Canary Islands Walking - Gran Canaria

A very enjoyable trip with an informative guide. Ever effort was made to make suitable changes to the itinerary for the one bad weather day we suffered

I chose this walking holiday on the basis of the information provided which proved to be inadequate. There is no mention of the difficulty of the terrain which is mostly covered with large stones, the potential for poor air quality (for asthmatics etc) nor of the narrow paths/vertiginous heights. Several members of the group slipped and fell and I had to buy 2 walking poles on the island. The group should walk together not split into smaller groups just because some people want to go faster, there should be frequent water stops and the guide should have everyone in view at all times, in case they miss the path or become unwell. I wouldn’t trust Explore for walking holidays in future. Despite this, the island is beautiful and the views magnificent.

David was a fantastic trekking guide. Very knowledgeable of the trails & history of the area, considerate, great at managing group dynamics, organized, and thoughtful. David made the week worthy of traveling from the U.S. I can not recommend him highly enough! Explore was great in organizing most things. There were a few things I'd recommend...that Explore move the packing list items to the final documents (instead of digging through beginning documents and it was difficult to find) and giving the leader our insurance information so we didn't have to dig that up on the trip. All in all, a fantastic adventure and met great people on the trek. Thank you!

A great trip with a great group of people and a great tour leader. The walks were interesting and varied giving a good insight into rural Gran Canaria whilst taking in the main natural sights on the island.

A great week of walking headed by David our amazing guide. David’s enthusiasm, professionalism and outgoing personality made each day a wonderful experience. He put 100% effort into ensuring each walk was enjoyable, rewarding and showcased the highlights of Gran Canaria.

Bert was a great leader, friendly, knowledgeable and adaptable to changing circumstances beyond his control. There were a good variety of walks at the right level.

a two centre holiday giving access to less well known mountain areas as well as Pico de las Nieves, highest point of the island. Terrific walking, if sometimes challenging. A small group, 13, and leader above average - Bert

I was impressed by the spectacular scenery in Gran Canaria. We were well off the beaten track so never met the many tourists who go there in winter for sun and beaches. Walks were mainly in the central areas. Be prepared for some quite tricky paths, particularly in descent. Our guide Bert was very experienced and efficient and spent all the week with us even though he might have been entitled to a day off midweek! Both the hotels were excellent, completely different in style but couldn't fault them.

great trip good walks beutiful scenery great leader : organised , funny, sociable,punctual

Gran Canaria is a beautiful island to walk in although the terrain is quite challenging. Walking poles definitely required. Our guide Gabi was excellent as was the driver Thomas. Gabi even arranged an optional walk including transport on the free day. Both hotels were good and provided good breakfasts.

A beautiful island with exciting scenery. A well planned week with comfortable accommodation. The group was friendly and the leader was very supportive and informative. I personally found the walking too challenging for me . Although the mileage of walks wasn’t high, the terrain was very rough and some strenuous ascents and descents.

This is an excellent and challenging walking trip. Ours was greatly helped by having a brilliant tour leader (Gabi) . Accommodation was good/basic but this didn't really matter. Transport across the high altitude centre of Gran Canaria was spectacular - and our driver (Tomas) was great. The walking was challenging especially the underfoot volcanic "going" which made downhill a bit risky. But it was fantastic -Ken

Would agree with the other reviews. It was a brilliant holiday - the group was really lovely, David, our guide, was great, and Thomas our driver, very proficient, and accommodating. Walks were very pleasant, scenic, with those on days 2 3, & 5 being exceptional.

This was an excellent trip. A good selection of varied walks in impressive scenery, a lovely group to share it with and an excellent leader. Highlights were the walk to Roque Nublo, the descent from Pico de las Nueves and the short walk past the Acuso Seca cave dwellings. Accommodation was of good quality. I preferred the more rustic and homely hotel in Aguimes but both were comfortable and clean. Our guide, David, was exceptional. He was keen to share his knowledge of the Island, took us to some excellent restaurants and coffee bars and was always patient and cheerful. Our driver was was also excellent - remaining patient and good-humoured when faced with a tricky journey up to Pico de las Nueves. I would thoroughly recommend the trip.

Good to get some sun at this time of year. Good holiday

Would be 5 stars but published itinerary inaccurate by miles, particularly first and final days' trek, challenging rather than moderate. Also need details on hotel location in Aguimes if taking airport bus. But overall a good trip

An excellent trip with varied walks, some of which would have been much more difficult individually. The group dynamics were great and this was helped by the excellent attitude of the leader. A great range of food in local restaurants and bars.