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: Europe
Trips in Europe
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.
Tour du Mont Blanc: Refuges, Gîtes, and other accommodations by country
One of the most common questions we get is for a list of refuges and other accommodations along the Tour du Mont Blanc. In this post, we provide a table of accommodations, with references to the ones we have stayed at and key information.
Tour of the Écrins Stages 11-12: Les Terrasses, La Grave, Refuge de l’Alpe de Villar d’Arène, and back to Le Monêtier-les-Bains
The final stages of our GR54 hike delivered some of the most memorable moments of the entire traverse. On Stage 11, we descended from Les Terrasses through La Grave and followed the Romanche river to Refuge de l’Alpe de Villar d’Arène. Further forays brought us deep into a glaciated valleys. Stage 12 climbed to Col d’Arsine and then followed Le Petit Tobuc — a milky blue stream — all the way down to Le Monêtier-les-Bains, where our trip began. A day in Grenoble rounded out the journey before returning to Lyon.
Tour of the Écrins Stages 8-10: Refuge de la Muzelle, Mizoën, and Les Terrasses
The northeastern portion of the GR54 loops around the Écrins massif through spectacular alpine terrain — past petrifying fountains and glacial lakes, over cols, and along milky blue streams fed by the glaciers above. These three stages cover the heart of that arc: the climb to Col de la Muzelle, a lesser-traveled variant bypassing Briançon and Les Deux Alpes, and a crossing of the Plateau d’Emparis with La Meije filling the horizon.
Tour of the Écrins Stages 4-7: Refuge du Pigeonnier, La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar, Refuge des Souffles, Valsenestre
We started our fourth through seventh days in the Écrins with a detour from the GR54 to get up close to some high peaks. After, we rejoined the GR54 and continued to the village of La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar, up to Refuge des Souffles, and on to the village of Valsenestre.
Tour of the Écrins Stages 1-3: Vallouise, Refuge du Pré de la Chaumette, and Refuge Vallonpierre
Turquoise lakes, cascading waterfalls, and bearded vultures circling at eye level. The Écrins reveals itself valley by valley, col by col — and the first three stages set the tone. They took us from Le Monêtier-les-Bains to Vallouise, Refuge du Pré de la Chaumette, and Refuge de Vallonpierre.
Tour of the Écrins Prelude: Lyon and travel to Le Monêtier-les-Bains
For our 2022 trip to the Écrins, we chose to fly in and out of Lyon, France. Flight schedule changes resulted in us having an extra day to explore, which was wonderful. Lyon’s architecture, parks, and food made for a wonderful stay.
Tour of the Écrins Overview & Planning
In August and September 2022, we visited the Écrins National Park, in the French Alps, for a 12-day hike, staying at refuges and in villages. We also enjoyed a few days in Lyon (an unexpected delight!) and a short stop in Grenoble.
In the years since, I’ve often described this trip as “the most fun I’ve had in the Alps and maybe the most fun I’ve had in the mountains.” We saw stunning, varied scenery, poked around interesting geology, and ate some amazing food.