An easy trip from Alicante to the accommodation at El Trestellador Pension was a good start to the t nikko, 2017 See more reviews
We did this trip last year and missed 2 of the climbs due to inclement weather and my partner missed Anonymous, 2017 See more reviews
Comfortable accommodation in wonderful surroundings, excellent meals, varied and challenging walks l Anonymous, 2017 See more reviews
This area of Spain is little known and on three walks we saw no-one else and on one we saw just one Anonymous, 2017 See more reviews
A very enjoyable and energetic walking holiday in a scenic part of Spain. Anonymous, 2017 See more reviews
A memorable trip based in a perfect location for both trekking & leisure time. The walks are Anonymous, 2016 See more reviews
Five excellent guided walks in the mountains surrounding our accommodation at El Trestellador. Anonymous, 2016 See more reviews
Marvellous walking but needing good fitness and some ability to walk on difficult rock ascents and d Anonymous, 2016 See more reviews
Itinerary Expand all Day 1 Start Benimantell village. The tour starts at our pension in the little village of Benimantell, half way up on Gualdalest Valley on the north face of the Aitana Massif. It can be a little difficult to make your own way there so we recommend you coordinate your travel arrangements so that you can join the group transfer from Alicante Airport - please provide your travel details in advance. There will be a welcome briefing at the pension this evening. Meals included: Dinner Day 2 An enchanting walk passing the limestone needles of Penya Roc before walking through El Salt down to Collado Papatxi. We make our way to Racó de Tovaines, where we access the spectacular limestone peaks and needles of Penya Roc and walk through El Salt up to Collado Papatxi. This area enchants people with its soaring towers and walls of rock all around. Early sunset rays will highlight the spine of the jagged Castellets Ridge that stretches down to Orxeta. We return through Pas del Comptador back to Benimantell.Approximately 1000m ascent and descent/ 8 hours duration. Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 3 Walk up Peña del Rastrell for fantastic views over Guadalest Valley. From Benimantell we walk down to Guadalest water dam and climb on a track to Peña del Rastrell. From here, we make our way up Tossal Redó and Almedia above Callosa d'en Sarria, where we are rewarded with breathtaking views of Altea Bay and Guadalest Valley. We then descend along the spine of Tossal Redó down to riu Algar. The day ends by walking through avocado and citrus orchards in the lower part of the valley where we join the short transfer (approx. 20 mins) back to Benimantell. Approximately 1000m ascent and descent/ 7 hours duration. Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 4 Climb Serrella Peak for vistas of the Aitana Range; descend via a magnificent gorge to Beniarda; visit a local olive oil factory. After a short transfer to Abdet, we begin by ascending to Pico Serrella (1,323m) and follow the western spine of Serrella to Mallada del Llop (1,361m). We usually stop for a picnic lunch here to take in the sweeping views of the Aitana Range, and even the Valencia Mountains on a clear day. After lunch we begin our long descent on the spectacular and remote Barranc de la Canal Gorge, with its two parallel fins of upturned limestone strata leading to an abandoned farmhouse at Penyeta de la Hedra. Inititally the descent is a fairly steep gradient on a rocky/scree surface, which we zigzag down. Scrambling is required on some sections. During the last stretch, the gradient lessens and we enjoy pleasant views of terraced olive groves and centenary carob trees, which lead us to the village of Beniardá. In Beniardá there’s time to visit the local olive oil factory, a small scale outfit producing award-winning olive oils. Afterwards we can either walk or be transferred back to our accommodation in Benimantell. Approximately 1000m ascent and descent/ 8-9 hours duration Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 5 Free day; chance to head to the beach near colourful Villa Joiosa and visit a chocolate factory. Today is a free day to relax or perhaps take the chance to head to the the beach near Villa Joiosa and visit a chocolate factory. Meals included: Breakfast Day 6 Spectacular walk along the dramatic Simas Limestone Fissures; option to scale Aitana Peak. From the pension we walk along the northern slopes up to the Font de Partagat and then scramble through Pas de la Rabosa, the only natural break on the Aitana, which gives access to the summit from this north side. We have lunch at the Simas limestone fissures, up to 90m deep, situated on a ridge near the summit of Aitana. It is an impressive geological formation and a perfect picnic spot. Weather permitting, it’s possible to climb the summit (optional). We then have another long descent today. Approximately 1000m ascent and descent/ 8-9 hours duration Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 7 Summit Puig Campana (1410m) for panoramic views to the Costa Blanca and across the region. A fairly tough walk to complete the week - the summit of the Puig Campana (1,410m) with 360º panoramic views! Almost all of the peaks and ridges traversed on the previous days may be seen. On the other side the Mediterranean stretches to the horizon. We approach the north face of this mountain along good trails and paths, embarking on a gentle climb passing the Collao del Llamp to the Collao Pouet, the actual base of the mountain. From here, we climb a new footpath, which is steep and rocky, on the north face of this spectacular peak, returning to our vehicle from the Casa de Dios. Scrambling is required on some sections. Approximately 1000m ascent and descent/ 8 hours duration. Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 8 End Benimantell village. The tour ends in Benimantell after breakfast. If you have not booked flights through Exodus but would like to join the group transfer back to Alicante Airport you must request this at the time of booking. Meals included: Breakfast
El Trestellador Pension - Centre-based This is a centre-based trip, spending all seven nights at El Trestellador Pension in the village of Benimantell. El Trestellador is a pleasant family-run pension with a lovely garden, a large terrace, and simple en suite rooms. There is also a small unheated plunge pool, and picturesque Guadalest village is within walking distance. The pension's restaurant is locally renowned for its excellent traditional cuisine, and specialities include espencat vegetables and gazpacho manchego. Single supplements are available on request.
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Reviewed June 2017 nik koehli Trip: Sierra de Aitana Trek 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. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? 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. What did you think of your group leader? Brilliant! Do you have any 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.
Reviewed April 2017 Alison Johnston Trip: Sierra de Aitana Trek 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! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? 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. What did you think of your 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. Do you have any 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. Is there anything else you would like to add? Great climbing, wonderful scenery, remote and far from the hectic crowds of the coastal areas. If you want to be spiritually restored this is the trip for you. Be prepared to put on weight and enjoy the wine at dinner!! The barbecue dinner on the free day is a must.
Reviewed March 2017 Michael Carr Trip: Sierra de Aitana Trek 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. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Finding two chairs that someone had thoughtfully carried up to the Castell de Castells. What did you think of your group leader? Very capable and well organised. He contributed greatly to our enjoyment of the trip. Is there anything else you would like to add? We believe that the trip notes had changed between the time that we made our booking in the autumn and the start of the holiday the following spring. Neither my wife nor myself recognised the passages warning about being exposed to heights, or of the walks being unsuitable for those with vertigo. These would probably have led us to discount the holiday as being unsuitable. As it is, we both enjoyed the holiday very much. However, we feel that we should have been informed of these changes beforehand and given the option of switching to a different one.
Reviewed February 2017 Michael Johns Trip: Sierra de Aitana Trek 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. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Each of the walks had its own charm. I remember particularly a long descent from the Serrella massif down a hidden valley. What did you think of your 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. Do you have any 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. Is there anything else you would like to add? -
Reviewed January 2017 Graham Ritchie Trip: Sierra de Aitana Trek 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. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? I'm not sure that there was such a moment, other than being inspired to have lots more holidays!
Reviewed December 2016 Karol Zemek Trip: Sierra de Aitana Trek 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. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? I didn't go for inspiration, I went to hike. What did you think of your 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.
Reviewed November 2016 Janette Johnson Trip: Sierra de Aitana Trek Sierra Aitana Trek A brilliant trip. Challenging but worth it. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? 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. What did you think of your 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. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Definitely need ankle support boots and poles. Bring thin layers. Is there anything else you would like to add? A very worthwhile trip. Food and hospitallity from Paco and his wife was great.
Reviewed October 2016 Derek Jones Trip: Sierra de Aitana Trek Sierra de Aitana A memorable trip based in a perfect location for both trekking & leisure time. The walks are lengthy but well planned to made more manageable with long gradual ascents/descents. A basic hotel but with friendly staff & excellent food fuelling you for the long days ahead! It does have a pool for warmer days (larger than a plunge pool as described in the particulars). What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Summiting Puig Campana on the final day What did you think of your group leader? An excellent guide very experienced & good company. His brother also joined us who enjoys sharing mountain survival skills & detailed local knowledge. He creates the best sandwiches for lunch I have ever seen! Don't expect to lose weight! I was disappointed at not summiting Aitana & did feel he was overly cautious given low cloud/mist. It felt as if he thought that if there was to be no view then it wasn't worth it. The cloud & mist was negligible & we could easily have managed the summit without any significant risk. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Do some pre-investigation & planning for the day off. The local coastal town is very limited & the alternative beach is very nice but again very quiet. Obviously it depends very much what you are looking for. Is there anything else you would like to add? Despite the comments I really enjoyed the trip. Good organisation, the group all competent in the mountains which meant we all worked well together as a group. Thinking where to go next!
Reviewed October 2016 Steven Gittens Trip: Sierra de Aitana Trek A Great Week in the Sierra de Aitana Five excellent guided walks in the mountains surrounding our accommodation at El Trestellador. Each day was very enjoyable and the walks took approximately 6 hours. It was extremely hot for October and the mountains have little shade, so plenty of water had to be carried. The packed lunch provided was superb and enjoyed on the peaks each day. Returning to El Trestellador for a cold beer was equally enjoyable. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? I loved the accommodation. It was simple, very clean and our hosts were so friendly. The food provided each night was exceptional and more than enough for the largest appetite. What did you think of your group leader? Jose is a nice guy with a passion for the Sierra de Aitana. He knows everything about the area and makes the walks interesting. He also is responsible for the excellent sandwiches. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? This is not an easy week and deserves the Activity level 4 Is there anything else you would like to add? Most of my treks have not been based at one centre. I thoroughly enjoyed having a base to return to and not having to unpack a rucksack everyday. On our free day a group of us went to the beach at Altea which was very enjoyable.
Reviewed October 2016 Hugh Price Trip: Sierra de Aitana Trek First Class Walking snd Eating Marvellous walking but needing good fitness and some ability to walk on difficult rock ascents and descents. A beautiful area, great guides in Jose and Jaime, very friendly and comfortable hotel and excellent food. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Standing on top of Puig Campana after a long and in places complex ascent and seeing all the other places we had been to in the week. What did you think of your group leader? Jose and Jaime were both excellent. Very safety conscious and very experienced and full of interesting information about the area. Exodus has some excellent local leaders and these two are among the best. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? This is more demanding than the Picos challenging week. Partly due to the length of walks and partly due to the more technical sections. There is very little height exposure and what there is not precipitous. Poles are useful, even to a non pole user like me. It does rain and can be very wet so you must bring waterproof bottoms and an umbrella or poncho are useful as it is also hot (Sept/Oct). They advise boots and those who did not use them did have a few problems. You can get away without using them but be prepared for blisters/ sore feet. Is there anything else you would like to add? A really satisfying week of walking helped by other guests who were good walkers. This holiday is not for the not so strong walker but there are options for missing bits out or avoiding too many climbs but you will have to pay for the taxi which the leaders will arrange.
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