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Mountains and Coast of Europe: The Best of Both Worlds!

The combination of mountain and sea on a walking holiday in Europe is irresistible… so why not combine both on your next active break?

Here are five of the best hiking destinations that will have you walking up in the mountains and then down by the coast.

Cyprus

Leave behind the waves of tourists who arrive to the popular seaside resorts of Cyprus and head inland, to the mountains, where the charms of an older world prevail.

When you are on a walking holiday in Cyprus, a year-round destination, you will be seduced by the sleepy villages, the expansive forests and the fabled views of the Troodos Mountains. But make sure you don’t miss the coast: legend has it that Aphrodite, the goddess of love, brought her lover Adonis to the impossibly beautiful Akamas peninsula.

Italy’s Cilento Coast

The Amalfi and Sorrento coast are famous the world over so not many people suspect that close nearby there is a little-known National Park with World Heritage status: Cilento.

Lapped by a crystal sea, hikers will find a wild beauty here: rocky ridges set between small, picturesque inlets; richly scented pinewoods back onto wide sandy beaches; and huge, centuries-old olive trees grow right down to the shore. Quaint fishing villages dot the coast, while inland mediaeval mountain villages serve as a reminder that Cilento remains largely undisturbed by the 21st century.

French Pyrenees

From high mountain cols to lush green valleys and through fortified walled towns and castles, the French Pyrenees naturally lend themselves to one of the most breathtaking walks in Europe.

Starting in the highest village of the incredibly picturesque Haute Vallespir Valley, high on the frontier between France and Spain, each day you will be walking a little further eastwards to get nearer to the ‘Big Blue’, as the Mediterranean Sea is called in these parts. The walk then ends in the colourful and picturesque former fishing village of Collioure.

High above Banyuls on the way to the 'Big Blue'

Corsica

Corsica’s GR20 is the most well-known of the rugged island’s walks, however the long-distance footpaths that cross the mountains from east to west (or “from sea to sea”) are in many respects far more interesting and varied.

Based on old mule tracks and ancient footpaths and crossing intermediate ridges, these routes used to connected mountain villages with each other and with high level pastures. They take the walker into the heart of the mountains, past tumbling rivers and through traditional villages… which otherwise could be easily entirely missed. Finish your walk at a seafood restaurant in the scenically located beach resort of Porto.

Portugal’s Douro Valley

Famous for its wine traditions and sublime beauty, the Douro River flows through steep channels for around 125 miles across the north of Portugal. It is a surprisingly unspoilt valley that is home to the first demarcated wine region in the world, dating back to 1756.

Easily reached from Porto, one of the best preserved cities in western Europe, here you can enjoy walks that take you deep into small working wine estates of golden terraces laced with vines; discover sleepy villages as you hike through peaceful countryside; and see vineyards of various sizes as you take a scenic boat trip. To taste the port wines of the Douro Valley, spend a few days in the vibrant seaside city of Porto.