MY BEST HIKES IN 2022

JANUARY

Holmwood (Surrey).

When you live in London you rarely get a break. There are people everywhere, all the time which is annoying if you are an introvert like me. Surrey is most likely responsible for saving my mental health since 2020. Only 1 hour by train from central london and return ticket under £10 if you have a Network Rail Card (I absolutely recommend spending £30 a year to get 1/3 discount especially if you use trains every weekend like I did).

Sadly they stopped trains going to Holmwood between June and December, I’m guessing so they can fix the platform or whatever. Good news was you could still drive to there or walk from Dorking.

What is so great about that area? For once is filled with Redwoods which happens to be my favourite trees.

And there is even a small waterfall:

The forest is very popular with bike riders as well as with shooting spots, so please stick to the main walking paths. You may also want to visit the Leigh Tower which at mere 280m is the highest point in that area.

FEBRUARY

Dover

If you love trekking then no doubt you will be out in all sorts of weather but you may want to save this particular route for those sunny days. Maybe you will even take a dip in the sea:)

Return ticket from London costs £20 from Victoria or £24 from London St Pancras. The latter is also a faster option.

Whichever direction you will chose to walk, I guarantee the views will be worth it. There is so many things to see as well: Dover castle, the port of Dover, the White cliffs.

If you opt for a route taking you towards Sandwich, the way is pretty straight forward, and will mostly be by the coast. However heading towards Folkestone, you will have three walking option: coastal route (bear in mind you can only walk the path from Samphire Hoe Country Park to Folkestone during a low tide! Please double check at the cafe!) and two routes that are higher up.

My favourite one was the lowest route on a hot sunny day as you can dip your toes in the sea, and the middle high one rest of the time.

Best part? In Folkestone there is a fish and chips shop that also sells fried halloumi. I totally recommend giving it a go:)

MARCH

Hayling Island

This is another gem near Portsmouth which makes for a perfect day trip. Buy a return trip to Fratton and make sure your ticket is valid on any route as you will be returning from Havant. Return ticket comes to £21 from Waterloo and £18 from Victoria. Now this is the one route when buying in advance does make a difference in a price.

Approximately distance: 15km

If you start walking by the Esplanade just remember that once you get to Fort Cumberland you will need to get back to the main road. Also Eastney beach has a nudist section so you may find it awkward when you find yourself to be the only one wearing clothes not to mention is pretty hard to maintain eye contact (don’t ask me how I know!).

Then you need to hop on the Hayling ferry which is a tiny boat with few seats inside and larger outdoor deck. It gets packed fairly quickly with cyclists. The ride takes less than 5 mins and you buy ticket on the boat. You can find the timings here:

https://www.haylingferry.net/timetable

Once on the other side you can find pub, cafe and public toilets and that’s where the beach fun also start. You may have to walk a little bit further to get that pure sand experience. During low tide you get an extra mile or two to walk on:) and of course you can see Isle of Wight from here.

Further ahead you can find an Amusement park, water sports and cafes. This part is also very popular with kite surfers and quite often there will be festivals held during summer.

The last part of the walk follows the Staunton Avenue till you reach Billy Lane and follow the Langston canal. Popular biking route so try not to walk in the middle of the path.

Once you walk across the bridge you are back to the urbanised area.

APRIL

Pentland hills regional park (Scotland)

Granted, it was only a long weekend visit but I’d like to think I used it to the fullest.

Of course you need to hike to Arthur’s seat as the view is amazing but visiting Pentland Hill Regional Park will give you a much better run for your stamina.

I started my hike from Silverburn towards East Kip, West Kip and continuing to Hare Hill. It’s an uphill and downhill stroll but the scenery is wonderful.

Then I slowly made it to Loganlea Reservoir before hiking up to Black hill followed by Harbour and Capelaw hill with Allermuir Hill being the last ascend for the day.

I finished my hike in Swanston near the golfing club as I figured will be much easier for Uber to find me. It turns out it’s not easy to get an Uber on Saturday evening in Edinburgh.

MAY

La Gomera

Los Baranquillos to Valle Gran Rey

Named hikers paradise for a reason! Not the easiest one to get to as there’s no direct flights from anywhere in Europe but only 90mins by fast ferry from South Tenerife or a short flight from Gran Canaria.

So for this hike I took the bus to Los Baranquillos from Vallehermoso. You start your hike in the forest. The mist you see in my video only covers the forest between March and July.

Once you get to Mirador Ermita del Santo you will follow a path called Camino La America.

The views will get better and more spectacular as you will reach the optimum altitude on this hike.

And you will end up in Valle Gran Rey spoiled for choices with beaches.

JUNE

Fuerteventura, Playa Cofete 11km

Another gorgeous island from the Canary range and this one would be my favourite one 🙂 Don’t ask me why, I can’t justify it either considering it’s just a giant desert.

The public transport is great but you have one bus every hour so lots of planning required unless you rent a car. Here is the offices website for buses:

Routes & Timetables

Best part? Almost every hike can end at the beach:)

After a lot of brain storming I decided to pick the hike from Morro Jable to Cofete.

It is fairly easy one and the ascent is not too crazy but still packed with stunning views and variety of terrain.

Before ascending to Cofete you may want to check out Villa Winter.

And to get back to town you need to take this cool bus and get ready for a thrill ride on the most dangerous road on the island.

This is the bus stop

JULY

Isle of Wight

Shanklin to Ryde (21 km)

My favourite place in the whole England for sure. You will never ran out of walking options on this little paradise that is only 20 mins by ferry from Portsmouth, or 10 mins by hovercraft. Ferry is cheaper but a little bit less bouncy.

Every year there is a charity 100 km run around the island that you need to complete in 24 hours. I’ve never participated but I surely walked around every corner of the island by now.

This walk takes the crown simply because of its variety and diversity of the trail. You start by following the esplanade from beautiful Shanklin all the way to the end of Sandown.

That’s the easy part so treat it like a warm up. Once you passed the Animal Sanctuary the climb begins. The elevation is only 100m but the low angle will make you believe it’s a 1000! But the views!!! Just look at this perfection!

At the top you will find a cafe and a pub to refresh yourself and get ready for the descent.

Passing Bembridge harbour I recommend you head to The Causeway by Old Mill Holiday Park. You will feel like walking on water:) Unless it has been raining heavily, then you will feel as if you entered a mud run.

You will also find plenty of beautiful river houses. Just look at them!

From there you will be heading to St. Helens where you will find easiest one of the most stunning beaches! So you better come on a sunny day and bring your swimming costumes!

The rest of the walk is quite literally a walk on the beach with as many pubs as you want.

If you are lucky and time your walk right you can catch the sunset at the Ryde Pier before either hoping on a ferry back to mainland or taking the train back to the island:)

AUGUST

Delvine (Albania)

I am perfectly aware that Albania is home to some of the most amazing mountains, but I visited during one of the hottest months so had to settle by the sea side. I love hiking but 40°C it’s a bit too much.

Delvine it’s a little village one hour by bus from Sarrande and makes for a great escapes the busy city. I felt like I could breathe again and hear my thoughts. No, seriously Sarande in August is a nightmare unless you love lying down on a beach so full that you can hear your neighbour breathe and feel their hot skin next to yours.

I try to always go for a circular route as I consider coming back the same way a bit unlucky. Yes, I am a little bit superstitious.

Yes I will walk the same path back if there is absolutely no other option.

This was a short walk, about 10km all together as it was super hot and I needed to seek shade for a siesta.

I took the left turn towards Varezza cemetery which is a beautiful stretch of dirt road with high hills on the side.

I passed some sort of factory with a security guards on my way, which always makes me feel on edge. Like am I allowed to walk here? Is this a secured area? Haven’t seen any signs and the security guard didn’t say anything, but was watching me for a good stretch. I suspect it was because not many “foreigners” head this way.

Since the road wasn’t circular I decided to climb the Maja Kopres peak but I abandoned the idea half way through when I stumbled upon the perfect bench/tree where I could take a little nap.

After two hours of blissful rest I made it back on the dirt road and stumbled upon abandoned van. The inside was overgrown with fern and bushes and covered in rust.

Past the van the path was following some fenced area which was part of the factory I’m guessing.

On the path leading back to the village I heard dogs barking and I was praying they were behind a fence. Technically they were but the fence had a hole in it and I was lucky enough to pass by it before the dogs got up. They were territorial and you can see on the video they weren’t that aggressive.

Mere 100 metres down there was another dog blocking my path and I refused to proceed. Luckily there were some workers around and one of them saw me and asked what’s the problem. When I pointed at the dog he motioned for me to proceed but when I refused he called his friend to take the dog away.

My legs were still shaking though. And I’m glad I was carrying my hiking poles.

SEPTEMBER

CORFU

Visited Corfu twice within two months and I have to say it’s not what I expected. For a place that have been a popular tourist destination since the dawn of times how can you still not have pavements for pedestrians nor street lights???

During my first visit I didn’t manage to hike to Pantokrator mainly due to high temperatures and me prioritising sea side 🙂 it was also my last destination on my three week holidays so I was tired thus hiking was not my priority.

I started my hike by taking a taxi to Old Perithia, which is a 14th century permanently inhabited village. Well worth the visit on its own.

Once you leave the village you will be surrounded by hills from which you will have a magnificent view over Corfu and coast of Albania.

The path is somehow marked but the peak is pretty obvious so very unlikely for you to get lost.

If you want to visit the Monastery of Ipsilos Pantocrator, then please remember to bring a scarf to cover your shoulders or you can use one from the box at the entrance. You have to pay for it if I remember correctly but it’s a small amount.

There is a one cafe where you can refuel but I suspect it gets pretty packed in summer since you can drive all the way to there. Yep, you guessed it: I didn’t linger for very

long specifically for that reason. I truly believe that unless you have a disability preventing you from walking, you should not be able to drive to viewpoints. Some views need to be earned in order to be appreciated but that’s a whole topic for another blog:)

Weather being perfect and plenty of sunshine hours still left I decided continue my walk all the way to Kassiopi. Buses are very infrequent on the island and I knew I can easily get a taxi back from there.

Remaining route equaled to 13km and most of it downhill with miles and miles of beautiful coastal views. I think one of the reasons I love islands so much it is the amount of open space and horizon that stretches for infinity.

Quite often on long hikes like this I try to squeeze a power nap or a simple moment to enjoy my surroundings fully. According to my calculations I could have a full hour of basking in the sun once I find a comfortable peace of soil or a rock to lie on. Sadly my rest was interrupted within first 10 mins by a tourist and that interaction ruined the rest of my hike and I was not keen on hiking solo for few weeks after that. To this day I have no idea where he come from as I checked all the trails multiple times before deciding to take my break.

With my confidence shaken I decided to skip the Big Caves of Lotuses and took the less demanding path straight to the village. I could not get rid of the feeling that I am being followed or watched till I saw buildings and some form of life, even in a form of live stock. I also stumbled upon this cool bell you could ring:) I didn’t in case it was used for emergencies only.

You will see some beautiful villas on that walk and the coast of Albania.

Kassiopi is full of cafes, gift shops, ice cream places and restaurants. I really liked it’s vibe and even witnessed a wedding whilst there.

OCTOBER

Dorking Sunday Roast Loop Hike

This was a hike I did every Sunday since 2020 but I only added the Sunday roast to it in 2021.

The idea behind it was very simple: still getting the steps in but in a more leisure way with a delicious lunch to look forward to. Yes, ideally the hot food would be at the end of the hike but sadly they don’t serve Sunday roast past 4pm neither the location of the pub was anywhere close to the station. This is a loop hike that comes to a nice 20km

Return ticket from London is £9 with a discount. Lunch cost is £20.

I start and end this hike on Ashcombe Road which leads to Horley’s Copse. Then I take the McPherson’s Mount towards Lince Lane.

Here you will have to cross the main road ( Westcott Road) and follow Milton Street passing the fishing lakes. In winter you will find many of those houses decorated with lights from top to bottom.

Then I head towards Squires Great Wood which is the only uphill on this walk. The true fun begins at Wolvens Lane which has a beautiful redwood forest and sandy path. I usually take my shoes off regardless of the season as long as it’s dry and walk this patch barefoot. I do get funny looks from other walkers but that is their problem not mine.

I also get very happy because I know the pub is not too far away now and I already rehearse my food order. I recommend making a reservation at least one week ahead as otherwise they may not serve you food if they are very busy.

Do you really want to miss out on this:

With my tummy fool I’m quite often tempted to just call the taxi and end the walk here and then but then I remember how peaceful the last section of the walk is and you know you need that extra peace before heading back to London. Every minute out of London counts as a happy time:)

Once past the St John The Evangelist Church I’m heading towards the White Downs and then it’s straight way back to the main road.

It is a sweet and sour feeling of having the hardest part of the walk behind and knowing the end is coming.

You can adjust the walk according to your needs and abilities. I would just like to point out few attractions you can find in this area: The Temple, Tillingbourne Waterfall, some ruins, Denbies Vineyard.

NOVEMBER

Gosport

Whilst I’m very familiar with Portsmouth it took me very long time cross over to this side.

The ferry takes like 4mins and return trip costs £4.30 (you can’t buy a single way).

Please double check the timing for last ferry returning to Portsmouth so you will not get stranded. On Fridays and Saturdays there are smaller boats that offer crossings between midnight and 4.30am.

One thing you can be sure of: you will not run out of options as to what to do in Gosport. Plenty of museums to chose from: Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower, Royal Navy Submarine Museum, The Diving Museum and Hovercraft Museum.

But since my post is about trekking/hiking o skipped the museums and head to Warsash which is a little bit further ahead than I anticipated. Took an hour by public bus (£5) but I was ambitious to walk the whole Solent.

Starting from the local nature reserve the path is pretty straight forward: you just follow the North Channel.

Ideally you would pick a sunny day to do this walk to truly appreciate the gorgeousness of the area. You can see both Isle of Wight and Fawley at the start of my route.

It is an easy 18 km walk but because I had to catch the last ferry leaving at 6pm (winter time I guess), I had to rush it a little bit which takes the joy out of the whole experience for me.

It was Sunday after all and the sun was shining. Once I got near the Solent airport I knew I will have to make a decision between finishing my whole trek or watch the small planes landing against the setting sun.

No brainer, right? What would you pick?

DECEMBER

Montenegro , Stari Bar

I am well aware that Montenegro is a home to many magnificent mountains but due to the timing of my trip I had to wait for better weather. I am not very experienced in hiking in snowy and icy conditions especially in a place where many trails are unmarked.

This trail starts in a beautiful Stari Bar, which is a charming location at the foot of mountains. You can start by visiting the Old Bar Fortress (may take you up to 45 mins to walk around it). Once you done just head right and you will find these markings on the wall pointing the directions to the Vrteljak Waterfall.

It is a relatively short hike (about 3km one way) but packed with astonishing views right from the start.

Once you exit the village you will walk alongside one of the most beautiful roads I’ve ever came across.

It is the combination of the mountains, the massive rock and blue sky in the distance with a panoramic view back to the village that just takes my breath away whenever I visit.

At the bridge junction just follow the sign and that is when the ascent begins. Nothing crazy but may leave you breathless on a hot day. The good thing is there is plenty of fresh water supply to drink and also to cool yourself down.

There is also one of the coolest toilets which is hopefully open in high season.

I’m assuming this place is fully packed in summer and you can buy some food at the cafe but it was dead silent when I was there.

There is also a swing you can use to jump into the waterfall from. I was too afraid I will be stuck above the water and will have to swim back fully clothed (visited in December).

Real shame the hammocks were broken.

So there you have it: 12 best hikes I got the pleasure to enjoy in 2022. Here’s to 12 more! Let me know in the comments which one would you like to visit.

Also I feel like I have to add that just because those were my favourite hikes it absolutely does not mean those are the best hikes in those locations.

Happy hiking!