Europe Active outdoor Trips

Excellent but challenging hiking tour of Gran Canaria. Never expected such beauty. We were lucky to have excellent weather throughout the trip and the island had heavy rain in the fall making for an unusually green landscape. The six hikes were each a bit different as far as terrain and environment and all were wonderful. Our tour leader was very knowledgeable and experienced and always attentive. David was very organized and clear. As per the itinerary, we covered a lot of ground, averaging over 8 miles each day. Elevation gains and losses were significant so could be a struggle if one isn’t in good shape. The paths frequently had loose cobble, rough surfaces and slippery spots so one had to pay attention at all times. We had a great group and everyone seemed to get along very well making this one of my favorite Explore trips. I look forward to going to others of the Canary Islands.

Having really enjoyed the Explore hiking trip on La Gomera in January 2025, we came back for more on Gran Canaria in January 2026. The hotel in the casco historico of sleepy Aguimes was charming, albeit the breakfasts were rather basic and the double beds only 1.40m wide (we are used to 2m at home!). In contrast, the hotel in Altea lacked a certain charm, but had a super bed and a terrific breakfast. Our very affable and multi-lingual Explore leader, Brian, ensured some good extra activities (eg making goat’s cheese) and gave the group plenty of options for the free day. We rested our knees on this free day and went to the excellent Bodega Los Berrazales, a wine and coffee finca, in the Agaete valley as well as visiting, briefly before it had really woken up, Puerto de las Nieves; Brian’s information on the punctual but not very frequent public buses was spot on for this non hiking jaunt). The astronomy talk over one of the dinners at a farm outside Aguimes was a bit comical with half the slides in Spanish and an astronomer with shaky English. Dinners were not included in the tour but Brian always arranged dinners at interesting restaurants. He was at pains to describe aspects of Canarian history, culture and geology throughout the tour. The Museo Guayadque in the Guayadque Ravine (Gorge?) was fascinating. For me, also as a keen student of the Spanish language and all things Hispanic, these were just as important as purely the hiking. The hiking, and the views the hikes offered, were indeed pretty spectacular. We may have been lucky with the weather with a lot of sun at a very pleasant temperature. Apparently it had rained quite a bit the week before, so a number of areas were quite verdant. Described as moderate, the terrain, both in terms of sharp volcanic rockiness as well as steepness, both up and down, was quite tough for non-regular hikers, such as me, a 64 year old (albeit twice a week gym goer).

Absolutely fabulous trip. Our trip leader Raquel was superb. I can’t speak highly enough of her. She was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the landscape and led us on many varied walks sharing her extensive knowledge. The trip was well organised with good accommodation and private transport for the most part. It was also interesting to experience the public transport on the mountainous roads and see some local towns and villages. Dining options were good and we experienced both local and world cuisine. The group size was ideal and we were extremely lucky to have a great group of fellow walkers. The grading of the holiday was accurate in our view, with both easier and more challenging elements. It was our first holiday with Explore but will definitely not be our last. Excellent.

Had a great break over Xmas. Inna our tour leader was excellent. Very organised, lots of interesting stories and very enthusiastic. Particularly loved the little Xmas surprises we received. Will be looking for Dzuigas cheese at home. All 3 cities were lovely, with their differences, no favourite as all fantastic. Amberton Hotel in Vilnius was a very tired and being offered a room with a great view wasn't necessarily great as the church bells rang the quarter hour all night. Konventa Seta in Riga was fab as was Pakruojis Manor. Shame we didn't get to explore the manor in daylight. Park Inn in Tallinn was as expected but very corporate. Overall a great break, would recommend the tour.

Great trip to a vibrant region with lots of history which is very relevant today. Lots to see and Ona, our guide, was very good at explaining the different countries, culture, places and buildings. I particularly liked Ona's stories about her personal experiences which brought things to life.

The week was most enjoyable as we were fortunate to have an excellent group of fellow Explorers. Our guide/leader, Mehmet is passionate about his country, sharing his knowledge of the region, cultural & nature. He cared for our enjoyment, safety & ensured our needs were met. The driver too, was as likeable.