Walking in Mallorca

3 stars is mainly due to trip being described as moderate but didnt find it as difficult as other moderate trips but was informed this can be due to terrain as much as distance/ascent/decent. Personally preferred the first 4 days in Esporles. Coastal walks later in the week a bit disappointing. Overall, good walks, good food, lovely guide and nice bunch of fellow walkers.

I enjoyed this trip emmensely - the tour guide Dago was very knowledgeable and when we were walking in the clouds and mist at the top of a mountain he confidently kept going and led up down to our destination. Great and challenging hikes going uphill a lot of the time! But definite would recommend this trip.👍😃

A very enjoyable trip will be it a bit more strenuous than I had expected from the notes although the walks are short the terrain is extremely rugged at this challenge many in the group. The leader was good at leading the walks and handling everybody, but he was a little bit weak on the communications side, and quite a while people were unsure about what was coming up exactly.

This trip was really let down by the leader. Dago was an affable man. He chuckled a lot. He should not be guiding English speaking groups. To be fair, language was not a barrier but there was a huge deficit in factual information of where we would be going, at what time we would be going and what facilities would be available when we got there.

The hotel in Esporles is very convenient for the Walks thus minimising travel, but I had to ask for a plug for the sink and the stairs are extreme. But the food at dinner and breakfast was very good and plentiful, excellent hot water, very comfortable beds and the staff are delightful Second hotel was good: soulless but efficient and perfect site for starting the Walks The first day walk was too short and there was nothing to do in the hotel or Esporles - suggest you look at afternoon visit to La Granja up the road and on the bus route Our Guide was Dago who was Excellent - very thorough, helpful, summarised the Walks well and was flexible when the weather dictated change of plans. One of the best guides - please pass this on

The places we stayed were wonderful, the hosts in Esporles were so welcoming and the food in the Hostal Esporles was great. The hotel in Cala Ratjada was nice and centrally located. It was great having someone take care of the arrangements for eating and hotel. Our tour leader, Dago, was very nice but not the most communicative. He didn't give great instructions and also allowed people to go at different speeds so that the groups was at times very dispersed. This was my first Explore tour so I asked a lot of questions before the trip. I felt very prepared for our hikes (the type of terrain, length and elevation). I was not aware that very little would be shared about what we saw as we hiked. In speaking with others on my tour, I learned that there are different types of Explore tours so I will look into some of the others. (I like a combination of learning about where I am and walking.) When I arrived at the airport in Palma, I was supposed to have been met by a representative of the tour company. I waited about 30 minutes, called the tour representative number I had (no answer) so also touched base with Explore Customer Service. They also were not able to reach the tour representative so they told me to take a cab and they would reimburse me. I'll see if I was reimbursed when I get my credit card statement.

Great walking and amazing scenery . Really enjoyed all the walks and well chosen cafe stops . Contrast of two different hotels in different parts of the island worked well. Pre trip confirmation had a couple of errors that needed addressing and there was a problem with my friend’s transfer not turning up despite us checking twice beforehand that this had been arranged . Our guide took a lot of trouble to check that the eating arrangements were suitable for me . There was a large discrepancy in walking ability amongst us and as such we were quite a fragmented group .

Mallorca offers diverse and beautiful scenery. It is very hilly inland so the walks on this trip often involved quite steep climbs and descents. The routes were usually rocky and uneven. Good supportive walking shoes are essential and walking poles would be useful. The family run traditional hotel in Esporles was charming offering a superb breakfast each morning. Cala Ratjada is a more touristy location on the East coast and the large hotel Amoros was comfortable but lacking in character and some guests commented about noise. Our group of 11 people, including our Spanish guide, was fabulous. Most came from UK. We had very good evening meals together in local restaurants which we needed to pay for. Lunch on the walking days was usually a picnic which we needed to purchase ourselves from the local supermarket before the walk set off or the hotel staff in Esporles could make a packed lunch for 10 euros. The weather was ideal for walking in early October, usually in low-mid 20 degree C range and sunny. In my opinion, a good level of fitness and stamina is required for this tour. It is not for beginner hikers. You are rewarded with fabulous views.