Results for "Islande+itinéraire"

Bonsoir

Je prépare un voyage en Italie du sud pour l'été prochain. J'en suis au tout début de la préparation et une question capitale se pose à moi. Faut-il louer une voiture ou pas ? Notre projet est de rester quelques jours à Naples et ensuite de partir à la découverte de la côte amalfitaine. Bien entendu pour les journées à Naples je n'ai nullement l'intention de prendre une voiture. Mais ensuite ? J'ai lu que la région était bien desservie par les bus et trains. Par contre en été, il semblerait qu'ils soient bondés. Je me demande donc s'il est possible de voyager en bus avec des bagages dans ces conditions. D'avance merci à ceux qui ont visité cette région en été et qui voudront bien me conseiller.

merci à tous ceux qui m'ont aidé à préparer cette croisière (pascal , Wendy ....) si je peux renseigner à mon tour , ce sera avec plaisir . j'avais essayé beaucoup de compagnies de croisières (costa , princess, celebrity , royal caribean , msc en yacht club, club med 2...) et j'attendais peut etre trop de cunard .... je suis revenue déçue de cette compagnie , vu leurs tarifs (suite princess grill réservée) . par contre , les escales étaient magnifiques et suffisamment longues pour bien en profiter . je pense que les croisières cunard ne sont pas destinées aux français mais aux anglais . bonnes futures croisières à tous

Bonjour,

Nous n'avons jamais camper, ni en tente ni en camping car, en tout cas pas depuis notre enfance et nous approchons de la cinquantaine. 1) Croyez-vous qu'on puisse faire un premier essai à nos ages? 2) Dans quel pays vaut-il mieux commencer? Moi je souhaitais faire un mois entre Argentine et Chili dans les hauts plateaux en hiver austral. Mon mari dit qu'on devrait peut-être faire une première expérience aux USA ou au Canada, au printemps ou en automne (je n'aime pas la chaleur). J'ai émis l'hypothèse de l'Alaska, qui ne lui a pas plu. Qu'en pensez-vous? 3) Y-a-t-il des inconvénients auxquels on ne pense pas qui pourraient être rébarbatifs? 4) Pour ceux qui ont tenté l'expérience dans ces 2 régions ( Etats-unis/Canada ou Argentine/Chili ) que conseillerez-vous?

Bonjour à tous J'ai parcouru les différents fils sur ce thème mais je reste dans l'expectative. Nous partons la semaine prochaine pour la Floride et rendrons la voiture, louée chez Avis, à Washington 21 jours plus tard. Qu'est il réellement du tarif du sunpass? 4$ par jour ou le pass est utilisé plus le prix du péage ou alors 4$ par jour depuis le moment où il a servi plus les péages? Par avance merci

Bonjour, oui je sais les 2 n'ont rien à voir hormis de magnifiques paysages ! En fait, nous souhaitons faire un voyage de 2 semaines en juillet 2016 avec nos 4 enfants de 22 à 15 ans. Nous avions pensé à l'ouest americain (canyons, Vegas et San Francisco) mais en juillet ça coûte bien cher. Du coup nous avons repensé à la Norvège, les fjords et les Lofoten. Cependant je lis que c'est cher aussi, alors ma question est de savoir quelle est la destination la moins onéreuse. J'ajoute que nous ne sommes pas vraiment adeptes du camping mais plutôt location, hôtel ou chambres d'hôtes. En Norvège nous avions vu les rorbus et aux USA des hôtels ou motels. Le budget max est de 15000€, soit 2500 par personne. Pensez-vous que l'un des 2 soit possible ? Je m'y prends tôt mais il faut avoir le temps de prévoir le budget... Merci par avance, je commence déjà à rêver :D Myriam

Un rapide calcul de la valeur de votre clientèle pour Air France :

Si vous avez été platinum pendant 10 ans, vous avez probablement dépensé pendant cette période au moins 300 000 euros. La marge d’exploitation d’AF étant de 10%, la contribution à son bénéfice est de 30 000 euros. D’autre part, estimons que votre clientèle permet à AF de diluer ses couts fixes à hauteur de 15 000 euros.

Votre clientèle vaut donc 45 000 euros de résultat, miles compris.

En échange de cette contribution et de votre fidélité, voici les avantages perdus ( !) :

- Plus d’accès au loundge quelque soit la compagnie aérienne (avantage Royal Wings)

- Zero upgrade en 4 ans (en moyenne 1 sur 3 avec Fréquence Plus rouge et Royal Wings)

- 28 AR payants CDG-JFK nécessaire pour un gratuit au lieu de 7 auparavant

- Suppression d’accès aux billets prime en première (ou pour ainsi dire vu le barème).

Je ne considère pas que Platinum à vie soit un avantage puisque avec 10 ans de Platinum ou équivalent, et 430 000 miles qualifiant au compteur en fin d’année, FB me trouve toujours de bonnes raisons pour ne pas le mettre en place.

Mais pour quelle raison acceptons-nous une pareille gestion de notre fidélité ? Surement par confort : si vous êtes à Paris c’est bien pratique de voyager avec AF, le service n’est pas mal et c’est un peu la galère de changer de programme.

Pour ma part, j’ai donne a FB jusqu’au 31 décembre pour me donner une bonne raison de rester. Si, comme c’est probable, rien ne change je pars pour M&M qui accepte le status match.

bonjour,

je suis en train de considerer tres serieusement l'aquisition d'un mini PC pour m'accompagner au cours de mes voyages. Il semblerait que les series eee PC de chez assus soient assez adaptees au cycliste nomade, mais depuis que la concurence s'y est mise, je m'y pers un peu. que choisir ? Asus eee PC, peut etre, mais quel modele ? MSI wind ? autre chose ?

a priori il faut privilegier la memoire flash au HD qui resiste moins aux chocs. je suis radicalement anti-windows.

merci de partager votre experience (j'imagine qu'il y a ici quelques personnes qui voyagent avec un PC dans les saccoches)

Salut à tous ! 😉 Un ami et moi comptons partir cet été au Cameroun, et peut-être au Gabon pendant environ 3 semaines, en mode, à partir de fin juin. Pour les billets d’avion, ca va aller, mais pour le reste, on a à peine commencé à s’organiser. Nous avons l’intention de partir sans trop d’organisation, mais du coup on n’est pas organisés du tout 😛 !!! J’ai donc pas mal de questions. - Nous partons donc à deux, en sac à dos et à pied. (Notre bourse d’étudiants n’est forcement pas très conséquente). On ne compte pas séjourner en hôtel, mais si j’ai bien compris, il faut quand même une réservation pour obtenir le visa. J’aimerais donc que l’on m’éclaire à ce sujet. - Etant donné que les billets d’avion Paris-Gabon sont moins chers que ceux qui relient Paris au Cameroun, il est possible que nous atterrissions au Gabon. De ce fait je voudrais savoir si il y a un autre moyen que l’avion pour passer du Gabon au Cameroun, et si c’est le cas, le temps que cela prendra et le prix bien sûr. - D’autre part, on était partis du principe qu’on verrait sur place où on allait dormir, et qu’on prendrait des sacs de couchage. Il semblerait, après avoir parler avec un homme qui y a vécu plusieurs années, que ce n’est pas très sécur🙁. Du coup, si vous avez des adresses de maisons d’hôtes, de gens prêts à nous accueillir pour une ou deux nuits, de tout petits hôtels, ou toute autre idée, et ce un peu partout au Cameroun, histoire d’avoir des points de chutes dans un maximum d’endroits, ce serait top. Et au passage, pensez-vous qu’il sera possible et assez aisé, de trouver des gens sur place prêts à nous offrir le gite ? - J’aimerais aussi connaitre les itinéraires de trains au Cameroun, ainsi que les prix et une idée des durées de voyage. - Bien sur, je serais curieuse de lire vos recommandations, vos conseils, vos avis… sur les lieus à visiter… - Enfin, en naviguant sur le forum, je me suis rendue compte que beaucoup de gens se font de trips au Cameroun cet été aussi. Alors ca serait sympa de se croiser ça ou là pour prendre un verre et s’échanger les histoires et les bons plans. Merci d'avance pour toutes vos répo, ses et tous vos conseils, bons voyages!

Où est ce train ?

J'ai pas pu m'empécher de mettre cette photo. Et c'est pas pour me la péter et je sais qu'il y a plus impressionnant. Prière de ne pas me lyncher.🏴‍☠️ Soyez sympas, les voyageur2000, les vieuxpicard et autres edtortue ayez pitié de moi 😠 Donc cette photo à été prise pas loin de PhuChiFa, ChiangRaï, Thaïlande. Si vous en avez du même style merci de me les faire montrer😛

Bonjour à tous,

Vous roulez lointain et léger, et vous avez sûrement développé des trésors d'ingéniosité pour que vos affaires servent à plusieurs choses. Ou alors vous avez bricolé une béquille super-légère avec un tube de toile de tente (mail vu l'an dernier). Ou alors vous avez mis au point la recette du biscuit bourratif, préparé en 20 secondes et qui sert aussi de rustine ? Enfin bref, peut-être qu'on pourrait mettre en commun nos astuces ? Je commence : moi j'utilise mes sacoches Ortlieb, bien étanches, en vaches à eau, bien pratiques pour ramener l'eau au bivouac et avec deux sacoches, l'une d'eau chaude, l'autre d'eau froide, c'est le grand luxe. Plus besoin de douche solaire qui fuit ou qui foire. On les supend pour la nuit la tête en bas et l'intérieur sèche super vite, même sous la pluie. Autre idée de ménagère qu'a pas le sou : j'emmène toujours un bouchon d'évier (1, 50€ chez Monoprix). Vous savez, le truc blanc qui fait ventouse et qui bouche les éviers ? Parce que vous l'avez peut-être remarqué, amis routards crasseux, mais quand l'eau est chaude ET gratuite, dans un WC public ou un camping par exemple, il n'y a JAMAIS de bouchon pour boucher la bonde et permettre ainsi au Lumpen Proletariat de faire sa petite lessive discrètement. Ca fait certes 100 grammes, mais au bout de 15 jours de crasse ça finit par être utile, surtout dans les pays qui font payer la douche 2€ (cf la Norvège). préparer des itinéraires pas chers : si vous avez un PC et que vous êtes arrivés à vous connecter sur EMule (bon courage, c'est pas gagné) il existe toutes les cartes IGN de France de rando 25 000/1 en "accès libre". Me demander des infos en mail privé. ne JAMAIS bivouaquer à l'arrache avec un matelas autogonflant en le posant directement sur le sol nu. Avec la nuit vous allez le faire bouger un peu, il va donc frotter contre les graviers et en 15 nuits vous avez un beau matelas avec 12 micro-trous dedans (vécu avec un Décathlon bas de gamme). Toujours mettre un tapis de sol dessous.

A vous de continuer si le jeu vous amuse ! Florence

Nous partons 6 semaines en juillet aout avec 2 enfants 8 et 10ans. Nous pensons utiliser l'avion pour les déplacements intérieurs, la location de véhicule ou camping car ensuite. Idée de trajet : Sydney, Alice Springs, Ayers rock ?, Broome et/ou darwin, Cairns Sydney Avez-vous des conseils sur les zones à visiter, le temps à y rester et les bons plans pour optimiser le budget ?

D'avance merci,

Okay, it wasn’t a total disaster either. Actually, I hesitated before starting this travel journal: is it even worth writing about a holiday that won’t leave an unforgettable memory? In the end, I went for it (there aren’t many recent travel journals about this destination). So, read on... or don’t .

Every time we’ve been to the Canary Islands, it’s been by default (basically: where can we go in winter or early spring when we only have a week—so not too far, not too much jet lag, but with decent weather?).

This time, we had two weeks, but the winter plan kept changing: first Thailand (dropped for personal reasons), then Martinique (dropped because of work leave dates that weren’t up to me), and finally, the Canary Islands.

We’ve already been to Tenerife (which we really liked) and Lanzarote (which we liked a little less). This year, two options: Gran Canaria or one of the smaller islands west of Tenerife (La Palma, or even La Gomera or El Hierro). We chose Gran Canaria... not sure it was the right call! Whose fault is it? Storm Thérèse’s! Yes, Storm Thérèse followed us on arrival, and its effects lasted quite a while. We had to adapt, cancel visits, change activities...

But even without Thérèse...

Saturday 21/03 Departure from Orly at 6:10 AM with Transavia. The plane took off on time and landed a little early, tossed around by strong winds before touching down. It had just rained, but it was (almost) no longer raining.



We quickly picked up our luggage and then the car at the Cicar counter. We got a Seat Arona instead of the Corsa we’d booked. Well, while the driving position didn’t feel great at first (I got used to it), the engine’s smoothness and power were much appreciated on the island’s winding and sometimes steep roads.

It was only 10 AM, and we couldn’t theoretically check into our accommodation until 3 PM (the owner promised to message me if it was ready earlier). So, we headed to the (big) *Jardín Botánico Viera y Clavijo*, where we planned to spend a few hours. We found a huge parking lot... empty. The passenger in the car in front of us (yes, we weren’t the only ones at the closed gate—there was a car in front and one behind) went to ask for info: it was closed due to the storm 😕. So, we calmly headed toward Puerto de las Nieves, on the northwest coast of the island.

The plan: go to a restaurant, visit the village, and do some shopping while waiting for early afternoon. As soon as we got out of the car, it started raining... we took shelter under the awning of a shop, waiting for it to pass. But the rain turned into a downpour, and within minutes, awning or not, Gore-Tex or not, we were soaked!

Since we were already wet, we might as well go to the restaurant—they weren’t far! But here’s the thing: contrary to what Google Maps said, they all opened at 1 PM, not noon! Back to the car, wading through 5 cm of water because all the village streets were flooded . The rain let up, we did some shopping, went to eat, and I got a message from the owner saying the accommodation was ready 🙂.

So, off we went to La Suerte, a few kilometers north of Agaete. The downside of the place, especially with luggage, is that you have to climb several flights of stairs via an outdoor staircase (after parking more or less far away on a steep street) to get there 😛). Of course, on the way from the car to the apartment, it started pouring again—the bags got soaked! Enough rain for today! We settled in quietly, and by late afternoon, we could (finally!) go admire the view from the terrace.

Hello everyone,

For our latest 3-week family trip (yes, the kids are growing up, and two of them are about to enter the working world), we’re heading to South America! For our first time on this continent, I had planned a classic 3-week loop in Peru.

But since we won’t be returning to this part of the world anytime soon, I thought: why not follow in the footsteps of Franck, aka Bibouns51, who, in 18 days, didn’t just stick to Peru but also added two of the planet’s most stunning landscapes to his itinerary... the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia and its neighbor, the fabulous Atacama Desert in northern Chile !!

So, I set about the tricky task of limiting the regions we’d visit in Peru to those we considered must-sees, to avoid rushing too much. The visit schedules were optimized, including several comfortable overnight buses that have the huge advantage of letting us hop between regions.

So, we’re off on a somewhat adventurous trip with three domestic flights (two on the first day and one on the last), two overnight buses for quick hops, several car rentals, the services of a few drivers to make the trip more comfortable, and even a tour operator for crossing the Salar...

Our main concern is altitude sickness, and we’re bringing Diamox, aspirin, etc., just in case.

Our second worry before departure was not even getting off the ground... Yes, for once, we’re leaving from France—Marseille, to be exact. The week before our departure, with the surprise air traffic controllers’ strike, I remembered why we usually prefer to leave from abroad, like Turin or Barcelona... In the end, it wasn’t the air traffic controllers who made us nervous but the early July wildfires that paralyzed the airport a few days before our departure. Fortunately, the fires were quickly brought under control, and on the big day, everything was smooth sailing!

Detailed itinerary (which changed on Day 1 due to departure hiccups): Day 0: Flight Marseille - Madrid - Lima PERU Theoretical and abandoned Day 1: Flight Lima - Cuzco and visit Cuzco (Puka Pukara, Tambomachay, Cristo Blanco Observatory, Sacsayhuaman sunset) - Night in Cuzco Day 2: Taxi -> Chinchero - Moray - Maras Salt Mines - Ollantaytambo - Train to Aguas Calientes Day 3: Machu Picchu - Return train to Ollantaytambo Day 4: 2-day taxi -> Pisac - Tipon - Andahuaylillas - Huaro - Night in San Pedro Day 5: Palcoyo - Checacupe - Vinicunca - Return and night in Cuzco Day 6: Day in Cuzco (catch-up on Sacsayhuaman, San Blas district, Temple of the Sun) - Overnight bus to Arequipa Day 7: Rental car -> On the road to Colca Canyon, night in Cabanaconde Day 8: Descent to the bottom of Colca Canyon, night at Oasis Sangalle Day 9: Ascent from the canyon - Maca - Chivay - Return and night in Arequipa Day 10: Visit Arequipa (Santa Catalina Convent, La Recoleta Church and Monastery, La Compañía Church, Cathedral) - Overnight bus to Puno Day 11: Lake Titicaca - Night in Puno BOLIVIA Day 12: Shared taxi -> Road to La Paz, visit downtown La Paz - Night 1 in La Paz Day 13: Moon Valley and Las Animas Valley - Night 2 in La Paz Day 14: Day in La Paz - Night 3 in La Paz Day 15: Flight to Uyuni - Day 1 of Salar de Uyuni tour - Night at the edge of the Salar Day 16: Crossing the Lipez region and lagoons - Night near Laguna Colorada Day 17: Sol de Mañana CHILE Day 17 cont.: Pre-booked transfer to SPDA - 4x4 rental - Pukara de Quitor - Stargazing tour - Night 1 in SPDA Day 18: Death Valley and Moon Valley - Night 2 in SPDA Day 19: Miscanti and Miniques Lagoons, Salar de Aguas Calientes and its Piedra Roja, Tebenquiche Lagoon and Quebrada del Diablo - Night 3 in SPDA Day 20: Rainbow Valley and swim in the Puritama River - Night 4 in SPDA Day 21: Tebenquiche Lagoon - Bus to Calama - Flight to Santiago Day 22: Return Santiago - Madrid - Marseille

Day 0 - 11/07: Destination Lima

Our first flight from Marseille went smoothly to our Iberia layover in Madrid.

In Madrid, just after getting off the plane around 8 PM, and as we were walking through the terminal, we got a rude awakening!!

We saw the word "Cancelled" next to our flight number on the display boards. Thinking it must be a glitch, we checked another screen, but the system was stubborn, and the same dreaded word appeared !

So, we headed to the Iberia counter, where an agent confirmed that our Friday evening flight was canceled and rescheduled for the next morning. The reason? A breakdown and no replacement plane, even though we were in Madrid, Iberia’s home base!

To make matters worse, I remembered our super-tight schedule, planned to the minute, with no buffer day in Lima. Since I’m a bit phobic of megacities and hadn’t found anything appealing in the Peruvian capital in our guidebooks, we’d planned to leave Lima as soon as possible for Cusco, the heart of the Sacred Valley, to spend our first day there.

Bad idea, because we already knew the 4-hour buffer wouldn’t be enough, and we’d miss the domestic flight, which was, of course, non-refundable and non-changeable. So, we had to call LATAM from Madrid to find another flight for Saturday evening and negotiate a rate to recover some of our initial outlay.

After an hour on the phone with customer service, several endless holds, and three failed attempts to dictate our credit card number over the phone to a Spaniard speaking English with a thick accent, we finally managed to confirm the transaction, securing our new flight tickets for a moderate extra cost of just 150 € total.

At first, we were pretty bummed about losing a day and incurring extra fees to reschedule the domestic flight, but then, when we learned from an Iberia customer service rep that we’d receive the max compensation of 600 € per traveler, we even ended up grinning... because 3000 € in refunds for only losing the first day in Cusco? We’d sign up for that 10 times over!!

Iberia then took care of us, putting us up in a hotel where we had dinner before a short 5-hour night and an early morning departure. I took the opportunity to improvise a quick day of sightseeing in Lima, focusing on the Barranco and Miraflores districts.

While planning a trip to the LOFOTEN for summer 2023 using the excellent guide *Hiking in the Lofoten*, we discovered this trek.

Sure, it’s rated as difficult, but it lets you cross the LOFOTEN on foot from north to south in 11 stages, covering 160 km and 9,193 m of elevation gain (or the reverse, of course).

So, it’s a multi-day hike, with wild camping, and no need to rent a car. Perfect...

What’s making us hesitate a bit are the island transfers (okay, I’ll admit, the difficulty is also a factor for me). These transfers require taking public transport and/or hitchhiking. But the stages are designed with this in mind, and the transfers are well explained. Plus, water isn’t an issue, and you can resupply several times, which helps keep the pack weight down.

For Jean Marie, my partner, this will be his first multi-day trek, but he’s an experienced and hardy hiker. As for me, even though I’m not as tough, I’ve already done some multi-day hikes. So, we should complement each other well.

So, are we going for it? Sold!!

Here’s the trek map: HERE

03/08 – Day 1 - Delp – Sandsletta 04/08 - Day 2 – Sandsletta – Svolvaer 05/08 - Day 3 – Svolvaer – Kleppstad + transfer to the start of Day 4 06/08 – Day 4 – Vikjorda hamlet – Store Lake 07/08 – Day 5 – Store Lake – Leknes - Transfer to Napp on Flakstadøya Island 08/08 – Day 6 – Napp – Nusfjord 09/08 – Day 7 – Nusfjord – Ramberg 10/08 – Day 8 – Ramberg – Selfjord Bay (Moskenesøya Island) 11/08 – Day 9 - Selfjord – Bunes Beach 12/08 – Day 10 - Bunes Beach - Krokvatnet Lake 13/08 – Day 11 - Krokvatnet Lake – Moskenes (campsite) and round trip to Å by bus 14/08 – Day 12 – Hike up Reinebringen – Reine – Tour of Agvatnet Lake 15/08 – Return to Bodø - flight back to France on 16/08 And here’s the inevitable recap

hi there Here’s the cruise schedule for 2026. It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members. 2 essential rules:

1) never "quote" the calendar when replying—this’ll avoid any confusion 2) follow the format below DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /

REMINDER Despite my requests, few people follow the requested format. Cruises that stray too far from it won’t be listed anymore—sorry!PLEASE respect the templates! COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / / It takes time to fix mistakes, so THANKS TO EVERYONE for your help!

YOUR TURN 😉

NUMBER OF CRUISES 2026: JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

Introduction

We stayed on the island of Gran Canaria during the first three months of 2024. It’s the third Canary Island we’ve visited, after Tenerife and Lanzarote.

We rented an apartment in Temisas. By staying in the same place for such a long period, the total price dropped by 50%.

We also rented a vehicle to make getting around the island easier.

Why the Canary Islands, and Gran Canaria in particular? For its pleasant climate, the nature and diversity of its landscapes, the charming villages, and especially the beauty of its many beaches.

In this travel journal, you’ll find a list of the many activities we did during our stay to explore the different attractions of this island.

These attractions are categorized to make it easier to find what interests you.

Videos are included throughout the summary. Click on the image to start the video.

To jump to a specific post, here are the relevant links:

HIKES:

Roque Nublo Maspalomas Dunes - Part 1 Maspalomas Dunes - Part 2 Los Azulejos de Veneguera Barranco de Las Vacas Ventana del Bentayga (Arco del Aserrador) Caves of the King Ventana de Morro (Ventana de la Ganifa) The Dog of Bentayga Cave of the Four Doors Ventana del Nublo Artenera - Caves of Acusa Seca Temisas - El Gigante Cave Fortress of Ansite Puerto de Las Nieves - Roque de Las Nieves Temisas - Cuevas de la Audiencia Roque Bentayga Guayadeque Ravine (Guayadeque Hermitage) Guayadeque Ravine (Cueva de Bartalo) El Zumacal - Barranco Tauco Casablanca Dam (Los Dolores Dam) Ayagaures - La Angostura Dam & Gambuesa Dam Santa Brígida - Alonso Ravine & Centennial Dragon Tree Pino Santo Hike in the Azuaje Ravine Gáldar - Red Lands of Samarrita Tejeda - Charco de La Paloma Bandama Boiler (Camino Borde de Caldera Bandama) Teror - Alamo Ravine Trail – SL-4 Telde - Calasio Caves Special Natural Reserve of Los Tilos de Moya Los Azulejos - Charco de Las Aneas Fataga Ravine Arinaga Military Battery Trail Maspalomas - Las Fuentes and del Canizo Ravines Mogán - Tauro Mountain Trail Tamabada - Llanos de La Mimbre & Sobre la Cueva Viewpoints Trail Hike to the Coronadero Arch via Barranco Hondo Barranco de Silva - Hike to the Jerez Caves Gáldar - Samson Cave - La Atalaya Peak Agaete - Roque Guayedra and Guayedra Ravine Artenara - Caballero Caves Arucas - Bufadero Salt Flats Barranco de Pino Gordo - Natural Pools Telde - Los Cernícalos Ravine Las Cruces - Toba Caves & Picón Puerto de Las Nieves - Moro Cave Agüimes - Morros de Ávila Caves Juncalillo del Sur - Laguna & Salinas de Abajo Caves of Camino de San Felipe Cruz de Tejeda, Cruz Chico and Degollada Viewpoint Hike on the Patalavaca Circuit Motor Grande - Puerto Rico Arch El Montañón - Los Hornos Dam Seafront Walk - Amadores Beach – Puerto Rico Beach Las Niñas Dam El Hornillo - Omega & Omicron Caves Arteara Necropolis Mogán - El Mulato Dam Las Garzas - El Regante Dam La Plata Route - Cho Flores Dam & El Charco Hondo Vega de Acusa - La Candelaria Dam Candelaria Hermitage – Acusa Seca Viewpoint Valsequillo de Gran Canaria – Roque La Vela Ayagaures Dam – GC-602 Lomo del Palo - Monte Pavón Trail Lugar La Laguna - Levada Fataga Dam & Ravine

BEACHES:

Mogán Beach Taurito Beach Tauro Beach Amadores Beach Puerto Rico Beach Anfi del Mar Beach Patalavaca Beach Meloneras Beach Maspalomas Beach English Beach (Playa del Inglés) Las Burras Beach San Agustin Beach Las Alcaravaneras Beach Las Canteras Beach (La Cicer) Las Canteras Beach (La Puntilla) Las Canteras Beach (Santa Catalina) Aquamarina Beach El Agujero - Bocabarranco Beach Hoya Del Pozo Beach Hoya Del Pozo Beach - Lizard with amputated tail El Cabron Beach Ojos de Garza Beach El Burrero Beach

NATURAL POOLS:

Charco Azul - El Risco Agaete Salt Flats Charco de Los Espejos - Sardina del Norte Natural Pools of Punta de Gáldar Snorkeling in the natural pool of Punta de Gáldar Natural Pool La Furnia o El Clavo - Gáldar Natural Pool of Los Dos Roques Emiliano Natural Pool - El Agujero Natural Pool of El Agujero Natural Pools of Roque Prieto Natural Pool El Altillo Los Charcones de Bañaderos – Arucas Natural Pools of El Charco de Las Palomas – Arucas Natural Pools of La Laja - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Cueva de la Reina Mora - La Garita Natural Pools of Castillo del Romeral

TOWNS:

Center

Santa Brigida Vega de San Mateo Tejeda Artenara Vallesco Teror

Southwest

Santa Lucia de Tirajana Fataga San Bartolomé de Tirajana Puerto de Mogán La Aldea de San Nicolas

North

Arucas Firgas Moya Santa Maria de Guia Gáldar Agaete Puerto de Las Nieves

East

Vegueta - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Triana - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Ciudad Jardin - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Canteras - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Telde Valsequillo de Gran Canaria Ingenio Agüimes Temisas

VIEWPOINTS:

GC-60 Route (or nearby) GC-210 Route (or nearby) GC-210 Route between the tunnel and La Aldea de San Nicolás GC-215 & GC-65 Routes (or nearby) GC-200 Route (or nearby) GC-130 Route (or nearby) & GC-605 GC-70 Route (or nearby) & GC-21 Sheep herd on GC-70 Route GC-150, GC-240, GC-305, GC-350 & GC-301 Routes GC-606, GC-295, GC-231 and GC-41 Routes (or nearby) Viewpoints – GC-1 Route (or nearby) Viewpoints - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Viewpoints - GC-2, GC-21, GC-15, GC-216 and GC-132 Routes (or nearby) Viewpoints - GC-503 & GC-217 Routes Viewpoints - GC-604, GC-505, GC-132, GC-42 and GC-802 Routes

MISCELLANEOUS:

San Rafael Aqueduct - Telde Abandoned San Rafael Estate - La Higuera Cenobio de Valerón La Cesta - Tejeda Puerto de la Aldea Scenic Route GC-671 to El Espinillo Scenic Route GC-607 to El Chorrillo The Galdar Cube (Santiago Quarry) Scenic Route GC-504 to Ayagaures Abandoned seaside resort in the Azuaje Ravine El Bufadero de La Garita – Telde GC-505 Route Abandoned Finca Las Haciendas (Los Mocanes) – Las Vegas de Valsequillo Ruins of San Juan Battery - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Viera y Clavijo Canarian Botanical Garden - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Tenefé Salt Flats Los Pérez, Lugarejos & Las Hoyas Dams Monte Pavón, Gran Canaria’s little Ireland Valleseco Lagoon Recreational Area Climbing - Fataga Ravine Surfing – El Agujero El Cairete Restaurant - Carrizal de Tejeda Paragliding flight observation - Los Giles La Cuevita Ayagaures Restaurant Statues and Murals - Cruce de Arinaga Aviation Monument (Las Majoreras) & Murals – Carrizal Artistic recycling by Antonio Peñita - Ojos de Garza Rainbows

Hi everyone,

There haven’t been many recent stories about Norway in winter, and since I had trouble finding info on winter hikes, I thought I’d share a little travel journal.

Back in September 2024, while planning our summer 2025 trip to Norway, I joined some Facebook groups dedicated to travel in Scandinavia and started reading travel blogs. Since winter trips were being planned at the time, I came across posts with stunning photos of northern Norway in winter. I’d always pictured monotonous landscapes of pine forests and frozen lakes, so I was pleasantly surprised to see fjords, mountain ranges, and charming colorful cabins—just like in the Lofoten Islands. Turns out, the vast pine forests are more typical of Finnish Lapland. Norway, north of the Arctic Circle, is actually much more diverse. That was all it took to suggest this destination to my three guys for our winter vacation. After some research, early March seemed ideal—good weather, long enough daylight, and great chances for northern lights. A direct flight from Paris to Tromsø sealed the deal. The only downside? The cost of cars, accommodations, and activities nearly made us back out! Everything except flights is really expensive.

Since our oldest son had an important school deadline in June, he decided to skip the trip, so we ended up going as a trio. We took a Transavia round-trip flight from Orly to Tromsø for an amazing trip from March 1st to 8th.

Want to come along?

Our trip to Norway was two years ago already, but I thought it might still be of interest—and it’ll let me relive it a bit by proxy.

Before booking our flight tickets, we debated the route: should we prioritize the north with the Lofoten and Senja islands, or the south with its countless fjords? I was tempted to stay in the south—the country is so vast, and the drive north is long... but my husband really didn’t want to miss the Lofoten. In the end, we figured that since Norway is known for being expensive, we might only visit once (funny how we said the same thing before our first trip to the American West, and look how that turned out 😎), so we didn’t want to skip anything. That meant a 2–3 day drive up north. With 22 days on the ground, it was doable. Especially since, as usual, we skip big cities and gave Oslo a pass.

Practical details: - Flight tickets: 1195 € for 4 with Air France (Paris–Oslo outbound, Tromsø–Bergen–Paris return) - Car rental: 2020 € for 21 days (including the outrageous drop-off fee between Oslo and Tromsø—about 1000 €) - Tolls and ferries: 250 € for the portion billed directly by the rental company. Some ferries required advance booking and payment at the time of reservation—I’ll note their prices as I go through the story. - Hotels: 4135 €, averaging 188 € per night. We blew past our usual budgets from trips to the U.S., but oh well... - Food: 1570 €, averaging 71 € per day for 4 in a country where everything’s expensive... How’d we manage? We rarely ate out, mostly grocery shopped, and even packed half a suitcase with non-perishables: pasta, rice, a few cans, and even some cured sausage! We also stayed 3 nights at Clarion Collection hotels, where an evening buffet was included in the room rate.

This adventure began during Covid... Yep, Covid turned a lot of things upside down, but most of all, it kept us cooped up for a few months and stopped us from traveling for a while—even longer for a die-hard fan of the American West like me.

While borders were closed, I started imagining what an ideal itinerary might look like—one that would string together all the Southwest must-sees in just two weeks, during the best time of year: September and October. When the U.S. announced in September 2021 that borders would reopen in the coming weeks, I regained hope and began scouting flight tickets for a departure in September 2022.

But here’s the thing: tackling solo hikes, each one tougher than the last, right in the heart of the Wilderness, could be a risky—even reckless—endeavor for a father of three. After a quick chat with some virtual friends who are just as passionate about the Southwest as I am, with good physical condition and nearly the same list of must-visit spots, Franck and his brother Sullivan were in! 🙂

In November, we snagged flight tickets from Nice to San Francisco for the modest sum of 400 €, and a few days later, I booked a Toyota Tacoma pickup for 840 € !

It’s not cheap for just 15 days, and a pickup isn’t exactly ideal for luggage, but the prices for full-size 4x4s have become totally outrageous! Due to border closures, rental companies had to offload a lot of these big 4x4s, which tourists love. Then, supply and demand did the rest !

Franck and I spent the winter and spring trying to cram the equivalent of three weeks of hikes into two. But even with physical limits, we had to stay reasonable! Three to four months before departure, we entered the lotteries for different must-see spots: The Subway, Coyote Buttes North (home to the famous Wave), and Coyote Buttes South (CBS).

The Wave is the holy grail for any Southwest enthusiast. Since 2015, we’ve tried our luck with the online and on-site lotteries about ten times, but the spots are unfortunately limited: just 20 per day. A glimmer of hope, though—since early 2022, that number has increased to 64 people allowed per day, with 48 spots awarded via the online lottery.

After all three of us tried our luck for The Wave, on June 1st at exactly 5 PM, I got an email that started with, "Congratulations! You were successful in the Coyote Buttes North (The Wave) September 2022 Permit Lottery at Coyote Buttes North (The Wave)...". At 5:01 PM, I called Franck, whose dream it’s been for over 20 years—ever since the first photos were published in a travel magazine! He didn’t believe me when I told him, and I had to forward the email for him to finally accept the unbelievable: we were going to The Wave and all the incredible spots scattered across the protected area of Coyote Buttes North.

I’ve already been to Coyote Buttes South twice, but there are areas I couldn’t explore in the middle of summer because they were too remote. So, I had no trouble letting my buddies convince me to go back for a third time. Plus, given how hard it is to access, we had no trouble securing a permit online as long as we logged in at exactly 8 PM on the dot!

For The Subway, all three of us struck out. No big deal—we won at CBN and CBS!

Among the sites to visit, there are two that I’m particularly attached to because I know my chances of wanting to see them again are slim. The first is Angel Arch, one of the most legendary arches in the Southwest, due to its remoteness from any trace of civilization. To get there, the recommended hike is Upper Salt Creek, and you’re looking at a 50 km round-trip in an area with no water (in September) and populated by bears.

The second site is the Hopi Salt Trail, in Navajo land, which, after a very tough hike, lets you marvel at the turquoise-blue waters of the Little Colorado before it meets the Colorado River. The Hopi Salt Trail is, like The Wave, the holy grail for any Southwest enthusiast, and the windows of opportunity to see the water in that magical color are very short each year. For this, you have to monitor the Little Colorado’s gauges downstream from Cameron: if the level stays at its lowest for 10 consecutive days—meaning no rain—you can hope for turquoise water. The ideal period rarely exceeds 30 days a year, and it’s usually in June that all the stars align.

But unfortunately, one month before departure, while the flow rate at Cameron looked promising, several storms in September dashed our hopes of doing the Hopi Salt Trail, even at the end of the road trip.

We still had two consolation prizes, though:

After a last-minute cancellation, while keeping an eye out for available spots for The Subway, it turned out that three spots opened up exactly on the day we’d planned to go—so we rushed to grab them!! Regarding the 4x4 rental, the prices for full-size models dropped by several hundred dollars, and we ended up finding a Chevrolet Tahoe for less than $1000. A steal and a serious boost in comfort, so we could store all our gear and food without worry!

Here’s the initial plan in a perfect world: D1 The White Domes - Camping D2 Sunrise at The White Domes - The Subway D3 Coyote Buttes North D4 Coyote Buttes South - White Pocket D5 Wahweap Hoodoos - Sidestep Canyon - Colourful Canyon - White Rocks - Sunset at Yellow Rock D6 Broken Bow Arch - Reflection Canyon D7 Coyote Gulch D8 The Volcano (or The Oasis - Zebra Slot Canyon if the weather’s good) - North Caineville Mesa D9 The Needles: Squaw Canyon - Lost Canyon combo - Druid Arch - Chesler Park D10 Upper Salt Creek Day 1 - Camping D11 Upper Salt Creek Day 2 D12 Hopi-Navajo Territory: Ha Ho No Geh Canyon, Coal Mine Canyon, Bends of the Little Colorado D13 Grand Canyon: South Kaibab Trail and Bright Angel Trail D14 Upper East Zion: East Temple Loop, Jughandle Arch, Center of the Universe, and Checkerboard Mesa Summit And several backup options in case of bad weather, including Spencer Trail, West Cove, and Buffington Pockets.

Enough talking—time for action!