you can visit for a fascinating demonstration of milling.

Circuit around San Pietro on the Umbria – Italy’s Green Heart walk. With two nights at the magnificent abbey of San Pietro, you have a chance to explore the Valnerina, the ‘valley of the black river’, on an evocative walk along the tree-lined banks of the trout-filled Nera. The river earned its name because of the darkness of its narrow valley framed by craggy slopes. Dotted with just a few hamlets, the valley is peaceful and unspoiled, totally in harmony with the abbey.

Circuit around Arnes on the Mountains of Southern Catalonia walk. This, the first of three gorge walks to feature in our list, is not only remarkable in its scenery, but also in its wildlife. You follow the River Arnes downstream, passing through a dramatic gorge framed by tall walls of rock in which shelter griffon vultures and other raptors. Given the narrowness of the gorge, you should get quite good views of any birds you see.

Camacha to Monte on the Madeira's Waterways & Flowers walk. Madeira's levadas (water channels) are man-made, of course, so strictly speaking should not feature on our list, but levada-walking is such a unique experience that we felt this walk deserved a mention. The walk to Monte starts by leading alongside the Levada da Serra, the island's prettiest levada, before joining the Levada dos Tornos, which still serves its initial purpose of carrying water from one side of Madeira to the other. Because the channels act as your guide, you can put away your map and appreciate the views as they lead you through pine woods and eucalyptus plantations.

Circuit around Collias on the To the Pont du Gard walk. The route starts by leading along a rosemary and thyme-clad ridge, with views of the mountains of the Cévennes on the horizon. You then zigzag down into the attractive Gardon Gorge whose limestone cliffs (in which there are numerous caves) shelter Bonelli’s eagles, Egyptian vultures and a couple of rare species of bat. The riverbanks themselves are home to kingfishers and various amphibians. Even if you’re not lucky enough to see any of these, you can usually spot dragonflies flitting above the water.

Circuit around Bérchules on the Valleys of Las Alpujarras walk. One of the greatest features of this highly praised holiday is the fact that the walking is so varied. This particular route is different again to those of previous days, leading you alongside the Río Grande to an idyllic picnic spot, the Junta de los Ríos ('Meeting of the Rivers'), at the confluence of the Río Grande ('Big River') and the Río Chico ('Little River'). If the names of the rivers are like something from a story book, then so too is the scenery, which is extremely pretty.

Circuit around Vesuvio on the Valley of Gold walk. To whet your appetite for lies ahead, the holiday begins with a dramatic train journey alongside the meandering River Douro, before your first walk along its willow-lined riverbank the following day. The scenery here in Portugal's port-wine producing region is wonderfully colourful, with silver-leafed olive trees, stone villages with red-tile roofs, and green cork-oak woods. So still are the waters that this multi-coloured patchwork is beautifully mirrored on the surface.

Kobarid to Bovec on the Hidden Italy & Slovenia walk. The River Soca flows swiftly through canyons, green meadows and sturdy, authentic villages as it makes its way across eastern Slovenia. It is famed for its aquamarine colour and unique species of trout, and makes a pleasant companion for this long but rewarding full-day walk to Bovec.

Laguépie to Najac on the From the Tarn to the Aveyron walk. This is an excellent walk with which to end the holiday. The route follows the River Aveyron, one of France’s great rivers, for most of the day, initially leading through wild gorges, which at times are quite narrow. The valley then broadens and you have a long section along the riverbank on a path shaded by oak and chestnut trees and dotted with water mills.

Circuit around Kinsarvik on the Serene Hardangerfjord walk. Lined by pines which cling to the rock, their roots barely finding any soil to protect them, the river itself is very attractive, but what makes it extra special are the cascades – if you complete the entire walk, you pass not one but three huge, thundering waterfalls.

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