Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

The Caminito walk was beautiful, but I also enjoyed the quiet of the other trails. The tapas lunch sitting in the sun in February was a bonus.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Michael was a great leader, really knowledgable on the local area and glad to share this knowledge. He was also very conscious of the needs of the group and making sure we were all comfortable. He dealt well with the challenges posed by illness in the group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you would like a chance to see rural Spain and to experience great walks, go for this trip.

Most Inspirational Moment

Pretty much all of it. The tapas lunch in a “typical” Andalusian pretty village; the limestone walks overlooking the olive-groves; the lunch at the monastery; the Penon walk with an amazing scenic view at lunchtime; the impressive “King’s Walk” along the side of a cliff; the day-long visit to Seville with its Royal Palace house and gardens; and an extra trip to Ronda for a short visit. The hotel, owners Joke and Cartouche, plus their staff, made it all really comfortable. All wonderful thanks!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader, Michael Newcomb, was just the best leader! He was very friendly; responded sympathetically to anybody’s individual needs; was SO knowledgeable about the fauna, flora, geology and culture; gave many snippets of information as we walked, and in a concise, easily understandable way; obviously loved his job; but above all, he was just very caring and kind.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The walking is not very difficult. There are often coach journeys of about an hour to the start of some of the walks or days out, but the coach was very modern and the driver, Antonio, was a very careful driver.

Most Inspirational Moment

Every day had its little beautiful highlights; the tapas lunch on the local square between the Spanish families, the amazing scenery and fantastic walking in the national Park of Siera de grazalema, the breathtaking views of the Caminito de Rey,and even getting lost in Seville was fun!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mike, Miguel or Michael....What a great personality! Full of knowledge about the area, always in a good mood and in for a laugh. Really making sure all of us were feeling okay and enjoying the trip to the fullest. Never afraid to go, literally, the extra mile to give us an extra ordinary service.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for a great holiday; full of wonderful walks, professional guide, good food, cozy hotel, explore Seville city, time to relax,... etc ENJOY IT!

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking the Caminito del Rey. A brilliant day, but all walks were scenic, interesting and full of interest.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Michael is a star. Loves Spain and the culture. Gave great info about flora and fauna and willing to go the extra mile to keep everything interesting and relevant. A top Exodus leader and we have done over 30 trips with the company.

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is rural Spain, not the seaside. You really get to see home people live and enjoy the country.

Most Inspirational Moment

There were several, but the second day of walking took us to some high mountains in a National Park, with gorgeous views, a wealth of wildlife and the opportunity to walk on an original Roman road. The final walk, starting from the Cortijo, was also very enjoyable and a little more challenging than the others. The Caminito del Rey is also not to be missed, and the leisurely tapas lunch in a local village on the first Sunday was a great way of getting to know your fellow travellers.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fantastic!

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking on the Caminito del Rey was a once in a lifetime experience! The scenery was breathtaking and the achievement of engineering which has enabled walkers to use this path safely is incredible. Having said that, every walking day was very interesting and we were so impressed by the variety of scenery we were able to enjoy. Seville was also well worth the visit and The Alcazar was stunning!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader Michael Newcomb was outstanding. He took excellent care of us all throughout the whole trip, was so conscientious about our health and safety, went out of his way to be helpful to everyone, was extremely knowledgeable about the flora, fauna, geology and history of the area, and was very sociable, friendly and fun to be with.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Walking the Caminito del Rey is an amazing experience but may not be suitable for those who suffer from moderate/severe vertigo. The beginning of the walk is fairly benign but towards the end in the vicinity of the bridge across the gorge the walkway could be problematic for vertigo sufferers.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking the Caminito del Rey.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Michael Newcombe was the most enthusiastic, knowledgeable and conscientious guide that I’ve ever experienced on an Exodus tour. He has a vast knowledge of the flora, fauna, geology and history of Andalucia. It was a pleasure to walk and listen to his expertise in all fields. On the last day at airport drop off, I had several hours to wait before my flight. Michael helped me to store my luggage in the secure left luggage department and buy return tickets for the metro train into Malaga. He described how to get to the Picasso museum. I had a great few hours instead of a long boring wait! Nothing was too much trouble for Mike... he looked after all of us on the tour, so well! Thank you Mike!!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don’t expect luxurious surroundings at the Cortijo Rosario, it is a very rural, converted farmhouse. The food is plentiful and the place is clean. There are lovely friendly staff and the loyalty bar is well stocked. Evenings are spent here as the walk into the village is long, dark and hilly. The bedrooms are small but adequate. Our shower had plentiful, hot running water but other guests said that their showers had a slow flow and the water was cold. My only moan was that the towels were only changed once in the week. I think twice would have been better. You do get quite dusty and hot walking in Andalucia, sometimes requiring two showers per day.

Most Inspirational Moment

The views from The Cortijo, the quiet and the walk in the Grazalema park.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Having read all the reviews- Michael was the reason why this year I decided I would share a room with someone unknown as no single room available, he absolutely made the trip . Amusing and informative, he looked after us well, and if we needed any information he went out of his way to get it for us. When out walking, Michael made sure we were all well hydrated, had plenty of sun screen on, took regular breaks in the shade of the olive trees and was very keen on us carrying at least 2 litres of water, as we were regularly advised to fill our hats with some and put our hats back on our heads! It really does help to keep you cool.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go!

Most Inspirational Moment

The flora and fauna. Seeing ibex and coming across a peony in the wild was amazing.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Michael/Miguel was fantastic. He wrote on the board each evening the itinerary for the next day, sot here was no wondering exactly what was happening. He was careful to make sure the walks were carefully paced, with lots of stops in the shade. Michael was very knowledgeable about the area, the history and wildlife and we came away feeling we'd learned far more about the area than we would have if we'd been on our own.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Although this is a level two some of the walks do involve gradients and uneven surfaces. Nothing too arduous, but if you haven't done much walking recently maybe a bit of training before you go. The tinto Verano drink (red wine and lemonade) was a very good discovery, ideal drinking after a longish walk in the sun.

Most Inspirational Moment

There was no one outstanding moment. We will remember all of the walks we did with our group (and, of course, the drinks afterwards). Heartfelt thanks to all of you!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Michael was excellent - the trip would not have been the same without him.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Some of the walks involved descending down scree and if you are worried about your ankles you could consider taking along with you walking boots with some ankle support. Some of our group found walking poles helpful. Seville was hot (around 40 degrees on our day there) and I think most of us struggled to walk around even though it was mid-May. In hindsight I wish I had done a little research on Seville and targeted exactly what I wanted to see and planned the route. The cortijo owners cater for vegetarians and those with sea-food allergies and so you haven't got to worry about anything on that score. I would say that the walks are level 2 walks although there are some steepish ascents which got the old ticker racing a bit. If hills are a bit daunting it might be worth putting a bit of training before the holiday. There is some wildlife to see on the walks (we saw griffin vultures, golden eagles, hoopoes, shrikes, ibex, etc.) and so you might want to consider bring along with you binoculars for a better view.