Slovak Paradise · Slovakia
4 Days Hiking and Camping in the Slovak Paradise
Just a few hours away lies a different kind of wonder—the Slovak Paradise National Park, known for its unique system of ladders, catwalks, and canyon routes. Instead of high peaks, this region offers narrow gorges carved by rivers, moss-covered rock walls, and forests that feel enchanted. Popular hikes like Suchá Belá or Piecky take you through waterfalls, wooden bridges, and vertical ladders that turn the journey into an adventure rather than a simple walk. The cool, shaded canyons make it an ideal summer escape, while the park’s extensive trail network offers plenty of variety for multiple days of exploration.
ACTIVITY OVERVIEW
📏 Distance
xxxkm/xxmi
⏱️ Duration
xxx days
⛰️ Highest point
x,xxxm /xxxft
📈 Elevation
x,xxxm/xxxft
🗓 Best Season
Late xxx – September
ESTIMATED COSTS
🚌 Transfers
~xx EUR
⛺ Pitches
~xx EUR
🍦 Food
~xx-xx EUR per day
What to Expect
in the Slovak Paradise
The GR131 on Fuerteventura promises wide-open terrain, volcanic geology and long distances between shade. But do keep in mind that this is not a lush trail, but it’s still deeply atmospheric, especially at sunrise and sunset.
🌋 Suchá Belá Gorge
The most famous route, featuring ladders, metal steps, and waterfalls in a narrow canyon.
🌋 Piecky Gorge
A quieter alternative to Suchá Belá with tall vertical ladders, waterfalls and narrow rocky passages.
🌋 Veľký Sokol Gorge
The longest and most remote gorge in the Slovak Paradise with amazing journey through waterfalls, towering canyon walls, ladders and forest scenery.
🌋 Hornád Gorge
A signature walk following the Hornád River along a thrilling route of suspended walkways, footbridges, and ladders beneath dramatic limestone cliffs.
🏛️ Tomášovský Výhľad
A spectacular viewpoint perched above the Hornád River, offering one of the best panoramas in Slovak Paradise.
🗺️ Trail Maps & Navigation
Full route overview with key waypoints and navigation information.
⚠️ The maps provided on this website are intended as a general guide only. Conditions, routes, and features may change at any time. Always rely on your own judgement and seek local or professional advice if possible.
🧭 Navigation Tips
Download offline maps before you go — cell signal is unreliable.
Carry a physical map as backup — batteries die in cold weather.
Note key safety locations and emergency shelter options for each stage.
Check weather and trail conditions the evening before each stage.
Preparation
in Poprad
0
Getting to Slovakia
✈️ Fly
The most convenient airport to get to the Slovak Paradise is Poprad-Tatry Airport located a short 10min car journey from central Poprad.
€60-€150
Transport to Poprad
🚕 Ride Sharing
Bolt is a great balance between price and connivence.
~5-10 EUR · 10 min
🚎 Public Buses
A city bus connects the airport with the central railway and bus stations in Poprad.
~1 EUR · 15-20 min
🚕 Taxis
Taxis are always an option for privacy and convenience but does come at a cost.
50 - 10 EUR · 10 min
Where to Stay
🏨 Hotels and Hostels
There are plenty of hotels and hostels which can be booked by all the popular online travel agent sites such as Booking.com, Expedia and Airbnb.
Hostels / guesthouses: 20 to 40 EUR
Budget hotels: 40 to 80 EUR
€20-€80
🏕️ Rijo Camping Stara Lesna
🏕️ Autocamping Podlesok
Staying here also includes the entrance fee to the Slovak Paradise.
€10-€15
Stocking Up on Supplies
🎒 Decathlon
Decathlon is a large international sporting-goods store known for affordable, good-quality equipment for almost every outdoor and athletic activity.
🎒INTERSPORT Galfy Poprad
A well-stocked outdoor and sports retailer selling hiking gear, clothing and footwear.
🎒Sportrysy Poprad OC Storeland
A specialist outdoor equipment store offering high-quality hiking, mountaineering, and skiing gear.
⚠️ Check the connector type! Campingaz is a very common brand of camping gas in France but uses a proprietary connector instead the usual screw thread.
🎒 Decathlon
Decathlon is a large international sporting-goods store known for affordable, good-quality equipment for almost every outdoor and athletic activity.
🎒INTERSPORT Galfy Poprad
A well-stocked outdoor and sports retailer selling hiking gear, clothing and footwear.
🎒Sportrysy Poprad OC Storeland
A specialist outdoor equipment store offering high-quality hiking, mountaineering, and skiing gear.
Things to Do
🏄♀️ AquaCity Poprad
One of Slovakia's best-known thermal water and wellness resorts. It features indoor and outdoor thermal pools, saunas, wellness facilities, and mountain views. It's particularly enjoyable after hiking in the Tatras.
🛝 Spišská Sobota
A beautifully preserved medieval quarter of Poprad with colorful burgher houses, a historic square, and the Gothic Church of St. George. It's much quieter than many European old towns and makes for a pleasant stroll.
🛍️ Tatra Gallery
An unusual contemporary art gallery housed in a former power station, featuring Slovak and international artists.
Suchá Belá and
Veľký Kyseľ
Circular
1
xhr · x.xkm · xxxm ascent
Suchá Belá is the most visited gorge in the Slovak Paradise and is considered one of the most romantic gorges in the national park. It is one of the most easily accessible gorges, as its beginning is located directly in the tourist centre Podlesok.
Dotina Cave is a lesser-known limestone cave in the Slovak Paradise area, featuring narrow passages, rock formations, and a quiet, natural atmosphere that offers a more off-the-beaten-path caving experience compared to the region’s more popular attractions.
Top Tips
To get to the campsite, catch a train from Poprad-Tatry station to Vydrník station which takes about 20 minutes and costs. From Vydrník station, you can walk to the campsite which will take about 1 hour.
Train tickets can be purchased from Slovak Rail which requires an account. For step-by-step instructions, please see this guide.
Alternatively, a Bolt will cost about 20 EUR.
Food Options
For the list of places to eat, please see the food options section.
Campsites
Piecky and
Sokolia Dolina
Circular
2
xhr · x.xkm · xxxm ascent
The Piecky Gorge is another of the many beautiful gorges of the Slovak Paradise. It belongs among the quieter and calmer gorges. Of course, there are waterfalls, ladders and wooden footbridges, which are a great attraction for tourists.
Food Options
For the list of places to eat, please see the food options section.
Campsites
Veľký Sokol and
Malý Kyseľ
Circular
3
xhr · x.xkm · xxxm ascent
Veľký Sokol gorge is considered to be the most exposed and one of the wildest gorges in the Slovak Paradise. Veľký Sokol is also the longest gorge in this national park. It stretches from northwest to southeast in the western part of the Glacká plateau. It is located away from the main tourist centres and is therefore one of the less visited gorges in the Slovak Paradise.
Food Options
For the list of places to eat, please see the food options section.
Campsites
Prielom Hornádu,
Kláštorská Roklina and
Tomášovský Výhľad
Circular
4
xhr · x.xkm · xxxm ascent
The Prielom Hornádu Gorge is a 12 km canyon hike in Slovak Paradise National Park following the Hornád River past Čingov to Smižany, featuring ladders and riverside walkways, and is one of the area’s most iconic routes alongside the Tomášovský výhľad viewpoint and nearby Kláštorská Gorge with its waterfalls and ladders such as the Dúhový Waterfall.
Food Options
For the list of places to eat, please see the food options section.
Campsites
TO BE DELETED
Sokolia Dolina and
Veľký Kyseľ
Circular
5
xhr · x.xkm · xxxm ascent
The Prielom Hornádu Gorge is a 12 km canyon hike in Slovak Paradise National Park following the Hornád River past Čingov to Smižany, featuring ladders and riverside walkways, and is one of the area’s most iconic routes alongside the Tomášovský výhľad viewpoint and nearby Kláštorská Gorge with its waterfalls and ladders such as the Dúhový Waterfall.
Food Options
For the list of places to eat, please see the food options section.
Campsites
Food Options
Below are the few food options within walking distance from the campsite.
Reštaurácia PONIKLEC
A relaxed local restaurant in Poprad serving traditional Slovak cuisine such as bryndzové halušky (potato dumplings with sheep cheese), roasted meats, soups like kapustnica, and hearty grilled dishes.
10-20 EUR
Cafe & Bufet u Orla
A casual café and buffet-style spot offering simple Slovak snacks, soups, sandwiches, and quick hot meals, making it a convenient stop for an easy, no-fuss bite near the city center.
10-20 EUR
Pizza Fonzy Restaurant
A laid-back pizza restaurant serving classic Italian-style pizzas alongside pasta, salads, and casual comfort food in a relaxed, family-friendly setting.
10-20 EUR
Reštaurácia U Hudáka
A traditional Slovak restaurant known for hearty mountain-style dishes such as bryndzové halušky, goulash, roasted pork, and dumplings, served in a rustic, homely atmosphere.
10-20 EUR
Ranč Podlesok
A rustic, family-friendly restaurant serving hearty Slovak mountain dishes such as goulash, fried cheese, grilled meats, soups, and dumplings, ideal for refuelling after a day of hiking.
10-20 EUR
🏕️ Wild Camping
Note: Wild camping is officially prohibited in the Canary Islands, but many hikers practice discreet bivouac following Leave-No-Trace principles to bridge wilderness stages where official accommodation is absent.
🚰 Water
The island can be very dry especially in the early stages. It is best up fill up in each town before you leave (usually 3–4 litres is enough depending on weather).
Please note that on the Canary Islands, tap water comes from desalinated sea water. This often has poor taste and high mineral content. Although it is perfectly drinkable, many opt to get store bought water which is very affordable on the islands.
🍔 Map of Food Spots
Finding great places to eat while on the trail can sometimes be tricky, so I’ve put together all my recommendations in a Google Maps list called
It includes places I’ve personally visited as well as others that are highly rated by the local community.
💩 Toilets
Fortunately, you will pass by at least one public toilets (known locally as baños públicos) each day. They can be found in town such as Tunte, Cruz de Tejeda and Artenara. You can also rely on official campsite to have proper flushable toilets and local bars and restaurants.
🚎 Public Transport Tip
Be careful when using Google Maps. Although the schedule is correct, it does not suggest all routes and the live times is usually off. It is best to provide a 15minute or so buffer and look at the schedule of the lines using the official website. It is also helpful to down the official bus app; GuaguasLPA and GuaguasGLOBAL for up to the minute updates.
📶 Phone Reception
Phone reception along the trail is generally quite good. Since you pass through one or two towns each day, you’ll usually have signal for most of the route. The only place where reception can be a bit patchy was around Tamadaba Natural Park near the campsite.
💶 Cash
Most places along the trail—supermarkets and larger restaurants—accept card payments, so it’s easy to manage expenses without carrying much cash.
The only spots that typically require cash are the small, traditional Spanish-style bars in the quieter towns. To give some perspective, I started the trip with €70 and ended with about €50 left, even while eating out at least once a day.
Helpful Links
Lotus Eaters Travels (lotuseaters.travel)
Great general guide to the GR131 and main source which I used to plan my trip.
Guaguas Global (guaguasglobal.com)
For all up to date bus information.
GranCanaria (grancanaria.com)
The official website for tourism in Gran Canaria. Provides information about booking campsites and reserving tickets to restricted nature reserves.
Reservas Roque Nublo (reservasroquenublo.com)
For booking tickets to access Roque Nublo as access us limited.
The Road Two Spoons (theroadtwospoons.co.uk)
Quick guide to access the camping online booking system.
Not sure on what to bring?
The complete long-distance
hiking kit list
Everything you need to pack — from blister-prevention basics to gear that's keeps you safe and comfortable on the trail.
https://www.slovakation.com/top-5-best-hikes-slovak-paradise/
Transport in the region - https://regiontatry.sk/en/tourist-information/transport-in-the-region/
https://mapy.com/en/turisticka?x=20.3960551&y=48.9542989&z=16 - Great to see the official trails and their direction.
https://slovakia.travel/en/mountain-rescue-service-app - Mountain Rescue App
https://www.npsr.sk/en/destination/entry-fee - Fees for entering the gorges.
Terms of Use
A quick but important note for all visitors: we do our best to share high-quality, accurate information, but it’s always possible that we’ve missed something or that conditions have changed. All GPS tracks (GPX files and maps) and route suggestions are meant to be used as general guidelines—not exact instructions.
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