The 50 Greatest Road Trips E-Book

Sarah Woods

• Herausgeber: Icon Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Serie: The 50
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Seitenzahl: 278

Beschreibung

If you've ever dreamed of completing an epic car journey, The 50 Greatest Road Trips is for you. Packed full of the most exotic, exciting and iconic road trips across the Americas, Asia, Europe and Africa, it showcases the ultimate in car adventures. Sarah Woods is a veteran of road-tripping, having driven the iconic 19,000-mile route from North America to South America's tip, completed several dusty voyages in the Australian outback and scaled towering Saharan sand dunes in a 4x4. Readers are sure to feel the urge to climb into an old Chevrolet, crank up the tunes on the stereo, flick the sunroof open and settle back for one heck of a ride on the open road …

Leseprobe

GREATEST

ROAD TRIPS

OF THE WORLD

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GREATEST

ROAD TRIPS

OF THE WORLD

SARAH WOODS

Published in the UK in 2016 by

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ISBN: 978-178578-096-7

Text copyright © 2016 Sarah Woods

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Triple-award-winning travel writer Sarah Woods is a veteran of road-tripping, having driven the iconic 19,000-mile route from North America to South America’s tip, completed several dusty voyages in the Australian outback and scaled towering Saharan sand dunes in a 4x4. Sarah has won the prestigious British Guild of Travel Writers ‘Travel Guide Writer of the Year’ award and has been the recipient of the Kenneth Westcott Jones Award twice for thrilling road-trip articles. As a travel presenter on British daytime TV Sarah won the PSA prize for reportage in 2012.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

THE 50 GREATEST ROAD TRIPS

United Kingdom and Ireland

Pembrokeshire Coastal Route, Wales

North Coast 500, Scotland

Causeway Coastal Route, Northern Ireland

Ring of Kerry, Ireland

Snake Pass, United Kingdom

Europe

Ring Road, Iceland

Atlantic Ocean Road, Norway

The Bollenstreek Route, Holland

Nürburgring Track, Germany

Paris in a Citroën 2CV

Estoril Coastal Route, Portugal

Col de Turini, France

Furka Pass, Switzerland

Stelvio Pass, Italy

Alsace Route des Vins, France

The Great Dolomite Road, Italy

Route Napoléon, South-West France

The Alpenstraße, Germany

D-Day Beaches, Normandy, France

Garden Island, Denmark

The Amalfi Coast, Italy

Berlin in a Porsche 911

Italy’s Mille Miglia

Africa

The Draa Valley, Morocco

Skeleton Coast Route, Namibia

Limpopo River Route, South Africa

The Garden Route, South Africa

Australasia

Great Ocean Road, Australia

Tasmania, Australia

Central Arnhem Highway, Australia

New Zealand’s South Island

Asia and the Middle East

Overwater Highway, China

Vietnam’s Northern Loop

Gobi Desert, Mongolia

Taihang Mountains, China

Leh–Manali Highway, India

The Silk Road, Uzbekistan

Frankincense Route, Oman

The Americas

Icefields Parkway, Canada

Historic Route 66, USA

Trans-Andean Highway, South America

The Alaska Highway, Canada to Alaska

Coastal Highway 15, Mexico

Badlands National Park, USA

San Juan Skyway, USA

Pan-American Highway (Texas to the ‘End of the World’ – Ushuaia, Argentina)

Florida’s Tamiami Trail, USA

Canada’s Cabot Trail

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

Historic Columbia River Highway Scenic Byway, USA

INTRODUCTION

There is something utterly seductive about the prospect of a road trip. My senses start to tingle at the very thought of hitting the open road, from the preparations and packing up of the car to the unfurling of the map to scrutinise the route and the anticipation of firing up the motor.

Road trips needn’t always be long but they should always be scenic in a way that allows the journey to slowly unfold. As the landscape reveals itself and the miles slip magically by, I often feel as if it is the road that is moving – not me and my vehicle. From the driver’s seat I have felt every season on my skin through my open window: the warm showers of South America’s wet season on the Pan American Highway (see page 225); the bone-chilling cold of Canada’s ice fields (see page 189); the deep, rich gold-leafed hues of autumn woodlands along stretches of Tasmania (see page 139); and the stifling airless heat of the desert (see page 163).

Of course, not all road trips are effortless – far from it – but even the most gruelling, wheel-wrenching, gear-crunching slogs hold a special place in my heart. I have learned to view mechanical failures, cavernous potholes and navigational mishaps as part of the entertainment. Wildlife – however big, fierce and reluctant to move – is always exciting company.

As a veteran of unmaintained, roughshod routes I am even tolerant of roadworks and feel any repair works should be welcomed – even those that are poorly timed. My biggest gripe? Gridlocked traffic: the bumper-to-bumper crocodile of cars that is impossible to flee. In The 50 Greatest Road Trips of the World I have included only a smattering of routes in which this type of congestion is possible – and all are worth the drive for their glorious hairpin bends and heart-lifting views nonetheless.

Whether you drive for the thrill or for the peace, for the rush or for the space and the thinking time, or simply to get there, this book offers an enticing trip for you all. Settle back and enjoy the ride.

THE 50 GREATEST ROAD TRIPS

UNITED KINGDOM and IRELAND

PEMBROKESHIRE COASTAL ROUTE, WALES

With over 240 gleaming beaches and a jewel-coloured sea that sends poets into raptures, the secret coves and rugged bays of the Pembrokeshire coast have a knack for capturing hearts and minds. Designated as Britain’s only coastal national park in 1952, Pembrokeshire has been rated by the USA’s National Geographic Traveler magazine as one of the world’s top-two coastal destinations. Wild, maritime landscapes have always been a special feature of the 186-mile Pembrokeshire Coast Path, opened in 1970, but since 2012 they are better than ever as part of the 870-mile Wales Coast Path. No other country has created a public footpath that traces its entire coastline. Pembrokeshire’s outstanding views across where land, sea and sky meet are enough to make the heart skip. No wonder visitors like me keep returning, year after year.

Road-tripping the Pembrokeshire coastline is to skirt the weather-worn cliffs with one eye on the weather and a neoprene wetsuit, sea shoes and a towel in the car boot. Through the windscreen of my elderly VW Beetle (named Ringo), the views are magical and easily absorbed at a modest 30 miles an hour.

Tucked away in the south-west corner of Wales, Pembrokeshire borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north-east. Every part of its coastline is a heaven for swimmers, beachcombers, wildlife-watchers, outdoor adventurers and walkers – more than 620 miles of public footpaths and bridleways riddle the spectacular coastal scenery around Pembrokeshire’s main towns. Rolling green pasture, woodlands carpeted with bluebells and hedgerows bursting with bright yellow gorse. Meadows scattered with flitting butterflies; frolicking dolphins in the sea. Wheeling seabirds screech above the ragged cliffs where seals snooze in the sun. Wild garlic, campion, harebells and cowslips fringe pastoral countryside in a land of constantly changing beauty backdropped by the sea. Few other counties in the UK have anywhere near as many Blue Flag, Seaside and Green Coast awards as Pembrokeshire – with so many wonderful beaches to choose from, the dilemma is where to start.

Photo: Jonesofcam

Driving around the Pembrokeshire coast is a true delight. The road follows cliff-top routes that hug the shore, where seabirds, seals, porpoises, dolphins and whales thrive. Join the route along the coastal waters by taking the A487 south from Newport – it heads through the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and en route towards St David’s passes long salt-water creeks dotted with boats, rock pools and broad curves of golden sand, cave-riddled cliffs and hidden sandy coves and rolling countryside warmed by a milky sun.

Famous throughout Wales for its vibrant community of artists, the small town of St David’s is wedged against the country’s far south-west coast. As part of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, St David’s is surrounded by spectacular coastal scenery blessed with an abundance of wildlife. Whitesands Bay, one of the many beautiful beaches in the area, is one of St David’s finest and carries the prestigious European Blue Flag Award. Overlooked by the imposing craggy hill of Carn Llidi, this wide expanse of fine white sand curves north towards the remote rocky headland of St David’s Head. With pounding surf, roaring waves and blustery cliffs, it has an epic surf ‘break’ at the northern end. There’s a rocky promontory from which to watch the surfers, or at the quieter southern end there are some calmer, sheltered bays. Be sure to study the tides if you plan to swim or relax on any of Pembrokeshire’s beaches: the sands you plan to beach-comb may not exist for more than a few hours a day.

As the gateway to the Teifi Valley and the Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire Coast Paths, the ancient town of Cardigan sits on the estuary of the River Teifi at the base of Cardigan Bay. Location-wise, it makes a really good base from which to discover the Pembrokeshire coast.

A delightful little seaside harbour town with cobblestone streets, Tenby is home to some beautiful beaches. Tenby’s hilltop position led to its early settlement as a Welsh stronghold, which was replaced in medieval times by a Norman castle and walled town – part of the town walls survive to this day. Fantastic beaches stretch to the north, west and south of the town.

Pembroke Dock, or the Port of Pembroke, grew up around the Royal Navy Dockyard of the early 19th century. Before then, the area was just farmland but by 1901 the town had mushroomed to a population of 11,000. It is here that the Pembrokeshire Coast Path crosses the Cleddau Bridge and passes next to the National Park offices. It then skirts round the waterfront past the Martello Tower on Front Street before heading uphill on the way to Pembroke, where the path has a mellow, leafy character distinctly different from the more rugged coastal stretches.

As the regional ‘capital’, Haverford West is home to Pembrokeshire’s largest congregation of shops, and is an ancient county town built around the Western Cleddau.

Beautiful Barafundle Bay is likened to the Caribbean and is often voted Britain’s finest beach – and it is easy to see why. With a hinterland of woods and pastures, and ginclear waters and sugar-fine sands, Barafundle Bay is remote enough to deter the crowds. The walk down from Stackpole entails a scramble over rocks to reach the moon-shaped bay. Down on the empty sand I spotted a set of lone footprints – an enticing sight that whetted the appetite. Throwing my shoes off to the side, I tiptoed over the sands, sending a few crabs scuttling down into invisible holes as limpid waves lapped the shore.

Contacts:

Pembrokeshire Coastal Route

www.pembrokeshirecoast.org.uk

NORTH COAST 500, SCOTLAND

Scotland’s windy coastal road North Coast 500 really does offer road-trippers a chance to ‘take the high road’ on a route blessed with incredible coastal scenery. New to the scene (it opened in 2014), the NC500 route covers over 500 miles of spectacular Scottish terrain, from Inverness west to the Kyle of Lochalsh, meandering up the west coast, across the rugged north coast to John o’ Groats, before heading down the east coast. As Scotland’s answer to America’s Route 66, the NC500 is aimed squarely at road-trip enthusiasts (cars, vintage vehicles and motorbikes) but has plenty to offer cyclists and walkers. MG sports cars or Harley Davidsons could roar around the route in a long weekend. At a more leisurely pace it could take several weeks to complete, in a loop or in part: beginning and ending in Inverness at Inverness Castle – a landmark of splendour and a fitting location perched atop a hill, overlooking the capital city of the Highlands region.

Keen to delve into rugged rural Scotland? The North Coast 500 extends into the picturesque north-west area of the Scottish Highlands. The route can be driven in a circle – you choose whether you travel clockwise or anti-clockwise: either way takes you to castles, beaches, mountains and numerous attractions. The NC500 website lists everything you pass through or near to on the way – there is also an interactive map and a new NC500 app to help plan your trip.

For drivers who opt to head anti-clockwise, starting at Inverness, head north on the A862 through Dingwall and on to the Black Isle (which isn’t an island at all but rather an isthmus 10 miles wide by 20 miles long). Drivers heading along the Cromarty Firth via Invergordon and on to Tain will discover the Black Isle is located in Ross and Cromarty – the NC500 cuts through the hills and coastal areas where there are excellent viewpoints from which to spot dolphins and seals. For ‘guaranteed’ sightings, take a detour along a topsy-turvy road to Chanonry Point on the Moray Firth, which is hailed as one of the best places in the UK to observe its resident dolphins from the land. North of Tain you cross into the eastern side of the large region of Sutherland, home to the famous eighteen-hole, par 72 Championship Royal Dornoch Golf Course and its velvety fairways and manicured greens. Nearby is the fairy-tale castle of Dunrobin, home to the Earls and Dukes of Sutherland since the 13th century. Its elaborate design and magnificence are a sharp contrast to mile after mile of solitude and space.

Continue travelling further north-easterly and you’ll reach Caithness – the famous home of John o’ Groats. As well as the UK’s most northerly mainland settlement, Caithness also boasts other attractions such as lighthouse-topped Duncansby Stacks, the furthest point by road, on the north-east coast, from Land’s End in Cornwall, being a good mile or two further on than the more famous John o’ Groats. This is where the selfie sticks come out, as tourists mark the very tip of Britain with a snap for the photo album.

Photo: Alancru

Keen to learn about the struggles faced by Scottish fisherman who risk life for a daily haul? The former fishing town of Wick reveals a fascinating history: retrace the past at Wick’s old harbour and discover the challenges of fishing Scottish waters at the Heritage Museum. There’s even a secret harbour far below the headland here – enjoy a brisk walk down the 365 Whaligoe Steps and a heart-pumping upward return journey. Further round the coast of Caithness, the NC500 begins to head west and back into Sutherland, but this time into the wild, raw and beautiful north-western area. Gloriously remote, this region is home to Cape Wrath, the most north-westerly point on mainland Britain, an iconic cornerstone where the north and west coasts of Scotland meet. Pointy sea stacks jut out of a frothy sea, and Orkney can be seen to the north-east and the Western Isles to the southwest. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) as well as a Special Protection Area for birds; puffins and great skuas nest in its cliffs and rocky ledges. It is, without doubt, one of the most stunning and spectacular of the world’s coastlines, with the expansive Atlantic Ocean backed by a vast moorland wilderness. It feels humbling, somehow, as I stare out to sea. There is no land mass between here and the Arctic.

Heading south towards the ferry port town of Ullapool, you cross in Wester Ross, the western watershed of Ross-shire with its long sea lochs and imposing mountain peaks. Loch Ewe, Loch Maree and Loch Torridon in particular create a wide, sculpted shoreline. Steep alpine-style mountain slopes add drama and wonder, with the breathtaking mountain pass of Bealach na Ba a particularly slow climb (requiring a low gear and nerves of steel). This is when the NC500 makes you think of the world’s great road trips – the corniche of the Côte d’Azur, the Great Ocean Road, the Pacific Coast Highway and Route 66. High-road thrills and stomach-churning perilous climbs offer plenty of opportunity to drive into emptiness and – sometimes – thin air. But what is special about the North Coast 500 is it has no bypasses, dual carriageways and motorway traffic jams. Ancient rocks, millions – nay, billions of years old – tower like mystical beasts: beguiling, beautiful and bizarre. The entire trip offers incredible views that will keep even the most fidgety of drivers happy.

Stuck for a map? You’re not alone – as a new route, maps are scarce. To avoid wrong turnings and doubling back, download a copy in advance of your trip from www.northcoast500.com – it’s bang up to date.

CAUSEWAY COASTAL ROUTE, NORTHERN IRELAND

This breathtaking route is a driver’s delight. No sitting in traffic here. No idle twiddling with the knobs on the car radio. No, this is a road that is a thrill to drive. Really drive. Once you’ve left the city traffic of Belfast behind, the road starts to narrow. This is when your fists tighten around the steering wheel. If you’re used to cruising six-lane freeways, the rugged road along the Antrim Coast may cause your pulse to race. With its curves, quirks and eccentricities, the mainly waterfront route doesn’t just offer craggy cliffs, verdant hills, rocky ledges and windswept sands but views out to the rural coast of Scotland too. Before long, Belfast is a distant memory and the road has tapered to a skinny squiggle. Dramatic twists and turns soon necessitate rapid swerves and clumsy gear changes. Crashing waves and windswept arc-shaped beaches flank the open road. Rogue sea-spray douses the windscreen in a drumming thud, sending the wipers into a screeching frenzy – though it is the scenery itself that is the main distraction. The entire coastal road, from Belfast through to Londonderry, is one of truly incredible natural beauty. With every twist and turn, another stretch of picturesque shoreline unfolds on a backdrop of velvety lush green dotted with tiny stone villages. Another wrench on the gear stick brings yet another involuntary gasp of breath – the beautiful bird-filled Belfast Lough, and Belfast docks where the fateful Titanic first set sail from the famous shipyards of Harland & Wolff. Next, the pretty seaside town of Carrickfergus beckons, with its well-preserved 12th-century Norman castle and skies full of seabirds. Larne, the gateway to the beautiful Glens of Antrim, offers a diversion, a brief but beautiful loop, to take in the scenic joys of Islandmagee and net-strewn Portmuck Harbour. Back on the mainland, waterfall cascades gain velocity when rain-clouds are swollen – but even Ireland’s wet weather can’t dampen spirits on this rapturous drive. Characterful houses and stone-built pubs exude true Irish charm from the roadside as the route wriggles around tight bends and up and down nine glens. The Antrim Coastal Road passes by the foot of each of the nine glens: Glenarm (the army glen), Glencloy (the glen of the hedges), Glenariff (the ploughman’s glen, known also as the queen of the glens), Glenballyeamon (Edwardstown Glen), Glenann (glen of the rush lights), Glencorp (glen of the laughter), Glendun (the brown glen), Glenshesk (sedgy glen) and Glentaisie (the glen of Taisie, the Princess of Rathlin Island). Many of the rustic inns en route boast traditional folk music sessions, which are characteristic of the area and part of the lure of Ireland’s most convivial watering holes. On Rathlin Island there is the added enticement of a population of a quarter-million seabirds, including kittiwake, fulmar, guillemot, puffin and razorbill. You may also see a dolphin or two frolicking around the bay on the 45-minute ferry crossing to the island (if you’ve time, be sure to do the trip if you can bear to temporarily leave the joys of the road behind).

Back on the road along the Causeway Coast and you’ll soon reach a 79-foot chasm where the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge sways rhythmically in stiff winds. Thankfully, the village of Bushmills – home to the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery – is just around the corner, should you need a nerve-steadier. The journey out to the magnificent UNESCO World Heritage site of the Giant’s Causeway is truly fitting as the prelude to one of Ireland’s most iconic symbols. Every few hundred metres, something draws the eye – a wildflower meadow, a bizarre-looking cliff-top rock, soft green rolling hills, a few cotton-wool sheep, a rough sea and wispy grey clouds. Precarious dog-legs prove a test of nerves for the most confident driver – the secret, say the locals, is not to hurry. However slowly you go, you’ll always get there eventually, they insist. Few routes allow a rewarding meander at such a leisurely pace (no rush: the road will still be there in the morning). A scarcity of traffic and the companionship of the vast, wild ocean and vocal winds ensure the 120-mile journey is a heart-stopping ride.

Many drivers admit to shedding a tear when they reach the Giant’s Causeway as it means the lion’s share of the driving is at an end. The route, in fact, continues to weave in tight curls all the way to Londonderry. Yet I defy any road warrior not to be wholly cheered by the sight of the Giant’s Causeway. Few geological oddities in the world can deliver pure natural theatre on such a mesmerising scale, from the dark stone lapped by brooding waters and jaw-dropping wave-carved rock formations lashed by pounding waves. This magical rocky outcrop is composed of a curious collection of needle-thin columns and spiny fingers – the only such site in Northern Ireland. Ships from the Spanish Armada once floundered off the coastline and little wonder. Recovered treasures from the galleon The Girona are on proud display at the Ulster Museum in Belfast. Not that you’ll give this a thought as you survey this fairy-tale landscape of hidden islands, coves and rocky caverns. For you may well be preoccupied by the whereabouts of a local giant called Finn: some say that they have witnessed the giant, who wears a size 47 shoe, disappearing through a concealed doorway in the rock face. It is believed that deep below, set within the cliffs, a vast chamber offers a place where a giant could enjoy uninterrupted sleep. Archaeologists, historians and giant experts converged on the scene after news of the incident spread, but despite rumours of ‘the unmistakable sound of snoring’ there were no sightings. According to the locals, all mythical creatures – giants, leprechauns and elves – hibernate during winter, so the best chance of eyeballing this former warrior is to visit once he’s woken up in spring and the warmer months.

Photo: Tony Webster

The route to Londonderry passes through villages and countryside scattered with sheep to the romantic ruin of Dunluce Castle, then on through Portrush and Portstewart before the Causeway Coastal Route heads towards Limavady, via Castlerock. If you can tear your eyes off the demands of the route, be sure to scour the cliff-tops for the glorious Mussenden Temple, a handsome folly inspired by the Temple of Vesta in Rome, Italy. The road begins to widen the closer you get to the walled city of Londonderry – the only entirely wall-encircled city in the British Isles. With its lively music, comedy and arts scene, this is the place to visit off-the-wall galleries, recitals and clubs in among its historic streets and 17th-century walls.

RING OF KERRY, IRELAND

The scenic Ring of Kerry drive brings road-trippers the delights of Ireland in a nutshell. For around the Iveragh Peninsula in south-west Ireland, this 179-kilometre (111-mile) circular route takes in rugged beaches, verdant coastal landscapes, green pasture, medieval ruins, seaside fishing villages and a rocky island topped by a handsome monastery. Ireland is a great country for a road trip and the Ring of Kerry is so full of scenic riches it is almost surreal. Though it can be driven in a day, most people base themselves in Killarney and relish the prospect of exploring ‘The Ring’, as its splendour gloriously unfolds, over a few days or a week.

From Killarney, the Ring of Kerry can be driven anti-clockwise, towards Kilorgling (the home of Puck Fair, the oldest traditional festival in Ireland), or clockwise, through the gorgeous Killarney National Park towards the walking, trekking and horse-riding country of Kenmare. I chose to head to Kenmare, to avoid the queues of tour buses that have to drive the anti-clockwise route because of the narrow roads. (I’d rather take my chances coming face-to-face with a tour bus barrelling towards me on a blind corner than be drearily stuck behind it, unable to see a thing: Killarney National Park boasts the most stunning scenery and it would be an absolute crime to miss it.)

Photo: Tony Webster

Spectacular rocks, shimmering lakes and mountain peaks in Killarney National Park meet thick, inky-green forests – it’s a beautiful 30-kilometre (18-mile) drive to Kenmare that makes the heart sing. In Kenmare, pick up the Ring of Kerry to Sneem and then follow it on towards the coast to Castlecove. If you’ve time, take the steep winding route to Staigue Fort for a hair-raising drive up to the rock-built fortifications through roads as skinny as string. The stretch to Caherdaniel is renowned for its dazzling beach views and they are every bit as magnificent as I’d been told: pale-gold sands and a sea the colour of sapphires set against emerald-green cliffs. Bridle-ways and footpaths loop the cliffs with views through flower-filled meadows down to soft sand. Here, in one of Ireland’s Gaeltacht regions where the Irish language remains in daily use, it is as if the crashing Atlantic waves have their own dialect. Soaring peaks and a ribbon of country roads weave through rolling pea-green meadows that have a myriad of trails for horses. To take a break from the car, I arranged to ride a fine Irish steed to sightsee part of the Atlantic Way from the saddle. Renowned for their stamina, versatility and gentleness, Irish horses are famous as proud, dependable and companionable, from the tall, placid Irish Draught and the spirited, intelligent Connemara to the energetic Irish Hunter, the elegant Piebald and the surefooted Irish Cob. Little wonder Ireland’s equine tradition has earned it the name ‘Land of the Horse’.

The Iveragh Peninsula can be ridden in an hour, half-day or full-day trek and there are several highly reputable stables nestled in the undulating countryside. Fossil-ridden hillsides, ancient stones and ruins are just some of the fascinating sights to be enjoyed. I hoped that my sojourn in the saddle would blow away some cobwebs, as I passed heather-clad hillocks, bird-scattered marshes and juicy pasture. My guide was a wind-weathered veteran of Irish horsemanship who now leads hacks for tourists through this fairy-tale land. I enjoyed a short cross-country canter through Ring of Kerry scenery denied to buses and cars, so I felt especially privileged. My horse of legendary Irish stock and I enjoyed instant camaraderie as we trotted through a meadow flecked with yellow flowers. Sculpted peaks, eerie crags and knotted trails dictated a gentler tempo so we ambled along enjoying Peninsula views of a rich, luminescent shade of green. If you’re keen to sightsee in the saddle, seek out A.I.R.E. (the Association of Irish Riding Stables) accreditation, Fáilte Ireland (The National Tourist Board) affiliation and membership of Equestrian Holidays Ireland for the ultimate horse-riding holiday pedigree. Most operators offer a range of handpicked horses to give riders a choice of breed, temperament, colour and size. Equipment and tack is part of the package (although you may prefer to pack your own worn-in helmet and boots) with rides ranging from steady treks along level trails to full-on exhilarating shoreline gallops before cooling off in the waves.

Back on four wheels, and magnificently windswept, the colour in my cheeks and the gleam in my eyes was one of invigoration. From Caherdaniel, I followed the signs to Waterville, a pretty town that forms the gateway to the 18-mile Skellig Ring – a picturesque route to explore if you’ve the time. From here, the route continues north through resplendent scenery up to Cahersiveen, Kells, Glenbeigh and up to Killorglin – a stretch of the Ring of Kerry likened to Tasmania in Australia with its rugged landscapes, rain-drenched lushness and beautiful beaches. This part of the Wild Atlantic Way is also the route for the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle (every July) and is also home to the world’s best long hike trail (210 kilometres/130 miles) – the Kerry Way. Mile for mile, there is a colossal amount of scenic wow from the mountainous spine that forms the geological backbone of the region, from its translucent glacial lakes and quaint stone-built Irish villages to the rolling green pasture, gigantic rocks and tumultuous Atlantic waves. Whichever way you do it – on foot, by bike, on horseback or in a car – the Iveragh Peninsula is a traveller’s joy. Road-trip in summer to make the most of the extended daylight hours to allow you to pootle along at an idle pace in the style of the laid-back locals.

SNAKE PASS, UNITED KINGDOM

As the name suggests, the Snake Pass writhes like a serpent tight against the Peak District’s ragged stone ledges. With its superb scenery and far-reaching views across the Pennines and parts of Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire, the Peak District spans over 555 square miles (1,437 square kilometres). Reaching 1,680 feet (510 metres) at its highest point, the route’s biggest thrill after a roller-coaster climb is the long twisting descent into Glossop. On a clear day, views extend to the metropolis of Manchester and beyond.

As the shortest route between two of the UK’s northern powerhouses, Manchester and Sheffield, the Snake Pass is part of the region’s rich heritage. There had been a road of sorts there since the Iron Age – or earlier. But the Snake Pass was a specially engineered route by Thomas Telford. The existing roughshod road needed to be upgraded, properly constructed and reinforced, and was opened in 1821 during the Industrial Revolution. Massive advances were being made UK-wide in terms of infrastructure, with canals, bridges, tunnels and railways all playing a part. Travel in this era revolved around packhorses, turnpike roads and coaching inns. Sheffield plate, steel and cutlery made in smoke-spewing foundries were in demand all over the country. Horses – kings of the road for well over 2,000 years – transported these goods out, bringing back commodities such as salt by return. Exports to America were booming and goods had to be carried faster and to sea ports for overseas shipment.

Snake Pass was built as a single stretch of road without any junctions, carved into the rock and climbing in a rising spiral. Cutting across moorland and rough grazing country, with regular milestones, it was touted as a money-saving short-cut. Cargo wagons travelled an average of 2 miles an hour; passenger wagons were speedier at 3 miles an hour (enough to cover 40 miles a day with a regular change of horses). In 1825, Royal Mail coaches were introduced, which had priority on the roads and achieved 12 miles an hour. The guards were armed with blunderbuss, pistols and cutlasses to protect against highway robbery.

Today, it is the scenery that steals your breath away with its beauty – or sheer fright. The unnerving twists, rapid elevation changes and adverse cambers are tricky to navigate with ease. Notwithstanding that, it is a road that should appear on every driving enthusiast’s bucket list, even though nowadays there are safer routes. Speed traps, bleating sheep gone walkabout, cyclists and hill-climbers are common hazards on this serpentine way. High accident rates have forced traffic on ‘The Snake’ to slow down, allowing full absorption in the majesty of the landscape, rather than missing it in a blur between bends.

Photo: Alan Murray-Rust

Photo: Tom Courtney