The coastline of the Algarve is renowned for its beauty: idyllic beaches, sand dunes and dramatic steep cliffs dot the landscape. Even in winter the colourful vegetation that the coast is known for is still visible. We are a big fan of the Rota Vicentina, a long distance footpath that opened just a few years ago and that is an initiative to develop low impact tourism. The region already sees surprisingly few walkers in summer; imagine what it’ll be like in winter! The path leads to the south-western most point of the European continent and makes for an excellent winter walking destination. 

>> Visit the Algarve with UTracks on our self guided walking holidays Rota Vicentina – to the Algarve  or Rota Vicentina - the Fishermen's Trail

 

:: Dingle Peninsula, Ireland

Dingle Peninsula is one of the most spectacular regions on Ireland's West Coast 

The Dingle Peninsula is one of the most spectacular regions on Ireland’s West Coast, steeped in history, mythology and traditional Irish culture. A mountainous finger of land jutting into the Atlantic Ocean, it has been home to a number of tribes and populations for at least 6,000 years, from prehistoric times through the Early Christian period to the Middle Ages. It is a part of Europe that can be visited year round and the landscape will change with the seasons. On your winter walking holiday, you will find plenty of small hamlets to enjoy good Irish cheer along the way. One of these is Dunquin, Ireland’s westernmost settlement, which is often affectionately referred to as ‘the next parish to America’. 

>> Visit this south-western part of Ireland on our Dingle Peninsula self guided or guided walking holiday

 

:: Vermillion Coast, France & Spain

Walk along the Vermillion Coast from France into Spain this winter 

Discover the landscapes and villages that inspired the surrealist paintings of Salvador Dalí as he travelled across the French Pyrenees, along the Vermillion coast and into Spain. Port Ligat is where the eccentric painter used to live and Figueres is Dalí’s birthplace, where you can now visit the quirky (its exterior is decorated with eggs!) Dalí Museum. Your days on a winter walking holiday to this stretch of coast in southern Europe will be filled with coastal fishing villages, the foothills of the Alberes (part of the Pyrenees), and of course the Catalan hospitality. 

>> Visit the Vermillion Coast in the winter on our Footsteps of Dali self guided walking holiday

 

:: Puglia, Italy

Puglia is most famous for the village of Matera 

Fancy spending a couple of nights at a traditional ‘trullo’, with its typical conical roof? Puglia, Italy’s ‘heel’ and its gateway to the Orient, offers pleasant walking temperatures in the late autumn and early winter months. Puglia is a land forged in history, most famous for the village of Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that feels lost in time. If you want to go walking in Puglia, make sure to include the valleys, coastal paths, olive groves and vineyards, enchanting maze of narrow streets of Ostuni and the elegant baroque city of Lecce. 

>> Visit Puglia in the winter on our self guided walking holiday that you can take until November or join the guided walking trip in December.

 

There of course are other winter walking holidays departing in the next few months where you will immerse into nature as well. For more ideas, browse the Winter section on our website or contact our enthusiastic travel experts in offices around the world.