No skis required! Winter sports areas to visit out of season

The spotlight falls on northern Italy this year, as the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics arrive in Milan and the mountain resorts of the Dolomites. The slopes glisten with snow, and the villages buzz with news of sporting endeavours.

Of course the peaks look completely fabulous in their winter clothes, but they’re just as beautiful in their summer attire!  Do you fancy walking through pastures dotted with wildflowers and gentle cattle? How about a night in the cosy camaraderie of a mountain refuge, enjoying dumplings with goulash and swapping tales from the trails with fellow hikers? Here’s some inspiration for your alpine adventure.

Our summer route in the Dolomites could be just the thing – but don’t leave it too late to book, as it will be extra popular this year and the season is short. Hike from San Candido through mountain peaks and alpine meadows to Cortina, which hosts some Olympic events.

Kranjska Gora, at the start of our Slovenian Highlands route, is a popular winter sports venue, but switches to hosting walkers after the snow melts. Our walk is graded Medium, getting you into the heart of the mountains with modest effort!

The mountains of Arcadia in the central Peloponnese are popular for winter breaks, with snow-shoeing, skiing and snowmobiling on the menu. In the warmer months, our walkers on the Menalon Trail enjoy the same great views and stay in some lovely stone-built villages.

The Picos de Europa and Cantabrian hills of northern Spain are busy with sporting activity in winter, but On Foot hikers can use the cable car at Fuente Dé to get up into the peaks with no skis needed! Just relish the gentle walk down from the rocky slopes into a lush green valley.

Skirt round the slopes of Mt Tahtali on your way to the coast in Lycia – this is an unconventional winter sports area, with ‘wild’ skiing and a mountain-top bungee catapult for the brave!  We suggest you keep your feet on the ground…

And for a surprising link to the Olympics – the little town of Much Wenlock, just a few miles from the start of our Welsh Borders walk, was host to a forerunner of the modern Olympics. The first competition in 1850 included athletics and traditional country sports – and a race on penny-farthing bicycles!  Baron Pierre de Coubertin visited the games in 1890, and was inspired to create the International Olympic Committee and the Games as we know them now.

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Yes, the European summer is fading, and the autumn hiking season is well under way, but now might be just the moment to look ahead to the cooler months.
Spain is the reliable option at this time of year. On Foot Holidays has a selection of routes here, where you’ll find gently warm temperatures, fabulous landscapes and quiet trails. And not a snow-mobile in sight!

Sunny Alicante might not be your first thought for a walking holiday, but do take a look at our route in the quiet hills beyond the coast. Marina Alta has charming villages, geological features that make for varied hiking, and a fine seaside town to complete your walk.  Available October to April, except Christmas and New Year.

Closer to Africa than Europe, La Gomera in the Canary Islands is best visited in winter, when the island welcomes more hikers than sunseekers. The fabulous volcanic landscape is a rewarding challenge, and the villages are delightfully undeveloped.  Available October to mid-May, except Christmas and New Year.

White villages (pueblos blancos) scatter the hills of the Grazalema National Park in Andalucia, surrounded by dramatic limestone landscapes that are a paradise for birdwatchers. Walk over the wild hillsides and lush river valleys to the Moorish cliff-top bastion of Ronda.  Available September to mid-December and February to May.

Another island – Mallorca – completes our winter quartet. After a couple of nights in the historic capital, Palma, head into the mountains of the northwest, well away from the coastal resorts, where you’ll find dramatic paths high above the coast, drifts of almond blossom in spring, and some lovely hotels.  Available September to mid-November, and mid-February to June.

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NEW! Walk through green Cantabrian hills to the Picos de Europa

The spectacular skyline of the Picos de Europa region of northern Spain has held a special draw for centuries, signalling to sailors that they were nearly home, and now beckoning hikers from around the world. Our new route here maintains this sense of anticipation, starting in the green foothills to the east and journeying westwards to the higher wilderness.

First you’ll become acquainted with the quiet farm tracks scattered across the valleys of Polaciones and Liébana. Vultures and eagles soar overhead whilst Cantabrian brown bears and Iberian wolves keep their distance in the undisturbed hills away from your path. Stop at tiny villages to stay in wayside inns and small hotels where you can enjoy a glass of orujo (the local firewater) with your hosts and sample the hearty Lebaniego stew.

After the bustling little town of Potes, follow the final section of the Camino Lebaniego pilgrimage route to the monastery of Santo Toribio. The modest buildings here belie its status as one of the most important pilgrim sites in Europe, with attendant hermitages perched on vantage points in the surrounding hills.

Now the landscape becomes more rugged, and the trail brings you to the massive cliffs at Espinama and Fuente Dé. Below the soaring peaks you have a choice of routes, but if the weather is good you should scale the cliffs by cable-car and experience a different world of bare rock and alpine pastures. The best views are yet to come on a glorious descent across the wooded hillsides back to your celebratory dinner and the end of your great Cantabrian traverse.

This route has been created especially for On Foot Holidays by Aznar Fernandez de Pinedo, designer of several of our Spanish hikes. He says: “When creating this route I wanted to avoid the popular trails in the mountains that have become overcrowded. My route visits totally off-the-beaten-track valleys and towns that no other tour operators have considered.

“It is a great ‘Crossing of Green Spain’ to reach the magnificent Picos. It skips the uneven paths at high elevation where the weather is unpredictable, and instead goes along scenic trails that are easier underfoot, but all the time through extremely beautiful scenery.”

‘Foothills of the Picos de Europa’ is now open for bookings in September and early October 2025, and for spring/early summer or autumn 2026. See our webpage for all the details, or call us to speak to Harriet or Simon, who have both walked the route and will be happy to tell you about its unique character.

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