Tarragona to Lleida

When you have had your fill of the hedonism of the Catalan coast, it is time to head inland, to explore the agricultural heartlands of Catalonia where the villages have their own folklore, culture and customs, local festivals rooted in medieval tradition, and magnificent regional food and wines. The people of this fiercely independent, semi-autonomous province have a strong sense of nationalism. They are Catalan first and Spanish second, their identity clearly visible in their preference for speaking in their native tongue, a language very different from the Castillian Spanish spoken elsewhere.

 

Inhabited since prehIstoric times, Tarragona, on the Costa Dorada, was the base from which the Romans set out to colonize Iberia. It is beautifully situated on a rocky outcrop overlooking the sea with a walled old quarter and impressively intact Roman remains both in and around the town. A 115 km (70 mi) cycling tour of the back roads to the pleasant inland town of Lleida on the River Segre gives you an insight into Catalan rural culture as you meander through the pretty farmlands from village to village, whliling along country lanes, passing dry-stonewalled terraces of fruit and olive groves, visiting ancient chapels and monasteries, old farm buildings and windmills along the way.

 

Although this part of Spain is heavily dependent on tourism, the old quarters of the villages are still devoted entirely to food production, with a co-operative in each village. You pass the vineyards of Montsant and see the olive oil factory at El Soleras at work, the famous olive villages of Les Garrigues and the historic curiosity of the old oil mill at Albatarrec. You will be able to gorge yourself on wonderful regional dishes as you exercise them off, ending your bike ride glowing with well-being at the gateway to the Pyrenees.

 

HOW

By bike

WHEN TO GO

October for the olive harvest.

TIME IT TAKES

Two days

HIGHLIGHTS

World Heritage monuments of Tarragona.

Monastery of Poblet.

Stone huts of Ulldemolins.

Seu Vena, Lleida - 12th-15th century Cathedral.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

This is easy cycling over gently undulating or flat terrain.

Hotels in Catalonia

 

Skeleton Coast

The Skeleton Coast stretches from Swakopmund to the Angolan border 500 km (300 m) north. This is an inhospitable place, where immense stretches of beach are beaten by breakers, engulfed by fog  and cut off by trackless, shifting dunes. Early Portuguese sailors knew it as 'The Sands of Hell', for the crew of a foundering ship was doomed. The skeletons on this coastline are not just human: the bleached bones of innumerable whales, dating from the whaling industry's heyday, as well as the remains of countless ships swept ashore during the mercantile era, dot the sands. 

 

Pounded by the sea and blasted by sand the latter have been reduced to scraps of rusty metal, scattered planks and shattered masts, while the wrecks of later vessels, though more intact, are inaccessible.

The narrow strip of dunes was proclaimed a Nature Reserve in 1971. This ancient, untouched wilderness has a fascinating ecosystem - although ahnost rainless, the desert is moistened by the dense fogs that are brought by the icy Benuela Current and blown inshore. 

 

Plants and lichens adapt to the extreme conditions by taking on strange forms. Visits are limited to minimize human impact on this ecologically sensitive area. The coast road runs along the margin of the dunes, but there is no access. The northern section is a private concession, and offers fly-in safaris. However, a sightseeing flight from Swakopmund is a good option - these low-level flights allow a view of the vast graveyard of the shore and the mesmerising changing shapes and colours of the dunes.

 

HOW

By plane

WHEN TO GO

May to October

TIME IT TAKES

About three hours

HIGHLIGHTS

The remote wrecks, including the Dunedin Star, which ran aground in 1942.

The Ugab Formations, a moon-landscape whose black ridges contrast with the white desert.

The Clay Castles, fragile mud deposits laid down along the Hoarusib River when the area was a lake.

Sarusa Springs Oasis - a perennial water source.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

The dense coastal fogs occur most mornings and evenings.

Hotels in Namibia

 

Namib Desert

The name 'Namib' means 'Vast Dry Plain', and the Namib Desert extends along the Atlantic coast, with vast seas of towering dunes rolling inland towards gravel plains and isolated mountain ranges. This is one of the oldest and driest deserts in the world.

Windhoek, Namibia's capital, is a graceful city set on low hills; the road southwest (C26) crosses lovely countryside and desert hills. South of Solitaire on the C14 a signed road leads south to Sesriem and the Namib Dunes. These are 'dynamic' dunes - they shift and change shape, sculpted by the wind. They are made of quartz sand, and their colours also change, from cream to copper, red to violet. Some of these enormous sandhills are easily accessible, by foot or 4x4.

 

Sossusvlei, 60 km (37 m) deeper into the desert is the most photographed place in Namibia. It consists of a huge clay pan surrounded by massive red dunes, some as high as 300 m (975 ft). · When the Tsauchab River fills and spills into it, this briefly becomes a turquoise lake, flocked by aquatic birds. The park opens at sunrise and closes at sunset; to experience the glorious technicolour effects it is necessary to stay around Sesriem.

 

The road northwest towards Swakopmund, the C14, runs along the eastern edge of the dunes then through the Gaub Pass and the Kuiseb Pass, turning west to cross the Namib-Naukluft Park, an area of gravel plains and occasional hills. It reaches the coast at Walvis Bay, a busy harbour town. Swakopmund, 30 km (19 M) north, is an attractive German-colonial seaside resort, and Namibia's most popular holiday destination, with a wide range of adventure sports on offer on land and sea.

 

HOW

By car

WHEN TO GO

May to October

TIME IT TAKES

Two days plus

HIGHLIGHTS

Sossusvlei - climb one of the dunes and look down over the waves of the Sand Dune Sea.

Escape the crowds at Hidden Vlei, a low landscape surrounded by lonely dunes.

Bird watching at Walvis Bay. Huge numbers of flamingoes visit the surrounding wetlands.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Visitors to Sossusvlei need a park entry permit.

4x4s can drive up to the Pan; other - vehicles use a car park a long, hot walk. away – take water.

Hotels in Namibia

Panama Canal and Lake Gutan

For sheer drama it is difficult to top the 77 km (48 mi) passage through the Panama Canal. Built to cut sailing times between the east and west coasts of America, one twentieth of the world's shipping now passes through its locks. It is the perfect marriage of engineering efficiency and Italianate architecture that makes it a true wonder of the modern world. The locks themselves utilize the waters of the surrounding rainforest to send vessels on their way through improbably narrow passages. 

 

The region's rivers and lakes are dammed, and, along with the locks, these dams control the release of 236 million litres (52 million gallons) of freshwater per passing vessel. Where else in the world can you lean over the side of large cruise ship and touch land?

When the ship is ready to change locks, it is mesmensmg to look down from the stem. With only 10 m (33 ft) between propellers and lock gates the commotion caused by the water is quite incredible. 

 

The canal marks the lowest point at which you can cross the American Continental Divide as you sail through the 13 km (8 mi) of the dramatic Gaillard Cut, where the mountain was literally sliced open to allow passage. Such is the dramatic nature of the scenery that it appears to the eye that you are heading straight towards a cliff as you head through the final lock that takes you into Lake Gutan.

Here there is a chance to disembark or simply marvel at the sheer volume of shipping waiting to pass through the canal.

 

HOW

By ship

WHEN TO GO

The climate is pretty constant all year round.

TIME IT TAKES

Allow a full day for a round trip through the canal and onto the lake.

HIGHLIGHTS

Marvelling at the mechanics of it all.

The evergreen tropical jungle, which adorns both sides of the canal.

The contrast between the bubbling excitement of the canal and the · tranquility of Lake Gatun.

Watching passing ships travel close by in the opposite direction on the section between Culebra cut and Lake Gutan.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

The delicate eco-system that surrounds the canal is threatened by deforestation, as a result of illegal logging.

Hotels in Panama

 

Cerro Chirripo

There can be few more intense fusions of pleasure and pain than the hike up Cerro Chirripo, with its 18km (11mi) climb to a 3000m (10000ft) high summit. If the gradient doesn't slow you down, then the diminishing oxygen at altitude will add extra pressure to the lungs. The rewards, however, for making it to the top are bountiful. On a clear day it's possible to see both the Pacific and the Caribbean by just turning your head!

 

A permit is needed to make this climb and the monies raised go towards trail maintenance and the employment of park rangers. So with ticket in hand and a rucksack stocked for all eventualities, it is time to breathe in the tropical air and start the climb. Everything from sun block to a sleeping bag is essential, as the hot tropical sun can easily burn you and it has been known to snow near the summit. Thankfully you don't need the added burden of a tent, as there are a couple of dormitory-style huts along the way.

 

As befits a jungle environment, the slippery trail can make progress hard work. Short of out-and-out mountaineering this is probably the most difficult 18 km (11.25 mi) you will ever travel in your life. Its inaccessibility is what keeps this area special and free from the development and exploitation that blights much of Central America. Besides the challenge of climbing Costa Rica's highest peak, there are numerous trails that wind through more ecological zones than you will find in most entire countries.

 

HOW

On foot

WHEN TO GO

Year round. though it's less hot from November to March.

TIME IT TAKES

Allow two or three days to climb the mountain or at least a week to enjoy the surrounding National Park.

HIGHLIGHTS

The sheer thrill of it all - the sounds of the jungle, the forest scenery and the panoramic views from the top.

The surrounding National park – as close to a pristine jungle as you could wish to experience.

The descent - climbing the mountain requires so much energy that it is sometimes difficult to take in the amazing jungle location. The descent, though not easy, affords you that luxury.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Do not be tempted to start the climb without a permit. Sometimes the rangers say there is a long waiting list, when in fact there is none.

Hotels in Costa Rica

 

Great Ocean Road

 The Great Ocean Road belongs in an élite group of classic coastal drives, which includes California's Pacific Highway and Italy's Amalfi Coast Road. It runs 285 km (180 mi) along Victoria's south coast, west of Melbourne between the towns of Torquay and Warrnambool.

Constructed originally to open up a previously inaccessible coastline for commerce, the Great Ocean Road has now become a major tourist attraction in its own right. Started in 1919 with the labour of ex-servicemen and completed 13 years later, this engineering marvel clings precariously to sheer cliff faces, snakes around inlets, crosses narrow gorges and passes through tunnels blasted out of solid rock.

 

Leaving the lively seaside resort of Torquay with its world-famous surf break at Bells Beach, the road huges the shoreline as it passes through the pretty little towns of Anglesea and Lorne. As you negotiate sharp corners and descend into protected bays you are presented time and again with stunning views of the Southern Ocean, endless expanses of virgin sands and rugged cliffs stretching off into the distance. After Apollo Bay the route bears inland and crosses Otway National Park, part of the Otway Ranges, an area of dense temperate rain forest which offers one of your best chances of seeing a koala in the wild. These shy creatures are notoriously hard to spot, thanks to their camouflage and inertia during the day.

 

Appropriately enough, the highlight of this trip comes towards the end. Just 70 km (45 mi) before Warrnambool the Twelve Apostles rise proudly from the sea, like giant sentinels guarding the coast. These majestic limestone stacks, up to 45 m (150 ft) high, are the result of coastal erosion and they provide a justly famous spectacle at sunrise and sunset.

 

 

HOW

By car

WHEN TO GO

Year-round. Be warned that on the more exposed cliffs you can get stiff winds off the ocean at any time of year.

TIME IT TAKES

You can drive the Great Ocean Road comfortably enough in one day, but you will be tempted to stay overnight on the way.

HIGHLIGHTS

A round of golf on the course at Anglesea, where you will be sharing the fairways with a mob of unconcerned kangaroos.

Taking a room with a sea view at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Lorne.

A helicopter flight - for a different perspective on the Twelve Apostles.

The rock arch known as London Bridge.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

If you feel like exploring this scenery on foot, the Great Ocean Walk is a 91 km (57 mi) track that starts from Appolo Bay.

Hotels in Victoria

 

Gibb River Road

Running straight across the heart of the Kimberley region in Australia's remote north-west, the Gibb River Road remains one of the country's great off-road driving adventures, although improvements in the road's condition has meant that there are many more travellers who take on the challenge than there used to be.

Even so, there is still a real sense of achievement as you motor into the small towns of Derby at the western end or Kununurra at the eastern end, saddle-sore after 700 mostly bone-shaking kilometres (400 mi) and once you've cleared the last of the bulldust from your lungs.

 

"The Gibb", as the road is known locally, is serious 4X4 terrain. Apart from a short sealed stretch east of Derby, it is a red dirt and gravel track, fairly wide and smooth for the most part but badly corrugated in places from the effect of other vehicles and "wash outs" from the wet season. All this might still be negotiated in conventional car but what you really need the high clearance of a take in order to visit the main attractions along the route. Involving detours of up to 50 km (30 mi), places such as Bell, Addock and the Manning Gorges showcase the natural features for which this ancient and rugged landscape is famed: narrow sandstone gorges, waterfalls, hidden creeks and tranquil pools.

 

Most travellers tackling the Gibb choose to camp along the way but there are accommodation options for those wanting more comfort. You can drive the road in either direction but as the majority of the big sights are in the western half you might prefer to start from the eastern end and save these delights for later.

 

HOW

4X4

WHEN TO GO

May to October

TIME IT TAKES

At least five to six days if you want to make the most of being in this remarkable region.

HIGHLIGHTS

Waterfalls in full flow in the gorges - but you need to go early in the season to see them (soon after the end of the "wet").

Walking along beautiful Bell Creek and into the Gorge Swimming in a gorge pool (crocodile-free!).

The sunset over the Pentecost River and Cockburn Ranges from Home Valley Station.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Letting air out of your tyres before you set off will improve your journey considerably and reduce the likehood of punctures. You must have a permit in advance to travel on any side tracks which cross Aboriginal land.

Hotels in Western Australia

 

Riviera Corniches

The French Riviera may be a playground for the rich and famous, but there's much more to the Côte d'Azur than casinos, exclusive villas and harbours stuffed with billion-dollar yachts. This delightful coast stretches from St.Tropez to Menton on the Italian border, with Frèjus, Cannes, Antibes, Nice and Monaco along the way. There couldn't be a better way of appreciating the natural beauty and diverse character of this special place than by driving the three spectacular coast roads known as corniches, with each of these parallel highways delivering a different perspective on the Riviera.

The Grand Corniche (La Grande Corniche) is a 31 km (19 mi) cliff-top road, rising to a height of some 450 m 1475 ft) as it passes above the Principality of Monaco. It was built at the beginning of the 19th century (following the line of the Roman Via Julia Augusta) to facilitate the movement of Napoléon's troops to Italy, and as such does not pass through many interesting places. No matter - the road itself is the star of the show, offering sensational far-reaching views.

It is by far the most satisfying way to entering and leaving Nice, and the drive from there to sober Menton is unforgettable.

The 33 km (20 mi) Base Corniche (La Corniche Inférieure) along the shoreline is an altogether different experience - slow-moving and traffic choked, it was built by a Prince of Monaco and visits each and every place on the Côte d'Azur in turn. This is the way to go if you're interested in the hothouse social and commercial street life of the Riviera.

The Middle Corniche (La Moyenne Corniche) runs between the other two roads, clinging to the escarpment's rocky backbone as it winds through the Mediterranean landscape, offering wonderful views of the coast and the coast and the Riviera's towns and village below.

HOW

By car

WHEN TO GO

Any time

TIME IT TAKES

Allow a day to drive all three in turn, with leisurely stops.

HIGHLIGHTS

Le Turbie on the Grand Corniche - the symbolic border between Gaul and Ancient Rome, with an impressive Roman colonnade.

On the Middle Corniche - the view of Cap Ferrat from the elevated Villefranche Neck, and (upon exiting a tunnel) the sudden appearance of the dramatic village of Eze, perched high on its soaring rock.

On the Base Corniche - Cap Ferrat...and course Monte Carlo, where you definitely won't break the bank.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Princess Grace of  Monaco died when her car mysteriously plunged from the Middle Corniche.

Hotels in Côte d'Azur

Rhône Cruise

The mighty River Rhône rises in the Swiss mountains, flows through Lake Geneva and on into France. Join by the River Saône, this fickle river used to be hazardous, with fierce currents, unexpected shalows and sudden spates. It was tamed in the 20th century with the construction of locks and other major works - a process that both improved navigation and created several hydro-electric plants.

A cruise down the Rhône is an excellent way to appreciate the river and some of the special sights to be found close to its banks - most organized cruises stop to offer passengers an opportunity to visit places of interest (of which there are many).

Most end-to-end cruises start at Chalons-sur-Saône, to offer an entrée to wine country, in the form off those splendid Beaujolais and Mâconnais vineyards, all within easy reach of Bordeaux. The rivers merge at Lyon. From there the first port of call is Vienne, capital of the Roman province of Viennoise. As the ship heads for Tain l'Hermitage this too, is wine country - the famous vineyard-clad Cotes du Rhône slide by as the cruise passes Valence and Montelimar before reaching the delightful medieval village of Viviers. 

Below Viviers, the boat traverses the extraordinary Bollène Lock and cruises down to Avignon, home of 14th and 15th century Popes and Antipopes. It then continues to Arles, the important Roman city that retains many well-preserved reminders of that era. From there, you have a choice of route as the Rhône splits, its two arm (Grand Rhône and Petit Rhône) forming the Delta as they proceed to the Mediterranean.

For those who do not wish to take an extended luxury cruise there is, of course, a huge variety of day cruises and it is also possible to hire self-drive boats.

HOW

By boat

WHEN TO GO

April to September

TIME IT TAKES

A typical cruise from Chalons-sur-Saône to the sea, with daily sightseeing trips, will last six days.

HIGHLIGHTS

Exploring the traffic-free narrow streets and alleys of the famous old St.Jean Quarter in Lyon.

The famous medieval Pont d'Avignon as immortalized in song, and the impressive Palais de Popes.

The ruined Crussol Castle near Valence - one of the most impressive sights in the entire Rhône Valley.

A visit to those famous free-roaming bulls and white horses in the Camargue's extensive marshlands.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Once steam propulsion came in during the 1830s, Rhône steamers cut the journey time from Lyon to Arles to just one day - horse-drawn barges took up to three weeks.

Hotels in Avignon and Lyon

Mississippi Riverboat Cruise

An enduring image of 19th century America is the riverboat - a sternwheeler belching wood smoke from tall twin stacks as she dashed up and down the Mississippi, Ohio or Missouri Rivers. There was probably a high-stakes poker games going on within the fancy white superstructure, ending in gunplay when five aces came down in the same hand, whilst Mark Twain watched from the bank, pen in hand. Well, maybe it wasn't quite like that, but these stylish craft certainly played a vital role in developing the central-southern and mid-western USA.

Americans are good at marrying tradition with commerce, so it's still possible to experience the delights of this traditional river transport by taking a paddlesteamer trip. 

The modestly named Majestic America Line runs a variety of cruises using a couple of late 20th century steamboats - American Queen (the largest river steamboat ever built) and the Mississippi Queen. Each is the ultimate in old-fashioned comfort and style, though American Queen is something of an impostor - she looks the part and has a sternwheel driven by steam, but her main source of propulsion is diesel-powered propellers. The company's Delta Queen, built in 1927, is a National Historic Landmark, but sadly her cruising future is on hold as a result of modern safety regulations.

These steamboats offer both a selection of "see of river" cruises and theme cruises including the popular Jazz and Civil War itineraries. A cruise won't be cheap, but really is an opportunity to experience the elegant atmosphere and travelling style of a bygone era. The romance of paddle steamers is infectious. If you don't fancy the Mississippi, sternwheelers are now working Alaska's Inside Passage and the great rivers of the northwestern USA (Columbia, Willamette and Snake) for the first in a century.

HOW

By boat

WHEN TO GO

Cruises are available all year round.

TIME IT TAKES

Most cruises are seven nights, but there are shorter and longer options to be found.

HIGHLIGHTS

Hearing a calliope - these steam-powered organs were, and still are, very much part of the riverboat scene.

Small-town America at its best (plus 29 locks) on an Upper Mississippi cruise from St.Paul down to St.Louis seven nights).

All the charm and elegance of the old Deep South on a Lower Mississippi cruise from New Orleans to Memphis (seven nights).

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Louis Armstrong sure knew what he was talking about when he sang the classic song "Ol" Man River - he travelled up the river from New Orleans by paddle steamer, stopping at various towns along the way to play.

Hotels in Mississippi

Death Valley

Here's one for the though and super fit - a cycle trip through notorious Death Valley in California and Nevada. It's the lowest place in America at 86m (282 ft) below the sea level, and also one of the hottest on earth with temperatures regularly reaching 54ºC (130ºC) in the day (but sometimes freezing at night). That makes it the ultimate cycling challenge.

Death Valley National Park is a unique environment, offering a wonderfully atmosphere landscape of sand dunes, salt flats, multicoloured rocks, canyons, snow-capped mountains and seemingly endless wilderness. The Park has a number of roads, mostly narrow and twisting, and not even the most dedicated mountain biker can be expected to explore them all.

A good journey follows California Route 190, which crosses the middle of Death Valley (albeit not in a straight line) from Panamint Springs in the southwestern corner of the Park. From there it's a 29 km (18 mi) run to Emigrant, then another 13 km (8 mi) to Stovepipe Wells Village, which has all the facilities required for a little R&R.

You'll need it - the next leg is the 44km (28 mi) slog along CA-190, which turns sharply south before reaching the Furnace Creek Visitor Center. If you want to see that low point, detour to Badwater Basin, the south of the Visitor Center. If you can't face that 52 km (34 mi) round trip, continue to CA-190 and make the straight run to the Park Valley Junction, a 45 km (28 mi) ride.

If that's not enough to test your cycling prowess, you can take the State Line Road to Pahrump, Nevada - or even (if you're lucky) cycle on from there to Las Vegas. Wimps can do Death Valley by air-conditioned car - which does give them the opportunity to explore the Park's many wonders more thoroughly.

HOW

By bike

WHEN TO DO

November to March to avoid the worst heat conditions (and traffic).

TIME IT TAKES

A day, if you don't keep stopping off to admire the sights.

HIGHLIGHTS

A literal highlight - Towne Pass, a 1510 m (4955 ft) summit that greets you just inside the Park.

Mosaic Canyon near Stovepipe Wells - take the dirt road for sweeping views and extraordinary walls of polished multicoloured rock.

Zabriskie Point - no, not the iconic Antonioni movie, but the real thing to be found shortly after the Furnace Creek Visitor Center - it's an amazing rock formation.

A long, cold shower and good night's sleep at journey's end, wherever that may be.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Death Valley is the low point, but the high point in the lower 48 states - Mount Whitney - is just 123 km (76 mi) west of Death Valley. After cycling the valley, why not go on to climb the mountain?

Hotels in California