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Walking and hiking in Spain are great ways to experience culture, landscape and local traditions. Here are some tips about walking and what to take:
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. Make sure you pack for the seasons you will encounter, take good sturdy boots that you have used before and are comfortable, and have all the other necessary equipment with you. 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, particularly if you are undertaking a pilgrimage walk such as the Camino. 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
Explore www.explore.co.uk Features tours throughout Europe including Italy, France, Spain. Spain Adventures http://www.spainadventures.com Walking and hiking tours in Spain’s beautiful landscapes such as the Spanish Alpujarras, The Pyrenees, Asturias and the legendary Camino de Santiago. 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 cushioned 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. See our language guide for handy hints or consult stores like www.amazon.co.uk for handy phrasebooks. Remember Spanish might not be the local language if you are in Catalunya or Basque areas. 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 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 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. Other popular routes include: - the walking trails of the Sierra de Aracena enjoying beautiful woodlands and unspoilt views in Andalucia - picturesque trails in Volcano Parque Natural in the foothills of the Pyrenees with evergreen oak forests and low mountains - the Pyrenees - village treks across the Alpujarras in the southern Sierra Nevada, Andalucia - challenging walks in the Picos de Europa enjoying views of deep valleys and limestone crags - trails on the Canary Islands
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