Many people consider completing world-famous walking paths to be a bucket-list item. Walking enthusiasts will travel the world to complete these enormous walks, whether negotiating Italy’s picturesque Path of the Gods on the Amalfi Coast, walking the famed four-day Inca path, or climbing Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Add Catbells in the Lake District to that illustrious list as the best trek in Europe. The popular circular route is ranked in the top 20 globally, considerably ahead of the three mentioned here (ranked 18th, 30th, and 35th, respectively).
The truly magnificent route passes through some of the most spectacular scenery in the region, including the shores of Derwentwater. The top of Cat Bells rewards you with sweeping views of the Lake District fells.
The walk received excellent marks on various expert-set criteria, including length (distance), elevation, duration, weather, and “Instagrammability.”
The beautiful Perito Moreno Glacier Trail in Argentina is ranked first worldwide, followed by the Hooker Valley Track in New Zealand and America’s Scenic Drive in Zion National Park, Utah.
More information regarding the methodology and grading system for the survey, which was performed by Explore Worldwide, can be found here.
There are various circular routes available, varying in length from three miles (1.5 hours) to nine miles (four hours) and difficulty. This one is around 3.5 miles long and takes about three hours to complete, with some hard uphill portions and scrambling.
The Route
Parking: Keswick Rugby Club, Crow Park Road (92 parking spots)
Shuttle bus: From July 23 to September 4, Stagecoach operates a half-hourly service between Keswick and Catbells.
1. Take the route to the road that leads away from the lake (Derwentwater). Cross the livestock grid and walk about 50 metres. The trail will leave the road and climb the main breast of Skelgill Bank in a steep zig-zag pattern. The trail will then level off before steepening again all the way to Cat Bells’ peak. Certain portions may demand you to scramble, but they should not be too difficult.
2. Descend south to Hawes Gate saddle. Make your way down the steep route to your left (East) from Hawes Gate, where four trails intersect. Follow the path down and then turn left into a conifer tree plantation. You’ll come to a main trail that leads downhill, following a dry stone wall to the road. After about 50 yards, turn left and walk down to the shoreline at Brandelhow Bay, past the ancient lead mine.
4. Return to the start point at Hawse End on the western beaches of Derwentwater by following the lakeside route through the forested line, past High Brandelhow Landing stage and then Low Brandelhow.
Keswick is worth a visit
If you want to tackle the Catbells circle, the charming market town of Keswick is the perfect spot to stay. The lakeside town is bordered by mountainous fells and is a beautiful place to stay overnight, with a variety of lodging options, including The Skiddaw Hotel.
From premier campsites and glamping pods to guest houses, rural estates, historical residences, and luxury hotels, there is something for everyone. Its market is well recognised for being one of the country’s oldest, going back to over 700 years. The pedestrianised Keswick Market Square allows customers to visit kiosks offering anything from shoes and tools to artwork and fresh fruit.
The Theatre by the Lake in Keswick was once characterised as “the most beautifully located and friendly theatre in England” by the Independent. It was opened in 1999 on the shores of Derwentwater Lake, and despite its remote location, it is only a short walk from the town core.
Whinlatter Forest, The Lakes Distillery, Keswick Climbing Wall, Wildlife Park, Puzzling Place, Theatre By the Lake, Derwent Pencil Museum, and Castlerigg Stone Circle are among prominent tourist sites.
The world’s best walking routes
- The Perito Moreno Glacier Trail, located near El Calafate, Santa Cruz, Argentina.
- Scenic Drive, Zion National Park, Springdale, Utah, USA Hooker Valley Track, Canterbury, New Zealand
- The Continental Divide Trail, NM 547 in Grants, New Mexico, USA.
- Lower Yosemite Falls Trail, Yosemite Valley, California, United States of America
- Carnarvon Gorge, Carnarvon Park in Queensland, Australia.
- Colca Canyon: Cabanaconde – Llahuar, Arequipa, Peru
- Wineglass Bay, Tasmania, Australia.
- B’nei Hamoshavim Ascension Loop, Ein Gedi, Israel
- Loop from Jaffa Port to St Peter’s Church, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Baker’s Falls Loop from Ohiya to Horton Plains National Park and World’s End, Sri Lanka
- Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA, South Kaibab Trail to Ooh Aah Point
- Okatse Canyon Loop from Banchueti, Bolivia Georgia
- Western Wall, Jerusalem, as seen from the Jerusalem Loop Israel
- Catbells Circular, Lake District, Cumbria, United Kingdom
- The Piatra Craiului Ridge Walk in Magura, Brasov County, Transylvania, Romania.
- Cotapaxi, Mejia, Cotopaxi, Ecuador, Mirador Loop
- The Way of the Gods, Bomerano, Campania Italy
- Madeira, Balcony Trail Portugal
- Chepstow, Monmouthshire to Prestatyn, Denbighshire, UK Offa’s Dyke Trail
- Guyana: Kaieteur Falls, Chenapau, Potaro-Siparuni
- Tbilisi, Kvemo Kartli, Georgia: Birtvisi Canyon Viewpoint and Ruins Hike
- Tepoztlan, Mexico, El Tepozteco
- The Grand Canyon Track in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia.
- Shulamit-Quelle Loop, Israel Berber Villages, Atlas Mountains, Asni, Marrakesh-Tensift-El Haouz, Morocco
- Montfort Castle Loop from, Upper Galilee, Robberg Peninsula, Plettenberg Bay, South Africa Israel
- Table Mountain National Park, Cape Town, South Africa, Cecilia Waterfall through Cecilia Forest
- Aguas Calientes, Peru, Inca Trail (Mollepata).
- La Paz, Bolivia, Huayna Potosi
- The Grampians, Halls Gap, Victoria, Australia, Mt Rosea Loop
- Dschelada Gich Pavian Loop, Simien National Park, Ethiopia
- Besi Sahar, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal
- Arusha, Tanzania, Kilimanjaro, Lemosho Route
A former British Military Officer, Eddie went on to study History and then Journalism at Sheffield Hallam University. A keen outdoorsman, he has co-written several books on Outdoor Survival and Wild Camping. Now living in Penrith, Ed is a keen fellrunner.
