Snow lingers on the Albanian alps well into June and after doing lots of research I discovered the pass between Valbona and Theth was actually closed in early May when we planned to hike it. I spent a lot of time emailing guesthouses, tourist offices and Balkan Facebook groups trying to get information on when…
Tag: nature
Hiking in Valbona | The Albanian Alps
Valbona wasn’t quite what we had in mind. There were mountains all around us with low lying cloud and a wet drizzle in the air. Some people had warned us not to bother coming here as the pass was too dangerous at this time of year and that we should just go directly to Theth…
Crossing the border into Albania and the Koman Lake ferry
It was about 28° as we set off with our backpacks to a random street corner in Ulcinj waiting for a shared car to take us to Shkoder in Albania. Our instructions were to wait beside an abandoned fire truck, which also happened to be where the neighbourhood bins were stored and overflowing, causing a…
Searching for the best beaches and old towns along the Montenegro coast
Locals describe the coastal town of Budva as an absolute disaster. What was once a quaint village has now expanded into an overdeveloped seaside resort. While it still has the beautiful old town, everywhere else is built up with high-rise apartments ready to be rented out in the high season. We weren’t sure whether it…
Five days exploring the Bay of Kotor | Montengro
Kotor bay is pretty much the reason I’ve wanted to explore Montenegro for so long. It looks like a Norwegian fjord has been transported to the Balkan’s with dramatic peaks rising around the bay. We booked an apartment a couple of kilometres from the old town and arrived to find no one home. We were…
Exploring the Baztan Valley | Spain
The Baztan valley is a stunning region in northern Spain with rolling hills, lush pastures, livestock and quaint villages. It’s an area we’ve driven through before but we didn’t stop to explore so this time I planned some hikes. We’re in the midst of a cold snap, it’s unseasonably cold for April but the good…
Hiking in the Spanish Pyrenees
The Pyrenees form a natural border between Spain and France and they remain snow covered until mid June. We weren’t sure if it would be a pointless detour in early April if the routes were inaccessible or roads dangerous, but we decided to give it a go. The first hike we did was up to…
Blue rivers, boat trips and mountain shrines | Aragon, Spain
The village of Ainsa is known as being the gateway to the Pyrenees and it was quickly added to my list of places I wanted to explore. The Rio Cinca has been dammed south of Ainsa which has created a series of beautiful lakes which is where we were heading. As we drove through the…
Peach blossoms and wild canyon hikes | Catalunya, Spain
In early spring Spain’s peach trees burst with colour and a sea of pink blossoms fill the verdant valleys. We were lucky to accidentally time our trip to see them in Murcia region and now we have another chance in Catalonia. We headed to the village of Aitona as I’d seen photos online of endless…
Waterfalls and warm rivers | Valencia Region, Spain
As we drove down a steep, winding road towards the little village of Chulilla we were surprised to see so many campervans and motorhomes parked up. We soon realised why when we saw sheer rock walls surrounding the town – it was a climbing mecca. Most of these vans belonged to climbers who spend their…
NON STOP TRAVELLING 