Reviews

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

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139 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Alec Morrow

Reviewed May 2022

Fabulous trip in a great location

Cortijo Rosario is a lovely place to stay, just outside the village of Algamitas in a beautiful part of Andalucia. Our room was fairly spacious with a comfortable bed and en-suite. The public areas had been fully refurbished with a small bar, lounge and dining room. There is also a reasonable sized pool which we used every day after the walks to cool down. The food was delicious and there was plenty of it; the Paella on the last night was superb. We ate all our dinners outside on the terrace with the added attraction of a wonderful view.
The walking was enjoyable without being too challenging with a fair variety through the week from easy tracks to mountainous limestone scenery.

Most Inspirational Moment

The highlight of the trip was probably the Caminito del Rey gorge walk which was very impressive. Other highlights included the Tapas lunch, the Sierra Grazalema walk, the picnic lunch at the monastery, the visit to Seville and the Penon Crag walk.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Michael is quite simply one of the best Exodus leaders we've had. Everything was well organised and everyone knew what was happening and when. His knowledge of the local area was superb and he speaks fluent Spanish. His knowledge of the local Flora and Fauna was truly remarkable, a mine of information on all sorts of topics. A really nice bloke too, always helpful and willing to go the extra mile which he did on many occasions.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just go, you should enjoy it!

Karen Morrow

Reviewed May 2022

Brilliant trip with a superb leader!

My husband and I loved this trip! The walking is varied, in quite different but equally stunning areas. It is correctly labelled as leisurely/ moderate, as the walks are not technically difficult at all and are not too long for most reasonably fit people – but are long enough for the heat, and leisurely enough to give us plenty of time to look at the rich variety of flora and fauna and to observe the huge number of birds that live here or pass through, which included large birds of prey such as eagles and flocks of vultures.. Michael, our guide, is simply superb. His knowledge of nature is second to none and he was well -organised and kind too. The base, a coverted farmhouse which we had sole use of, is not ‘luxurious’ but is homely and very welcoming. The owners are lovely! Our room was clean and comfortable and the shower was very good, although the hot water took a bit of time to arrive! The views from our balcony were stupendous. The food was plentiful. The breakfasts were a bit limited in choice but the lunches were very good and the evening meals – taken on a terrace with stunning views in every direction! – were massive and delicious (Ref a previous review: They definitely did NOT lack piquancy!). Our group were friendly with a lot of solo travellers, nice people to spend time with!

Most Inspirational Moment

This is very hard to say and I could list dozens! I was amazed at the flocks of vultures - once around 50 of them - who came across our hotel pool in the evening. I loved the dramatic scenery of the Sierra de Grazalema and of the Caminito del Rey, but also equally loved the flower -strewn meadows we passed as we walked through Algamitas farmland... Our day in Seville was another highlight, as we'd never been before. It is a stunning city, especially the palace and the narrow, mediaeval streets.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Michael was superb in every way, certainly one of the best guides we've encountered over our many years of travelling with Exodus. He is lively and fun, but also very solicitous about his group. His knowledge of nature in every respect is quite unbelievable.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The hotel offers massages with a local lady, who had moved there decades ago from England. She is SO nice and kind, and very good at massage. The price is cheap, compared with UK prices, and it was wonderfully relaxing at the end of the week. I would wholeheartedly recommend it! (Others did yoga with a local lady, which they also really enjoyed I was told.) In Seville, don't miss visiting the palace, which is stunning. We also loved walking down by the river. Otherwise, I'd just say to take a good hat, clothes to cover your shoulders, lots of sun-screen, and enough containers to carry at least 1.5 litres of water, maybe more. (On some days there were places to refill the containers, but not always.)

Pam Park

Reviewed May 2022

Fabulous!

I can’t find any fault with this holiday. The walks are well planned and varied, and the week is designed to give a good overview of Andalusia. All the walks offer lovely views, varied terrain and lots of interesting history, geology, flora and fauna. The Cortijo is beautiful and provides a relaxing ‘home from home’.

Most Inspirational Moment

The day in Seville was a highlight for me, but also the Carminino del Rey walk was really fun and very spectacular.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Mike was brilliant- he worked tirelessly to look after everyone and really went above and beyond to make sure we all had a great holiday.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don’t be nervous about coming alone - this is a great holiday for solo travellers.

Deirdre O'Connor

Reviewed March 2022

Relaxing week walking in Andalucia

A great week, with a variety of walks and a comfortable place to stay. The pace of the walks made for a relaxing week, and allowed time to appreciate the beautiful countryside. The Cortijo is a really comfortable place to stay, with lovely food and a warm welcome. The trip to Seville was an added bonus.

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.

Nick Bennett-Britton

Reviewed November 2021

Very Special Holiday With Great Leader and Hotel

This holiday had all the ingredients that you could wish for, for a great holiday. Amazing olive-growing countryside; a lovely friendly hotel; wonderful food; a chatty group of other guests; and a superb, knowledgeable, caring leader.

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.

K. Ottoy

Reviewed September 2021

Walking in Andalucia

What a perfect holiday! After a long time full of Covid restrictions, it was the perfect get a way.
Yes, not my first choice, BUT I am so, so glad I was on this trip. Not one regret!
A week with beautiful, relaxing walks in different regions; some very well known like Caminito del Rey (but defenitly a must see), others a in less touristic region but nevertheless still worth the climb (El Penon and Sierra de Grazalema). All this guided by a wonderful guide, with an overall great knowledge and fun character. The free day in Seville is defenitly to recommend. The small hotel is a little gem in between the olive trees, lovely owners an d a very good chef in the kitchen.

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!

Steve Taylor

Reviewed November 2019

A great week

An interesting and varied walking trip with a side trip to Seville.

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.

J C

Reviewed November 2019

Excellent guided walking in stunning scenery

Thoroughly enjoyed our trip, with Michael Newcomb doing a first-class job as leader – passionate, widely knowledgeable, full of great recommendations and more than willing to go the extra mile for his guests, the best Exodus guide I’ve had out of several other trips (all of which also had excellent guides). This trip is based in a very remote rural location in Andalusia, in a region not usually visited by tourists. The walking is mostly fairly gentle if you are reasonably fit, but you explore some stunning scenery and are usually the only people on the trails (with the exception of walking the Caminito del Rey, which is busy but you wouldn’t want to miss it). The holiday is based at the Cortijo de Rosario, which has gorgeous views and provides a cosy ‘house-party’ atmosphere (Exodus having the sole use of it). The day out in Seville is wonderful. We travelled at the end of October/early Nov, and were very lucky with the weather – dry and sunny every day we walked, some days being very warm.

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!

Catriona Wilkinson

Reviewed October 2019

Wonderful walking holiday in stunning scenery

Walking in Andalucia is up there with the best walking holidays we have done with Exodus. The combination of an outstanding trip leader in Michael Newcomb, a lovely group of people to share our holiday with, comfortable and relaxed accommodation in the Cortijo Rosario which is set in stunning countryside and the five extremely interesting and varied walks together with a fabulous day in Seville makes this an exceptionally enjoyable holiday.

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.

Mandy McEvoy

Reviewed September 2019

Superb walking in Spain with a fantastic guide!

A fabulous and varied trip, walking the hills of Andalucia and the breathtaking Caminito del Rey.
With a free day in the absolutely stunning city of Seville and the knowledge of an expert guide, Michael Newcombe… this trip is a must.

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.

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