If you fancy escaping the traditional Christmas celebrations by the fireside — all turkey and winter gloom — here are a few ideas for spending the holiday period walking under different skies. With these Christmas trekking ideas, you are sure to find sunshine, new horizons and an original way to celebrate Christmas differently!
Explore the most beautiful valleys of Cape Verde
On the islands of Santo Antão and São Vicente, you can set out to explore trails completely lost between desert foothills and basalt pinnacles. Nestled between these summits are magnificent valleys dominated by lush vegetation and charming small villages. With the gentle Atlantic Ocean never far away and always generous sunshine, the setting is idyllic for walking in complete peace and quiet over the festive season.
Desert and palm grove of the Drâa in southern Morocco
The Drâa river winds through a superb valley, linking together numerous villages where hikers are always warmly welcomed. On this exceptional and accessible trek in southern Morocco, you will discover a magnificent traditional casbah in the Timidarte oasis and can look forward to nights under the stars — don't forget a warm jacket for the evenings — with a few camels to carry the luggage. Nights in the desert and the discovery of local traditions will be as powerful as the beauty of the landscapes you pass through, making for a wonderful way to close out the year!
Red desert and pink city in Jordan
Beyond the magnificent city of Petra, this trek takes you deep into the southern reaches of Wadi Rum, far from the bustle of tourist activity. With bivvy spots in the heart of the desert and the discovery of Siq Al Barrah at the desert's edge, a whole world of ochre dunes and layered sandstone massifs opens up before you — an ideal journey to make at Christmas time.
Mai Chau Valley and Pu Luong Nature Park in Vietnam
From Hanoi it is easy to reach the beautiful mountainous region surrounding the Mai Chau Valley. With magnificent landscapes of tropical forest and rice paddies, the discovery is always exceptional at every turn of the path. What's more, homestay hospitality in the region is often of a very high standard and offers a window into rich local traditions. Heading down towards the plains, you can trek as far as Pu Luong Park — the inland Ha Long Bay — where hundreds of karst peaks create a unique landscape. With reliable sunshine during this end-of-year period, a trek in Vietnam is always a great idea!
Tenerife and its volcanoes
At the heart of the Atlantic, Tenerife has preserved its original beauty and its contrasting scenery makes for a fantastic playground for nature lovers. Between the lushness of the north and the aridity of the south, the paths lead you across rugged volcanic massifs with terraced tropical cultivation, then on to ridges with breathtaking panoramas. The Teide massif will undoubtedly be the highlight of such a trek, and its unique, desert-like slopes will certainly be an unforgettable memory once you are back home!
The oases of the Adrar in the Mauritanian desert
The Adrar is a magnificent massif, criss-crossed by dozens of wadis and sublime canyons. It makes a fantastic setting for a Saharan trek between multiple oases and encounters with nomadic tribes. If time allows, you can also explore the superb ancient city of Chinguetti and its historic libraries — a perfect backdrop for a serene, calm and restful end-of-year celebration.
