The world’s first hammock hiking trail in southern Switzerland takes hikers into quiet corners of the Alps – with their beds in their backpack for lazy pit stops and overnight stays It was a summer’s morning in the Lepontine Alps in Ticino, Switzerland’s Italian-speaking canton, and there was the vague threat of a storm on the…
Wild landscapes, distinctive architecture and child-friendly facilities also help raise the happiness levels of our writer on a stay in the Icelandic capital It is said that when Norse explorer Ingólfur Arnarson and his wife Hallveig Fróðadóttir threw some wooden posts from their ship in AD878 they floated to a bay covered with steaming springs,…
Fancy seatrekking, swimrunning or bodypainting? These and more familiar outdoor pursuits are on offer at destinations from northern Norway to the Greek islands The Scotland-based company Slow Adventure advocates a more mindful approach to activity holidays. Options include climbing and yoga in the Italian Alps, mountain biking in Sweden and horse riding and rambling in…
Swimming at every stop left us fresh and invigorated – and led us to parts of cities that tourists seldom visit Stepping into the lobby of the Gellért Baths in Budapest is like stepping back in time. Having resisted the temptation to look at photos of the baths online, I was thrilled at my first sight…
River trekking, paragliding, cycling and via ferrata feature among our tipsters’ adventurous jaunts across Europe Spring in northern Lake Garda is an adventure paradise. I’ve been several times and enjoyed the via ferratas: iron cables fixed to scrambling routes, which require fitness and sense of adventure but not technical mountaineering skills (safety equipment required). The…
From fluffy focaccia to creamy pànera, local Michelin-starred chef Ivano Ricchebono introduces our writer to a taste of the Italian port city Genoa-born chef Ivano Ricchebono looks like a Hollywood actor playing a chef in a movie. His restaurant The Cook is in a 14th-century palazzo in the old town, and as I step into…
Turquoise seas, tranquil canals and glacial lakes … France offers some of the world’s most scenic paddling routes When I first visited Corsica, I hiked down the spine of the Corsican mountains, barely seeing the sea except for glimpses from a bird’s eye perspective. This time, as I hugged the coastline, dipping in and out…
Tell us about your favourite walk in spring – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break With spring almost here, now’s the time for lacing up your walking boots and getting back outside. Whether it’s woodland strolls, day-long coastal walks or more challenging hikes, we’d love to hear about your favourite lesser known…
In the northern Spanish town of Ourense, locals and visitors luxuriate in hot spring waters at a series of free public baths – or enjoy a private spa for a fiver A bronzed, willowy veteran in black Speedos glides into the shallow, round-ish thermal pool snuggled into a grassy riverbank. It’s one of a huddle…
Its glorious beaches, great food and fine walking make it a magnet for Portuguese families in summer, but this Alentejo resort is largely unknown to British visitors Coastal and river beaches coalesce beside the Alentejo’s Vila Nova de Milfontes, a lyrical name meaning “new town of a thousand springs”. This resort at the mouth of…