Peregrinating the North West and Beyond

Tag: Travel

  • Brontë Country – A rainy summer walk before visiting Haworth

    A walk in the Brontë country near Haworth via Cullingworth, Denholme and Oxenhope. Views of Heweden viaduct
    Click on the picture to see the full slideshow and route video

    Stats
    DifficultyModerate
    Length9.6 mi – 15.5 km
    Total elevation1,509 ft – 460m
    Highest point1,217 ft – 370m
    Walking time4h25
    TerrainPaths, streets, roads and footpaths
    EquipmentSufficient amount of water for a four and a half hours walk
    View route (Click on menu to reveal the image)
    A walk in the Brontë country near Haworth via Cullingworth, Denholme and Oxenhope. Views of Heweden viaduct
    Send me a message by email or on Instagram to request the GPX file, AllTrails or Komoot link all files can be customized with your chosen departure points and/or to include sights along the trail.

    Getting there
    • Driving: Several car-parks in Cullingworth
    • Public transport:
    • From York: Train to Bradford Interchange then bus K4 to Cullingworth (c. 1h55)
    • From Leeds: Train to Bingley and bus K4 to Cullingworth (c. 46 mins)

    Watering Holes
    • The Bay Horse Inn – Oxenhope – c. 6.2 miles into the walk (2h45) A great village pub where both locals and visitors are welcome. Outdoor seating in the summer. Good selection of excellent cask ales and recognised by CAMRA. Unfortunately, no food served.
    • Plenty of pubs and cafes in Haworth – small detour from the walk
      I will make a separate post for those.

    Make a week-end of it

    Haworth is a fantastic village. Visit the Brontë sisters parsonage, independent shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants. Check my other post for more details.

  • Travel Spotlight – Trip to Sardinia – Palau

    I attended a friend’s birthday party on the island of Sardinia.

    This was in the beautiful resort of Palau (just outside at the Punta Sardegna)
    And rented the Villa Casa Mia. With a stunning roof-terrace and beautiful beaches within walking distance, which you had for ourselves in June.

    Open the menus below the pictures for details
    How to get there:

    Flights to Olbia – the town is less than 40 km (25 mi) from the airport.
    We rented a car. Beware that being a small island, the rental is not cheap. But was we wanted to get to the mountains after a few days; this was the only option.
    There are busses to Palau town-centre if you would prefer to stay Palau town centre.

    Activity

    As we only had a couple of days there; we took a tourist boat to explore the archipelago of La Maddalena National Park.
    There three islands to visit and a swimming stop. Note that there aren’t any shops, cafes or toilets on the first two stops but you there are loos on the boat as well as a bar. You can also buy a simple lunch on the boat. The first was the smallest (Isola di Spargi) is a stunning uninhabited island. Very eco-conscious. No plastic allowed on the island You will not be able to venture inland as it is protected. Get your beach bag to spend some time on the beach and take a dip in the crystal clear water. You will be able to see Corsica from Spargi.
    The second island (Santa Maria) has a family of resident wild-boars. They are very used to tourists and you can approach them quite close. The tourist boats stop to give them the left-over from lunches and the boars will come running to the dinghy when they know it is time.
    The last stop is the main island of La Maddalena. You can visit the old-town, stop for a snack or gelato and get some shopping done.

    Shop till you drop

    I didn’t do much shopping but fell in love with a shop called Jungle Surf and Jungle Boutique. This is an independent shop who sells its own brand as well as well known brands for surfing. They sell beach ad casual clothes, accessories, jewelry and home-wear with their logo. Their logo is incredibly cute and their products sold from only those 2 shops in Sardinia. Giving you a choice of very unique presents to bring home that will beat any tacky holiday souvenirs.There is 1 shops in Palau Centre and one in Porto Rafael. You can also order online : Jungle Surf website

    Where to stay

    I really liked the Punta de Sardegna and its little harbor of Porto Rafael. Perfect for a chilled week-end away with paradisiac, secluded and empty beaches. The water was limpid and fresh without being too cold and the little coves protects you from the waves and wind. Bear in mind that that part of Sardegna is on the path of the mistral wind. There are only a couple of restaurants, so we favoured the self catering option. Staying at Villa Casa Mia; the villa has a roof-terrace with an incredible view; a lower shaded terrace for al-fresco dining and 3 bedrooms. Perfect if you are traveling with friends and can split the costs. The website of the villa is here There are several other villas and flats in the area to suit all budgets. The best place to look for is AirBnB.

    If you are looking for more options with dining, wining and shopping; Palau centre is a very nice town. I am unable to make personal recommendations as I only spent a couple of hours there. But would happily go back and explore for another week-end.

    Roof terrace of Villa Casa Mia in Porto Rafael, Punta de Sardegna, Palau, Sardinia.
    Roof terrace of the villa