If you reject any exercise more strenuous than an absent-minded wander, you can now claim to be part of the slow travel movement.
Taking part in a walking festival is affordable, sociable and (depending on how much of the local specialities you sample) good for you - for no money and very little effort, you can holiday in the easiest way possible, and pretend you're simply choosing not to flit to the Maldives this month for environmental reasons.
There are countless walking festivals springing up all over the country – here's our pick of the forthcoming options in the UK and Ireland (and even one in Jersey).
England
Isle of Wight Walking Festival, May 3-18: Drawing a crowd of 15,000 each year, the Isle of Wight has a themed walk for every taste – from ghost walks, pub walks and pram walks to tea party walks. And in case you prefer something even more niche, you can join the "romantic walk for single dog owners", which is so popular that booking ahead is essential. There's also the Speed Dating Walk, although hopefully it's not too strenuous an outing – as red-faced panting might be desirable in a relationship at some point, but not on a preamble.
· isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk/
Ullswater Walking Festival, Lake District, May 10-18: Obviously a popular year-round walking destination, but the Ullswater festival pulls together a range of varied and challenging guided walks for all levels. There are also a number of mountain biking training sessions for beginners, with bikes provided free of charge, and there's the Women's Introduction to Navigation, which offers practical map-reading and compass skills. Throw in a photography walk and some of the UK's most stunning scenery and you're set for a great getaway.
The South and Heart of Suffolk walking festival, May 10-26:
More than 40 guided walks for a variety of fitness levels. Nearly half are accessible for prams and wheelchairs, and the vast majority are either free, or less than a fiver (the more expensive walks usually include admission to an attraction). Highlights include a Constable-themed walk, taking in the settings of some of the artist's most famous paintings.
· southandheartofsuffolk.org.uk
Wales
Prestatyn walking festival, Denbighshire, May 9-11: Many festivals have one-off themed walks, but Prestatyn goes one better, having a giant theme for the whole thing: "The Romans in north-east Wales". Under this heading, treks include "A Saint, a Goblin Stone and a Sacred Hill", "The Lost Roman City Varae" and (somewhat bafflingly off-theme, but appealing nonetheless) "007 Adventure Walk".
· prestatynwalkingfestival.co.uk
Barmouth Festival of Walking, Gwynedd, September 20-28: If it's a challenge you're after, head to Barmouth and take on the nine-mile Rhinog Fach and Y Llethr walk – so hardcore they had to invent a new category of difficulty classification for it (A+ rather than the now tame sounding A). The walk takes in the most impressive peaks of the Rhinogydd Mountains as you climb to Bwlch Drws Ardudwy, then a further steep climb to the summit of Rhinog Fach, a slight dip to Llyn Hywel and a final descent to Y Llethr, the highest peak of the range at a height of 2,477 feet.
· barmouthwalkingfestival.co.uk
Scotland
Newton Stewart Walking Festival, Dumfries and Galloway, May 9-15: Newton Stewart's annual event (the biggest walking festival in the south of Scotland) has a GPS workshop as part of its evening programme, which also includes a film show, ceilidh and wildlife presentation. The festival's also a great way to discover the largely unspoilt, 2,000ft-plus peaks of the region, which have names like The Awful Hand and The Dungeon Range.
Crieff and Strathearn's Drovers' Tryst, October 11-18: Time to party like it's 1699 – this annual event (slogan: "Let's Tryst Again") in Perthshire celebrates the lives of "the people who made Crieff the crossroads of Scotland in the 1700s". Now in its seventh year, the festival (which aims to be carbon-neutral) "seeks to recreate the atmosphere of the droving days - without the inconvenience of 30,000 cattle" and offers Nordic walking and navigation classes, photographic walks, bagging Munros and rambling through the glens, plus the opportunity to kick up your heels at a ceilidh. The main event is the disturbing-sounding "Hairy Coo" – actually a mountain biking challenge covering many of the drove roads – followed by a huge barn dance.Ireland
West Cork Walking Festival, Co Cork, May 16-18: A small but enticing event in the beautiful surrounds of West Cork, the festival is based in the areas of Bantry, Sheep's Head Way and Whiddy Island. On a variety of walks you might discover anything from the ruins of a 16th-century church, to pre-famine burial grounds, to relics of the early Bronze Age. Don't miss the kickoff event – the opening night party in the Bantry Bay Hotel.
· westcork.ie
Mourne International Walking Festival, Newcastle, Co Down, June 27-29: Start working on your sore feet lyrics now, because you'll need them by the end of a day's walking in the Mourne mountains. Each evening walkers return from a variety of 10-40km routes, and enjoy a few pints and a knees-up of traditional Irish music.
Jersey
Spring Walking Week, May 17-24: Foodies will find themselves in heaven when joining a Spring Walking Week Food Trail outing. A celebration of Jersey's range of delicacies, the walks will focus on oyster fishing, hens, Jersey Royal potatoes, wine estates and cheese production. More active participants can take the full five-day Around Island challenge, exploring beaches, headlands, castles and ancient burial chambers.
