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More than just a walking holiday

Combine walking with sightseeing, sunbathing or simple relaxation

Because the term ‘walker’ has a broad definition – from those who love to get into the mountains at every opportunity to those who prefer an occasional stroll in the countryside – so too does the term ‘walking holiday’. We use it to refer to anything from a two-week journey through Italy's Dolomites to a week’s leisurely walking in Catalonia, during which you may spend as much time lying on the beach as you do on your feet.

Whether you are simply not sure if a walking holiday is for you, want to persuade a less enthusiastic walker to join you, or are looking for a holiday that will suit two different generations (many of our routes are suitable for walkers aged 8 to 80), we have holidays to fit the bill. With just a few exceptions, all the suggestions here are gentle grade 1 or 1-2 itineraries and do not require you to walk every day, giving you a chance to unwind, to visit local sights or to indulge in another passion, be it wine-tasting, sunbathing or art.

A walk on the beach

Most of our gentlest walking holidays are coastal routes, and because the distances you cover are generally short, you can spend a good proportion of your holiday on the beach, even breaking the walks themselves with an hour or two on a secluded cove that you pass along the way. If you are looking for a high standard of accommodation, we recommend the Along the Catalan Coast Walk (grade 1), which features 3- and 4-star hotels. Much further south, the Coast of Almería Walk (grade 1-2) appeals to those looking for authentic fishing villages and unusual landscapes – the scenery is more reminiscent of North Africa than of Europe. The waters off this part of Andalucia are the warmest in mainland Spain (the climate is so mild that we offer the holiday virtually all year round) and are so clear that they are perfect for scuba diving. Spain is not the only country where we offer coastal walks – the Granite Coast of Brittany Walk is an easy grade 1 itinerary, while the Along the Ligurian Coast Walk (grade 2) involves more ascents and descents, rewarding your efforts with sweeping views that stretch as far as Corsica on a clear day.

A touch of culture

Our walking holidays take in not only beautiful countryside but also charming – and often very interesting – towns, villages and historic monuments. The delights of San Gimignano and Siena (featured on our grade 1-2 Hill-Top Towns of Tuscany Walk), not to mention Rocamadour (which you can visit on our grade 1-2 Paths to Rocamadour Walk) and the majestic châteaux of the Loire (an integral part of our grade 1 Châteaux & Vineyards Walk) are well known, but other of our holidays visit lesser-known but nevertheless very intriguing places of interest.

In France, our second Dordogne walk, Villages of the Dordogne (grade 1-2), features four historic villages, including idyllic Carennac, ‘l’un des plus beaux villages de France’, plus the famous caves of the Gouffre de Padirac; the Heart of Gascony Walk (grade 1-2) gives you the chance to visit the towns of Condom and Lectoure as well as the collegial church of La Romieu, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the From the Tarn to the Aveyron Walk (grade 1-2) incorporates three fortified bastide villages so typical of the south-west; and the Hill-Top Villages of the Luberon Walk (grade 2) visits three quintessentially Provençal villages, including one with a fascinating corkscrew museum.

In Mallorca, the Mountains & Villages of Mallorca Walk is probably the most flexible of our walking holidays – using the local buses, taxis, trams and trains, it is possible to not walk at all if you don’t want to – and takes in Fornalutx, Sóller, Deià and Valldemossa, widely considered to be some of the most beautiful villages on the island. Other holidays on the Iberian Peninsula that take in several pretty villages are the Spain’s Secret Sierra Walk (grade 1-2), which reveals a land of glorious chestnut and cork woods dotted with architectural gems; and Catalan Castles & Coves Walk (grade 1), a gastronomic discovery of the villages that lie just behind the Costa Brava. For a little bit of everything – from bird-watching to visiting an Ancient Greek site – choose the Around the Bay of Roses Walk (grade 1-2). It is the only one of our suggested holidays on which you walk on every day, but the routes are easy, allowing ample time for visits, and you could add a couple of extra nights along the way to visit the astonishing Dalí-Theatre Museum and his former house.

The last of our cultural walking holidays, In the Footsteps of Perugino (grade 2), will appeal to art lovers – the famous Renaissance painter used the scenery of his native land as a backdrop to many of his works, and you can visit several of his paintings at the villages along the route, enabling you to see for yourself how little the landscapes have changed.

Walking and wine-tasting

Should you be looking for a little indulgence while on holiday, our Piedmont’s Hills & Vineyards Walk (grade 1-2) should fit the bill. The walking amid medieval villages is varied, with opportunities to get into the hills above the vineyards, and the region is renowned for its superb gastronomy, meaning you can indulge yourself in other ways besides wine-tasting.

Fresh mountain air

It is a common misconception that walking in the mountains is only for fit, keen walkers, but our Lakes & Mountains (grade 1-2) prove that this is not the case. Just as you can ‘cheat’ on our other walking holidays by taking a taxi to your next hotel if you don’t feel like walking, these take full advantage of the cable cars, promising beautiful mountain scenery with only the minimum (and gentlest) of ascents and descents. For slightly more demanding walking, choose the Lake Lucerne Walk (grade 2), a unique holiday which combines thrilling boat, train and cable-car journeys with scenic walks in the heart of the mountains surrounding this famous lake.

Alternatively, we offer several flexible walking holidays in the mountains which give you a choice of grade 2 or grade 3 walks. Not only does this mean that you can choose between an easy or hard option depending on how energetic you are feeling that day, but it also opens up the possibility, if you are travelling as a party of four or more, of splitting up for the day, one pair taking the grade 2 route, the other taking the grade 3 route, and meeting up at your next hotel in the afternoon. Such walking holidays include: The High Dolomites Walk, The Bernese Oberland Walk, Towards the Matterhorn Walk, Austria's Alpine Heartland and Villages of the Engadine Walk.

Time to put your feet up

Finally, if it is simply a case of wanting to be guaranteed plenty of time to unwind, be it by a pool, in a bar with a panoramic terrace, or in tranquil gardens, we cater for this too. On the To the Pont du Gard Walk (grade 1-2) you will find a pool at all three of the hotels, not to mention first-rate restaurants, too – the last hotel deservedly boasts a Michelin star. The cuisine is also a key ingredient of the Lake Iseo Walk (grade 2). Featuring 4-star hotels, the holiday is all about indulgence and – like the To the Pont du Gard Walk – only ‘requires’ you to walk on two days, leaving the other three free to unwind by the pool or to enjoy a circular route. (As we have already said, you can always cheat and speed to your next base by taxi if you prefer to do no walking whatsoever.) Our last recommendation, The Leutasch Valley Walk (grade 2), also features atmospheric, high-quality hotels. Between them, they offer some of the most wide-ranging facilities in our selection, including pools, saunas and jacuzzis. You can even arrange for massages and beauty treatments at the hotel where you start and finish the walk, meaning thawt you can pamper yourself before you return home.

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