Take a break from relaxation - storage.googleapis.com...Take a break from relaxation There s only so...
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Date 01 February 2015 Page 18 Copyright NLA Media Access. For internal use only. Not for reproduction. Take a break from relaxation There’s only so much lounging around you can do on holiday. Jake Russell picks out the best activity breaks for the year ahead — for all energy levels SEVILLE AND THE SIERRAS BY HORSE The heart of Andalusia can’t be reached by road. It lies somewhere in the mountains, along the ancient tracks and bridle paths that hire cars never reach. You’ll need a horse for the search: a sure-footed Andalusian with sit-back-and-doze autopilot and, at the flick of a heel, hair-raising sport settings. Nick and Hermione Tudor have a stableful at Finca el Moro, and if you’re reasonably competent in the saddle, you can join them for a six-night exploration of the Sierra de Aracena, picnicking in the forests and staying in tiny hamlets. The trip ends with two nights at the couple’s pied-à-terre in Seville. Prices start at €1,856pp, full-board (00 34 627 479738, fincaelmoro.com). Flights are extra; head to Seville with BA, easyJet or Ryanair. EUROPE’S BEST NEW GOLF COURSE After leading Europe to victory against America at Gleneagles, the Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley arrived in Portugal to open the estuary-side North Course at Quinta do Lago. Completed in just 10 months, it was voted Europe’s best at the World Golf Awards last November. Find out if you agree with a stay at the Hotel Quinta do Lago, where top-end service is complemented by superb views of the nearby beach and the surrounding Ria Formosa nature reserve. Five-night packages start at €1,244, B&B, including three rounds of golf (00 351 289 350350, hotelquintadolago.com). Fly to Faro, 20 minutes’ drive away, with easyJet. CAMINO PORTUGUES The Camino Frances, which starts in St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, in the Pyrenees, is by far the most trodden route to Santiago de Compostela. Aficionados — and those looking for a quieter, more contemplative pilgrimage — prefer the Camino Portugues, which follows the wild Atlantic coast for 383 miles north from Lisbon. The entire route takes at least 28 days; better to focus on the spectacular final section, running 68 miles from Tui, on the Spanish side of the River Minho. As befits a pilgrimage, you’ll stay in simple, family-run guesthouses and hotels. A seven-day itinerary starts at €631pp, half-board, including luggage transfers (00 44 20 3468 1516, caminoways.com). Flights are extra; Santiago is served by Vueling, Ryanair and easyJet. RAFTING THE NOGUERA Explore’s eight-day Pyrenean activity holiday sells out every summer — mainly because of what happens on day two. You wake up in Sort, an outdoorsy town bisected by the lively Noguera Pallaresa, a meltwater-fed tributary of the Segre. The 10-mile middle section of the river comprises Class III and IV rapids, including one named La Lavadora — the washing machine. No further questions. Surviving the river doesn’t mean taking the rest of the week off: there’s canyoning, kayaking, mountain-biking and abseiling. Kids aged 11 and up will have a blast; adults will struggle to keep up. Prices start at €1,756pp, including flights and some activities (00 44 1252 883605, explore.co.uk). SURFING IN PORTUGAL Apart from sharks, rip currents and coral, the last thing you need when learning to surf is a beach full of guffawing muppets treating your efforts like a clown show. Instead, you want gentle, consistent waves breaking over sand and the complete attention of a patient, professional instructor on an empty beach within walking distance of your accommodation. Helios Beach Houses, just behind Foz do Lizandro beach, in Ericeira, ticks all the boxes, offering two simple bungalows and a cottage, all self-catering, and a gorgeous rooftop loafing area. The owner, Clara, can arrange horses, bikes and lifts into town. A week in July starts at €527pp, with five days of surf instruction and equipment hire, but not flights (00 44 20 8144 9950, surfholidays.com). Fly to Lisbon with Ryanair. CYCLING THE COSTA VERDE There is a risk that when you first set eyeson the Costa Verde — the magnificent stretch of rolling green hills, empty beaches and deep-blue seas on Spain’s northern seaboard — you will never want to holiday anywhere else again. Yes, it rains a bit, but that’s what scares the tourists away. It’s driest from June to August — the ideal time to try a new nine-night self-guided cycling trip that starts in the foothills of the Picos de Europa and winds westwards through fishing ports, hill villages and valleys to the fabulous resort of Gijon. Prices start at €1,542, B&B, including flights, bike hire and luggage transfers (00 44 845 322 4672, headwater.com). PARAGLIDING IN ALGODONALES
Transcript of Take a break from relaxation - storage.googleapis.com...Take a break from relaxation There s only so...
Date 01 February 2015
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Copyright NLA Media Access. For internal use only. Not for reproduction.
Take a break from relaxationThere’s only so much lounging around you can do on holiday. Jake Russellpicks out the best activity breaks for the year ahead — for all energy levels
SEVILLE AND THE SIERRAS BY HORSEThe heart of Andalusia can’t bereached by road. It lies somewherein the mountains, along the ancienttracks and bridle paths that hirecars never reach. You’ll need a horsefor the search: a sure-footedAndalusian with sit-back-and-dozeautopilot and, at the flick of a heel,hair-raising sport settings. Nickand Hermione Tudor have a stablefulat Finca el Moro, and if you’rereasonably competent in the saddle,you can join them for a six-nightexploration of the Sierra de Aracena,picnicking in the forests and stayingin tiny hamlets. The trip endswith two nights at the couple’spied-à-terre in Seville. Prices startat €1,856pp, full-board (00 34 627479738, fincaelmoro.com). Flightsare extra; head to Seville with BA,easyJet or Ryanair.
EUROPE’S BEST NEW GOLF COURSEAfter leading Europe to victoryagainst America at Gleneagles, theRyder Cup captain Paul McGinleyarrived in Portugal to open theestuary-side North Course at Quintado Lago. Completed in just 10months, it was voted Europe’s best atthe World Golf Awards last November.Find out if you agree with a stay atthe Hotel Quinta do Lago, wheretop-end service is complementedby superb views of the nearby beachand the surrounding Ria Formosanature reserve. Five-night packagesstart at €1,244, B&B, including threerounds of golf (00 351 289 350350,hotelquintadolago.com). Fly to Faro,20 minutes’ drive away, with easyJet.
CAMINO PORTUGUESThe Camino Frances, which startsin St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, in the
Pyrenees, is by far the most troddenroute to Santiago de Compostela.Aficionados — and those lookingfor a quieter, more contemplativepilgrimage — prefer the CaminoPortugues, which follows the wildAtlantic coast for 383 miles northfrom Lisbon. The entire route takesat least 28 days; better to focus on
the spectacular final section,running 68 miles from Tui, on theSpanish side of the River Minho. Asbefits a pilgrimage, you’ll stay insimple, family-run guesthouses andhotels. A seven-day itinerary startsat €631pp, half-board, includingluggage transfers (00 44 20 34681516, caminoways.com). Flights areextra; Santiago is served by Vueling,Ryanair and easyJet.
RAFTING THE NOGUERAExplore’s eight-day Pyreneanactivity holiday sells out everysummer — mainly because of whathappens on day two. You wake upin Sort, an outdoorsy town bisectedby the lively Noguera Pallaresa, ameltwater-fed tributary of theSegre. The 10-mile middle section ofthe river comprises Class III and IVrapids, including one named LaLavadora — the washing machine.No further questions. Surviving theriver doesn’t mean taking the rest ofthe week off: there’s canyoning,kayaking, mountain-biking andabseiling. Kids aged 11 and up willhave a blast; adults will struggle tokeep up. Prices start at €1,756pp,including flights and some activities(00 44 1252 883605, explore.co.uk).
SURFING IN PORTUGALApart from sharks, rip currentsand coral, the last thingyou need when learning
to surf is a beach full ofguffawing muppetstreating your effortslike a clown show.Instead, you wantgentle, consistentwaves breakingover sand and thecomplete attention
of a patient, professional instructoron an empty beach within walkingdistance of your accommodation.Helios Beach Houses, just behindFoz do Lizandro beach, in Ericeira,ticks all the boxes, offering twosimple bungalows and a cottage, allself-catering, and a gorgeous rooftoploafing area. The owner, Clara, canarrange horses, bikes and lifts intotown. A week in July starts at €527pp,
with five days of surf instruction andequipment hire, but not flights (00 4420 8144 9950, surfholidays.com). Flyto Lisbon with Ryanair.
CYCLING THE COSTA VERDEThere is a risk that when you firstset eyes on the Costa Verde — themagnificent stretch of rolling greenhills, empty beaches and deep-blueseas on Spain’s northern seaboard —you will never want to holidayanywhere else again. Yes, it rains abit, but that’s what scares thetourists away. It’s driest from June toAugust — the ideal time to try a newnine-night self-guided cycling tripthat starts in the foothills of the Picosde Europa and winds westwardsthrough fishing ports, hill villagesand valleys to the fabulous resort ofGijon. Prices start at €1,542, B&B,including flights, bike hire andluggage transfers (00 44 845 3224672, headwater.com).
PARAGLIDING IN ALGODONALES
Date 01 February 2015
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Copyright NLA Media Access. For internal use only. Not for reproduction.
At the northern end of the Sierra deGrazalema, in Andalusia, lies one ofthe best spots in Europe to learn toparaglide.You can launch in almostany direction, and consistentconditions allow novices to achievein a single week what it could takemonths to learn in the UK. Fly
Spain is a British-run schooloffering intensive coursesthat allow you to attain theBritish Hang Gliding andParagliding Association’sElementary Pilotqualification. Overfive days, theinstructors will turnyou into a higherbeing capable offlying figures of
eight, solo, up to 400ft above theolive groves and almond orchards ofAndalusia. Prices start at €1,064pp,including accommodation, tuitionand transfers, but not flights (00 34651 736718, flyspain.co.uk). Fly toMalaga with easyJet.
FLAMENCO SUMMER SCHOOLNever get into a discussion withgypsies over the number of flamencostyles. Some say there are five.Others 17. Others insist that those17 can be subdivided into 93. But ifyou’re determined to learn thebasics, definitely go to the experts.With more than 80 years’ combinedexperience under greats such asManolete and Ana Cali, the dancemistresses Cristina Serrano Paz, AnaRojas and Chua Alba will put youthrough 10 hours of intensive tuitionat the Centro Flamenco la Fuenteschool, in Capileira, a village outsideGranada. If you’re a beginner, that’senough time to nail the trickyzapateado foot-tapping technique; ifyou’re more advanced, you’ll learnthe alegria and the solea. Prices startat €522pp, self-catering, includingtransfers, but not flights (00 34 658307627, flamencolafuente.com).Fly to Granada with Ryanair.
MOUNTAIN-BIKING IN ANDALUSIANew for 2015 is a greatest-hitspackage from the Geordie cyclingspecialist Saddle Skedaddle, whichasked its guides to combine the mosthair-raising Andalusian day ridesi k l d li h
into a week-long adrenaline rushthough the Sierra de Grazalema parkand the Guadiaro Valley. The resultis a single-track-dominated tripinvolving challenging descents andsome nasty technical trails, withthigh-busting uphill sections,following mule tracks, mountainroads and the odd goat path. It’saimed at riders ranging from keenamateurs to heavily scarred experts:beginners need not apply. Pricesstart at €1,284pp, half-board, withbike hire from €186 (00 44 1912651110, skedaddle.co.uk). Flights areextra; head to Malaga with easyJet.
Fan zoneLearnflamenconearGranada;below, hitthe surfin Ericeira,Portugal
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Raft of options Tackling therapids of the Noguera; andin the saddle in Andalusia,
this picture and above
S P E C I A L
Getty
