I love the internet – you meet the most interesting people.  I have just connected with Isabel the owner of Lesbianas Viajeras, (Lesbian Travelers) . She is a young lesbian enterpreneur who has lived for years in different cities such as Paris, Madrid and New York. In her personal experiences around the world, she has realized of the desire of gay women to join and share travelling and friendship, group activities, etc Read more

Ceridwyn Parr reviews  A Slow Walk Across Spain: Walking the Camino de Santiago by Karen Manwaring
Published by Watermelon Press 2010

In 2008 I took a short walk at the top of Spain – 115km over 6 days, on the historical Camino to Santiago on the north west tip of Spain.  The moment I arrived in the ancient cobbled city of Santiago, I knew I would have to go again. And do the whole 1000km next time. Now I have found the perfect book to prepare me for the second trip, so I won’t get lost, and I won’t get the terrible shin splints which took me staggering into the cathedral in Santiago. Read more

Karen Manwaring writes of her journey across Spain walking the Camino de Santiago – the Pilgrims Way, and of the book she published to help others on the journey

Karen’s website is www.caminocalling.com

‘Camino’ is Spanish for ‘way’ or ‘path’ and ‘Santiago’ translates from the Spanish as ‘Saint’ (Sant) ‘James’ (Iago). There are many Caminos de Santiago -  pilgrimage routes that begin in France, Italy, Belgium, England and beyond. Some are still clearly marked and walked by modern pilgrims, although most are not as busy as they were in medieval times. However, the Camino Frances, across Northern Spain has just about surpassed its medieval popularity. Read more

A solo tour mostly around the Atlas Mountains

Jill Lundmark – solo woman cyclist – 728 km (452 miles) over 64 days

I was excited about going to Morocco and hoped some people would speak English. I’d felt isolated in Spain. Outside my hotel the market was going full blast. The fruit and vegetables looked superb arranged in piles, just a riot of colour. I got some bread and bananas then went looking for the tourist information. They directed me to the ferry ticket offices. The fare to Tangier was 32 euro for me and the same for the bike one way. I’d been carrying my bike up to my room in the hotels and was well versed in manouvering it so I did’nt think it was odd to get a lift up to the waiting room for foot passengers when of course it was a vehicle and belonged with the cars. I didn’t realise until I handed my ticket to the officer and he said ‘Where’s your bike?’ ‘Here.’ He led me to the window and said I had to hurry to get it in line with the cars. Read more

Over a period of 25 years Lyn Baker has taken over 1000 women on small group tours in India with her company Tiger Travel. She has just launched a new business Senoritas in the Sun – small groups of women enjoying the South of Spain. Women Travel caught Lyn between trips and interviewed her about her passion for India and more recently for Andalucia Spain Read more

So many to choose from – that is the only problem…

Accommodation Options:

Women Travel the World websites lists 6 options in the South of Spain – from the fabulous women only Diva Espana (I have stayed there, and would gladly have stayed longer) to a new listing near Almeria that offers horse riding as part of the package. Search

Tour Options

The Women Travel the World website Tour Calendar lists tours for women – most of them are women only and cater especially for women travellers.  There are walking, writing courses, painting, horse riding, and riding and writing courses

Women Tour Companies

What are we waiting for….

You are still on time to join Women on Tour on a very special break in the sun. We’ll be spending a few days relaxing, learning useful writing tips and enjoying the sunny Andalucian countryside. Read more

Through a comment on this blog, I have just been introduced to another great women’s tour company called Women on Tour.

This UK based company is for women and run by women – the have some great trips to Barcelona, Istanbul – meditation workshops, creative writing and drawing, walking in Spain and more. They are also looking always for new travel guides – perhaps that is you?

Our all-female company was set up to offer you the possibility of exploring new avenues in friendly and safe company. It is our experience that when choosing to travel alone – because of incompatible diaries with our friends or the need of independent travel or the simple freedom of not having to fall in with other people’s preferences – we’ve felt at times pulled between the need for adventure and exploration and the need for security and companionship.

As women travelling alone, we found that the prospect of having to wine and dine in the hotel every night of our stay or of feeling at times uncomfortable in unfamiliar circumstances could eventually dampen our plans.

It was these observations that first inspired us to facilitate a safe and relaxed environment for women to enjoy new experiences, to explore, whether it is outwards or inwards, whether they are travelling alone or accompanied.

Today, Women On Tour is an on-going project that follows a simple premise: to provide the opportunity of bringing together women from a wide spectrum to exchange knowledge and expand their horizons.

“Where are the men?” This was clearly the unspoken thought of many who watched the five of us toss the ropes and maneuver our Barge through the locks on the Canal du Midi in Southern France. We were the only crew of women on the canal and when on the last day we steered our way through the famous seven locks at Beziers, the crowds that come to watch this spectacle gave us a round of applause for our efforts. Read more

We have left Santiago de Compostela and I have also finished the Pray section of Liz Gilbert’s Eat Love Pray. She writes “I believe that all the world’s religions share, at their core, a desire to find a transporting metaphor.”

This metaphor of journey, of the hope and possibility of change, of openness to being and learning along the way seems very vivid as well as being also very matter of fact, here in Spain and Portugal. Read more