Sierra de Aitana Trek

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.

Great walking, stunning scenery and plenty of wine and beer - what more could you want!

A fantastic week of trekking.  Extremely well organised, a great group and fabulous views and scenary.  The weather was perfect too. 

I have just returned from this trip. What a beautiful escape from the wet and wild UK in March! We enjoyed superb, varied walks, often with 360' views on the summits and not another sole in sight! Although the walks were quite challenging, the pace was ideal and our guides provided the perfect number of rest stops. Generally we had very good weather although layers were needed on the peeks in the wind. In terms of food, we enjoyed tasty, plentiful meals together in the hotel for breakfast and dinner, and filling picnic lunches. Being centre-based in a comfortable hotel felt like a real holiday, and the timings were in-keeping with this; due to minimal transport times, we could start walking at 9/9.30 each day and return at 4/5pm to enjoy a relax before dinner. I would highly recommend this trip for those with good levels of fitness who wish to discover quiet, varied mountain walks with good food, super views and a really chilled-out leisurely feel.

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.

This was a demanding but thoroughly enjoyable trip for a pair of novice walkers. It was our first ever walking holiday and as the trip loomed we were worried that we may have been a bit ambitious selecting a Moderate/Challenging trek despite doing a good amount of preparatory walking to get fit. The walking was tough with around 800-1000 metres of accent on each walk coupled to quite long days. A couple of our fellow travellers who had been on other ‘challenging’ grade trips mentioned that they thought this trek was more demanding. This is probably down to the fact that the terrain is very rocky and uneven in places and considerable sections of the walks were on rough trails which was quite hard on the feet. The ascents were generally not a problem and although hard work they were conducted at a civilised pace with everyone finding their own speed. There is an excellent balance to the days which were very satisfying with the hard work being rewarded by some fantastic views over the surrounding area, which is totally unspoilt and a world away from the costal resorts of Alicante and Benidorm. More importantly (I think) there was a heavy emphasis on refreshments in the evenings with plenty of food, wine and beer which I don’t think anyone felt the least bit guilty about indulging in after a day’s toil in the hills. The accommodation was very good. The first hotel was clean and basic with a good breakfast and dinner in the evenings. The second hotel, which I was expecting to be more remote and rustic, was Casa Roc in the lovely little village of Sella. This was a charming spot with clean and comfortable rooms and communal kitchen areas and terraces. The honesty bar with its seemingly inexhaustible supply of beer and wine was particularly popular. We didn’t find sharing facilities too much of an issue, we shared a bathroom with two other people and were quite happy to trade the earlier slot in the shower for an extra half hour in bed! The hosts Steve and Liz were very friendly and clearly work hard to keep their guests happy. Liz did a fantastic job producing delicious authentic Mediterranean meals for us in the evenings, no mean feat considering how many people she was catering for. Steve did an equally good job keeping the jugs of wine and the bread baskets topped up. There were 14 people in our group and without exception everyone was friendly and sociable and for us this really made the holiday that extra bit special. There were people who were obviously more experienced and fitter than us but they were very supportive and encouraging, especially when we expressed doubts about joining the group on the last day for the climb to the 1408 metre summit.

Quite tough and long walks are rewarded by outstanding views over mountains and the coast (and later in the day by excellent regional food and wine).

This is proof that The Costa Blanca has far more to offer than beer, chips and turning pink on the beach! About an hour or so drive Inland from Alicante, the Sierra de Aitana rises to heights greater than Ben Nevis. The treks are based around the Hostal Rincon De Pepe, and from there a minibus links up with the start and finish of each hike. The trek is graded as moderate to challenging, but be aware that the climbs and descents are often very steep and over loose scree. it can also be extremely hot and dry throughout the day. Each trek has been developed to give a different aspect of the Aitana massif so no two days will be the same. Breakfasts and packed lunches are provided......And the evening meals are all home cooked Spanish specialities!

The Aitana mountains offer a fantastic experience for trekkers, with challenging, rugged landscapes, breath taking views and a real sense of place and history. The air is pure, the people are warm, the food is glorious.

A marvellous week in empty mountains so extremely close to the populated coastline, hard to believe it can be so easy to find bare nature.