Have you ever considered doing a self-supported long-distance hike?
Long distance can mean a lot of different things, for some adventurous travellers it might be a six-month, two-thousand-mile cross-country adventure but let’s start at the beginning.
100 miles is a realistic first-time long-distance outdoor adventure to aim for, you’ll be able to get away with taking just one week off work and the goal will keep you motivated and inspired for at least 6 months prior to the get-go!
I’m hoping I might have planted a 100-mile seed in your head now! Here are some fabulous 100-mile trails to have a look at, if one of them takes your fancy leave a comment below and let me know.
1: The West Highland Way Scotland
Clocking in at *97 miles, The West Highland Way was Scotland’s first long-distance route and remains by far the most popular. You’ll be lacing up your vegan hiking boots and setting off from Milngavie on the edge of Glasgow and hiking to Fort William at the foot of Ben Nevis, the West Highland Way offers a fabulous introduction to the Scottish Highlands.
*Officially 3 miles short of the 100-mile mark but don’t worry, you’ll make it up with 3 miles of hiker faff, all long-distance hikers have a range of 5-20 miles of mileage faff in them!
2: Section Hike The South West Coastal Path U.K.
Stretching between Minehead and Poole is England’s longest foot trail, the total mileage is *630-mile but also offers a great opportunity for section hiking, pick a 100-mile stretch and enjoy the best of the British coast – from cheerful bobbing boats to undulating hills to never-ending ocean views and plenty of ‘tofish’ and chip breaks.
*Great example of hiker faff because I clocked up more like 680 miles in total on this trail this summer!
3: The Cotswold Way, England
Coming in at 102 miles, The Cotswold Way starts in the quintessentially English market town of Chipping Campden following the western edge of the Cotswold Hills and journeys through rolling pastures, beech woodland and honey-coloured villages built from Cotswold stone before finishing in the beautiful Roman city of Bath where you’ll find some dam good vegan restaurants to celebrate your accomplishment!
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4: The Roto Vicentina – The Fisherman’s Trail Portugal
The Rota Vicentina or Fisherman’s Trails as it’s also known, is a long-distance footpath which opened in 2013, an eco-tourism initiative to develop low-impact tourism in a relatively untouched region of Portugal. The trail connects Cape St Vincent, Portugal’s most south-westerly point, to the village of Odeceixe, where it splits into two trails; the Historical Way which heads inland and the Fishermen’s Trail which follows the coast to Porto Covo.
The total distance is 142 miles so we’re going over our 100-mile hike initiative here but due to the trail splitting, there’s still a 100-mile option or just go wild and do the full trail!
5: Snowdonia Way Wales, U.K.
The 94-mile Snowdonia Way is a long-distance walking trail that takes you the full length of the Snowdonia National Park, from Machynlleth in the South to Conwy in the North, between the two great rivers that mark the southern and eastern edges of the region, the Dyfi and the Conwy. There are two variants, offering a lower and a high-level option – see ‘Mountain Route’ links below for the high-level option, the main route is primarily low-level, taking valley tracks and hillside paths, encountering old rights of way through forested slopes, and even using Roman roads.
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Has the wanderlust kicked in yet? I hope so! If you’re ready to plan a trip that really appeals to your adventurous side, make sure you’re signed up to the Vegan Adventure Holidays newsletters for vegan travel updates, workshops and more!
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Emma – Vegan Adventure Holidays
