Spain Trekking Hiking Trips

Who would have thought (without this trip) that there could be such astonishingly lively, unspoiled and (for the most part) unfrequented mountain terrain - and such beautiful and varied walking - just a stone's throw from the infamous high-rise resort of Benidorm?

La Gomera what a beautiful island, the landscape, the people, the food. Where in Europe can you still go and not meet loads of English tourists - La Gomera. Where can you go and not lock the doors or even leave the door open all night - La Gomara Where can you go and still find all the menus still in the native language - La Gomera. Around every corner there is another super view. The cloud forest is unique. Every one you meet is friendly and helpful. The hikes are hard work we have walked 90miles in 10 day equivalent in altitude gains of walking up and down Snowden 4 times up and down Ben Nevis once and then down Ben Nevis again, but VERY rewarding.

I really enjoyed this area and all the walks we did, and the day off on the coast. Overall a very positive and friendly experience for my first group holiday on my own for 25years. The walks we did were essentially all in a semi-circle area around a valley, though each day had a slightly different character and feel to me. All were either started from the pension or a short drive away. We saw some goats and buzzards, though overall less wildlife than I am used to. All the paths were relatively quiet compared to many English popular areas, which I enjoyed. There was a drive down to a stream through narrow town streets that was fun and a chance to buy local olive oil (which did survive the flight back). I enjoyed getting up to see each pretty sunrise. Both towns we visited either side of Benidorm on our day off I also surprised myself by enjoying and are worth visiting.

Our trip on the Portugese Coastal Camino was excellent. They were very easy to work with and their communications were immediate. They took care of all hotels, luggage transfers, most meals and GPS directions. If we had any questions, they were quick to respond. We plan to use their services again.

This trip blends the best of the coastal route from Porto with the stunning, lesser-known Spiritual Variant trail. Hiking over 100 km (62 miles) along the Portuguese Camino Highlights Walk was challenging but very rewarding. The coastal walks offered stunning views of the coastline and ocean and I loved walking through the quaint fishing villages along the coast. The Stone & Water trail and the Spiritual Variant trail offered stunning scenery, peaceful forests, rivers, and charming medieval villages and country towns along the way. The food was a highlight too—fresh seafood and traditional local dishes at every stop. I highly recommend trying local dishes such as Galician Pulpo (octopus), Galician scallops (in the shell), and Padron peppers! On Day 5 and 6, we stayed at Villa Covelo and stumbled upon a local restaurant called, O Recuncho do lolo, and had an incredible local experience here! The owner Graciela was so hospitable and kind that we dined there two evenings in a row! You must try her cheesecake (she sold us by telling us it was the best in the world- and it very well might be!) The accommodations at A Casa Antiga do Monte and Hotel Melo Alvim were cozy, historic, and full of character. If you’re thinking about doing a "highlights version" of the Camino, this Exodus trip is the perfect way to do it! :)

Everything worked slick; the map on the app worked great, our bags got moved, the places we stayed at were very fine. The only hiccup we had was at the last stop at Berchules; the innkeeper had not been told that we were supposed to have dinner with them. It wasn’t a big deal as we just went to the local pub.