If you prefer a self guided walking holiday, you can create your own stunning itineraries using our intimate local knowledge and Ideas & Information Files, which document numerous superb itineraries of all grades, from easy walks to challenging high trails. We detail duration, ascent, degree of difficulty. We also include the relevant section of map. Each itinerary is complimented by an easy-to-carry Route Laminate, which you can borrow on a daily basis. Many guests end up doing a mix of organised walks and self guided walks, choosing day to day just as they wish. Via Ferrata enthusiasts can also self guide, using our Ideas & Information Files, which document up to 30 amazing routes.

In short, you do just as you wish, whatever your interests or level of fitness, either in the company of like-minded people on an organised walk, or independently on a self guided basis. Or a mix of both. Much of the idea is that people on holiday together but with different interests and fitness levels can enjoy the mountains in their own way without leaving their comfort zone. Naturally, it is also normal for couples and guests within the same party to enjoy the walks together.

Either way, by mid/late afternoon you and your party will be together and able to enjoy our enchanting mountain resorts, perhaps relaxing over a post-walk beer on the terrace of one of our delightful chalets or hotels, or taking a pre-dinner stroll around the interesting shops and charming cafes and bars that characterise our resorts. Then - at least for our half board and full board guests – you can enjoy an excellent three course dinner in the sociable company of other guests, before retiring to your comfortable en suite bedroom or perhaps strolling into the village for a nightcap. In such magical surroundings – and stimulated by unforgettable days out - it all makes for the walking holiday of a lifetime.

During the course of the season, we offer guests with specific interests three dedicated holiday packages (1) A Week of Wildflowers, Birds and Butterflies in the Picos de Europa with well-known naturalist, Teresa Farino in May (2) A 10 Day Mountain Flower Special in the Dolomites in June and (3) A Week on the GR11 in the Pyrenees in September. You can book onto these special holidays, whilst a non-participating partner can simultaneously enjoy a Collett’s Mountain & Walking Holiday in the normal way. You can find details of these holidays by clicking he link at the top of this page entitled dedicated packages.

planning your days at office hour

a relaxed and informal pre-dinner drink and a popular Collett's institution
join organised walks, plan self guided itineraries or book other alpine activities

Each early evening (except Wednesday, our day off) in each of our destinations - and somewhere close to where you will be staying (if not, at your actual accommodation), we host Office Hour. It is far more relaxed, informal and enjoyable than its name suggests. Indeed, many guests just drop in for a sociable drink to share their day’s experiences with friends, who may have been doing other things.

At Office Hour, you can chat with our walk organisers about the walks they are offering the following day. You can browse the relevant maps and they will help you decide if the walk is suitable for you. In the Dolomites, you can also chat with our flower walkers, artists and Via Ferrata team in case you should want to join them the following day.

If you are planning to self guide, you will benefit greatly from our intimate local knowledge, advice and opinions, not to mention our Ideas & Information Files, in which – as well as numerous outstanding walks (and, in the Dolomites, Via Ferrata), there are scenic drives, places of interest, bike routes and other interesting days out.

Over the years Office Hour has become one of the most popular features of a Collett’s walking holiday. Like-minded guests, stimulated by a wonderful day out, relax over a pre-dinner drink, whilst planning the next day.

Flora and fauna enthusiasts consult reference books and compare photographs. The more serious walkers plot unforgettable high level adventures. People sign up at their leisure to our organised walks (and Via Ferrata) – or book other activities. Nobody stands on a chair and calls for your attention as a group and no one will try and sell you anything. In short, another memorable day in the mountains slowly but surely takes shape.

Whatever it is you need, simply drop into Office Hour. It’s not compulsory – it’s just our way of helping you get the best from your time in an area, where there is so much to explore, see and do.

Accommodation & Travel

hosted chalets, hotels and self catering apartments
real hospitality, excellent food, sociable dinners
travel to us independently arriving and departing on the dates of your choice

We have accommodation to suit everyone. Our hosted chalets in the Italian Dolomites are much sought‐after. Here you can enjoy the comfort of attractive en suite bedrooms, stunning views and the self indulgence of warm and unassuming hospitality and excellent food, whilst also relaxing in the informal and friendly atmosphere of a ‘home from home.’

Dinner is one of the focal points of the day and you can enjoy a delicious three course supper (with wine included) at the same table as other guests. Fuelled by common interests, exhilarating days out in the mountains and the odd glass of wine (!), the atmosphere is easy, sociable and, frankly, charming.

Eating good food with free wine at shared tables with other Collett’s guests is also a feature of our wonderful hotel accommodation in the Picos de Europa and the Pyrenees. Both the Posada El Corcal in the Picos and the Hotel Sabocos in the Pyrenees are three star gems in glorious settings, run by families you cannot fail to be endeared to. The ever‐present smile of Abelardo, owner of the Hotel Sabocos in Panticosa, will alone be a lasting memory for guests staying in the Pyrenees.

In the Dolomites, we also feature two exquisite mountain hotels, where the food is outstanding and the care and hospitality shown to guests is heartwarming. Here guests eat at their own independent tables in the normal way.

In each of our three destinations, we have superb self catering options, standard and superior.

Travel - With Collett’s you can arrive and depart on the dates of your choice - travelling independently to our destinations as you please. Because of their geography, having your own car is essential in the Picos and highly recommended in the Pyrenees. In the Dolomites, having your own car is not essential, although it guarantees you complete flexibility and choice during your stay and on your days of arrival and departure. There are notes concerning transport on the travel pages of each destination.

Many guests fly-drive to our destinations and Collett's can offer you a car hire package that is comprehensive, competitive and safe. Simply ask us for a quote. Self-driving is also popular. For guests coming to the Picos and Pyrenees via Santander and Bilbao, we offer a 10% discount with Brittany Ferries.

Guests coming to the Dolomites without a car can use our daily airport transfer service to and from Venice and Treviso, whilst in the Pyrenees, we offer a once weekly transfer from Lourdes and Pau on a Saturday.

Having read this page, I hope you find it all appealing. If so, please delve further into the site and find out more. Or call us on 01799 513331 if you would prefer to talk to a person who knows our destinations and our holidays intimately. Or click here and we will send you our beautiful brochure in the first class post today.

Below there is a map and some extra information about our organised walks, Via Ferrata, our self guiding and various other alpine activities.. Otherwise, by browsing the site by destination, you will discover exactly what's on offer in each one. Our destinations can be found at the top of each of our webpages.

In any event, thank you for your interest in Collett's and we hope to see you in the mountains soon.

More about our organised walks, other walks and via ferrata

easy, moderate and high level walks
flower walks, watercolour walks
via Ferrata itineraries, World War I Walks,
Glacier Treks and other alpine activities.

Whether you stay with us in the Dolomites, Pyrenees or Picos de Europa, the walks are breathtaking and our accommodation options excellent. Stunning wildflower-strewn pastures, picturesque ‘step-back-in-time’ hamlets and woodland trails are a lower level feature of all three destinations. Simultaneously, they all offer magnificent options for the adventurous high level walker, who seeks a succession of more demanding all-day walks on high and awe-inspiring terrain. Then, of course, there are the celebrated Via Ferrata in the Dolomites with their fixed cables, ladders and gorge-spanning bridges. Wherever you choose to go, expect the walking holiday of a lifetime, whether you choose to walk with like-minded guests on walks organised by us or you prefer to self guide.

daily organised easier/moderate & high level walks

dolomites, pyrenees and picos de europa
free of charge & optional - not Wednesdays or Saturdays

Five days a week (not Wednesdays or Saturdays) we offer both a harder high level walk and an easier/moderate level walk in all our destinations. Each of these will expose you to the most glorious mountain scenery. We set out shortly after breakfast with a packed lunch, usually returning to the village mid to late afternoon. We stop at intervals to admire views, take refreshments, eat lunch etc. We might drop into one of our favourite mountain huts, which are interspersed throughout the mountains. N.B. Such is the geography of the Pyrenees, our easier/moderate walks are generally harder than those in the Dolomites and Picos.

daily flower walks

dolomites
free of charge & optional - not Wednesdays or Saturdays

Our destinations boast some of Europe’s most celebrated floral sites and, wherever you choose to go, you will see thriving rare species and a staggering explosion of colour. Five days a week (not Weds. or Sats.), you can join our flower specialists on dedicated flower walks. These are available in the Dolomites throughout June and July. We do not offer flower walks in the Pyrenees or Picos de Europa, but we can assure you that our moderate walks in June, when the flora is at its best, will be an absolute pleasure for the casual botanist.

daily organised via ferrata

two options per day - dolomites
free of charge & optional - not Wednesdays or Saturdays

The Dolomites is the world’s premier Via Ferrata destination and five days a week Collett’s offers you the choice of two different Via Ferrata, one being more demanding than the other, both sensational. There is a Via Ferrata presentation every Sunday and Thursday evening, followed the next day by an opportunity to do the ‘Cirspitze’ just above Corvara, which is recognised as a good introduction to Via Ferrata. Click here to visit our Via Ferrata page.

self guiding

dolomites, pyrenees and picos de europa
ideas, information and itineraries
unrivalled local knowledge
free of charge & optional - not Wednesdays or Saturdays

In our destinations, Collett’s has developed and nurtured an unrivalled local knowledge. We have documented many walks, from idyllic strolls to challenging high trails – not to mention numerous Via Ferrata, scenic drives, places of interest and other interesting days out. If you choose to walk independently, our intimate local knowledge is always at hand, notably at Office Hour, a popular Collett’s institution which takes place in each of our destinations in the late afternoon / early evening – see below. Dotted around our properties you will find Ideas & Information files, in which we propose many stunning itineraries under headings, such as 5 Easy Walks, 5 Classic High Level Walks etc. We detail duration, ascent, degree of difficulty. We also include the relevant section of map. Each itinerary is complimented by an easy-to-carry Route Laminate, which you can borrow on a daily basis.

other outdoor options, other activities

painting

In the Dolomites five days a week throughout the season, the informal tuition of our resident artist is available in the Dolomites throughout the season five days a week and free of charge so you can while away a few hours in an idyllic spot, rife with subject matter, armed with watercolours and a packed lunch. Just drop into Office Hour and you can chat with our resident artist to find out what’s on offer day to day.

war walks

In the Dolomites each Wednesday at a cost of €15 you can join a fascinating WWI walk with Isabelle Johnson, a local historian. This walk is popular and needs to be pre-booked by you before your holiday. Click here for details.

glacier treks and summit ascents

In the Dolomites every Tuesday, you can trek the Marmolada glacier with a mountain guide, whilst on a Friday the same guide will accompany you to the summit via the West Ridge on the renowned and exposed Via Ferrata. Both these glacier itineraries need to be pre-booked before your holiday. Click here for details of our glacier itineraries.

other alpine activities

Collett’s can also help you participate in a host of activities that are generally supplied locally by third parties, such as swimming, horseriding, mountain biking, tennis, golf, high ropes, sport climbing, overnighting in mountain huts, whitewater rafting, canyoning, paragliding etc. If such activities are of specific interest, simply drop into Office Hour and we can help you with book the relevant arrangements.

where to find collett’s walking holiday destinations