Spain Tours in Winter

Great holiday with an excellent guide Rocio. She was very knowledgeable, great fun, and ensured everyone was looked after. The walks were scenic and varied and it was great to end in a bar or cafe for most of them.

Thoroughly enjoyed holiday. The leader was excellent. He was very knowledgeable about La Gomera and also about birds, plants…… and was keen to pass on his knowledge to the group . It was not an easy group for the leader to work with as there was one (and perhaps more) who struggled a bit with the walks. The trip notes did explain about the terrain and the descents/ascents but these notes can not have been read properly. The leader worked hard and did as much as he could to manage the different abilities of the group members allowing individuals to enjoy the experience. He allowed walkers to continue and then stop/wait and particular places. Otherwise the speed of the group would have been unbearably slow. Our group was slow but that was because of the time spent waiting for the very slow members of the group. The hotel was fine, the walks were lovely , weather good and it was a really nice group. I would recommend this holiday

Beautiful hikes across Gran Canaria. I enjoyed the towns we visited and the landscape was outstanding. Our group leader David shared information well and had lots of history/tidbits about where we were. I also enjoyed all our group members, it was a fun adventure.

I had a brilliant winter walking holiday in La Gomera — fab scenery, great routes, and nice meals in the evenings. Swimming in the Atlantic after a January walk felt pretty special! This was my first trip with Explore and I was really impressed. From booking to the end of the holiday. The group (16 of us) was lovely and our leader, Roccío, was outstanding — friendly, organised, looked after everyone, spoke impeccable English and was good fun! Explore, she's a keeper! I also liked that meals weren’t included but we often chose to eat together, with the freedom to order what we wanted. For swimmers, you can walk to the beach for a swim in the Atlantic after a walk. Hotel Torre del Conde in La Gomera was good — I upgraded to a quieter park-view room which was worth it. Some have questioned the return to Tenerife the day before the end of the holiday- without it we wouldn't have had the walk in the foothills of Mount Teide foothills which I thought was spectacular! The final night hotel in Tenerife at the Grand Muthu Golf was the only downside, ostentatious lobby and self awarded 5 stars but poor rooms and I'd rate it a 2 star given that the La Gomera hotel was a 3 star and so much better. Explore, you need to look for alternatives? My room was pretty rough and in need of significant TLC, but it was just one night, we didn't arrive until 7 for a quick turnaround, dinner, bar, bed. And I had a swim in the pool pre breakfast and the breakfast itself was fine. Overall, a fabulous, much-needed sunshine walking break. I’d definitely travel with Explore again!

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.

A very well-organised tour from beginning to end. Breakfast at most places had plenty of choice, and having some lunches and dinners included was excellent and made everything so convenient. We really appreciated the little extras along the way — things like the horse ride around the city, free time to explore, and stops at local shops known for their regional produce all added something special to the experience. The guides were incredibly informative and took great care of us, and by the end felt more like friends than guides. We made wonderful memories and would happily recommend this tour. A bit more information about the optional additional tours would have been helpful, as some were different than expected, and it would have been nice if tickets to certain sites, like the palaces in Sintra, were included.