7 h. ago A wild walk along Spain’s empty coast – where the desert meets the sea

Saved from tourist development by a ‘favourite daughter of Andalucía’, Cabo de Gata is a spectacular national park perfect for an adventure on footIf you study a map of Spain, in the south-east corner you’ll see a strip of empty space along the edge of the Mediterranean. It contains no major towns and barely any roads. Its coastline is equally barren – no ports or resorts; just a few tiny villages tucked away in intriguingly named coves – “raven”, “coal”, “bitter water”. This patch of emptiness is the Cabo de Gata-Níjar national park, a protected haven of desert wilderness on the edge of Europe.Having been forced to cancel an expedition to the Algerian Sahara earlier in the year, this park appears to be the answer to my yearning for the arid warmth and stark beauty of desert travel. Zooming in on the satellite view, a network of paths appears, suggesting a walking route of around 40 miles (64km) – from the Cabo itself, up the coast, along the cliffs, to the beach town of Agua Amarga...

Politics

6 d. ago RSPCA puts out plea after bucket of dead puppies were found buried at allotment site and dogs' bodies were discovered dumped in separate counties just days apart

The seven dead puppies were found at the allotment site after they were dug up by a wild animal at the Grovebury Walk allotments, in Beaumont Leys, Leicester.

Events

6 d. ago RSPCA puts out plea after bucket of dead puppies found buried at allotment site and dogs' bodies found dumped in separate counties days apart

The seven dead puppies were found at the allotment site after they were dug up by a wild animal at the Grovebury Walk allotments, in Beaumont Leys, Leicester.

Events

6 d. ago Kate Humble’s ‘Welsh wonderland’ wild walk that will really take you off the beaten track

The BBC presenter said she felt like a 'shrinking Alice' in her 'Welsh Wonderland'

Politics

2 w. ago Show us your mussels! A mouthwatering trip to Vigo, Spain’s seafood capital

The Galician city on the Atlantic coast has the EU’s largest fishing port, which provides its many bars and restaurants with a spectacular trawl of oysters, clams and musselsRocks thrashed by Atlantic waves have famously bestowed names such as “end of the world” and “coast of death” on Galicia, Spain’s north-western region. But there is a calmer, more intimate side to this coastline, that of the many rias (inlets). Legend has it that they resulted from the imprint of God’s hand when he made the world, and, temptingly, they nurture superlative shellfish. This lures me to Vigo, the largest fishing port in the EU, which spills down a hillside into a sheltered estuary lined with marinas, industrial docks, jetties, a fishing port and a cruise terminal.The magic formula is the combination of fresh river water and salty seawater, which creates a nutrient-rich paradise for succulent crustaceans and cephalopods. I soon learn, too, that Vigueses are joined at the hip to the sea – and have bee...

Politics

3 w. ago Woodland walk with blossoms and wild garlic near quiet Welsh village that ends with a seriously good Sunday lunch

If you walk this trail in spring, prepare for a sensory overload: swathes of wild garlic burst through the undergrowth

Politics