Visitors Book Self Guided


Sierras to the Sea – Silk Trail

We are unanimous in saying that Sierras to the Sea was one of the best tours we have done (we have done quite a few) and we thank you sincerely for your hard work in putting it together and running it so efficiently. We lead pretty cushioned lives most of the time and like to challenge ourselves a bit when we go walking. The routes you devised for us were pitched at just the right level and were truly spectacular and satisfying. We felt we earned the right to indulge ourselves at the end of each day. We greatly appreciated the highly personalised service you provided and really enjoyed your company. You were very generous with your time and in sharing your local knowledge and obvious love of the area. The accommodations were all very good. Perhaps, as you say, we’ll meet again one day. In the meantime, keep up the good work! Mark, Mary & Tim (North Yorkshire) Oct 2022

 

Thank you for an exceptional holiday. It was our first real walking adventure and weloved it all. Special thanks & appreciation for your personal attention. This is truly a beautiful corner of the world & you have done something special through “Spanish Steps”. So great to be introduced to the pathways of Andalucia by people who care about it deeply. Hilary & Chris (Montréal, Québec) March 2020

Absolutely brilliant walk again todayThank you for organising some lovely, varied walks. We did some of the best walks ever and had a really super holiday. Thanks for all your support and beers! We will recommend our friends to join you. Every good wish Anne & Tom (Leics) March 2020 

I really can’t express how much pleasure and delight we got from walking from the mountains to the sea!!!  Peter your detailed notes, knowledge and wonderful, open spirit to make sure we had everything we needed and more, was so appreciated and really made all the difference to how much we enjoyed the week – biggest heartfelt thanks to you!! We are already talking together about our next adventure for 2020 and all of us want it to be with Spanish Steps, so we’ll see you then!!”    Bec, Jac, Jane & friends (Hants) May 2019

We had a wonderful time thank you and really enjoyed the walks. We found the maps and instructions excellent, the accommodation really good and thank you very much for putting so much into making this such a good walking holiday. Pat, Jim and Johanna (Edinburgh) – Sierras to the Sea

Just wanted to let you know that we got home in one piece We really enjoyed the break and wanted to thank you for the meticulous organisation with options that made it so stress-free. We would have no hesitation about recommending you to anyone wanting something similar. John and Suse (Argyle) — Sierras to the Sea

We truly enjoyed the week and were greatly pleased with our experience. It met if not exceeded our expectations for a self-guided tour. You and Sue provided us with the necessary transfers and information to let us feel on our own but not abandoned. We were glad to have had an opportunity to meet you both and look forward to another holiday with Spanish Steps. Mark and I are already talking about joining Spanish Steps for a guided tour in Morocco. Rebecca and Mark (USA) = Sierras to the Sea 

Just a note to thank you for a lovely week walking in the mountains. Wonderful scenery , food and organisation from yourselves. Antonio was a bit quirky but we thoroughly enjoyed the experience with him- though I know now why you weren’t very impressed with the churros idea for breakfast! All the best for the rest of your season.  Alison & Steve (Burton on Trent) – Canillas Village Based

We are home again with jet lag behind us and back into the regular activities! But still spending time each day talking about the wonderful holiday we had in southern Spain, particularly our week in Canillas with Spanish Steps. That week far exceeded our expectations in so many ways and was over all too quickly! Spanish Steps offers excellent vacations at very good rates. It will be hard to decide which one to try next.  Georgia and Russell (Canada) -Canillas Village Based

We were very happy with the holiday. It was a new experience for us to go on a self-guided holiday organised by a company. It ticked all the boxes we had. The area was totally new, and we loved it. We loved that part of Spain, the Spaniards we met were all very friendly and helpful. The food was terrific, the prices very affordable, there were amazing surprises (especially these river gorges, and the ford on the group walk, which were sudden areas of incredible beauty and tranquillity). We thought Canillas was lovely- beautiful, but very real, ’full-bodied’!Back down to earth, the accommodation was great and your local knowledge, and love of the area a huge bonus. We really appreciated you finding walks which were a bit longer and more challenging, and enjoyed the group walk too, thank you for enabling us to go on it. Doug and Ruth (Cheshire) – Canillas Village Based

We all agreed we had a fabulous time and cannot praise your services high enough. Organisation and hosting levels were second to none and please pass on our thanks and appreciation to Antonio who was just superb. Suffice to say we found our time with Spanish Steps faultless and would highly recommend our experience to others. Once again, thanks a million for all you did and will no doubt repeat the experience in the future. Karen,Isobel, Janet & Ellie, (Edinburgh), Canillas Village Based

We very much enjoyed our week with Spanish Steps – thank you! The location and scenery were wonderful and the walks and organisation excellent. We found your directions and comments to be generally very good and the briefings beforehand very helpful. In Maro we missed the friendliness and less commercial environment of los pueblos blancos. The hotel was adequate but perhaps a little tired. On which note we have to mention the first walk at Maro which we found both extremely enjoyable and quite demanding in places. Definitely memorable for the scenery and variation in terrain. We enjoyed your company and hope that we will have the opportunity to join you again next year. We will certainly recommend your holidays to our nearest and dearest in the meantime! Catherine and Robin,Surrey – Silk Trail Self Guided

We had a fabulous time walking in Spain. A holiday we will remember for a long time. We loved staying at Antonio’s. The walks were well thought out, the hotels well chosen and suited the ethos of the holiday. We loved the tapas with you both at Antonio’s, such fun. We had a great time in Maro and our extension to Seville. We look forward to returning to Spain with Spanish Steps. Nicky & Wayne, Sevenoaks – Silk Trail Self Guided

Thank you so much for the fantastic week we had with Spanish Steps, you made us feel so welcome and we enjoyed all the wonderful walks,and as we mentioned we particularly enjoyed our stay at Antonio’s. Once again thanks for a fantastic holiday. Neil & Tamaris, Bucks – Silk Trail Self Guided

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you both so much for such a lovely holiday. Antonio’s hotel was in the most beautiful place and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay there. We would also like to thank Andy for taking the time and trouble to drive us to the other beautiful pueblo blancos and to Sue for driving us up to the wonderful views, you really did manage to show us the beautiful mountains despite Rosie’s knee. We hope you enjoy your day at King’s Week. Sarah & Rose, Canterbury – Silk Trail Self Guided

I am now back in Canada. Suzanne and I had a great trip with you and would love to do more. We were thrilled to see the rosemary, sage, and thyme growing and I am reminded when I smell the herbs I have here. One of my favorite walks was the last one that was up in the hills and then ended up down the river bed. I also loved the walk where we saw the horses and then met up with you for lunch on the changeover day. I enjoyed Antonio’s more than the seaside hotel but both were good. Thank you. You managed to tailor a perfect holiday for us. Stella and Suzanne (Canada) – Silk Trail Self Guided

We had a great time on our walking holiday from Canillas and enjoyed meeting you both and our morning talks with Peter. Your impressive knowledge of the area greatly helped our enjoyment. It was very hot at times although interestingly me, from the mild UK, finds that less of a problem that Ingrid from hot SA! All of the walks were excellent. The hotel is perfect for a walking holiday and Antonio is a treasure. We had a really good onward journey. The Mesquita is truly amazing and Corboba is a fascinating city. Driving in Granada was manic but nothing if you’ve lived in London, Bahrain and Joburg. The Alhambra is also amazing. I’m so glad that I finally got to see it. What with the hill up to it and the sheer size of the place it helps to be a hiker to go there. Our days at the beach in Almunecar were a good way to round off the holiday. Ingrid enjoyed her first trip to Spain and wants to return albeit when it’s a bit cooler. Best wishes and I hope that we meet again. Keith & Ingrid (Berkshire) – Canillas Village Based

Route of the Pueblos Blancos – Self Guided

It’s not often one comes to the end of a holiday and says ‘oh I wish I could begin all over again’ but we both did this time. You run an extremely efficient set up: met by Peter at the airport, taken to the bus, bags being collected on time and waiting for us at the next hotel, and the simple but excellent accommodation, all allowed us to relax and enjoy the walking. And what beautiful scenery to walk through! Every day got better, and we found your instructions and maps straightforward and easy to follow. We particularly enjoyed our casita in Montejaque, but all three lodgings/hotels were well placed, comfortable, and the staff friendly and tolerant of our Spanish. We were glad we’d allowed two extra days, as it meant we had time to throughly explore Ronda, and also have another walk up into the Valle de Libar, where we saw a Bonelli’s eagle hurray! The last walk around el Cerro Coros defies description, it is quite breathtaking. Sitting on the side of the hill watching the vultures gliding beneath us is something we shall both remember for ever. Janie and James (Devon) – Route of the Pueblos Blancos

We both had a very enjoyable holiday even if it did seem to be over very quickly. Your itinerary and route plans were spot on and very easy to follow. Don’t think we got lost or went wrong once! All in all we had a very enjoyable week. The villages and towns were spectacular – clean and well looked after. The narrow cobbled streets negotiated by many cars amazing. We felt we had truly sampled the culture and traditions of Spanish society. Thank you once again. Mark and James (North Yorkshire)

Just a note to say how happy we were with the holiday you put together for us. Both myself and Janet found it perfect from start to finish, the organisation, bag transfers, hotels, destinations and most of all the choice of walks. We enjoyed every minute of it and we both felt at the end that we had had a really good break. Kevin and Janet (Cheshire) – Route of the Pueblos Blancos

We had a wonderful time thank you and we really enjoyed the walks. The accommodation was really good and the meal you provided at the Casitas was just amazing. Max is a great chef – so creative and so committed to cooking excellent food. We ate there both nights and it was some of the best food we’d ever had. Everyone there was so friendly and the service was really good. Thank you very much for putting so much into making this such a good walking holiday. Pat, Jim & Joanna (Edinburgh) – Route of the Pueblos Blancos

Spanish Steps was brilliant – Your self guided walk notes gave us confidence to discover the beautiful countryside and despite the odd bit of rain we had an amazing time. The accommodation was superb throughout and we all agreed we want to come back next year. Thank you so much for your care and attention to detail and for the lovely food we enjoyed on the first night in Grazalema. Vivien,Andrew, Heather and John (N Ireland) – Route of the Pueblos Blancos

We were first-timers to walking holidays and first-timers to Spain. We thoroughly enjoyed it. We didn’t have a good idea about our walking fitness levels, but your timings for the walking times each day turned out to be fairly accurate for us. The area is lovely and the format works very well, having a night in Ronda, a couple of nights at the ‘Casitas’ and four at ‘La Mejorana’. The evening meal we had there was excellent, and the service was very good. The only disappointment that we had with the hotel in Ronda was that our room had no window to the outside. There was a window to the internal courtyard, but It would have been nicer if we had been able to feel the breeze! I hope this is of some help and we hope to see you again sometime soon. Doug & Ruth (Devon) – Route of the Pueblos Blancos 

Just to thank you for the lovely holiday, we both enjoyed the walks. We really enjoyed our first village Montejaque , everyone was so friendly. The accommodation of self catering really suited us well although the restaurant on the premises was excellent. I am a professional caterer, so I can be fussy. Grazalama was nice, a little more touristy but accommodation was good although I think they trying a little bit too hard to be perfect. Thanking you again Edna & Jim, Aberdeen, Route of the Pueblos Blancos

We did really enjoy ourselves and the self-guided absolutely suits us as we like to feel ‘independent’ even when everything has been arranged for us! So – thanks very much for a successful ‘break’. Best wishes to you both. Sue & Josh Route of the Pueblos Blancos

We really enjoyed our week of walking and we were so lucky to have such fantastic weather! (January) We thought the plan and pacing of the walks was excellent and suited us well. My favourite walk was Montejaque – Valle di Libar – Benaojan. Leo loved watching the Griffin Vultures up the Gargante Verde (the permit came through on time). We chose not to go all the way down the gorge but did the Cerro Coros walk at sunset. The accommodation was great, everyone very friendly and helpful. So thanks for helping us have a great experience, we’re now trying to get back to real life. Kate, (Australia) Route of the Pueblos Blancos

David and I enjoyed our holiday very much. The accommodation was splendid and the scenery magnificent and different. The fiesta in full swing on our arrival to Grazalema meant that the town was overwhelmed with pedestrians and car parks full to bursting. Andreas very kindly drove us up to the cark park to collect our car and guide us back to La Mejorana – this was extremely helpful. Thank you for all your organisation, good wishes to you both. Pat and David Roxburghshire  -Route of the Pueblos Blancos

We enjoyed our holiday very much, we loved both the areas but especially Grazalema – stunning and La Mejorana was a joy, the place the hospitality and the view, but having said that we loved the Casitas and felt like we were sitting in an aviary with all the activity with the little birds. We missed Antonio in the mornings though giving us breakfast and sending us off with a bocadillo! Thanks to you both for organising another great holiday, we’re really getting a taste for rural Spain. Alan and Veronica- Route of the Pueblos Blancos

Granada & Tarifa to Fés

We would like to thank you for the excellent preparation for our trip. Everything was well-organised and we enjoyed all our resting places in both Spain and Morocco and had some excellent meals – particularly with your friends in Tarifa and the lunch stops at Mechkralla and on the walk en route to Fez. We were very pleased with our guides – particularly Ben in Tangier, Mustafa in Chaouen and then Abdeslam on the way to Fez. Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed walking, travelling and eating with you on the Spanish leg! We have each come back with our own memories but agree it was a really good experience. The walks were lovely and we met some interesting characters. We came away from Morocco with such mixed feelings. I guess we have spent little time in parts of the world were there is such poverty alongside the wealth of the few. There is a part of me that feels we were just voyeurs, but on the other hand, we were able to put something into the economy and hopefully expressed our delight at the beauty we saw and thereby helped people feel proud of their own country. Anyway, thank you once more for organising this holiday for us. We will certainly recommend you anyone we meet who is thinking of doing something similar and we may well be back some time! Paul, Anne and Michael (Derbyshire) Granada to Fes

We had a great time on our Granada to Fes self guided trip. The Spanish arrangements were well set out, the self-guided walks, the times, the bus and train tickets and so on. The hotels were all very good. It was an amazing experience being in Granada for the Semana Santa, walking home to our little cave apartment in the dark. When we got off the ferry at Tangier, we were well looked after for the remainder of our trip. Our guides were excellent and we really felt well supported throughout. Abdeslam is passionately interested in supporting the local communities and developing ecotourism and is a fount of knowledge of all aspects of North Moroccan culture. We felt we had a real adventure, without ever being out of our comfort zone. Thanks for everything, we’d certainly recommend Spanish Steps to others! Sue and Mike (Cumbria) – Granada to Fes 

We had a wonderful time and your arrangements were superb. Bit hot for walking much of course but not a problem. I’d keep doing the same thing. Our French was useful in Fes which was great. Loved the Hotel Continental by the way in Tangier. Thanks for everything. Nancy and daughter Ana (Australia).

We would both recommend the Two Continents trip to experience a totally different culture than we’re used to in Europe. The Moroccan food was excellent throughout which we admit was a real surprise to us, really tasty and filling. The accommodation in Chefchaouen, Fes and Marrakech were excellent, way beyond what we expected. The Hotel in Tarifa is in a great location and we had a good time while we were there. If we’d known what Tarifa was like we would have booked to stay an extra night at the beginning of the trip. The food in Paco’s was excellent and the coastal walk was lovely. Casa Hassan has got to be the best hotel in Chefchaouen, both Debi and I were amazed with our room. The decor/layout and location of the hotel was great, as were the staff. The food in the restaurant Tissemal was excellent, much better than we expected in Morocco, really tasty. Again the decor in the restaurant was really nice as were the staff. The walk to the Berber village went well, the food was again really good, well above what we expected. On the way to Fes the farm house we visited for lunch was interesting, we had a tour of the house and met the women of the family who prepared us a fantastic three course lunch in the courtyard. We both really enjoyed this meal with Abdeslam, who told us about Moroccan/Islamic customs and a few stories of his own during his travels. He’s a real nice guy who couldn’t do enough for us. Fes is totally unlike anywhere else we’ve visited. The Medina’s absolute madness from the minute it opens until late into the night. The souks are full of people/ donkeys/ cats/mopeds/ cyclists etc, makes the medina in Chefchaouen look tame! Again you excelled with the Hotel. The transformation when stepping off the slightly grubby alleyway into the Dar is amazing. The central area of the Dar is almost unreal, you can’t really believe these places exist just a few feet away from the streets/alleys of Fes! The guided tour of the city turned out to be almost a full day tour. Anwar really gave us a good insight into the medina, mosques/Islamic schools within the city. He went to great lengths to explain the significance of the rituals connected with prayers/mosques etc and we would both recommend him as a guide. Again another excellent trip organised by Spanish Steps. I am sure it won’t be our last. Ian and Debi. –  Tarifa to Fés

Andrea and I enjoyed your tour program very much. I must do justice to the experience and put in writing as much as I can. The lodging was very special, the sights were amazing and the people were warm and delightful. I feel very privileged to have spent time with you. You put together an experience for us that will shape our thinking for years to come. Andrea and Wayne (USA), Granada to Fes,