A gorgeous corner of France to explore at walking pace. Many of the paths were timeless and the views spectacular. All luggage and personal transfers worked smoothly.
The walk was very satisfying. It was tougher than we expected however. Especially the Le Monastier to Le Bouchet. The app worked well for the most part. I would say all accommodation was good with the exception of one where the hotel room was very small and the staff not that helpful.
Would highly recommend this trip. It provides great variety in scenery, beginning in the very hilly area around the base of Mt Olympus; down into lovely valleys and then stunning coastal scenery. We found the written directions to be excellent while the red and white track markers gave us lots of help as well. We were very impressed with Mehmet who kept in contact with us at the end of each day.
This was an amazing trip. Varied and interesting hiking, experienced authentic southern Spain, amazing history. Hosts in all the places we stayed were excellent, accommodations were stellar! And a special mention of the hosts at Posada San Marcos (Alajar) who coordinated the transportation, were helpful and knowledgeable about the area and provided a wonderful 3 night stay at the end of the trip.
Thank you very much for creating such a fantastic and unforgettable experience for us in Turkey. Veysel's companionship and guidance truly made a difference. He's not just a great guide, but a wonderful person who made us feel like family. Thank you again. If we ever return to Turkey, it will be through you guys.👍👍
A charming walk off the beaten track in the Massif Central in France. Facing the Alps across the broad valley of the Rhone lies a walker’s paradise of hills where the Ardeche, Loire and Haute Loire regions meet. This is a watershed for some of France’s great rivers, a land of steeply terraced slopes, half-hidden valleys and tumbling streams, largely absent from the guidebooks. Massive ruined farmhouses seem to have grown from the landscape and the bleat of goats and call of a wild bird are often the only sounds you will hear.
From the first walk at Le Crestet take an ancient drove road, partly through orchards, to the market town of Lamastre, set amongst hills covered with ancient chestnut trees of enormous girth. Turn north now and climb to the old spa-town of Lalouvesc, perched at 1100m above the Rhone valley, with views East as far as the snow-covered Alps on a clear day. Skirting the Haut-Vivarais, looking down on tiny red-roofed hamlets clinging to steep grassy slopes, continue to the hill-village of St. Bonnet le Froid; then south through fields yellow with wild daffodils in late spring and orchids in early summer, skirting the Lac de Devesset (good for a possible dip on a warm day) to St Agreve. Set against the backdrop of Mt. Mezenc & Mt. Gerbier de Jonc, the source of the mighty Loire River, this small market town is a centre for cross-country skiing in winter. Its narrow main street is crammed with old-fashioned shops, selling Le Puy lentils and Rhone wine from the barrel. This 8-day circular walk then goes south past the mighty, ruined Chateau de Rochebonne overlooking the River Eyrieux. Continue to the narrow valley town of St. Martin de Valamas and then back to St. Agreve. On the way back to Lamastre, the circuit goes west along an ancient mule-road, the “Voie des Marchands”, with breathtaking views of the meticulously terraced slopes of the Haut Vivarais to the north.
A fantastic nine day trip through a beautiful section of the Dordogne, riding between hotels and visiting historic chateaus and towns along the way. The accommodation was excellent, the food was wonderful and the self-guided trip allows you to proceed at your own pace.
Croatia's Istrian Peninsula is one of Europe's best kept secrets. Buckets of historical charm, endless rolling hills, pretty medieval villages and delectable cuisine. Combined with dramatic coastal scenes, pristine wilderness preserved in national parks with impressive waterfalls, endemic flora and a maze of walking trails, this is an ideal destination for active travellers. On this week long walking holiday, discover the Venetian styled village of Motovun with its striking hilltop setting, surrounded by vineyards and truffle forests. Explore Brijuni (or Brioni in Italian) National Park where ancient pine forests meet with the azure coastal waters and the Ucka Nature Park where an ascent to Mount Vojak (1401m) will reveal sweeping views of the Istrian Peninsula from the snowy peaks of the Dolomites to the Adriatic. During the trip there are plenty of opportunities to swim, relax in small cafes and experience the local culinary specialties, while at night stay in handpicked hotels and pensions specially chosen for their great atmosphere.
Cross the rolling hills of the Tarn et Garonne region between the historic towns of Cahors and Lectoure. Traverse the centuries of time and the borders of Europe on the medieval pilgrim trail. In the 9th century, the tomb of the apostle St James was unearthed in Compostela. The site became the focus of a pilgrim trail beginning in France, and crossing northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela. This journey, along the Via Podensis, the French Way of St James, takes pilgrims from Le Puy en Velay to the Pyrenees at St Jean Pied de Port. The route passes a multitude of churches and monasteries, resembling a travelling museum of Romanesque art. Six stages of this historic trail are included in our self-guided walking program in France.
This part of the journey takes you across limestone plateaus cut by small valleys, then on to the plain of the Garonne. The trail is lined with ancient stone walls. After Moissac the landscape changes to rolling hills and lush valleys where fields of corn and sunflower are intermingled with plum orchards.
We had a spectacular trip. We did a self-guided trip in Piemonte and Tuscany/Umbria. The hotels were much nicer than we expected. Very comfortable and the owners/proprietors were so helpful. The transfer of luggage each day was seamless!
The routes were generally well marked and the app was very good. We didn't need anything more than the app. Only got lost twice which I'd say is pretty good. The routes were a bit more challenging than we expected. We choose two hikes which were marked as 'Introductory - Moderate' which were tougher than we expected. So just pay attention to this. At home, we would consider ourselves quite capable of moderate+ trails, but the classification in Italy is a bit more demanding.
Glad we wore hiking pants as we went through a lot of grasses so never had a concern about tics. Also were very happy we had hiking sticks with us. Invaluable on many of the trails.
I would definitely recommend them to anyone considering a hiking trip. And absolutely no problem doing the self-guided version.
Thank you!!
Griffy and Marg
We walked the Camino Norte which was spectacular and challenging some days. Overall we were very satisfied with UTracks. Their accommodations were basically good, sometimes we were pleasantly surprised and sometimes they were less than we hoped. We would consider booking again with UTracks.
San Sebastian, Santiago De Compostela, Noja, Galizano, Santander, Santillana Del Mar, Comillas, San Vicente De La Barquera, Bustio, Picos De Europa NP, Ribadesella, Colunga, Getaria, Villaviciosa, Gijón, Aviles, Soto Del Barco, Soto De Luiña, Cadavedo, Luarca, Navia, Ribadeo, Deba, Mondonedo, Abadín, Vilalba, Reguela, Sobrado Dos Monxes, Arzúa, Rua, Markina-Xemein, Gernika, Lezama, Bilbao, Castro Urdiales, Liendo
