UK Edition
The world's 20 best islands for a walking holiday
What is it about islands that makes them such appealing places for a walking holiday? Perhaps it’s the slower pace of life that encourages gentle rambling, that feeling of escape from the hurly-burly of the real world, the sense of exploring, as Shakespeare so famously put it, a “precious stone set in the silver sea”. Many islands offer a wonderful variety of landscapes and walking trails in a compact area: steep volcanic slopes, mountain ridges and gorges, lush river valleys, forests, beaches and secret coves.
Here, from the Mediterranean to the Pacific, the Solent to the Indian Ocean, is our selection of 20 great islands to explore on foot once travel restrictions are lifted, with suggested walks for all types, from the gentle to the strenuous.
1. Crete
For walkers, Crete provides sublime landscapes that divide into three main hiking regions. First, the famous gorges, which descend thousands of feet from the inland mountain ranges: Lefka Ori, Idi, Dikti (running west to east). Some are dried-up riverbeds, others have lakes and waterfalls, and many emerge on the south coast at some of the most idyllic coves and beaches in the Mediterranean. Then there is the magnificent south coast itself, and finally the more challenging mountain ranges, such as the Lefka Ori (White Mountains) in the central west region. For the purist exploring the inland mountains it is easily possible to walk for a week along deserted ancient shepherd trails and barely see a soul. And while the more popular gorges and stretches of the coast can get busy in summer, it’s a small price to pay for their stunning beauty.
Best hikes
Samaria Gorge: Famous for a reason. It’s a stunning 10-mile, five to seven-hour gorge walk dropping 4,000ft from the Omalos plateau in the west to the beachside village of Agia Roumeli on the south coast. Best done in spring. Avoid high summer. Start early (7am) for a more private experience and remember there are numerous less-known and equally jaw-dropping alternatives. Highlight: Portes or “Iron Gates” (narrowest section at southern end).
Tripiti/Sougia Coast Walk: One of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the Med and completely unspoilt. Take a water taxi from Sougia (south-west coast) to the entrance to the Tripiti gorge and enjoy the four-hour walk back.
Stay at
The Elia Traditional Hotel (0030 2824 083056; elia-crete.com.gr). For more hotels in Crete, see our guide.
Need a guide?
Not necessary for the gorges – there’s only one way down between those cliff walls – or along the coastal paths. Maps with start/end points and walking notes are available at the airport (Chania) and resorts along the south coast. Several UK tour operators offer walking holidays in Crete, including Inntravel.
Fitness level
Expect uneven rocky terrain almost everywhere, so strong legs and sturdy boots are a must. Otherwise, those gorge walks are all downhill!
More information
visitgreece.gr; west-crete.com; sougia.info
Richard Madden
2. Sicily
Sicily’s landscapes offer good hiking opportunities on Mount Etna, in the Madonie and Nebrodi mountains, in the Iblei hills, and on the Egadi and Aeolian islands. Note that many ancient paths have become overgrown and maps are often poor or hard to obtain (visit themapshop.co.uk for the best selection).
Best hikes
On two volcanoes: Towards the summit of Stromboli, and on and around Etna, which offers a wealth of hikes depending on current conditions – the Valle del Bove is among the most awe-inspiring.
Stay at
Hotel Le Calette in Cefalù for the Madonie mountains; and Monaci delle Terre Nere in Zafferano for Etna.
Need a guide?
Yes, to be safe on Etna’s higher reaches (guidetnanord.com) and Stromboli (magmatrek.it or stromboliguide.it).
Fitness level
High – Etna exceeds 10,000ft and Stromboli requires a climb from sea level towards 3,000ft.
More information
Buy Walking in Sicily (Cicerone Press, £14.95) or Landscapes of Sicily (Sunflower, £12.99).
Tim Jepson
3. Corsica
Corsica is a hiking revelation: immense granite mountains, a sublime coastline and swathes of wild country where you won’t meet a soul. One of the great walks of Europe is the spectacular two-week trek along the high mountainous spine of Corsica, though it’s not for the faint-hearted. The track, known as the GR20, is rough and remote, and crosses only a handful of roads over its entire length. But walkers in Corsica will find the maps excellent, and the island’s many marked long-distance trails can often be tackled as half or full-day segments.
Best hike
The Gorge du Tavignano from the mountain town and old capital of Corte, above. Walk to the Refuge de la Sega and back or make a day of it by continuing to Calacuccia.
Stay at
Corsican Places (corsica.co.uk) organises hotel accommodation in Corte and Calvi as part of its Sea & Mountains walking holiday.
Need a guide?
No: the IGN map (ref. 4150 OT) is good, and the trail – part of the longer Mare a Mare Nord path – is well trodden and well marked.
Fitness level
Moderate to the refuge (a climb of 2,490ft/759m), high to Calacuccia.
More information
Visit corte-tourisme.com
TJ
4. Îles d’Or, France
There are no cars on the little island of Port-Cros because there are no roads, and hardly any on its larger neighbour Porquerolles. This means the sun-dappled islands on the Côte d’Azur near Toulon are tranquil havens for migratory birds, a rare frog and ramblers.
Port-Cros is a nature reserve, an open-air hothouse of dense vegetation sprinkled with lavender, rosemary and myrtle, and Phoenician juniper clinging to sheer cliffs. Georges Simenon captured the timeless charm of Porquerolles in his novel Mon Ami Maigret. Set in the Forties, it describes life in a community among wooded hills where the loudest sounds are the tolling of a church bell and the clank of boules in the village square.
Together, the Îles d’Or are a time capsule of Provence in the halcyon days when Belmondo and Bardot were young, and Monsieur Hulot was setting out on holiday.
Best hikes
Port-Cros is a treasure trove of trails such as the Path of the Golden Apples, winding through woods of green oak to places like the Cove of False Coins. Others connect a string of 17th-century forts built to combat pirates, and lead to quiet coves of translucent water. On a hike through the aptly named Valley of Solitude, I was joined by a spectacular butterfly that expressed interest in my can of beer when I stopped for lunch. My thirst was greater, and it settled for a nibble of tuna sandwich. Most visitors to Porquerolles stroll to the nearest beaches, but a network of longer waymarked trails leads to lonely cliffs, a hilltop monastery and secluded bays sheltered by Mediterranean pines. This being France, there are also vineyards en route.
Stay at
Le Manoir de Port-Cros, an elegant country house with a swimming pool in landscaped gardens (0033 494 059052; hotel-lemanoirportcros.com). On Porquerolles, the Villa Sainte Anne is a charming hotel on the village square (0033 498 046300; sainteanne.com).
Need a guide?
Not necessary. Maps are available in the island tourist offices.
Fitness level
Most walks are easy.
More information
hyeres-tourism.co.uk/en-hyeres/porquerolles
Gavin Bell
5. Ibiza
Walking may not be the first thing you associate with Europe’s premier party island, but Ibiza’s Mediterranean magic extends far beyond music and clubbing. Away from the main tourist resorts (particularly Sant Antoni, which takes up a relatively small area of the south-west coast), the coastline is enchanted, especially in the remote north. Even in high summer, epic trails like the clifftop paths near the village of Santa Agnès (north west) are almost completely deserted.
Best hikes
In the remoter areas of the extreme south west, head for the stretch of coastline overlooking the mystical island of Es Vedrà – said to be the home of the Sirens in Homer’s Odyssey. For panoramic views, climb Sa Talaia, near Sant Josep (central south west), the island’s highest point (1,558ft).
Stay at
Cas Gasi, a chic agroturismo hotel in the centre of the island.
Need a guide?
You can find your own way with the help of Secret Walks: Ibiza North and Secret Walks: Ibiza South by Rob Smith (secretseeker.com, £12.50 each).
Fitness level
Ibiza is not especially hilly, but sturdy boots with ankle support are a must.
More information
RM
6. Madeira
Madeira is very bumpy with lots of rugged hills, deep-green valleys and precipitous vineyards that defy logic and gravity. Happily for ramblers, it not only has a temperate year-round climate but its tumultuous countryside is traversed by more than 1,000 miles of irrigation channels known as levadas, with ancient footpaths running beside them. Being man-made watercourses, they are fairly level, meandering through rural areas where noise is limited to birdsong and an occasional barking dog.
Best hikes
The Levada dos Tornos offers a gentle introduction to a wide variety of walks, being a pleasant stroll through a mimosa forest between the municipal botanical gardens of Palheiro and Funchal. The longer Levada do Norte winds through the island’s main wine-producing area, where farmers till the soil by hand and carry vine branches over old stone bridges that look as if they were built by the Romans. Another path begins and ends at a rustic mountain inn, crossing sheep farming country of rumpled green hills and lush valleys with views to the sea that are little short of magical.
Stay at
Quinta Jardins do Lago, former residence of the British military governor of Madeira in 1808, is an elegant country mansion set in formal gardens above Funchal.
Need a guide?
Not necessary. Shirley Whitehead’s Madeira Walks (Discovery Walking Guides, £12.99) has all the maps you need, but guided walks can be booked through Madeira Explorers (madeira-levada-walks.com/en).
Fitness level
Walks for all levels. Some require a head for heights.
More information
GB
7. La Gomera and La Palma, Canary Islands
All seven of the Canary Islands (located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of north Africa) are made up of extinct ancient volcanoes in different stages of erosion. The younger, more westerly islands, including La Gomera and La Palma, have lush central highlands in the volcanic cones, making them especially good for walking. La Gomera, the smaller and less-known of the two islands, is distinctive for its barrancos – deep ravines on the side of the ancient volcanoes. These radiate out from the central Garajonay National Park, a high-altitude laurel forest, biodiversity hotspot and Unesco World Heritage Site. The steep hillsides are covered by man-made terracing, centuries-old drystone walling and palm trees. The best walking in La Palma – aka La Isla Bonita (The Pretty Island) – is in and around the rim of the central caldera, which is lush, densely forested and surrounded by a horseshoe of 6,000ft cliffs and exotic rock formations – the remains of a collapsed volcanic cone. Don’t miss the Mirador de la Cumbrecita and the walking trails in the Caldera de Taburiente National Park.
The climate on the islands is subtropical, good for winter and summer walking, although in each you’ll need a down jacket (particularly in La Palma) when hiking at altitude during winter. Garajonay National Park, while varying little in temperature from summer to winter, is often shrouded in mist and has high rainfall throughout the year.
Best hikes
On La Gomera it’s Igualero to Vallehermoso. Igualero is the highest village on the island, and this challenging 13-mile (seven-hour) trail, dropping down from the north through living remnants of ancient rainforest, giant ferns, remote barrancos and subtropical valleys, is a cross-section of everything that makes La Gomera such a great place to walk. Start lower down for a shorter walk. On La Palma, it’s Ruta de la Cresteria, a tough (10-mile, five-hour) head-in-the- clouds yomp around the rim of the Taburiente horseshoe.
Stay at
La Gomera: Parador Conde de La Gomera
La Palma: Parador de La Palma
Need a guide?
Not necessary – the Camino Reales (Royal Trails) centuries-old pathways across both islands are very well signposted. Useful guidebooks are Walking on La Gomera and Walking on La Palma, by Paddy Dillon (both cicerone.co.uk, £12.95).
Fitness level
Good. Both islands have very steep gradients.
More information
lagomera.travel, visitlapalma.es
RM
8. Isle of Wight
Easily accessible by ferry from the Hampshire coast, but operating in a slower, gentler time zone, the Island can claim AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) status for over half its landscape. More than 500 miles of footpaths take you across high chalk downs and clifftops, through forests sheltering red squirrels, among peaceful salt marshes and along river banks. It’s also one of the best places in Britain to find dinosaur remains, and there are guided fossil walks on various Island beaches. See visitisleofwight.co.uk/inspiration/dinosaur-island/fossil-hunts for details.
Best hikes
The Tennyson Trail from Carisbrooke Castle (where Charles I was imprisoned) to The Needles Rocks and on to Alum Bay. In total, it’s a strenuous 14 miles. For a shorter option, walk the section from Freshwater Bay to The Needles, with spectacular sea views to either side.
Stay at
One of our reviewed hotels: see here for details
Need a guide?
Not necessary. Plot your course from an Ordnance Survey map; island footpaths are extremely well marked. There is a good annual walking festival in May.
Fitness level
Walks for all levels.
More information
Find details of walking festivals and Island trails, including the Tennyson Trail, at visitisleofwight.co.uk/things-to-do/activities/walking.
Joanna Symons
9. Skye
The best known of the Hebridean islands off the north-west coast of Scotland, Skye is made up of a dizzying mix of landforms. The ridges, jagged peaks, pinnacles, towers and plateaus of the magnificent Cuillin mountains are surrounded by the sea lochs, peninsulas, bays, white-sand beaches, towering cliffs, waterfalls, arches, caves and seas stacks of one of Europe’s most spectacular coastlines. Throw in some gentle hills and rolling moorland and, needless to say, it’s not bad for walking.
Best hike
The Quiraing and Sròn Vourlinn Ridge. A (relatively) easy five-mile/three-hour loop along an established trail at the northern end of the Trotternish peninsula. The trail takes in dramatic rock formations with spectacular views over the coast from Sròn Vourlinn.
Stay at
Glenview, well placed for the Trotternish Ridge.
Need a guide?
Most definitely if you’re tackling the Cuillin; Skye Mountain Guides (skyemountainguides.com).
Fitness level
Walking for all, from family coastal strolls to alpine-level epics.
More information
RM
10. Arran
The biggest island in the Firth of Clyde claims to be Scotland in miniature, because the Highland fault line scythes it into a pastoral south and a wilder north of hills and glens. Both offer a variety of easy-to-moderate walks.
Best hikes
Among the gentler walks and seaside rambles in the south, a path to Glenashdale Falls above Whiting Bay winds through woods of native rowan and willow to a 140ft waterfall thundering down a sheer rock face, and returns via Neolithic graves on a windswept headland. The most dramatic hike is a fairly easy ascent of Goatfell, the highest peak at 2,866ft, from which the coast of Ireland can be seen on a clear day.
Stay at
The Arran Lodge is an elegant boutique hotel with fine sea views (thearranlodge.com).
Need a guide?
Not necessary. Guidebooks are available in the island tourist office at Brodick Pier; walkhighlands.co.uk/arran is an excellent guide.
Fitness level
Plenty of easy walks. The ascent of Goatfell is moderately difficult.
More information
GB
11. Guernsey
Guernsey, the most westerly of the Channel Islands off the coast of Normandy, has more than 40 miles of some of the best coastal paths in Britain. The rugged South Coast Cliff Paths, a 30-mile stretch of clifftop grasslands, run from La Vallette, south of the capital St Peter Port, to Pleinmont on the west coast. In contrast, the flatter but more populated West Coast paths are a richly varied mix of small harbours, rocky inlets and sweeping sandy bays running from Grandes Rocques in the north west to Vale Castle in the north east.
Best hike
St Peter Port (Clarence Battery) to the bay at Petit Bôt – this nine-mile (four-hour) stretch of coastline ending at one of the island’s most picturesque bays was a favourite of the artist Renoir.
Stay at
Bella Luce, St Martins, Guernsey
Need a guide?
Get a map from the tourist office at North Esplanade, St Peter Port, or take Walking on Guernsey by Paddy Dillon (Cicerone, £12.95). A range of organised walks covers all corners of the island during the spring and autumn Walking Festivals (visitguernsey.com).
Fitness level
For meanders, head to the west coast. For a full-on yomp, head south from St Peter Port.
More information
RM
12. La Réunion
La Réunion is only the size of Dorset, but rises more than 10,000ft out of the Indian Ocean about 140 miles west of Mauritius. It comprises two volcanoes that merged to form the island: one is still active, erupting on average every nine months; the other blew itself to bits 200,000 years ago, leaving only three vast cirques, up to 10 miles wide. This natural violence has created a land of heart-stopping beauty. Walkers will experience everything from lush dairy pastures to deserts of bright-red ash. A two-centre holiday combining Réunion and Mauritius makes a pleasing contrast.
Best hikes
The six-hour walk to the summit of Réunion’s active volcano (Piton de la Fournaise) is a haunting climb through coulées of fantastical, lifeless lava. Alternatively, the trek through the Mafate caldera: unreachable by car, it’s a lost world of giant ferns, wild rivers and villages whose inhabitants are the descendants of runaway slaves.
Stay at
This is a département of France, so there’s no shortage of good, regulated accommodation. Try to stay in one of Mafate’s villages. See reunion.fr.
Need a guide?
Not essential, but local knowledge greatly enhances the experience. Alexis Vincent (ayapana-reunion.com) speaks good English, and groups should expect to pay around £40-£50 per person. Maps are widely available, and there are more than 600 miles of marked trails.
Fitness level
Medium to high; the best walks are seldom less than six hours, and the going can be steep.
More information
John Gimlette
13. Dominica
When Anthony Trollope sailed through the Caribbean in 1856, he declared Dominica to be “the most picturesque of all the islands” and noted down “an ardent desire to be off and rambling among those green mountains”. Sadly, his schedule didn’t permit this, but it is why many visitors land on this colossal conference of volcanic peaks armed with hiking boots. The Carib word for Dominica, Waitukubuli, meaning “tall is her body”, now headlines a 155-mile national trail that runs the length of the island. It would take two weeks to walk in full, so most visitors tackle various sections graded easy to advanced. Along with diving, hiking is a chief reason to come to Dominica. Challenges include a six-hour round trip to the steaming Boiling Lake in Morne Trois Pitons National Park, and an ascent of Morne Diablotin, the island’s highest point at 4,747ft. A sign at its trailhead sets out the blunt task ahead: you will be climbing from 1,900ft to 4,747ft. The first half follows a winding staircase of rotting wooden steps, then it is a long, sweaty slog, clambering through tangled trees, which ensures a free, full-body workout. Mists will probably mask views from the top, but this is still a satisfyingly arduous hike.
Most hikes soon become a hot and dirty scramble, and it’s worth visiting at least one of the island’s monumental waterfalls. After a 90-minute hike to Victoria Falls, clambering over boulders and sloshing through rushing waters framed by towering cliffs, I became a total convert. Why bother with the warm, salty sea when you can plunge into reviving freshwater pools and thundering torrents providing a free massage?
Best hikes
To Boiling Lake and Morne Diablotin (see above).
Stay at
Secret Bay is one of Dominica’s most luxurious resorts with beach views and lush gardens – the ultimate spot for relaxation.
Need a guide?
Guides and transport can be arranged via khattstours.com. In the UK, Explore offers small-group walking tours.
Fitness level
Moderate to high for the tougher climbs.
More information
Nigel Tisdall
14. Angel Island, US
Perhaps San Francisco’s best-kept secret, this uninhabited, trail-laced isle in the middle of sailboat-dotted San Francisco Bay, left, is accessible only by short ferry ride. Trails lead to Mount Livermore’s summit, where the entire Bay Area sprawls at your feet, including the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline. It’s astounding that such natural beauty exists at the heart of such urban life.
Best hikes
The easy five-mile Perimeter Trail. Or hike to the top via the Sunset Trail and/or North Ridge Trail.
Stay at
One of the 21 campsites available (reserveamerica.com).
Need a guide?
Not necessary.
Fitness level
Easy to moderate.
More information
Maps are available at the visitor centre near the ferry landing (parks.ca.gov/angelisland).
Barbara Noe Kennedy
15. Mount Desert Island
Mountains meld into the sea at Acadia National Park in Maine, a wild, rocky realm of granite peaks, cobbled beaches, flower-dotted meadows, wild blueberries, mirror-like lakes and secret ponds. The largest island is Mount Desert, harbouring most of the park’s 120-plus miles of interconnected hiking trails, plus 57 miles of tree-shaded, car-free carriage roads, dating from when Gilded Age families summered here.
Best hikes
Several trails, including the Cadillac North Ridge Trail, lead to the summit of Cadillac Mountain to see America’s first glimmer of daylight over the Atlantic (meaning you need to hike it in the dark… torch required!).
The two-mile oceanside hike up Gorham Mountain provides a big pay-off of sea-and-land panoramas for little effort.
Stay at
Campsites, hotels, inns, b&bs, cabins and cottages are sprinkled around the island.
Need a guide?
Rangers offer many guided walks and hikes. Contact Acadia National Park (nps.gov/acad).
Fitness level
Easy to challenging. Trails are well maintained and well marked – a hiker’s haven for all levels.
More information
visitmaine.com/things-to-do/parks-recreation-areas/mount-desert-island/
BNK
16. Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is roughly the same size as Holland, making it the largest island off the west coast of North America. A patchwork of mountains, rainforest, pastoral hills and spectacular coastal scenery, it features numerous parks and reserves that offer hiking for all abilities.
Best hikes
Long Beach is a tract of wild, windswept sand and rocky headlands backed by mountains that stretches for some 12 miles in the Pacific Rim National Park, close to the town of Tofino.
All of its nine short marked trails (for a total of 7.5 miles) are lovely, but South Beach and Schooner Beach trails, with their rainforest and seascapes, are standouts; longbeachmaps.com has summaries and videos of each of the walks.
At the other extreme, similar but grander scenery can be found on the 47-mile West Coast Trail, one of North America’s more demanding multi-day hikes. For a one-day taste, hike the easy first stage from Bamfield and back.
Stay at
Tofino; either Duffin Cove Oceanfront Lodging (001 250 725 3448; duffincove.com) close to town, or Crystal Cove Beach Resort (001 250 725 4213; crystalcove.ca) in a lovely setting out of town.
Need a guide?
No, but companies such as Ecosummer Expeditions (ecosummer.com) offer escorted trips on the West Coast Trail.
Fitness level
Low for Long Beach, high for the West Coast Trail.
More information
For Long Beach, visit Parks Canada website (pc.gc.ca), which also offers material on the West Coast Trail. Visit hellobc.com and vancouverisland.travel for information on Vancouver Island.
TJ
17. Tasmania, Australia
Few islands do wild like Tasmania: one-fifth is Unesco-designated Wilderness World Heritage Area, and 40 per cent of the state is protected as national parks and reserves, where white wallabies and pademelons hop, devils snarl, wombats bumble and little penguins waddle. Trails, ranging from day hikes to epic treks, lace all areas, traversing windswept uplands, haunting convict sites such as Port Arthur and Maria Island, sandy beaches like the dazzling Wineglass Bay, and gourmet hotspots including Bruny Island, home to Australia’s southernmost winery.
Best hikes
The 50-mile, five to 10-day Overland Track winds through the central wilderness of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, past jagged dolerite outcrops reflected in alpine tarns, rainforests, heaths and wombats. Lots of wombats. The 29-mile, four-day Three Capes Track (threecapestrack.com.au) rewards you with spectacular coastal vistas from the soaring sea cliffs of the Tasman Peninsula. Accommodation is in simple, comfortable cabins.
Stay at
Pumphouse Point, a converted hydroelectricity station on Lake St Clair. A fine base for lakeside strolls, or a treat at the end of the Overland Track.
Need a guide?
No, but Cradle Mountain Huts (cradlehuts.com.au) offers Champagne hiking on a guided Overland Track tour staying in cosy private huts with excellent food.
Fitness level
Moderate.
More information
Parks Tasmania (parks.tas.gov.au) has comprehensive details of walking trails from short strolls to multi-day treks. Discover Tasmania (discovertasmania.com.au) is the official tourism site.
Paul Bloomfield
18. Hinchinbrook Island, Queensland, Australia
Tropical Queensland in microcosm, this island national park, left, covers nearly 40,000 hectares of rainforest, volcanic peaks, mangrove swamps, reefs and seagrass beds grazed by dugongs and green turtles – pristine but accessible wilderness.
Best hike
Thorsborne Trail, a 20-mile, four-day route across lush forest, waterfall-fed creeks and crab-scuttled white-sand beaches.
Need a guide?
No – but permits are limited: book well ahead.
Stay at
Seven (basic) designated campsites along the trail.
Fitness level
Moderate.
More information
parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/hinchinbrook/
PB
19. Lombok, Indonesia
Bali’s quieter neighbour is an island 30 miles to the east. With a stunning coastline and the Gili islands, it has a beautiful hinterland around the peak of Mount Rinjani.
Best hike
At 12,224ft, Rinjani is a spectacular but straightforward two-night climb… one route up and one down. The trail passes farmland, forests of teak and mahogany, and the banks of a blue-green, mineral-rich lake and bubbling hot springs.
Stay at
Well-marked campsites on the flanks and rim of the caldera.
Need a guide?
Many Rinjani locals earn their livelihoods as guides and porters. Use agencies in Senaru village, near trailhead, that also hire out camping equipment. KE Adventure offers a 13-day walking holiday in Lombok and Bali.
Fitness level
Good.
More information
Less rain and fewer tourists in June and September. The guidebook Footprint Bali & Lombok (Footprint, £8.99) is helpful.
Michelle Jana Chan
20. Hong Kong
Hong Kong Island has the Peak Circle Walk, which winds around the highest point on the island. There is also the Dragon’s Back trail towards the southern tip. On the other side of Victoria Harbour there are fantastic hiking trails in the New Territories, including the MacLehose Trail, and on islands Lantau and Lamma.
Best hikes
The 62-mile marked MacLehose Trail curves around the Sai Kung Peninsula and usually takes five to six days. Its 10 sections begin at the beach, climbing through tropical forests, and up past the 3,140ft Tai Mo Shan peak – with first-come-first-serve free campgrounds throughout. The Dragon’s Back on Hong Kong Island is a five-mile, half-day hike along a ridge with views of the coastline and islands, as well as Shek O peak, ending at Big Wave Bay.
Stay at
Most hikes are accessible by public transport, so choose any city hotel. See telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/hong-kong/hotels/.
Need a guide?
Klook (klook.com) offers guided treks, as does Walk Hong Kong (walkhongkong.com). There is a downloadable hiking guide on discoverhongkong.com/eng/plan-your-trip
Fitness level
Very good.
More information
Best to go in winter (November-March). See discoverhongkong.com/eng/see-do/great-outdoors/hikes/index.jsp.
MJC