CNN —
In travel news this week, new hiking programs in Italy, America’s best restaurants and chefs and how to bear-proof your picnic.
Hiking in Italy
The Proclaimers were willing to walk 500 miles for their dream, but the under-35s only have to embark on a 500-kilometer (311-mile) walking route to qualify for three nights’ free accommodation in Sardinia, Italy.
The “Leg’s go in Cammino” initiative (yes, they really went with that pun) is to encourage hikers to try the historic Santa Barbara mining trail, which is broken down in 16 stages and takes about a month to complete. Expect cliffs, caves, forests, beaches, waterfalls and ancient sites. The accommodation vouchers are valid from September 15 to the end of the year, so start planning now.
If you only have a week to spare, a new seven-day walking trail has been launched around Italy’s spectacular Dolomites mountain range. The Cammino Retico is a 170-kilometer circular route that connects 10 villages and allows visitors to enjoy the country’s unspoiled bucolic delights.