If you’re looking for a challenge on your next holiday, Headwater has a range of trips that will most definitely fit the bill. However, we always want to ensure your efforts are well-rewarded, whether it’s with a spectacular, panoramic mountain view or gentle rolling valleys, followed quickly by a restorative dip in a thermal pool or simply a yearned-for refreshing beverage at a friendly local restaurant. Read on to discover five of our trips where you can find the most awe-inspiring mountain and valley vistas.
The peaks of Snowdonia National Park are rugged but offer a captivating charm. The two big ascents we tackle while Walking the Welsh Highland Railway are challenging hikes, but any achy muscles are soon forgotten with the striking views of the Welsh countryside. From Nantlle Ridge, witness the landscape stretching magnificently across the waters to the coastline of Anglesey. The next day, summiting Snowdon, via the Rhyd Ddu path, delivers a breathtaking 360-degree vista. Boarding the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway provides an added bonus for the week, allowing more of this beautiful landscape to be experienced.
Exploring the dramatic landscape Walking the trails of La Palma. Tackling some tricky terrain, this exhilarating route including steep inclines, rocky ascents, twisting volcanic paths and lofty elevations. However, it will be well worth the effort as you’re met with incredible mountain and volcanic crater views that few get to appreciate. As you navigate these magnificent, unspoiled gorges, you’ll stand on the crater rim of Caldera de Taburiente to see all across the island and as far as Mount Teide on Tenerife. And, perhaps most spectacularly, navigate the ‘Ruta de Los Volcanes’; a series of volcanoes, active only a few years ago.
Following in the footsteps of pilgrims while Walking on the Francigena Way requires covering a fair amount of distance each day. However, the fascinating historical and architectural treasures make the miles melt away. Starting in Orvieto, whose elegant cathedral is said to be among the most beautiful in Italy, the walk leads you out into the idyllic rural countryside towards La Tuscia in the northern part of Lazio. Soothe tired feet at the end of the day with a blissful swim in the volcanic lake, nearby Bolsena. Passing by ancient olive groves, picturesque villages, intriguing medieval churches and abbeys, the route concludes in Rome, ‘the Eternal City’, with a chance to soak up famous historical sites, such as the Pantheon, Colosseum and Trevi Fountain.
On our Cycling the Camino de Santiago trip we follow a section of the renowned, UNESCO-recognised, Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, towards some remarkable treasures. We start in Leon, the ‘seat of the Spanish Kings’, where their beautiful, soaring cathedral is well worth a visit. Traversing the mountainous wooded region in Maragateria en route to Santiago, be prepared for steady climbs, balanced out with exhilarating descents and stunning far-reaching views. The 225km ride provides regular rewards with pretty, remote villages, ancient monasteries and peaceful rivers and woodland, before a spectacular finale at Santiago de Compostela’s majestic Baroque cathedral.
As you cycle the miles across the rolling terrain and valleys of the Upper Bavarian alpine region, on our Lakes and mountains of Bavaria Cycling, you’ll pass crystal-clear lakes that shimmer invitingly, making a swim in their cooling waters at the end of the day most satisfying. The route through this beautiful landscape delivers consistently captivating views, punctuated with historic Baroque churches and traditional Bavarian villages, before reaching the spellbinding majesty of King Ludwig II’s castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau.
To see our full collection of trips that showcase the most magnificent mountains and valleys, click here.
