Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It’s the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you’re interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.

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125 Reviews

4.9 out of 5

Brian Salter

Reviewed October 2023

Discover the Sierra Aitana

This trip was exactly right for me. Superb mountain scenery in south east Spain, and just the right amount of challenge. Oh yes – and sun every day.
The hotel is well placed in the centre of Aitana. The food and service are both excellent.

Most Inspirational Moment

Scrambling up to the Aitana ridge.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Guide Jose is excellent - my best ever guide. He lives locally, and so is very knowledgeable about the terrain, history, culture and wildlife in this area. His itinerary is carefully chosen to acclimatise the group for the more challenging walks later in the week. Every walk was a different delight, with rock pinnacles, forest glades, ridge walks and expansive views into the mountains and down to the coast.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The route descriptions and gradings are accurate so read carefully in order to decide if it is suitable. Note that the temperatures are still warm even on the summits (This was September), so lots of water will need to be carried (2.5+ litres).

Suggestions

Although I have done quite a few mountain walks in other parts of Spain over the years, I had never been aware of Aitana until I found it on the Exodus website. To discover a 'new' (to me) area was a pleasant surprise. By the end of the week, I felt I 'knew' Aitana. A good feeling. Thank you Jose.

Anna Banfield

Reviewed February 2023

Fabulous holiday

This is a fantastic trip for more experienced walkers. The mountains are stunning and unspoilt. The walks are varied and well thought out. Jose is an experienced and enthusiastic local guide who is passionate about what he does and has extensive local knowledge. It was fun to visit the coast on the free day and we had plenty of support with arranging transport. The hotel was clean and welcoming.

Sally -Ann Burnett

Reviewed February 2023

Brilliant Trip

From beginning to end this was a fantastic trip, thank you. The hotel was perfect for a hiking trip and more than met our needs. It was clean and comfortable and had a lovely family vibe. Breakfast was superb with the best ever freshly squeezed orange juice! The hikes left nothing to be desired – they more than met my expectations and were challenging, as expected, but expertly managed by Jose, our guide. The sequence of hikes was perfect and I have only good things to say about the whole trip. Jose was brilliant and brought so much local knowledge, experience and fun to the trip. Thanks to everyone involved, this surpassed all my expectations and hopes.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jose was great. I have only good things to say about him

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you are fit enough for the level of hiking

John Dain

Reviewed February 2023

Great trip...made special by Jose who is a great guide

We arrived with snow falling….but the rest o the trip was clear blue skies and balzing sunshine – a real winter tonic. Jose is a real champoin for the area and a great guide – we had 5 super all-day walks with a nice build to the longer/more technical 4th/5th walks. The icing on the cake was the Jose sandwiches and the cherry on top was the last evening Jose cooked paella. The hostel was a bit under-played in the trip notes – the rooms all had en-suite facilities. Raquel is a great host. Great trip overall – and Jose has suggestions for more in the area – over to you Exodus

Most Inspirational Moment

The walks.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Simply excellent. He had the measure of everyone in the group and (unobtrusively!) managed us all.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go for it.

Rachel Blackamore

Reviewed February 2023

Fantastic week

Definitely recommend this trip and here are ten reasons why you should book. 1. Guide (Jose) is really experienced, local expert, gets the balance of empathy/support and also (when required) makes difficult decisions in the best interests of the group e.g. it was too icy to reach the summit of Puig Campana and whilst that was disappointing it was the right decision (it had snowed on the Sunday we arrived – very unusual for the area). He is passionate about his job and clearly loves what he does 2. It is one of the most beautiful, scenic areas I have ever been to. Fabulous views 3. Lovely hotel, welcoming team, great breakfasts – thanks Raquel and Pepe. Tea/coffee/snacks available in room reserved for the group. Also there is a hairdryer there so no need to pack your own 4. Weather was fantastic (I’m just back). Clearly you can never guarantee the sun in Jan/Feb but it made for a perfect winter getaway 5. Good to have a free day to explore the local area. Great to chill out at the beach and test out the tram system 6. Most of the walks are straight out the front door – or a 5/10 minute bus ride away 7. You get full days of walking….be prepared for that as realise that might not be what everyone wants. Generally back by 5/6pm after leaving at 9am 8. Great mix of terrain, ascents, descents, summits, valleys etc. 9. Get to see the beautiful mountain villages 10. Fabulous paella on the last night….and lovely sandwiches each day (along with fruit and snacks). PS Read the trip notes in full. They are accurate and this is for experienced and confident walkers – see the section ‘is this trip for you?’

Clare Williams

Reviewed November 2022

Brilliant trip led by an outstanding guide!

A wonderful week’s walking in beautiful surroundings and great company with the outstanding Jose as our guide. The weather was perfect and the accommodation clean, homely and comfortable. Raquel provided delicious three course dinners most evenings, with Jose cooking us a huge paella one evening. He also made us the most amazing sandwiches to take for lunch. Jose grew up in this area and conveyed his love for it, whilst providing so many interesting facts about the countryside we were passing through. I can’t recommend this trip highly enough- one of the best I have ever done with Exodus.

Matthew Tett

Reviewed November 2022

What an amazing trip!

This is a wonderful trek through the Sierra de Aitana, led by the amazing Jose who is so knowledgeable about the local area. Using Rincon de Pepe as a base, and hosted by the wonderful Raquel, this week encompasses five tough, but very enjoyable, walks in the area. They range from walking from the base, through to starting in different places after a short drive. Each day starts with a lovely buffet breakfast – we were fortunate, in November, to be able to eat on a sun-drenched terrace each day. Jose, enthusiastic and passionate, leads the walks in an area he knows very well. Perfect packed lunches are provided and Jose’s sandwiches are second to none: varied, tasty and with plentiful contents! Post-walk, there is usually a chance to grab a drink in a local bar, or head back to Raquel’s – and her gin and tonics are definitely worth a try. Before dinner, which is always extremely tasty with good local wines included, Jose briefs the group on the next day’s walk – and this is a great way of getting prepared for what lies ahead. I sincerely recommend the Sierra de Aitana trek. The rest day is perfect (after three day walks) and allows a trip to a nearby coastal town – for more walking, if you wish, or some superb fish. You may even choose to visit the chocolate factory (my partner and I didn’t, but wish we had!) This trip is great if you want to explore a beautiful area, with varied walks and a wonderful host.

Most Inspirational Moment

All the walks, particularly the final two days to the peaks, as well as meeting lots of different people - always inspirational.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Amazing - one of the best, if not the best! Jose has a great rapport with everyone and is so interested in the area, and keen to share the beauty of it with the group. He is an expert sandwich-maker, and provides delicious snacks for lunches, as well as refreshments in a designated room - people can help themselves throughout the day/night. Also, when my partner's walking boots broke on day one, he went out of his way to repair them, mid-trek, and took us to Benidorm to buy new ones - very kind and helpful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The walks are great - you do need a good standard of fitness, and in some cases, a head for heights. However, Jose is very adept at knowing if people are up for certain walks, and will advise if not. Take walking poles, if you think you need them (we did, and found them brilliant, having not really relied on them before) and be prepared for changeable weather. Our experience - stunning, all week, but this could have been different, I think.

Suggestions

No, thank you!

John Cartwright

Reviewed October 2022

A new take on the Costa Blanca

If a week in Benidorm, dozing on the beach is not your idea of a holiday then just travel a few miles inland and experience a different world. Based at the Hostal Rincon de Pepe, guided by the the very knowledgeable and amiable José, and hosted by the jovial hard working Raquel you’ll have a great week. The walks were challenging at times, particularly if you’re not sure footed. Poles are recommended, but I wouldn’t say they’re a necessity if they’re not your thing. It was hotter than expected, but I found that if you kept hydrated then I was able to cope. And then there’s the delicious triple decker sandwiches prepared freshly by José – they could be siesta inducing if you hang around for too long afterwards. No chance of that! By the end of the five treks you’ll have covered a lot of ground and discovered an area that you probably never knew existed. There’s nothing like a good summit and there’s at least two be climbed, with Puig Campana probably the most challenging. On the rest day all of the group went to Vila Joiosa – a great beach and a surprisingly warm sea welcomed us . . . and no crowds. It was a thoroughly enjoyable week. Muchas gracias José y Raquel.

Penny Carroll

Reviewed September 2022

Superb Spanish Walking

A truly excellent week! This trip takes you to a relatively unexplored but beautiful mountainous area of Spain – most days we met no-one. The scenery was spectacular – stunning limestone cliffs, sea views, olive groves and traditional villages. Our guide was exceptional – Jose shared his local passion for the area he’s grown up in; whilst also deepening our own appreciation of the area with his wealth of social, cultural and historical knowledge.

Most Inspirational Moment

Hard to pick one - but the combination of glorious views out to the sea, some exciting walking, tasting fresh figs and carob off the trees, and the lovely fragrance of rosemary and pines along the trails: all stand out as memorable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

As mentioned, Jose's enthusiasm, expertise and efficiency made the trip a particularly enjoyable experience. He really did go above and beyond in terms of dedication. For example, even on the free day, he helped me plan my own local walk, source the relevant map and sorted out a drop off and pick up too. The local version of paella he cooked on the final night was a real highlight too!

Jacqueline Hurt

Reviewed September 2022

Wonderful mountain hiking

Great week of hiking in the beautiful Sierra de Aitana. Itinerary was great involving steep ascents and descents across rocky terrain and sometimes over scree means but worth it for the challenge and the views – poles are good to have. Jose was a brilliant guide – super knowledgeable about the area and the mountains (he is a local and a climber) and ensured we ascended and descended safely and reached the summits before the bad weather rolled in on the two days it rained for a couple of hours. He also made fantastic sandwiches for our packed lunch and cooked paella for our dinner on the last night, giving us a lesson on how to do so in the process, The hotel (Rincon de Pepe) was simple but clean and comfortable and Raquel, the owner, made us tasty three course traditional Spanish meals each evening. Thank you Jose and Raquel for making the holiday so enjoyable;