WHAT
TO TAKE
As little as possible goes without saying.
Packs somehow seem to weigh more at the
end of the day than the beginning. Try and
stash non-essentials in a place you can
return to at the end of the trip.
FOOD
AND WATER
Check your route before you leave. If clean
water and essential food supplies are not
available on-route then you need to hike
them in. There are enough packet foods around
now that make quick and easy meals. Fruit
is great but it is heavy as are tins. Take
a trail mix for nibbles along the way. This
can be made up of anything (nuts, chocolates,
sweets, dried fruit etc).
ACCOMMODATION
Bring your own tent for the most budget
of walking trips, otherwise investigate
on options along the way – there may
be small villages, refuges or cheap places
to stay. We recommend the Lonely Planet’s
“Walking In…” series available
through www.amazon.co.uk
We have a list of other accommodation that
you can book online through www.hostelworld.com
TOUR
OPERATORS
Feature tours throughout Europe including
Italy, France, Spain.
Tel: +44 (0)1252 760000 Booking/Tour Enquiries
Tel: +44 (0)1252 760100 Brochure/Dossier
Requests Fax: +44 (0)1252 760001.
email:
info@exploreworldwide.com General Inquiries
email: res@exploreworldwide.com
Booking/Tour Enquiries.
Euro-Bike and Walking Tours - www.eurobike.com
- offers similar tours starting with
Florence and venturing out to nearby small
towns. Go to their website for more details
or contact them at info@eurobike.com.
Their postal address is PO Box 990, DeKalb,
IL 60115 - USA.
INDEPENDENT
WALKING OPERATORS
If you are planning an independent walking
holiday trip through Spain you need to be
prepared. Here are some handy hints and
absolute essentials:
- comfortable, well cusioned footwear suitable
for the terrain you will be walking on and
that you have walked in before over some
distance (don't bring new shoes!)
- extra snack food and water (it can be
a long way between towns in some parts,
particularly if you get marooned with an
injury or lost).
- pack light! You can buy extra food as
you go and you really only need basic walking
gear and a change of clothes for evenings
in town.
- maps (detailed for side roads and routes
that you might take)
- itinerary - give someone a copy of your
itinerary and check in with them every few
days so they know you are okay.
- helpful hints - there are lots of people
that have walked through Spain and a lot
of them have put up details on websites.
Check the useful links below for some stories
and advice.
- learn a little Spanish for directions
and basic information
MAPS
A range of maps are available through stores
like www.amazon.co.uk in the Lonely Planet series for example. Take a good map
with you and make sure you know how to read
it.
Read below for some walking holiday suggestions.
Please email your walking tips, stories
and tales to backpackspain@backpackglobe.com
Popular destinations include the Pyrenees,
the Picos de Europa and the famous pilgrims'
route between Navarra and Santiago de Compostela.
Camino de Santiago
The Camino de Santiago in northern Spain
is a walking route for pilgrims to the town
of Santiago de Compostela where reputedly
the remains of St James the Apostle were
buried. The Camino de Santiago is actually
a collective name for several major routes
from all over Spain and even France and
Germany. Many pilgrims aim to arrive in
time for the Feast of Santiago (St James)
on 25 July. The goal of the Camino is the
cathedral on the Praza do Obradoiro where
celebrations are held. For more information
go to the following website. Read below
for a traveller's tale on the Camino.
Your Tales: Terry and Rosie Gatfield of
Brisbane, Australia embarked on the adventure
of a lifetime when they spent six weeks
as pilgrims on this medieval pilgrim route
in northern Spain. They began the journey
somewhere in southern France on the French
Pyrenees carrying 20kg packs up mountains
and across ridges into northern Spain. They
slept in rifugio's along the way (free or
cheap accommodation provided by Spanish
citizens and volunteers), carried their
water and possessions, endured blisters
and blistering Spanish sun. The rather arduous
journey became a bit of a spiritual quest
as they developed friendships along the
way, learnt more about themselves and their
own reserves and the footprints they left
along the way. Thanks Terry and Rosie for
your inspirational talk to us! (Thursday
night group, Brisbane).
Sierra Nevada
The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range just
outside Granada in the state of Andalucia.
There are numerous trails to follow through
the mountains and for serious hikers they
will want to spend several days. If you
just want to do some day walks or even a
day trip from Granada itself about 3 buses
leave from the main station in Granada and
return later in the day.
If you make your way up to either Bubion,
Capiliera or Camponeira you can walk between
the three white washed little towns on the
mountain side. Go to the highest and make
your way down the road for the easiest walk.
Each town is about 2 kilometres apart and
the scenery is lovely - mountain goats pasturing
on the grass, views of the snow above and
the towns and their many chimneys.
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