The second part of our late-March sun break in Andalusia. We capped off the trip with a few days in a rental car exploring the white villages (pueblos blancas) of Zahara de la Sierra and Grazalema and the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park.
Andalusia in March: Part 1 – Málaga, Córdoba, Granada, and Ronda
The first part of our late-March sun break in Andalusia, built around southern Spain’s excellent public transit: a Córdoba stopover between trains, two days in Granada split between a Sierra Nevada foothill hike and the Alhambra, and a pivot to Ronda when Caminito del Rey was closed due to weather.
Andalusia in March: Planning a Spring Break
We needed a sun break in late March 2022 and decided to visit the Andalusia region of southern Spain. Our trip plan covered four areas, while maximizing use of the region’s excellent public transit. We started in Málaga, with a day of exploring in Cordoba, before heading to Granada. We capped off the trip with a few days in a rental car exploring the pueblos blancas of Zahara de la Sierra and Grazalema and the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park.
The Big Island of Hawaii in January
In January 2016, we again sought a long weekend’s respite from the gray and gloom of Seattle winter–this time on the Big Island of Hawaii. This was my second visit to Hawaii and I was excited to return after our delightful visit to Maui the previous March. We divided our time between the Kona, Volcano, and Pahoa areas. Activities included visits to a coffee plantation, several beaches and state parks, and hikes at the beautiful Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.
Like our other Hawaii trips to Kauai and Maui, we packed a lot into our long weekend. For a more relaxed approach, check out our trip to Oahu.
Marzo Senderismo en la Región de Aysén de la Patagonia
En marzo de 2018, regresamos a la Patagonia para explorar y hacer senderismo la región de Aysén entre Coyhaique y Cochrane en Chile. Pasamos una semana en Bariloche el año pasado y lo disfrutamos muchísimo, pero esta vez queríamos explorar más en el lado chileno. Nuestro viaje incluyó el camino robusta a lo largo de la Carretera Austral (Ruta 7) y el senderismo en los Parques Nacionales Cerro Castillo y Patagonia.
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Aysén Region of Patagonia: Part 2 – Cerro Castillo
Part 2 of our March 2018 return to Patagonia to explore and hike the Aysén region between Coyhaique and Cochrane in Chile. This part covers our brief stop in Puerto Rio Tranquilo, time spent in Villa Cerro Castillo, and an overnight backpacking trip in Cerro Castillo National Park. Follow along as we recount our trek to famous Laguna Cerro Castillo and the beautiful New Zealand camp.
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Aysén Region of Patagonia: Part 1 – Valle Chacabuco
Part 1 of our March 2018 return to Patagonia to explore and hike the Aysén region between Coyhaique and Cochrane in Chile. This part covers the rugged drive along the Carretera Austral (Route 7) from Balmaceda to Cochrane, and multiple days of hiking in the picturesque Valle Chacabuco and newly formed Patagonia National Park.
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March Hiking in the Aysén Region of Patagonia
In March 2018, we returned to Patagonia to explore and hike the Aysén region between Coyhaique and Cochrane in Chile. We spent a week in Bariloche last year and thoroughly enjoyed it, but wanted to explore more on the Chilean side this time around. Our trip included the rugged drive along the Carretera Austral (Route 7) and hiking in the Cerro Castillo and Patagonia National Parks.
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A Winter Weekend in Budapest
We made a last-minute decision to visit Budapest on a winter weekend in February, to enjoy some of the city sights without the crowds (or in some cases, entrance fees) of high season. (This strategy also works quite well for Paris.) Low season apparently began that weekend, if you use the “hop-on-hop-off” tourist bus schedule as a metric. This a brief overview of our 34 hours in Budapest.
Southwest Portugal Coastal Hiking: Overview
In March 2017, we hiked the Rota Vicentina along the southwestern Portugal coast from Porto Covo to Carrapateira, via sections of the Fisherman’s Trail and Historical Way. This series of posts covers our travel and explorations between the starting point of Lisbon, and our endpoint of Lagos. The Rota Vicentina is a network of official trails that connect the historic fishing villages of the southwest Alentejo region and Vicentina Coast Natural Park.
This post covers the resources we found helpful for trip planning, while subsequent posts describe our travels.