http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34735 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34735 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34678 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34678 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34570 It all leaves you with a certain image – different from the standard - of a Mallorca where you walk, the route is very beautiful and scenic, and at the end of the day, tired, you come to these beautifully located refuges that are not only refuges but a place that lets you ‘experience’ food, meet other walkers and drink great cheap coffee.
To give some background, the GR 221 Dry Stone Route is a 132 km eight stage hiking route of medium difficulty which can be walked in parts or combined with other sightseeing. The five refuges - Can Boi, Muleta, Tossals Verds, Son Amer and Pont Roma – are all located in the northern rocky part of Mallorca which both needs tourists economically and landscape-wise remains unspoilt by the brand of tourism Mallorca has long been associated with.
Price wise, the dorms are all uniformly priced at € 11 a night with optional dinner at € 8.50 which is brilliant value for three courses including a carafe of wine. The refuges can all be booked online at: www.conselldemallorca.net/mediambient/pedra

Final point, the doors close at 10pm with the lights going out at 11pm. So if hard walking and early sleeping is your idea of a good holiday, do check out the link I have put below.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34570 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34567 With simple, functional accommodation and a range of local rustic fayre from no less than three restaurants, a cafe and a bakery it has something to suit all budgets (the cafe is best value). But beware - it will not suit party animals - you are expected to be silent after 11:00 pm!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34567 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34539 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34539 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34487 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34487 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34486 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34486 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34477 Almost all of the path is well signposted and maintained and offers something for all ages and levels of fitness. If you want strenuous climbs and vertiginous downhills, try the section from Sa Riera to the beach at Pals; for a flat sea-level stroll where you can stop at any number of small coves to swim or rest you can do the section from Platja d’Aro to Palamos; for a combination you could try Sa Riera to Torroella. The best thing about it is that you can have any length of walk and will never be far from refreshment or a fascinating, picturesque place to stop, whether it’s a beachside cafe for a snack (most of the bigger beaches, all year round), atmospheric fishing village for lunch (Sa Tuna, Tamariu and Sa Riera are unspoilt places to compete with any on the Mediterranean) or historic town (the perfectly preserved Begur and Pals are just short detours inland). The most rugged part is up north of Cadaques, where the path skirts Dali’s idiosyncratic house and ventures further into the weird moonscape which inspired some of his greatest paintings.
Too hot for most during July and August, at any other time it’s the perfect way to explore the coast. It’s free, you get fit quickly with the hills, and every walk can be punctuated with memorable meals. We first started doing it 30 years ago and are still discovering new experiences every walk; unlike us, it’s inexhaustible.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34477 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34448 My chosen hike takes in not just one but two of the UK's finest long-distance footpaths. The 18 mile trail starts off at the remote Tan Hill Inn which is England's highest pub. You then head southwards along the Pennine Way, which is one of Britain's best known trails. Once you reach the footpath above the village of Keld, you can then head off eastwards along the Alfred Wainwright's Coast To Coast long-distance path. This section of beautiful and challenging route takes you past many sites of historic interest from the region's mining past. It also takes you along beautiful river banks, up steep ravines, and across remote moorland, before finishing up in the heart of Swaledale in the village of Reeth. Here a classic village green and a selection of old fashioned pubs and tea rooms will ensure your walk is well rewarded.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34448 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34446 Even for those able to differentiate their Slovakias from their Slovenias, this region remains undiscovered. Lower in altitude than the better-known Tatras to the north-east, its rock towers, needles, windows and gates, separated by deep waterless gorges and ravines, form a national nature reserve, deservedly popular with Slovakian walkers and climbers. Its forested and round-topped limestone ridges are also much more typical of Slovakia’s mountains than the Tatras, but you’ll find little tourist infrastructure and few English speakers.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34446 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34445 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34445 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34443 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34443 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34442 La Palma (which Madonna called “La Isla Bonita”) is north-western island of this volcanic archipelago. Small and friendly, it contains everything hikers wish to find when on holidays. Well prepared choice of hiking paths, including both long (over five days) and short (some paths can be made in few hours), easy and challenging (both physically and technically), good prepared web of camping places, stable and warm weather, astonishing views all the way through and some extra attractions, including observatories. As if things couldn’t be better, it is also rather cheap, not that far away and easy to access.
The route we took (GR 131) leads from the bottom (south) of the island, beginning in Los Canarios (Fuencaliente) by Tenequia volcano (last time active in 1971) where you can look into the eye of the beast. We moved towards the north following mountain ridges. The path led us through volcanic, moon-like areas, proper rocks of Caldera de Tiburente, some temperate cloud forest, right back to seaside in Puerto de Tazacorte.
It took us five days to reach our destination, but there are several possibilities to hike parts of the same path or, if you like more technical routes, you can go inside Caldera de Tiburente, where you can also exercise some of your climbing skills.
To get there from the UK we flew to south Tenerife, then took the ferry from Los Cristianos to Santa Cruz on La Palma island, but La Palma Airport serves flights from London and Manchester.
Official language: Spanish, but most of people around will communicate in English and German too.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34442 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34441 Monasteries perched on the pillars were once accessed by rope ladders, replaced only when they broke. Now there are steps, and larger sites like Megálou Meteórou are busy. The hawks hunting in the thermals below, and the black-frocked priests hugging their knees in the ramshackle cable-car to the staff car-park, make it worth the climb. Walks to Ipapandí or Aghios Triádhos are wilder and more peaceful.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34441 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34439 We took six days to do this last July and some parts of the walk were quite challenging, particularly ascending the Devil's Staircase at Glencoe, and descending Conic Hill into Balmaha (which most people seemed to do on their derrieres!) Despite having spent a small fortune on midge repellent, rain macs and waterproof trousers, we didn't come across one midge and only had an hour of rain in the whole week.
Walking into Glencoe in blistering sunshine is a memory I don't think will ever leave me, but some of our highlights of the trip were the very well deserved pints at the end of a long walking day! The best of these was at the Drover's Inn in Inverarnan, on the banks of Loch Lomond. Formerly an inn for the highland cattle drovers, it hasnt been decorated in centuries. A roaring fire, amazing steak pie and a folk band had us staying there til the wee hours, despite our 10 mile hike the next day.
Lowlights included a sleep-free night at the Rowardennan YHA, an otherwise beautiful old house on the banks of Loch Lomond, less enticing when trying to kip in a room full of snoring hikers. The best night's sleep we had was in the Bridge of Orchy Hotel. About half way into our week, this little hotel had all the mod cons we needed, including a bath, which at that point seemed heaven sent.
All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable challenge that I'd do again in a heart beat. Take walking poles and compeed blister plasters, be prepared for changeable weather and you'll have a great time.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34439 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34438 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34438 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34437 Stay at the vila gale de praia, adults only with a great spa.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34437 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34436 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34436 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34435 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34435 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34432 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34432