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| Cape Town: Walk and Eat (Sunflower Books, ISBN: 9781856913317) Cape Town, a dynamic, modern, cosmopolitan city, is well-blessed for walkers, with Table Mountain and Lion‘s Head on its doorstep, and the rugged Cape Peninsula just a short trip away by public transport. With excellent restaurants, glorious weather most of the year, and daily flights from major airports, it makes a perfect holiday destination.This guide contains enough walks, excursions, restaurants and recipes to occupy most of two weeks, so you can chose whichever appeal to you most. The highlights at a glance:
• 12 varied day walks, each with topographical map
• 2 excursions, each providing access to some walks
• recommended restaurants linked to each walk
• recipes using the best of South African produce, to make at your self-catering base (and perhaps back home)
• special section with hints on wheat-, gluten- and dairy-free eating and cooking in Cape Town
• All the recipes have been tested by the authors and are known to ‘work’.
This pocket-sized full-colour guide, illustrated with hundreds of photographs, describes walks and recommends restaurants/hotels on or at the end of walk routes (with sample menus). Following each restaurant entry is one or more of their recipes, to be made in self-catering accommodation or at home. Other sections include: planning your trip, logistics on arrival, shopping for self-catering (including health food shops), local markets and specialities, glossary of local food terms, etc. Each book contains topographical walking maps (1:35,000) to accompany the clear walk instructions. Our unique online Update service with route-change information, users’ recommendations and any future changes to restaurant information and recommendations, is available for this new series (click on "Current Update" above).
144 pages, full colour throughout
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| Corsica: Walk and Eat (Sunflower Books, ISBN: 9781856912952) These pocket-sized full-colour guides, illustrated with hundreds of photographs, are designed for short-break holidays. They describe walks and recommend restaurants/hotels en route (with sample menus). Following each restaurant entry is one or more of their recipes, to be made in self-catering accommodation or at home. Other sections include: planning your trip, logistics on arrival, shopping for self-catering (including health food shops), local markets and specialities, glossary of local food terms, etc. Each book contains topographical walking maps (1:35,000) to accompany the clear walk instructions. Our unique online Update service with route-change information, users’ recommendations and any future changes to restaurant information and recommendations, is available for this new series.
This pocket guide is designed for visitors to the island who would like to do some fairly easy walking as opposed to tackling the more difficult routes. This may be because it‘s too hot in high season, or you are travelling with children.
We‘ve hand-picked enough walks, restaurants and recipes to fill a week wherever you are based although, since Corsica is such a large island, not all will be right on your doorstep!
The highlights at a glance:
• 13 varied day walks, each with topographical map
• 1 excursion — on the world-famous ‘Trinichellu‘, Corsica‘s narrow-gauge railway
• recommended restaurants and hotels
• recipes to make at your self-catering base or back home
• special section with hints on wheat-, gluten- and dairy-free eating and cooking on the island
Note: although there is some overlapping of walk routes between this book and Landscapes of Corsica, many of the walks are different, whilst all the information regarding restaurants, cafés and shopping are only in this Walk & Eat book.
All the recipes have been tested by the authors and are known to ‘work’.
144 pages, full colour throughout more>> |
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| Kefalonia: Walk and Eat (Sunflower Books, ISBN: 9781856913263) If holidays are about new experiences, then this pocket guide will add a further dimension to your stay on Kefalonia. It solves two problems — where to walk and where to find some good, traditional food. The gastronomical touch extends a little further, with recipes for some of the island‘s dishes, both specialities and traditional. There are strolls for hot days and longer walks to work up an appetite. And if you‘re just after some recommendations for where to eat, you need look no further!
Highlights at a glance
• 10 day walks, each with topographical map
• 2 excursions — one a walking tour around Argostóli and the other to Itháca, the land of Odysseus
• recommended restaurants for the walks
• recipes to try out when self-catering or back home
• hints on wheat-, gluten- and dairy-free eating and cooking on the island
This pocket-sized full-colour guide, illustrated with hundreds of photographs, is designed for short-break holidays. It describes walks and recommends restaurants/hotels on or at the end of the walk routes (with sample menus). Following each restaurant entry is one or more of their recipes, to be made in self-catering accommodation or at home. Other sections include: planning your trip, logistics on arrival, shopping for self-catering (including health food shops), local markets and specialities, glossary of local food terms, etc. Each book contains topographical walking maps (1:35,000) to accompany the clear walk instructions. Our unique online Update service with route-change information, users’ recommendations and any future changes to restaurant information and recommendations, is available for this new series (click on "Current Update" above).
All the recipes have been tested by the authors and are known to ‘work’. The recipes and shopping information caters for users who are on wheat-, gluten- and dairy-free diets.
144 pages, full colour throughout more>> |
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| Landscapes of Algarve (Sunflower Books, ISBN: 9781856913348) 'Is this the same Algarve', you may ask, 'as the Algarve of high-rise hotels, fine beaches and a coastline so famous that there is no need to look further?' Such is the beauty of the coastline, that few visitors look for more but the Andersons did. They say, 'we found a countryside full of interest and beauty, quietly awaiting discovery. From flowers and fountains, hilltops and history, to windmills and water-mills, we can set your feet wandering to find them all. There are car tours, too, to get you out and about, searching out little-known points of interest-like the huge rose compass (rosa dos ventos) on the barren promontory of Sagres, where Prince Henry the Navigator founded his school of navigation, or the Moorish castle and old Roman bridge at Paderne.
But don't think for one moment that we have turned our backs on and ignored the beautiful and rugged western coastline. Wherever it is still unspoilt and free from development, we have incorporated it into a walk.'
Area covered: from the western coast east as far as the Spanish border and north to include the area around Monchique.
The best months for walking are March to May or September and October, but regular visitors enjoy walks throughout the winter as well.
Where to stay: the possibilities are endless - if you will have a hire car you can choose any of the coastal resorts or if you prefer an inland base, Monchique would make a good choice. If you will be relying on public transport, however, choose one of the main towns such as Albufeira, Faro, Lagos or Portimao for convenient access to buses and trains.
4 car tours, 68 long and short walks, 20 picnic suggestions
Plan of Faro
136 pages + touring map
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| Landscapes of Andalucia & The Costa del Sol (Sunflower Books, ISBN: 9781856912976) It is said that 'if you are not excited by Andalucia, you have no heart'. At the end of one of their hikes, while writing this book, as the authors sat on a hilltop basking in the sun and watching eagles frolicking above, they shared the unspoken thought that life doesn't get much better than this. Andalucia is a huge area.
The area included in the book extends from some 25km west of Ronda as far as the Sierra Nevada in the east. To the north, the extent is bounded by a line running through Olvera, Antequera and Granada, but the walks tend to be concentrated within specific areas. These areas are the Alpujarra, the Sierra Nevada, the Axarquia, the Parque Natural Montes de Malaga, the Sierra de Mijas, the Sierra de Las Nieves and the Sierra de Grazalema.
(It would be impossible within a single book to provide walks close to every town or village likely to be chosen as a holiday destination.) While all relevant transport timetables are included, a car is therefore recommended if you really want to penetrate this part of Spain. Accordingly, many of the walks are circular - or linear walks are designed so that you can pick up a bus to take you back to your car at the end of the hike.
Best walking months: March to May, September and October
7 car tours, 40 long and short walks, 23 picnic suggestions
144 pages plus touring map
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| Landscapes of Azores (Sunflower Books, ISBN: 9781856913515) Pocket-sized and in full colour, this guide describes 12 car tours covering the entire range in France Spain and Andorra; all highlight places where you can stop for a walk or just a stroll to a lovely picnic setting. There are accompanying fold-out touring maps. There are well over 400 kilometres (250 miles) of walks described in this guide, the equivalent of a coast-to-coast traverse one of the 'classics' for all serious walkers.
But you don't have to be an expert walker for any of these hikes. None of them requires special skills (under summer conditions) and, if you are not very fit, simply turn back when you feel like it (there are short walk suggestions with most of the itineraries). Experienced and fit walkers will nevertheless find much to enjoy, for the authors have included some of the wildest scenery in the Pyrenees, walked pilgrim routes and World War 2 escape routes, climbed to summits (like Canigou), enjoyed the habitat of marmots, vultures and lizards (the Pyrenean chamois), and not neglected the great and the famous (like the Breche de Roland).
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| Landscapes of Basque Country (France & Spain) (Sunflower Books, ISBN: 9781856912761) Many believe the Basque Country to be the home of Europe’s oldest race and surviving language. This is the first guide to bring together walks and tours in this region of Spain and France, which runs east from Bilbao to Biarritz and takes in famous places like Pamplona and stages on the Way of St James to Santiago de Compostela. The entire Basque coast is mostly very rugged, with many thriving fishing towns and villages, plus the added attraction of splendid beaches. Inland the countryside is more mountainous, with lush green countryside. Don’t miss the award-winning Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Pilgrims' Route to Santiago, the San Fermines fiestas at Iruña-Pamplona, or stunning coastal resorts like Donostia-San Sebastián and Biarritz. But most of all, explore the remote picture-postcard villages and lush mountainous countryside straddling both sides of the Pyrenees — preferably on foot. 8 car tours, 32 main walks and 19 shorter walks for motorists.
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| Landscapes of Corfu (Sunflower Books, ISBN: 9781856912686) 'For centuries Corfu's magnetic beauty has attracted travellers,who have sung the praises of the peacock-hued bays, the hillsides drenched in silvery-green olive trees, and the emerald greenness of the countryside. And when you leave Corfu, these will be your impressions too. While time brings change, the pristine Corfu so beloved of Lear and the Durrell brothers can still be found - this book tells you where. It turns the island inside-out and helps you find a Corfu unknown to most tourists.
The book focuses on walking, but it is not intended only for walkers. The car touring section will show you the best of the island, and the picnic suggestions make an excellent introduction to the countryside.
There are walks for all ages and abilities on this island, from strolls to beaches to challenging day-long hikes - in the mountains or criss-crossing the plains.
Best months for walking: April, May, June, September, October.
Where to Stay: If your primary aim is to walk (and especially if you intend relying on the local buses) Corfu town is the logical place to stay. Otherwise, for ease of access to bus services, choose somewhere on the touristy east coast between Benitses and Ipsos. Away from the coast, Potamos would also be a good choice.
4 car tours, 51 long and short walks, 25 picnic suggestions
Plan of Corfu
136 pages + touring map
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| Landscapes of Corsica - OUT OF PRINT (Sunflower Books, ISBN: 9781856912730) The author, who has written several Landscapes guides, found the Corsicans to be the friendliest people he encountered throughout his travels. But the landscapes enchanted him as well: 'No other Mediterranean island can boast such a wealth of natural beauty. Beaches to suit every taste: from long stretches of glaring white sand to pink rocky coves. Real mountains climbers' terrain that reach almost 3000m/9000ft. In these mountains you stumble upon a magnificent mixture of pine forests, beech woods, chestnut groves, and coppices of evergreen oaks. Streams bound down the mountainsides; rivers cascade through awe-inspiring gorges, leaving behind blue-green pools as clear as crystal. The pink granite hills and cliffs, normally conjured up only for an artist's canvas, are real indeed on Corsica.'
Best months for walking. In May and June the countryside is enlivened with a tapestry of wild flowers and maquis in bloom. The hills are ablaze with colour and the air is intoxicatingly-scented by the maquis. This is possibly the best time to walk on Corsica, although September and October are also good choices. Incidentally, the island also rewards the walker with fine cuisine at the end of a long day's hiking!
Where to Stay. Walks in the book have been written up from four bases: Ajaccio/Porto, Calvi, Bastia and Porto-Vecchio. All are quite well served by public transport. Note: in the peak months of July and August it is essential to have accommodation booked in advance.
10 car tours, 45 long and short walks, 14 picnic suggestions
Plans of Ajaccio, Calvi, Bastia
136 pages + touring map, IGN walking maps (scale 1:50,000)
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| Landscapes of Costa Blanca (Sunflower Books, ISBN: 9781856912723) 'The Costa Blanca is ideal for countryside exploration all year round. Travel only a short distance inland, and the bustle of the resorts is left far behind. You find yourself surrounded by market gardens, orchards and orange groves, while the dark rugged silhouettes of the sierras beckon you close. Here you can put aside the stress and hassle of modern living. Wild flowers from the humble daisy to the most exotic orchid abound; the air is filled with the scent of fragrant herbs; birdsong drifts along on the breeze, and mountain peaks dominate the skyline. The weather-beaten faces of villagers in the fields break into smiles as you pass by. All these images combine to create an ambience you will find irresistible.
The car tours lead through fertile valleys smothered in blossom or sweet-scented fruit to delightful inland villages. Windmills, waterfalls and 'snow wells' feature among the picnic settings. But the rugged silhouettes of the area's many sierras dominate this landscape an irresistable attraction for walkers
Best months for walking. The best time for walking is March to May and September/October, but regular visitors enjoy walks throughout the winter as well.
Where to stay for walking: If you will be relying on public transport, Benidorm is your best option, but if you plan to hire a car you can stay in Denia or any of the coastal resorts. It's also possible to stay in the mountains, but your choice of accommodation will then be limited to pensiones and hostales or to private homes offering bed and breakfast - ask in local bars for information on what is available.
5 car tours, 50 long and short walks, 32 picnic suggestions
Plans of Benidorm, Alicante, Denia
136 pages + touring map
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| Landscapes of Costa Brava And Barcelona (Sunflower Books, ISBN: 9781856913034) 'The Costa Brava - literally the 'rugged coast', in reference to the rocky, inhospitable nature of much of the shore - runs from the French border southwards towards Barcelona. Behind the coast lie the Serralada Litoral and Serralada Prelitoral. These ranges include such varied landscapes as the extraordinary conglomerate pinnacles of Montserrat, the dormant volcanoes of the Garrotxa and the subalpine heights of the Montseny. It is this very variety, coupled with its proximity to Barcelona and the coastal towns, that makes the hinterland of the Costa Brava so attractive to walkers.
As far as possible, we have tried to describe here the best walks in this part of Catalonia, be they the classic, well-waymarked routes that form part of the repertoire of any self-respecting Catalan walker, or some of our personal favourites way off the beaten track.
Because we are keen naturalists, many of the walks will draw your attention to the enormous variety of wildlife on offer, and we urge you to carry a pair of binoculars and the appropriate field guides. During the course of your forays into rural Catalonia, we hope you will learn that a three-hour walk can also take six hours, especially in spring, when the limestone hills are teeming with orchids, or in summer, when the flower-rich waysides are alive with nectaring butterflies.
Area covered by the book: from Portbou, Colera, the Serra de l'Albera and Port de Llanca in the north down to Barcelona in the south. The book does not cover the Costa Dorada (which is south of Barcelona).
Best months for walking: September to June
Where to stay if you plan to walk: Barcelona, Olot, Girona or Figueres are recommended by the authors, depending on the area in which you intend to walk.
6 car tours, 18 short and easy walks for motorists, 23 main walks (+ many variations), picnic suggestions
136 pages + touring map
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| Landscapes of Crete, Eastern NEW EDITION DUE 2009 (Sunflower Books, ISBN: 9781856911979) Crete is a large island so we've divided it into two halves. This book describes the Eastern part, but includes a description of the famous Samaria Gorge walk in the west of the island a popular day excursion by coach.
Whether you walk, drive or picnic in eastern Crete, the mountains will be your constant companions, changing colour and mood from dawn to dusk, as you move through them, round them and over them. You cannot fail to feel their dramatic attraction. The stunning colours and heady scent of flowers and herbs, tucked into rough ground or splashed across a hillside, the warm-sounding buzz of hovering bees, and the massed band of a thousand cicadas will all leave a lasting impression the 'special effects' of the total scene.
You may share this rural bliss only with a solitary shepherd, his flocks and dogs, as you walk the hillsides of eastern Crete. Greeks, on the whole, don't walk unless they have to for their day's labour. So be prepared for incredulous looks from the townspeople and faint smiles from the villagers!
Best months for walking: April to June, September or October.
Where to Stay. The authors recommend you opt for Agios Nikolaos. There is a wide choice of all grades of accommodation and plenty of bus services to all parts if you are not using a hire car.
11 car tours, 30 long and short walks, 12 picnic suggestions
Plans of Agios Nikolaos, Iraklion
136 pages + touring maps covering the entire island
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| Landscapes of Crete, Western (Sunflower Books, ISBN: 9781856913355) Pocket-sized and in full colour, this guide describes eight car tours in western Crete, highlighting places where you can stop for a walk or just a stroll to a lovely picnic setting. There are accompanying fold-out touring maps covering the whole of the island.But the major part of the book is devoted to 31 main walks and their many variations, all illustrated with large-scale topographical maps (1:50,000). Mountains rearing straight up from the sea, deep wooded gorges, ravines and valleys and yet more glorious mountains, standing proud and acting as a magnet to the eye and the imagination - that's western Crete, or real Crete, as some would say.Its strong, dramatic scenery and colours create sweeping landscapes of this harsh but beautiful countryside that has been the backdrop for heroic deeds, ancient civilisations and constant intrigue for thousands of years, and the home of obdurate, tough people made so by their labours on the land and their experiences.
Western Crete is real hikers' territory, and this book, the first-ever walking guide to Crete, in print for decades, describes all the best routes. Also included are plans of Hania and Rethimnon and bus timetables (most of the walks are accessible by bus). A unique on-line update service keeps readers abreast of all route changes since publication, and GPS tracks can be downloaded for many of the walking routes.
Western Crete is real hikers' territory, and this book takes in all the best routes. Of course you will want to 'do' Samaria, but there are many, less frequented gorges to be explored. There are challenging hikes in both the White and Ida Mountains and long, long stretches along the southern coast where you can swim in crystal-clear water and perhaps stay overnight in idyllic villages like Loutro only accessible on foot or by boat.
Best months for hiking: April to June, September or October
Where to Stay. The authors used Hania as their base for walking and this gives good access to a wide range of the walks in the book. Otherwise Rethimnon could be a suitable base as it, too, has good transport links.
8 car tours, 38 long and short walks, 17 picnic
Plans of Hania, Rethimnon
136 pages + touring maps covering the entire island
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| Landscapes of Croatia (Sunflower Books, ISBN: 9781856912990) From the northernmost shores of the Kvarner Gulf, southwards all the way to Dubrovnik, this walking and touring guide covers Croatia's Adriatic coast, eleven of the myriad islands and two inland areas. It includes the Mljet, Plitvice Lakes, Krka and Paklenica national parks and Biokovo and Ucka nature parks, and mentions five of Croatia's six World Heritage sites. Happily, these bald though impressive facts describe one of the most beautiful and beguiling countries in Europe. Contrasts and diversity sum up Croatia: tall forests, wind-combed prickly thornbush and juniper on the stony uplands, the miraculous waterfalls in the Plitvice Lakes and Krka national parks, the aridity of the karst landscapes, modern tourist resorts and timeless old villages, the deserted Krajina region and the intensively cultivated Neretva delta. more>> |
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| Landscapes of Cyprus (Sunflower Books, ISBN: 9781856912297) This book covers Greek (southern) Cyprus. (No part of northern Cyprus is included) The landscape and its people reserve their greatest rewards for the visitor who makes an effort toward closer acquaintance. On foot or on wheels, exploration of the countryside, coupled with a healthy curiosity about local traditions, is an experience to treasure for a lifetime or, as the Cypriots put, it, 'Once been, never forgotten'.
This book describes car tours and walks from Paphos, Limassol, Larnaca and Ayia Napa. Wherever you are based, there will be a walk on your doorstep or you can use the good transport network to get around inexpensively.
You can stroll for miles along the southeast coast or hike through the woods in the famous Troodos Mountains (stopping for lunch at one of the trout farms). But in recent years most walkers are exploring the far western corner of Cyprus the Akamas Peninsula, now a nature reserve and the focal point for 'green tourism', where a network of nature trails has recently been established.
Best months for walking. Visit the island for walking from March to June or in September and October.
Where to stay for walking: The highest concentration of walks is in the Troodos mountains and around Paphos
6 car tours, 45 long and short walks, 15 picnic suggestions
Plans of Nicosia, Paphos, Limassol, Larnaca, Ayia Napa
136 pages + touring map
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