The Green Traveller Digest Welcome to my latest round up of news, features and comments on green travel. This newsletter is written by me, Richard Hammond, the founder of Green Traveller. If you'd like to receive the newsletter by email, please subscribe here . This newsletter is part of a series of publications produced by Green Traveller Media. Our production website is at greentraveller.com  and our consumer-facing website is at greentraveller.co.uk . Our free e-magazine The   Green Traveller  (autumn 2025 above, published today!) ties in with related features across all our channels that aim to shine a light on lower carbon travel as well as positive impact adventures further afield. Green Travel News Eurostar orders double-decker trains Eurostar has announced it is investing in up to 50 new double-decker trains built by Alstom Group. Eurostar confirmed an order for 30 trains, with an option for a further 20, marking a significant step in Eurostar’s growth journey to 30 million annual passengers. The new fleet, named 'Eurostar Celestia' will be a bespoke design created from Alstom’s Avelia Horizon platform. The 200-metre trains will be interoperable across all five countries served today plus new destinations of Geneva and Frankfurt. The first trains are due to join the fleet in January 2031, with commercial services launching in May 2031. Once delivered, the new trains will operate alongside Eurostar’s current fleet of 17 e320s, bringing the total fleet to 67 trains. Artists's impression of Eurostar Celestia train arriving in to London St Pancras. Colours and livery not final. ©ALSTOM SA ©SPEEDINNOV SAS 2025. Advanced & Creative Design | Avelia Horizon. Eurostar press office. By train in a day to Europe Tailor-made holiday specialist, Fred.Holidays has published a train travel guide to help its customers understand where they can travel by train in day in the UK and across to Europe as part of a drive to promote its rail holidays, which include budget rail breaks, grand rail tours, and luxury rail holidays throughout the continent. Sally Barlow, Rail Product Manager, Fred.Holidays, says: “Our product managers have many years of experience and we have created a range of carefully-curated rail holidays designed to suit all tastes. With legs stretched out, enjoy an on-board snack and a tipple, or just watch the world go by - travelling by train really is the way to get to the heart of any destination with the least amount of hassle, lower carbon footprint and most importantly, avoiding those airport and baggage reclaim queues!” Map of where you can reach by train in a day from the UK. Supplied by Fred.Holidays Walk the roof of England A new multi-day walking route has launched in the North Pennines National Landscape and UNESCO Global Geopark. The ‘Roof of England’ Walk is a journey around the North Pennines, with its name reflecting its lofty location in the uplands of Northern England where walkers can tackle some of the country’s highest footpaths and enjoying views of open moorlands, big skies, and horizons. The route makes its way through County Durham, Cumbria and Northumberland, the three counties of the North Pennines National Landscape, as well as a section in the Yorkshire Dales National Park to enable a visit to Nine Standards Rigg. Heilbronn named European Green Capital 2027 The German city of Heilbronn has been named as European Green Capital 2027. According to a statement from the European Commission, the award was given to Heilbronn because of its “successful intersectoral collaboration of noise, climate and air pollution into its ‘Landscape Plan 2030’ and the city’s ‘Mobility Concept’. Citizen engagement is central, with participatory platforms, awareness campaigns, and protection for quiet areas”. The jury also recognised the city’s ambitious targets for 2035. The city will be granted a financial prize of €600,000. Heilbronn succeeds 2026 titleholder Guimarães, Portugal and 2025 titleholder Vilnius, Lithuania. Exodus Adventure goes 'Wild at Heart' Small-group adventure tour operator, Exodus Adventure Travels, has launched a major fundraising campaign to support its conservation mission of ‘supporting communities to protect key species globally’. Following the introduction of two new projects – saving endangered primates in Vietnam and supporting jaguar conservation in Costa Rica – ‘Wild at Heart’ has been launched by the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation. The fundraiser will support initiatives across all of Exodus’ key destinations, including existing projects aimed at maintaining tiger habitats in India, protecting elephants in Kenya and educating communities on bear preservation in Italy. Kasia Morgan, Head of Sustainability, Exodus Adventure Travels said: “Connecting adventurous travellers with incredible destinations is what we do, always with a view on how our adventures can benefit local species, environments and communities. Our ‘Wild at Heart’ campaign is the next chapter in this commitment to support thriving nature and thriving people. We are excited to invite Exodus customers to join us in supporting this campaign, and helping protect the places they explore, and the species that make these destinations memorable.” “We’ve made it as easy as possible for people to contribute to the project of their choice, and 100% of donations will go towards the work on the ground. As little as £5 could fund a set of camera batteries to monitor the reintroduction of a jaguar prey species in Costa Rica, while £12 is enough to equip a local Rewilding Ranger in Vietnam with essential patrol gear.” Protecting the Maya Forest The governments of Guatemala, Mexico and Belize have signed an agreement to create a ‘Biocultural Corridor of the Great Mayan Forest’, linking 27 protected areas in Guatemala, 11 in Belize and 12 in Mexico, including renowned sites such as Mirador-Río Azul National Park, Aguas Turbias Protected Natural Area and Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. The reserve will cover 5.7 million hectares of mixed ecosystems, lowland, mid and highland tropical rainforests, and Petenes mangroves, home to around 7,000 species, including 200 at-risk and 50 priority species. Iconic wildlife includes jaguars, tapirs, spider monkeys and quetzals. Beyond biodiversity, the corridor honours the living cultures of indigenous Mayan and Afro-descendant communities, who are recognised as guardians of the forest. The three nations will share expertise and resources to manage threats like illegal logging, deforestation and wildfires, while promoting sustainable use of forest resources for local communities. The Maya Forest is also home to archaeological treasures such as Naranjo in Guatemala, Calakmul and Balamkú in Mexico, Yaxhá, Nakum, and La Milpa in Belize. More information about Guatemala: www.visitguatemala.gt Tikal national park, Guatemala. Photo: The Guatemala Tourism Institute (INGUAT) In case you missed it... Intrepid makes radical changes to its Climate Action Plan Earlier this month there was a significant announcement from Intrepid Travel regarding changes to its Climate Action Plan that will likely reverberate across the industry. In particular, it is introducing "a new lifecycle target that takes full accountability of our total emissions, including customer flights to and from our trips". Intrepid is making three changes: Retiring its carbon offset programme and Climate Active certification to focus on decarbonisation investment, launching a Climate Impact Fund, redirecting $2 million each year from offsets into "practical, immediate emissions reductions". Shifting to a lifecycle-based carbon intensity reduction target "Under global accounting carbon protocols, tour operators are not obliged to account for customers’ own flights to their tour joining point. However, we know that these flights contribute more than 75% of lifecycle emissions to our trips and we therefore feel these flights are very much a part of lifecycle emissions of our business and travellers. "That’s why we are now bringing them into carbon accounting methodology. We believe we need to acknowledge our true environmental footprint by adopting a model that reflects reality." It is stepping away from Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). "Our new 2030 target is an 8% reduction in carbon intensity, measured on a lifecycle basis... We’ll also continue to have a specific 21% absolute reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions (offices, trips, accommodation) by 2030, from a 2024 base year." In a statement, Intrepid said: "While this means we’re stepping away from carbon offsetting, as well as the Science Based Targets initiative, this new approach recognises the urgency of the crisis and is designed to accelerate the work we need to do to decarbonise our business." Gwyn Topham, The Guardian's transport correspondent, has covered the story in today's Guardian: Tour operator Intrepid drops carbon offsets and emissions targets There's also a joint open letter by Intrepid's Co-founder & Chair and CEO . It's a Journey sustainable travel podcast We've now completed series 1 of It’s a Journey , the sustainable travel podcast I'm co-hosting with my former colleague and sustainable travel expert Holly Tuppen. The series is for those who work in the travel and tourism industry, and dives into the future of sustainable travel through candid conversations with leading voices across the industry as well as guests from other sectors. Born out of a frustration with a lack of platforms to share B2B solutions-focused and actionable storytelling around sustainability topics, each episode of It’s a Journey tackles the uncomfortable, complex, and often overlooked questions facing the travel industry as it strives to have a better impact on people and places. The five episodes are: Episode 1 - Don’t mention the S word Should you shout about your sustainability actions? Episode 2 - Costing Nature Does doing the right thing by people and nature make commercial sense? Episode 3: The Future of Rail Can train travel be a practical, affordable, low-emissions alternative to air travel? Episode 4: Partnerships for Good Are public-private partnerships the best way to accelerate change in the tourism industry? Episode 5: Community Tourism What does good community tourism look like and can we measure its benefits? Have a listen wherever you like to get your podcasts (Spotify, Apple etc), or use the link via the website itsajourney.fm Please do subscribe so you can find out when the next episodes drop. Huge thanks to the brilliant team at Lemongrass which is sponsoring the podcast. Lemongrass is a B Corp PR and content agency for travel brands whose clients are tour operators, destinations and hotels. News from Green Traveller Green Traveller in Gran Canaria We've published two features articles and a video about Gran Canaria, which aims to shine a light on experiences in the less-visited northern part of this popular island. The guide includes two articles by journalist Teresa Machan. The first looks Conservation, food and local culture , the second reviews Wildlife watching and hiking . The Green Traveller e-magazine - published today! The autumn 2025 issue of our magazine features: Hiking the Golden Valley Pilgrim Way, Herefordshire, by Richard Hammond Best of Britain - eco stays Foot passenger ferry travel to Europe Postcard from Innsbruck Island-hoping across the Ionian Islands, by Jill Sayles The rural side of life in Gran Canaria, by Teresa Machan Get the Picture - responsible photography in Soweto, South Africa, by Diana Jarvis Community-based conservation travel in Saint Lucia, by Josephine Price ...and much more!

Eurostar has announced it is investing in up to 50 new double-decker trains built by Alstom Group – the first ever to operate through the Channel Tunnel and on the UK network. Eurostar confirmed an order for 30 trains, with an option for a further 20, marking a significant step in Eurostar’s growth journey to 30 million annual passengers. Introducing “Eurostar Celestia” - new double-decker, sustainable trains. Image provided by Eurostar press. Eurostar Celestia train arriving in London St Pancras. CGI picture. Colours and livery not final. ©ALSTOM SA ©SPEEDINNOV SAS 2025. Advanced & Creative Design | Avelia Horizon™. The new fleet, named 'Eurostar Celestia' will be a bespoke design created from Alstom’s Avelia Horizon platform. The 200-metre trains will be interoperable across all five countries served today plus new destinations of Geneva and Frankfurt. Seat capacity will increase by 20% on each new train, subject to final design specifications. It is expected that each 200-metre set will have around 540 seats. If running in 400m formation (as through the channel tunnel today), there would be around 1,080 seats per service. The first trains are due to join the fleet in January 2031, with commercial services launching in May 2031. Once delivered, the new trains will operate alongside Eurostar’s current fleet of 17 e320s, bringing the total fleet to 67 trains – a 30% uplift overall versus today. Eurostar plans to maintain the entire fleet at the Temple Mills depot in London, which would be developed to accommodate the new trains at a cost of around €80m. The new fleet will create around 350 more highly skilled jobs at the depot, continuing its heritage as a centre of excellence for international high-speed rail. Today, over half of all Eurostar jobs are already UK-based, with 450 of those based at Temple Mills. Gwendoline Cazenave, CEO, Eurostar said: “Placing this milestone order marks the concrete realisation of Eurostar’s ambitious growth strategy - to reach 30 million passengers by investing in a brand-new fleet. We’re particularly proud to bring double-decker trains to the UK for the very first time. “Customers can expect a very special new train with Eurostar Celestia, which will offer exceptional comfort, a unique Eurostar experience and new surprises to be revealed. This is a golden age for international sustainable travel – and Eurostar is leading the race.” Henri Poupart-Lafarge, Chief Executive Officer of Alstom, said: "By choosing Avelia Horizon to renew its fleet, Eurostar is confirming its desire to combine technological performance, energy efficiency and passenger comfort. This new-generation train, designed to meet the demands of international very high-speed traffic, embodies our vision of sustainable and competitive European mobility." See the map of Eurostar's current routes:

Cycling in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Photo credit: Diana James/ Greentraveller What is green travel? This blog post aims to address what is meant by 'green travel', addressing the question that many people are asking: How can we continue to travel and go on holiday given the climate and nature emergencies? Firstly, let's look at these two issues of our age: Climate Change: The concentration of carbon dioxide that is currently in the atmosphere – currently 421 PPM (according to the latest daily co2 reading on co2.earth ) - is higher than at any time in at least 800,000 years. Since the Industrial Revolution in the mid 18th Century, carbon dioxide levels have risen by more than 30%. In addition, other greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide are also released through human activities and contribute to climate change. Here are a few other nuggets of information about the emergency, as reported by the BBC (for more information, see this useful article that explains Climate Change ) : · The world is about one degree Celsius warmer than before widespread industrialisation · The 20 warmest years on record all occurred in the past 22 years · If the current warming trend continues, temperatures could rise 3-5 degrees Celsius by the end of this century. · Temperature rises of 2 degrees Celsius had long been regarded as the gateway to dangerous warming. More recently, scientists and policymakers have argued that limiting temperature rises to 1.5C is safer. Nature Emergency: Worldwide, 1 million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction due to the intensification of agriculture and forestry, resource extraction, hunting, invasive species, urban sprawl, pollution and climate change. Yet this is not just about the disappearance of remote rainforests or polar bears at the extremities of the planet – habitat and biodiversity loss is happening on a colossal scale in the UK, to our hedgerows and forests, our garden birds and the fish in our seas. Over 15 per cent of all wildlife in the UK is threatened with extinction. So what is green travel? It's important to consider the whole life-cycle of your holiday – not just what you do in the holiday destination – as travelling to and from a holiday is often responsible for at least 70 per cent of the carbon emissions of the entire trip. Most forms of transport burn fossil fuels that emit carbon dioxide, which contributes to climate change, so the most effective way to be a greener traveller is to reduce those emissions caused by travelling to and from your holiday destination. The easiest way to achieve to this is to reduce how far you travel and/or and to travel in a way that burns less fossil fuels using lower carbon modes of transport; or by not travelling in a vehicle at all, choosing instead to travel on foot, by bike or under sail. Strolling in a park. Photo: wixmedia Find alternatives to flying I believe that the single most important way to reduce your carbon dioxide emissions when travelling is, where possible, to seek low emission alternatives to flying, as there is a step difference between air travel versus most other modes of mass transport in the amount of carbon dioxide emitted and its associated effect on climate change. In general, travelling by train in the UK emits about 5 times less carbon dioxide than travelling by plane (emitting carbon dioxide at higher altitudes is also thought to have more of an effect on climate change than when it’s released at ground level). (Images left to right: Richard Hammond; Thalys: Bus and Electric car: WixMedia) According to the Energy Savings Trust , the carbon emissions for travelling from London to Edinburgh are that flying emits 144kg carbon dioxide per person; one driver doing the journey in a medium sized petrol car emits 120kg, while travelling by train emits 29kg. For travelling to Europe, there’s even more of a difference (as the trains emit less carbon dioxide – some are run on electricity rather than fossil fuels, though that electricity is only really green if it's come from non-fossil fuel power generation): travelling by Eurostar, for instance, emits approximately 10 times less carbon dioxide than travelling by plane (see Eurostar’s Tread Lightly programme ) . For more information about the carbon emissions associated with travelling on trains and planes, see our page on Carbon Emissions Data . If you do fly, it's worth remembering that some bigger planes burn a gallon of fossil fuel a second so it’s hard to see how they can be framed as 'green', but there is quite a large disparity between airlines, with some far more carbon-efficient than others so picking a more efficient airline is something you can do. Likewise, more fuel is burnt on take-off and landing, so try to avoid lots of polluting short-haul flights. For more information on the carbon emissions associated with flying, see Atmosfair’s Airline Index and the associated document Flight Emissions Calculator , which explains its methodology. Travelling by ferry Travelling as a foot passenger on a ferry has a low carbon emissions profile (see data from the Dept for BEIS later in this article). Many of the departure ports in the UK and in arrivals ports in Ireland, France, The Netherlands and Spain are well served by public transport, so you can take the train or coach to the ferry port, check-in and go through passport control then walk on to the ship. Similarly on arrival, you can walk off the ship and connect your onward travel with the local public transport networks. Travelling on ferries by petrol/diesel car emits higher amounts of carbon dioxide (see data below regarding the carbon emissions of foot passengers and ferry car passengers). Brittany Ferries new ship is powered by LNG (liquified natural gas). LNG is a more efficient combustion process than burning traditional fossil fuels, with around 25% fewer carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, emissions are sulphur-free and there is a significant reduction in nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter. Named after the picturesque port on the Seine estuary, the 'Honfleur' will serve Brittany Ferries’ most popular route from Portsmouth to Caen. (Images left to right: Brittany Ferries; DFDS: catering, ship and room) Eurostar's routes to Europe [click to enlarge] Booking a train or ferry from the UK to Europe can be a bit bewildering at first, so I've put together a guide to flight-free travel routes from the UK to Europe , including specific information about travelling flight-free to France , Spain and Italy . Given that the only way to take the train to Europe involves taking the Eurostar train from London, I have named most of these trips ' London to ' but if you need to travel from outside London to connect with the Eurostar, I've included guides to how to travel to Europe from outside London, such as How to travel from Scotland to Europe without flying , How to travel from south west England to Europe without flying , How to travel from the North of England to Europe without Flying and How to Travel From Wales to Europe Without Flying . Once you're in your holiday destination, it's much more carbon efficient to travel by public transport than hire a petrol/diesel car or fly. As well as reducing your carbon emissions, taking the train, coach or bus within a country is like travelling like a local and enables you to appreciate places that you'd otherwise miss. When you arrive at the main railway or bus station (often they're in the centre of cities rather than requiring an onward transfer from an out of town airfield where many no-frills airlines land), instead of being bombarded with endless duty free shops, there'll be buskers and bike racks. To help you plan a holiday in the UK without a car, here are a series of car-free guides to many of the UK's protected areas, including the National Parks and the many lesser known Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (pictured below). (Images left to right: Diana Jarvis) Travelling by coach is one of the greenest forms of transport. The latest data on carbon emissions provided by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, reports that the emissions for coaches are 0.02732kg per passenger kilometre, whereas a medium-sized car is 0.16637kg (with an average of 1.6 passengers), while a foot passenger on a ferry is 0.01874kg (car passenger is 0.12952kg), a n ational rail passenger travelling on UK trains is 0.03694kg while for international rail it's just 0.00497kg. A short haul flight (ie those within Europe to/from the UK) is 0.15298kg (economy class) and 0.22947kg (business class), while a domestic flight in the UK is 0.2443kg, and a long haul flight (outside of Europe) to/from the UK is 0.14615 (Economy class) and a whopping 0.42385kg in business class. The figures given for airlines include the effect of radiative forcing, which is a measure of the additional environmental impact of aviation, including emissions of nitrous oxides and water vapour when emitted at high altitude. ( images: wix media ) Hiring an electric car If you really can't do without a car, then it's more carbon efficient to hire an electric car rather than a conventionally-fuelled vehicle that runs on either diesel or petrol car, which burn fossil fuels. There has been a huge uptake in the production of electric cars in recent years and many car hire companies, such as Avis, Sixt and Enterprise now hire electric cars. Do make sure you hire a car that has the appropriate mileage per battery that's relevant for you use. Also, do check the location of the charging points that you may need to use: p ublic charging networks provide a mixture of slow, fast and rapid charging points operated by either a national or regional network so do check before you travel where best to go. In the UK, see the Zap-Map public charging guide . In Europe, apps such as Plug Share or Chargemap show the location of charge points and the type of connectors they have installed as well as the charge speed and how to pay. For more information on charging electric cars in Europe, see the Automobile Association's guide to Charging around Europe in an electric vehicle . Images left to right: Hotel les Orangeries ; Orion Treehouse B&B ; Can Marti ; Cnoc Suain . Choose a green hotel There are plenty of places now that call themselves ‘green’, ‘eco’, or ‘responsible’, but how can you be sure their claims are accurate? It can often be difficult to tell the green from the greenwash, so here are a few questions that may help: Do they reduce their draw on energy? Do they minimise the amount of waste they send to landfill? Do they reduce their consumption of water? How much of the food they serve is sourced locally, within a few miles? Do they actively encourage guests to arrive on foot, by bike and by public transport? Do they actively encourage the conservation of biodiversity? Are they certified green? It may seem trivial, but reporting back about how green they are on review sites, such as TripAdvisor, or via social media, or on the hotel’s feedback forms, can provide invaluable information to help other travellers make more informed choices. We go into more detail in this in our post on How to tell if a hotel is green . All of the places that are featured in Green Traveller's Green Places to Stay go the extra mile to adhere to all of the above criteria through minimising their use of resources and maximising their impact on the local economy. And they are all reachable without flying from the UK. Local food at the eco chic Levendis Estate, Ithaca, Greece. Photo: Rhiannon Batten Support local food producers In supporting local food producers you'll not only be eating food that has a low food mileage (and therefore less associated carbon emissions as it hasn't had to be transported a long way), you'll also be supporting local economies, many of whom will have struggled during the Covid19 pandemic. When you’re eating out at restaurants, look out for those that have been vetted by the Sustainable Restaurant Association , and choose sustainable fish - the Marine Conservation Society has also produced a handy guide to sustainable seafood, with advice on avoiding endangered fish, such as bluefin tuna, see: fishonline.org . For more information about where to find local food and drink in destinations across the UK and Europe, see our section on Local Food and Drink as well as the 'Where to eat local food' in our green travel guides . For self-catering, even with the best intentions, it’s all too easy to set off on holiday and only remember last minute that you’ll need to take food and end up just whizz via the nearest supermarket en route and turn up with bags of plastic. Far better to plan ahead and order from a local online grocer that won’t use as much plastic and will support local producers. During the lockdown, many people turned to local food deliveries and there are many such services across the country, examples include: Local Food Direct in Somerset , Norfolk Veg Box , Great Cornish Foo d and Great Cornish Food . Images left to right: Kayaking in the Peloponnese (Richard Hammond) ; Walking in the Dordogne (Inntravel) ; Horse-riding in Pelion (Richard Hammond) ; Yoga at Las Chimeneas, Spain (Diana Jarvis). Choose low impact activities Most low-impact activities, such as cycling, canoeing, kayaking, and horse-riding enable you to reach places you couldn't otherwise get to by car. Many green places to stay now include provision for mind and body wellbeing activities, such as yoga. For more ideas of low impact holidays, see specific holidays featured in Green Traveller's magazine , plus there are a range of options in over 50 destinations in the UK and Europe in the Green Traveller's Guides . Less Carbon, More Fun! High speed TGV train along the coast of the South of France. Photo: RailEurope

There are lots of ways to travel overland to France from the UK without flying thanks to a variety of train , coach , car ferry and foot passenger ferry services from southern England. Our team has tried and tested many of them and so we have tried to summarise all the available options in this post based on our experience. The good news is that if you're travelling on foot, then on arrival at many of the ports and railway stations in France, there are plenty of options for onward travel by rail and bus throughout France . Furthermore, it's fast becoming feasible to take an electric car to France - the infrastructure is improving all the time with charging networks being rolled out at terminals and there's currently a huge expansion of charging facilities throughout France. Less Carbon, More Fun! Photos: Eurostar, Brittany Ferries and Wix Media By train from the UK to France It is easy to travel by train to France in a day from the UK. The fastest route is to take the Eurostar from London St Pancras International Railway Station to either Lille Europe (1 hour 22 mins) or to Gare du Nord in the French capital Paris (2 hours 16 mins). Both these stations are hubs to onward travel throughout France. In Lille, all the trains leave from the same station you arrived at from London, while in Paris, although some onward trains leave from Gare du Nord (mostly Thalys trains for Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands ), most trains for destinations in France leave from five other stations dotted throughout the capital: Gare de l'Est (which is just a few minutes walk from Gare du Nord), Gare de Lyon, Gare d’Austerlitz, Gare Montparnasse, Gare de Bercy, and Gare Saint Lazare . For instance, if you want to travel down to Nice, you have to change stations in Paris from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon, which can take about half an hour on the Paris RER line. If you're not used to Paris, transferring train stations may seem daunting but in practice the connections are pretty seamless –s ee our guide to How to transfer between train stations across Paris . Tickets provided by Trainline, which allows you to buy tickets for multiple train operators in multiple European countries. It does charge a small booking fee, but offers several useful facilities, such as a free email alert service to let you know as soon as bookings open for your chosen route so you can snap up the cheapest tickets when they become available. For more information about train travel to specific places in France, see our step-by-step guides for how to travel from London to the following: How to travel by train from London to Lille How to travel by train from London to Paris How to travel by train from London to Nantes How to travel by train from London to Valence How to travel by train from London to Avignon How to travel by train from London to Marseille How to travel by train from London to Bordeaux How to travel by train from London to Bayonne How to travel by train from London to Toulouse How to travel by train from London to Nice How to travel by train (and ferry) from London to Corsica How to travel by train by Ski Train to the French Alps How to book train tickets as part of a package with accommodation If you want someone to book the whole journey for you or combine it with staying in hotels en route, get in touch with the travel agent Byway through its page for booking enquiries . Stopover hotels to break the journey in Lille or Paris If you want to break the journey and stay overnight to see a bit more of Lille or Paris while you're travelling through, there are lots of lovely places to stay conveniently near the Eurostar arrival station in Lille Europe (Lille) and Gare du Nord (Paris). Hotels near Lille Europe Railway Station 🚉 B&B Hotel Lille Centre Grand Palais (see below) and Le Chat Qui Dort are just a few minutes walk from Lille Europe Station (where Eurostar arrives). Rooms from about €100 per night. Green Traveller's Top Pick 💚 B&B Hotel Lille Centre Grand Palais  is a comfortable budget hotel very conveniently situated in a quiet residential neighbourhood close to the Lille-Europe station. The 127 rooms are slightly small, but size is mitigated by keen pricing and useful add-ons such as free wifi. The hotel has recently earned Clef Verte accreditation for its measures in conserving energy and water. Hotels close to Gare du Nord, Paris 🚉 Grand Hotel de Paris  and Hôtel Kabanel  are just a few minutes walk from Gare du Nord (and Gare de L'Est so also great if you're heading out east). Rooms from about €100 per night. Green Traveller's Top Pick 💚 Mob Hotel  is a particularly environmentally friendly and socially conscious hotel that's in the heart of St Ouen, just a few miles north of Gare du Nord and close to the Garibaldi metro station (line 13). The hotel is all about being socially engaged within its neighbourhood (the artistic creations of local craftspeople are everywhere), but it also has strong eco credentials, such as water jugs rather than plastic bottles, refillable toiletries and organic cosmetics in the rooms. The restaurant is fully organic with a seasonal menu that draws on produce from farming cooperatives or direct from local producers (they also make their own honey and beer). Eco-certified hotels in Paris ✔️ If you're looking for other green hotels in the French Capital, then these have all been certified by an accredited ecolabel: Hotel Gavarnie  (near the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides Museum) | Hotel Le Pavillion  (a former convent in the Saint-Dominique area) | Amélie Hotel  (2-star) | Hôtel Malar  (10 minutes from the Champs Elysees). By Coach from the UK to France The major coach operators from the UK to France are Flixbus, which runs coach trips from Manchester, Birmingham and London to multiple cities in France, and National Express, which runs a service from London to Paris (nationalexpress.com); if you’re travelling from outside London, you can travel to London to connect with the international service. National Express also runs coaches from most major cities in the UK. Luggage allowance is one medium sized suitcase and one piece of hand luggage per person. As with coaches operating in the UK, there’s free Wi-Fi, charging sockets, and onboard toilets. You can also book Flixbus and National Express tickets through Omio (omio.co.uk), which also sells tickets for Eurolines, which works with 29 coach companies throughout Europe (eurolines.de). Foot Passenger Ferry Services from the UK to France The modernisation of ferry services has revolutionised the experience of travelling across the English Channel. Especially for longer overnight crossings to the continent where you can travel in style on spacious ships, enjoy fine dining in la carte restaurants, spa treatment rooms, and comfortable en suite cabins, so on arrival you feel refreshed for the onward journey. There are also plenty of facilities to keep children entertained during the crossing, including soft play areas, games rooms, live entertainment and cinema. Europe has never felt closer. There are several operators that run ferries from southern England to northern France that cater for foot passengers. The ports on both sides of the crossing are well connected by public transport, so it’s easy to travel by bus or train to the ports in the UK, as well as disembark on the other side and continue the journey overland. One of the easiest crossings on foot is to go from Newhaven to Dieppe because there's such an easy transfer from the railway station in Newhaven on to the ferry. On arrival in Dieppe, you can either walk about 25 minutes to the railway station or there's a shuttle bus that can take you there. If you prefer to travel from elsewhere on the south coast of England, there are departures from Dover, Poole, Portsmouth and Plymouth with a variety of operators. For detailed information to how to take public transport to the UK's ferry ports, see Green Traveller's Guide to travelling as a foot passenger from the UK to Europe . The main ferry services from the south of England to northern France are as follows: Dover Dover to Calais: 5 sailings per day (for foot passengers) with P&O Ferries NB. although there are also sailings from Dover to Calais with DFDS Seaways (10 sailings per day), and Irish Ferries (4 sailings per day) they do not allow foot passengers. NB. There is also a ferry from Dover to Dunkirk (12 sailings per day with DFDS Seaways) but it is not available for foot passengers. Tickets provided by Direct Ferries. NB. when you book a ticket, the vehicle page is automatically populated to show a car, to change this to foot passenger select 'edit', and then from the drop down vehicle menu select 'Foot Passenger'. Select 'save' and then 'show times'. Newhaven to Dieppe 21 crossings per week with DFDS Seaways Portsmouth to Caen, Cherbourg or St Malo Portsmouth to Caen: 3 sailings per day with Brittany Ferries Portsmouth to Cherbourg: 1 per week with Brittany Ferries Portsmouth to St Malo: 1 per day with Brittany Ferries Ferry tickets provided by Brittany Ferries ( NB. To book as a foot passenger , choose the ' on foot' option from the vehicle selection drop-down selection on step 1 of the ferry booking process) . Poole to Cherbourg 1 sailing per day with Brittany Ferries Ferry tickets provided by Brittany Ferries ( NB. To book as a foot passenger , choose the ' on foot' option from the vehicle selection drop-down selection on step 1 of the ferry booking process) : Plymouth to Roscoff 1 sailing per day with Brittany Ferries Ferry tickets provided by Brittany Ferries ( NB. To book as a foot passenger , choose the ' on foot' option from the vehicle selection drop-down selection on step 1 of the ferry booking process) : Onward journeys by public transport from France's ferry ports When you disembark from the ferry there are plenty of local public transport services for onward travel. For step-by-step instructions for how to transfer from the ferry on to local services at all the major arrival ports in France, see our Guide to travelling as a foot passenger from the UK to Europe . By car from the UK to France Cars can be taken on all the major ferry routes described in the foot passenger section above, as well as the Dover to Calais route run by DFDS and Irish Ferries (neither take foot passengers on this route) and on the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle, which takes just 35 minutes from Folkestone to Calais (there are up to four departures an hour at peak times). Tickets for LeShuttle (Eurotunnel) provided by Direct Ferries, which allows you to search and compare prices for the different times through the tunnel. Driving electric cars from the UK to France You can also take an electric car on the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle - there are rapid chargers for universal electric and hybrid cars, as well as dedicated Tesla chargers, at both terminals so you can recharge before you head through the tunnel on either side. Electric car hire: There has been a huge increase in the production of electric cars in recent years and many of the large car rental companies, such as Enterprise, Avis, Europcar, and SIXT now hire electric cars in France, see: Enterprise: https://www.enterprise.co.uk/en/car-hire/vehicles/fr/cars/electric.html Avis: https://www.avis.co.uk/drive-avis/fleet/prestige/uk/Electric Europcar: https://www.europcar.co.uk/en-gb/p/car-rental/fleet/type/electric SIXT: https://www.sixt.com/magazine/fleet/electric-cars-pros-and-cons Do make sure you hire a car that has the appropriate mileage per battery that’s relevant for your use. Public charging networks provide a mixture of slow, fast and rapid charging points operated by either a national or regional network, so do check the location of the charging points as well as the charging time and payment methods. The car hire company may be able to advise on this when you hire the car – some may have arrangements with energy partners and can provide you with a charge card that you can use at a number of locations in France. Charging electric vehicles in France: Electric vehicle (EV) charging networks are expanding very quickly across France. As in the UK there are different companies providing chargers, but the market is much more fragmented on the continent – if you think it’s complicated in the UK, in France and across Europe there is a bewildering number of providers. In most cases, you need to log in using a network RFID card, a key fob or an app, some of which need to be pre-loaded with funds. Chargers that accept a contactless debit or credit card are still not widespread. Thankfully, there are aggregators who can provide an RFID card that works on several different networks, reducing the number of cards or apps you need to obtain. As in the UK, there are chargers at many motorway service areas and are also generally found where cars are likely to be parked for a while, such as supermarkets, shopping centre car parks, hotels and tourist attractions. The Automobile Association has a handy guide to recharging in Europe, including the latest information on the charging networks in France and breakdown cover for electric vehicles in Europe. The situation is changing rapidly, so it’s always worth checking the AA’s website again just before you embark on a journey in Europe. Also, keep an eye on the website zap-map.com for the latest news about electric vehicles and the expansion of charging networks throughout the continent. ============ Please note : The information on this page aims to give you a reasonable idea of train and ferry routes, times and tickets, in order that hopefully there’s enough detail to know what's available, how to plan an overland journey and where to book tickets. The information was up to date at time of publication, but services do change from time to time and we cannot take responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies we provide. Always confirm details when you book with the relevant travel operator. If you are aware of any inaccuracies, we'd really appreciate being informed via our contact page so we can make the relevant changes to the information provided for the benefit of other travellers. Bon Voyage!

There are several ways to travel to Italy from the UK without flying thanks to Eurostar's service from London connecting with a variety of high-speed train services from either Paris or Lille to northern Italy. The good news is that you can reach cities such as Turin and Milan as well as lakes Como and Garda in the north of Italy within a day from London. The following morning you can then whizz down by train to further destinations in Italy , including Rome, Florence and Naples, to the Amalfi Coast, and across by ferry to the islands of Sardinia and Sicily. There is also a slower route to Italy by ferry from Harwich in the East of England to Rotterdam in The Netherlands and then onward by train to Italy, or alternatively, if you live in the North of England or Scotland, you could take the ferry from Newcastle or Hull to The Netherlands an then onward by train to Italy. For detailed information to how to take public transport to the UK's ferry ports, see Green Traveller's Guide to travelling as a foot passenger from the UK to Europe . I have tried to summarise all the available options in this post based on my experience. On arrival in Italy, there are plenty of options at rail terminals for onward travel by rail and bus. It's a lovely journey by train to Italy. Photos: Eurostar and Wix Media By train from the UK to Italy Route 1: Via Paris It is possible to travel by train to Italy in a day from the UK. The fastest route is to take the Eurostar from London St Pancras International Railway Station then change in Paris to catch one of the many high speed TGV trains to Turin and Milan in northern Italy. For instance, you could catch the 10.22am Eurostar and reach Turin at 9.18pm and Milan at 10.07pm. You could also take any Eurostar to Paris and stay overnight in the French capital and then catch one of the high-speed TGV trains to Italy the following day. See our detailed guides for sample departure and arrival times and transfers in Paris: Train from London to Milan (the arrival station is 'Milan Porta Garibaldi') Train from London to Turin ('Torino Porta Susa') Train tickets provided by Trainline: Tickets provided by Trainline, which allows you to buy tickets for multiple train operators in multiple European countries. It does charge a small booking fee, but offers several useful facilities, such as a free email alert service to let you know as soon as bookings open for your chosen route so you can snap up the cheapest tickets when they become available. How to book train tickets as part of a package with accommodation If you want someone to book the whole journey for you or combine it with staying in hotels en route, get in touch with the travel agent Byway through its page for booking enquiries . In Paris, you have to change stations in Paris from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon, which can take about half an hour on the Paris RER line (it's only two stops, though we recommend you leave at least 50 minutes for the entire transfer - you have about an hour and a half to get the connection, though you could get an earlier train and spent a bit more time in Paris, e.g. have lunch at the wonderful Train Bleu Restaurant in Gare de Lyon). At Gare de Lyon, you board a TGV high speed train to Torino Porta Susa station, which continues to Milan Porta Garibaldi . See our guide to How to transfer between train stations across Paris . Stopover hotels to break the journey in Paris If you want to break the journey en route (either on the outward journey and/or on the way back) and stay overnight to see a bit more of Paris, there are lots of lovely places to stay in Paris conveniently near both Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon. Here are some examples of hotels that are conveniently near these stations: Hotels close to Gare du Nord 🚉 Grand Hotel de Paris  and Hôtel Kabanel  are just a few minutes walk from Gare du Nord (and Gare de L'Est so also great if you're heading out east). Rooms from about €100 per night. Green Traveller's Top Pick 💚 Mob Hotel  is a particularly environmentally friendly and socially conscious hotel that's in the heart of St Ouen, just a few miles north of Gare du Nord and close to the Garibaldi metro station (line 13). The hotel is all about being socially engaged within its neighbourhood (the artistic creations of local craftspeople are everywhere), but it also has strong eco credentials, such as water jugs rather than plastic bottles, refillable toiletries and organic cosmetics in the rooms. The restaurant is fully organic with a seasonal menu that draws on produce from farming cooperatives or direct from local producers (they also make their own honey and beer). Eco-certified hotels in Paris ✔️ If you're looking for other green hotels in the French Capital, then these have all been certified by an accredited ecolabel: Hotel Gavarnie  (near the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides Museum) | Hotel Le Pavillion  (a former convent in the Saint-Dominique area) | Amélie Hotel  (2-star) | Hôtel Malar  (10 minutes from the Champs Elysees). Return journey back from Italy to the UK via Paris As with the outward journey via Paris, you can travel back from Italy to the UK in a day by train via Paris. For instance, you could take the 6.00am train from Milan or the 7.39am from Turin to Gare de Lyon, transfer across Paris to Gare du Nord to catch the Eurostar and arrive back in London at 4.37pm. Route 2: Via Lille If you prefer not to cross Paris to change trains, then the option of simply changing trains in Lille could be for you. It requires a simply same-station change of train in Lille down to Lyon where you stay overnight (there are plenty of hotels very close to the station in Lyon - see below), and then in the morning you can take a ' Frecciarossa' high-speed train to Turin and Milan. These Frecciarossa trains are run by Trenitalia (the Italian railway operator). Lyon is a great place to stop over en route to Italy Onwards by train through Italy from Turin and Milan There are onward trains from Turin and Milan to destinations throughout Italy. It's just a short onward journey to both Lake Como (Como San Giovanni) and Lake Garda (there are two stations on Lake Garda (it's a big lake!): Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione and Peschiera del Garda). In fact, both lakes can reached in the same day from London – just take the onward train from Turin or Milan –Lake Como is just 50 minutes from Milan and Lake Garda is about an hour and half from Milan. See our guides to how to travel to the following destinations, with sample schedules and transfers, all the way from London: Train from London to Rome Train from London to Florence Train from London to Naples Return journey back from Italy to the UK via Lyon and Lille As with the outward journey via Lille and Lyon, you can travel back from Italy to the UK by train via Lyon and Lille (you can actually do the return journey in one day). For instance, you could take the 6.25am train from Milan or the 7.11am from Turin to arrive in at Lyon at 11.08 then take the 11.35am train to Lille arriving at 3.48pm to catch the 4.48pm Eurostar and arrive back in London at 5pm – or if that's a bit tight (remember you'll have the 45-60min check in time for Eurostar), you could catch the 7.35pm Eurostar arriving in to London at 7.57pm. By ferry and train from the UK to Italy There are three options to go by ferry: i. From Harwich in the East of England to The Netherlands and then onward by train to Italy. The ferry service is Stenaline's integrated Rail & Sail initiative, which combines a rail ticket to Harwich with the cost of the overnight ferry over to Hoek van Holland (Rotterdam). The joy of this trip is that as well as the excellent on board facilities on the ferry (including restaurants and cabins) it's just a short walk from Harwich railway station on to the ferry, and also on arrival off the ferry at Hoek van Holland to the departing train. On arrival at Hoek van Holland you can take the train to Amsterdam and then onwards to Munich (arriving in the early evening) and then catch any number of trains to Italy, including an overnight sleeper train to Venice (from where you can take trains to Florence, Rome and Naples). ii. From Hull to The Netherlands and then onward by train to Italy. P&O operates an overnight cruise ferry from Hull to Hoek van Holland (Rotterdam) from where you can take the train via Amsterdam and the sleeper from Munich to Venice (see above). Tickets provided by P&O ferries: iii. From Newcastle to The Netherlands and then onward by train to Italy. DFDS Seaways run an overnight cruise ferry from Newcastle to IJmuiden (Amsterdam) from where you can take the train to Munich and then the sleeper to Venice (see above). Tickets provided by DFDS Seaways: The slow route to Europe, by overnight ferry from Harwich, Hull or Newcastle to The Netherlands ============ Please note : The information on this page aims to give you a reasonable idea of train and ferry routes, times and tickets, in order that hopefully there’s enough detail to know what's available, how to plan a journey and where to book tickets. The information was up to date at time of publication, but services do change from time to time and we cannot take responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies we provide. Always confirm details when you book with the relevant travel operator. If you are aware of any inaccuracies, we'd really appreciate being informed via our contact page so we can make the relevant changes to the information provided for the benefit of other travellers.

As part of our Green Traveller's Guide to Nouvelle-Aquitaine , here's our guide to how to travel flight-free to this beautiful region in France. There are lots of ways to travel overland to Nouvelle-Aquitaine from the UK whether you want to travel by train, coach, car, or ferry from southern England. Thanks to the introduction of L'Océane high-speed rail link, it's just 2 hours by train to Bordeaux from Paris, so you can easily get there in a day from London via Eurostar. Other cities in Nouvelle-Aquitaine are also well connected to Paris by train and coach. If you're travelling on foot, then on arrival at many of the ports and railway stations in Paris, there are plenty of options for onward travel by rail and bus to Nouvelle Aquitaine. It's also about four hours drive from the ferry ports of Northern France. For those who want to drive in an electric car, there are charging points at Eurotunnel, and for your onward journey in France, the good news is that there's currently a huge expansion of charging facilities underway throughout the country. Less Carbon, More Fun! Photos left to right: Train: Eurostar, Ferry: Brittany Ferries; Surfing: Federation Francaise de Surf/JUSTES @CRTNA; Family boating in Marais Poitevin, known as 'Green Venice': Mathieu Anglada @CRTNA By train from the UK to Nouvelle-Aquitaine It is easy to travel by train to Nouvelle-Aquitaine in a day from the UK. The fastest route is to take the Eurostar from London St Pancras International Railway Station to Gare du Nord in the French capital Paris (2 hours 16 mins) and then cross Paris to take the high speed train from either Gare Montparnasse or Gare Austerlitz, depending on whereabouts you want to go to in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Head to Montparnasse for high-speed TGV trains to Poitiers (1 hour 18 mins), Angoulême (1 hour 43 mins), Niort (1 hour 45 mins), Bordeaux (2 hours), La Rochelle (2 hours 26 mins), and Bayonne (3 hours 53 mins), and Pau (4 hours 9 mins), as well as for Ouigo services to Agen (3 hours 12 mins), and to Austerlitz for the slower regional TER intercity trains to cities such as Limoges (3 hours 26 mins) and Brive (4 hours 36 mins). It's also possible to travel by train from Lille to Nouvelle-Aquitaine in 4 hours 30 mins - handy if you prefer not to cross Paris; in Lille you change on to a train in the same station as the one you arrive in to on Eurostar from London. If you're not used to take the metro in Paris, transferring train stations may seem daunting but the connections are pretty seamless – s ee How to transfer between train stations across Paris . Train tickets provided by Trainline: Photos, Left: Eurostar at St Pancras, London: Richard Hammond. Centre: Eurostar travelling through southern England en route to the Channel Tunnel. Right: Eurostar's route map. Stopover hotels to break the journey in Paris If you want to break the journey and stay overnight to see a bit more of Paris while you're travelling through, there are lots of lovely places to stay conveniently near the Eurostar arrival station in Gare du Nord (after you arrive on Eurostar) or near Gare Montparnasse (for your departure to Bordeaux) or Gare Austerlitz (for your departure to other cities in Nouvelle-Aquitaine). Hotels close to Gare du Nord 🚉 Grand Hotel de Paris  and Hôtel Kabanel  are just a few minutes walk from Gare du Nord (and Gare de L'Est so also great if you're heading out east). Rooms from about €100 per night. Green Traveller's Top Pick 💚 Mob Hotel  is a particularly environmentally friendly and socially conscious hotel that's in the heart of St Ouen, just a few miles north of Gare du Nord and close to the Garibaldi metro station (line 13). The hotel is all about being socially engaged within its neighbourhood (the artistic creations of local craftspeople are everywhere), but it also has strong eco credentials, such as water jugs rather than plastic bottles, refillable toiletries and organic cosmetics in the rooms. The restaurant is fully organic with a seasonal menu that draws on produce from farming cooperatives or direct from local producers (they also make their own honey and beer). Eco-certified hotels in Paris ✔️ If you're looking for other green hotels in the French Capital, then these have all been certified by an accredited ecolabel: Hotel Gavarnie  (near the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides Museum) | Hotel Le Pavillion  (a former convent in the Saint-Dominique area) | Amélie Hotel  (2-star) | Hôtel Malar  (10 minutes from the Champs Elysees). By Coach from the UK to Nouvelle-Aquitaine The major coach operators from the UK to France are Flixbus  and BlaBlaCarBus , which run services from London Victoria Coach Station to Paris Gare de Bercy Seine via one of the Dover-Calais ferry services. Flixbus and National Express runs coaches from most major cities in the UK to London for you to transfer to the international service to France. Coach travel is often the cheapest (and greenest) way to travel long distance. Photo: Flixbus By Ferry from the UK to Nouvelle-Aquitaine The modernisation of ferry services has revolutionised the experience of travelling across the English Channel. Especially for longer overnight crossings to the continent where you can travel in style on spacious ships, enjoy fine dining in la carte restaurants, spa treatment rooms, and comfortable en suite cabins, so on arrival you feel refreshed for the onward journey. There are also plenty of facilities to keep children entertained during the crossing, including soft play areas, games rooms, live entertainment and cinema. Europe has never felt closer. Photos: left to right: Interiors show on board a DFDS Seaways ferry; exterior: Brittany Ferries There are several operators that run ferries from southern England to northern France that cater for foot passengers. The ports on both sides of the crossing are well connected by public transport, so it’s easy to travel by bus or train to the ports in the UK, as well as disembark on the other side and continue the journey overland. One of the easiest crossings on foot is to go from Newhaven to Dieppe because there's such an easy transfer from the railway station in Newhaven on to the ferry. On arrival in Dieppe, you can either walk about 25 minutes to the railway station or there's a shuttle bus that can take you there. If you prefer to travel from elsewhere on the south coast of England, there are departures from Dover, Poole, Portsmouth and Plymouth with a variety of operators. For detailed information to how to take public transport to the UK's ferry ports, see Green Traveller's Guide to travelling as a foot passenger from the UK to Europe . The main ferry services from the south of England to northern France are as follows: Dover Dover to Calais: 5 sailings per day (for foot passengers) with P&O Ferries NB. although there are also sailings from Dover to Calais with DFDS Seaways (10 sailings per day), and Irish Ferries (4 sailings per day) they do not allow foot passengers. NB. There is also a ferry from Dover to Dunkirk (12 sailings per day with DFDS Seaways) but it is not available for foot passengers. Tickets provided by P&O Ferries. NB. when you book a ticket, the vehicle page is automatically populated to show a car, to change this to foot passenger select 'edit', and then from the drop down vehicle menu select 'Foot Passenger'. Select 'save' and then 'show times'. Newhaven to Dieppe 21 crossings per week with DFDS Seaways Portsmouth to Caen, Cherbourg or St Malo Portsmouth to Caen: 3 sailings per day with Brittany Ferries Portsmouth to Cherbourg: 1 per week with Brittany Ferries Portsmouth to St Malo: 1 per day with Brittany Ferries Ferry tickets provided by Brittany Ferries ( NB. To book as a foot passenger , choose the ' on foot' option from the vehicle selection drop-down selection on step 1 of the ferry booking process) : Poole to Cherbourg 1 sailing per day with Brittany Ferries Ferry tickets provided by Brittany Ferries ( NB. To book as a foot passenger , choose the ' on foot' option from the vehicle selection drop-down selection on step 1 of the ferry booking process) : Plymouth to Roscoff 1 sailing per day with Brittany Ferries Ferry tickets provided by Brittany Ferries ( NB. To book as a foot passenger , choose the ' on foot' option from the vehicle selection drop-down selection on step 1 of the ferry booking process) : All aboard a foot passenger ferry. Photo: Richard Hammond Onward journeys by public transport from France's ferry ports When you disembark from the ferry there are plenty of local public transport services for onward travel. For step-by-step instructions for how to transfer from the ferry on to local services at all the major arrival ports in France, see our Guide to travelling as a foot passenger from the UK to Europe . By car from the UK to France Cars can be taken on all the major ferry routes described in the foot passenger section above, as well as the Dover to Calais route run by DFDS and Irish Ferries (neither take foot passengers on this route). Driving electric cars from the UK to France You can also take an electric car on the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle - there are rapid chargers for universal electric and hybrid cars, as well as dedicated Tesla chargers, at both terminals so you can recharge before you head through the tunnel on either side. Electric car hire: There has been a huge increase in the production of electric cars in recent years and many of the large car rental companies, such as Enterprise, Avis, Europcar, and SIXT now hire electric cars in France, see: Enterprise: https://www.enterprise.co.uk/en/car-hire/vehicles/fr/cars/electric.html Avis: https://www.avis.co.uk/drive-avis/fleet/prestige/uk/Electric Europcar: https://www.europcar.co.uk/en-gb/p/car-rental/fleet/type/electric SIXT: https://www.sixt.com/magazine/fleet/electric-cars-pros-and-cons Do make sure you hire a car that has the appropriate mileage per battery that’s relevant for your use. Public charging networks provide a mixture of slow, fast and rapid charging points operated by either a national or regional network, so do check the location of the charging points as well as the charging time and payment methods. The car hire company may be able to advise on this when you hire the car – some may have arrangements with energy partners and can provide you with a charge card that you can use at a number of locations in France. Charging electric vehicles in France Electric vehicle (EV) charging networks are expanding very quickly across France. As in the UK there are different companies providing chargers, but the market is much more fragmented on the continent – if you think it’s complicated in the UK, in France and across Europe there is a bewildering number of providers. In most cases, you need to log in using a network RFID card, a key fob or an app, some of which need to be pre-loaded with funds. Chargers that accept a contactless debit or credit card are still not widespread. Thankfully, there are aggregators who can provide an RFID card that works on several different networks, reducing the number of cards or apps you need to obtain. As in the UK, there are chargers at many motorway service areas and are also generally found where cars are likely to be parked for a while, such as supermarkets, shopping centre car parks, hotels and tourist attractions. The Automobile Association has a handy guide to recharging in Europe, including the latest information on the charging networks in France and breakdown cover for electric vehicles in Europe. The situation is changing rapidly, so it’s always worth checking the AA’s website again just before you embark on a journey in Europe. Also, keep an eye on the website zap-map.com for the latest news about electric vehicles and the expansion of charging networks throughout the continent. The infrastructure for charging electric cars is developing all the time in France. Photo: Wixmedia ============ Please note : The information on this page aims to give you a reasonable idea of train and ferry routes, times and tickets, in order that hopefully there’s enough detail to know what's available, how to plan an overland journey to Nouvelle-Aquitaine and where to book tickets. The information was up to date at time of publication, but services do change from time to time and we cannot take responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies we provide. Always confirm details when you book with the relevant travel operator. If you are aware of any inaccuracies, we'd really appreciate being informed via our contact page so we can make the relevant changes to the information provided for the benefit of other travellers. Bon Voyage! For characterful places to stay, where to find delicious seasonal food, places of interest and outdoor adventure activities, see our Green Traveller's Guide to Nouvelle Aquitaine

Teresa Machan learns about island conservation and the joys and challenges of rural life on a food and wine tasting odyssey across a less visited part of Gran Canaria It’s milking time at the Cortijo de Pavon cheese factory and all hands are on udders. With a 400-strong herd of Canary Island sheep there’s no time to waste. The Mendoza family has nailed this process. Milk hits the aluminium buckets like hail on a tin roof and before long a full lechera (urn) is being hoisted onto a trolley and wheeled at pace to the production area. “Raw milk adds properties to the cheese but the milk’s temperature must be maintained,” explains my guide, Rafa Molina Rafa Molina whose company EtnoExperience Canarias, specialises in ethnographic hiking routes. Hands also help to maintain the temperature of the cheese. I followed two of the farmers into a small, stone building where the unpasteurised milk is poured into an oblong vat and salted and paddled before the coagulation process is initiated with a sprinkling of rennet. The curd is sliced into ‘grains' and the whey filtered into buckets. The cheese is then wrapped into muslin parcels, kneaded to expunge more liquid and pressed into circular moulds. The entire hands-on process takes around 40 minutes. The stages of cheese making at Cortijo de Pavon cheese factory. Photos: Richard Hammond It isn’t only farming skills that have straddled four generations of this family. An ancient pastoral tradition known as transhumance binds them to the land. Towards the end of June the two female sheep farmers I’ve been observing, Belén (26) and Laura (21), will pack up a few belongings and pick up the trail of the nomadic shepherds, walking between mountain refuges for up to 12 hours a day. The lush pastures of the mountain north enrich the milk of the sheep and are ideal for fattening up the herd. Meeting female shepherds in their 20s was the first of many surprises during a recent visit to Gran Canaria. The popular winter-sun destination is well known for its beaches, sand dunes and resort hotels. Point the handlebars inland, however, and you’ll find hiking trails that thread through laurel forest, world-class archaeological sites, natural parks sheltering endemic flora and birds and village restaurants where tables groan with farm-to-fork produce. As well as supporting a sustainable, circular food system, transhumant shepherds are helping protect the land from the increasing threat of forest fires. According to the environmental conservation organisation Gran Canaria Mosaico almost half of the island’s surface area sits within a high fire-risk zone. Wineries, cheese factories and small farms are the island’s greatest allies, because ‘every cultivated field, orchard and meadow acts as a productive firebreak.’ Watch the video of Teresa's trip to Gran Canaria: Filmed and edited by Richard Hammond. A Green Traveller production. Wherever I ate the words ‘zero kilometres’ (Km.0) usually cropped up. Canarians are fortunate to have a climate that facilitates a field-to-table approach to dining but a deep-rooted passion for the terroir is a key ingredient in the food on the plate. As well as its artisanal goat, sheep and flower cheeses the island has potato, coffee and banana plantations and vines that march across volcanic slopes. Almonds, of which there are more than 50 varieties, warrant an annual blossom festival, held in the village of Tejeda in February. Travelling around I tasted jams made from sun-ripened tomatoes, figs and prickly pears, honey, prized navel oranges, papaya and pork from the indigenous black pig. Incredibly, 43 per cent of land in Gran Canaria falls within the Gran Canaria Biosphere Reserve, an area that encompasses several villages, including Tejeda and Artenara, in the centre of the island. This year Artenara found its place on Spain’s list of Pueblos Mágicos – ‘living towns’ singled out for – among other criteria – practices that preserve the environment, heritage and culture for future generations. For a small island, it is quite an achievement. In the town’s San Matias plaza, I pulled up a chair at Arte-Gaia Bio Tasca (the loose translation is “organic tavern”) and set about eating the land. The day’s lunch menu featured watercress soup with corn, chickpea, saffron and Canarian pork rib, roasted aubergine smothered in palm syrup and cheeses from the Biosphere Reserve. The papas arrugadas – small, flavoursome potatoes cooked and served in their wrinkly jackets on a puddle of spicy mojo sauce, deserved special attention. “The potatoes are from the ravine and the mojo is an old lady’s recipe,” said owner Juana Teresa. The “ravine” she mentioned is in the fertile Tejeda crater. A few minutes from the restaurant is a viewpoint offering yawning views across this monolith-strewn bowl. Farm to table dining at Arte-Gaia Bio Tasca, Artenara. photos: Richard Hammond In pretty Tejeda, an edge-of-the-caldera village full of traditional, white-washed houses, marzipan lovers go to die. Here, I discovered bienmesabe, an almond-based sauce to be dribbled over ice cream (or eaten straight from the spoon) and, at the other extreme, saquitos de morcilla te van (which translates as ‘little pockets of blood sausage’). “You will love them,” said the waiter at Cueva de la Tea, as I popped a filo pastry parcel of black pudding mixed with pine nuts into my mouth. And he was right. It isn’t just potatoes and almond trees that thrive in the Biosphere Reserve. The last two decades has seen a huge resurgence in traditional wine-making – with unique varietals and scores of bodegas across the island. The absence of phylloxera allows vines to be cultivated using ungrafted rootstocks, allowing varieties to harvest the soil's minerals. As our car wound through the volcanic valley I wondered how much higher we could go before running out of road. Eventually we came to a halt at Bodegas Bentayga. Set on the slopes of Caldera de Tejeda, the winery was founded by Don Juan Rodriguez, who in the early 1990s converted an old dairy farm into a winemaking facility. Most of the current vines were planted in 1994, at altitudes ranging from 1,050 to 1,318 meters, making this the highest-altitude winery in the Canaries. Juan Armas’s legacy continues under the direction of his daughter, Sandra. Part of the winery is excavated from stone and a cool cave that extends from the winetasting room houses red wines maturing in American, Hungarian and French oak barrels. During the 90-minute tasting I sampled a clean, flinty and rounded white, Agala Altitud 1318 and a red, Altitud 1295, that was somehow light but packed with plummy depth. Outside, among the butterflies and vines, I drank in the land, both literally and metaphorically. Directly in front of the bodega is Gran Canaria’s emblematic Roque Nublo, and beyond, Roque Bentayga. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen and felt their presence, but this front-row view of the monoliths is unmatched. Teresa tasting wine at Bodegas Bentayga overlooking Gran Canaria’s emblematic Roque Nublo, and beyond, Roque Bentayga. Squint and you can see Tenerife's Mount Teidi (far right). Photo: Richard Hammond Back at Cortijo de Pavon, Belen invited Rafa and I to taste the cheese. Not the white, fresh (younger than 20 days) rounds lined up on rows of shelves like single-layer wedding cakes, but the semi-aged cheeses on sale in the farm’s small shop. Before we leave the production room, I ask the girls about shepherding. What about a social life, partners and Tik Tok? Belen says she is completely committed to the business she is taking over from her parents. She loves the “quiet” of the production process and the cathartic, hands-on nature of the work. Laura gave up a job in the town of Galda to work at Cortijo de Pavon. She wanted to pursue a different way of life. She loves her work, she says, and feels part of the family. As we sat in the sunshine, eating our cheese, Rafa hit the nail on the head. “It's not just about making cheese,” he said. “It’s about nature, landscape, culture and prevention. “Tourism is well balanced here. Our identity is visible.” == Disclosure: Teresa Machan was a guest of Gran Canaria Tourism. She had full editorial control of this feature, which has been written in her own words based on her experience of visiting Gran Canaria in the summer of 2025. All opinions are the authors’ own. How to travel to the Canary Islands without flying There are two ferry routes from mainland Spain to the Canary Islands, from Huelva (near Seville) operated by Baleria, and from Cadiz, operated by Armas Trasmediterránea. For how to travel to these ports from the UK without flying, see our guide to how to travel overland to Spain . The ferries from Huelva run to the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (which takes about 40 hours) and stop at the Port of La Luz in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria en route, while the ferries from Cadiz run to most of the main islands, including Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Palma, Lanzarote and Tenerife, taking 28–35 hours. Book ferry tickets to the Canary Islands Ferry tickets provided by Direct Ferries, which allows you to search and compare prices for the different operators and routes from the mainland ports in Spain to the Canary Islands.

Teresa Machan marvels at the diversity of wildlife and rich cultural heritage of the 'miniature continent' of Gran Canaria on an ecotourist trip across a less visited part of the island It’s not often you get to walk through a prehistoric forest before lunch but, there we were, my guide Guillermo and I, in one of Gran Canaria’s last remaining pockets of laurel forest. Our walk in Los Tilos de Maya in the northwest of Gran Canaria was accompanied by the trill of pipits, chiffchaffs and robins. Teresa and Guillermo admire the age-old laurel forest in Los Tilos de Maya in the northwest of Gran Canaria. Photo: Richard Hammond Peach-tinted aeonium rosettes caked the walls of the forest ravine and from a tangle of green, grew wild sweet peas and nasturtiums. Full of enthusiasm Guillermo, an ecotourism nature guide and owner at Gran Canaria Sightseeing , showed me the spiny fingers of the cardon cactus, the rare Cresta de gallo de Moya (Isoplexis chalcantha’) – “exclusive to this ravine and endemic only to this forest” – the glossy ‘blistered’ leaves of another endemic which shares a symbiotic relationship with spiders, and the cochineal beetle which is hosted by the fleshy ears of the prickly pear and used for its red dye. The trees around us date to the Tertiary period, approximately 66 million to 2.6 million years ago. We see a laurel pigeon in flight and then, under the laurel canopy, Guillermo spotted the dusky blue and pale apricot hues of a male Canary Islands chaffinch on a branch. It flitted from the tree to the forest floor where a chestnut-breasted Gran Canaria robin hopped in to join it. “There you have it. A photo bomb and two endemics in one frame.” Some of the variety of flora and fauna we saw in Los Tilos de Maya. Photo: Richard Hammond Gran Canaria is not called the “miniature continent” for nothing. Precious forests, volcanic landscapes, epic sand dune and pine-covered mountain peaks might come as a surprise to those who are more familiar with popular beach-holiday haunts in the south. The Gran Canaria Biosphere Reserve encompasses almost half of the island (100,00 hectares) and among its bounteous collection of flora and fauna is one of Europe’s rarest songbirds, the Gran Canaria Blue Chaffinch (see video below - we got to see and hear the beautiful Blue Chaffinch!). Watch the video of Teresa's trip to Gran Canaria: Filmed and edited by Richard Hammond. A Green Traveller production . A network of scenic walking paths ranges from easy strolls like ours in Tilos de Maya, which took less than two hours, to miles of footpaths that take hikers to ravines, forested peaks, calderas and majestic monoliths. A recently established 100km hiking route (GR139) that covers the rugged southwestern part of the island loops numerous peaks. The shortest of five sections, at 4.5 hours, takes in the pine forest of Tirajana and the longest, which crosses part of the volcanic crater, Caldera de Tejeda, takes around 7.5 hours. In the north of the island walking and cycling routes fan out from the small towns of Tejeda, Agaete, Artenara, Teror and Galdar. As well as being a great location for low impact adventures, this part of Gran Canaria is also a great place for those wanting to learn about the island's cultural heritage. Located on the island’s northeastern tip Galdar, is a must-visit for those interested in the history of Gran Canaria. The vibe here feels authentic and unhurried. Children played in the squares, locals took time to chat and on weekday mornings retired couples were tucking into plates of churros. Tejeda, one of several towns in the north of Gran Canaria blessed with stunning views. Photo: Richard Hammond Pre-Hispaninc ‘Agaldar’ was the island’s first capital and one of two kingdoms into which Gran Canaria was divided before the Castilian conquest in the late 15th century. At the distinctive Hotel Algadar, overlooking the tree-lined Plaza Grande, room names and decorative motifs nod to the island’s aboriginal ancestors, the Amazigh, thought to have descended from the North African Berber tribes. Around the corner from the hotel is the Church of Santiago de los Caballeros. Its Holy Door is the final stop for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago in Gran Canaria, which begins at the dunes of Maspalomas. Galdar’s church, Museum of Sacred Art and handsome neo-classical buildings are reason enough to visit, but it was a mishap on a banana plantation that gives the town its star attraction. While digging at a root in the mid-1800s an agricultural worker put a hole in the roof of a cave, revealing an aboriginal Canarian settlement of more than 50 dwellings dating to the 6th century. The Cueva Pintada Museum and Archaeological Park is now the largest archaeological site in the Canarian archipelago. A walkway skirts the site, which is still under excavation, but of particular interest is the Cueva Pinctada (painted cave) where geometric patterns were painted using three pigments. Caves and mountains around the island were used as troglodyte dwellings, grain storage, burial and ritual purposes and for astronomical observations. Gran Canaria is the only island on which pre-Hispanic dwelling complexes were built into caves – which can be seen at Acusa Seca and in the town of Artenara. Two of the most intriguing sites are at Risco Caido and Cenobio de Valeron. The honeycomb-like cave structure El Cenobio de Valeron is high on a mountain slope where a short, steep ascent up manmade steps reveals more than 200 interconnected grain silos that were hollowed from the rock face. Marks where doors were fitted can still be seen. Teresa and Guillermo at the honeycomb-like caves pf El Cenobio de Valeron. Photo Richard Hammond The cave network of Risco Caido is thought to have been used as an astronomical marker. Twice a year, at the summer and winter solstice, sunlight or moonlight enters a gap in the roof of one its 21 caves, illuminating a series of rock art engravings. The culture and rituals of the Amazigh are explored in detail at an interpretation centre at Roque Bentayga. Along with Roque Nublo, this hallowed monolith forms part of the UNESCO-designated Risco Caido and the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria cultural landscape. The walk to a lookout point takes about 40 minutes. Stopping many times to take in the spectacular panoramas I followed Guillermo along narrow, rocky footpaths until we emerged at a plateau on the rock’s eastern face where there is an ‘almogarén’, or sacred worship place. That evening, assisted by a pair of professional, stargazing eyes, I would embark on some astrological observations of my own, at the Parador Cruz de la Tejeda. After lunch and a stroll around the pretty village of Tejeda we zig-zagged skywards, coming to a stop above the crag-filled caldera. On a clear day views from the parador’s rooms and infinity pool stretch all the way to the distant peak of Mt Teide, on neighbouring Tenerife, and in the morning and evening a sea of cloud rolls between the peaks like a horizontal waterfall. You could be forgiven for never leaving the parador, but trails lead directly from the parador to Roque Nublo and the Caldera de Bandama nature reserve, and there are cycling trips through forests of Canary pine in the Nublo Rural Park. Pool with a view: Teresa taking a dip at Parador Cruz de la Tejeda. Photo: Richard Hammond Far from pollution, at 1,500 metres above sea level, the air is crisp and clear. At night, with the aid of a professional telescope, the parador’s terrace holds a mirror to the night skies. Late that evening, after watching the sun dip behind Teide, I made my way up to the terrace where StarLight instructor Frank Rodriguez, from AstroEduca, guided us through the galaxies, nebulae, clusters and double stars hiding in the star-speckled dark sky. “We have more than 290 clear nights at altitudes above 1,600 metres”, he told us. “Gran Canaria is a good view point for the southern cross, for example, a constellation impossible to see from continental Europe.” My visit to Gran Canaria ended as it had begun, birdwatching in a forest. Llanos de la Paz is one of two nesting areas for the Gran Canaria Blue Chaffinch, a bird Guillermo was keen to add to our sightings. We padded through the forest on a carpet of pine, spotting a plain swift, an African blue tit, a Berthelot’s pipit and a trio of ravens. Teresa looking for the rare Blue Chaffinch in Llanos de la Paz. Photo: Richard Hammond With a canny knack for hearing birdsong hundreds of metres away, Guillermo then identified the cry of woodpecker chicks. The chirping led us to a tree, where a pair of great spotted woodpeckers were engaged in a chick-feeding relay. We sat for a while, enjoying their colourful plumage and the relentless cacophony emanating from the trunk. On the way back Guillermo hears the song of the blue chaffinch. We change direction and within minutes we find one, and then another, high up in a pine tree. “Of an estimated 450 birds there are only 70 in this particular forest,” says Guillermo. And here are two of them – a bird that can be seen nowhere else in the world. This mid-Atlantic isle is full of pleasant surprises. == Disclosure: Teresa Machan was a guest of Gran Canaria Tourism. She had full editorial control of this feature, which has been written in her own words based on her experience of visiting Gran Canaria in the summer of 2025. All opinions are the authors’ own. How to travel to the Canary Islands without flying There are two ferry routes from mainland Spain to the Canary Islands, from Huelva (near Seville) operated by Baleria, and from Cadiz, operated by Armas Trasmediterránea. For how to travel to these ports from the UK without flying, see our guide to how to travel overland to Spain . The ferries from Huelva run to the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (which takes about 40 hours) and stop at the Port of La Luz in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria en route, while the ferries from Cadiz run to most of the main islands, including Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Palma, Lanzarote and Tenerife, taking 28–35 hours. Book ferry tickets to the Canary Islands Ferry tickets provided by Direct Ferries, which allows you to search and compare prices for the different operators and routes from the mainland ports in Spain to the Canary Islands.

There are many ways to travel to Spain from the UK without flying thanks to a variety of train and ferry services from the south of England. On arrival in Spain, there are plenty of options at rail and ferry terminals for onward travel by rail and bus. Spain has one of the most comprehensive high speed networks in the world, so it's easy to travel quickly by train to the major cities. For detailed information to how to take public transport to the UK's ferry ports, see Green Traveller's Guide to travelling as a foot passenger from the UK to Europe . Photos: Eurostar and Brittany Ferries By Ferry from the UK to Northern Spain Brittany Ferries runs overnight ferry services for foot passengers (and cycle bikes) across the Bay of Biscay from Portsmouth and Plymouth to Santander (it also runs a service from Portsmouth to Bilbao though it is not for foot passengers). These luxurious ferries are like going on a mini-cruise, the dining is first-class, there are lots of facilities to keep the kids happy, extremely comfortable sleeping cabins. And you may see whales and dolphin on the crossing - the Bay of Biscay is one of the best places in Europe to spot these magnificent marine animals. ==== See our Guide to How to travel by public transport to the UK's ferry ports  in our section on Travelling as foot passenger from the UK to Europe ==== The stunning beaches along the coastline from Santander. Photo: Christopher Willan Route: Portsmouth or Plymouth to Santander Journey Time: 20-24 hours (can vary by up to an hour due to tidal conditions) Sample timetable: Departs Portsmouth 5pm, arrives Santander the following day at 5.30pm. Departs Plymouth 3.45pm, arrive Santander the following day at 1.15pm. Frequency of Departures: Portsmouth-Santander 2 per week (journey time is 24 hours); Plymouth-Santander 1 per week (this is the fastest service - takes 20 hours) Car hire at Santander: Yes Route: Portsmouth to Bilbao ( not for foot passengers ) Journey Time: 33 hours 30 minutes ( it's a two-night crossing ) Sample timetable: Departs Portsmouth at 9.30pm on Sunday and 7.30pm on Thursday for 2-night crossings arriving at 8am on Tuesday or Saturday morning. Frequency of Departures: Portsmouth-Bilbao 2 sailings each way per week (journey time is 24 hours) Car hire at Bilbao: Yes Ferry tickets provided by Brittany Ferries (NB. To book as a foot passenger , choose the ' on foot' option from the vehicle selection drop-down selection on step 1 of the ferry booking process): On arrival at Santander ferry terminal The ferry terminal lies just one block along Avenida Castilla to Santander's main train station - if you have too much to carry, it's just a minute in a taxi. Santander's train station is well connected to the Spanish rail network, with trains running to major centres in the region and the rest of the country. Santander is the capital of Spain's verdant Cantabria region (part of the wider 'Green Spain' region, along with the Basque Country, Asturias and Galicia), with rugged mountain ranges and a beautiful stretch of coastline including the stunning Picos de Europa mountains. On arrival at Bilbao ferry terminal The port of Bilbao is 10 miles (16km) north-west of Bilbao-Abando railway station, from where there are regular train services to major centres across Spain, including Madrid and Barcelona. There is no public transport direct from/to the ferry terminal, however there is a taxi rank outside the ferry terminal, or you could walk just under 2 miles (3km) to Santurtzi metro station to take the metro to Bilbao-Abando station (Santurtzi is the last stop on Line 2 and goes direct to Bilbao city centre). For ideas of where to stay, great locally run restaurants, heritage attractions and activities, see our Green Traveller's Guide to Green Spain . Here's a video we produced about a trip Green Traveller made to Green Spain: Video produced by Green Traveller Productions By Ferry from mainland Spain to the Balearic Islands There are plenty of ferry services that travel out to the Balearic Islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The main hub for Mallorca and Menorca is Barcelona, though there are also ferries (in addition to Barcelona) for Ibiza and Formentera that depart from Valencia (3–4 hours by train from Barcelona), Denia (6–7 hours by train from Barcelona). The ferry port in Barcelona is about 2.5 miles (4k) from Barcelona Sants railway station, about 10-12 minutes in a taxi, but you can get there easily by metro in about 15 minutes, taking the L3 (green) line from the metro station at the station (known as 'Sants Estació') to Drassanes from where it's a couple of minutes walk to the ferry's check-in desk. Ferry tickets provided by Direct Ferries, which allows you to search and compare prices for the different operators and routes from the mainland ports in Spain to the Balearics. Barcelona to Mallorca and Menorca There are two ferry operators (Balearia and TransMed) that run an overnight ferry from Barcelona to Palma (Mallorca), which takes 8-9 hours, typically leaving around 10–11pm and arriving about 6am, and from Barcelona to Ciutadella  (Menorca) , which typically leaves at around 9.30pm and arrives 6.30am (though do check these timings with the operator) . Balearia also operates a daytime fast ferry (3 hrs 30 mins) from Barcelona to Alcudia in the northerwest of Mallorca, which also stops at Menorca en route; typically it leaves at 4.30pm and arrives in to Alcudia at 8pm. Barcelona, Valencia, Denia to Ibiza and Formentera There are two ferry operators (Baleria and TransMed) that run an overnight ferry from Barcelona , which takes 8-9 hours, typically leaving around 10pm and arriving about 6am (though do check the latest timings with the operator); the ferry from Valencia takes about 5 hours; and the ferry from Denia takes just 2-3 hours. It 's just 30-minutes by interisland ferry from Ibiza to Formentera (the interisland ferry also runs between Mallorca, Mallorca and Ibiza), but there are also direct ferries from the mainland to Formentera, see our guide to: How to travel overland from the UK to Formentera, Spain By ferry from mainland Spain to the Canary Islands There are two ferry routes from mainland Spain to the Canary Islands, from Huelva (near Seville) operated by Baleria, and from Cadiz, operated by Armas Trasmediterránea. The ferries from Huelva run to the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (which takes about 40 hours) and stop at the Port of La Luz in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria en route, while the ferries from Cadiz run to most of the main islands, including Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Palma, Lanzarote and Tenerife, taking 28–35 hours. Ferry tickets provided by Direct Ferries, which allows you to search and compare prices for the different operators and routes from the mainland ports in Spain to the Canary Islands. By train from the UK to Spain It is possible to travel by train to Spain in a day from the UK. The quickest way is to go by Eurostar to Paris and then travel on one of the direct services from Paris to the border town of Hendaye (France), which borders will Irun in the Basque Region of Green Spain – the quickest you can do that journey from Paris is 4 hours 53 minutes. For instance, you could take the Eurostar departing London St Pancras at 08.01, arrive Gare du Nord at 11.24, then transfer across Paris to Gare Montparnasse ( see our guide to How to transfer between train stations across Paris ) to catch the 12.33pm train to Hendaye arriving 4.47pm. From Hendaye, you can take the train across to San Sebastian in just 30 minutes. There are also multiple other connections between France and other areas in Spain, such as between cities such as Lyon and Marseille to Barcelona. From the UK, the fastest route to Barcelona is to take the Eurostar from London St Pancras International Railway Station then change in Paris to catch the high speed train to Figueres, Girona and Barcelona. From Barcelona there are trains throughout Spain, including to Madrid and south to destinations such as Cordoba, Seville and Malaga . En route to Spain, you have to change stations in Paris from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon, which can take about half an hour on the Paris RER line (it's only two stops, though we recommend you leave at least 50 minutes for the entire transfer - you have about an hour and a half to get the connection, though you could get an earlier train and spent a bit more time in Paris, e.g. have lunch at the wonderful Train Bleu Restaurant in Gare de Lyon). See our guide to How to transfer between train stations across Paris . At Gare de Lyon, you board a TGV high speed train to 'Barcelona Sants' station. For more detailed information about the journey and arriving in Barcelona, see our guide to How to travel by train from London to Barcelona Stopover hotels to break the journey in Paris If you want to break the journey and stay overnight to see a bit more of Paris while you're travelling through (and catch the day time train the following day down to Barcelona), there are lots of lovely places to stay in Paris conveniently near both Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon. Here are some examples of hotels that are conveniently near these stations: Hotels near Gare du Nord >> Hotels near Gare de Lyon >> For details of travel to Ibiza from Barcelona, see our step-by-step guide: Train and ferry from London to Ibiza, Spain ============ Please note : The information on this page aims to give you a reasonable idea of train and ferry routes, times and tickets, in order that hopefully there’s enough detail to know what's available, how to plan an overland journey and where to book tickets. The information was up to date at time of publication, but services do change from time to time and we cannot take responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies we provide. Always confirm details when you book with the relevant travel operator. If you are aware of any inaccuracies, we'd really appreciate being informed via our contact page so we can make the relevant changes to the information provided for the benefit of other travellers. * Data for carbon emissions

If you're not used to Paris, transferring train stations may seem daunting but in practice the connections are fairly seamless - some involve a simple change of platform within the station, while those that are require a change of station are well connected by the city's metro system (which is very similar to the London underground) or fast overground rail network RER - 'Regional Express Network'. In this guide, we've tried to show how easy it is, plus we've included a few tips on places to have lunch and a few nearby hotels, should you wish to stopover before the onward connection. There's also information for the return journey - and don't forget - when you take the return Eurostar back to London, you should factor in the compulsory check-in time in addition to the transfer time. For connections from London, see the Map of Eurostar's Routes The connections between the major railway stations are fairly seamless. Photo: Wix Media Please note: The transfer times given here are the minimum amount of time we recommend you should allow between the scheduled arrival of your Eurostar in Paris and the scheduled departure time of your connecting train from Paris. Photo: Wix Media Eurostar Connections in Paris The Eurostar train arrives from London St Pancras at Gare du Nord, which is in the 10th arrondissement (district) of Paris near the Canal St. Martin and the historic Place de la République, which has many bars, restaurants and cafés. Gare du Nord has many connections to Northern France and onwards by Thalys trains to Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Click here for a map of the Paris Metro . Tip for Eurostar:  You can buy a Navigo Easy card (the new, prepaid Paris travel card to use instead of the old individual paper Paris Metro tickets) to use on the Paris metro at the bar buffet on board Eurostar – it will save you time on arrival at Gare du Nord where the queues at the staffed counters can be long. Click on the links below to read the guides: Gare du Nord to Gare de l’Est Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon Gare du Nord to Gare d’Austerlitz Gare du Nord to Gare Montparnasse Gare du Nord to Gare de Bercy Gare du Nord to Gare Saint Lazare Gare du Nord to Gare de l’Est For travelling to: Basel, Strasbourg, Reims, Zurich, the ICE train to Frankfurt and the City Night Line sleeper train 'Perseus' to Berlin and the City Night Line sleeper train 'Cassiopeia' to Stuttgart and Munich. On foot: exit Gare du Nord, turn left then at the main intersection turn right (slightly downhill) along Rue du Fauberg Saint-Denis for about 400m then left along Rue de Chabrol to Gare de l'Est. It's about a 10-minute walk, but if you've got alot of luggage, allow for longer. We recommend you allow at least 25 minutes for the transfer. It's worth getting to Gare de L'Est in good time as there's a lovely cafe/restaurant just inside the station that serves decent coffee. By metro: it's just one stop on the metro line - from the Eurostar platform, turn left, walk down the stairs and follow the signs for Metro line M4 to Gare de l'Est (which is signposted 'direction Porte d'Orléans'). The Return Journey: Turn right at the end of the platform, walk along the concourse and exit Gare de l'Est via the side entrance. Turn right, climb the long set of stairs and turn left onto Rue de Dunkerque. Gare du Nord will be straight ahead. Alternatively, follow the signs for Metro Line M4 (which is signposted 'direction Porte de Clignancourt). Transfer time: Allow 25 minutes. Don't forget the 90 minute check-in for Eurostar. Where to stay near Gare du Nord/Gare de l'Est: Here's a selectino of hotels close to Gare de Nord . Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon For onward travel to Grenoble, Nice, Lyon, Chambery, Avignon, Marseille, Perpignan, Geneva, Lausanne, the high-speed TGV train to Barcelona and the high speed Artesia TGV to Turin and Milan. From the Eurostar platform, turn left, walk down the stairs and follow the signs for  RER line D  (which will be signposted 'direction' 'Melun', 'Malesherbes' or 'Corbeil Essonnes').  It's just 2 stops from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon and takes a little over 10 minutes (plus there's a short 5 minute walk to the connecting TGV departure platforms), but we recommend you leave at least 50 minutes for the entire transfer. The magnificent Train Bleu Restaurant at Gare de Lyon. Photo: Richard Hammond The Return Journey (Gare de Lyon to Gare du Nord): Follow the signs for RER line D (which will be signposted 'direction Orry la Ville' - usually platforms 2 & 4). Take the line two stops direct to Gare du Nord.Transfer time: Allow 50 minutes. Don't forget, when you take the return Eurostar back to London, you should factor in the compulsory 90-minute check-in time in addition to the transfer time. Where to eat near to Gare de Lyon: The magnificent interior of the Le Train Bleu in the heart of Gare de Lyon station. Surely it's the best station restaurant in Europe. Where to stay near to Gare de Lyon: Here's a selection of hotels close to Gare de Lyon . Gare du Nord to Gare d’Austerlitz For travelling to: Cahors, Rodez, Montauban, St Gervais, Chamonix, Carcassonne, on the Elipsos train hotel 'Francisco de Goya' to Madrid and the Elipsos trainhotel 'Joan Miro' to Barcelona. From the Eurostar platform, turn left, walk down the stairs and follow the signs for Metro line M5 to Gare d'Austerlitz (which is signposted 'direction Place d'Italie'). It's 9 stops from Gare du Nord to Gare d'Austerlitz and takes 20-30 minutes, but we recommend you leave at least 50 minutes for the entire transfer. The Return Journey (Gare d’Austerlitz to Gare du Nord): Follow the signs for Metro line M5 to Gare du Nord (which will be signposted 'direction Bobigny Pablo Picasso). At this station, the Metro Line M5 is overground, opposite the main station entrance. The metro will cross the Seine before heading underground for the rest of the journey.Transfer time: Allow 50 minutes. Don't forget, when you take the return Eurostar back to London, you should factor in the compulsory 90-minute check-in time in addition to the transfer time. Where to stay near to Gare d'Austerlitz:  Here's a selection of hotels close to Gare d'Austerlitz . Gare du Nord to Gare Montparnasse: For travelling to Agen, Biarritz, Bayonne, Bordeaux, Nantes, Pau, Toulouse. From the Eurostar platform, turn left, walk down the stairs and follow the signs for Metro line M4 to Montparnasse Bienvenue (which is signposted 'direction Porte d'Orléans'). It's 14 stops from Gare du Nord to Montparnasse and takes 25-35 minutes, but we recommend you leave at least 50 minutes for the entire transfer time. The Return Journey (Gare Montparnasse to Gare du Nord): Take the Metro line M4 to Gare du Nord (which will be signposted 'direction Porte de Clignancourt'). Transfer time: Allow 50 minutes. Don't forget, when you take the return Eurostar back to London, you should factor in the compulsory 90-minute check-in time in addition to the transfer time. Where to stay near to Gare Montparnasse: Here's a selection of hotels close to Gare Montparnasse . Signage for the walk between Gare de Lyon and Gare de Bercy. Photo: Richard Hammond Gare du Nord to Gare de Bercy For travelling to Auxerre, Aurillac, Avalon, Clermont Ferrand, Sens, and the Artesia sleeper train, 'Palatino' to  Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples or the Artesia sleeper train 'Stendhal' to Milan or Venice. From the Eurostar platform, turn left, walk down the stairs and follow the signs for RER Line D (which will be signposted 'direction' 'Melun', 'Malesherbes' or 'Corbeil Essonnes'). Take RER Line D two stops to Gare de Lyon. Take Metro line 14 a single stop from Gare de Leon to Bercy (which will be signposted ‘M14 direction Olympiades’)> Alternatively, you can walk from Gare de Lyon. Exit the station and walk onto the forecourt, turn left into the rue de Bercy, running alongside the station. Gare de Bercy is 700-800m away. The Return Journey (Gare de Bercy to Gare du Nord): exit the station and walk onto the forecourt, down the steps and across the road straight ahead of you. The Metro station will be just around the corner. Take Metro line 14 one stop to Gare de Lyon. From here, take RER line D two stops to Gare du Nord (which will be signposted 'direction Orry la Ville'). Transfer time: Allow 50 minutes. Don't forget, when you take the return Eurostar back to London, you should factor in the compulsory 90-minute check-in time in addition to the transfer time. Where to stay near Gare de Bercy: Here's a selection of hotels near Gare de Bercy Gare du Nord to Gare Saint Lazare: For travelling to Vernon, Cherbourg, Dieppe, Lisieux. From the Eurostar platform, turn left, walk down the stairs and follow signs for RER Line E (which will be signposted ‘Haussmann Saint Lazare’) It’s one stop from Gare du Nord to Gare Saint Lazare. The Return Journey: Follow signs for RER line E (which will be signposted 'direction Tournan & Chelles Gournay'). Take the line 1 stop to Magenta, which is connected to Gare du Nord. Transfer time: Allow 25 minutes. Don't forget, when you take the return Eurostar back to London, you should factor in the compulsory 90-minute check-in time in addition to the transfer time. Where to stay near Gare Saint Lazare: Here's a selection of hotels near Gare Saint Lazare . Brussels In Brussels Midi (‘Zuid’) station, Eurostar coaches 11 to 16 provide the quickest route to access the platforms for onward journeys. From the Quick Connections exit, turn left out of the double doors and look for your connecting train on the departure boards. High speed trains to various destinations (including Amsterdam and Cologne), normally depart from platforms 3-6, though do check the departure boards to be sure. For ‘Any Belgian Station’ including Bruges and Ghent, remember to look out for the terminating station on the departure boards. For Bruges, this tends to be either Ostend of Knokke/Blankenberge. For Ghent it can be Ostend, Knokke/Blankenberge or De Panne. Lille For connections to destinations in France, go upstairs from the platform to the main station where the departure board gives the train times and platform number for your onward journey. Trains are normally displayed on the departure board about 15 minutes before departure.

The Green Traveller Digest Welcome to my latest round up of news, features and comments on green travel. This newsletter is written by me, Richard Hammond, the founder of Green Traveller. If you'd like to receive the newsletter by email, please subscribe here . Editorial: I'm thrilled to launch a new podcast — It’s a Journey: a sustainable travel podcast that I'm co-hosting with my former colleague and sustainable travel expert Holly Tuppen. The series is for those who work in the travel and tourism industry, and dives into the future of sustainable travel through candid conversations with leading voices across the industry as well as guests from other sectors. Born out of a frustration with a lack of platforms to share B2B solutions-focused and actionable storytelling around sustainability topics, each episode of It’s a Journey tackles the uncomfortable, complex, and often overlooked questions facing the travel industry as it strives to have a better impact on people and places. Our first episode is about communicating sustainability: Don’t mention the S word – Should you shout about your sustainability actions? Featuring guests Denise Hicks , Climate Lead for C Space and Xavier Font , Professor of Sustainability Marketing at the University of Surrey , it tackles the nuanced and constantly evolving world of sustainability comms. Have a listen wherever you like to get your podcasts (Spotify, Apple etc), or use the link via the website itsajourney.fm Please do subscribe so you can find out when the next episodes drop. Huge thanks to the brilliant team at Lemongrass which is sponsoring the podcast. Lemongrass is a B Corp PR and content agency for travel brands whose clients are tour operators, destinations and hotels. Green Travel News Flight-Free Travel Surges New search trend data shows that interest in train holidays is up 72% year-on-year, "with a clear upward trajectory for 2025". According to Global Work & Travel , the demand for flight-free European escapes is being driven "by a perfect storm of eco-awareness, TikTok-fuelled sleeper train hype, and a renewed love for slow travel". “There’s been a major shift in how young people especially want to travel,” says Jessie Chambers, travel expert at Global Work & Travel. “Trains are no longer just a means to an end – they’re part of the adventure. From the views to the stopovers, it’s a more mindful way to move through Europe.” Interest in train holidays is up 72% year on year according to new search trend data. Photo: Wix Media SailLink launches passenger sail route across The Channel A new cross-channel operator is hoping to capitalise on the growing trend for low carbon travel. SailLink is a fast catamaran sailing vessel "specifically for foot passengers, cycle tourists and small groups looking for a unique travelling experience with sustainable credentials." The catamaran is 17m (56ft) long by 9m (30ft) wide and takes about four and a half hours (depending on the weather) to cross between Dover and Boulogne-sur-Mer. The catamarans can take up to 12 passengers and 12 bikes at a time. Passport checks are made at the departure pontoon. The journey costs from €88 per adult per crossing. SailLink's cross-channel journey takes about 4.5 hours depending on the weather. Photo : SailLink Sweden's Göta Canal Trail Awarded Cycle Route of the Year 2025 Sweden's Scenic Göta Canal Cycle Route has been awarded Cycle Route of the Year 2025 at Fiets- en Wandelbeurs, the annual cycling and hiking fair in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The route is divided into seven stages so cyclists can plan shorter trips and complete the entire route at their own pace. A significant portion of the trail runs along a car-free towpath, offering a peaceful and safe cycling experience through breathtaking landscapes, past tranquil lakes, historic locks, and charming canal-side towns such as Töreboda, Karlsborg, and Motala. Cyclists wait beside a lock on the Göta Canal. Photo: Åsa Dahlgren/Westsweden.com New hiking routes in Ibiza and Galicia, Spain Seven new trails have been added to Galicia’s Senderos Azules network. Located in the provinces of A Coruña and Pontevedra, the new trails include a mix of circular coastal routes with views of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as scenic paths near some of the region’s most iconic rivers, "offering hikers a chance to explore one of Spain’s lesser-known natural treasures". Ibiza also has seven new hiking routes , opening up more of the island’s diverse landscapes and heritage to visitors. All seven hiking routes will be classified as Pequeños Recorridos (small tours), ranging between 10 and 50 km in length. Designed to showcase the untamed beauty of Ibiza's countryside, each route aims to offers "a unique hiking experience, from ancient paths to panoramic coastal vistas". Hikes include the Ruta de Cala Xarraca, a 14.2km route that first leads through through woods and mountains, before passing through the ‘Font des Avencs’ where historically each summer they would perform typical dances. Another new route is the Ruta des Camí Vell de Portinatx, a circular route passing through valleys and small mountains via old walkways to the town of Portinatx. FlixBus Launches New Service and Destinations For Edinburgh and Glasgow Coach provider FlixBus is next week launching a new multi-stop bus service to Scotland between Edinburgh and Glasgow. New stops, including Princes Street, Haymarket Station, Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine Drum Brae, Ratho Station and Newhouse, will be available for passengers on the FlixBus network. From 7 July, departing every 30 – 35 minutes throughout the day, the route will connect key locations including Livingston, Harthill, and Edinburgh's West End, offering passengers more convenient travel options. Tickets on the route start at £3.49, while travel is completely free on the FlixBus Scotland network for Young Scots under 22, over 60s with a bus pass and anyone with a valid National Entitlement Card (NEC) when simply hopping on a service. Tickets booked online include a £1 booking fee. Andreas Schorling, Senior Managing Director of FlixBus UK, said: “The launch of this route marks the next phase of our growth journey in Scotland, providing a service tailored to the needs of local people, offering a fantastic customer experience through our constant focus on passengers. “Adding these destinations will bring convenient, frequent FlixBus journeys to those living outside of city centres, perfect for everyone from commuters to university students and day trips.” Flixbus's new partnership with First Bus will expand routes in northern cities. Photo: Flixbus In case you missed it... Renfe introduces Spain Rail Pass Renfe has introduced its Spain Rail Pass, offering a tailored experience to visitors looking to optimise their time and budget. The Spain Rail Pass is personal and non-transferable, requiring proof of identity with a passport and will be valid for six months from the date of purchase. It will allow travel within one month after the first booking. The pass will provide access to all High-Speed services including the use of commuter trains with a choice of seating options between Standard and Comfort. A Standard Seat pass is priced from €215 for four journeys to €450 for 10 journeys while a Comfort Seat pass is priced from €295 to €615 for four and 10 journeys, respectively. Children aged between 4-13 years benefit from reduced fares starting at €145 for four journeys, while children under four travel free if they do not occupy a seat. The Spain Rail Pass is available at train stations and www.renfe.com ===== News from Green Traveller Featured Destination This month we are featuring five unique family-run businesses in West Sweden that have grouped together to create holidays with low carbon footprints. Billed as 'Climate Smart Holidays', they generate their own electricity and keep their energy use down to a minimum, offer pick-ups from local train stations, provide high-quality, local-sourced food, and help you make the most of the great outdoors. All with a low impact on the planet – carbon emissions for each stay have been calculated by the West Sweden Tourist Board using the digital platform travelandclimate.org. Read all about these remarkable business in our guide to Climate Smart Holidays and see our guide to How to travel overland to West Sweden Photo: Copenhagen Wilderness/Westsweden.com Green Traveller's Guide to Saint Lucia We've published a Conservation Traveller's Guide to Saint Lucia , which aims to shine a light on tourism throughout the island that has a positive impact on nature, conservation and local economic empowerment. The guide includes two articles by journalist Josephine Price. The first looks closely at Saint Lucia’s green heart : its plants, people, practices and produce. The second reviews community tourism in action - showcasing initiatives that are revitalising and future-proofing Saint Lucia’s tourism offering. This work is led by the Community Tourism Agency, which has a remit to support and champion local entrepreneurs in adventure experiences, tours, cuisine and accommodation. Videos of Green Traveller's Guide to Saint Lucia The guide includes a main video about community conservation travel in Saint Lucia as well as video interviews with local guides talking about their perspectives and the visitor experiences on offer. These include Arthur Anthony, owner of Lushan Country Life tours who transformed his family’s land into a thriving eco-heritage tourism attraction. Visitors can learn about the history of how Saint Lucians lived, hear stories of his own upbringing and even try their hand at peeling a coconut. ====== This newsletter is part of a series of publications produced by Green Traveller Media . Our media production website is greentraveller.com and our consumer-facing website is greentraveller.co.uk . Our free online magazine The Green Traveller ties in with related features across all our channels that aim to shine a light on low carbon travel ('less carbon, more fun!') as well as positive impact adventures further afield.

Saint Lucia is blessed with some truly exceptional places to stay. Resorts like Anse Chastanet and Ladera are internationally renowned thanks to their epic setting by the island's World Heritage Piton mountains, but there are many other characterful, places like the long-established East Winds that have set the standard for low impact accommodation in the Caribbean. Here's our pick of places to stay across the island all of which have either been eco-checked by a certification scheme or contributed positively to conservation in Saint Lucia. One of two stunning soft-sand beaches at Anse Chastanet, with the mighty Piton mountains in the distance. Photo: Richard Hammond Google map: shows the location and details of all the places to stay, local food and drink, nearby visitor attractions and activities in our Conservation Traveller's Guide to Saint Lucia :  Green = Places to stay   Blue = Food & drink Yellow = Attractions Purple = Activities Anse Chastanet Resort An exclusive luxury eco-resort nestled in the heart of the island’s breathtaking natural beauty in the south west, with stunning views of the Piton mountains and the Caribbean Sea. Set within a private estate of 600 lush tropical acres, Anse Chastanet borders two soft-sand beaches with access to coral reefs just offshore, so it's a great base for snorkelling and scuba diving. Rabot Hotel from Hotel Chocolat Rabot Hotel from Hotel Chocolat sits on the thriving cocoa farm owned and run by the famous chocolatier. It’s an open-air, adults-only, boutique resort overlooking Saint Lucia’s iconic Piton mountains. Located near Soufriere in the southwest of the island, the hotel is within the Rabot Estate, with 25 private luxury lodges, a restaurant and bar, infinity pool and spa. Cocoa farming is a successful and growing industry on the island thanks to Hotel Chocolat which supports over 50 farmers with its gentle farming initiatives. Fond Doux Eco Resort Saint Lucian-owned, managed and staffed, Fond Doux is within the UNESCO World Heritage site of Soufriere on a historic 19th-century working cocoa estate. Framed by 135 acres of rainforest, cocoa fields and tropical gardens, its houses originally stood around the island and have been lovingly restored and rebuilt by artisans who specialise in old building techniques. East Winds The second oldest hotel in Saint Lucia, East Winds is a small all-inclusive resort in the north, just south of Rodney Bay, that's a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle. With 30 cottages and suites in a beautiful botanical garden adjacent to the beach, it is also home to the island’s first ‘living banana museum’. The garden produces fruit from up to 10 different varieties – in yellow, red and green. The museum was planted as part of East Winds’ efforts to help preserve varieties of bananas that are becoming rare either because they are difficult to grow or are difficult to transport and so only have a small local market. Watch our short interview with East Winds' naturalist Sylvanus Lewis: Voices of Saint Lucia: Sylvanus Lewis, Naturalist, East Winds: Stonefield Villa Resort Stay in one of 17 French colonial style villas each with its own private pool and striking views of the Pitons and Caribbean Sea. Stonefield has been identified as a place rich in history by the St. Lucia Historical Society as the owners of the resort discovered ancient rock carvings by Carib Indians on the property that directly face the Petit Piton Mountain. The calming and serene energy here is one of the first things that visitors notice. The Mango Tree Restaurant has a farm-to-table menu using fresh local ingredients such as organic herbs, fruits, and vegetables grown on the property. Weekly events and live music are also on the menu. Bay Gardens Resorts These are four distinct locally-owned all-inclusive properties in the heart of Rodney Bay Village in the north of the island, close to local markets, bars and restaurants so you're never far from the action. The resorts often host Creole-themed events, including cooking classes and live entertainment. Balenbouche Estate For the past seven decades, the former plantation at Balenbouche in the south has been owned and managed by the Lawaetz family. Over the years, the family gradually converted the property into a low-impact guesthouse, organic farm and retreat centre. They are dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of the Balenbouche Estate, which remains an important national landmark, open to the public and involved in many environmental and social initiatives. Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa (pictured above) Established 20 years ago, Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa is on 85 acres in the south east, just five minutes from the island's main international airport, and is home to two resorts; adults-only Harmony & family-friendly Splash. Designed to please all ages (it's home to the island’s largest waterpark), this casually Caribbean, all-inclusive resort is popular year round. From March to November the beaches are nesting grounds for three species of endangered sea turtles. During the nesting season, sea turtle watching at Coconut Bay includes beach walks, nest identification and protection as well as the thrill of seeing hatchlings begin their epic journey of survival. Photo: Coconut Bay Beach Resort Press Cap Maison Resort & Spa This family-owned boutique resort feels private and secluded despite its proximity to some of the liveliest parts of the island. It has also recently been selected as a Relais & Chateau hotel with an array of foodie-favourite dining experiences overseen by its award-winning executive chef, Craig Jones. Ladera Built by hand, on a UNESCO world heritage site, this resort was a pioneer in the open wall (or three-wall) concept with exceptional views of the Pitons, made possible due to the prevailing trade winds that blow in from the opposite eastern side of the resort. The 37 luxury rooms and suites are built into a ridge among overflowing tropical foliage and flowers on Saint Lucia’s southern end, near Soufrière. Windjammer Landing Resort and Residences Set in 65 acres of lush hillside on Saint Lucia’s northwestern coast, the resort offers diving excursions in partnership with The Perry Institute for Marine Science and Eastern Caribbean Diving. 10% of the bookings for every SCUBA diving course goes to the Institute to support their research into the ecosystem and restoration. The Perry Institute has curated a carefully tailored environmental diving package (exclusively for the Windjammer Landing) which encourages young divers to take an interest in marine conservation and the importance of coral restoration and rejuvenation. Sandals Resorts We don't tend to feature large all-inclusive resorts on Green Traveller, preferring instead to focus on small, characterful accommodation, but Sandals is different. Pioneers of the all-inclusive holiday experience in the Caribbean, family-owned Sandals Resorts has three beachfront resorts in Saint Lucia that include the Caribbean's first Overwater Villas. For an insight into the work it does to championing the region see its philanthropic arm, the Sandals Foundation . For ideas on where to eat, sights of interest and outdoor activities across the island, see our Conservation Traveller's Guide to Saint Lucia .

Saint Lucia has a wealth of soft-sandy golden beaches but if you'd the time and energy, there are lots of wonderful activities to help you discover more of this beautiful island, from sailing and scuba-diving to bamboo rafting, zip-lining, and aerial trams that provide wonderful canopy views of the lush interior. Here's our pick of outdoor adventure activities across the island. Zip-lining over the rainforest canopy. Photo: SLTA Google map: shows the location and details of all the places to stay, local food and drink, nearby visitor attractions and activities in our Conservation Traveller's Guide to Saint Lucia :   Green = Places to stay   Blue = Food & drink Yellow = Attractions Purple = Activities Helen’s Daughters’ Agri-tourism Helen’s Daughters is a non-profit organisation with a mission to amplify the role of agriculture and women (in the industry) in Saint Lucia and the region. Farm tours are part of the programme to raise funds and proving hugely popular. Visit a working farm and meet a local ‘FarmHER’. Hear their life stories and learn about the flora and fauna, plant some seedlings, make jam and relax by the river. Jus’ Sail is the creation of husband and wife team James and Pepsi Crockett, It offers unique, laid back sailing experiences such as day charters or sunset cruises and special moments such as proposals and memorials aboard the lovingly restored Carriacou Sloop ~ Good Expectation. The boat is crewed by the warm and welcoming duo of Captain and First Mate who were trained by the team at Jus’ Sail. Part of the company’s focus is on supporting the maritime culture through its award-winning training programmes during off-season summer months. Photo: Nigel Camp/Green Traveller Bamboo river rafting Enjoy a relaxing float along the Roseau river on a bamboo raft. Travel sedately along the almost two-mile expanse with your guide and along the way, learn about the rich history of the community on the west side of the island. The tour pauses to sample local fruits along the banks of the river. Voices of Saint Lucia: Stephan Charlie, Bamboo rafting guide Zip Lining Saint Lucia has three courses across the island. At Morne Coubaril in the south west, you can whizz through the trees with the stunning backdrop of the Pitons. Over on the east coast in Dennery is the Treetop Adventure Park. Rainforest Adventures in the north is also the home of the aerial tram (below). Rainforest Aerial Tram At around 2000 feet above sea level, the community of Chassin lies at the base of La Sorcière Mountain, which is home to Rainforest Adventures, Saint Lucia’s premiere eco-adventure park. Here, you can glide slowly up on a tram ride that takes visitors up and above the tree canopy. Experienced guides point out plants and trees and identify the calls and the plumage of the birdlife in the rainforest. The descent affords a bird’s eye view of the forest and a spectacular panoramic vista of the north of the island. Lushan Country Life On seven acres of land owned by a local family, this popular heritage experience takes you to visit an authentic Amerindian Hut, enjoy bird watching, sample fruits and local cuisine, visit the herb and flower gardens and take a leisurely walk through the forest. This is the tour to learn about the culture of Saint Lucia. Voices of Saint Lucia: Arthur Anthony, Lushan Country Life Three Peaks Challenge Bringing together all three climbs, the Saint Lucia Three Peaks Challenge invites visitors to climb each one during their stay on the island. Local experts and guides from The 758 Adventurers provide an escorted series of the three hikes which can be booked across the duration of your visit. The Challenge includes Gros Piton, Mount Gimie, the tallest peak of the three and Petit Piton is the more technical and difficult endeavour requiring ropes to climb certain sections and it is recommended that this is the first peak to be climbed. Scuba Diving Diving in Saint Lucia offers a world class experience with the island ideally situated between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. With 22 dive locations featuring ship wreckages, corals, underwater trenches and valleys and even to the base of the Pitons, there is something for all levels of diving experience. The dive operators are all fully certified by international organisations with ASHI, PADI and NAUI ratings. Choose from scuba, snorkelling, SNUBA and Sea-trek. Choiseul Arts & Crafts Centre Visit this collective of Saint Lucian artisans to see them at work and buy a gift or souvenir from a wide selection of items include baskets, art, pottery and furniture. Meet the skilled crafts men and women from the creative community of Choiseul. Voices of Saint Lucia: Velda George, Craftswoman Small Six Safari The ‘Big Five’ African safari challenge has been turned on its head in Saint Lucia with a nature adventure experience affectionately called the ‘Small Six’. The tour is led by Saint Lucian birding expert and conservationist Adams Toussaint and his team including Matthew ‘Willow’ Francois. Adams originally identified the list of these small indigenous creatures that can be spotted as you explore the island. The Saint Lucian parrot is one of the ”Small Six’ and is notoriously difficult to spot. Father Nature’s Chasing Waterfalls This tour offers thrilling off-the-beaten track outdoor experiences. Explore the island whilst snorkelling, chasing waterfalls, mountain climbing and more. Experienced guides lead small groups ensuring attention and safety. Kayak on the Bay This rustic tour is nestled on the water’s edge on the east coast of the Island in the community of Praslin. Join guided kayaking across the calm Praslin inlet and visit a seamoss farm to find out how this super food is grown and harvested. There’s also an opportunity to kayak to Praslin island, home to the rare Saint Lucian Whiptail lizard. Voices of Saint Lucia: Meveline Colmet Daage, Kayak on the Bay Eudovic Art Studio Joseph Eudovic was the island’s first successful wood sculptor. He opened his Art Studio more than 45 years ago and it is still situated at Goodlands, Castries welcoming over a million visitors. An internationally successful sculptor, he uses local woods for his abstract carvings, and since no two roots are the same, every single sculpture is unique and different. At his studio on Morne Fortune, you can see his magnificent pieces on display. Horseriding Sandy Hoofs runs beach rides along the north eastern coast on hillside trails and through forgotten valleys within access to several secluded beaches. Take in the country view of grazing cows and local fishermen along the coastline. Enjoy a canter along the beach and if sea conditions allow, ride your horse in the cool sea. Project Chocolat , Rabot Estate This is an immersive initiative from Hotel Chocolat, set across six acres of the Rabot Estate. The working cocoa farm provides a hands-on experience for chocolate lovers through its Tree to Bar experience where you’ll tour the farm and learn how cacao gets from a seedling to the end-product, delicious chocolate. On the shorter experience, the Bean to Bar, you skip straight to making your own chocolate bar while gaining delicious insider knowledge. Voices of Saint Lucia: Emma Peacock, Hotel Chocolat For more ideas on where to stay, where to find local food and drink, and sights of interest , see our Conservation Traveller's Guide to Saint Lucia .

The World Heritage Piton mountains are the mother of all attractions on Saint Lucia, but there are many other natural and cultural attractions on this fascinating, beautiful Caribbean island, from bathing mineral pools and waterfalls in the lush rainforest of the interior to community-based farming, art and craft initiatives that provide a diversity of income for local women. The Pitons are Saint Lucia’s most famous landmark; two volcanic mountains on the southwestern coast of the island. Each Piton has its own name: Gros Piton (at 2,530 ft high) and Petit Piton (at 2,438 ft high). Enjoy a guided hike on Gros Piton, Petit Piton too but it’s more of a challenging climb. Or simply admire them from the water or the many viewing points along the west coast. Photo: Saint Lucia Tourism Authority Google map: shows the location and details of all the places to stay, local food and drink, nearby visitor attractions and activities in our Conservation Traveller's Guide to Saint Lucia :  Green = Places to stay   Blue = Food & drink Yellow = Attractions Purple = Activities Des Cartiers Rainforest Explore the island’s lush rainforest from the east cost. Go on a guided trek to spot the rare Saint Lucia Parrot (Jacquot). Visitors will also discover the island’s birdlife along this four kilometre trail. Billed as the Caribbean’s only ‘drive-in volcano’, Sulphur Springs is home to naturally mineral rich mud pools perfect for balneotherapy healing through the practice of bathing in therapeutic waters. Locals and visitors come to dip in the hot waters and apply the sulphur mud to their skin. The mud is said to detoxify the body and helps heal sunburns, eczema, sore joints and more. It’s the ultimate natural spa treatment. Local legend insists that this experience will make you look and feel younger! Photo: Saint Lucia Tourism Authority Moule-a-Chique Lighthouse The Moule-a-Chique Lighthouse was built in 1912 and is said to be the world’s second highest lighthouse. It sits 740 feet above sea level and is located on the southernmost tip of Saint Lucia. Known for its breathtaking views of the island, it’s frequently visited by tourists and locals on a hike or with a picnic. The views are particularly stunning at sunset. This lighthouse also served as guidance for sailors during World War I and provided assistance in communication during the Grenada revolution. Emerald Farm is Anse Chastanet’s organic farm in the Soufriere hills, 20 minutes from the resort. A visit to Emerald Farm can be combined with a tour to the Sulphur Springs and Botanical Gardens which all together will take about 3-4 hours. Since 2007, Emerald Estate has been growing organic produce – from vegetables, micro greens, salads to fruits, spices, nuts and herbs- for the resort kitchens, There are over 1000 cocoa trees providing the cocoa beans used in the resort’s own chocolate production. Photo: Richard Hammond Sapphire Falls and Jungle Spa This guided adventure takes you through lush landscapes to the stunning Sapphire Falls, where you can unwind in naturally heated mineral pools. Perfect for nature lovers, this is a quieter alternative to the nearby Sulphur Springs. Relax in a jungle garden surrounded by palm trees and native plants, under a thatched roof Bamboo for shade. Tet Paul Nature Trai l is a family-owned trail that has been described as providing the best panoramic view of the southern part of the island including the Pitons. It’s an easy climb to the viewing point and along the way you are guided through an organic farm. There’s also a picnic area to enjoy lunch. Photo: Richard Hammond Pigeon Island National Landmark Saint Lucia’s national park combines history and nature. It was a separate isle until 1972, when the government built a causeway between it and the main island for easy access. It’s also where the infamous pirate, Jambe de Bois, created a camp to ambush Spanish trade ships. Visitors can also climb around the ruins of Fort Rodney, which was built by the English to fight the French. It’s also a top spot for snorkelling. Soufrière is one of the most recognisable towns in Saint Lucia. The town’s name comes from the sulphurous aromas created by the volcanoes. Explore the town square while shopping for a few souvenirs along the way. It’s also the gateway to some of the natural wonders of the islands such as the Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens. Visitors use Soufrière as a base to hike to Toraille waterfall to cool off in the natural rainforest. Photo: Saint Lucia Tourism Authority La Tille Falls The waterfalls on the east side of Saint Lucia in Micoud are quiet and peaceful. A 20ft waterfall cascades into a pool where visitors can swim. To get to the falls and pool, you walk through a beautiful organic fruit, herbal and flower garden tended by the friendly owner. It’s the perfect picnic spot for a tranquil afternoon. For ideas on where to stay, where to find local food, and outdoor adventure activities, see our Conservation Traveller's Guide to Saint Lucia .

Saint Lucia packs a punch when it comes to food. From roadside grills serving freshly caught seafood to five star restaurants with international reputations, the emphasis at the many food outlets throughout the island is on local, seasonal, flavoursome dishes. Fresh, local seasonal food in Saint Lucia. Photo : Saint Lucia Tourism Authority Google map: shows the location and details of all the places to stay, local food and drink, nearby visitor attractions and activities in our Conservation Traveller's Guide to Saint Lucia :  Green = Places to stay   Blue = Food & drink Yellow = Attractions Purple = Activities Gros Islet Fish Fry Every Friday, this regular get together in one of the island’s picturesque fishing villages sees local vendors set up their grills serving freshly caught seafood. Enjoy the sizzling sounds and smells of street food as you sip a rum and listen to music. The fish fry is followed by a street party later in the evening so it gets lively! I-TAL experience at BodyHoliday This is a unique farm-to-fork dining experience inspired by Jamaica’s Rastafari movement. Set amidst a lush jungle environment, this vegetarian dining option focuses on nutrient-dense, organic meals that promote energy and well-being. The experience also includes a tour of BodyHoliday’s 2-acre organic farm, emphasising sustainable practices and ecological awareness. The I-TAL restaurant with its organic garden is tucked behind Coubaril Valley, sitting amongst the trees on top of a beautiful hillside. Anse Chastanet Vegan restaurant The resort (see Places to Stay in Saint Lucia ) introduced an entirely vegan concept menu as part of the daily culinary offerings. Anse Chastanet offers guests a choice of four menus most nights. All menus feature vegetarian and vegan choices but the Emerald’s restaurant caters exclusively to vegans with a modern tapas style menu. Voices of Saint Lucia: Elijah Jules, Executive Sous Chef, Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain Marjorie’s Visit the new site of Marjorie's, a local restaurant on Cas-en-Bas beach in the north. The original Marjorie's, just a stone's throw from the new venue is a Saint Lucian institution and was a favourite of singer Amy Winehouse during her extended stay on the island. This completely transformed version was in partnership with Cabot Saint Lucia. Enjoy local fayre whilst watching the horseriders and kitesurfers. Castries Market This lively and colourful market has been running since the 1890s and sells a range of fresh fruit and vegetables along with crafts, gifts, clothes and local spices. Head to the back of the market to find a line of food kiosks where you can try freshly prepared local dishes made with market produce. Castries Central Market has been running since the 1890s. Photo: Richard Hammond Chateau Mygo , Marigot Bay This friendly restaurant on the west coast is a third generation west Indian eaterie open for breakfast lunch and dinner. Enjoy dishes with a local touch with a great view of Marigot Bay and the marina. The restaurant also has regular live music. Duke’s Place – Gros Islet This local eaterie on the waterfront in Gros Islet is a popular spot serving up fresh seafood on the grill. It gets busy early on Friday nights before the regular street party. Naked Fisherman , Cap Maison Nestled in a natural cove just below Cap Maison, is The Naked Fisherman Beach Bar & Grill, a relaxed beach front restaurant. Due to its popularity it is highly recommended to make reservations in advance, if tables are not readily available you can take a casual seat at the bar. Orlando’s Orlando was head chef at one of the island’s leading resort restaurants before setting up his own intimate dining experience in the south west in Soufriere. This award-winning restaurant has secured a reputation internationally bringing Saint Lucian cuisine to the fore, thanks to its delicious menu of locally inspired dishes that make the most of seasonal produce. Orlando's has an international reputation for its Saint Lucian cuisine. Photo: Richard Hammond Dasheene , Soufriere Dasheene is housed at Ladera Resort (see Places to stay in Saint Lucia ), offering spectacular views of the Pitons. Executive Chef Nigel Mitchel and his award-winning culinary team have created exciting menus of innovative farm-to-table dishes of fresh takes on classic Saint Lucian dishes like Old Fashioned Pepper Pot and Shrimp Dasheene. The Coal Pot Situated on the Vigie Marina waterfront in an open-air setting, enjoy local fish such as snapper and dorado served with a choice of West Indian sauces along with rice and peas, steamed veggies, and salad. The restaurant gets its name from the traditional Caribbean cooking method used across the islands for generations. Also check out the sister restaurant the Pink Plantation House. The Reef Beach Café Head down to the south east coast to find this eaterie in Vieux Fort, serving a simple menu of Creole and international dishes. The Reef Kite and Surf is located right next to The Reef Beach Cafe, and there are tables inside as well as outside under the gum and sea grape trees on the beach. Kabawe Krawl If you’re interested in exploring Saint Lucia whilst sipping a Piton beer or sampling a rum punch then you’ll love the Kabawé Krawl. It’s Creole for pub crawl or bar crawl and is a trail of bars around the island that give you a real flavour of the different communities. It’s an opportunity to meet the locals, swap stories and enjoy Saint Lucian hospitality. You can book a guided tour around the bars with one of our local tour companies, alternatively, if you’re out and about, look for the Kabawé Krawl sign at a participating venue. Participating bars are all on Google maps. For ideas on where to stay, sights of interest and outdoor activities across the island, see our Conservation Traveller's Guide to Saint Lucia .

As part of our Conservation Traveller's Guide to Saint Lucia , travel writer Josephine Price writes about her visit to the island to see community tourism in action. From the quieter coastlines moving carefully into sustainable tourism practices to an international chocolate powerhouse supporting organic farming incentives, St Lucia is brimming with initiatives that are revitalising and future-proofing the island's offering. Photos: Richard Hammond “The green detoxifies, the purple is full of antioxidants and the gold is high in zinc”. I’m getting a health and nutrition lesson as I stand on the beach with Mervin Mathurin, the 48-year old sea moss farmer, who quit his office job in the hotel sector three years ago after 15 years in the business to return home to this bay and his heritage, taking stock of his crop. Sea moss, also known as Irish moss or by its scientific name Chondrus crispus, boasts 92 of the 102 minerals that the human body needs earning its recent reputation globally as a superfood. But it is no recent trend here. “[[Sea moss farming]] started a long time ago here with my dad and just a cluster of farmers. Nothing too much”. But business is booming in this little bay on the east of the island now – it’s the island’s biggest export – and they’re inviting you in for a taste. It’s a prime example of a thriving ecosystem entwining the local and tourism ventures. The farmers – between 150 and 170 in this bay, but around 500 island-wide – do their thing and the world has cottoned on to what they’ve got. As demand grows, there’s a younger generation of farmers, male and female, getting involved which is good for both business and the community. Across the bay, a small setup called Kayak on the Bay (a family-run restaurant and kayak hire outlet) provides the opportunity for people to go and visit the sea moss farmers and learn about the practice and their product, bringing interest and income to this part of the island where the tourism product and infrastructure is still light touch and local. Voices of Saint Lucia: Mervin Matherlin, Seamoss Farmer, Praslin Interview filmed by Richard Hammond Later, I’m standing waist-deep in the Atlantic, among the submerged plants with Mervin. “This is one of the most beautiful bays on the island for sea moss,” he tells me. It’s picture perfect to me. And it’s accessible for local farmers too. On a low tide you can access as far as the island by foot which means it attracts the farmers who can’t or don’t swim too. On top of its accessibility credentials, it’s a low-impact, short-harvest affair. You plant, you leave, you harvest, you dry, you sell. It takes six weeks from planting to product. This is small-scale farming with a light environmental footprint but a big local money impact and a global reputation. It’s even impacting activity across the community. Meveline Daage, the 35-year-old founder of the kayaking spot tells me: “Initially when I started Kayak on the Bay [[eight years ago]] it was to bring a sustainable, ecological watersporting activity to the bay. But it has shifted because all of the attention has focused on the sea moss farmers. All our guests come to see them. What is this sea moss? Everyone is intrigued about what it is.” Voices of Saint Lucia: Meveline Colmet Daage, Kayak on the Bay Interview filmed by Richard Hammond   And now the purpose of the tours has shifted and expanded to incorporate it. Local fishermen provide the daily catch, lunch is cooked by Meveline’s family (she urged her parents to move back home from Texas, USA to pitch in with the family business) at her waterside restaurant before heading out to meet the sea moss farmers, learn more about the intriguing product and visit nearby Praslin Island. It’s a symbiotic relationship that engages and feeds the community. This is an example of an impactful setup that could be modeled across the island. As one of the most tourism-dependent economies in the world, the Caribbean is a delicate proposition. Faced with rising temperatures and tides impacting coastlines, fishing industries and seaweed invasions, for example, there’s an urgency to do things with a positive impact to protect and preserve the string of islands. With more visitors than ever before and tourism development on an upward trajectory, I’m here in the eastern Caribbean island nation of St Lucia to see just how the West Indies is looking after their patch. Protecting the future is a project, but it’s also an invitation. Their island-wide warm welcomes and gracious hosting should almost come with a disclaimer: come in and get involved. And thanks to community tourism initiatives, it’s easy to. There are no alarming calls to arms here, but a gentle invitation to interact and get involved. The community tourism initiatives I experience across the island are propelled by local characters who realise what a good offering they’ve got and want to share it with the world. That’s certainly the case with Stephan at the St Lucia Bamboo Rafting project. This 22-year-old energetic soul is the supervisor here and my guide for the experience. He grew up on a nearby tributary of the Roseau River, which was once a lifeline for the producers upstream: the island’s biggest banana plantations would send their crops down on bamboo rafts to be picked up for export from the beach. It was also where Stephan played, messing about on the river with friends. And today, locals and tourists are taken down on similar bamboo rafts built by local boys. It only takes them a couple of hours to build a raft and the bamboo is in such surplus that it remains a low-impact activity. This initiative doesn’t change the landscape, coastline or the river but it does introduce visitors to one of the natural lifelines of the island and provides the local community with another way to earn money from the visitors. Voices of Saint Lucia: Stephan Charlie, Bamboo rafting guide Interview filmed by Richard Hammond   These tours have been running for three years now and it’s a gentle way to catch a glimpse of life on the water. We make our way downstream past fruiting almond trees, loud moorhens and rocky cliffs pockmarked with honey bee hives to Roseau Beach. It may be just round the bay from the hotels and restaurants of the prestigious marina at Marigot Bay but here there’s nothing more than a shack and piles of sand from government-approved sand-mining ventures. Kids dive into the water from surplus rafts, probably just like Stephan did in his day. Maybe these kids will be the ones launching the next new venture in years to come. Longevity is key to such projects, the act of giving ideas time to bed down and have an impact. Next up, I’m exploring Emerald Farm with Elijah Jules, the 43-year-old executive sous chef at the Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain resorts. The farm has been running here for 18 years and he’s been with the resorts for 16 years. He’s having a good time, especially with his creations, and it’s infectious. Voices of Saint Lucia: Elijah Jules, Executive Sous Chef, Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain Interview filmed by Richard Hammond   He feeds me dish after dish, adorned with herbs and ingredients from the garden, bursting with flavour and colour. A tomato gazpacho that I’m still thinking about. Fat buttery curried prawns with coconut-milk-braised green banana. Seared, herb-crusted tuna atop a shaved cucumber and grapefruit salad. This experience is available to hotel guests, connecting them with the land as well as the hotel’s community outreach and organic farming initiatives. The organic farm located in the Soufrière Hills is all about the farm-to-table experience as guests find out more about local ingredients and the provenance of the dishes onsite but it goes beyond that, enabling the resort to have a conversation and a relationship with local farmers, too. “We have the space to plant [and grow] everything we want to but we plant what the locals don’t plant,” Eli tells me. “And if we have to plant what they don’t plant, then don’t plant a lot.” Slightly further south, in the inland valley of the Pitons, Project Chocolat is another St Lucian gem with a far-reaching impact. The estate behind the UK powerhouse, Hotel Chocolat, has been pioneering sustainable and organic farming changes on the island since they launched operations here in 1994. With this vast 140-acre site, they could plant all their own crops and function independently but instead they work in collaboration with the local farmers. “The core purpose of being here was to revitalise cocoa as an industry on the island. They started with a handful of farmers in this area and they set up a programme called Island Growers where they would grow and heavily subsidise cocoa seedlings, give them to farmers and we would guarantee to buy it at a premium price,” the UK-born CEO, Emma Peacock explains. Voices of Saint Lucia: Emma Peacock, CEO Saint Lucia, Hotel Chocolat Interview filmed by Richard Hammond   It’s this style of gentle hand-holding from the island’s custodians that sets a tone and leads me through St Lucia, educating and empowering me – as they hope to with more and more visitors. There are plans to launch new tours and experiences later in 2025 through the tourism agency’s sister organisation, the Community Tourism Agency. And as Meveline at Kayak on the Bay says community involvement is key. “My hope for Praslin Bay is to see a lot more sustainable tourism practices being picked up,” she comments on the nascent industry in her corner of the island. And from the looks of it, it looks positive. The Caribbean – and St Lucia – may have its fair share of resorts but the future looks set to get more sustainable by putting the community first. Where to stay Anse Chastanet might as well be a byword for luxurious views of the Pitons on St Lucia. This resort hotel ticks the beachfront box as well as offering indulgent hillside accommodation and immersive experiences for guests. But its work goes beyond the resort. Projects include the Soufriere Foundation (a non-government organisation for the benefit of the neighbouring community), supporting coral restoration with nurseries and education as well as wider projects to help conservation, sustainable livelihoods on the island and marine health. The stunning beach at Anse Chastanet. Photo: Richard Hammond == Disclosure: Josephine Price was a guest of Anse Chastanet and Saint Lucia Tourism Authority. She had full editorial control of this review, which has been written in her own words based on her experience of visiting Saint Lucia in 2025. All opinions are the author's own. Josephine is a freelance travel writer, follow her work at josephine-price.com .

As part of our Conservation Traveller's Guide to Saint Lucia , travel writer Josephine Price writes about her visit to the interior of the island where she finds the island’s plants, people, practices and produce, too. National pride comes in many forms but she finds a dedication to nature – and sharing the lessons it teaches us – is informing and inspiring the tourism offerings across the island's interior. Photos: Richard Hammond “You are standing right here in my backyard where I was born and raised,” Arthur Anthony is fizzing with pride. “Today, the world comes to my home.” Towering trees, giant palms, pops of tropical flowers and tangled vines surround us in this plot which was once his childhood home. It’s a verdant utopia and that pride is rightly earned. He’s offering us a glimpse into his upbringing and into Saint Lucia’s verdant centre. This is the luscious fertile interior which lures guests away from those serene Caribbean beaches and into the island’s big green heart. “I think people are coming back to nature, to the land. They are coming back to the good and the simple. This is how life used to be,” he gestures to the simple wooden structures dotted around this forested trail. This trail is just one part of his Lushan Country Life experience that the 48-year-old visionary and founder created in 2020 on the seven-acre site of his parental home. It’s weaving me through the ages and stages of jungle life in the northeast of the island. “Look, the Saint Lucians are some of the friendliest people in the world,” he shrugs as we walk and talk, cracking coconuts and tasting bananas, and I imagine the world agrees as his whole family unit welcomes in swathes of tourists, from cruise ships to individual groups, each day. It’s impossible not to fall for this eco heritage tourism attraction he’s created, and for Arthur’s charm. Voices of Saint Lucia: Arthur Anthony, Owner, Lushan Country Life Interview filmed by Richard Hammond   However, the charm is not without motive. He wants to teach people about life here but also hopes to instil a sense of “eco responsibility” and love for nature, too. “I wish that the whole world would appreciate the value of nature and keeping things green, protecting the soil and having a consciousness wherever they go so that we will always be able to have a green world,” he buzzes with energy. He’s right. The more people are immersed in nature and learn about it, the more engaged they are then likely to be in pro-conservation efforts in the face of the climate emergency, through exposure to the parts worth preserving and caring for. This island is brimming with nature-based ways to feel inspired and with tourism on a healthy upward trajectory – 2024 saw arrivals up 14% at over 435,000 visitors – there’s a real opportunity to capture people’s attention and engage them. With a growing audience, it’s more important than ever to interact with the island responsibly. A flash of an iridescent hummingbird is all I need to get me engaged. The intoxicating challenge of spotting them is an island-wide activity, but it’s inland where it gets interesting. The green-throated carib is one of the three hummingbird species endemic to Saint Lucia and utterly captivates me with its small frame, darting movements and metallic colourways. My head whips from the helliconias – their preferred feeding spot which functions as a beautiful, botanical watering hole – to the trees overhead where they appear to stop for a second’s pause before flitting off again. It’s fast and fantastic – they flirt and it’s too easy to succumb. I’m floating through the four levels of the rainforest: from the forest floor, through the dense understory, the romantic, entwined canopy and the sun-soaked emergent layer. Ficus stranglers up above and boa constrictors down below add a layer of inhospitability, but the liana vines, symbiotic ecosystem, flirtatious hummingbirds and divulgent locals, eager to share their botanical knowledge, welcome you in. I’m traversing this towering ecosystem by aerial tram – one of the many options to get into the heart of the eco-park on the Castries Waterworks Reserve, a protected primary rainforest at the base of La Sorciere Mountain in the community of Chassin. Cackles of zipliners echo and fade below as we work our way higher and higher into the forest. This year-round experience immerses visitors in the lush rainforest introducing the botanical bounty along with their scientific names, local names and the stories and uses behind each. My guide Ciskia hands me a leaf from the white incense tree, or the Lansan tree, and shows me how to wipe it on my skin to help repel mosquitoes. This aromatic resin is used as a slow-burning incense island-wide too, but due to these alluring qualities the tree species is now endangered and the subject of new research to help try and promote new extraction methods and protection, according to the Flora & Fauna organisation. These lofty ecosystems invite you to care about the island’s natural splendour. But nothing impresses as urgently as the Pitons. Striking out on the southwest coast outside the former capital Soufrière, these two verdant volcano peaks imprint on the horizon as well as the memory. Further inland, the Tet Paul Nature Trail showcases one of the best views of the powerful pair and the hiking trail is a gentle way to wind up to the unforgettable viewpoint of the Gros Piton and Petit Piton. My guide, Mishak, is as full of life as you should be aged 24 but brimming with stories as if he’s lived a thousand lives. Voices of Saint Lucia: Mishach Alcee, Tour Guide, Tet Paul Nature Trail Interview filmed by Richard Hammond   He points out where he grew up on the horizon, tells me stories of his grandmother who lived till she was 111 – the oldest person in Saint Lucia, he claims – and identifies endless plant species and their healing and delicious qualities. There’s a playful confidence to his storytelling, but his concerns are clear. He points up to the mangos which haven’t dropped yet this year because of the shift in the climate. “Hopefully it’s worth the wait,” he says. The farmers are having to adapt their practices to accommodate such changes and as the island, which used to be predominately a farming island, relies heavily on tourism now, the case for tourism providing a nature-focused education and an invitation to engage with conservation efforts is vital. On instruction, I crush a bay leaf in my hand to release the bright and overpowering citrus scent, nothing like the stale, crispy ones we use at home. This green bounty here is captivating. A hummingbird flits past and lands on a helliconia. The island has offered me an education and I feel compelled to look after it. Wherever you look there are bright and captivating reminders of where you are, what’s humming around, how to tread lightly alongside an invitation to look after this precious spot. Where to stay East Winds is one of Saint Lucia’s longest-running boutique resorts and it’s easy to understand why the guests keep coming back to this all-inclusive haven. Stay here for laidback luxury set in lush verdant gardens next to a serene sandy bay. Garden tours showcase the island’s medicinal and much-loved flora and the all-new kitchen garden. Characterful accommodation, rest areas and swimming pool at East Winds. Photos: Richard Hammond == Disclosure: Josephine Price was a guest of East Winds and Saint Lucia Tourism Authority. She had full editorial control of this review, which has been written in her own words based on her experience of visiting Saint Lucia in 2025. All opinions are the author's own. Josephine is a freelance travel writer, follow her work at josephine-price.com .

As part of our Green Traveller's Guide to Belize , Meera Dattani selects a range of outdoor adventure activities, including island nature trails, birdwatching, kayaking, and snorkelling (all with an emphasis on conservation), and a range of carefully considered, community-led cultural experiences in this fascinating and beautiful Central American country. With nature and culture at the heart of what makes Belize such a special place, low-impact activities are easy to find here. From expertly crafted food tours that go out of their way to tell the wider story of a place (as well as fill your rumbling tummy) and carefully considered, community-led cultural experiences that educate and inform about Belize’s myriad cultural groups from the Maya to Garifuna, to nature-led activities, such as island nature trails, birdwatching, kayaking, and snorkelling, with an emphasis on conservation, and local guide-led walking tours that champion small food producers and lesser-known histories, there’s no shortage of bona fide options in Belize. Meera with guide Eldon August, a tourism conservation officer from Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association, at the 40-foot high bird tower on the Calabash Nature Trail. Photo: Richard Hammond Calabash Nature Trail, Turneffe Atoll Few things beat walking along a hammock bridge surrounded by forest before climbing a 40-foot-high bird tower on a tiny island in the middle of an atoll in the Caribbean Sea and seeing nothing but miles and miles of mangroves, interrupted only the deep blues and greens of the Caribbean Sea. This is part the Calabash Nature Trail, so-called after the towering calabash tree that the ancient Maya probably planted (you might see ancient Maya mounds made of coral rubble). You’ll learn about the poisonwood tree and its antidote, the ‘peeling skin’ gumbolimbo tree, understand the importance of mangroves in the face of climate change, and you might spot blue land crabs and iguanas. Book via Visit Turneffe (a partnership between TASA/Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association and BlueWild Ecoventures) but it’s more likely you’ll visit via your resort or tour operator. Calabash Nature Trail is run by Turneffe Atoll Sustainabilty Association. Photo: Richard Hammond Half-Moon Caye National Monument, Turneffe Atoll This gorgeous, tiny, crescent-shaped island on Turneffe Atoll is an Audubon Society-managed national park and bird sanctuary with a lovely nature trail from the jetty to the beach. Usually crowd-free, its highlight is the treetop platform for birdwatching over the canopy, where the island's resident red-footed boobies and frigate birds congregate. Look out for hermit crabs, iguanas and turtles as you walk through the old-growth forest. For divers (and snorkellers), the caye's 900-metre reef wall makes for a memorable wall dive. See also: travelbelize.org/destinations/belize-reef/half-moon-caye Red-footed boobies nesting among frigate birds on Half Moon Caye. Photo: Richard Hammond Snorkel trail, Turneffe Atoll Belize’s first official snorkel or underwater trail is by Calabash Caye in Turneffe Atoll, and it’s been designed to show the best of reef life in the area but also educate snorkellers about the reef ecosystem and marine conservation. While the trail is only around 300 metres long, life underwater takes on a new meaning; don’t be surprised if you’ve been hypnotised for an hour or so by shoals of fish, colourful coral and swaying seagrass. Sometimes it’s worth just stopping to hover, to see who or what might pass below you. Guides will also show you the seaweed farm, an enterprising way to offer alternative livelihoods to local farmers. On the snorkel trail, Turneffe Atoll. Photo: Richard Hammond Birdwatching in Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary , Belize District, northeastern Belize A boat tour through this protected area of waterways, swamps and a 20-mile lagoon is a fantastic birdwatching spot during the November-May dry season for numerous resident and migratory birds. Crooked Tree, between Belize City and Orange Walk Town, was initially set up by the Belize Audubon Society, who manage several protected areas in Belize, and originally to protect the jabiru stork, but many other species, including kingfishers, egrets and herons reside here too. It’s a wildlife haven in general, and you might spot iguanas, howler monkeys, coatimundis, and even river turtles and crocodiles. A boat tour or kayak/canoe is a lovely way to experience the sanctuary but you can also hike along the boardwalks and enjoy incredible views from the observation towers. Crooked Tree village is also a longstanding Creole community with cultural and cooking experiences available. Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary was initially established to protect the Jabiru stork. Photo: Belize Tourism Board Taste Belize village food tour , Placencia, Stann Creek District, southeastern Belize There are food tours and there are food tours. Dr Lyra Spang is a food anthropologist who educates and feeds you over a few hours as you walk through Belize’s laidback beach town of Placencia. Starting with a chocolate tasting in her Taste Belize store, where you can also buy 100% Belize-made honey, spices and beauty products, she introduces you to her own farming background and to Belize’s cultural and historical influences. From collecting tamales (steamed corn tacos) from a Maya lady, eating rice and beans made with real coconut milk outside a roadside kitchen, and trying corn tacos at a taco stand, to herbal bitters and fried breadfruit sticks in a beach bar and trying seaweed shakes, this is a top-notch food tour that champions the diversity of Belizean cuisine. Lunch and dinner tours available, plus Placencia bar crawl, cacao farm visits, and Garifuna and Maya cooking classes. Meera with Dr Lyra Spang on a food tour of the laidback beach town of Placencia. Photo: Richard Hammond Garifuna Cultural Immersion Experience at Lebeha Drummers, Hopkins, Stann Creek District, southeastern Belize This cultural experience run by Hopkins Uncut is a fantastic introduction to Garifuna drumming, traditions and food, with an underlying objective of keeping Garifuna culture alive and accessible for future generations. After watching a mesmerising drumming performance, you’re invited to take a seat and have a go yourself – it’s a privilege to drum alongside the Lebeha Drummers who perform around Belize and internationally. The cooking lesson is just as fun and perfectly steered by chef Kenima Williams who teaches you to make a delicious hudut soup of coconut milk, peppers, chillies and fish (optional), and served with plantain. It’s very interactive and you’ll be grating coconut husks, mashing plantain using a huge (person-height) pestle and stirring it all up before sitting down to a delicious lunch. More info: Booked via Hopkins Uncut | Lebeha Drumming Centre | Kenima’s Garifuna Cooking Class Meera learning to drum alongside Lebaha Drummers. Photo: Richard Hammond River kayaking on the Macal River , San Ignacio, Cayo District, western Belize For stellar birdwatching, green iguana-spotting or simply a relaxing paddle, go kayaking or canoeing down the Macal River. It’s relatively tame i.e., the water is mostly flat and Grade 1 if we’re talking rapids, making it one of the best spots for river kayaking for all abilities, and you can do it guided or self-guided. Depending on how long you have, you might want to stop at the botanical garden, butterfly farm or tour the medicine trail at Chaa Creek Lodge. Look out for kingfishers, mangrove swallow and the Black Phoebe, or you can book a specialist birdwatching guide too. Even if you just want to row the calm waters of the lower Macal, it’s a real treat. Experienced kayakers might want to consider the Mopan River instead. San Antonio Women’s Co-operative , Cayo District, western Belize Just outside the town of San Ignacio, San Antonio Women’s Co-operative is a female-empowered, community initiative led by Timotea Mesh with a dual purpose of empowering local women and young girls, and preserving Yucatec Maya cultural traditions, from recipes to pottery to embroidery. After an introduction to the cooperative, guests take part in an interactive cooking class, learning to grind corn kernels into a soft dough and making homemade corn tortillas. There's a chance to try your pottery skills - a lot harder than it looks - before enjoying one of the best lunches you'll have in Belize. Learning how to work with soft dough at San Antonio Women’s Co-operative. Photo: Richard Hammond Eladio’s Farm & Chocolate , Punta Gorda, Toledo District, southern Belize The cacao bean is Maya ‘gold’. In Belize’s southern region of Toledo, Eladio Pop has been taking guests on cacao farm tours for many years where guests can take a short trail through the forests where Eladio cracks a cacao husk , before learning about the bean-to-bar process. You get the chance to take part in cracking, winnowing and grinding the cacao bean, before tasting the chocolate the Maya way; an unsweetened chocolate drink served from a gourd. That’s when you’ll realise how much sugar and milk goes into the chocolate we know! Living Maya Experience , Big Falls, Toledo district, southern Belize Since 2012, the family have been sharing local Kek'chi Maya customs and culture from a recreated traditional Maya home, as it might have been as recently as 50 years ago, in the village of Big Falls. You might watch a skilled artisan produce detailed the Maya craftwork or play traditional musical instruments, and learn about the importance of the forest to Mayas - everything from food and medicine to furniture – and a tour around the yard reveals the importance of plants, herbs and spices. Guests can also get involved in preparing food, such as making corn tortillas or grinding cacao beans, before helping to cook on an open fire. Vegetarians are catered for too; just let them know when booking. Mennonite community visit, Orange Walk District, northern Belize Know for their tight-knit, often private communities, the Mennonites of Belize are conservative Christians of Dutch/German descent who fled Europe from the 17th century; there are around six communities numbering 12,000 in northern Belize’s Orange Walk and Cayo Districts. Tours are limited but sensitively organised with families, such as Cornelius and Anna Schmitt, who are comfortable sharing stories and traditions. Using limited modern technology, they’re known for their work ethic, and own and run some of Belize’s biggest dairies and farms (not without contention, of course, but that’s another story). A horse-and-buggy tour at Indian Creek ends with a delicious lunch of schnitzel, pickles, salads and potatoes. Mennonite communities, like any, vary from the traditional to modern, and the tour challenges assumptions and invites you to ask questions. Booked via lamanai.com . The Mennonites of Belize are conservative Christians of Dutch/German descent. Photo: Richard Hammond Orange Walk Town taco and town tour , Orange Walk District, northern Belize Northern Belize doesn’t appear on all itineraries, but Orange Walk Town, Belize’s third largest city, has a rich history captured in Banquitas House of Culture, and is a great place to observe everyday life. Tour guide Manuel Novelo’s passion for his hometown is infectious. Tracing its history from its time as a Maya trading route to an outpost for the British-run logging camps, Novelo shares his knowledge, including OWT’s status as the town of tacos (each year, it hosts a TacoFest), leading you to his favourite spots in town including his must-visit taco stands. Novelo is also an environmentalist; during lockdown with his grandchildren, he planted mahogany trees, a species logged to near-extinction during colonial rule. Tour guides with heart and soul can bring the most unassuming town to life. The start of Meera's Orange Walk Town tour with local guide Manuel. Photo: Richard Hammond For characterful places to stay, where to find local food and drink, and places of interest throughout Belize, see our Green Traveller's Guide to Belize

As part of our Green Traveller's Guide to Belize , Meera Dattani selects a range of visitor attractions, from food markets and national parks to scuba diving sites and ancient Maya sites, in this historic Central American country. National parks, world-class dive sites, community tourism, and Maya temples are among Belize’s many attractions. While logging and hurricanes have left their mark on Belize’s forests, with much of it secondary growth, ancient trees remain in protected areas where the canopy ranges from 40 to 120 feet and wildlife flourishes. Belize’s Maya sites are impressive and numerous and it’s worth visiting at least a couple to get a sense of its past. Where possible, book local guides, particularly for the Maya sites in order to have a true insight from a knowledgeable Maya guide. Guides are generally very knowledgeable, friendly, and it’s a way of supporting the local economy in an equitable way. Meera with guide Eduardo at High Temple, Lamanai. Photo: Richard Hammond San Ignacio town, Cayo District, western Belize The largest town in western Belize, San Ignacio is a place you can easily while away a few days; there are some great hotels, excellent bars and restaurants, and it’s a brilliant base for experiencing the region’s Maya sites, hiking trails and rivers. But the town itself has plenty to offer too. San Ignacio Market on Tuesdays and Saturdays is a lively, local market where you can enjoy delicious tacos, burritos, pupusas (corn griddle cake) and grilled meats, and pick up fresh fruits, nuts, crafts and clothes. San Ignacio Resort Hotel’s Green Iguana Conservation Project  is also worth a trip (hourly tours from 8am-4pm; book online) while a 10-minute uphilll walk takes you to the Maya site of Cahal Pech, settled around 1200-1000 BC and former home for an elite Maya family. Go early or late afternoon to avoid the heat and catch the best light for views over the temple and river. Entrance to the San Ignacio market. Photo: Richard Hammond Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Hopkins, Stann Creek District, southeastern Belize While Cockscomb is best known as home to the highest number of jaguars, it’s difficult to spot these elusive creatures. If you’re determined, book a guided evening tour or stay at least two or three nights; even then, keep expectations in check… the sanctuary covers over 128,000 acres of jungle in the Cockscombe Range of the Maya Mountains, add another 120,000 acres of neighbouring Bladen Nature Reserve, and you can see why jaguar-spotting is a challenge. But by day, there’s a chance of seeing animals such as ocelots, deer and tapir – and you should hear the howler monkeys too. There’s great birdlife with over 300 species including the keel-billed toucan, scarlet macaws and several species of hawk, and the jungle hiking is some of Belize’s best. Belize has over a rich diversity of wildlife, including ocelots (top right), toucans and howler monkeys Photos: Belize Tourism Board Lubantuun Maya site , Toledo district, southern Belize The largest Maya site in southern Belize, Lubaantun has become known for the number of ceramic objects found among the stones, believed to be charmstones or items using during Maya rituals. One of the most common items is a type of whistle-figurine which can play three different notes. Lubaantun looks different to many similar Maya sites, using mostly large stones of black slate, laid so carefully that no mortar was used, and the name translates to "place of fallen stone.”  There are various theories about the role of Lubantuun; the Grand Plaza is so vast that some believe it was a commercial centre, perhaps for a central market and on a trading route. It’s worth taking your time for a wonder to see the ball courts and rituals area. Xunantunich, Cayo District, western Belize The old-school, hand-cranked (free) ferry that takes visitors to Xunantunich across the Mopan River is reason enough to visit this vast, impressive Maya site. With six plazas and over 25 temples, palaces and ball courts (plus countless Maya mounds yet to be excavated), this site really conveys the breadth and scale of Maya architecture and skill. The largest pyramid is El Castillo at 130 feet high (second tallest in Belize after Caracol) and if the weather is clear, views stretch across into Guatemala and up towards Caracol in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. A guided tour is highly recommended for a real understanding of the site, plus it supports local guides. The impressive Mayan site at Xunantunich. Photo: Nathan Allen/Belize Tourism Board Lamanai Maya temples, Orange Walk District, northern Belize With its enviable spot on the New River, Lamanai, which means ‘Submerged Crocodile’, is one of the most intriguing sites in northern Belize. Set in the rainforest, there are stunning views from some of the temples, although at time of writing, you can’t climb the High Temple. Don’t miss the carved limestone masks of the Mask Temple and the stone jaguar formation on Jaguar Temple before climbing up for views. Lamanai was occupied for over 3,000 years and as a result, had a large, long-standing, prosperous Maya community until  European contact in 1544. The Archaeological Reserve also has a museum – there’s a well-preserved mask showing a Maya ruler appearing from a crocodile headdress – two Spanish church ruins and a 19th-century brick sugar mill. The boat ride to/from Orange Walk Town is gorgeous (and avoids the alternative – a bumpy road) with a chance of seeing iguanas, Morelet’s crocodile, and plenty of birdlife. The impressive Mask Temple at Lamanai. Photo: Richard Hammond ATM - Actun Tunichil Muknal, Cayo District, western Belize A 45-minute drive from San Ignacio followed by a 45-minute to one-hour hike through the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve leads you to the cave opening of Belize’s legendary Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) cave, known locally as Xibalba and translates to ‘cave of the stone sepulchre’. A combo of swimming, wading, clambering and hiking takes you to one of Belize’s most fascinating Maya sites, its subterranean chambers home to the calcified bones of a teenager girl (known as ‘The Crystal Maiden’) alongside skeletons, stoneware and ceramics including the famous ‘Monkey Pot’ with its rare design. A reasonable level of fitness is recommended and claustrophobes might want to avoid. Book in advance as there’s a daily limit and note all tours are guided and weather-dependent. Belize Botanic Gardens, Cayo District, western Belize If you’re botanically minded, these 45 acres of gardens set in a valley on the Macal River surrounded by the foothills of the Maya Mountains are a must if you’re near or on your way to San Ignacio. With two miles of trails, it’s an excellent place to learn about the medicinal plants and their use in Maya medicine on the medicine trail, while the orchid house is home to some spectacular treats from Mother Nature. There are mahogany trees, once the centre of Belize’s logging industry, on the rainforest trail, over 100 palm species in the palm areas, and an impressive collection of gingers and heliconias in the ‘zingiber alley’. Hamilton Hide is a good spot for birders. Great Blue Hole, near Lighthouse Reef Picture, if you will, a huge sinkhole surrounded by a glittering ring of coral in the middle of the Caribbean. That’s the Blue Hole, a UNESCO site probably formed at the end of the last Ice Age, one of Belize’s most popular spots, and a must for divers. With Belize home to the world’s second longest barrier reef, the Blue Hole is part of this Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System and is approximately 1,000 feet across and over 400 feet deep - the site was made famous by oceanographer Jacques Cousteau who called it one of the world’s top dive sites. Marine life includes reef sharks and giant groupers, but it’s also the rock formations that lure divers there. Book with a reputable operator who has guidelines on marine conservation and advice on diving responsibly. Great Blue Hole, Belize. Phote: Belize Tourism Board Mayflower Bocawina National Park, Alta Vista, Stann Creek District, southeastern Belize If you’re lucky, one of the first things to greet you as you enter Mayflower Bocawina National Park is the eardrum-busting sound of the howler monkeys. Rarely as close as they sound, but as the world’s loudest primate, you might feel a monster is upon you. Established in 2001 to protect the area’s biodiversity and the park’s Maya sites, Bocawina which is just 20 minutes from Hopkins and Dangriga villages, has a good selection of hikes such as the do-able Bocawina Falls Trail to the more challenging Antelope Falls Trail, and there’s zip-lining and abseiling too. Take swimwear if you’re partial to a dip as there are several waterfalls inside the park. If you’re without a guide, ask the rangers for up-to-date advice. Entering the Mayflower Bocawina National Park with a local guide. Photo: Richard Hammond Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center, Belize District, northeastern Belize More of a rescue centre than a zoo, its 29 acres of forest are home to around 150 injured, rehabilitated and orphaned animals covering 45 native species such as tapirs, coatimundi, and scarlet macaws. With wildlife conservation and education its central mission, animals are returned to the wild if viable. Belize Zoo is also frequented by creatures from the outside jungle - night tours are best as many resident creatures are nocturnal. With strict rules such as no feeding or touching animals, there's a concerted effort to promote better human-wildlife engagement. It's also fully accessible for wheelchair users and anyone with physical disabilities. Monkeys are one of the 20 species at Belize Zoo. Photo: Belize Tourism Board The Museum of Belize, Belize City, Belize District, northeastern Belize Set inside a former prison in the city’s Fort George District, the building was built during British colonial rule in the mid-19th-century, and turned into the Museum of Belize in 2002. Inside, Maya artefacts, historic Belize stamps, vintage photos and interesting memorabilia does a good job of telling the story of Belize from ancient Mesoamerican times to slavery and colonisation when it was British Honduras, and through to independence. It doesn’t have as many items as you might want or expect; many reside in museums and other organisations around the world. There’s also an art gallery, gift shop and a small exhibit on Belize’s birdlife. Caracol Maya temples, Caracol District, northern Belize Belize’s largest Maya site is also one of its most impressive, buried in Chiquibul Forest Reserve near the Guatemalan border. It’s believed that at its peak in Ad 650, this Maya city occupied anything from 40 to 70 square miles with a population of around 100,000. It was an example of Maya ‘technology’ at its best, with rainwater reservoirs and cleverly designed terraces to grow all the crops they needed, and the complex was full of markets, palaces and temples including Caana, Belize’s highest structure. Caracol may not be the easiest site to reach, but it’s worth it and half the adventure lies in reaching this Maya city deep in the jungle. Caracol is an example of Maya technology at its best. Photo: Belize Tourism Board Find characterful places to stay, places that serve local, traditional seasonal food and drink, as well as outdoor adventure activities and carefully crafted community-run cultural experiences in our Green Traveller's Guide to Belize .

As part of our Green Traveller's Guide to Belize , Meera Dattani selects a range of places to eat, from food tours and food parks to locally run cafes and beachside restaurants. The diversity of food in Belize may seem remarkable, but less surprising when you consider its history. From traditional Maya recipes and Kriol cuisine to Garifuna dishes from the country’s Afro-Indigenous population where coconut, fish and spices are the key, Belize’s food culture and choice is a history lesson in itself. Rice and beans, and beans and rice, are a staple – and no, they’re not the same thing – with chicken, fish and seafood always on the side, while filled corn tacos and tortillas are a mainstay of most Belizean restaurants. For vegetarians, there are always options even if fish, seafood and meat dominate many menus, and friendly staff and chefs are usually happy to make tweaks. If you like things hot, there’s always a bottle of Marie Sharp’s hot sauce nearby… Some of the local flavours in Belize. Photos: Richard Hammond The Truck Stop, Ambergris Caye There’s no shortage of places to eat in San Pedro but a mile north of the bridge en route to Secret Beach is Belize’s first shipping container food park and beer garden, complete with a saltwater pool, swim-up bar, 18-foot film screen, three restaurants, outdoor games and a dizzying schedule of events from 11am to 10pm daily. While owned by non-Belizeans, there is an emphasis on community events and charities, and a monthly market where sellers come from around Belize to sell their food, crafts and other goods. There's a great selection of dishes – favourites include kung pao egg rolls from Raja, fried sweet plantain from Sol Fresca, and ice cream and shakes at Cool Cone.   Estel's Dine by the Sea, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye This beachfront restaurant is one of the best spots for breakfast and lunch in a place with countless food options . Run by Charlie Sr., Estella, and Charlie Jr. it's a lovely place to start the day with filling breakfast burritos, huevos rancheros, French toast and fresh juices while lunch includes fresh fish, tamales, Kriol rice and beans, sandwiches and more. They also do daily lunch specials like salbutes (deep fried tortillas), empanadas or conch soup with coconut rice. You can also stop by coffee or a drink on your beach walk, and weekend BBQs are advertised on their Facebook page. Chef Juan’s Kitchen & Pastries, Caye Caulker Sometimes the most unassuming spots turn out to be the best ones, and this is one of those with shared tables and a convivial atmosphere. You can also bring your own beer/wine. Open everyday bar Tuesday from lunchtime onwards, Chef Juan’s Kitchen & Pastries serves up a tasty menu. Favourite dishes include the aromatic seafood curry with coconut milk, jerk conch, and whole red snapper, and spice levels are fairly Belizean so don’t be too gung-ho when asking for ‘extra spicy’… Dessert-wise, it’s the key lime pie has punters salivating (and returning) – get there by mid/late afternoon to avoid missing out on the last slice. Barefoot Beach Bar, Placencia Owned and run by two Belizean sisters, this Belize-owned and run bar on Placencia’s beach, just off the ‘Strip’ is full of life and warmth with colourful furniture, lively staff and a top beachside location. As well as a great selection of reasonably priced cocktails and local beers, they also have a bespoke ‘bitters’ made from local herbs which is delicious (down or sip, as you please). Foodwise, the smoked fish dip with tortilla chips is one of their top sellers, and the fried breadfruit is very more-ish. By night, travellers often flit between here and neighbouring, also Belizean-owned and operated bar Tipsy Tuna , where you can tuck into wings, burgers and wraps, with Garifuna drumming and other events on selected nights. Brewed Awakenings, Placencia The daily roasted coffee beans and sublime coffees are not the only reason to visit this airy, inviting upstairs café with a patio in Placencia; they also serve over 30 different seaweed shakes. Seaweed is said to contain a wide variety of vitamins and nutrients and shake flavours include key lime pie, mint ‘n’ chip, and espresso; they are genuinely delicious (and no, you can’t ‘taste’ the seaweed). Brewed Awakenings also serve up tropical fruit smoothies and protein bowls, with ingredients such as aloe vera pods added, plus innovative cakes such as courgette and pineapple muffins and rum and chocolate cake. Guava Limb, San Ignacio One of San Ignacio’s most popular restaurants, Guava Limb deserves its place for its consistently delicious food and fun atmosphere. Fruit and vegetables come from their 32 -acre Maya farm in the Macal River valley, and dairy and meat is sourced locally. It’s an eclectic menu with dishes such as shrimp and conch ceviche, Maya farm salad, Indonesian gado-gado, blackened fish and Thai lettuce wraps. And if you fancy burgers, pizza or pasta, they really do come highly recommended here. There’s indoor seating, a large patio, and an upstairs porch – perfect for enjoying coffee with a view over the Macal River. Ko-Ox Han Nah (Let's Go Eat), San Ignacio If you’re after classic, local Belizean and Caribbean dishes in a friendly, family-run setting, Ko-Ox Han Nah ticks all the boxes. Open from 6am, they serve filling Belizean and European-style breakfasts, but it’s the lunch/dinner dishes that stand out, for vegetarians too. There’s an excellent choice of dishes such as coconut rice with beans and chicken while callaloo greens or chaya (similar to spinach) and fried plantain make great sides too, plus Belizean and South Asian curries including a super-hot vindaloo, if you dare. You’ll also find a pretty extensive list of quesadillas, burritos, sandwiches and burgers, and a huge drinks menu including craft beers, local rums, shakes and kombucha.   Smookeez Seaside Restaurant & Bar, Belize City Right on the water with views of the Caribbean Sea and a soundtrack that ranges from reggae to 80s pop, this 100%-Belizean owned seaside spot is known for its great food, sundowner cocktails and friendly staff. Its ‘cracked conch’ deep-fried fritters, fried fish, ceviche dishes and pulled pork tacos are well-loved by locals and visitors, and they also have a good vegetarian selection including an aromatic coconut vegetable curry and Beyond Meat burgers, steak and pasta dishes, plus a medley of salads, tacos, wraps (including lettuce wraps) and nachos. It’s the waterside setting that really makes this place and it’s well worth coming for a cocktail and snack if nothing else. Island Breeze Bar & Grill, Dangriga With a spacious outdoor deck looking onto the beach, Island Breeze Bar & Grill is a lovely spot in Dangriga (formerly known as Stann Creek Town by colonialists ), even if it’s just for a drink and snack. The menu is skewed towards meat, fish and other seafood, but there’s a decent vegetarian selection including chips and salsa, veggie burger and quesadilla, salads, and fried cassava or plantain. The highlights though are dishes like shrimp kabob, arrachera meat tacos, whole fish fillets, and sizzling fajitas, and portions are pretty hearty. Like many spots in Belize, their cocktails and mocktails are worth a swig, and the views make it a top spot for a sunset drink. Swinging Armadillo Beach Bar & Restaurant, Hopkins Hopkins is widely known as the cultural centre of Belize’s Afro-Indigenous Garifuna culture, and this over-water bar and restaurant on the beach does a great job of celebrating Garifuna and Belizean cuisine, and there’s Garifuna drumming on Thursdays. Coconut milk and fruits such as pineapple and mango make a frequent appearance in dishes created by the village chef, whether fresh lobster (in season), prawns or chicken, and sides include sweet potatoes, yams and cassava, all of it organic. It’s a great place to sip a Belikin or Lighthouse beer or enjoy a slice of cake and coffee. Coffee beans come from G allon Jug, a Belizean coffee farm, and seasonal desserts include banana bread, sweet potato pudding or ice cream from a Mennonite-run B elizean dairy.   Asha’s Culture Kitchen, Punta Gorda Looking out onto the water, Asha’s Culture Kitchen is a special spot in the coastal town of Punta Gorda (or PG) in Belize’s southern Toledo region. With an emphasis on Kriol cuisine, it’s paradise for seafood lovers especially, with a daily changing menu that may include sustainably caught snapper fillet (sometimes caught by head chef Asha himself), fried conch or the invasive lionfish, while their tropical fruit shakes are a real palate-pleaser. The waterfront deck is also a great place for wildlife-spotting and if you’re lucky, you might just glimpse dolphins or even manatees. There’s live music on occasion which celebrates Belize’s diversity so you could hear Creole or Garifuna drumming or the sounds of Maya marimba. You can also book cooking lessons and sustainable fishing trips.   Fi Wii Food Restaurant, Punta Gorda, Toledo district, southern Belize Right on the seafront at one end of Punta Gorda town, this no-frills, welcoming independent restaurant ticks all the boxes when it comes to great food (and prices). Local and seasonal ingredients shape the Belizean-inspired menu with dishes such as conch coconut curry (they make their own coconut milk) fresh snapper and lionfish (and lobster, in season), as well as serving up global dishes such as pasta, BBQ ribs and onion rings. Even if you don't eat here, come for the juices, said to be the best in town, with innovative combos such as beetroot and ginger, and refreshing, cooling cucumber concoctions. For characterful places to stay, places of interest and a range of outdoor adventure and carefully crafted community-run cultural experiences, see our Green Traveller's Guide to Belize

As part of our Green Traveller's Guide to Belize , Meera Dattani selects a range of characterful places to stay, including hotels, rainforest lodges and beach cabanas, in this beautiful Central American country Fancy staying in an atmospheric rainforest lodge and waking up to the joyous sounds of Belize jungle life? Or a barefoot-luxury beach cabana on Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker with brilliant blue Caribbean views or staying in a remote island resort in one of Belize’s atolls, where you feel a million miles from anywhere? Perhaps you’re after a boutique hotel in Belize City or somewhere along Belize’s 174-mile (280-kilometre) Caribbean coastline? From locally owned and/or locally run hotels, villas and lodges to accommodations that are environmentally and socially conscious, this lesser known destination in Central America packs in a wide variety of places to stay.  A bird's eye view of the diving jetty at Blackbird Caye. Photo: Richard Hammond Blackbird Caye Resort, Turneffe Atoll Few things beat a Belikin beer or Panty Rippa cocktail by the oceanfront pool bar or seaview terrace of Blackbird Caye Resort’s thatched bar, where guests gather for pre-dinner snacks and conversation. An all-inclusive (no atoll high street) PADI-certified dive resort, Blackbird Caye works with TASA (Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association) to promote best-practice ocean conservation on its diving and snorkelling excursions. 17 spacious, oceanfront cabanas (the walk-in shower is huge) stretch out along the sand, with screened balconies. Food is delicious from the kitchen headed up by chef Elvis, using local fish, fresh fruit, and Belizean breakfast favourites such as fry jacks and banana bread. Filtered water, thanks to reverse osmosis purification, limits plastic bottle use too. Glover’s Reef Basecamp, Southwest Caye On the tip of a coral island on Southwest Caye 35 miles off Belize’s coastline, this 13-acre island has been owned by a local family since 1942 where a solar-powered safari-style tented camp offers an alternative to the resort experience, with trips operated by Island Expeditions. For divers and snorkellers, it’s a sublime spot, with the barrier reef stretching along one side, and a seven-mile, reef-packed lagoon on the other, and guests have free use of kayaks, SUP (paddleboarding) and snorkel gear. Tents are simple, with proper beds, kerosene lamps and private decks - it’s cosy, sociable and nature-powered. Xanadu Island Resort, Ambergris Caye As Belize’s first hotel to receive the UN-affiliated Green Globe certification, Xanadu deserves a mention as one of the country’s pioneering ‘green’ accommodations, particularly given its location in Belize’s top tourist destination of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. Five huge domes are home to 20 colourfully decorated apartment-style suites where you can cook (no on-site restaurant) using local ingredients; there is a small bar though serving coffees, smoothies and alcoholic drinks, otherwise you’re a short walk from San Pedro’s many local restaurants. Activity-wise, there’s a freshwater pool, seaview whirlpool, man-made reef for snorkelling, and tons of hammocks and sun loungers in the gardens and palapa (open-sided, thatch-covered seating). Jan’s Hotel, Caye Caulker Describing itself as a “home away from home”, Jan’s Hotel on low-key Caye Caulker is a locally owned hotel that’s a five-minute walk from The Split, the heart of Caye Caulker and where all the restaurants, bars and nightlife live. Rooms are super-clean, simple and comfortable, all with a mini-fridge (handy as there is no restaurant on-site) plus a handful of suites with a kitchenette. Rainfall showers and eco-friendly toiletries are welcome too. The hotel has its own small, palm-shaded beach area with plenty of loungers, a jetty, free use of kayaks, and staff can arrange diving and snorkelling trips. Don’t miss the beautiful views across the island from the rooftop patio, especially at sunset. Mariposa Beach Resort, Placencia The six treehouses are the highlight of this small, boutique beach resort, set in the tropical gardens en route to the main building (where the five renovated oceanfront suites and 11 rooms are). The treehouses are inviting and comfortable, each with a private deck and hammock to while away the hours. Food at the resort’s all-day Breezeway Restaurant and Pool Bar, which features local art and Belizean-made furniture and looks onto the resort’s beach (kayaks, snorkel gear and paddleboards free for guests), includes ceviche, pizzas, salads, pork, pibil tacos, and Creole gumbo; try Mariposa’s roasted garlic bulb with goat’s cheese and apple chutney. Breakfasts are interesting, with usual suspects plus Belizean favourites, such as fry jacks with refried beans and Maya breakfast with eggs, chaya (a local spinach), and fresh cheese. The cocktail menu is fantastic too. Treehouses at Mariposa Beach Resort. Photo: Richard Hammond The Ellysian Boutique Hotel, Placencia This luxury, calming 13-room boutique beachfront spa hotel, in the laidback beach town of Placencia has extra kudos for being curated by the former first lady of Belize. Kim Simplis Barrow, whose work focuses on helping disenfranchised children through various organisations, while her ‘SHE for BELIZE’ Foundation advocates for women’s rights and supports women entrepreneurs. Relax with a mixologist-made cocktail at The Trap pool bar while the Muna Rooftop Restaurant & Bar makes the most of local produce; try the Belikin Stout braised short ribs, conch fritters and fresh salads – and at breakfast, the stuffed fry jacks and quinoa-corn pancakes offer some local flavours. Coconut Row, Hopkins The coastal town of Hopkins is a brilliant base to experience the culture of the Garifuna, descendants of an Afro-Indigenous population from St Vincent who were exiled to the Honduran coast then moved to Belize. Locally owned and run, Coconut Row is a boutique hotel with a saltwater pool in Hopkins village that has also one of the village’s best restaurants, pool/beach-side The Coconut Husk; popular dishes include plantain fries, coconut curry, Fish N Jack (fried fish in a fry jack bun) and Belizean breakfasts. Rooms are gorgeously decorated with Belizean prints and furniture and are a mixture of beachside cabins, standard rooms and larger suites apartments. The owners live on-site and also own Buttonwood Belize, three blocks away, which has beachview rooms and suites, and a rooftop. Falling Leaves Lodge, San Ignacio Owned and run by a Belizean family since it opened in 2019, this boutique lodge is warmly run by Miss Paula and Christina. With a great choice of rooms with private patio, rustic stone house rooms, cabanas and honeymoon cabanas (with whirlpool), and a holiday villa, best of all is its location on Cahal Pech Hill, a short walk from the atmospheric Cahal Pech Archaeological Reserve. A pool is scheduled to open later in 2024. Their Obsidian Restaurant has sweeping views over the surrounding countryside and the Belizean-inspired menu includes a breakfast chaya and refried beans burrito, Belizean fritters, pineapple jerk pork or chicken, and fish seasoned with Maya spices. The gardens are glorious; ask the staff to point out the tree where toucans sometimes pop their heads out in the morning. Walking up to Falling Leaves Lodge at sunset. Photo: Richard Hammond San Ignacio Resort Hotel, San Ignacio San Ignacio-born Escandar Bedran is the brains behind this locally owned hotel, now owned and managed by his children. Beginning his career by building bars and dance halls in San Ignacio including the Stork Club. In 1973, he set his sights on building San Ignacio Hotel, now one of the town’s best-known hotels. Its 27 luxury rooms and suites have rainforest, hillside or garden views, and furniture is made of Belizean hardwood and sustainable mahogany. The Running W Restaurant is worth trying for Belizean dishes such as Cracked Conch, plus the meat comes from the family’s ranch; and there’s pizza, salads and sushi too. You might catch live music at the classy Lobby Bar too. Hotel de la Fuente, Orange Walk Town Northern Belize has long been overlooked on the main tourist trail, but there’s so much to recommend it, not least Lamanai’s extensive Maya temples. Orange Walk Town offers is a lively snippet of everyday Belizean life, and the 25-room (including four suites) Hotel de la Fuente, centred around a courtyard, is a good base. Belizean-run since it opened in 2005, the (included) breakfast, also available to non-guests, is generous (and they do a budget backpackers’ breakfast) plus complimentary hot drinks all day for guests. Its sister hotel is the Gran Mestizo resort on the New River, 10 minutes via a free shuttle on request, where you can use the pool and eat lunch/dinner at the Maracas Bar & Grill. Hotel de la Fuente. Photo: Richard Hammond Lamanai Outpost, Orange Walk District, northern Belize Listen to the noises of the jungle as you drift to sleep under a thatched cabana at this renowned jungle lodge on the banks of the New River. In northern Belize and a boat ride away from Lamanai's spectacular Maya Archaeological Reserve, it's at the upper end of budgets, but long regarded as worth the money if you do go there. They often have good-value packages especially during shoulder season which can include meals, a trip to the Lamanai Maya temples, sunset cruise, nature walks and night safaris. The lodge is a dream for bird and wildlife lovers; look out for otters, kingfishers, and even crocs in the river. Blue Belize, Punta Gorda, Toledo district, southern Belize Punta Gorda is the kind of town you want to savour, if you have the time, so staying somewhere you can go back to and relax in is a bonus. The star of this independently owned guesthouse is the beautifully kept garden, where you can find a nook and read or bird-watch. The apartment-style rooms feel like a home from home – they’ve all got sea views, and either a balcony/veranda or a hammock on a private patio. The beds are super-comfortable here and breakfasts are delicious, with fresh bread, fruit and juice brought to your rooms. Blue Belize also has complimentary bicycles for guests and cycling in Punta Gorda is a nifty way to get around. For places offering local, seasonal, traditional food, places of interest and a range of outdoor adventure and cultural experiences, see our Green Traveller's Guide to Belize

As part of our Greentraveller's Guide to Belize , Meera Dattani tastes a range of hyper-local food provided by local communities. Miss Cecila Ack is sitting at the bus stop in the Belizean beach town of Placencia with a cool box on her lap. Inside are tamales, the Mesoamerican dish made from Masa, a traditional dough from nixtamalized (more on that later) corn, filled with meat, cheese or beans, then steamed and wrapped in banana or plantain leaves. “She comes here every week – she takes the Hokey Pokey water taxi from Mango Creek village to sell tamales and handmade corn tortillas in Placencia,” my food tour guide Dr Lyra Spang tells me. “It’s the real deal, from a traditional Maya recipe.” Meera enjoying her food tour with Dr Lyra Spang of Taste Belize. Photo: Richard Hammond Deliveroo, eat your heart out. This is my kind of food tour and Lyra Spang is no ordinary guide. She’s a thinker, innovator and author who’s long been involved in disseminating how Belize’s diverse cuisines have evolved out of a country that, as she says in her book Bite Yu Funga! Innovating Belizean Cuisine , was “initially created as a colonial logging camp". With a population of approximately 400,000, Belize is relatively small (it’s the least populated country in Central America), but there’s a wide mix of cultures including Mestizo (Spanish Indian), Kriol (African European), Maya, Garifuna (Black Caribbean), Chinese, East Indian and European – Punta Gorda in southern Toledo district is one of the best examples of this cultural diversity. Lyra set up Taste Belize in 2014 to celebrate the range and quality of local cuisine – she has a shop in Placencia selling 100% Belizean goods where I taste Belize-grown chocolate, and a food and cultural tours outfit. Given the inevitable mix of cultural influence on local food, Lyra is keen that visitors should keep an open mind over what is traditional food; “Who's saying, 'This or that is Belizean food’?” she questions. Belize-grown chocolates from Taste Belize's shop in Placencia. Photo: Richard Hammond The most interesting food is usually cooked in people’s homes, which is why Miss Cecila’s tamales (also known as bollos) are so good. We head to streetside restaurant Carmen’s Kitchen where we unwrap the tamales, and buy puffed, fried corn tortillas called ‘Salbutes’ and delicious pork tacos. The tamales are filled with recado-spiced (local spice blend) beans and meat, and the texture chewier as the dough isn’t pre-cooked. All of it begs for seconds. Tasting tamales, puffed, fried corn tortillas and pork tacos at Carmen's Kitchen. Photo: Richard Hammond At Miss Geneva’s Fine Foods, another Placencia roadside restaurant, we try Kriol rice and beans, an all-in-one dish, with meat or fish cooked in a sauce. It’s different to beans and rice (sometimes ‘rice and gravy’) where they’re separate, beans are saucier, and the meat/fish is often fried. Miss Geneva also makes her own coconut milk; a security guard who works nearby heads here around 5am after his night shift to grate it for her. We finish at Barefoot Beach Bar, set up by two Belizean sisters who’ve created a warm, welcoming vibe. One bartender has been there for 12 years, Lyra says. Their bitters from local herbs are a Barefoot specialty; woody, easy on the palate, and nicely paired with fried breadfruit and smoked fish dip. Later, I head to neighbouring Tipsy Tuna, another beach bar, also Belizean-owned and operated, where after a day of local food, I submit to their chicken wings special. The Belizean-owned Tipsy Tuna beach bar. Photo: Richard Hammond Hopkins village, north of Placencia, is considered the cultural centre of the Garifuna, descendants of an Afro-Indigenous people from St Vincent, exiled in the 18th century to Honduras before moving to Belize. The Garifuna Cultural Immersion Tour organised by Hopkins UnCut starts with a drumming session with the Lebeha drummers, followed by a cooking lesson with resident chef Kenima Williams. It's interactive and I (happily) sing for my supper. Kenima teaches me to grate coconut from the husk using a grater clamped to the table, before squeezing out the milk. I learn to make hudut, a coconut milk soup with onions, peppers, herbs, chillies and fish, served with mashed ripe plantain, which I squash down using a pole-sized pestle into a mortar on the ground. It’s delicious. These experiences show Belize’s story in a way that’s so engaging you don't realise you're also getting a history lesson. In northern Belize, near Orange Walk Town, I visit the Mennonite community of Indian Creek with my guide Eduardo Ruano. Cornelius and Anna Schmitt welcome us to their home and Cornelius takes us on a horse-and-buggy tour (no motorised vehicles here) of this community, his farmland, local church, and the store. It’s an insight into a culture often perceived as closed, but like any community of thousands of people, there’s a spectrum. Some Mennonites are stricter; some use electricity and drink alcohol; others don’t have electricity. It's a practical, outdoors life. Things are made, fixed, farmed, cooked from scratch. When we sit down to lunch to enjoy Anna’s feast of chicken schnitzel, picked vegetables, mashed potatoes and delicious salads, there’s a palpable sense of joy and satisfaction at the table. A visit to the visit the Mennonite community of Indian Creek. Photo: Richard Hammond Breaking bread has always been a way of connecting with people. About 40 miles north on the New River in northern Belize, upriver from Lamanai's Maya temple complex, tour guide Manuel Novelo enthusiastically welcomes me to his hometown of Orange Walk Town. Home to Mestizo, Kriol, Mennonite, and East/South Asian communities, it’s an industrious place, known as ‘Sugar City’ for its sugar production, and host of an annual TacoFest. Manuel shares its history from Maya settlement, Holpatin, to a colonial logging hub through to now. "I've lived here my whole life," he says. "My uncle lives over there, cousins here, my grandchildren over there," he gestures around us. Our morning tour ends at Chengs Tacos De Cochinita, effectively the kitchen and front yard of husband-and-wife team Cheng and Yanira, where we dive into homemade tacos, tortillas and juices on a shared table. Manuel knows everyone who rocks up to collect a delivery, including the town's mayor. “Although we're famous for tacos, the best ones are by the roadside, not the restaurants,” says Manuel. Orange Walk Town is known as 'Sugar City' for its sugar production. Photo: Richard Hammond Hyper-local is always a winner. On the outskirts of San Ignacio, the gateway town for western Belize, is the San Antonio Women’s Cooperative. A grassroots organisation, it was created by local Maya women. “We wanted to promote our culture and empower young girls,” Timotea Mesh, one of its founders, says. Here, elders speak in Maya, traditions are honoured, and medicinal plants are the first port-of-call. With Timotea, I learn more about the heart and soul of Maya food: Corn. She explains the nixtamalisation process used by the ancient Maya to make corn kernels less acidic, using limestone powder. Grinding kernels into a smooth wet dough is tough, then we flatten and shape them into round tortillas; it reminds me of making round chapatis (rotli) as a young South Asian girl - and never quite nailing it. I watch Timotea cook them on the hot griddle, the fire crackling below; hers rise perfectly, forming an airy pocket. Mine remain flat. Meera learns how to grind kernels into dough then shaping them into round tortillas. Photo: Richard Hammond After learning about Maya pottery techniques and visiting their gift shop for local souvenirs, I rejoin Timotea for lunch and tuck into one of the tastiest meals I’ve enjoyed in Belize with homemade tortillas, fried plantain with a sweet tamarind marinade, chaya (a type of spinach) and a garden-fresh salad. As I eat the last tortilla under the thatched hut, I think back to a conversation with Lyra Spang. “We need to make sure people get a chance to represent their own culture,” she’d told me. “There are dishes disappearing and only a few old women know how to make them. Done the right way, food tourism encourages people to hold onto their cultural skills.” For nearby places to stay, local attractions and a range of outdoor adventure activities, see our Green Traveller's Guide to Belize

As part of our Green Traveller's Guide to Belize , Meera Dattani sees how community, conservation and cultural preservation go hand-in-hand in this beautiful Central American country There’s a bird tower in Belize, in the middle of the Caribbean Sea where there’s a sight that even the least twitchy birdwatcher will be interested in. On Half Moon Caye (also known as Half Moon Caye Natural Monument) in Lighthouse Reef Atoll, the island’s famous frigate birds gather and when it’s mating season, which it was, the males puff out their throats so much that they form large red pouches. When they fly, it looks like they’re transporting emergency medical equipment. And it’s not just the frigates. Also resident here (for 10 months of the year) are the caye’s red-footed boobies, the reason this tiny island became a protected area. The distinctive large red pouch of a male frigate bird at Half Moon Caye. Photo: Richard Hammond Half Moon Caye is the first marine protected area in Central America, designated a bird sanctuary in 1924 to protect the habitat of the red-footed booby birds. The Belize Audubon Society, a bird and habitat protection organisation, co-manages Half Moon Caye, alongside six other protected areas in Belize including the birdwatching haven of Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary and the jaguar preserve of Cockscomb Basin. Half Moon Caye is more than the caye’s red-footed boobies and frigates though. Hundreds of hermit crabs scurry about the forest floor, in a Goldilocks-attempt to find the perfect shell and if you’ve a keen eye, you may spot iguanas, and if you’re lucky, hawksbill, green and loggerhead turtles in season too. The nature trail along this tiny, crescent-shaped island leads to a small, sunset-view beach, where the Caribbean unfolds in front of you as you ponder the meaning of life or frigate birds. Earlier, I’d barefoot-walked the Calabash Caye Nature Trail, an easy walk through the interior of Calabash Caye, a Turneffe Atoll island. I’m guided by Eldon August, a tourism conservation officer from Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association, known as TASA, which works with marine protection organisations BlueWild EcoVentures and Blue Alliance to protect Turneffe and promote the ‘blue economy’. Eldon has been working for TASA for two years and is enthusiastic about his prospects in conservation. Meera and Eldon at the entrance to the Calabash Caye Nature Trail. Photo: Richard Hammond As we walk and talk, he tells me about the importance of the mangrove ecosystem for flood protection and providing a haven for juvenile species, to the seaweed farms offering alternative livelihoods to fishermen with its beauty and health benefits (‘mariculture’). I learn about the gumbo limbo tree - it’s called the ’tourist tree’ because of its peeling skin exterior (a timely reminder to re-apply sun cream) and that it’s an antidote to the sometimes-neighbouring poisonwood tree. Our walk leads us across the hammock bridge and to the trail’s bird tower. I don’t think I’d ever taken in such a sight. As I turn my head, I’m treated to a 360-degree view of miles of mangroves, broken up only by the blue hues of the Caribbean Sea. Seeing something with your own eyes reinforces what you’ve just learnt, and you realise just how important it is to protect it. Eldon explains to Meera about the importance of mangroves for flood protection. Photo: Richard Hammond Before snorkelling the Calabash Caye Snorkel Trail, we pay an underwater visit to the seaweed farm. That morning, I’d seen the seaweed at a later stage, laid out on drying racks until crunchy; down here, it’s a grid system of nets and poles, frequently checked by TASA. The snorkel trail itself is only around 300 metres long, but as any snorkeller or diver will tell you, time takes on new meaning underwater - before you know it, you’ve been drifting for an hour. A shoal of blue tang swims our way, and corals sway and shimmer below us. I realise we’ve barely seen anyone else during the day. “We’re about high-value, low-impact,” says Eldon. “We never have two groups at the same time. If, say Blackbird Resort has a group going to one dive spot, no-one else goes that day.” Snorkelling at the underwater seaweed farm, Calabash Caye. Photo: Richard Hammond Blackbird Caye Resort where I’m staying on Turneffe Atoll, has developed a close partnership with TASA. One evening, over Belikin beers, Panty Rippa cocktails and mini pizzas during the daily, convivial pre-dinner bar ritual, Eldon shares more about their work, looking after Belize's largest marine protected area of some 36,000 acres. Many fishermen wanted the atoll to be protected, he says, but because of tourism, it’s difficult to have off-limits areas. Instead, “Enforcement is the backbone of our organisation,” he tells us, with strict rules and high fines for illegal fishing. They have 16 conservation officers and three conservation outposts, and work two-week shifts with six days off. 100% of donations they receive support their wildlife conservation work and community initiatives. Eldon on the jetty at Calabash Caye. Photo: Richard Hammond Conservation goes beyond marine areas. On the mainland, one of the most visited national parks is Cockscombe Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, the world’s first jaguar preserve, stretching from the Maya Mountains to the Caribbean Sea. In 1986, Cockscombe was declared a nature reserve and thanks to conservation efforts, the sanctuary now has some of Belize’s best jungle treks, a lush habitat of towering ferns and palms, a healthy if elusive jaguar population, plenty of birdlife including keel-billed toucans and king vultures, and resident ocelots, tapir, monkeys and more. Co-managed by the Belize Audubon Society, the sanctuary also collaborates with the Maya Centre Village visitor centre and gift shop; the community receives 10% of park revenue. Righting past land ownership wrongs isn’t easy - when Maya residents were first re-located from Cockscomb, many were against it. At nearby Bocawina Mayflower National Park, there’s a different story where a foreign-owned adventure resort remained, while Indigenous communities had to leave the Cockscomb Basin region. My guide Dirk points out plantain and coconut farms on our drive to Bocawina. “When you see plantain in forest, it's secondary growth forest,” he tells us. “It's regenerating.” In fact, almost 40% of Belize’s land is protected in some way, partly thanks to co-management. Meera and Dirk at the entrance to Bocawina Mayflower National Park. Photo: Richard Hammond A keen birdwatcher (and member of Dangriga-based band, The Garifuna Collective), multi-talented Dirk is a knowledgeable guide. He spots an orange-billed sparrow, a ‘deep forest’ species, explains that the red ribbons mark a carbon data trail, and points out the cohune palm, the first tree to grow when a forest is cleared, outgrowing others. “It’s a ‘give-and-take-palm’,” he says. “It pricks you, but the sap inside is an antidote.” Obviously, I touch it. He looks down as much as up, and on the forest floor, we spot a train of leaf cutter ants, capable of carrying ten times their own body weight, transporting leaves in a high-level logistics operation. We hear the thunderous sound of howler monkeys in the distance, and after a straightforward but sweaty hike, I cool off in a waterfall pool. Meera cooling off in the waterfall pool in Bocawina Mayflower National Park. Photo: Richard Hammond In northern Belize, the majestic Maya temples of Lamanai, right on the New River, highlight another type of conservation, that of cultural heritage. My guide Eduardo Ruano has Maya heritage and comes from a family of former Guatemalan refugees fleeing civil war in the 1980s. He grew up in neighbouring Indian Church village, created in 1990 when communities were moved out of Lamanai. “Indian Church has guesthouses, restaurants, a women’s cooperative, Las Orquideas, and you can eat local Belizean dishes here,” Eduardo says. It’s not on enough itineraries with many tourists whisked to and from the temple complex. Eduardo explained how Lamanai is also a haven for wildlife. Photo: Richard Hammond Set deep in the jungle, Lamanai is also a wildlife haven, especially for birds. The howler monkeys are also out as we explore the Jaguar Temple and High Temple in the late afternoon. Revenue from tourism funds preservation, but grassroots community engagement is sometimes missing when it comes to big-ticket sights. Time and time again, you realise why community, conservation and cultural preservation go hand-in-hand and that this holistic approach is crucial, whether a marine reserve or an archaeological treasure. Meera and Eduardo at The High Temple at Lamanai. Photo: Richard Hammond

From Tuesday 14th January, passengers will be able to buy millions of train tickets at half the price as part of the government’s annual rail sale. Until Monday 20th January 2025, selected advance and off-peak fares will be on sale at up to 50% off for travel between 17th January and 31st March 2025. As part of this year’s rail sale, thousands of popular routes across almost all UK train operators, including Transport for Wales and ScotRail, will be offering discounted tickets with journeys spreading the length and breadth of Great Britain. Passengers in Liverpool could visit London for as little as £7, a journey from Preston to Edinburgh could be as cheap as £8.40 and a ticket from Nottingham to Manchester could cost less than a tenner. Following the success of last year’s sale – which saved passengers around £5.8 million in total – the government tasked the rail industry to deliver an even bigger sale to offer cheaper tickets for passengers and encourage more people to travel by train. Secretary of State, Heidi Alexander, said: "I’m launching the biggest ever rail sale so more passengers can get big discounts on train tickets to visit destinations across the country. "Whether you’re planning a getaway or wanting to visit friends or family, this sale offers huge reductions on all sorts of journeys. Make the most of this sale, get your tickets while you can!" [Tickets provided by Trainline, rail sale discounts available only from Tuesday 14th January 2025. Discounts vary, terms apply] The Cambrian Coast Line is one of the most scenic train routes in Britain. Photo: Arriva Trains Wales Example fares during the rail sale Journey Sale price Full price St Pancras to Whitstable £7.20 £11.30 Ashford to Ramsgate £2.60 £5.20 Newcastle to Carlisle £6.00 £12.00 Liverpool to London Euston £7.00 £14.00 Nottingham to Manchester £9.20 £18.50 Leeds to Sheffield £3.60 £7.20 London to Edinburgh £26.15 £62.50 Aberdeen to Edinburgh* £14.50 £29.00 Glasgow to Inverness* £14.10 £28.10 Preston to Edinburgh £8.40 £16.80 London to Newcastle £23.60 £52.10 *Journeys on ScotRail source: Department for Transport This year’s rail sale returns after more than 600,000 tickets were sold in last year’s sale, worth £5.1 million in ticket sales for the industry and resulted in an extra 440,000 journeys taken by train. This comes on the 200th anniversary of the first steam-powered passenger train with celebrations expected throughout the year as part of Railway 200. This will honour Britain’s heritage as the birthplace of the modern railway and recognise the role rail continues to play in forming critical infrastructure and boosting local economies throughout the country. Jacqueline Starr, Chief Executive of Rail Delivery Group, said: "This year, as we celebrate 200 years of railways in the UK, we’re reminded that rail travel is about much more than simply getting from A to B – it’s about bringing people, communities and opportunities together. "Over 2 centuries, rail has become a vital part of the UK, shaping the economy and lives of millions. "The year’s rail sale will offer over 2 million discounted advance fares starting on 14 January 2025, which is a great way to save on your travel and celebrate 200 years of railway connections." [Tickets provided by Trainline, rail sale discounts available only from Tuesday 14th January 2025. Discounts vary, terms apply]

Our writer Harriet O'Brien provides a few tips for how to have a green eco escape in Lille. Once the capital of medieval Flanders, Lille is a wonderful collision of cultures. This French city with a (very) strong Flemish accent offers a glorious range of architectural styles with tall gabled townhouses, atmospheric old convents, a 17th-century citadel built by the French military architect Vauban and some fine Art Nouveau and Art Deco flourishes. There’s a striking heritage of industrial buildings too. Lille thrived in the 19th century – and went into grimy decline during the 20th. And what’s most remarkable about the city today is how it has revived and reinvented itself – with much of its rejuvenation kickstarted by the arrival of high speed rail. Since the building of the sleek Lille-Europe train station in the early 1990s, Lille has become spruced up and reinvigorated. Meanwhile the residents of Lille - called Ch’tis after the local dialect – have become dab hands at devising new uses for historic buildings – medieval hospital to hotel; textile mill to arts centre and so on. La Grande Place, Lille. Photo: Lille Tourisme/Laurent Ghesquière What’s more, as the hub of the Nord Pas de Calais region, Lille has impressive transport links with about 60 bus routes serving the greater city area, two tram lines and one of the world’s longest automated metro systems. So it is easy to explore the outer reaches of this enterprising area. Beyond the core of Vieux Lille, in the suburbs of Roubaix, Faches-Thumesnil and more, a great green programme is currently underway, enhancing the existing natural spaces, creating more, adding footpaths and improving environmentally-related sights such as the recently revamped Open-Air Museum at Villeneuve d’Ascq. For an interactive map on Lille’s green spaces visit www.enm-lille.fr . Practicalities How to get there: see our guide to how to travel by train from London to Lille >> Getting around Lille: From Lille Europe station, it’s just a short walk to Lille’s main square and the city’s main shopping centre. Lille Europe has both métro and tram lines as well as a number of bus services, for more information, see www.transpole.fr. The city's public bike system is called V’Lille: you simply pay a deposit of €1.40 for a day’s use at any of the 100-plus V’Lille stations, and you can then take a bike for half an hour with no further cost. Thereafter you’ll be charged €1 per additional half hour. For more information, see www.vlille.fr . Cycling Parc Matisse. Photo: Lille Tourisme/Maxime Dufour photographies Where to stay L’Hermitage Gantois: Founded as a hospital in 1462, this landmark building continued to be a working hospice right up until the mid 1990s. The makeover to hotel has been deft achieved. Thanks to 10-year period of clever and painstaking conversion - during which materials were sensitively sourced - it retains many historic features. There’s a Gothic gable here, a stained-glass window there, and even a small museum area displaying antique medical instruments. The 72 bedrooms are all very different, having been individually furnished according to size and shape. The public spaces exhibit the works of local, regional artists. The restaurant serves locally sourced food. 224 rue de Paris (+33 (0)3 20 85 30 30; www.hotelhermitagegantois.com ). La Villa 30: Support a local enterprise in the heart of town. La Villa 30 is a welcoming chambres d’hotes set over five floors of a tall 1930s house that is within walking distance of the town’s cobbled pedestrian sector. The four bedrooms are spacious and furnished in quiet colours. Meanwhile your hosts, the Dufrenne family, are a mine of information and enthusiasm about Lille. 24 rue du Plat (+33 (0)3 66 73 61 30; www.lavilla30.fr ). B&B Hotel Lille Centre Grand Palais: This comfortable budget hotel is very conveniently situated in a quiet residential neighbourhood close to the Lille-Europe station. The 127 rooms are slightly small, but size is mitigated by keen pricing and useful add-ons such as free wifi. The hotel has recently earned Clef Verte accreditation for its measures in conserving energy and water. Rue Berthe Morisot (+33 (0)8 92 70 22 06; www.hotel-bb.com ). Comfort Hotel Lille-Tourcoing: About 8km from the centre of Lille, this 51-room hotel seems on the face of it a well-priced if slightly bland option to staying in town. Yet in fact it is a revolutionary place that has been turning heads in the hotel industry. Recent refurbishment by the building’s owners, Michael and Marilyn Galerne, has turned the hotel into a model of sustainability, from special LED lighting to responsibly sourced bed linen. There’s even a kitchen garden here. Rue Becquerel, Bondues (+33 (0)3 20 36 01 96; www.comfortinn.com ). Hotel du Croise, Marcq en Baroeul: This quiet, comfy little two-star hotel is set near the famous racecourse of Marcq en Baroeul and close to trams that will take you 4km into the heart of Lille. The 11 rooms here are simply and neatly furnished, and each offers its own small terrace. The hotel has been awarded Clef Verte accreditation for its environmental policies. 191 rue de la Rianderie, Marcq en Baroeul (+33 (0)3 20 72 25 63; www.hotelcroise.com ). Where to eat 2 Sous de Table: This attractive little brasserie on one of Lille’s main restaurant streets opened last spring 2011. From artful salads to wonderfully textured aubergine and tomato tarts, the menu features organic, seasonal, and locally sourced ingredients – and much care has been taken to seek out the best producers. There’s a pleasing open-mindedness, too: dishes are offered for vegetarians, vegans, carnivores and even those on gluten-free regimes. Expect to pay around €22 for two courses. 56 rue de Gand (+33 (0)3 62 57 25; www.2sousdetable.com ). Open Tuesday-Saturday for lunch and dinner. Café Citoyen: Since it opened in September 2005, the small, bustling Café Citoyen has become a Lille institution and a visit here reveals a great deal about the ethical and political dimensions of the city. This small outfit near the Palais des Beaux Arts is run as a cooperative offering Fair Trade or organic food and drink and promoting debate on environmental and social issues. So order a lunchtime salad and an organic, microbrewed beer and join the discussion, or come in the evening for a range of talks and lively little concerts. 7 place du Vieux Marche aux Chevaux (+33 (0)3 20 13 73; www.cafecitoyen.org ) Open Monday to Friday noon to midnight (until 10pm on Monday) and Saturday 2-8pm. La Source : A trailblazer when it opened in 1979, this well-regarded organic deli and restaurant is a short walk from the Euralille shopping complex and Lille-Europe station. On the ground floor is a spacious shop selling everything from fresh fruit and veg to organic wines and pastries. You dine upstairs where the menu changes according to what’s in the market, with vegetarian dishes priced around €10 and fish of the day about €12. 13 rue du Plat (+33 (0)3 20 57 53 07; www.denislasource.com ). Open Monday to Thursday 8.30am-7pm; Friday 8.30am-9pm; Saturday 8.30am-7pm. O Fil des Saisons: It is well worth striking west of Vieux Lille to find this unassuming looking restaurant near the leafy reaches of Vauban’s citadel and the city’s Bois de Boulogne. As the name implies, at O Fils des Saisons they cook only the very freshest ingredients – which come straight from the market or from local farms. The daily-changing menu might include braised rabbit with endive and potato rissoles or salmon baked with garlic and served with leek and potato gratin. Expect to pay around €16 for two courses. 224 rue Colbert (+33 (0)3 20 57 41 19; www.ofildessaisons.com ). Open Monday to Friday for lunch, and Thursday and Friday for dinner. De Rode Koe: Organic farmer Rik Delhaye from Westouter across the border in Flemish Belgium is the force behind this slick café-resto in the heart of Lille. De Rode Koe (The Red Cow) is an organic fast-food operation offering takeaway and eat-in dishes. Expect to pay between €6 and €16 for soups, pies, lusciously fresh salads and more. 71 rue de la Monnaie (+33 (0)3 28 04 96 68; www.derodekoe.fr ). Open for lunch Monday to Saturday. Where to visit Vieux Lille: Winding out from the city’s two striking principal squares - Place du Theatre and Place General de Gaulle - the lanes of old Lille are ideal for pottering and browsing. Start at Lille’s historic stock market, the Baroque Vieille Bourse, complete with opulent carvings and surrounded by bookstalls and galleries (come in the afternoon and you’ll also take in the daily antiques market here). Then wander northwards along narrow streets lined with enticing stores. On rue de la Clef you’ll find Atelier de la Sorciere Verte (number 19), a wonderful repository of paper – recycled, handmade and shaped into cards, umbrellas, books, lampshades and more. On rue du Cure Saint-Etienne, Fromagerie Philippe-Olivier (number 3) presents a display of about 300 cheeses – with an emphasis on those made locally. On rue des Vieux Murs, l’Abbaye des Saveurs (number 13) is a haven of the region’s beers and foods. Maps of Lille are available from the Tourist Office, Palais Rihour, place Rihour (+33 (0)3 59 57 94 00; www.lilletourism.com ). Musee d’Histoire Naturelle et de Geologie: This museum exudes old-time grandeur. Whale skeletons hang from the wrought-iron rafters of the lofty main hall; beneath them there’s a terrific array of creatures collected in the 19th century and reflecting the enormous enthusiasm of the founding fathers of this establishment. The array of birds is especially striking. Ironically some of these are now extinct (notably the dodo) – but the museum doesn’t shy away from such issues and its changing exhibitions focus on topics such as biodiversity and conservation. 19 rue de Bruxelles (+33 (0)3 28 55 30 80; www.mairie-lille.fr ). Open 9am-noon; 2-5pm, and on Sundays 10-5pm (closed Tuesday and Saturday). Adults €3; children €2; under-12s go free. Market values: Head south of the centre to the traditionally working-class district of Wazemmes where one of France’s biggest and most vibrant markets takes place at place de la Nouvelle Aventure. The Sunday market is the most colourful but on any day of the week except Monday you’ll find stallholders offering a wide choice of local cheese, charcuterie, bread and. While you’re in the area, stroll on from the market down rue Leon Gambetta and along to Maison Folie de Wazemmes, an old textile mill refurbished as an arts centre - complete with a Turkish-style hammam. Maison Folie de Wazemmes arts centre, 70 rue des Sarrazines (+33 (0)3 20 78 20 23; www.mfwazemmes.mairie-lille.fr ); Zein hammam (+33 (0)3 20 14 34 34; www.wazemmes.zeinorientalspa.fr ). Recycled swimming pool: Take the metro out to Gare Jean Lebas in the suburb of Roubaix – growing ever more green thanks to the ongoing parks project of the Lille Metropole council. A short walk west of the station you’ll find an Art Deco wonder: a swimming pool reconfigured into a stunning museum. Completed in 1932, this was once the playground the textile workers of the Lille area. Today it houses the Musee d’Art et d’Industrie. The pool is now lined by sculptures while around it the former changing rooms display textiles and other applied arts. Musee d’Art et d’Industrie, 23 rue de l’Esperanc, Roubaix (+33 (0)3 20 69 23 60; www.roubaix-lapiscine.com ). Weekends open afternoons only, closed Monday. Adults €7; children €4.50. Open-air museum: There’s a great celebration of traditional rural life at this bucolic museum set in the countryside a few kilometres to the east of Lille. Twenty or so old country houses, once at risk, have been dismantled and rebuilt here, preserving and displaying a variety of vernacular styles from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Their vegetable plots, herb gardens, orchards and more have also been recreated. And there’s a section, too, for domestic animals from horses to donkeys and ducks. From the centre of Lille the museum is accessible by metro to Pont de Bois or by bus 43 – get off at the Massena stop. In each case there’s about a 10-minute walk on to the site. 143 rue Colbert, Villeneuve d’Ascq (+33 (0)3 20 63 11 25; www.museedepleinair-asso.org ). Open spring to mid-autumn, Wednesday-Sunday (2012: 7 April-7 November). Adults €4, children €2. Boat on the Canal. Photo: Lille Tourisme/Maxime Dufour photographies What to do Take a ride They’re fun, they look cool yet cute, and they’re eco-friendly: Lille’s electric trishaw-taxis will take you on guided tours of the city. The driver picks you and up to two others up at the railway station or the tourist office and offers spirited commentary on the history and politics of Lille – as well as tips on where to eat and where to shop. Cyclo Ville (+33 (0)6 24 16 08 18; www.cycloville.com ). Guided tours from €19 per hour. Take a glide: Hire a Segway and roll your way gently around town. Complete with suggested routes around the main sights of Lille, these two-wheeled electric machines are available from Station Oxygene at Champ de Mars. Transpole (+33 (0)3 20 40 40 40; www.transpole.fr ). Segways are available Monday to Saturday, €4 for half an hour, €15 for half a day. Look and listen: Take a guided walking tour of Lille - at your own pace. Free audio tours in English (or French) are available to download on to I-pods, MP3s or mobile phones from Zevisit’s website www.zevisit.com – or via the tourist office website www.lilletourism.com . These tours will take you around the seven highlights of the old town – the two main squares, the glorious Hospice Comtesse, the Cathedral of Notre Dame de la Treille and so on. Eat out: On a sunny day buy organic picnic ingredients from La Source deli (at 13 rue du Plat) then stroll through town to Quai du Wault - off the Deule canal which runs through the northern part of town. Lined with tall Flemish-style houses, the quai has fairly recently been revamped is now a place of much charm. Jardin Vauban lies adjacent and makes an ideal destination for an outdoor lunch. Created in 1863, the garden is beautifully laid out and attracts a happy stream of local residents – so it’s an excellent spot for people watching, too. Written by Harriet O'Brien == [Photo credits. Main photos: Lille Tourisme/Laurent Ghesquière; Eurostar. Small photos, left to right: Hermitage Gantois bar; Lille Tourisme; Lille Tourisme/Alain Leprince M.A.I.A.D Roubaix; © Maxime Dufour photographie. Train photo: © Eurostar. Cycling photo: © Maxime Dufour photographie]