Elderhostels Answer For Some Seniors
Q. My friend and I are senior citizens and we’re interested in finding a tour that would include walking, sightseeing and/or other activities. All the walking tours I’ve read about are for younger people, who can walk 8 to 10 miles a day.
We are not inactive. We walk 2 to 3 miles a few times a week, swim and play tennis and golf, even though we’re in our 70s. We would like to get away to a cooler climate in the summer either in the States or in Europe. Do you have any suggestions?
A. You sound like Elderhostelers to me. This big organization for over-55s has programs all over the world, and although many are study-travel courses based at colleges and conducted by professors, others feature hiking, golf, biking, canoeing, foliage hikes and other active pursuits. These could be in mountain camps, forest cabins, park lodges or on a ship.
Because of the generous exchange rate currently available north of the border, you might like some of the Canada programs. In Alberta, for example, programs with Rocky Mountain Hiking involve ecology, geology, whitewater rafting, mountaineering and hiking. Descriptions of each program specify the physical conditioning needed, such as “Participants should be fit and ready for daily hikes on mountain trails.” These programs do consider the limitations of us old geezers, however: no 8-10 miles-per-day trudges. There are hundreds of programs on every continent but Antarctica.
Prices for programs are modest, and I think you’ll enjoy the interesting mix of seniors who’ll be your classmates.
Catalogs, free of charge, are divided into Canada/United States and International, which cover the rest of the world. You can check the latest catalogs at a public library; request them from Elderhostel, 75 Federal St., Boston MA 02110-1941; or find them on the Web at www.elderhostel.org.
Q. We are planning a trip to Torremolinas on Spain’s Costa Del Sol for a month. We would like to travel overnight to Portugal. Are there any trains from Malaga or other nearby cities to Portugal? Or what other possibilities are there? We heard it is very mountainous to drive.
A. No single train runs directly from Malaga to Portugal. Etyanet Martin with the Spanish tourism office advises that you should go northwest to Seville, then take another train or bus to Huelva, a Spanish town near the Portuguese border. “Buses are best on this route,” she advises. “Buses are high quality, roads are good and so scenic, better than the views from a train. You ride past lovely olive plantations and orange groves, and see white hill towns.” (Villages with all-white buildings).
With good scenery and interesting Spanish cities along the way, I’d advise you to forget the “overnight” idea and take two or more days for this trip.
As for driving, Martin said that although there are mountainous stretches on coastal roads, the highways are good inland from Malaga to Seville, on to Huelva and into Portugal’s Algarve region. Divided highways, some toll and some free, are found over the entire route as far as Huelva. After a narrower national highway stretch to the border, a divided highway runs across most of southern Portugal.
Seville is a delightful city to visit, and Huelva, capital of the province of Andalusia, has Christopher Columbus links that are worth a look. The three-ship Columbus fleet sailed in 1492 from a port eight miles from Huelva, and Huelva celebrates the anniversary with a festival early each August.
Martin sent me a pack of brochures pertaining to your plans, brochures on Seville and Huelva and a good road map, all of which you can request from the Tourist Office of Spain, 1221 Brickell Ave., Miami FL 33131, call (305) 358-1992. For Portugal, contact the Portuguese National Tourist Office, 590 Fifth Ave., New York NY 10036, call (800) 767-8842. For train information, call Rail Europe toll-free at (888) 382-7245.
There is no central place to get bus information, Martin said, but the tourist information centers in Seville and other cities can provide that information as you go.