A woodland trail around 

the Lakes of Killarney, Co. Kerry, Ireland

The Killarney National Park in Ireland's southwest hosts a range of walking and hiking trails, but one of my favourite day hikes is an easy and varied hike around a section of the Lough Leane and Muckross Lake shores. 

Distance:   8 - 10 kms, depending on start and finishing point.

Grade:  Easy, though some stretches can be slippery when wet. 

Accommodation:  Locally there are a number of great guesthouses and hotels worth trying.  Closest to the start of this hike is Friar's Glen Country House on Mangerton Road, run by Mary and John Fuller. A bit further away but set right on the shores of Lough Leane is the Lake Hotel, run by the Huggard brothers.  Both premises offer wonderful accommodations in beautiful surroundings.

From either premises make your way to the semi-ruined Franciscan Friary of Muckross Abbey, which is a little over a kilometre from both premises. The abbey dates to the late 15th century, though you can see from the changes in style of the cloister arches that the builders made significant changes during its construction period. There are a couple of large yew trees around the abbey, and a particularly fine specimen in the cloisters itself.  A section of the abbey has been recently reroofed, and it is worth exploring the whole building before proceeding northwest to the shores of Lough Leane. Turn to the south on a slightly muddy trail which offers views of Lough Leane, the islands, and the spire of St Mary's cathedral in distant Killarney.  Be sure to stop at the gaps in the trees to look out for the white-tailed eagles, recently released into the national park.  These fabulous birds tend to hang around the lake shores searching for fish and carrion.  If you spot any crows apparently mobbing something, this could be a sign of eagles nearby.  

Wall Valerian growing in Muckross Friary

Your trail continues south before rejoining the tarmac road used by the jaunting cars.  Shortly afterwards you will come to a field on your left, the site of a now-vanished Georgian mansion - take the right-hand fork immediately after this clearing, past the boat shed, and stay to your right at the next junction.  You should have an old cottage on your left, and a larger house on your right - the latter is used to accommodate student volunteers during summer.

Follow the tarred road for about 5 minutes, then turn right onto the woodland trail.  You should now be entering a section of Killarney's ancient yew wood, following a wire fence to your left.  Note the rocky nature of the terrain from which the trees grow - yews thrive on limestone or chalk substrate.  Some of the larger yews in this woodland may be 300+ years old.  

The trail crosses the West Meadow before entering an area of oak wood, a very different scene to that you have left behind. Continue until you get to the tarred road again, then turn right.  

The rocks under the yew trees are covered with a thick layer of mosses

You will shortly cross over Dinis bridge onto Dinis Island.  To the north lies Lough Leane, with Tomies Mountain to your left.  It might be worth your while to pause here again and scout for  eagles.  Behind you are the more placid waters of Muckross Lake, with Torc Mountain being the dominant feature on the far shore.  Further on you will see Dinis Cottage on a small hill to your right - a good spot to stop for a welcome cuppa. Behind the cottage lies the Meeting of the Waters and the Old Weir bridge, which is probably the oldest bridge in Killarney. 

View across Muckross Lake to Dinis

Your trail continues along the paved road until you meet the main road after about 2 km.  Cross this and follow the signs for the hiking trail which runs above the road back towards Muckross. The surrounding forest is overgrown with rhododendron, but this was not the case when the area was planted with conifers in the mid 20th. century.  As you return towards Muckross you have a number of choices of trails, either towards Muckross House or towards Killarney itself.  

Easy hike near Ronda, southern Spain

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Ronda to Benaojan train station 

Overview: 16 km/10 miles, easy hike, good tracks.

Overall ascent: 230 metres/ 540‘. 

Map:  

Allow 5 hours, more if you are nature-watching. 

Species of note:  Hoopoe, wood lark, serins, booted eagle, alpine swifts


Accommodation: Ronda has a wonderful Parador situated right above the gorge, but two smaller hotels which I have tried and loved are the Hotel San Gabriel and the Hotel Alavera de los Banos.  Both had come to me from reliable sources and lived up to the recommendations.  They each have great character. 

Ronda is an interesting quirky town in the mountain sof southern Spain, set on a high plateau and surrounded by  a ring of mountains. It is famous for its dramatic gorge, but few visitors take the time to explore the lovely lane-ways, quiet viewpoints, caves and more.  

Starting from Ronda's famous bridge, head south along the A-369 which soon drops down to ta small roundabout.  With the old town walls behind you, ignore the C-3 road to Marbella to your left, and follow the Calle de los Torrejones to the south. Continue uphill for about 700m until you reach a small crossroads nearly at the edge of town. The trail to your right is the Camino de las Cortes de la Frontera, which very quickly forks.  Take the marked, left hand fork.  

Waiting for some inspiration

The trail is wide enough to allow cars by, and passes through an area of small fields with scattered olives and other fruit trees.  Keep your eyes open here for shrikes, larks, finches and other birds, plus many species of butterflies. It soon drops down to a wooded glen, where the trail forks, at a stone wall topped by a wire fence.  Local guidebooks are a bit confusing here.  The marked trail straight ahead goes to a cave system, but for Benaojan you need to take the right fork. You soon leave the wooded area and get back into open country again.  Ahead of you rises a long ridge, with a farmhouse visible about mid-way up the slope.  The trail turns sharp right just at the farm entrance and climbs the slope to the right of the farm.  The trail was cleared recently when I last hiked this in early 2011. It is very muddy in wet weather.  Once on this section it is a straight-forward climb to the ridge top, and a long slope downhill to the road.  Ahead of you is a large building down by the road, which from a distance looks like it might be the train station.  Not so - it is just a fine private house. 

Once on the road turn left and walk about 300m as far as the bridge, then drop down the path beside the bridge to the river-side trail below.  Follow this upstream for about a kilometer, where a footbridge takes you across to the river and train line to the village - the station is about 100m to your right. There are a number of small restaurants and a bar at the station.  The trains for Ronda stop here about every two hours, so if you just miss one (as we did) be prepared for a wait.  

Ahhhhhhhhh!  

An easy-grade hike In the Dordogne, France

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St. Amand de Coly to Montignac, with a detour to visit Lascaux II.   

Overview: 12 km/8 miles, easy hike, good tracks.

Overall ascent: 250 metres/ 560‘. 

Map: Institute Geographic National: Map 2035 ‘Montignac - Grotte De Lascaux’ 

Allow 4 hours, more if you are nature-watching or visit Lascaux en route. 

Species of note: Short-toed treecreeper, nightingales, Black woodpecker

Hotel La Roseraie

Accommodation: In Montignac I use the Hotel La Roseraie, and it has always proved to be popular with my groups.  The delightful owner, Madam Nourisson, speaks perfect English, German and of course, French; is always courteous and efficient, and operates an excellent business.  This old manor house has rooms which are individual in their size, layout and decor, the outdoor swimming pool is pleasant to use after a hike, and any meal I have had there has been excellent.  They also offer a decent wine cellar. 

This is a lovely hike to explore the limestone, rolling landscape of this part of the  Dordogne.  Extensive oak woods are interspersed with scattered fields, and the historic sites are impressive, ranging from the early paleolithic to the 18^th century.  

Take your car or taxi to St. Amand de Coly, an attractive village enclosed by low hills about 7 km east of Montignac as the crow flies.  The most striking feature is a large fortified Romanesque church, with heavy walls, narrow windows, arrow loops, and simple interior decoration.  There is also a traditional atelier or coppersmith nearby.  With the church behind you, head southwest towards the small car park, turn right for 100m and take the track into the woods on your left. It should be signposted GR461.  This rises gradually through the woods before breaking out into fields, crosses a small road and drops down along a narrow ridge.  At the bottom of this ridge the trail turns sharp left and continues SW along a narrow valley before joining the D704 from Montignac to Sarlat-la-Caneda. 

Turn left along the road for 100m, then right along a farm track.  Take the next right, walk under the old tunnel, and after 200m you will come into view of Chateau La Grand Filolie. Built between the 15^th and 17^th century, this is a beautiful structure of turrets, battlements and a roof of ‘lauzes’, or stone tiles.  It is privately owned and not open to the public.  


Stay on the track heading due south, and about 200m beyond the chateau follow the small track to the right which cuts off uphill.  At the top of this stretch you will pass through a small hamlet called Les Combes.  Follow the markers until you reach a narrow road, and turn right.  If you now followed this north-west it would take you back to Lascaux and ultimately to Montignac, but our trail diverts to the left after a 100m and begins to drop down into  along, narrow valley.  Watch for the sharp right turn after 300m.  Another 3 km will bring you to the lower end of the road you just crossed, where you can turn right to visit Lascaux II.  Although the GR461 turns uphill towards the end of this track, I prefer to follow the main track to Lascaux. 

Even if you are skeptical about visiting the recreation of the original Lascaux, it is well worth the visit, particularly if you are visiting other prehistoric caves in Dordogne.  The interpreters do an excellent job of explaining how, when and why the paintings were done, and the recreated cave paintings are themselves quite dramatic.   Call ahead to book a tour in English or your native language.  I believe that everyone should visit Lascaux and the other prehistoric caves in Dordogne at least once in their lives to get a wonderful sense of how our ancestors lived. 

From here it is about 2 km back to Montignac, a route which takes you through some nice parts of the old town.   

A moderate-grade hike in the Pyrenees

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Espot to Estany (Lake) Sant Maurici and return 

Overview: 16 km/10 miles, moderate hike, generally good track, but narrow, steep sided and exposed for about 300 metres. 

Height gain: 550 metres/ 1815‘. 

Map: Editorial Alpina: ‘Estany de Sant Maurici - Els Encantats’. 1:25,000.  www.editorialalpina.com

Allow 6 hours, more if you are nature-watching. 

Species of note:  Lammergeiers, Golden Eagles, Rock Sparrows, Crested Tits, Firecrests.

Accommodation: In Espot I’ve stayed twice at the  Hotel Encantats, where the quiet, courteous owners speak decent English, have immaculate  rooms with balconies (see view opposite).  The rooms are a reasonable size and larger than in most of the hotels I checked in Espot. Breakfast is a nice buffet spread. See:  www.hotelencantats.com. 

If you want to see some of the wonderful Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, but don’t want to take the park jeep service, this is a great hike of about 16 km (10 miles) round trip, departing from the National park parking area about 4 km from Espot.  

Drive to the parking area (Prat de Pierro) at the entrance to the  park about 4 km  west of town.  You can only go so far and will be directed by a ranger into the (free) parking area.  From here head uphill for about 50m and take the signed board walk trail to your right. This takes you through a stand of  conifer and birch forest.  Use any of the viewing points along the boardwalk to look up to your right - I had golden eagles and lammergeiers in the same field of view in April.  The latter is one of the rarest breeding birds in Europe, and is  a dramatic bird to see up close.  I have had up to four sightings of singles and pairs in this area. 

At the end of the boardwalk the trail crosses the stream and continues upwards.  Keep a watch out for rock sparrows, which were common in the open areas. There are a number of interesting display boards on different aspects of the local ecology.  After about four km you will pass the hermitage of Sant Maurici, set into  a hill to the right, and after another kilometre will reach the Lake of Sant Maurici, surrounded by high mountains on all sides. There is a Porta-loo available at the lake.  

Refugio Ernest Mallafre

After viewing the lake go back down the track about 400 metres and turn right towards a signed mountain hut (Refugio Ernest Mallafre), about 15 minutes away.  It was open when I first visited in September, and the warden serves tea, coffee and snacks, all very welcome after the first stage of your hike uphill from Espot.  It was not open in April when I last visited but we could still use the tables outside. 

Having rested take the track westward for about 100 metres, turning sharp left at the first junction, then right at the next junction.  It should be signed for Portarro d’Espot, which is a high mountain pass.  Once on the right track it is a steady pull uphill for about 90 minutes.  You will pass one trail off to your left, then the signpost for Portarro d’Espot, and 20 metres beyond cross a steep gully, the Barranc del Portarro.   In April I had to turn around here with my group, as the gully was blocked by a steep bank of snow.  I would have crossed on my own or with very experienced hikers, but one slip on the snow bank could send one scooting downslope at a nasty rate of knots onto rocks below. Not to be recommended.  

Estany Sant Maurici 

On the far side of the stream the trail traverses a scree slope for about 150 metres before becoming easier again, and you'll soon reach the Mirador De l’estany (lake viewpoint).  You are now at 2180 metres (7085’).  The view is fabulous in any direction -  well worth the effort.  From here the trail starts dropping downhill.  You pass a marshy area to your left and soon reach a small lake (Estany de Ratera), which is the high point for the jeep tours.  Continue on the main track back past Sant Maurici (an alternative but steep trail drops off downhill past a waterfall) and return to your car near Espot.