As part of our Green Traveller's Guide to Lesvos & Chios, here's our pick of activities. These islands are outdoor playgrounds and their rolling landscapes and secret valleys are perfect for exploring by mountain bike, horseback or on foot. Then swap leafy glades for aquamarine waters and head to the coast to swim, kayak or dive in the crystal-clear waters. Aghios Isidoros beach on Lesvos and Apothika beach on Chios are both wonderful places to take a dip and watch little fish flit about in the reefs. From bird watching and hiking around the Petrified Forest in Lesvos to spotting dragonflies and heading out for charming woodland hikes in Chios, you'll find your perfect day out in our activity guide. Google map: shows the location and details of all the places to stay, local food and drink, nearby visitor attractions and activities in our Green Traveller's Guide to Lesvos & Chios: Green = Places to stay Blue = Local food & drink Yellow = Attractions Purple = Activities Activities on Lesvos & Chios Walk around Mytiline Castle, Lesvos One of the largest castles in the Mediterranean, Mytiline's fortress was erected by Roman Emperor Justinian I and liberally remodelled by the Gattilusi family and the Ottomans. Now the remains of the castle are a historical treasure trove of different times and peoples. High above the hubbub of the island's main town, it's a quiet and endlessly interesting place to discover, full of curiosities, from the sarcophagi in the central courtyard to the underground crypts. Ippos Horseriding, Molyvos It’s wonderful to explore the rolling countryside of Lesvos on horseback. Rita Michalaki's yard, Ippos, offers rides on quiet horses to some of the island's most beautiful spots, including longer treks from Molyvos to Petra or gallops along Eftalou beach Sometimes Zara, her Alsatian, trots behind. Riding lessons and riding holidays are also available. Cycling with Lesvos Ride The Chatzelis family, who run Lesvos Ride, say their island is the best place to mountain bike in Europe, and they may be right – 280 km of paths and single tracks criss-cross through Lesvos's stunning scenery, making it a playground for those on two wheels. Lesvos Ride is a new company keen to show visitors how to zip about and explore with certified (and fun-loving) guides and offers bike rides for everyone from beginners and families to seasoned pros. Petrified Forest Hike in Sigri This UNESCO site is a bizarre, prehistoric must-see. Twenty million years ago Lesvos was a tropical land and one of its volcanoes spewed ash and covered the forests. The ash slowly replaced organic materials in trees and plants with thermal liquid, perfectly fossilising them. Now huge, ancient trees are ‘petrified’ in stone. Hike around the forest and see enormous sequoia now made of beautifully coloured rock, and head to Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest in nearby Sigri to learn more about this incredible phenomenon. Glass Bottom Boat Tours, Nisiopi The island of Nisiopi sits, empty and inviting, across the water from the village of Sigri. When the wind isn't too high you can take lazy tours around the islet on a glass bottom boat, peering down through the crystal clear water to look for the stone fossils of ancient olive trees in the underwater petrified forest. The island is uninhabited but wildlife is abundant and as well as petrified trunks you’ll discover wild flowers, insects and birds. Boats to the island are laid on by the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest and leave from Sigri's harbour. Birdwatching, Kalloni Wetlands The salt pools at Kalloni, in the centre of the island, are a birdwatcher's heaven. You can walk out on the edge of this set of manmade lakes to spot an incredible array of wild birds, including gawky pink flamingoes and little egrets. You can go it alone but it's far more fun to take a guided walk with local naturalist Eleni Galinou, who will bring her hefty binoculars and help you identify everything you see. Dragonfly Walks, Armolia Chios may be small but it's stuffed with rare wild things, from 100 species of orchid to one of the world's most prized dragonflies, the Blade Tail. English naturalist Mike Taylor successfully created the first dragonfly sanctuary in Greece at a reservoir on the island and now offers guided walks and photography trips to seek out these delicate insects. From Armolia it's a short walk to the small reservoir, where colourful dragonflies dart about on the surface of the water. Mike also organises orchid tours, having quite literally written the book on local species. Masticulture Tours, Chios The charming Vassilis Ballas is a local guide specialising in eco-friendly tours and the history of mastic, a once-priceless sap that has been harvested since ancient times on the island. He'll take you for a fact-filled walk around the walled town of Mesta, followed by an evening ramble out into the countryside. You'll learn how to harvest mastic from wizened trees in a shady grove, and then it's time for dinner. Vassilis hunts down the best local produce: rich cheese, grapes, olive oil and almond-stuffed figs and serves it with a glass or two of sweet Chiot wine in a fairytale picnic under the trees. Jam Tasting at Citrus Museum In the cool orange glades of the Kambos region is the Citrus Museum, housed in an old manor house. The centre pays homage to a time when Chiot tangerines were literally worth their weight in gold and the citrus trade boomed as this luxury fruit was traded around the world. Citrus Chios now makes jams and preserves, and tastings of a myriad incredible flavours are held in the museum's shop. Try a spoonful of their fig marmalade with a coffee under the lemon trees. Climbing and Hiking, Rahtis Local nature club FEOX organises group climbing and hiking trips; climbers can take to the rock walls in Rahtis to climb with ropes or try their hand at bouldering whilst hikers can hit the Parathiri trail that meanders up to a high mountain pass scented with wild herbs. The views of the sea from the top are stunning. Hiking from Avgonima Walk along centuries-old Byzantine paths with guide George Missetzis, who has a huge depth of knowledge about local land. After a ramble through pine trees and over hills to the coastline you'll be an expert on medicinal herbs, Chiot trees and other natural wonders. Then it's time to watch the sun set over the ocean and finish up with a well-deserved glass of ouzo by a beach. For ideas of local food and drink, visitor attractions and outdoor activities, see our Green Traveller's Guide to Lesvos & Chios

As part of our Green Traveller's Guide to Zagori and the Epirus Coast, here's our pick of places to eat. Like its landscapes, Epirus is a split-personality when it comes to cuisine. Watchwords in Zagori are local and homemade – food here is organic by default. Quiche-like Zagori pies come in as many flavours as there are households. Lush pasture yields a panolpy of cheeses, especially sheep’s, and bread is homemade. Restaurant menus feature wild mushrooms, fresh, flavoursome salads, stews of beans and greens flavoured with herbs, and always meat; typically lamb or veal, generally charcoal-grilled. For a digestif there’s tsiporou, like a light grappa, and sweet homemade liquers flavoured with local delicacies like walnuts, cherries or mountain herbs. There’s grilled meat on the coast, too, but fresh fish, seafood and light meze dominate. Either way, this is Greek cooking at its most best – unpretentious and delicious. We’ve hunted out those venues that let their food do the talking, from that of a family smallholding or a fisherman’s taverna to a restaurant that serves fine dining without the fuss. Astra, Megalo Papigo, Greece The vine-covered terrace looking to the Astraka Towers is idyllic, the barn-like stone dining room is beautiful. Even so, the food stars in this family restaurant. All ingredients (organic, naturally) are produced by the owners, many coming direct from the allotments that surround the restaurant. The results are delicious, simple dishes curated from whatever is freshest: on our visit, chanterelle mushrooms picked two hours earlier, zucchini flavoured with nothing more than olive oil, lemon and salt, homemade sausages and veal. Highly recommended. astra-inn.gr Sterna, Kapesovo, Greece The inn of an owner who’s passionate about Zagori culture, this is a rustic charmer full of tradition and tasty fare. A simple, daily menu offers up plenty of local dishes – organic veal with foraged porcini mushrooms or vegetarian options such as a rustic stew of giant beans with greens and herbs. Then out come the homemade digestifs, displayed like trophies in a wonderful snug dining room of mismatched furnishings. A lovely place to while away an afternoon. thoukididis.gr Salvia, Aristi, Greece Salvia is Zagori’s gourmet restaurant and while it’s far more sophisticated than anything else hereabouts, the seasonal, modern European menus remain rooted in regional flavours. All ingredients are sourced within a 40-mile radius and herbs and salads come from the hotel’s garden. Dishes on our visit included smoked trout with dew-drops of local honey or pork pancetta with hazlenut pesto on a bed of mash. The airy stone dining room is a beautiful place for a lazy meal and the terrace opens in summer for astounding views. aristi.eu En Aristi, Aristi, Greece Villagers thought the owners were crazy to abandon professional careers in Athens to resurrect this 200-year-old bar on their village square. Not so now. Today, they come alongside tourists. Whether for morning coffee, a light lunch, an evening drink or a full meal, you’d be hard pressed to top an informal venue that looks like a set from a Fellini movie. Expect rich local fare like Zagori cheese pie, salads from the owner’s garden and local grilled lamb at reasonable prices. A lower terrace looking towards the Astraka Towers is stunning at sunset. artsista.gr Taverna Stefanos, Parga, Greece The residents’ choice for a family meal because the fish comes straight off the boat of its fisherman owner. So, the menu not only varies by the seasons but also by the previous night’s catch – expect snapper, dorade and sea bass, simply grilled and served with a wedge of lemon and chips. Classic Greek dishes and pasta are also available. Views from its hillside position above Valtos beach are spectacular. The bad news is that location means a walk uphill. The good is that a swim waits 100m below. Apagkio, Parga, Greece A well-respected side-street restaurant that’s been around for as long as anyone can recall, this lets its home-cooking do the talking. Simple and tasty dishes like zucchini balls, grilled octopus and anchovies make fine meze to start, mains include lamb in juniper berry sauce. Choose between tables in the alley or an enjoyably old-fashioned dining room. Given its proximity to the port, it’s popular with tourists. Yet this is also popular with surrounding shopworkers for a late dinner – always a good sign. For nearby places to eat, and local places of interest and low impact activities, see our Green Traveller's Guide to Zagori and the Epirus Coast

As part of our Green Traveller's Guide to Zagori and the Epirus Coast, here's our pick of places to stay. The surprise of Zagori is that such a traditional region provides such excellent accommodation. Like Dordogne or Provence without the crowds, it excels in family-owned hotels and B&Bs within traditional stone houses: former farmhouses, a restored stable, a lovingly refurbished merchant’s house or modern villas constructed using age-old techniques. There’s also a hiker’s hostel brilliantly sited in the mountains that’s worth the three hours walk. All excel in tranquility and charm. Yet there’s relaxed style if you want it, too. Escapism aside, what these places have in common is their size; most have fewer than 12 rooms and all but two are owner-run. Freed from the demands of mass hospitality, their environmental footprints are smaller and their breakfasts are better, sourced direct from local farmers. Their welcomes are also warmer. Use our carefully selected network of accommodation to discover the charm and personality of this beautiful region of Greece. Primoula Country Hotel and Spa, Greece A converted stone building in the pretty village of Ano Pedina is now a family-run Boutique Hotel (4 star) with rooms, suites and villas. With valley views and a whole raft of impressive green features throughout including an outdoor and indoor spa. primoula.gr Astra Inn, Megalo Papigo, Greece A charming family stay overlooking the Astraka Towers in the beautiful region of Zagori. The cottages combine traditional and modern styles in harmony with the environment to create an oasis of calm, and the homemade breakfast is delicious. astra-inn.gr Thoukididis Guest House, Kapesovo, Greece This enchanting restored merchant's home must be one of the loveliest hideaways in Zagori. Every room has its own unique charm and style. Don't miss the Sterna shop, a treasure trove of interesting traditional food products and gifts. thoukididis.gr Kipi Suites, Kipi, Greece Escapism in style and then some. On a hillside of a traditional village, a former stables is now a design guesthouse that marries cool and charm. It's perfect for exploring the stunning surroundings and has amazing panoramic views. ariahotels.gr/en/kipi-suites-zagori Artsistas Houses, Aristi, Greece In the style of a traditional hamlet, these 7 houses are built in traditional style but are stylish and modern inside. On the edge of Zagoria National Park with a fabulous view of the Astraka Towers, Artsistas Houses create a truly relaxing getaway. artsista.gr Astraka Refuge, near Megalo Papigo, Greece A family-run hikers’ hostel three hours’ walk from Megalo Papigo that’s great for outdoor activites such as hiking and rock climbing on Mount Timfi. Yet non-walkers will also appreciate the extraordinary escapism and dramatic views. astrakarefuge.com Gamila Rocks, Aristi, Greece Tucked on a green hillside near the stunning Vikos Gorge, Gamila Rocks is a fantastic base for all kinds of outdoor activities in the beautiful surroundings. It's also a great place to just stay and relax, with a sauna, gym and outdoor hydropool. gamilarocks.com Aberratio Boutique Hotel, Aristi, Greece Just off the buzzing village square in Aristi, this 12-bedroomed boutique hotel is housed in a traditional building with plenty of contemporary flourishes, with beautiful grounds, bistro serving Zagori specialities and mountain and forest views. aberratio.com Pirrion Hotel Sweet Hospitality, Ano Pedina, Greece Located in the traditional village of Ano Pedina, this family-run resort has ten cozy rooms, each one with its own unique character and style named after local stewed fruits. The beautiful Voidomatis River, great for swimming, is 12km away. pirrion.gr Amaryllis Luxury Guest House, Ano Pedina, Greece This French-inspired country guesthouse in pretty Ano Pedina has 8 immaculate bedrooms and wonderful gardens to roam. Feast on homemade cakes and pancakes at breakfast. Plenty to do in the local area, from walking and hiking to horse riding. amaryllishouse.gr Archontiko Dilofou, Dilofo, Greece On the slopes of Tymfi, this clutch of beautifully renovated stone buildings plumb in the middle of the village is a gem of a place to stay, with 10 traditionally decorated bedrooms and local produce at breakfast. Masses of activities from the door. dilofo.eu Hotel Metropolis, Ioannina, Greece Recently renovated with all the modern comforts, this neoclassical building, which dates to 1934, it utterly unique in style and design. Feast on local specialities at the café-bistro. metropolishotel.gr Zagori Suites, Vitsa, Greece Zagori Suites is a stone’s throw away from the magnificent Vikos Gorge. Providing comforts and amenities it is a place reassuring pure and endless moments of rejuvenation. It is a resort of exceptional architecture. zagorisuites.gr Alonaki Beach, Preveza, Greece The tranquility of a beautiful beach-side stay just over a mile from central Preveza. This small hotel is on a quiet sand beach with calm clear water, making it ideal for young families. alonakibeach.gr Magda’s Apartment Hotel, Parga, Greece A fine alternative to touristy central Parga. This is a return to the Greece of old: there’s traditional décor in spotless rooms and a warm welcome from the owners, a local family. It also offers a tranquil garden with a sea view, pool and jacuzzi. magdas-hotel.com For nearby places to eat, and local places of interest and low impact activities, see our Green Traveller's Guide to Zagori and the Epirus Coast

As part of our Green Traveller's Guide to Zagori and the Epirus Coast, here's our pick of things to do. How active do you want to be on holiday? Do you want to stroll down into the Vikos Gorge or embark on an eight-hour hike into the alpine Pindhos mountains? Spend a quiet morning foraging or ride a whitewater rollercoaster over Grave IV rapids? Barely touched by modernity and blessed with beautiful scenery and rivers, Zagori demands to be explored, and the abundance of landscapes provides an adventure playground for all ages. Ancient footpaths are abundant in an area that didn’t get a road until the 1950s. Narrow gorges are brilliant for canyoning and azure rivers are ideal for rafting, with sections suitable for childred aged over seven. We’ve found the special walks, the best rafting and canyoning providers, the horse-riding operator who treks into mountains, even an ecologist who reveals hidden corners of the region while foraging for mushrooms. Whether your idea of a holiday is lazy days or high energy, you’ll find it here. Dragon Lake, Zagori, Greece A few shepherds still guide flocks up to the rich pasture above Mikro Papigo in early summer. Mostly, though, it’s walkers who make the eight-hour return hike to Dragon Lake. Go through the village and left to locate the “03” track that ascends beneath the Astraka Towers, looking like a Mount Rushmore they never carved. Potable fountains are en route. You’ll crest at the Astraka Refuge hostel, then descend left into beautiful alpine meadows cupped in the mountains. Keep an eye open for chamois, which have returned to the rich grazing as shepherds have declined in number. Continue uphill to the lake. It’s fringed by snow until high summer and, yes, there are dragons. You’ll know them better as newts. 17km/8hr return Vikos Gorge, Zagori, Greece You’ve seen it from above. Now climb down into the Unesco-listed Vikos Gorge, the world’s deepest (1,000m) in proportion to its width. Park at the church in Monodendri and follow a white limestone track into the gorge, carved by the Voidomatis river over a half a million years. It’s deeper still if you continue left on a shady path for 30 minutes. The route tracks eventually to Vikos – you’ll beed to arrange return transport via your hotel if go you the entire way. 1hr 20min return to gorge, 15km/6hr to Vikos Voidomatis Springs, near Vikos, Zagori, Greece Scenery, culture, activity: this short walk ticks many boxes. From the end of the road near Vikos, you descend into the Vikos Gorge looking like a lost world of thick forest and sheer walls of limestone. Take a left switch-back beside a walking sign after 20 minutes. You’ll drop downhill to the Chapel of Pangaea with frescos in its chapel. It’s a Christian appropriation of a more ancient religious site – probably a place of pagan fertility rights inspired by the swollen rock like a pregnant belly which bulges into the Voidomatis river nearby – a good, if chilly, place to swim. The spring that bubbles into the river here is potable. 40min return Mushroom foraging, Zagori, Greece On paper you join these half-day tours to forage for chanterelle and porcini mushrooms. Yet their appeal is also to reveal those beautiful woodlands of Zagori that otherwise go overlooked at the same time as you learn about local ecology from Greek-Canadian ecologist Vassily Katsoupas, a former consultant to Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth – slow travel at its best. Premium mushroom months are April-June and September-early November. Trekking Hellas, Zagori, Greece As well as six-day guided trekking trips, this operator runs rafting trips on the Arachthos and Voidomatis rivers (minimum six people and four people respectively). Trips down the Voidomatis stop at the 16th-century Agion Anargiron monastery. Alpine Zone, Zagori, Greece Alpine Zone offers a full programme of Zagori activities, including rafting on the Voidomatis and Arachthos rivers for up to two days and canyoning. Other activities include winter skiing and paragliding. Bear in mind that many activities are minimum four, so couples may have to combine. Horse-riding, Megalo Papigo, Greece Zagori has a long, illustrious history of pony (or at least donkey) trekking. Indeed until the mid 1950s, only bridleways linked the villages to the world outside. Riding gently through its beautiful woodlands and tiny hamlets, the only sounds those of clopping hoooves and birdsong, is a superb way to discover the sensational scenery, flora and fauna. Its stables in west Zagori, White Pegasus runs a variety of trail rides, led by English-speaking owner Dafni. Options include hour-long meadow rides beneath the Astraka Towers that are open to beginners and young children and a half- or full-day mountain adventures. For nearby places to eat, and local places of interest and low impact activities, see our Green Traveller's Guide to Zagori and the Epirus Coast

David Atkinson follows in the footsteps of George Borrow, whose 19th-century travelogue Wild Wales is now available as an app, allowing walkers to retrace the author's route from Chester. George Borrow’s Wild Wales is not an easy read. The travelogue, first published in 1862, is hardly a page-turner by today’s standards and the author’s views are very much of the era. But the Wild Wales app from digital interpretation specialists Audiotrails.co.uk is bringing new life to Borrow’s scholarly quest for understanding of the Welsh language and culture, highlighting the colourful landscape and legends behind his purple prose through use of shorter soundbites from the book that are more suitable for a 21st Century audience. “Wild Wales is a great slow travel book — even if Borrow sets himself high on a pedestal,” says Mike Smart, organsier of the Llangollen Walking Festival, which will next year include a Borrow-inspired walk to the Ceiriog Valley. I had come to North Wales to find out more, setting off from Chester as Borrow did to walk sections of the Wild Wales trail around Llangollen and the Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Setting off from Chester Borrow, his wife and daughter arrived in Chester by train in July 1854. He describes the bustling street around Northgate and The Rows, the twin-level shopping parade, both of which remain to this day. After a couple of days he embarked on his odyssey, walking some 20 miles on the first day from Chester across the Welsh border to Llangollen, where he made his base. “I felt very happy — and no wonder,” he wrote. “The morning was beautiful, the birds sang merrily, and I was bound for Wales.” I made my own base at Geufron Hall, a homely B&B with a strong environmental policy, set on a widescreen-view hillside overlooking the vibrant North Walian town. “Whereas the surrounding landscape can be quite inhospitable, the Dee Valley feels like a safe haven for travellers,” said owner Beth Boyce, laying out a hearty breakfast of homemade granola and scrambled eggs from the hens wandering her flower-strewn garden. “But Llangollen also had a freewheeling border-town feel with a bohemian undercurrent,” she added. Town trail Borrow was probably attracted by the bohemian reputation of the town in the mid 19th century, inspired by the story of the Ladies of Llangollen, who had eloped to the town from Ireland. The elderly ladies received artists and writers such as Wordsworth and Lord Byron at their stately mansion, Plas Newydd around 1800. Llangollen remains a bustling cultural centre to this day with the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod opening its doors July 7 and the annual Fringe Festival running July 16-26 this year. I set out, armed with my iPad, to explore. Having downloaded the Llangollen trail as part of the app, I wanted to retrace Borrow’s footsteps to locate the tumbledown old cottage where the family lodged during August 1854. The five-mile circular trail lead me out of town from the tourist information centre, crossing the sturdy stone bridge over to the River Dee and out on the Ruabon Road. I soon spotted the sign for Dee Cottage, peeking at the privately owned property from the roadside as if Borrow was about to stride through the door. The trail lead me back into town to walk along the canal towpath from Llangollen Wharf to the Horseshoe Falls, then looped back round to explore the atmospheric ruins of Vale Crucis Abbey. I felt as if on set for the TV drama Wolf Hall. Stream in the sky Later I followed another of Borrow’s walks, heading four miles along the Llangollen Canal to the Unesco World Heritage Site, which stretches from Llangollen to Chirk with the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct at its heart. This feet of Victorian engineering was supervised by the engineer Thomas Telford and completed in 1805 using local stone. A local man took Borrow to see the aqueduct, proclaiming it, “The greatest bridge on earth”. Today it remains the tallest navigable aqueduct in the world and the gravity-defying route some 125ft above the River Dee a favourite stretch of the Llangollen Canal for narrow boat holidays — hence known as the “stream in the sky”. Ancient spirits But of the paths and trails around Llangollen, the most evocative walk for me was the energetic yomp to Castell Dinas Bran, the ancient ruined castle set high above the town. The current structure is believed to date from the 12th century but it served an Iron Age hill fort before that. The view from the summit was spectacular: Llangollen below, Offa’s Dyke National Trail to the north, the Berwyn and Clwydian ranges meeting on the horizon. “People still come here as a place of spiritual pilgrimage,” said walking guide Andrew Parish who joined me for the evening stroll to the summit, taking in the panorama just as Borrow would have done on August 2, 1854. “Dinas Bran is a place shrouded in folklore. It is linked to the Welsh princes, the legends of King Arthur and maybe even as a place of sacrifice.” We could almost touch the pristine-blue sky, dipping our fingertips into candyfloss clouds as the ancient spirits circled around us. Borrow left Llangollen on October 21, 1854 to continue his odyssey to south Wales but the view from Dinas Bran would have encapsulated for him the sense of discovery of his quest. On a summer’s evening above Llangollen, the wonders of Wild Wales beckon to us all.

by Richard Hammond I'd like to pay tribute to Roger Diski, ethical travel entrepreneur, who died recently. When I first started out writing about sustainable tourism over a decade ago, Roger provided invaluable information about grass roots community tourism, and when I subsequently began researching for a book on the subject, Roger was the first person I turned to. In 2007, when he was made Chair of the Sustainable Tourism Committee of the Association of Independent Tour Operators, he invited me to become their advisor, which I accepted with honour. Roger was also a supporter of Green Traveller and over the last few years, he'd meet me every few months to give me advice over a pint. Roger was an extraordinary person. Many people who knew him might not have known just how much he had done in his life. I have written an obituary of Roger in today's Times, page 51 (commissioned by Kate Quill). Those who have subscription to Timesonline can also view it on the website of The Times. There is also an extensive obituary for Roger in the Guardian, expertly written by the Guardian's deputy editor Kath Viner, who recently travelled with Roger in Rwanda. There is also an obituary for Roger in The Independent. I had huge respect for Roger. He was a decent, energetic, forthright, no-nonsense person who had a brilliant sense of humour. As Kath Viner wrote: "Beneath a shambolic, laidback appearance, he was a man who got things done". He was a neighbour of mine and a friend. I, like a great many other journalists, tour operators, and other colleagues in the industry, will miss him dearly.

Catherine Mack takes the sleeper train from London to Penzance with a friend Devon and Cornwall are home to some of the UK's most exciting green places to stay, but it can take rather a long time to reach the area on the train. London Paddington to Penzance, for example, takes best part of six hours, which can make a big hole in your holiday if you're only going for a few days. First Great Western's Night Riviera service is a great solution - by sleeping on the train you arrive in Devon or Cornwall first thing in the morning, with the full day ahead of you, and it can be cheaper than a night's accommodation. It's also a really useful service if you want to connect with the ferry to the Scilly Isles (the sleeper arrives in to Penzance at 8am just enough time to wipe the sleep from your eyes, grab a Cornish Pasty and head over to the ferry terminal to check in for the 9.15am crossing to St Mary's - the main island on the Scillys). Timings The sleeper train runs every night except Saturday, leaving Paddington at 23:45 and arriving in Penzance at 08:00. You don't have to start at Paddington - you could join at Reading at 00:37 and still get a decent sleep. There are 15 stops along the way, but stops in the middle of the night are kept to a minimum. The following morning, you could jump off at St Austell for the Eden Project or St Erth for St Ives. For the return journey, the Night Riviera leaves Penzance at 21:45, and arrives back into Paddington at 05:43. Sleeping The Night Riviera has carriages of standard and first class seating, and at least four carriages of special sleeper berths. Plenty of passengers get some shut-eye in a normal train seat but if you like to be horizontal to sleep - and to have the privacy of a lockable cabin - a prebookable sleeper berth is a good idea. There are beds for 60 customers on most services, and up to 75 on the two busiest services. Single-person sleeper berths cost from £45, while a twin berth costs from £69 between you.You can book 12 weeks in advance and this is when you'll get the best prices. Single and twin berths both have a sink in them, and in a single berth you even get an entertainment system preloaded with TV programmes (take your own headphones otherwise they cost £2.50). Included in both fares are complimentary refreshments from the train's Lounge car, breakfast served in your berth, and use of the First Class lounge and showers at Paddington station when you arrive there. My journey Travelling back from Cornwall to London, I shared a twin berth with my friend. I was welcomed onboard by our cheerful 'customer host', who explained where all the light and temperature controls where. The berth was compact, especially with our huge rucksacks in the way, but we could still just about manage to move around. I was impressed by the thoughtful amenity kit with toothbrush and toiletries, and bottled water was also supplied. Our host took our breakfast order and asked about wake-up calls before leaving us in peace for the night. If you don't need to leave the train at 05:43, you can stay snoozing on-board at Paddington until 7am, which makes the early arrival less painful. The train does make rather a lot of clunks and groans throughout the night: the amenity kit contains foam ear-plugs but if you're a light sleeper, I've found silicone ones much more effective. I only boarded the Sleeper at Plymouth so had just six hours in the the berth, but surprised myself by getting very comfortable in my bunk-bed, with two pillows and a snuggly tartan blanket. Whoever's on the top bunk need not worry about sliding off the bed - there are thick vertical straps up to the ceiling which would hold you in. In the morning, my wake-up call came dead on time, and I was greeted with a tray of coffee, juice, and bacon sandwich to set me on my way. More Information: The Night Riviera service calls at the following stations between Paddington and Penzance: Reading, Taunton, Exeter St Davids, Newton Abbot, Plymouth, Liskeard, Bodmin Parkway, Lostwithiel, Par, St Austell, Truro, Redruth, Cambourne, Hayle, and St Erth. Standard seats on the sleeper service start from as little as £15. For fares, timetable and to book tickets: Train Tickets from London to Penzance.

In celebration of Dorset's artistic inspirations, Harriet O'Brien, the author of our Guide to Dorset's Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, provides a history of Dorset’s creativity. From its captivating villages looking cosy under thatch to its spectacularly weathered and craggy stretches of coast, Dorset has for centuries been a huge inspiration to writers and artists. Most famously, of course, Thomas Hardy’s novels and poems exude a tremendous sense of place. In The Return of the Native (1878) fictional Egdon Heath is a primeval, brooding presence that in reality was an imaginatively enlarged version of Black Heath adjacent to the author’s birthplace at Higher Bockhampton. In the Woodlanders (1887) Little Hintock and surrounds are based on Minterne Magna and its outlying groves and coppices, in the very heart of the county. While Tess of the D’Urbervilles (1891) opens with a lyrical evocation of northern Dorset’s Vale of Blackmore, ‘an engirdled and secluded region’ protected by hills and ‘tinged with azure’. The gloriously varied range of other authors and poets stirred by Dorset’s scenery include William and Dorothy Wordsworth who, in the 1790s, spent two years living at Racedown House in the shadow of west Dorset’s Pilsdon Pen hill fort. A couple of decades later Jane Austen’s Persuasion was posthumously published (1817). It features the author’s most dramatic scene, which takes place in Lyme Regis on the Cobb, the town’s old harbour wall. The Cobb was also an iconic element in John Fowles’ 1969 novel The French Lieutenant’s Woman – and in the 1981 film of the book. Elsewhere Dorset was seminal for the poet William Barnes (1801-1886); T E Lawrence (aka Lawrence of Arabia, 1888-1935) who lived, and wrote, near Wareham; John Meade Falkner (1858-1932) whose smugglers’ tale Moonfleet is set in the real village of that name; Enid Blyton (1897-1968) who took her family on holiday to the Dorset coast in the 1930s, 40s and 50s – and based Toytown on Studland; Ian McEwan whose 2007 novel On Chesil Beach was shortlisted for the Booker Prize - and so the list goes on. Meantime the impact of Dorset’s landscape on artists has been profound – and this was the focus of a great celebration orchestrated by the Dorset AONB in first half of 2014. Drawing Inspiration was a programme of exhibitions, talks and events about Dorset’s outstanding scenery and its significance for artists. It paid homage to an impressive variety of painters, printmakers, etchers and more from Turner in the 18th/19th century to Elizabeth Armsden who worked in and around Studland in the mid 1900s. As part of the celebration nine walking trails were devised taking in views and sights that artists have painted over the centuries and these can be downloaded (free) from the website of the Dorset AONB. The walks include a circular route from Worth Matravers featuring the downs painted by Charles Rennie Mackintosh (c. 1920) and the coast at Winspit that inspired Percival Arthur Wise in the mid 1900s; while in the far west a three-mile round trail from Lambert’s Hill includes Fishpond, painted by Lucien Pissarro in 1915. Works of Dorset artists can of course be seen in the county’s museums. Dorset County Museum in Dorchester contains a remarkable collection of several thousand watercolours by Henry Joseph Moule (1825-1904), the first curator of the museum and a friend of Thomas Hardy. Other Dorset artists shown here include Sir James Thornhill (1675-1734) and the sculptor Elisabeth Frink (1930-1993). Meanwhile Bournemouth’s Russell Cotes gallery includes paintings by Philip Leslie Moffat Ward (1888-1978), and at Poole Museum you’ll see works by Arthur Hanson Knight and Eustace Nash, working in the early 20th century. It almost goes without saying that Dorset continues to attract and inspire artists. Beautifully set in a 17th-century building in Corfe Castle village, Gallery at 41 is dedicated to showing the works of Dorset painters, potters and jewellery makers – the likes of landscape artists David Atkins and Vicky Finding. Or head to Bridport’s West Bay where Sladers Yard is housed in an 18th-century rope warehouse. This makes a terrific setting for the British art and furniture that the gallery showcases, including paintings by Dorset artists Boo Mallinson and Brian Graham. Other Dorset galleries include Quarr Gallery in Swanage and the thriving Bridport Arts Centre with its lively programme of performance art as well as exhibitions. For a great synthesis of landscape, poetry and art take a hike along the Wessex Ridgeway. Dorset poet James Crowden walked this route and composed works inspired by his journey. These verses were then integrated into sculptures that are now dotted along the way. But unless you want to take on the entire 62 miles of the trail you’ll need to be selective about your trip: the sculptures are at Ashmore, Ringmoor, Melcombe Horsey, Minterne Parva, Maiden Newton, the Kingcombe Centre, Beaminster, Pilsdon Pen and Lyme Regis. Of course there is much else to see – and do. Favourites for families include The Smuggler’s Trail on Stonebarrow Hill near the Golden Cap. It’s a walk of about a mile during which you can take brass rubbings from special posts and listen to a smuggler’s tale (freely downloadable from the website above). Meantime every two years in September Dorset and its landscape are celebrated in a great outdoor arts festival. Inside Out Dorset stages its events in inspiring Dorset locations and in 2014 one of its most spectacular shows will be along part of the South Dorset Ridgeway. >> For more information (and inspiration!): www.dorsetaonb.org.uk/our-work/drawing-inspiration Words by Harriet O'Brien

As we launch our Green Traveller's Guide to the Howardian Hills AONB, Paul Miles goes in search of markets and mills in the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and comes across a Gothic eye-catcher of a mill on the River Derwent. “We live up t’hill from t’mill,” says a blue-eyed man drinking a mug of Yorkshire tea in a village hall. As an example of vernacular, at least that parodied by t’ comedians, 78-year old Douglas Horne’s talk is rich. “Aye, every village had its mill,” says the old-timer, taking a break from serving refreshments during Hovingham’s monthly foodie market where artisan bakers and brownie makers sell their wares. “But many people left villages and t’ small mills to work in textile mills in cities,” says Douglas. It was the Luddite riots – burning the machinery – that inspired the now familiar Yorkshire saying: ‘trouble at t’mill’. One mill that has turned trouble into triumph is in Howsham, a village on the River Derwent. As with other villages in the Howardian Hills AONB, its roadside name sign is attached to millstones. It’s a sign of how important mills were in village life in the area. “Your daily bread was dependent on the miller milling the flour,” confirms Liz Vowles, education officer at Howsham Mill, which now generates electricity rather than grinding corn. The beautiful grade II listed building, a fine example of Gothic revival, with graceful ogee curves, quatrefoils and crocketed finials, is finally complete and open to the public after a £800,000 restoration and hundreds of hours of work by volunteers. You may have seen it featured on BBC’s Restoration Village in 2006 when it was a northern region finalist. The 18th-century building, which ten years ago was a roofless ruin with a tree growing out of the middle, stands on a small island in the middle of the river Derwent, once navigable by cargo boats that passed through a series of locks. This mill is unusually ornate as it was a ‘Gothick eye-catcher’, an important feature in the Capability Brown-designed landscaped grounds of nearby Howsham Hall, to which it belonged. It wasn’t built just to be pretty though; the mill produced all the flour for bread and cakes eaten by the Cholmley family and their servants. “They used French blue stones that made fine white flour, a status symbol,” explains Liz. The mill last ground corn in the 1940s and the number of people who remember it is dwindling. “A local man, Albert Fox, who used to deliver grain to the mill by horse and cart has talked to us for a video clip for our website,” says Liz. “It was very emotional. He came here with his family to show them the restoration. He talked about unloading huge sacks of grain and how it was difficult to turn the cart around in the small space,” she says. Now the mill itself has been turned around. Instead of producing flour, it generates electricity. You can stand on a glass floor and watch as water gushes from the mill race at 2,000 litres per minute and sets the massive steel wheel spinning, generating up to 11kw of power. Outside an Archimedean screw turbine – the first to be installed in the UK - also harnesses the power of water from the weir and directs it into the national grid. Together the two hydro-systems can provide all the electricity needs of 70 homes and should bring in £35,000 per year in revenue. Howsham mill is proving to be a fine example of the work that can be achieved by the Renewable Heritage Trust, a non-profit organisation that was established to manage this ambitious restoration and adopted as its strapline: “old buildings, new energy.” The mill on its SSSI-listed island is reached via public footpaths over fields from the small road to Howsham village, just three miles from the A64. However, flooding is often a problem in the winter when the mill and its island may be under water and it is not possible to visit. This year – 2013 – marks the completion of the restoration and events are being held in the mill and on the island, such as willow weaving workshops, puppet theatre and a Christmas fair. Otherwise, the mill is locked up when not in use, although private tours can be arranged by appointment. Or just wander around its exterior, the roof surmounted by a graceful steel mesh sculpture of Diana the hunter, as you look out for kingfishers darting along the river and, if you’re very lucky, an otter. On the island, you can uncover fragments of original masonry and remnants of ancient millstones from tendrils of vegetation. There is even a barbecue spot that can be used with care. As you tuck into white burger buns from the supermarket – or even an artisan loaf from a village market - you may like to think back to an age when your daily bread meant a daily grind and you hoped there’d be no trouble at t’mill.

As we launch our Green Traveller's Guide to the Howardian Hills AONB, Paul Miles pays a visit to Castle Howard, a magnificent stately pile in the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in North Yorkshire, and ends the day with a glass of homemade cider at nearby Ampleforth Abbey. “This area’s a bit of a hidden secret,” agrees a friendly holidaymaker in the pretty village of Hovingham, with its little brook, sandstone cottages and red pan-tiled roofs. I’ve only just arrived in this neck of North Yorkshire and already complete strangers are enthusing about the place. It may not the the UK's most well-known protected area, but the Howardian Hills AONB has lots of offer the visitor. Not least Castle Howard, the stately pile made famous by the filming of Brideshead Revisited. I’ve stopped for a break on my 14-mile bike ride from Malton train station to Ampleforth. John, on holiday from Wiltshire with his Yorkshire-born wife and family, sings the praises of the cycling, walking and “the wonderment of the buildings,” before his young grandson pulls him away to fish for minnows in a shallow ford. With sunshine and blue sky, it’s as if the tourist board has directed the scene. The logo for the Howardian Hills AONB, that greets you by roadsides as you enter the 77 square mile Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is two graceful intersecting lines. These are not hilly hills, it seems to say, just gentle slopes: an enjoyable challenge for cycling but rarely too steep or arduous. The hills never reach higher than about 200m, in the northwestern corner, near Ampleforth, where the AONB borders the North York Moors National Park. This famous neighbour is, possibly, the reason why the AONB remains little-visited, apart from its crowd-drawing stately home that is, most recently, the setting for a new TV drama, a three-part adaptation of PD James’ Death comes to Pemberley. Castle Howard was built by Charles Howard, 3rd earl of Carlisle in the 18th century and is still home to the Howard family. The ornate showpiece – the first house to have a dome, design of which was advised by Sir Christopher Wren – and the grounds, laid out in the early English landscape style, with walled garden, fountains, lakes, follies and monuments, attracts over 200,000 visitors a year. It’s not only the grounds that, to use a word of the era, are ‘sublime’. “This is the most beautiful, typically English view,” says the estate’s forestry manager, Nick Cooke, as he leads me to a belvedere known as the temple of the four winds and shows me a panorama of gentle hills, fields and forests, with barely a house to be seen. “We can afford to ‘under-manage’ the estate because we own the entire 9,000 acre block,” he explains. “Continuous ownership is one of the key factors to how this landscape has stayed the same throughout generations.” He takes me on a drive through aptly named Pretty Wood, following dirt tracks the 3rd earl had cut so he could impress guests on carriage rides through stands of oak and ash enhanced by the occasional pyramid. The present owner, Simon Howard, adopts a less hubristic approach to managing the estate’s 2,000 acres of woodlands, criss-crossed with 50-miles of public rights of way. “We’re replacing conifer plantations with mixed woodland that looks more natural and improves biodiversity,” says Nick. Apart from some invisible environmental innovations, such as a ground-source heat pump for the 145-room house, the buildings and grounds, constantly being renovated, are much the same as they have been for generations. Proposals for a zip-wire from a 100-ft fir tree in Ray Wood, near the house were rejected. “It was thought that people screaming as they whizzed through the air wouldn’t be appropriate,” says Nick as we reach around the fir’s vast trunk, fingertips unable to meet, and decide it’s a three-person-hug. We wander back to the house, past exotic rhododendrons that form the understorey to this colourful – and quiet – woodland garden. I cycle off along the five-mile stretch of tree-lined Roman road that traverses the estate, up and down like a rollercoaster, from obelisk to gated archway to monument. My bed for the night is in more humble surrounds: a single room with shared bathroom in a guesthouse in the grounds of an abbey. The views, however, are priceless: across wonderful sandstone buildings to fields and wooded hills beyond. The order of Benedictine monks has 2,000 acres of land, including lakes and a wildlife reserve. It seems it’s not only the landed gentry who have shaped – and continue to shape - this landscape. Religious orders have done so too: picturesque abbeys, mostly ruined, grace riverbanks and hills. Ampleforth Abbey, with its 20th-century abbey church and private school, is very much alive. The 40 or so monks have the largest commercial orchard in the north of England from which they make cider. You don’t need to be a cider-drinker, Catholic, or even religious, to stay here but if you appreciate serenity and Gregorian chant more than wi-fi and television, it’s a perfect base, at a reasonable price, from which to explore this small AONB. I’m tempted to keep it all a secret but perhaps three nights in a monastic setting has made me more willing to share?

Michael Davies explores the stunning scenery of the Scottish Highlands and Skye, and discovers just how easy it is to reach some of Britain's wild areas by public transport. Like most people, my partner John and I love holidaying - and we always strive to have low carbon holidays where possible. So when we decided to spend a week in Scotland, we chose to take advantage of low carbon travel options. The first part of the trip took us on the overnight sleeper from London Euston, which is admittedly not the most romantic or beautiful of train stations. However, once we were shown to our berth - and ordered a bottle of champagne (a bargain at £19.95) from the buffet car - Euston was but a distant memory. We then spent a very agreeable couple of hours in the buffet car before heading off to our berth for the night: I’m not the world's best sleeper, but, the odd bit of sudden braking aside, I had a surprisingly good night's sleep. >> Book a train ticket to Scotland (with the TheTrainline) A few hours later we were woken with a coffee and croissant by the onboard host, before drawing the blind to see the most amazing view of Scotland's Cairngorm mountains: this was truly the most fantastic way to start a holiday. We arrived into Inverness at nine o'clock, where we caught the connecting train to Kyle of Lochalsh on what I am reliably informed is one of the world’s greatest railway journeys. Whilst I'm no Michael Palin, I can certainly say that I was impressed! Kyle is a useful staging post to catch the Scottish Citylink bus service to Portree, capital of the Isle of Skye, a town which truly is beautiful. We stayed two nights at the Cuillin Hills Hotel – on the edge of Portree - the starting point for some incredible hikes (well, more like walks in our case). There’s also a place to hire bikes in Portree itself. From Portree we travelled back via Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness where we spent the next two nights. Inverness is famously the gateway to Loch Ness and what better way could there be to go Nessie-spotting but on electric bikes (push bikes may be even better but we were too lazy for that!). We hired our fantastic bikes from Cameron at Happy Tours. Cameron is a fountain of knowledge about all things Inverness (and Nessie) and true to his company name, is a very happy fellow too. The bikes had enough charge to take us to Dores at the tip of Loch Ness and around the gorgeous hills to the south of the Loch. After all that strenuous (or not so strenuous) exercise, we treated ourselves to lunch at Dores Inn - a great pub with roaring fires to warm body and soul. We left the following morning and took the train to Aberdeen, by way of Nairn, a lovely seaside town where we stopped for coffee. After lunch, we continued on to Stonehaven and enjoyed fantastic fish and chips at The Bay, the winner of the Fish & Chip Awards 2013. Everything about The Bay is sustainable - from its sourcing of supplies and its packaging, to use of 100% renewable energy. Most importantly, the chippies are bloomin’ good too! We had planned to stay in Stonehaven, but didn’t realise how popular the area is as an easy to reach destination for the residents of neighbouring Aberdeen, and we ended up catching another train all the way to Glasgow (where we stayed with a friend). The following day we hired an electric car and drove to Loch Lomond and the gorgeous village of Luss. It's worth making the trip to Luss just for the chance to sample the delicious scones in the café in its pretty centre. The day would have been a complete success had the car rental people remembered to put a charging plug in the boot (or if we had remembered to check before heading off), but was enjoyable nonetheless: I guess you can’t win them all... We were both impressed with the powerful, raw beauty of the Scottish Highlands, and the contrasting comfort of the rail network. March was a quiet time for tourists, and so we definitely managed to secure some bargains en route, such as our hotel in Portree. If luck is on your side, and you get a sprinkling of fair weather, anyone can enjoy a low carbon holiday in the Scottish Highlands. If it’s snowing? Well, is there a more beautiful place to be?

As we launch our Green Traveller's Guide to the East Devon AONB, our writer, Paul Miles, heads 200ft below ground in Devon to visit the Beer Quarry Caves, a vast and fascinating labyrinth of centuries-old caverns, some of which date back to the Romans Most visitors to the Jurassic Coast, Britain’s first natural World Heritage Site, rejoice if they find a fossil. However, if you’re a stonemason, a fossil is an annoyance, an imperfection that hinders intricate carving. This is why a seam of white limestone in the Beer area, that is fossil-free, has been prized since Roman times and is now found, elaborately carved, in cathedrals and monuments worldwide. A tour of Beer Quarry Caves is a must when visiting the area. Unlike other underground attractions – think Cheddar caves or Jersey’s war tunnels – there’s no song and dance: no light and sound show, no fancy visitors’ centre, not even a café. There’s something more thrillingly genuine about this low-key approach, where the only touristification of the caves is a string of bare electric light bulbs and a display of some old black and white photos. “It’s quiet here now, all we can hear is the dripping of the water, right?” says guardian and guide, John Scott, as we stand some 200ft below ground in the cool man-made caves, drips echoing. “Well, you imagine, hundreds of men with pick-axes, saws, horses and carts…” and John suddenly whacks a safety helmet against the side of the cave, the loud bang reverberating through the caverns “…all that noise! That’s why we talk about being ‘stone deaf’.” Quarrying was such a part of everyday life, its language has entered our lexicon. You will also learn the origins of the phrase ‘not worth the candle’. There are centuries-old signatures on the walls belonging to quarrymen who hewed blocks of stone. John has discovered intriguing tales linked to these names. Although the accessible area of caves stretches over an area of 100 football fields, this is only a small percentage of what has been dug out over the millennia. John points out some original Roman workings and others from Saxon, Norman and modern times. They are all distinguished by the shape of the archways in the maze of tunnels, where underground roads were once busy with teams of horses and carts. “One team of 26 horses pulled a 24 ton block of stone out of the quarry to Exeter cathedral,” says John. “It took two weeks to get there.” There’s plenty of headroom in the caves and no need to squeeze through any crevices but that’s not to say others don’t do this at times. John points his torch to a pile of quarrying rubble that reaches to the ceiling. “Some volunteers cleared a space above that spoil heap and squeezed over the top and down the other side,” he says. “The air in there had been still for 200 years and in the white stone dust, they found footprints of humans and horses, and wagon tracks that looked as fresh as the day they’d been made,” he says. “They also found the remains of a quarryman’s packed lunch. Scientists identified it as rabbit and cider.” The warren of caves was a perfect hiding place for contraband and the quarrymen, who earned less than farm labourers for their 14-hour days, would also work at nights for the smugglers. As we stand by a signature of a certain “William Cawley, 1st August, 1801” written neatly on a pillar in the caves from where he would have sawn a block of stone that day, John tells a tale of untimely death, smuggling and a cover-up by the church. Smugglers compensated Cawley’s widow for his death. “But her children didn’t see a penny of the money,” says John. “Follow me and I’ll show you what she spent it on, fifty years later.” I won’t spoil the story for you but it brought a tear to my eye. With its rare bats and its echoing warren of seemingly endless caverns, the Beer Quarry Caves is an eerie subterranean space, but it’s the very personal histories diligently researched by John Scott that make it fascinating. With the lack of high tech interactive displays, a visit feels like a real discovery. Don’t be tempted to wander off and explore solo. The last person who did that got well and truly lost. It took a team of 37 people 16 hours to find him.

Paul Miles discovers there's far more to Porthdinllaen, a tiny coastal village on the Llŷn Peninsula, than just fishing and drinking.. “Porthdinllaen: A small drinking village with a fishing problem,” it says, ominously, behind the bar of the Ty Coch Inn, the only pub in this picturesque seaside village of just a dozen or so houses. The pub is crammed with paraphernalia: lamps of all sizes hang from beams and photos line every wall. Some show the crowds that gather in this little east-facing bay on a summer’s day, others show the floods that happened when a storm surge and high tide inundated the village. “What about the fishing?” I ask the landlord, Stuart Webley, tucking into a crab salad before his shift starts in earnest. “They send all their catch to Korea!” he says, between mouthfuls. “There are seven boats that fish from here, all full-time, they probably employ a dozen people between them,” he says. “But they’re mostly fishing for whelks. They catch tonnes of them and ship them all to Korea,” he pauses. “Very rubbery though, whelks, they can have them.” No problem there then. It's worth noting that the fishermen from Porthdinllaen also catch lobsters, and quite delicious they are too. Historically the port was an important harbour for importing and exporting goods and was even under consideration to be developed as the main port for Ireland at the beginning of the 19th century.  Fortunately enough, though, Holyhead was chosen, allowing the harbour a gentle slide in to an active though more peaceful retirement. The fishermen don’t live in the village, in fact hardly anyone does. There are only four fulltime residents: Stuart and his family. The other houses are all owned and managed by the National Trust, mostly on long-term leases. Cars are not allowed into the village, which lies at the end of a mini peninsula, and the views across the bay to three-peaked Yr Eifl, the highest mountain in Llŷn, that plunges down to the shore are spectacular. On a sunny day, by all accounts, it’s even more impressive. “It reminds me of Lake Como, with the mountains plunging down into the sea,” says Richard Williams, the National Trust car park attendant, at the car park, a 20-minutes’ walk from Porthdinllaen. “Not that I’ve been there but I’ve seen pictures.” But inside the pub, on a grey day, hilltops obscured by clouds, a walker has a different take on things. “It feels like the end of the world…or Britain,” she says, starting on her first beer at 11am, after strolling across the beach from the car park. “It’s magical.” “People love stumbling across this pub,” confirms Stuart. “Especially if you chance upon it when we have live music. We once had a group of hikers - walking the coast path - arrive here at about five in the afternoon,” he says, “I ended up calling a taxi for them at two in the morning.” It seems Porthdinllaen is not always quiet. Following the coast path from the pub, I pass profusions of flowers in pots and others in old boats and then find myself on a golden sandy bay with a lifeboat station. The tide is out and seaweed on the rocks spreads out, like Medusa’s snaking tresses. Up and on from the lifeboat station, it’s a surprise to find a golf course. Over a couple of greens and there is a lookout post where I see someone looking out to sea through large binoculars. The lookout post is open to the public. I go inside and climb steep steel steps to find a couple in their 60s surrounded by charts and binoculars. They are volunteers with the National Coastwatch Institution, “keeping an eye on boats, walkers and anglers.” They also log wildlife. “Five Risso’s dolphins last Tuesday.” Wildlife, views and picture postcard quaintness: there’s lots to drink-in in the small fishing village of Porthdinllaen. This article was written by Paul Miles.

Yvonne Gordon shows you the best places to stay in Berlin, Europe's most eco-hip capital as well as where to eat and drink, and how to get around the city's green spaces by bike and public transport. Since much of the Berlin has been under reconstruction in the years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, innovative architects have been designing buildings with low energy consumption and clever use of resources. Even Berlin’s most famous building – the Reichstag — has a glass dome which works as a source of daylight and takes energy from the complex cold and heat storage system in the ground water. Public transport is also eco-friendly and the city is also full of green areas and communal gardens, with new parks opening all the time, such as at a former airport Berlin Tempelhof or railway station Gleisderieck. The city also has plenty of eco-friendly shopping and dining, and is home to the largest organic supermarket in Europe. What to do 1. Take a tour. Berlin is so big, a city tour will help you get your bearings. There are plenty of eco-friendly tours, from Berlin walk tours to Berlin on bike tours. Or try the Fahrradstation bike stations, for guided tours on a variety of themes like architecture or history. Fat Tire Bikes and Berlin Insider both run English-speaking tours. If you’re feeling more adventurous, take a Segway tour with City Segway Tours or Magic-ride or chill out on an Asian-rickshaw-style tour with the Berlin Rikscha Tours. For solar-powered boat tours through the government district along the Landwehr canal, try Solarpolis tours or take a guided kayak tour with Der Kanutourist for a different perspective on the city. Or try one of the tours we took on Five green and unusual ways to see Berlin 2. After your tour, go back and explore some of the main sights – don’t miss the Brandenburg Gate, the TV Tower at Alexanderplatz, the Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall and Tiergarden – and spend a few hours too exploring the hip markets, eateries and parks of East Berlin. 3. Discover Berlin’s outdoor spaces, from the traditional park Tiergarden in the West, to smaller more edgy green spaces such as Mariannenplatz in the artistic and multi-cultural area, Kreuzberg. There are also plenty of outdoor markets – one of the biggest and most atmospheric is the Arkonaplatz Sunday flea market at Mitte (take the U8 to Bernauer Str). The former airport, Berlin Tempelhof, has just been turned into the city’s largest park, and a park on the site of the former railway property Gleisdreieck is also due to open this year, see Green Berlin. Where to eat and drink With such green credentials, it’s no surprise that Berlin plenty of organic and eco-friendly eateries. In fact, Berlin's chefs are so eco-friendly, they’re now growing their own produce! If you want to try some home-grown ingredients, visit restaurant Magraux where award-winning chef Michael Hoffmann grows his ingredients in his 2,000 sqm garden in Potsdam, including Grabudin turnips and Black Prince Tomatoes. The chefs also use home-grown vegetables in the trendy vegetarian cafe Cookies Cream – fennel, blueberries and heirloom tomatoes thrive in plastic tubs full of organic earth before being served up in the kitchen below. Foodorama in Kreuzberg is Germany’s first carbon-neutral restaurant with vegetarian meals and hearty favourites. At Lei e Lui, organic quality is top priority for the Mediterranean-Oriental style food. For vegan cuisine, try La Mano Verde near Berlin Central Station or try the Sunday brunch buffet at wholefoods restaurant Naturalmente, a macrobiotic and organic restaurant. If all that sounds too healthy, organic fast-food is also an option — check out Supergood, the city’s largest organic fast food restaurant, with tasty veggie burgers, wraps and salads (and cool furniture too). Or if you like the classic Berlin Currywurst, try the organic version in Witty’s. You can get juicy organic burgers at Yellow Sunshine on in Kreuzberg, burgers range from corn and spinach to soya, smoked tofu or seitan. Finally, for an organic picnic, buy fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese and fresh bread from certified organic suppliers at Kollwitzplatz every Thursday. This is the city’s largest organic market, but organic markets are also held on Lausitzer Platz (Fridays) and on Chamissoplatz (Sunday evenings). The large weekly markets at Winterfeldtplatz (Wednesdays and Sunday evenings) and on the Maybachufer (Tuesdays and Fridays) also offer organic-branded goods. The Marheineke-Markthalle in Kreuzberg, open all week, also sells local organic produce. Where to stay Green principles apply in the Maritim Hotel Berlin in Stauffenbergstraße, where energy saving, waste separation and environmental protection are of top priority, Its restaurant is also certified organic. Hotel Bleibtreu only uses natural materials that are free of chemicals meaning they are not only environmentally friendly but also provide an allergy-friendly microclimate in the rooms. The hotel restaurant 31, only uses healthy, low-fat, organic ingredients. Even more eco is Hotel MitArt on Linienstraße an organic hotel with 100 per cent of raw materials here certified organic, including food preparation and cleaning products. Energy and water are used sustainably and only regional products are purchased. The brand new Scandic Hotel Berlin in Potsdamer Platz is the first hotel in Germany to get the EU Ecolabel and has also won awards for its sustainable building construction. Eco-friendly transport options for guests include Segways and an electric car for rent, plus free bicycles. For a budget-friendly option, the hostel Die Fabrik also promotes eco-standards and responsible resource use. The hostel's solar panel system on the roof is used to heat water and support the heating system. Finally, the city also has plenty of campsites – see VIsit Berlin for more information. What the locals are saying City gardens and urban gardening is a growing city trend. A good example is the Prinzessinnengarten at Moritzplatz in Kreuzberg which opened in 2009. The action group Nomadisch Grün leased a 6,000sqm piece of land and turned it into a flourishing garden, which more than 700 city gardeners were involved in planting, cultivating and harvesting last year. Similar community gardens can also be found in other parts of town, for example the neighbourhood garden at Mariannenplatz or the Kiezgarten Schliemannstraße in Prenzlauer Berg. Guerrilla gardening activity is also evident around the city, you can find out where on www.gruenewelle.org. Getting around Berlin For eco-friendly pubic transport (50 per cent of Berliners don’t own cars), travel by underground, train, tram or bus. The Berlin public transport authority is working on making its network as sustainable as possible — some buses have hydrogen combustion engines, and trams run on special green tracks embedded into grass which reduce air and noise pollution. Underground trains run on the U-Bahn system, and the S-Bahn railway runs overground. For drivers, Berlin is a designated Low Emission Zone. With a Berlin WelcomeCard, you get free use of the public transport system (as well as reduced entry to around 160 attractions), see Visit Berlin. Cycling is also popular in Berlin. – the cycle network is 950km long and there are plenty of bike rental agencies. The Berlin velo taxi is another eco-friendly option — each cab carries two people. If you fancy taking to the water, you can rent and drive a solar-powered boat from Solar Water World AG and glide along without noise or emissions. You can also hire cruisers and even a solar-powered houseboat for up to 12 people. Green shopping It’s hard to avoid eco-shopping in Berlin. Many Berlin fashion labels such as Slowmo, or Treches, combine fashion with fair working conditions and organic materials. Berlin Denim, the city’s own jeans label, is eco-friendly. These and other labels are present at the fashion fair thekey.to, the ‘Green Fashion’ part of Berlin Fashion Week. Numerous shops in Berlin sell organic brands from all over the world. The concept store de la Reh, which opened last September sells exclusively green fashion and Wertvoll in Prenzlauer Berg is another eco-friendly boutique. Schöner wär’s wenn’s schöner wär focuses on sustainable living — with everything from furniture and accessories to toys and stationery. At Heimatgrün, you can find sustainably produced living accessories and food like chewing gum based on natural rubber. For environmentally-friendly furniture and accessory ideas, have a look in Green Living Berlin in the Kulturbrauerei. The first organic shop opened in Kreuzberg in 1978 and the highlight for many eco-tourists will be LPG on Senefelderplatz. The largest organic supermarket in Europe stocks 180,000 products over 1,600 sqm of shop floor on two storeys. The range includes 200 types of wine, 180 types of cheese and a spacious fruit and vegetable market section. It also sells contaminant-free clothing and natural cosmetics, see www.lpg-biomarkt.de. Recycling and Upcycling are two other big trends — if you want to see how Berlin furniture and fashion designers are subscribing to the principle 'New from Old', check out Sawadee Design, Anne Dettmer and the label Raffinesse Tristesse, which uses old food tins as the basis for stools and children’s play kitchens. Dollyrocker in Gärtnerstraße is also as creative as it is eco-friendly – with beautiful children’s clothes made from old textiles. Green Design tours If you want to find out more about trends such as urban gardening and eco-fashion in Berlin, then book a tour with goArt or urban trend tours through ID22. These agencies specialise in the creative side of the capital and do Green Design or Creative Sustainability tours either on foot, by bike or by public transport. Or if you are interested in seeing green buildings and environmentally friendly construction, try Ticket B, the specialist architect-led bus tour dedicated to sustainable construction. If you're travelling on business, there's great information on the website: Green Meetings in Berlin. Getting to Berlin by train You can get to Berlin by train or ferry. For a detailed outline of how to get there by train, including times, prices, return journeys and transfers see our travelling from London to Berlin by train page. From London, you can take the Eurostar from London to Brussels in 1 hour 55 minutes, switch to a high-speed Thalys or ICE high-speed train from Brussels to Cologne (1 hour 57 minutes) and then catch the ICE high-speed train from Cologne to Berlin. Fares start at €49 (£43) each way if you book through the Bahn website. The train from London to Berlin via Paris takes around 17 hours - take the afternoon Eurostar from London to Paris then the overnight sleeper train to Berlin, arriving in time for breakfast. From England, you can also take the ferry from Harwich or Hull to Hoek van Holland and then travel on to Berlin by train. From the north, take a ferry from Hull to Rotterdam or Zeebrugge, or from Newcastle to Amsterdam, and travel on to Berlin by train. To get information on routes, transfers, times and prices see our plan your journey by ferry pages. For all of the train options, check out the excellent plan your journey to Berlin section on Bahn's website. For more information on visiting Berlin, see www.visitberlin.de