Is Self-Guided Walking the Perfect Holiday for Introverts?

Sometimes the best part of a holiday is simply having time and space to yourself. Sweden has just made that idea official.

On 29 September, Visit Sweden launched The Introvert Travel Agency, which it calls the world's first travel agency for introverts. The campaign is tongue-in-cheek, but the message behind it is serious: not everyone wants a holiday packed with crowds and constant social interaction.

A YouGov survey commissioned by Visit Sweden across nine markets found that 41 per cent of travel respondents consider themselves introverted. The campaign highlights the things they value most: peace and quiet, personal space, and the freedom to enjoy a destination on their own terms.

To us, that sounds a lot like a self-guided walking holiday.

Your day, your pace

"Sometimes the luxury of a holiday is simply having time and space to yourself," says UTracks General Manager Kate Baker.

"On a self-guided walk, your accommodation, route information and many of the logistics are taken care of, but the day is yours. You decide when to start, where to stop and how long to linger somewhere along the way."

There's no group timetable and no need to keep pace with anyone else. Stop for coffee, take an hour over lunch, sit beside a lake on your own, or simply walk without feeling you need to be doing something every minute of the day.

Independent, but never unsupported

UTracks has offered self-guided active holidays in Europe for almost 20 years. They combine the independence of travelling on your own with the support of an organised holiday:

• Accommodation booked in advance
• Detailed route information and navigation tools
• Luggage transfers on many itineraries
• Local support if you need it

You set out on your own each day, but that doesn't mean you're travelling in isolation.

"You can chat to people in villages, restaurants and the places you stay, or simply enjoy your own company. That balance is one of the great things about self-guided travel," Kate says.

Why Sweden suits a quieter walk

Sweden is made for this style of holiday. It has vast forests, lakes, islands and coastal trails, and its culture has a strong connection to spending time in nature.

UTracks offers several self-guided walking holidays in Sweden:

• Sweden: Baltic Coastal Walk (7 days): through Tyresta National Park, forests, seaside trails and villages.
• Sweden: Island Hopping Walk (7 days): through Stockholm's southern archipelago.
• Highlights of the Sormland Trail (7 days): exploring sections of one of Sweden's longest walking trails.

Not just for introverts

"It is a great campaign from Visit Sweden, but you do not really have to be an introvert to want some breathing space on holiday," Kate says.

So while Sweden's new agency was created with introverts in mind, extroverts are very welcome on our walking holidays too.

Browse our self-guided walking holidays in Sweden

The Way, Her Way: A New Camino Film Puts the Portuguese Camino in the Spotlight

A new Australian film is about to send people looking for the Portuguese Camino who have never heard of it before. The Way, Her Way, from director Bill Bennett and producer Jennifer Cluff, began filming in Portugal on 13 October 2026. It follows a woman walking the Portuguese Camino after her marriage ends, and it's a sequel to Bennett's 2024 film The Way, My Way.

Walk it yourself: UTracks runs the Portuguese Camino across all three route variants, with self-guided trips on the Central Route, the Coastal Way and the Spiritual Variant, or browse 20+ itineraries for walking the Portuguese Camino.

If the film brought you here, or you've started researching the Portuguese Camino for yourself, here's what's worth knowing: the story behind the film, the route's history, and how the three variants compare.

The film: The Way, Her Way

The story follows Anna, 39, who learns on her fifteenth wedding anniversary that her husband is leaving her for his 23 year old paralegal. She googles what to do after being cheated on, finds "walk the Camino" at number seven on the list, and a few days later is in Porto starting the Portuguese Camino with brand new gear and no walking experience. The Camino, and the pilgrims she meets along it, change her, and when her husband later asks for another chance she has to choose between the marriage and the life she's found on her own. The filmmakers describe it as a story of female empowerment, and executive producer Marc Wooldridge calls it "the first ever Camino based feature film about a woman's experience" (an English-language first is the more defensible claim, since Spanish and Portuguese-language Camino films already exist).

Geraldine Hakewill, the Australian actress known for Wanted and the title role in Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries, was announced as Anna on 12 October 2026, on the eve of filming. As with the first film, the cast mixes professional actors with real pilgrims: Marie, Steve and Patty are drawn from the group Bennett and Cluff walked with on the Portuguese Camino in 2014.

Bennett directs and co-writes with his partner Jennifer Cluff, who also produces. The pair have walked the Portuguese Camino twice, and the script draws on true stories from their nine Caminos combined. Camino author Johnnie Walker, who has walked 57 Caminos and written 19 guidebooks, is an executive producer and advised on the script; he points out that more than half of all pilgrims on the Camino are women, which he and the filmmakers say the genre has overlooked until now.

Principal photography runs along the coastal route to Vila do Conde, then inland through Padrón into Galicia to Santiago and on to Finisterre, continuing to mid-November 2026 before a week of filming in Australia. Bennett says cinemas are "expected" in May 2027, and the production is also aiming for a May 2027 screening at Cannes, though neither date is confirmed. Worth noting for anyone researching further: the casting, box office and release details circulating online come largely from Bennett's own blog and the film's own website, which also carries financing and investor pages, so they're presented here as the filmmakers' own statements rather than independently verified facts.

A short history of the Portuguese Camino

Pilgrims have been walking from Portugal to the tomb of St James in Santiago de Compostela since medieval times, and the Portuguese Camino is now the second most walked of all the routes to Santiago, behind only the Camino Francés. It grew alongside Porto itself: the city's rise as a trading port on the Douro, and Portugal's independence in the 12th century, shaped the towns and bridges the route still passes through today.

A record 530,987 pilgrims received a Compostela certificate at the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago in 2025. Of those, it's reported 51,572 walked the Central route and 41,644 the Coastal route, together making the Portuguese Camino the busiest set of approaches to Santiago after the French route. Women made up 53% of all pilgrims in 2025. That gender split is exactly the gap The Way, Her Way is aiming to fill on screen.

Three ways to walk the Portuguese Camino

The Portuguese Camino isn't one path but three, and the film itself crosses between two of them, starting on the coast before cutting inland through Padrón to Santiago. Here's how the routes differ, based on UTracks' own trip notes.

Central Route

The original and most walked of the three, running inland from Porto through Barcelos, Ponte de Lima and across the Alto da Portela Grande, the highest point on the route at 430m. Our Central Route itinerary, Porto to Santiago, covers it in 14 days (13 nights), around 230km of walking through market towns, vineyards and eucalyptus woods before crossing into Spain at Tui and finishing at the cathedral in Santiago.

Coastal Way

A quieter, flatter alternative that hugs the Atlantic on the Senda Litoral, passing fishing villages such as Vila do Conde and Póvoa de Varzim before crossing into Spain by ferry near Caminha. Our Coastal Way itinerary, Porto to Baiona, covers this leg in 9 days (8 nights), around 140km, and it's this stretch the The Way, Her Way production crew is following for its opening scenes.

Spiritual Variant

The least known of the three and arguably the most atmospheric. It branches off the Central route at Pontevedra, follows the Ruta da Pedra e da Auga past old mills and the Monastery of Armenteira to Vilanova de Arousa, then swaps boots for a boat: a crossing of the Arousa estuary to Pontecesures that's recognised as an official stage of the Camino, complete with its own pilgrim stamp. Our Spiritual Variant itinerary combines this with the coastal walk north of Porto for a 16 day (15 night), roughly 270km journey to Santiago.

Walking it with UTracks

However you come to the Portuguese Camino, there's a version that fits. The full Central Route and the Coastal Way with Spiritual Variant are both available as complete self-guided walks, and shorter sections (Porto to Tui, Porto to Baiona, Lisbon to Porto) suit a first taste of the route or a tighter schedule. There's also a guided option designed for senior travellers, and self-guided cycling itineraries from Lisbon to Porto and on to Santiago for those who'd rather pedal the Camino than walk it. All of our self-guided trips include accommodation, luggage transfer, route notes and GPX files, and a pilgrim's passport for the Compostela certificate at the end. Browse 20+ itineraries for  walking the Camino Portuguese..

Frequently asked questions

How long is the Portuguese Camino? It depends which route and starting point you choose. Our Central Route from Porto to Santiago covers around 230km over 13 walking days, while the Coastal Way from Porto to Baiona is a shorter 140km over 8 days. Starting from Lisbon adds several hundred kilometres more.

Which variant should I walk? The Central Route is the classic choice, with the widest range of towns and the most pilgrim infrastructure. The Coastal Way suits walkers who want flatter terrain and sea views over historic towns. The Spiritual Variant is best added on by those who've walked a Camino before and want something quieter, including the boat crossing to Pontecesures.

When does The Way, Her Way come out? There's no confirmed release date. Director Bill Bennett says cinemas are expected in May 2027, with the production also targeting a Cannes screening that month, though both remain unconfirmed as filming only began in October 2026.

Sources

• The Way, Her Way official website (film, cast and team pages)

• Bill Bennett's blog: casting announcement, 12 October 2026

• Bill Bennett's blog: award announcement, 13 September 2026

• The Way, My Way, Wikipedia (box office and review figures)

The Lechweg Trail: A Wonderful Alpine Walk Without the Big Passes

By Tali Emdin

The Lechweg Trail is an 8 or 10 day self-guided walk of approximately 125km, following the turquoise Lech River from its source at Lake Formarinsee, near the alpine village of Lech am Arlberg in Austria, to the Lechfall waterfall in Füssen, Germany. I walked the eight-day version, the Lechweg Trail Hike, from 20 to 27 June 2026 in the middle of a heatwave.. The itinerary is graded Moderate (Grade 3) and includes overnight stays in comfortable 3 or 4 star hotels and the 'Lech Card' (more on what this is below).

The trail officially opened in 2012, created to protect one of the last remaining wild river landscapes in Europe. Unlike many Alpine rivers that have been heavily dammed or channelled, the Lech still flows naturally for much of its length, creating a network of gravel banks, channels and floodplain forests.

Overall Impression

The Lechweg turned out to be a wonderful Alpine experience, without the big mountain passes and long ascents and descents I might have expected. The scenery was outstanding throughout: beautiful alpine villages, turquoise rivers, mountain lakes. Navigation was generally straightforward, and we hardly needed the app, since the waymarking on the ground is excellent.

Having not walked in an alpine environment before, I was surprised at how gravelly the tracks are. You're walking on forestry access roads and gravel paths that are extremely hard and rocky underfoot, and in the forests there are tree roots and rocks to watch for the whole way. Hiking poles were extremely useful.

A lot of the walk is exposed, so in 32 degrees it was hot. We took every opportunity to dip our hats and feet into the river and streams, or go for a swim.

Day 1: Arrival in Lech am Arlberg

Our hotel was run by a lovely mother and daughter team, right next to the cable car station in the centre of town. We arrived on the summer solstice, so that evening we used our Lech Card to catch the Rufikopf cable car up to the top station, where they'd lit a bonfire and set out lanterns around the tracks. The restaurant up there stayed open late, so we had a traditional Austrian dinner with the view.

Day 2: Formarinsee to Lech am Arlberg (14km)

The first walking day starts with a bus up to Lake Formarinsee, sitting at 1,793m beneath the limestone cliffs of the Rote Wand and marking one of the main sources of the River Lech. It's a striking spot, and not just to my eyes: it was voted Austria's most beautiful place in 2015. The lake circuit is about 4km, well maintained on the first half, before turning into proper alpine walking on the second, with rougher terrain and the occasional need for a hand on the rock.

The descent back to Lech, by contrast, is a gentle, easy walk through alpine meadows, and the mountain scenery is stunning. Visually this was the most gorgeous of all the days. Near the end of the walk we reached the local swimming pool by the river, free with the Lech Card, and stopped for a beer and a dip before heading in for the night.

Day 3: Walk to Warth, then on to Steeg (26km)

If you finish in Warth, you can start later and catch the bus the rest of the way to Steeg. Being purists, we walked the full day, which the trip notes actually rate Moderate to Challenging if you skip the bus and walk the whole section, so it's not just us being precious about it.

Starting uphill out of Lech, you walk along the Lech Valley, crossing fields with great views of the surrounding mountains, before some steep sections through forest above Lech Gorge. From Warth, the trail follows a lovely panorama route above the river, through fields of spring flowers, with views down to the Lech's turquoise water the whole way.

The final descent into Steeg is a gravel switchback road, about 4km, and it was the least enjoyable stretch of the day, hard on the knees after that much walking already. There was a small mercy at the bottom: a drinks trough with an honesty box. The heat was real. We followed the river the rest of the way into Steeg, inside the Lechtal Nature Park, and were spent by the time we reached our hotel that night.

Day 4: Walk to Elbigenalp (18km)

This was a good day. The trail runs beside the river to Holzgau, a village of brightly painted houses, before the walk's signature moment: a 200m suspension bridge, with an honesty box to cross it that nobody's actually policing. I'll admit I took Scott's word for the views. Heights aren't my thing.

Further on you pass the Jochelspitzbahn cable car, and we rode it up for a proper lookout over the ground we'd already covered, before continuing through meadows and forest paths the rest of the way to Elbigenalp.

Day 5: Walk to Stanzach (20km)

From Elbigenalp, the trail continues through the heart of the Lechtal Nature Park, on forest paths, open meadows and riverside trails, through the villages of Häselgehr and Elmen, where traditional Tyrolean farmhouses reflect the region's alpine heritage.

As the trail approaches Stanzach, the river broadens into one of the largest gravel riverbeds in the Alps. It reminded us both of rivers in Alaska. Our guesthouse that night had an owner keen to talk about the solar panels covering his roof; at one point I looked outside and found Scott and another guest up ladders inspecting them with him. Dinner came with a translation mishap: we thought we'd ordered a steak sandwich and got pork in a sauce neither of us could identify.

Day 6: Walk to Höfen (19km)

After five days of climbs and descents, this one is close to flat, gravel underfoot most of the way and the river close by for company. The trail passes through Forchach and skirts the Lechzopf, a braided stretch where the water splits into multiple channels weaving through gravel banks, one of the wildest-looking sections of the whole valley.

The highlight was a quarry lake about two-thirds of the way in, clear and cold enough that we didn't want to get out. If I were doing this day again I'd leave later and give the quarry a few real hours rather than a quick stop.

Day 7: Walk to Pflach or Füssen (26km)

You could feel the nervous tension in the breakfast room, with people deciding what to do; I believe the heat was a deciding factor for a lot of walkers. There were three options: bus part of the way, take a shorter river route that misses the lake, or walk the whole thing. We went the long way, and this is the other day the trip notes bump up to Moderate to Challenging if you walk it in full.

The walk starts along a panoramic path above the Reutte valley, then a short, steep climb to the Costaries Chapel, where there are shaded seats. From there it's downhill through forest to Frauensee, a swimming lake, where the heat made a quick swim non-negotiable before we carried on.

Crossing the railway line marks the start of a steady climb towards the German border, and the forest genuinely changes character as you approach it: thicker vegetation, no logging, noticeably cooler air. Scott walked back and forth over the actual border marker a few times just to be sure it was real. From there the trail switchbacks down through forest to Lake Alpsee, with Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein castles visible across the water. We took the wrong side of the lake hoping for a swim and didn't find one, which turned the last stretch into more of a trek than we'd planned, made harder by the heat. The trail finishes at the Lech Falls after a climb up past Kalvarienberg and its churches. Walked as signposted, it's a 32km day.

From the falls it's another twenty minutes into town, and we stopped by the river one last time to dunk our feet, Scott went in fully, before heading to our hotel.

Should You Walk It?

Absolutely, for those wanting a moderate grade walk that isn't too hard on the knees (poles recommended), that lets you hike through lovely alpine environments while staying in traditional Austrian accommodation. Most sections have the option of a bus to shorten the day if the heat or the distance gets to you.

Who doesn't want to catch cable cars in the middle of their walk and marvel at the surrounding views while enjoying a Radler? Who doesn't want to go swimming in alpine lakes, rivers and quarries?

How fit do you really have to be? A moderate level is enough to enjoy it, though the heat made it harder than expected during our week, especially on the long exposed sections.

Thanks to Scott, for being my model for most of the pictures, and to my physiotherapist: I don't think I've ever travelled with so much ibuprofen, kinesiology tape, resistance bands and recovery balls. My Achilles made it!

>> View the Lechweg Trail Hike (8 Days)
>> View the Lechweg Trail Hike (10 Days)
>> View all Alpine Hiking trips

Watch: Sarah's Family Adventure on the Tour du Mont Blanc

Follow along as UTracks traveller Sarah takes on the Tour du Mont Blanc with her family, tracing the trail through France, Italy and Switzerland and picking up more than a few lifelong memories along the way.

This video gives a real feel for a day on the trail: the pace, the mountain refuges, the shared meals, and the sense of achievement that comes with each pass crossed. Whether you're drawn to a fully guided departure or prefer to walk the route at your own pace, it's a great introduction to one of Europe's most celebrated long-distance hikes.

About UTracks' Tour du Mont Blanc

The Tour du Mont Blanc is a horseshoe circuit around Western Europe's highest peak, crossing high alpine passes in France, Italy and Switzerland. It's one of the most celebrated long-distance walks in the world, and for good reason: each day brings a change of scenery, from glacier-fed valleys to flower-strewn alpine pastures, with the Mont Blanc massif a constant backdrop.

On our classic guided departure, hikers cover around 10 to 20km a day over 5 to 9 hours, overnighting in mountain refuges and village gîtes on a dormitory share basis. Mules carry your main luggage between stops, so you only need to carry a day pack while walking. Small international groups of up to 14 are led by an expert local mountain guide, with meals, luggage transfers and internal transport all included along the way.

With logistics taken care of and each day's route mapped out, our Tour du Mont Blanc trips let you focus on the trail and the mountains around you. Choose a guided departure with an expert local leader, or a self-guided itinerary at your own pace if you'd rather go it alone. We also offer gentler "Rambler" pacing and family-friendly departures, so there's a way to experience the TMB whatever your hiking style.

Group sizes on our guided departures are kept small, and popular July and August dates fill quickly, so it's worth booking well ahead if the Alps are calling.

>> View all Tour du Mont Blanc tours

>> View all Alpine Hiking tours

Webinar: Exploring Europe's Bike & Barge Tours

Learn all about exploring Europe's canals, rivers and waterways on a bike and barge tour from Pat, one of UTracks' active travel experts. In this session Pat shares trip highlights, meals en route and the range of itineraries on offer, along with insider advice from someone who has done it themselves.

Whether you're picturing a relaxed pedal along quiet towpaths or a more active multi-day ride between historic towns, this webinar covers what a typical day looks like, how the barge and cycling days fit together, and what to expect on board, to help you decide which itinerary is right for you.

About UTracks' Bike & Barge Tours

Explore Europe's rivers and canals your way on an unforgettable bike and barge tour. Bike and barge holidays are one of the most popular ways for active travellers to experience the hidden corners of Europe. Not only do you cover more ground on a boat-based tour, you also wake up to a sunrise in a different location every morning, all while only having to unpack once.

Most barges offer twin cabins in a bunk-style configuration, though some have side-by-side beds and triple or quad cabins suitable for families. Cabins are compact but comfortable, some with ensuite facilities, and accommodate between 15 and 20 passengers plus crew depending on the boat. Meals are taken onboard in a communal dining area, and our barges travel along calm waterways, usually no faster than 15km per hour.

With luggage handled and each day's cycling mapped out in advance, our bike and barge trips let you focus entirely on the ride and the scenery passing by. Whether you choose a guided departure with a group leader or a self-guided itinerary at your own pace, exploring Europe by bike and barge offers a uniquely relaxed way to see the continent, one stretch of water at a time.

Because of the limited capacity on board, our guided and self-guided bike and barge holidays book up well in advance, so it's essential to plan your trip early to avoid missing out.

>> View all Bike & Barge tours

Walking Albania's Coast: A Riviera Still Finding Its Feet

By Michele Salazar

There is a stretch of the Ionian coast where the mountains fall almost straight into the sea, the water turns a blue you half expect to be exaggerated in photos, and the villages sit so quietly on the hillsides that you start to wonder where everyone has gone. This is southern Albania in spring, and for a week in April it was mine to walk through, mostly alone but for a shepherd or two and the occasional group of hikers coming the other way.

I joined the Albania Coastal Walk, basing myself in the seaside town of Himarë for five nights before moving up into the mountains of Llogara National Park and finishing in the capital, Tirana. The routes trace the most scenic sections of coast to the north and south of Himarë, following ancient mule paths and goat trails that shepherds have used for centuries, along with a few more recent additions like the so-called Prisoners Trail, cut during the communist era. Here is how the week unfolded.

Arriving on the Riviera

The trip begins with a transfer from Tirana, a drive of around four hours that ends with a steep, winding descent to the coast. The final stretch is the one that stays with you, the road dropping through the mountains until the Ionian opens up ahead and the town of Himarë appears along the shore.

Himarë made an easy base. I stayed at the southern end of town, a quieter and less developed pocket than the busy northern promenade, though everything was still within an easy stroll. My hotel sat right on the water, and after settling in I regrouped with the group for the first of many long, unhurried dinners: soup and bread, eggplant and capsicum in balsamic, a bright salad of orange and iceberg lettuce, and a whole fish to finish.

Kudhes to Qeparo: an easy start through the olive groves

The first walking day set the tone. A short transfer dropped us near the village of Kudhes, and from there the trail climbed gently through olive groves towards the settlement above. The villages up here feel sparsely populated and almost untouched, and the walking was relaxed, with only slight undulations along the mountainside and a few rocky sections underfoot.

We stopped for a sit-down lunch in Old Qeparo, a lovely spot shared with a couple of other walking groups, before the path dropped down old shepherd trails to Qeparo Beach and the chance for a swim in water so clear it looked lit from below. On the way back we called in at Porto Palermo Castle, sitting on a small island reached by a narrow causeway. It was closed the day we visited, but the setting alone was worth the stop.

Vuno to Himarë: cliffs, coves and a coast in transition

Day two of walking was longer, starting in the village of Vuno and opening onto exposed coastal terrain with little shade. This is a hike-and-swim kind of day, passing beach after beach and cove after cove, each one holding that same vivid turquoise water.

It also showed me a side of the Riviera worth knowing about before you come. In April, the beachside resorts sit almost deserted, half-built and overgrown, with only a few workers preparing for the season ahead. There is a strange, cinematic stillness to it, like a film set waiting for its cast. There is also a fair amount of new construction along the coast, a reminder that this part of Albania is changing quickly. The small bays and clear water more than made up for it, and there was time for a final swim about an hour from the hotel.

The Prisoners Trail: Lukovë to Borsh

With rain forecast for the inland hills, our guide Kreshnik swapped the order of the next two days, so we took to the coastal Prisoners Trail from Lukovë to Borsh. We started a little later to let the morning showers pass, then wound down through terraced olive groves towards the southern end of Bunec Beach, the coastline unfolding in sweeping vistas of turquoise framed by rugged hills.

Much of the day felt like a beach walk, though the trail spent most of its time on the headlands above the shoreline, with wild thyme lining the path and releasing its scent as we passed. Concrete bunkers dotted the hillsides throughout, one of the more than 170,000 scattered across the country and a constant reminder of Albania's communist past. It made for a relaxed day with a real sense of history layered underneath.

Into the mountains: Lukovë to Piqeras

This was the day the trip changed character. Where the earlier walks had been gentle, the mountain route from Lukovë to Piqeras is a different proposition: remote, rugged and quietly wild. From the moment I left Lukovë until I reached Piqeras there was almost no sign of human life beyond the odd shepherd's hut. In a full day of walking I crossed paths with just one other group.

The scenery was the reward for the effort. Expansive coastal views, rugged mountain terrain, and hillsides lit up with wildflowers that softened the harder edges of the landscape. The trail is not clearly marked and can be heavily overgrown in places, so navigation takes real attention. The middle section traverses exposed mountainside on narrow goat paths, with steep drops and a tangle of animal trails, and the final descent runs down a loose, rocky track. It is more demanding underfoot and more remote than the coastal days, and all the more memorable for it.

That evening brought one of the highlights of the whole week. We climbed to the castle ruins above Old Himarë to watch the sun drop over the Ionian, the elevated ground giving us a panorama across the coast and the mountains behind. Dinner followed nearby at the excellent Fig & Olive, on a terrace overlooking the water. The temperature fell fast once the sun went down, and I was glad of Kreshnik's earlier advice to pack an extra layer.

Llogara National Park and Mt Gjipali

After five nights in Himarë we packed up and moved to Hotel Sofo, a mountain lodge in Llogara National Park with an alpine feel closer to something you might find in Austria than on a Mediterranean coast. Bags dropped, we set straight out on foot.

The change in terrain was immediate. Where the coastal trails had been rough and improvised, the path here felt like a proper alpine route, climbing steadily through forest thick with moss-covered rocks before breaking above the treeline into open, exposed ground. Strong winds and a sharp drop in temperature made this the most demanding day so far, particularly near the antenna towers on the ridge, where the cold was biting. The views were the payoff: the rugged coastline on one side and the dramatic peaks of the Ceraunian Mountains on the other.

Maja Qorres via the Dhjopuri Saddle

The final full day of walking was the hardest, with more than 1,000 metres of climbing on a steep route to Maja Qorres by way of the Dhjopuri Saddle. The distance was modest but the sustained ascent made it a proper challenge, well beyond what the earlier coastal days had asked of us.

The first section climbs to the saddle at a moderate grade, and from there walkers had a choice. Those wanting a shorter day could rest at the saddle and return, an option about half the group sensibly took. For the rest of us, Kreshnik led on to the summit of Maja Qorres at 2,018 metres. Beyond the saddle the terrain steepened sharply, and the final push involved a genuine scramble with plenty of hands-on rock and careful footing. Anyone uneasy with heights would find it intimidating, but reaching the top felt like a real achievement. Sitting beside a patch of snow while looking down to the sparkling coastline far below was one of the standout moments of the trip.

That evening we drove back to Tirana and rounded off the walking with dinner at Mrizi i Zanave, a wonderful farm-to-table restaurant serving traditional Albanian cooking. A fitting way to close the week.

An extra day in Berat

With time to spare in Tirana, I took a two-and-a-half-hour bus into central Albania to Berat, a UNESCO World Heritage town known as the City of a Thousand Windows for the white Ottoman houses that cascade down the hillside below its castle. The old town, the castle district and the riverside setting made a lovely contrast to a week of coast and mountains, and I would happily recommend it as an add-on to anyone with a spare day.

Should you walk it?

If you come expecting a gentle stroll from beach to beach the whole way, this trip will surprise you, and I mean that as a compliment. The coastal days are relaxed and accessible, but the mountain stages ask more of you, both physically and in terms of navigation. That range is part of what makes the week so satisfying. You move from swimming in hidden coves to standing on a snow-dusted summit, all within a few days.

A reasonable level of fitness and a willingness to embrace a country that is still developing its trail network will serve you well. Come with that, and Albania's coast offers something increasingly rare in Europe: a corner that still feels like your own.

Practical Information

When to go

Spring and autumn are the sweet spots. In April the hillsides are green and covered in wildflowers, the trails are quiet, and the resorts have yet to fill for summer. Daytime walking is comfortable, but the higher mountain days can be cold and windy, so pack accordingly. The summer months bring the crowds and the heat, which makes the exposed coastal walking far less pleasant.

Getting there

The trip starts and finishes in Tirana, with a transfer of around four hours to Himarë along the Albanian Riviera. The drive is scenic in its own right, passing lagoons and coastal viewpoints before the final descent to the sea.

What to pack

Layers are essential. The coastal days can be warm and exposed, while the mountain stages bring wind and a sharp drop in temperature, especially in the evenings and on the summits. Bring sturdy, well-broken-in footwear, as the trails range from smooth cobbled paths to loose, rocky descents. Sun protection, plenty of water and swimwear for the beaches will all earn their place in your pack.

Good to know

Trail markings along the coast are basic and often faded, and reliable maps are scarce, so the navigation materials provided are worth studying. Tap water in Himarë is not drinkable, but bottled water is easy to buy nearby. And keep an eye out for the bunkers: once you spot your first, you will see them everywhere.

>> View the Albania Coastal Walk
>> View all Walking & Cycling in Albania

Bring Your Barcode: UK parkruns to Pair With Your Next UTracks Trip

If you've ever found yourself in a strange town on a Saturday morning and gone looking for the nearest parkrun, you already know where this is heading. For everyone else: parkrun is a free, weekly, timed 5km event held in parks and green spaces all over the world. You walk it, jog it or run it (entirely your call), and there's no pressure to be fast. Register once at parkrun.com, print your barcode or save it to your phone, and that same barcode works at any of the 2,000-plus events worldwide.

That last part is the good bit. Your barcode doesn't care which corner of the country you're in, which makes parkrun a brilliant thing to fold into a walking or cycling holiday closer to home. The UK has more parkrun events than anywhere else on earth — over 750 of them — and a remarkable number sit right on or near some of the country's best long-distance trails.

We've gone through the data and matched parkrun locations to UTracks UK trips to find the best pairings. Here are some of our favourites.

Why Combine a parkrun With Your Walking or Cycling Holiday

A parkrun is a low-key, surprisingly lovely way to get the measure of a place. You'll be among locals rather than tourists, the route almost always takes in a park, riverbank or stretch of coast worth seeing, and the volunteers and regulars are generally happy to point you towards the best coffee in town afterwards.

It's also a genuinely useful bookend for an active trip. A gentle 5km the morning before you set off is a great way to shake out your legs and make sure your shoes are properly laced in before they really matter. And at the other end of a trip, a Saturday parkrun makes a lovely victory lap — a relaxed way to mark everything you've just walked or cycled.

All parkrun events are held on Saturday mornings, all are free, and all you need is a barcode you've printed once and kept in your pack.

Northern England: Newcastle parkrun and Hadrian's Wall

Newcastle parkrun takes place every Saturday at 9:00am in Exhibition Park, a short walk from the city centre, with a flat, two-lap course around the park's paths and open grass. It's a friendly, well-attended event with a strong local running club presence — and the café inside the park is open from the finish line.

The connection to Hadrian's Wall is a neat one. Our Hadrian's Wall Walk runs the full width of northern England from Newcastle to Carlisle, following the line of Rome's most ambitious engineering project across the Northumberland moorland. Newcastle is the eastern starting point, which makes the Saturday morning parkrun a natural warm-up before you set off west. Five kilometres around a Victorian park, then five days along a 2,000-year-old wall.

There are good options at the other end too: Carlisle parkrun is held in Rickerby Park on the banks of the River Eden, and sits right at the walk's western finish point for a satisfying Saturday conclusion.

>> View Newcastle parkrun

>> View A Taste of Hadrian's Wall on Foot

The Lake District: Keswick parkrun and the Lake District Walk

Keswick parkrun is one of the most scenic 5km events in England. It runs along the shores of Derwentwater, through Crow Park and Cockshot Wood, with the fells rising above the far bank. It starts at 9:00am on Saturdays in Fitz Park, a short walk from the town centre, and finishing with the whole of Keswick's café scene in front of you is frankly not a hardship.

Keswick sits at the heart of our Lake District Walk, which takes in Ambleside, Grasmere, Coniston and the surrounding fells over the course of the trip. If your itinerary brings you through Keswick on a Saturday — and it very likely will — the parkrun is an easy add-on before the day's walking begins. Ambleside and Grasmere also have their own parkrun events if a different day falls on a Saturday.

The same logic applies to our Lake District E-Bike trip: Keswick is a key stop on the cycling route, and the parkrun makes for a perfect pre-ride morning stretch.

>> View Keswick parkrun

>> View A Taste of the Lake District on Foot

Scotland: Milngavie parkrun and the West Highland Way

This is perhaps the neatest pairing on the list. Milngavie parkrun (pronounced mul-GUY, for the uninitiated) takes place every Saturday at 9:30am in Allander Park, a pleasant flat course through woodland and along the Allander Water. It's about 20 minutes by train from Glasgow city centre.

The reason it belongs here is simple: Milngavie is the official southern starting point of the West Highland Way. The trail's famous granite marker sits right in the town centre, and the 96-mile walk to Fort William begins from here. Our West Highland Way trip follows the full route through Loch Lomond, Glen Coe and the Highlands. Arrive on a Friday, do the parkrun on Saturday morning, then set off along the Way — it's about as purposeful a pre-trip 5km as you'll find anywhere.

And at the northern end, Fort William has its own parkrun on the shore of Loch Linnhe, ready to serve as a finish-line celebration when you arrive.

>> View Milngavie parkrun

>> View A Taste of the West Highland Way & Glencoe

Yorkshire: Harrogate parkrun and the Dales Way

Harrogate parkrun runs every Saturday at 9:00am through the Stray, the 200-acre expanse of open grassland that wraps around the spa town's centre. It's a flat, fast, well-organised event — usually one of the best-attended in Yorkshire — and the town's famous tea rooms and the Betty's café on Parliament Street are within easy walking distance of the finish.

Harrogate sits near the eastern end of the Dales Way, the 80-mile trail that links Ilkley in the Yorkshire Dales with Bowness-on-Windermere in the Lake District. A number of our Dales Way trips pass through or near Harrogate, and timing your arrival to catch a Saturday morning parkrun is entirely straightforward. Otley, Ilkley, Knaresborough and Sedbergh all have parkrun events along the route too, giving you options throughout the week if Saturday falls at the right point in your itinerary.

>> View Harrogate parkrun

>> View the Dales Way

Cornwall: Penzance parkrun and the Cornwall Walk

Penzance parkrun meets at 9:00am on Saturdays at Newlyn Coombe, a sheltered wooded valley just outside the town, with a straightforward out-and-back course along the stream path. It's a small, relaxed event with a distinct end-of-the-line charm — you are, after all, about as far south-west as England goes.

Penzance is the starting point of our Cornwall Walk, which follows the coast path north from Penzance through St Ives, Newquay and the dramatic north Cornish coast. Slot the parkrun in on the Saturday morning before your walk begins and you'll have your sea legs before you've even reached the cliff edge. The Cornwall coast also has parkrun events at Truro, Newquay, Falmouth, Padstow and Perranporth — a reasonable chance one of them lines up with a Saturday on your itinerary.

>> View Penzance parkrun

>> View A Taste of Cornwall on Foot

Scotland: St Andrews parkrun and the Fife Coastal Path

St Andrews parkrun takes place every Saturday at 9:30am in Craigtoun Country Park, a few kilometres outside the town, on a course through woodland and around the park's ornamental lake. It's a gentler, greener setting than you might expect given that you're in the home of golf, and all the better for it.

St Andrews is the northern endpoint of the Fife Coastal Path, which runs for 117 miles around the Fife coast from the Forth bridges through the fishing villages of the East Neuk to St Andrews. Finishing a multi-day coastal walk in one of Scotland's most famous towns and capping it with a Saturday morning parkrun in a country park is a very satisfying way to end a trip. The path also passes through or near Kirkcaldy, Burntisland, Anstruther, Crail and Leven, most of which have their own parkrun events should Saturday fall mid-route.

>> View St Andrews parkrun

>> View A Taste of the Fife Coastal Path

Find a parkrun Near Your Next UK Trip

These six pairings are just a starting point. We've matched over 230 UK parkrun events to UTracks trips across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — so wherever your route takes you, there's a good chance a Saturday morning 5km is waiting nearby.

Before your next trip, have a quick scan of the map at parkrun.org.uk and see what's close to your start point, end point or any overnight stop that falls on a Saturday. Register once, keep your barcode handy, and build in the morning. It costs nothing, it's one of the best ways to meet locals anywhere in the country, and it might just become your favourite part of the holiday.

Done a parkrun on one of your UTracks trips? We'd love to hear where. Let us know in the comments below.