The Vagabond Hiker

Hiking, trekking, and climbing the world

Walking Hastings Country Park

UPDATE 20 April: Well, Penzance is out this year as the hosts at my cottage are in residence as they cannot at present return to Spain. Instead, I will spend 6 weeks in an apartment at Windermere Lake in the Lake District. Also, my scheduled June group trips to the Baltic countries and Poland were cancelled; I will spend another month here in Hastings before leaving for the Lake District later in May. The flowers here have been absolutely gorgeous! Here is the link to the PDF of a PowerPoint that I made. Enjoy! The Vagabond Hiker

This spring is certainly shaping up differently than any of us expected. Already my trips to Jordan, the Azores, and Tunisia have been either cancelled or delayed until 2021. While I hope much of my remaining travel itinerary can go forward this year, during lock-down we should appreciate the nature around us. For me that means walking in my local park.

The wonderful 800+ acre Hastings Country Park & Nature Reserve surrounding my apartment fits the bill perfectly, and is a big reason I chose this area for my English sojourns. Although I have already shared a few photos on my blog (see my 4 December 2019 post), with spring here I thought I would share a few woodland and meadow scenes – and of course wildflowers! – that I’m enjoying in the coming weeks as I meander through the complex network of park trails.

Fingers crossed in May I’ll be heading out to Penzance in Cornwall to enjoy the wonderful landscapes in South West England.

Stay safe,

The Vagabond Hiker

View to East Hill and Rocklands (upper right) where I’m staying for seven weeks. Hastings Old Town is just beyond. Gorse, seen here, is prevalent all over southern England.
A stream-side path in Ecclesbourne Glen, the nearest of three glens that bisect the park.
A Beech on a rock
A stream in Fairlight Glen
Waterfall, Fairlight Glen
Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna), a species of buttercup
Common Dog Violet (Viola riviniana). Unlike the very similar Sweet Violet, Dog Violet has no smell.
Wild Primrose (Primula vulgaris), true to its name the “first rose” of spring
An bizarre-looking old Oak tree in Ecclesbourne Glen
Wood Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica), so small I almost missed them!
Bluebells and Wood Anemone. The bluebells are just beginning to bloom.
Blackthorn flowers. Blackthorn can be distinguished from Hawthorn as the latter tree flowers after leafing out.
Greater stitchwort (Stellaria holostea)
Warren Glen vista down to the English Channel
Detail of Red Dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum), a non-stinging variety
Magpies, common yet attractive
A wild Exmoor pony. In February the park introduced a new herd of six to help manage the landscape around Warren Glen after the previous herd was moved on to greener pastures.
A fox here at Rocklands. I suspect someone is feeding them as they seem to be bolder than I would have thought possible.

Day hikes on Cape Verde

Located just off the coast of Africa, over 1000 miles south of the Canary Islands, the Cape Verde (Cabo Verde in Portuguese) archipelago is a walker’s paradise. Our KE group spent almost two weeks exploring its rugged coastlines and fertile terraced volcanic slopes and immersing ourselves in the islands’ Creole Portuguese-African culture. Our trip started in the largest and most populated island, Santiago. A short flight then took us to the nearby island of Fogo, known for its wine and its eponymous volcano, the high point of the country at 2829m (9280 ft).

Topographic map of the Cape Verde archipelago. Our hikes were on Fogo in the Leeward islands to the south and Santo Antao, the northern most windward island.
Fogo, the highest point in Cape Verde. Our first hike skirted its western slopes.
Lava formations near Cha das Caldeiras, which translates as “Caldera Plain”
A crater near Cha das Caldeiras on Fogo, the high point of our short hike on the first day
Early morning on our hike to the summit of Fogo. We started early to beat the heat.
Unknown yellow flower on Fogo
A bit of scrambling on Fogo’s summit block
The Vagabond Hiker on the summit of Fogo, 2829m
View north from Fogo’s summit
Our third hike on the island of Fogo was through the Monte Velha forest towards the north coast
Trying out the zoom on my new Panasonic Lumix on this Cape Verde sparrow I saw on the Monte Velha forest walk. We also saw lots of Eurasian Kestrels throughout Cape Verde, but they were somewhat more challenging to photograph.
Road building Monte Velha forest. These rugged cobblestone roads were all over Cape Verde, some made originally by slaves

After three hikes in Fogo’s arid landscape, we flew to Sao Vicente and next morning took a short ferry to the most northerly island, Santo Antao. The group spent a week walking amidst the sub-tropical jagged mountains. Santo Antao is the second largest island and an absolute haven for hikers. (Due to the coronavirus, I chose to return to the UK after the first two outstanding walks). I hated to leave Cape Verde, a beautiful and remote walking destination with stunning views of rugged coastlines set in the middle of the turquoise blue ocean.

Our first hike on Santo Antao was from the village of Cha d’Orgueiro down to the coast
Another view of the Cha d’Orgueiro village to sea walk
Apple of Sodom plant. We saw a lot of these, which have some medicinal uses, on this hike
Detail of the flower of the Apple of Sodom
Joe looking out at the landscape on the Cha d’Orgueiro village to sea walk
The Vagabond Hiker on the Cha d’Orgueiro village to sea walk. The water channels reminded me of those on Madeira last year. Photo courtesy of Joe.
The small beach we reached after more than 1000m (3300 ft) descent
Of course, we then had about 400m (1300 ft) to ascend to our vehicle.
Cliffs and sea looking west into the sun
Our second hike on Santo Antao began just above the village we were staying in, Cha de Morte. It’s named for the one cemetery on the island which is nearby.
Some of our group near the start of the 1000-plus meter ascent to a plateau near the Topo da Coroa
We saw several locals getting water with their donkeys from a rare spring. Rainfall has decreased dramatically from when the Portuguese discovered these uninhabited islands in the fifteenth century.
Rock formations at the pass onto the plateau
The plateau and some goats. In the past it was much greener; now it is green only in autumn after the short rainy season.
An unidentified purple flower on the plateau above Cha de Morte
Some cave dwellings along the plateau. The high point of Santo Antao is Topo da Coroa, just visible in the background
A panorama shot looking back down from where we started at Cha de Morte
View back up to the plateau. Much of the trail we hiked this day was built by slaves.

Although I made it back to England without any problems, as I write this the other eleven are still hiking on Santo Antao. I am not certain when my next blog post will come. I have cancelled my next two trips, to Jordan and the Azores, which were to take place in the coming month. Instead, I will spend the next seven weeks here in Hastings, then take a train out to the far west of Cornwall (assuming travel within the country is permitted) where I have rented a cottage near the Southwest Coast Path for five weeks until mid-June. My current plan is to post from that special part of England. In the mean time, stay safe while enjoying the outdoors,

The Vagabond Hiker

La Gomera – jewel of the Canaries

(with two bonus Tenerife hikes)

La Gomera is known as the Walkers Island due to a labyrinth of wonderful footpaths which snake through pockets of cloud forest, timeless villages and colorful flora. Its uninterrupted coastal views and dramatic volcanic landscapes make it the perfect destination for a Canary Islands walking holiday and a distinct change from my hikes on nearby Lanzarote (see by previous two blog posts from there). I spent six days walking this wonderful island with a KE Adventures group of 14 clients and a very knowledgeable, enthusiastic guide. We flew into Tenerife South airport and took the one hour ferry from Tenerife to the port of San Sebastian, the largest town on La Gomera. After a somewhat less than restful night at our hotel – due to Carnival – we transferred up to the Garajonay National Park for our first hike. . .

Physical Map of La Gomera. Roughly circular and about 14 miles in diameter, this rugged volcanic island has not had an eruption in millions of years. Red triangles indicate the towns and villages where we stayed. Garajonay National Park is seen in the center.
Some of our group of 14 clients and one guide heading through the cloud forest of Garajonay National Park on day 1
View from Alto de Garajonay (1484m), the high point on La Gomera. Strong winds from the southeast on our first couple of days walking brought a shroud of Saharan sand and disrupted flights in Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote.
A zoom photo of a kestrel cowering from the wind at Alto de Garajonay. Buzzards were observed huddled in the forest rather than soaring this day.
A derelict vineyard house of typical Gomeran dry stone architecture in the village of Chipude where we stayed after our first day’s walk. The village, not this house.
A small parish church in Chipude’s square. Unlike in mainland Spain, the Canarians don’t seem to understand the concept of a plaza. If a town or village does have one, it is usually simply a large expanse of cement or paving stones.
The village of El Cercado at the start of our day 2 walk
Barranco del Agua, one of many deep ravines we crossed during the week
A forest path near Las Hayas, Garajonay National Park. Many of the paths at higher elevations were reminiscent of the island of Madeira (see my blog post from last March), with laurel and heather trees among many other species.
Our first view of Vallehermoso, where we stayed for two nights. Although the winds were reduced somewhat, visibility on day 2 was still fairly poor.
Coastal view from near the Hermitage of Santa Clara, seen on our circular walk from Vallehermoso on day 3.
Vallehermoso in the morning of day 4. Our guide’s family was from this picturesque town.
Another view of Vallehermoso, with Roque Cano on the right
A Tangier Pea (Lathyrus tingitanus)
Some of our group approaching the Mirador de Abrante on day 4. The desert-like landscape was quite a change from the cloud forest at higher elevations.
Atmospheric cliff-side view from the Mirador de Abrante as the mist rolls in. We hiked the very steep trail down to Agulo, seen below.
Coastal view from Agulo with the hamlet of Lepe and the fishing harbor of Hermigua beyond
Upper Hermigua, seen on the morning of day 5. Overall this town extends several kilometers along the valley.
A zoom photo of Pico del Teide (3718m, or 12,200 ft) taken from above Hermigua. This was our first view of the highest mountain in Spain, on the island of Tenerife.
Coastal view from above Hermigua. By day 5 the usual northeast trade winds had cleared the air.
Completing our circular walk on day 5, this is a view across Hermigua valley and beach, clearly showing the terraced agricultural fields that predominate on La Gomera
Pericallis steetzii, an aster endemic to La Gomera, seen at the start of day 6. For this final day hiking, we completed more than 12 miles on the long distance GR131 that crosses six of the Canary Islands.
Detail of Blue Tajinaste, another Canarian endemic, with a bee
Vista from the Mirador del Morro de Agando, one of the most spectacular viewpoints on the island
Detail of the laurisilva forest at Garajonay National Park. The laurel branches contain whole ecosystems.
Vista of Pico del Teide with Blue Tajinaste in the foreground
An old holloway in Garajonay National Park. The park occupies about 15 square miles in the center of La Gomera and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.
Landscape looking south as we descended on the GR131 to San Sebastian. More farming terraces are evident here, as were signs of sheep and goats, although we never actually saw many. Most of the younger generation have left the hard rural life of La Gomera for the city in Tenerife or mainland Spain.
The port of San Sebastian. We had come full circle on the island!

After a week on La Gomera, rather than return to depressing weather in England, I chose to extend my holiday with four nights in Vilaflor, at 1400 meters (about 4600 ft) the highest town on the island of Tenerife and one of the highest in Spain. It is located on the southern flanks of el Teide and is a convenient base for any number of walks. Although I didn’t climb el Teide due to the red tape, I did go on a couple of wonderful nearby hikes. . .

The town plaza in Vilaflor, start of my first hike, the popular Paisaje Lunar
Vilaflor from near the start of the Paisaje Lunar hike
Abandoned-looking farm seen on the Paisaje Lunar loop hike
Paisaje Lunar trail through the Parque Natural Corona Forestal. The pine trees are Pinus canariensis and this nature reserve contains perhaps the largest surviving tract of these trees.
A rock formation in the Parque Natural Corona Forestal.
Lunar landscape at about 2000m (6560 ft) elevation, which gives the walk its name. It is a bit reminiscent of Bryce Canyon in Utah (zoom)
A fine example of Pinus canariensis, seen on the return loop
My second hike was the traverse of Alto de Guajara, the fourth highest mountain on Tenerife at 2717 meters (8914 ft). Here Pico del Teide, the Parador at the trailhead (bottom center), and the Roques de Garcia (on the left) may be seen.
From the Alto de Guaraja summit, Gran Canaria may be seen above the clouds. My first visit to the Canaries was two weeks on that island – 31 years ago!
Another view from the Alto de Guaraja summit. La Gomera is the island visible behind the rocks in the center of the photo.
A female Gallotia galloti galloti, the Southern Tenerife Lizard. I had just woken her up, which is why she stayed still for this photo.
Utah-like rock formations on the descent from the peak. I couldn’t resist some illicit scrambling.

After a 15 hour layover at Heathrow, later today I leave for my first “city break” in 2020 – Lisbon. Following three days in the Portuguese capital, I will spend nearly two weeks walking on the Cape Verde Islands, located in the Atlantic off the coast of Senegal, about 1000 miles south of the Canaries.

Wherever you may happen to be, keep walking and enjoying nature.

The Vagabond Hiker

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