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Reviews

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

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138 Reviews

4.9 out of 5

Reviews

Fabulous Winter Walking

If you’re looking for European winter walking, this is for you. The sun was gorgeous (although the wind is cold on the mountain tops so make sure you have warm clothes) with fabulous, long range, 360 deg views. Jose’s sandwiches are already legendary, and rightly so, but he is also an experienced, knowledgeable and fun walk leader. The perfect escape from a dark, grey, damp UK and only a short flight away. Don’t expect to lose weight though!

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting to the summits and enjoying the fabulous views

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jose was fabulous - knows the area well and is enthusiastic about sharing information so you understand your surroundings and appreciate the walks even more. Very conscious of the group to ensure that everyone is enjoying the walk, that the pace is right, and anyone who is a little uncertain in parts is encouraged and supported.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring layers, gloves and a warm hat. The sun can be warm (sometimes we were in T shirts) but the wind is icy, especially on the mountain tops (in January anyway).

Challenging off-season walking on the Costa Blanca

A wonderful week of challenging walking in stunning limestone scenery. The November weather was perfect for walking, and we were not troubled by high winds on the summits and so were able to enjoy leisurely late lunches and take in the magnificent views. We stayed in the comfortable family-run El Trestallador Pension which had splendid views from the terrace down to the coast. The evening meals were more than adequate for a group of hungry and tired walkers and consisted of a variety of regional specialities. There were very few other walkers out on the hills during the week and it all felt very remote, despite the proximity to Benidorm.

Most Inspirational Moment

We had breathtaking views on every walk and I particularly enjoyed the short sections of rock scrambling. One of the highlights was looking down on the skyscrapers of Benidorm from the summit of Puig Campana and realising just how much unspoilt and deserted countryside there is within such a short distance of the tourist areas of the Costa Blanca. On our final day we walked the length of the Sierra de Aitana ridge, and could see everywhere we had walked during the week.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jose was an entertaining and knowledgeable guide who worked very hard to make sure that all his group had a good experience. His briefings made clear what we were to expect from each day's walk, and we learned a lot about local flora, farming, and geology (and eateries). His sandwiches were pretty impressive too!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the trip notes carefully as they accurately reflect the degree of difficulty (terrain, exposure, length of walks). A good head for heights is essential and you need to be confident about walking on rocky and exposed paths. This is a good winter trip for experienced walkers who don't want to travel long distances to get some off-season sunshine.

Hike, Eat, Sleep, Repeat

A varied and challenging week of mountain waking that was a perfect escape from cold and wet weather in the winter months in a beautiful corner of Spain that couldn’t be more different than nearby Benidorm. The accommodation up in the hills was very comfortable and the food was outstanding and plentiful.

Most Inspirational Moment

The 5 included day walks were all good in their own right. I particularly enjoyed the lofty views on the Serrella and Aitana ridges. The real highlight though was the near perfect weather for walking - temperatures in the mid teens and hardly a cloud in the sky every day, a real treat in the month of November.

Thoughts on Group Leader

José is an experienced mountain leader who knows the area like the back of his hand. He has a great sense of humour and speaks immaculate English.

Advice for Potential Travellers

On the free day, some of the group chose to go to Altea on the coast. This was easily arranged for €15 return and well worth the visit. Personally, I did a self guided walk from Altea to the cliffs of Sierra Heleda - the route was very easy to follow and the coastal views were excellent.

TSA Sierra D'Aitanna

An easy trip from Alicante to the accommodation at El Trestellador Pension was a good start to the trip. The rooms was comfortable and unpretentious. The food was always excellent drawing on local produce to provide regional specialties. Quantities were vast, no chance of feeling hungry and the picnics were the same.
The walking was as described in the brochure, days of 8 hours, so previous experience is required, but with nothing too demanding in terms of scrambling. All the walks till the last on Saturday were deserted and beautiful in many places.

Most Inspirational Moment

All the walks had beautiful parts but for me the descent into the Barranc de la Canal Gorge was the most visually stunning whilst the vista down to the coastal areas including Benidorm and Altea for Puig Campana was a close second.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Brilliant!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go and enjoy an area of Spain that I certainly didn't think was going to be so stunning whilst a few miles from the millions of beach lovers. In June the weather was very warm for walking but Jose Miguel was assiduous about hydration and giving us potential shade. Having said that if you regularly walk these distances it is probably not an issue. The barbecue evening was great fun too.

Sierra di Aitana

We did this trip last year and missed 2 of the climbs due to inclement weather and my partner missed the final climb due to illness. So – we felt we had to repeat it as we’d enjoyed so much the walks we were able to do last year. So glad we did – the weather was good except for some summit mist on one day and our wonderful guide Jose even arranged for the sun to disappear behind clouds on one of the very steep ascents just to allow us to summit in cool conditions!

Most Inspirational Moment

Doing the ridge walk on Sierra di Aitana and my second ascent of Puig Campagna! Also hearing nightingales in the vicinity of our lovely guest house.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Extremely knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of the area and we even had a history lesson on the Spanish Civil War - fascinating. His English is excellent and he has a very entertaining sense of humour. It's nice to laugh as well as to be informed. He was also very concerned about safety and warned us to take care in places where it was necessary.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I think the warning to people who might suffer from vertigo is understandable and you definitely need experience of some challenging climbing before you embark on this. The going is rocky in places and you need to be prepared to scramble but help is at hand from Jose and the scrambling is not particularly exposed.

Sierra de Aitana Trek

Comfortable accommodation in wonderful surroundings, excellent meals, varied and challenging walks led by a knowledgeable and proficient guide with a real passion for the area, its history and culture. The packed lunches praised in previous customer reviews did not disappoint.

Most Inspirational Moment

Finding two chairs that someone had thoughtfully carried up to the Castell de Castells.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very capable and well organised. He contributed greatly to our enjoyment of the trip.

Winter walking in a little known area of Spain

This area of Spain is little known and on three walks we saw no-one else and on one we saw just one couple. It is just behind Benidorm but is little touched by tourism and gives an insight into rural Valencia. The walks are demanding but the views are breathtaking and are either to and from the hotel door or after a short drive. The weather in February was mild and sunny and the lower slopes were covered with almond blossom, making it an unusual opportunity to do European mountain walking in the winter months.

Most Inspirational Moment

Each of the walks had its own charm. I remember particularly a long descent from the Serrella massif down a hidden valley.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I have travelled frequently with Exodus and other similar trekking companies and Jose was one of the best tour leaders I have walked with. He was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about mountain walking and about the ways local people have responded to the challenges of the environment over the years. He combined this with a mischievous sense of humour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get fit in advance: the walking is 1000 metres ascent and descent in a day and the paths are often rocky and uneven.

A great trip

A very enjoyable and energetic walking holiday in a scenic part of Spain. Our guide, Jose, was excellent, passionate and informative and was able to modify the planned itinerary to cope with some inclement weather. His packed lunches were awesome. The hostal was comfortable and the food was delicious (as well as copious – don’t expect to lose weight on this trip!).
The only disappointing feature for me was the lack of consideration given to those who are unable to be on the group flight and thus cannot avail themselves of the group transfer from Alicante. Exodus recognises that the hostal is rather inaccessible. My flight arrived slightly ahead of schedule and I reached the arrivals hall when, according to Jose, he hadn’t yet left the carpark and it would have been no great inconvenience to have waited for me. In the event, I had to take a bus to Benidorm and a taxi to Benimantel (there are no local buses on Sundays), at an additional cost of €45. By the time I reached the hostal, Jose and the rest of the group had left to go to Guadalest for lunch. I don’t actually know what the solution is but bearing in mind I paid the same as the others, the London-centric transfer arrangements should perhaps be reconsidered. No hard feelings, I’m about to book my next trip with Exodus. Cheers.

Most Inspirational Moment

I'm not sure that there was such a moment, other than being inspired to have lots more holidays!

A great week of hiking

Great hiking in wonderful mountain scenery. The accommodation is in a quiet and peaceful location, and serves very good food.

Most Inspirational Moment

I didn't go for inspiration, I went to hike.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The leader went the extra mile to ensure that the holiday was as good as possible for the group. He was very highly organised and exceptionally knowledgeable and passionate about the area. Plus he makes great sandwiches.

Sierra Aitana Trek

A brilliant trip. Challenging but worth it.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting to the summits were brilliant. It was difficult terrain. A lot of loose stones underfoot so I had to walk with poles which I don't usually do but it was challenging and the guide really helped. The scenery was beautiful and the local villages of Guadalest and Benimentall were lovely.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jose was fantastic. His English was excellent and he had a great sense of humour. He was incredibly passionate about his country and very knowledgeable. His guiding was faultless, made excellent sandwiches - really! Respected and managed people with different levels of experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Definitely need ankle support boots and poles. Bring thin layers.