“Vagabond is classic travel writing at its finest… Mark takes you on a journey through the heart of Spain which is rich in detail and bursting with life.” – Sir Ranulph Fiennes
One of National Geographic Traveller’s top six travel reads for 2024
This incredible true story of one man’s 1,225-km hike across the Iberian Peninsula is a celebration of rural Spain along the road less travelled
Inspired by a nomadic “vagabundo“ he met decades ago, Mark eschews the fast pace of modern life and sets off on a solo hike 1,225 km across the Iberian Peninsula – from Gibraltar in the far south to Estaca de Bares, Spain’s most northerly tip – carrying just a backpack and a hammock.
Hiking through sleepy siesta-hour plazas, shady cork forests and heat-shimmering plains, the hours would be long, dusty and hot. But, as Mark passes through the many small villages and communities en route, his trek comes to be characterized most of all by the sharing of stories, the true kindness of strangers, and the unbridled freedom of the open road.
Recounting Mark’s fascinating nomadic journey through Spain, including Extremadura, its least-visited region, Vagabond is a homage to the disappearing lifestyle of the vagabundo, as well as a celebration of rural Spain and its forgotten communities. It reminds us of the value of slowing down and finding connection with others, and the beauty that can be found in taking life one step at a time.
One of National Geographic Traveller’s top six travel reads for 2024
This incredible true story of one man’s 1,225-km hike across the Iberian Peninsula is a celebration of rural Spain along the road less travelled
Inspired by a nomadic “vagabundo“ he met decades ago, Mark eschews the fast pace of modern life and sets off on a solo hike 1,225 km across the Iberian Peninsula – from Gibraltar in the far south to Estaca de Bares, Spain’s most northerly tip – carrying just a backpack and a hammock.
Hiking through sleepy siesta-hour plazas, shady cork forests and heat-shimmering plains, the hours would be long, dusty and hot. But, as Mark passes through the many small villages and communities en route, his trek comes to be characterized most of all by the sharing of stories, the true kindness of strangers, and the unbridled freedom of the open road.
Recounting Mark’s fascinating nomadic journey through Spain, including Extremadura, its least-visited region, Vagabond is a homage to the disappearing lifestyle of the vagabundo, as well as a celebration of rural Spain and its forgotten communities. It reminds us of the value of slowing down and finding connection with others, and the beauty that can be found in taking life one step at a time.
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Reviews
Vagabond is classic travel writing at its finest, brimming with history, character and the spirit of adventure. Mark takes you on a journey through the heart of Spain which is rich in detail and bursting with life.
Vagabond is a must-read for anyone with even the barest interest in hammocks, hiking and exploring Spain on foot. With an original writer, and replete with interesting material and encounters, this book is a genuine adventure over 1,200 km, walked in the high heat of summer. What's not to like?
Mark's account of his epic trek is a super-rich, immensely readable portrait of a country where modern life drips with the ghosts of centuries past. I felt like I was with him every step of the way - only without the agonising blisters.
Mark Eveleigh is travel writer who enjoys a natural affinity with the places he visits and the people he meets. This is particularly in evidence in Vagabond, with Mark taking us with him on a remarkable journey that is almost as memorable for the reader as it was for him.
Mark's is a proper journey, whose every step and back step is recounted in detail and drama. Frank and funny in parts, Vagabond is a free-roaming love letter to Spain.
A wonderful account of the kind of journey most of us dream about but never dare to make. A vivid and vivacious account of walking across Spain.
Like a latter-day Laurie Lee, Mark Eveleigh takes us on a compelling journey from Gibraltar to Spain's most northerly tip. Staying true to his original travels as a young man, he sleeps rough, and, in doing so, gets under the skin of the Iberian Peninsula in an engaging and delightful way. Vagabond is packed full of colourful observations and amusing characters met en route. A highly entertaining read.
A pilgrimage with no particular purpose, yet that's the vagabundo way. Eveleigh takes a backpack and a sharp eye to the dusty trails of Spain. It's a drifter's delight.
From cover to cover it's a joy to witness the way in which this country's rich culture envelops our traveller, intrigues him, delights him, exhausts him but is also looking out for him. It left me thinking that the world would be a better place if everyone dropped out slightly and took a long walk in Spain.
Mark is a true embodiment of what an explorer should be.