Overlanding
Sometimes the best way to connect with a place is by lacing up your boots and moving through the landscape on foot. Presenting 12 of the finest new treks on the globe, where a measured pace leads to simple luxuries: fresh air, a towering night sky, and conversation with a local. Get walking.
Flickr/welsh boy
Machu Picchu, Peru
Route: Mollepata to Machu Picchu
Miles: 22
Duration: Five days trekking
Difficulty: • • • • •
The ancient, mist-veiled ruins of Machu Picchu are as impressive as ever, but the backpacker-riddled Inca Trail is decidedly not. The new Salkantay Route, a 22-mile trek along forgotten Inca footpaths, is the far less traveled way to the enigmatic city, offering solitude, explorations of isolated ruins, and seldom-seen views of Machu Picchu from an ancient watchtower to the southwest.
Days The four days of walking at up to 14,800 feet are strenuous but not laborious. Credit the merits of distraction—such as tidy, organic coffee plantations; avocado and passion fruit orchards; thatched-hut villages; and glimpses of the rare Andean condor. The star attraction, of course, is the view of the Vilcabamba Range, soaring some 20,000 feet into the crisp sky.
Nights The four stone, wood, and adobe-brick lodges along the route, run by Mountain Lodges of Peru, are marked by local flavor. Indigenous textiles and musical instruments, plus black-and-white photographs of villages and peaks, adorn the walls. But the lodges are also attuned to the discriminating trekker: Think goose-down beds and a nutritionist-designed menu, which features hearty organic soups and dishes like grilled local trout with herbed organic quinoa.
Best moment A bracing swim in a glacial lake, followed by a soak in the Jacuzzi, pisco sour in hand, at the Salkantay Lodge. $2,500 for a guided seven-day itinerary from Cuzco; mountainlodgesofperu.com
Flickr/Allerina & Glen MacLarty
Amalfi Coast, Italy
Route: Capri to Ravello
Miles: 25–30
Duration: Five days trekking
Difficulty: • • • • •
Studded with lemon and olive orchards, blessed by a downright docile climate, and wrapped by towering cliffs, the Amalfi Coast’s charms are hardly in short supply. To savor them in solitude, however, walk to the more subtle attractions (like the lush gardens of ancient villas and tiny 18th-century churches tucked in remote villages) on an east-moving journey from Capri to Ravello.
Days A private tour of Emperor Tiberius’s summer palace by a spirited local historian and an amble through the lemon groves and ancient terraces along the Path of the Gods with an Amalfitano naturalist are only a couple of the highlights of Butterfield & Robinson’s Amalfi walking itinerary. In the Italian tradition, walks tend to be more like strolls, leaving plenty of time for poking around a historic paper mill in the tiny village of Scala or lingering over lunch in the village of Pontone. (Have the lemon linguine.)
Nights The God’s-eye views of the coast at the 48-room Hotel Caruso in Ravello, your abode for a couple of nights, have attracted literary luminaries such as Virginia Woolf and Gore Vidal. Le Sirenuse Hotel rivals the Caruso, with oil paintings by the masters, rare tropical plants, handmade-tile floors, and private balconies ideal for pondering the myth of the sirens thought to dwell offshore.
Best moment Catching the improv vibe during a private concert by Neapolitan musicians, who enliven their traditional Tamburiata tunes with jazz riffs and plenty of Southern Italian brio. $8,195 for a seven-day itinerary; butterfield.com
Flickr/Mielna
Ladakh, India
Route: Spituk to Stok
Miles: 65
Duration: Nine days trekking
Difficulty: • • • • •
On the Tibetan plateau between the great Karakoram and Himalayan mountain ranges lies Ladakh, the remote Indian region of eastern Kashmir. A fully catered 60-mile trek through its Markha Valley offers an intimate look at both an ancient Tibetan-influenced culture and some of the world’s loftiest peaks.
Days Setting aside nine days for the hike allows plenty of time to catch one’s breath. The mountains rise to 21,000 feet above footpaths that meander through broad river valleys, glacial lakes painted improbable shades of blue, and jagged passes that top 17,000 feet. Along the way, trekkers encounter yak herders and crimson-clad monks wandering the trails and stop at farmhouses, where locals often offer up Indian chai and yak-butter tea.
Nights Trekking in a remote area needn’t involve unsavory lodging. On Absolute Travel’s custom itinerary, ponies carry a number of comforts, including spacious and elegant sleeping, dining, and bathing tents; portable beds; and spirits and wines. Each evening, a chef from Delhi and his assistant prepare curries, Tibetan dumplings, and other regional specialties from fresh local produce.
Best moment Sitting in the parlor of a remote farmhouse and watching a traveling Buddhist lama utter an intricate blessing over a newborn baby. About $7,800 for a 20-day itinerary, including sightseeing and transfers from New Delhi; absolutetravel.com
Flickr/law_keven
Cornwall, England
Route: Portloe to Fowey
Miles: 30
Duration: Three days trekking
Difficulty: • • • • •
The 630-mile South West Coast Path, skirting Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall, may prove once and for all that England in April doesn’t have to mean cold breezes and dreary skies. In spring, warm maritime weather colors this coastline with wildflowers. Encounter Cornwall’s three-day walk takes in a choice 30 miles of path between Portloe and Fowe, combining the coast’s most rugged scenery with its most stylish lodging.
Days As you traverse the seaboard, you’ll pass statuesque topsail schooners perched in picturesque harbors and backstreets lined with medieval and Tudor cottages. What’s most surprising about these three ten-mile, rolling countryside hikes is that they’re so naturally quiet: Except for the occasional tiny fishing village, it’s all empty coastal heathlands awash in heather, seaside cliffs, and sweeping bays.
Nights Historic charm meets modern comfort in a series of refurbished hotels in the seaside towns of Mevagissey, Charlestown, and Fowey. The latter’s Old Quay House, an 1859 brick-and-stone bed-and-breakfast, whose 11 newly designed rooms feature views of the bay, cane-style furniture, and Egyptian cotton linens, is a prime example. And traveling through Cornwall, with its farms and rich seafood, affords a measure of culinary luxury unknown elsewhere in the British Isles. At Trevalsa Court Hotel’s restaurant, choices like Cornish venison with black currant sauce and local sea bass with passion fruit sauce and ginger risotto make choosing tricky.
Best moment Spotting bottlenose dolphins, whales, gray seals, or the fin of an elusive basking shark (the second-largest fish species on the planet) just offshore. $1,320 for a supported, self-guided four-day itinerary; encountercornwall.com
Flickr/catsper
Great Ocean Walk, Australia
Route: Apollo Bay to Glenample Homestead
Miles: About 36
Duration: Four days trekking
Difficulty: • • • • •
Australia’s Great Ocean Road, which runs 171 miles along the dramatic southern coast of Victoria, is said to rival the Pacific Coast Highway as one of the world’s most scenic coastal drives. Take in the standout bits on foot on the Great Ocean Walk, a two-year-old, 57-mile path that links the famed lookouts and historic communities with remote beaches and primeval forest.
Days Epicurious Travel’s custom itinerary takes in four choice nine-mile sections of the trail, including much of the virgin wilderness for which the walk is known: moss-lined waterfalls, soaring myrtle beech trees, lush forests of eucalyptus and fern, and some of the country’s tallest seaside cliffs. And forget the gorp; the moderate treks are fueled by handmade dips, marinated vegetables, and local cheeses and salamis.
Nights In April, Epicurious opens a new base for completing the walk at Johanna Beach, Victoria: the Rotten Point House, a modern glass-and-rammed-earth abode situated on 100 acres of native bushland. Commanding views of Johanna Beach and the Southern Ocean are rivaled only by three-course meals of fresh snapper, mussels, and other local seafood, expertly paired with regional wines.
Best moment Cresting a ridge and catching the first glimpse of the silhouettes of the Twelve Apostles, a series of 100-foot limestone towers offshore. $1,690 for a four-day itinerary; epicurioustravel.com.au
Flickr/imolcho
South Luangwa Valley, Zambia
Route: Kapani Lodge to Kakuli Bush Camp
Miles: 12-plus
Duration: Seven days trekking
Difficulty: • • • • •
On a Land Rover Safari, you may see a lazing lion from 50 feet, but nothing compares with the thrill of tracking it yourself and spotting it on foot while it twitches its tail and eyes you suspiciously. Zambia’s South Luangwa Valley, with wide swaths of fenceless wilderness and a handful of colonial-style tented camps, is arguably one of the best (and most stylish) places to experience wild Africa.
Days Walks between camps occupy whole mornings and are anything but linear, as the routes follow wildlife—leopard tracks or the calls of baboons, for instance. In addition to the more typical big game, one might spot wild dogs, which thrive in the area; puku, a local ungulate; and hundreds of species of birds. In the safari tradition, a tea bearer offers refreshments midmorning.
Nights Bush camps are more elegant than they sound. Norman Carr’s consist of five thatched-roof chalets furnished with claw-foot tubs, Persian rugs, and canopy beds. Private verandas overlook watering holes with hippos and crocodiles. Meals, such as chicken tagine cooked on the open fire, are accompanied by South African chardonnays.
Best moment Sipping La Motte Shiraz after dinner while pondering the moons of Jupiter through a high-powered telescope. From $575 per day for a custom itinerary; normancarrsafaris.com
Sonoma, California
While Sonoma may be a household name, there are still quality vineyards and wineries to be discovered. The only reasonable way to see this off-the-radar part of wine country is by tying up the walking shoes and strolling the vineyards with the producers themselves.
Days What’s unusual about Sonoma County is its diversity, from the cool coast to the arid inland. Walks between wineries such as Murphy-Goode, Sausal, and Alexander Valley end with private tastings. For an even fresher view of wine country, opt for a hike in Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve and a morning canoe ride on the Russian River.
Nights An average night might unfold something like this: Dine on lamb with cabernet sauce at a sleekly designed wine-country restaurant like Taverna Santi, in Geyserville, take an easy constitutional around the vineyards next door, then retire to one of 38 rooms in the Geyserville Inn, offering cozy fireplaces and balconies with countryside views.
Best moment Learning the finer points of cabernet and pinot noir varietals during a private tour with Saralee Kunde, who cultivates 16 wine and 17 table-grape varieties on six Sonoma vineyards. From $1,900 for a guided five-day itinerary; sonomavineyardwalks.com
Black Forest, Germany
Germans are no slouches when it comes to walking, perhaps in part because of the high-quality trails in their homeland. The 70-mile Trail of the Red Deer loop through the Black Forest is one of the finest. Not only does it travel through farmland, lake country, and thick forests, but it’s also dotted with elegant rustic hotels a day’s walk apart.
Days Walks are moderate, between seven and 14 hilly miles each day, which means trekkers move fast through the bucolic backdrop. But there’s ample reason to slow down: Between shocks of thick conifer forest lie deep-blue glacial lakes, moors, and lookout points over the whole lot. Take an hour to investigate Freudenstadt’s market square, lined with sidewalk cafés for a mid-afternoon coffee.
Nights Robust German cuisine is ideal fuel for trekking, and the region is replete with specialties: Black Forest cake or Black Forest ham, for example. Lodges feature steep, gabled roofs; cozy fireplaces; and medicinal spas with curious European features (tepidarium, anyone?). Inside, trekkers congregate at the bar around pints of local pilsner.
Best moment The first taste of the smoked trout, a regional specialty, during a leisurely lunch at Fischerstube, in the village of Obertal. $890 for a supported seven-night itinerary; worldwalks.com
Spain
Since the Middle Ages, Christians from queens to farmers have traveled the 450-plus-mile Camino de Santiago de Compostela route across northern Spain to St. James’s tomb in Santiago. Today, the UNESCO World Heritage route draws pilgrims from as far as Latin America and Japan, including many trekkers. Ticking off the last 60 miles may be the best way to see the thatched-roof villages, ancient monasteries, and wine country of northern Spain.
Days A day of walking can range between 10 and 15 miles, but with stops at Roman excavations, towering stone castles, and 12th-century churches, it will take well longer than a similar hike in the wilderness. Between these diversions lie stands of eucalyptus, patchwork vineyards, and—God bless Spain—bars and cafés that beckon for lazy lunches.
Nights Good hospitality is a tradition on the pilgrimage route, and travelers are often welcomed by farmers, who keep immaculate stone cottages and cook regional specialties like suckling lamb in a clay pot. The route rambles through towns with majestic paradors, which offer luxe lodging in 15th-century castles, and the El Bierzo wine region.
Best moment Standing alone in Navarra’s Iglesia de Santa María de Eunate and contemplating the faith that led millions to travel this route. $5,250 for a guided 11-day itinerary from Madrid; saranjan.com
Oregon
On the Rogue River, the restorative effect of wilderness solitude is amplified by the comfort of five riverside lodges, built in the early 1900s and accessible only by foot or raft. A 44-mile trail, originally constructed by miners, connects them all by lush second-growth forests.
Days In spring, temperatures hover in the seventies, and wildflowers like Oregon iris, columbine, and Indian paintbrush damn near take over the Douglas fir forests. On a four-day journey, each day’s walk ranges from seven to 15 miles but tends downhill, loosely following the clamorous river through wilderness alive with deer, bears, and eagles.
Nights Evenings are social at the river’s main lodges, made cozy by roaring fires and spirits carried in by rafts. Despite their remoteness, the lodges serve decidedly hearty meals, featuring top sirloin, seafood, organic produce, and bread baked fresh by the innkeepers. Look skyward en route to a private cabin; with only kerosene lamps to light the night, the sky is as dark—and salty—as the ocean, some 26 miles away.
Best moment Watching black bears hunt for fish during the chinook runs. $900 for a four-day raft-supported itinerary; wildrogue.com
Turkey
The lunarlike landscapes of Cappadocia practically embody Turkey, but heading south to the Turquoise Coast reveals the country’s wilder side. The best way to travel the arid paths that ply these rough, mountainous shores is by pulling up anchor on a gulet (a two-masted pine or teak sailboat) and walking from cove to cove.
Days From the ship, the stark, rugged shore may seem unvaryingly pristine. But walking uncovers the area’s history as the crossroads of two continents, with Lycian tombs, Greek and Roman ruins, and ancient fishing villages among the riches you’ll find.
Nights Meals of local bass, crab, and Turkish dishes like dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) taste even better when taken on the deck of a gulet in a salty breeze and the drowsy light of sunset. Below, private cabins are palatial by sailing standards.
Best moment Nothing is more refreshing post-hike than diving into a bay and swimming through baby-blue waters to your waiting vessel—except, perhaps, the crisp Efes beer that follows. From $4,500 for an eight-day itinerary from Uchisar, Turkey; backroads.com
Chile and Bolivia
Those who know deserts know tha t the only way to grasp them is by looking closely—and patiently. A seven-day traverse of the Bolivian and Chilean altiplanos to the Uyuni salt flats, the world’s largest and highest, offers such a look. Amid the stark landscape of iridescent white earth and boiling geysers, trekkers wander through shepherd villages preserved in the amber of another century.
Days The first thing travelers will notice about the altiplanos is the elevation—walks typically range from 10,000 to 14,000 feet. The second is the steadfastly sunny weather, which highlights the desert skies’ immensity. While Explora’s off-road vehicles ferry supplies between the four camps, trekkers meet Bolivian nomads, spot hawks and the occasional puma, and marvel at geothermal fields that spit colored mud.
Nights The enormity of the salt flats, fringed by mountains and
volcanoes, is best pondered at day’s end, while sitting in a camp chair with a glass of Chilean Carménère. A chef prepares open-air meals with seafood flown in from the coast. Stay overnight in ancient stone-and-straw homes refinished with local textiles and hardwood flooring.
Best moment Happening on 2,000 Andean flamingos on Red Lake, one of numerous lagoons on the Chilean altiplano. $5,970 for an 11-day itinerary; explora.com
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