Coastal Walk author Jonathan Henwood out in the countryside.

Maltese countryside lovers can now resort to a phone app for guidance and direction.

Two mobile phone apps, available on Android and iPhone platforms, converted popular local guide books called The Malta Coastal Walk and The Gozo Coastal Walk.

The books are the brainchild of two nature lovers and avid walkers: Jonathan Henwood, 31, and Irishman Emmet McMahon, 70.

Mr Henwood, a botanist and environmental scientist, met Mr McMahon – whose claim to fame was that he walked around the entire border of an EU state – after trekking the coast of Malta and Gozo.

The Maltese book, which is available in the form of an easy-to-carry spiral handbook, charts in great detail a 155-kilometre stretch combining the countryside, limestone paths, pavements and streets in towns and villages.

The Gozitan version, which has not yet been published because of lack of funds, is available online. It splits the 50km stretch into five walks of around 10km each.

“One doesn’t need the books to follow a route – it can be now followed on of your smart phone,” Mr Henwood said.

He explained they were approached by an American company that specialises in travel books who offered to convert the route books into apps.

“People can also check how the weather will be like when they decide to go for the walk,” Mr Henwood said.

The app will make the routes more accessible to the public – both local and foreign as he truly believes there is a niche for these books.

“We are often asked for information – such as the best route to take children out on a walk, for example,” he said.

Mr Henwood often encounters people holding his book while out on walks – something that gives him “immense satisfaction”.

Information about walks is also uploaded on their Facebook page – Great Walks Malta & Gozo – and Mr Henwood encouraged people who tried out a route to give their feedback.

The app for Android phones cost €7.06 while that for iPhones costs €6.99. The book is available at all major bookshops for €10. A Kindle version is also available on www.amazon.com.

For more information and to buy a PDF version of the book, visit www.greatwalksmalta.com.