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.
Category Archives: March
Our trips during the month of March
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.
New Zealand Part 6: Milford Track
A four-day, three-night self-guided walk on the Milford Track rounded out our trip to New Zealand’s South Island. On this hike, we experienced some sun, a lot of rain, and more stunning views.
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New Zealand Part 5: Te Anau & the Routeburn Track
We started the second part of our trip, two self-guided Great Walks, by heading to Te Anau. There, we saw glowworm caves before starting the Routeburn Track the next day. We did the Routeburn Track as a three-day, two-night hike, staying at Lake Mackenzie Hut and Routeburn Falls Hut.
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New Zealand Part 4: Back to Queenstown via Lake Tekapo, Ohau, & Mount Aspiring National Park
After our time in Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, we had a couple of days to get back to Queenstown. During that time, we explored Lake Tekapo, had a relaxing night in Ohau, and saw a couple of other destinations in Mount Aspiring National Park.
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Planning a Hiking Trip on New Zealand’s South Island
For the 2018-2019 academic year, I was on sabbatical. While I was still working, I had a lot more flexibility in when I could travel. New Zealand had been on our to-visit list for a while, but seasons and distance make it hard to visit during a normal year. We took advantage of my flexibility by planning a three-week trip to New Zealand for February and March — late summer / early fall.
Over the years of wanting to visit New Zealand, we had accumulated an extensive list of places we wanted to hike and explore. As we got into planning the details, we narrowed our trip to focus on hiking in the mountains of the South Island (Te Waipounamu). Just that easily filled three weeks.
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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