Everyone who goes on a Headwater holiday will be emailed a link to our post-holiday questionnaire where they can give us an honest assessment of all aspects of their holiday - everything from how quickly we answer the phone to how clean the hotels were - plus an overall rating and comments about their holiday.
Any feedback collected is posted to our website, so that people can make an informed decision based on past experiences before heading off on holiday. We don’t edit the reviews, the only thing we do is proofread them and alter any typos, where necessary, to ensure they are easy to read for everyone. All reviews will be published (except in certain extreme circumstances), and a member of the Headwater team will respond to any constructive criticisms/comments under the reviews, at their discretion. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of our holidays, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.
Satisfied our needs well. Good hotel, good varied walks, well organised. Partner tour company in Lanzarote v good.
Just one thing. Your app was great but when a walk was a ‘there and back’ walk along the same route the voice commands got a bit confused at times. Didn’t know if we were coming or going!!!! All good fun, no problem at all, just followed the blue line!
Everything was perfect. Gordon and Sue were lovely. Food, walking, weather, guide, ambience,accommodation etc etc were first class. Highly recommended.
Travel arrangements, baggage delivery, accommodation, flights, all worked well.
Everything was well arranged; hotels were good although rooms with balconies are useful for drying walking gear. The walking app was very good although one path on the first day's walk was very badly eroded requiring a detour -- Mark was informed. Our driver, Lex, was extremely helpful giving us advice on where we could get food on the first day's walk -- more information on shops/restaurants for each leg of the walk would be useful.
A fantastic varied holiday, great walking, excellent hospitality and clear support and notes.
Well organised, good instructions, decent accommodation.
Generally a very good holiday. Well organised and accurately marketed. As experienced hikers, we found the terrain challenging but very hikeable. A few attention to details in the itinerary would enhance the experience greatly.
The hotels were great. The route challenging but doable. Problems arose because of our poor understanding of the app but we are poor on these things - friends and family will probably be more savvy.
The finca was lovely, comfortable and well run. The walk leader was excellent.
Everything was very well planned and organised and the quality of the accommodation and the guide was excellent.
Holiday went well.
We really enjoy active holidays and would recommend Headater to anyone who anyone who enjoys being outdoors exploring the places they visit.
The arrangements all went very smoothly and we had a lovely time.
Always well organised, excellent accommodation and good walks
Some great walks with the help of the excellent HW app. Fab hotel as well. No glitches.
I have enjoyed all my trips with Headwater . Destinations are well chosen, travel and transfer arrangements work well, accommodation just the right level, and Finca Cerrillo the best yet.
Very well organised. The price included everything for the week tour.
The choice of holidays was good. Everything was well organised. Communication was clear and accurate and all contacts with Headwater staff were friendly and successful.
Great walk, very friendly and helpful local staff
Excellent customer service
Headwater provide a personal service by helpful and well informed staff. The self-guided walking holidays are well arranged and the accommodation offered is well chosen. The navigation app is brilliant.
Excellently designed holiday and very good hotels.
This was our first hotel-to-hotel for many years, and apart from an issue with the pick-up things ran pretty smoothly. The walking days were quite long, and at times we were glad we had purchased a walking map. We hardly saw a soul for hours at a time so great if you like peace and quiet.
The sales agent was great and allowed us to add in an extra couple of days into the tour. Everything went smoothly and we had an excellent holiday
The areas chosen are usually in interesting locations. The staff are very helpful and the navigation app excellent.
The app was easy to use. The variety of the accomodation was interesting. The luggage transfers worked smoothly.
This trip is a must! What a hidden gem this part of Majorca is! The walks are fabulous, my particular favourite was the walk from Port de Soller to Deia which are both stunning. Public transport is very easy to use, i.e. bus or tram / train. Restaurants are very good quality and reasonably priced too.
Excellent
We thought this trip was value for money and was a successful introduction to using travel companies again after many years of not. We had a fabulous week in the Picos de Europa and would recommend this self guided trip. Jim at Hotel Torrecerrdo was amazing, he went above and beyond to make everything as easy as possible. the Headwater app was invaluable for the first two hiking days and we look forward to using your services again. Lynne
We had an excellent experience with Headwater. The hotels were charming, friendly and extremely clean. Trail information was accurate. The area of the Picos is absolutely breath-taking. The contract with S-cape for luggage and personal transfer was mostly excellent. I would recommend Headwater and would be happy to hike with this company again.
overall very well organised. The app is an excellent tool and very user friendly.
Communication was excellent throughout our booking. Knew exactly what we should expect from the holiday. Local agent was really good and their selection of accommodation good.
Your routes are always excellent - really appreciate that research. but i cannot over emphasise how much you need to get local hotels to get comfier beds. Just awful!
A very positive experience. The rep was on hand to answer any questions or deal with any issues. The places I stayed were first rate and the walks took me through some beautiful countryside I'm sure I never would have found under my own steam. Overall the organisation of the whole trip was excellent.
Excellent thank you
Our hosts, Sue and Gordon, at the converted mill/farmhouse could not have been more helpful. Mike, our English guide was a mine of interesting information. The walks were wonderful with a wealth of wild flowers. The temperature was perfect for walking in the morning with plenty of time for a swim or relax in one of the many delightful shady corners in the Finca garden. The evenings were cooler than anticipated. Few of us had that extra fleece necessary for a cold north east wind! But no matter Sue whipped out some welcome rugs! All in all it was one of our best ever holidays!
Excellent communication and helpfulness
We chose this holiday particularly because the walks were expertly guided. Headwater would do well to include more such holidays.
The holiday was fun and invigorating. You chose a wonderful hotel in La Finca.
Great walking holiday, well organised and everything went smoothly.
The choice of walking distance each day was perfect. I liked the fact we had a choice.The hotels were wonderfully situated and the staff excellent. It is easier to get a taxi to turn up on time in rural Spain than it is in U.K.
I will definitely use Headwater again.
Headwater have kept me informed leading up to the holiday - the hotel, the village and the routes which Headwater selected were just right for me.
A lovely holiday even though we never experienced the full majesty of the Picos because of low cloud and rain. There was still some deep snow on the highest paths, even in mid-May, but all the routes were easy to follow, with well-marked paths all the way. All the hotels were welcoming, spotlessly clean and comfortable although none of the bedrooms were particularly large.
Excellent holiday, weather a bit cool but good for walking,
Lovely food, decided to learn a little Spanish for future visits!
We had a brilliant holiday. Everyone was friendly and helpful. The itinerary was interesting. The mountains are absolutely stunning! I loved the cable car.
We are in our 70's so the walks were challenging at times. We walk a lot at home, but more experience of hill walking beforehand would have been useful. We relied on the App so needed to make sure we could download the walks. We wondered if the written instructions were accurate at times. A power pack is useful as back-up.
My walking poles were essential for me at times. Many cafes have wooden walking poles in stands near the entrance, I assume you can borrow them and leave them at your destination. Overall, a fantastic experience!
a good, well planned trip. The few hicups dealt with well. Day one a bit too long perhaps.
Used Headwater a few times in various countries. All works well and never any problems, which is what you want on holiday. The price charged for a holiday is considerably more than actual cost, but if you don’t want hassle of organising youselves and have the Travel Agent back up, Headwater fits the bill.
Another excellent holiday - we’ll use again
Just a small point wrt the app. The voice instruction is fantastic but I don’t know if it was me but the voice instructions stopped a couple of hours into the walk and I had to shut down the app and start over to get them back - but this is a minor point
I think that Headwater had the daily physical scoping of the Alpujarras trek, and the supporting hotel accommodation to allow the trek to happen, pitched just right. I think that Headwater showed good evaluative judgement on both aspects.
Excellent walks on a picturesque island. Majority of island covered. Fantastic detail in the App. No issues with navigation at all.
The flight times did not coincide with the ferry, necessitating additional hotels, for which transfers should have been included. This is a sparsely populated island with limited service provision, which it is useful to point out to customers. There would have been higher quality eateries in a couple of places, so it would be good to have the choice to upgrade to those. No evening meals, except 1, were in the accommodation. Most breakfasts were also in bars.
Excellent company to travel with. Highly recommend
We felt well looked after. Holy Week processions inGranada/Malaga could have been a problem (getting out of the cities in our car) but thankfully we were able to plan and managed to avoid them.
The booking experience, holiday information and the walking app were all very good.
The briefing documents from the local rep didn't arrive until the evening of our first day, but otherwise, apart from one route not being navigable, all went well.
We loved the hotels and surrounding views from each hotel,breakfasts were amazing!
Ferry and transfers very smooth!
Enjoyed all the walo
lovely walking routes which although short were very scenic and challenging .
Driving in Gran Canaria is probably not ideal for unconfident drivers
Ralf was wonderful - very informative and helpful. Gave us advice and answered our questions. He was very reliable with the transfers and it was reassuring to know that we had his phone number if we needed any help. Transfers from airport to ferry & vice versa were very good too.The app looked very good. We downloaded the info before we left and printed the walk instructions. The directions didn't work with our phone on most occasions, due to loss of signal.
An enjoyable experience and the walking instructions were very clear. The local representative Ralph provided excellent support throughout the trip.
We enjoy the freedom of self-guided walks in areas off the beaten track, but with the luxury of having bags transported and the routes worked out for us.
The holiday offered all that we wanted. The walking was challenging at times owing to recent landslips, mountain weather, and the exposed & precipitous nature of some paths. To me this was part of the enjoyment. Headwater advised us to be ready for these conditions but there would be obvious hazards for those who did not take the time to read your guidance and to be prepared; perhaps this should be stressed? We made 2 new friends who were also guests of Headwater. Enjoying some of the walks and meals together certainly added to our enjoyment of the holiday. Thank you very much! 🙂🙂
Great holiday in a very different setting to all the other Canaries. Without Ralf's expert local knowledge, we would have found things way more difficult. To be honest, the breakfasts were all good but the evening meals are pretty basic. Apart from this, it's an excellent holiday for serious walkers. Walking poles are essential...
Holiday was enjoyable. Parking at the first hotel should be changed from roadside to old football stadium.
This was a well organised.
Lanzarote was lovely and the people some the friendliest we have met. I would recommend this to other travellers.
Easy walking and unusual landscape, very windy and quite humid but lovely to have warmth and sun
Great food and local wines
We were lucky with the weather being perfect for an early spring walking holiday but the overall experience was enhanced by the Headwater backup of accommodation, welcome guide, and especially the Walking Route App. So straightforward.
We had an excellent holiday. The variety of walks chosen was very good and each day showed us a different aspect of the island. The walk on the fourth day when we transferred from one hotel to another was planned to start from a small parking area on the Teide plateau. By the time we arrived there mid-morning the parking was completely full (it was a sunny Sunday afternoon) and there was nowhere to safely park in the vicinity. We were therefore unable to undertake that days walk which was a shame. This was the only problem we encountered on an otherwise faultless holiday. Thanks to all the team.
I have already recommended to friends who like to walk and crave a little more adventure than a circular walk from the hotel or compsite. The Headwater model is ideal and local gents are invaluable. I am looking forward to the next one.
We have had excellent experience with Headwater and their services. We will use Headwater´s services again for sure.
Excellent communication. Well planned and the added assurance of 24hr local support
Great holiday - we did self guided. We had a great time. Found room in first hotel unbearably dark although a very nice room. Needed one on lower level with decent window. On first walk we hadn't got the sounds the app made (for wrong way etc) sorted out and got very lost down the gorge ! Path down there very tricky to find and we met a lot of lost people (Spanish).once we sorted out app it worked really well. Loved Tejeda and being in little village - unfortunately as off season very little open in evening (but enough).
Great holiday, excellent local team, Headwater app is fabulous, hotels are great, varied walking - had a lovely week
This was a fabulous holiday. We enjoyed every bit of it.
An excellent experience from first communication about the holiday right through to the end
El Hierro is a fantastic walking destination. It is a privilege to walk in this unique biosphere. The people are friendly, the food and local wine is good, the senderos are well marked and there is a a good variety of routes in the 6 days of this trip
Overall an enjoyable holiday.
Good walking route and good accommodation
We would use Headwater again
Excellent service, information etc. both before and during the holiday.
Another excellent and really enjoyable self guided walking holiday with Headwater on the Classic Catalan Walk
I had a good holiday with Headwater, everything was well organised and the local agent, Patricia, was very helpful when changes to restaurants were required.
I had no issues with the travel or accommodations.
I would have no hesitation recommending Headwater holidays to family and friends.
Overall everything worked well, the App and local Rep probably the best features. The route could have been significantly better as there is no particular need for it to be circular. The farmland walking is pretty non-descript. The hotels felt tierd and/or in secondary locations. It was dissapointing that the feature hotel, Castella d'Emporda was not offered. Difficultly of the walking was fine and as described and the route notes were good. It should be noted that the main attraction from Encis is closed on a Monday. Value for money wasn't great given the price the hotels could have been booked directly at and transfers seemed very expensive although good.
Lovely people at Headwater; easy to deal with. Great itinerary. Super hotel and staff in a lovely location. Super walks.
Woeful pre-trip notes.
Too reliant on app and e-mail.
App misleading in terms of walking time remaining but loved the breadcrumbs
I am fan, as I have now done a number of trips with Headwater. On a few occasions I have not really liked some of the 3* hotels (too basic) and I guess it would be good to have the option of choosing better hotels. But overall, I love the concept and I have always enjoyed the trips. Will continue to consider future self-guided trips with Headwater.
As the weather was vey hot, which we would normally have no problem with as we love the heat, we did fewer of the walks than we might have done had it been cooler. We did, however, do some shorter walks in and around Port de Soller. That is in no way a criticism of Headwater, just a fact of the weather.
As I’ve already said, we did not realise that nearly all the walks involved a tram or a bus or a train, or a combination of them, and we would not want a holiday that was so reliant on local transport in the future.
We did, however, like Port de Soller, and the hotel Aimia.
This was our first Headwater holiday. It was fantastic from beginning to end. Everything ran smoothly. We had a wonderful time
Headwater went out of their way to expedite the trip and resolve the few problems that arose. The seif-guiding aspect worked well.
As before, Mark (local rep) was very good.
It's probably unfair of me as I was travelling alone and relying on Mark for safety back-up, but I do have an ambivalent view of the app, as in some ways I think it detracts from the fun of self-navigating. Also it's not 100% reliable when you are in a more remote area with little or no GPS signal.
Great first trip with Headwater
Good for those who don't like walking in big groups but enjoy the security of local support and route guidance
We loved our trip to the Catalan Coast. Such a beautiful area! The walks and suggested walks were well planned, with minimal time spent walking along busy roads. The hotels were very good and the staff at each had helpful suggestions for places to eat and things to do. This was our second Headwater trip and we have already planned a third!
As I said earlier, we have enjoyed many happy trips with Headwater over many years. However, as I said on an earlier page, the route notes seriously need some attention in our opinions. Although they read well enough, the sentence construction suggests they were written by a local with local knowledge. To us, they appeared unclear and sometimes inaccurate. In the end we devised our own walks. Staff at the hotel were fantastic, Megan at Headwater was most helpful and we shall almost certainly book with you again but the itinerary needs looking at.
Fantastic and iconic hiking country, with more ups and downs than a roller coasters, and flora and fauna to shout about. Even the storms are dramatic!
Hotel is friendly, comfortable and basic. You won't spend much time there, but when you do (and are not sleeping) you are enjoying gourmet food, chatting with friendly owners and staff in the bar, or just soaking in the scenery on the terrace.
Nick, our guide, was excellent. His local knowledge meant that our walks were interesting and enjoyable. Some of the walks were steep but not of any great distance. If you are reasonably fit you will easily manage.The food at the finca was outstanding- local produce expertly cooked. Sue and Gordon were superb hosts-, they were efficient and organised-nothing was too much trouble. If you have not been on a Headwater holiday previously, the finca is a good place to start, you can't fail to enjoy yourself- highly recommended
Location of Finca rather remote but made up for by quality of accommodation, food and great staff. Having guide Nick enhanced the holiday due to his knowledge and wonderful manner. Please keep guided walks on your agenda as they make a good holiday great and encourage group bonding
An excellent holiday with pleasant walks and good food. Some knowledge of Spanish will help.
My holiday to Finca el Cerrillo was one of the best. From the moment one arrives, the welcome, from Alison, David, Sue, Gordon and the whole team, the exquisite location, accommodation etc., mark it out as something very special and in my opinion, unique. It is remarkable what has been achieved by Sue and Gordon, the owners, over the years, both inside and out, the place filled with the most fascinating, eclectic collection of paintings, artefacts and memorabilia, a place full of love. No surprise then, that some return, time and time again. I so look forward to being back.
Good guided walking in a great location
A beautiful walking holiday taking in castles, hilltop villages and dramatic coastal walks.
Headwater walking holiday provided a challenging adventure, exploring beautiful countryside in Catalonia. We have memories of Spanish castles, poppy filled valleys and turquoise rocky coves. What a wonderful holiday.
Excellent location Jim had extensive knowledge of the arrea the walls were challenging but fantastic area. The hotel was well run great food attentive staff
We greatly enjoyed the holiday and our apartment was lovely. We found the walks physically hard. Walks were problematic if one relied solely on the paper walk guides. We had battery problems when using the navigation app.
Beautiful walking in forested hills, mostly easy, but with a few stiff climbs. Good boots needed, and walking poles helpful
Headwater booked the trip but the hotel actually provided were different than reality. Having arrived expecting Hotel Homiday time we were then told actually it’s Galeon. Itinerary were incorrect. Guide didn’t arrive on first day. The walks were excellent and enjoyed. Hotel Romantica left no options other than hotel to eat. It tries to be fine dining which is not what you want after a long days walk resulting in large food bills.
We loved the holiday. Each day seemed to get better and better and it was nice and varied with lots to see. The app makes navigation a cinch. We loved the hotels as well, all three quite different with different offerings. Headwater were brilliant in their flexibility re changing pick up times and adding days on. This was our first walking holiday so I can't compare to others but we had a very enjoyable time.
La Gomera is a wonderful island to explore. Walks are quite demanding. While we enjoyed driving around the island it's not recommended if you're nervous negotiating hairpin bends and/or roads with sheer drops on one side!
La Gomera is a stunningly beautiful and totally unspoilt island. The walking is fabulous but you must have a very good head for heights and be a confident driver too as the roads are very serpentine. Travel arrangements were very straightforward.
Excellent holiday with very good accommodation and wonderful, scenic walks. Favourite walks were in Firgas (the one with the climbing ropes and log bridges!), Artenara ridge (make sure you have a phone to ring for a return taxi) and Barranco de Guayadeque with spring flowers. Both hotels were very good, although it's worth mentioning that they have central air-con which was still set to heating in a 26 degree heatwave. Fortunately Alberto was able to help us persuade them to switch over to cooling mode.
We weren't able to eat at El Mondalon as the restaurant was closed for the 3 nights we were there (2 nights for a private function and closed Monday as standard). Casa Miranda, a 10 minute walk up the road, was very good but also closed Sunday evening and Monday. At the Parador there's a choice of either the restaurant or the cafe/bar and the watercress soup is an absolute must (it's not vegetarian, despite the name). Tejeda, a 15 minute drive away, has lots of eating options too.
Gordon and Sue are superb hosts, we loved the Finca
A fantastic way of discovering the rugged beauty of Tenerife and its well preserved natural areas. The option of long routes and short routes provides the needed flexibility for each day of the trip.
The walking on El Hierro was excellent, the paths are very well waymarked and generally in good condition. The local agent Ralf was excellent and looked after us very well. For future trips to El Hierro please note that the path normally taken from Jinama to El Frontera is closed due to a landslip, so Ralf collected us from there and drove further along the escarpment to the next path. Also, please note that when we arrived in Tenerife, there was no taxi arranged to take us to the ferrybport, although a phone call soon sorted that out. Also, although we were told we were staying in Los Verodes in El Frontera, we were actually booked into Apartments Alameda, so that caused some confusion. This may have been due to the changeover from New Experience to Headwater.
We had a great time with varied walks and lovely swims in sunshine in February. The local guides were helpful and supportive; for example they informed us about a closed road with ice and fog. Driving in Tenerife is challenging with many windy roads and we felt we could have been told in advance about this.
Weather in January was disappointing. Damp, cold and on the day we should have walked down from the highest point icy, so walking was prohibited.
Contrasts of Tenerife Walking holiday does just what it says on the tin! It was a series of excellent, very different walks - contrast between and within the walks! Superb variety, lovely hotels to stay in and a great holiday!
We greatly enjoyed the varied walking routes and the comfortable hotels. The detailed route notes and gps maps gave us confidence.
The majority of our trip was lovely, the only downside was our experience at Hotel Romantica, which was quite negative. The hotel was quite uncared for, in need of maintenance and modernisation, the public areas particularly had a musty feel and were dark. The owner was rude, we had queried the previous evening why our starter took an hour to arrive after we had sat down. The following morning, Christmas day, he confronted us aggressively, insisting it was half an hour, he didn't even bother with 'Good Morning'. This incident soured our stay at this hotel, he rarely acknowledged us for the remainder of our visit.
We enjoyed the walking, the routes and the Holiday Time hotel in Santa Cruz was delightful.
Wonderful location, amazing walks and landscapes, friendly helpful locals.
A wonderful walking holiday in Tenerife. Walks extremely well described in the trip notes. Weather variable as expected this time of year but suitable alternatives to high level hiking were suggested for the days with poor weather. The hikes gave us a fantastic experience of the variety of climate, terrain and aspect of this beautiful Island. It was our first visit to Tenerife but we will return.
We used a hire car, organised by Headwater. When we arrived at Garachico late on Friday evening we found it difficult to find parking in the narrow streets and to navigate the one way system. Your advice was to park in a street nearby the hotel. The hotel receptionist suggested the car park , the campo futbal,only a two minute walk from the hotel. The car park was free and there were always spaces. We suggest that you direct future clients here.
Sue & Gordon made us very welcome and did everything they could to ensure that we had a really enjoyable, memorable holiday. The weather was ideal for walking the hillside tracks; we even managed a swim on most days (this was early November!!) and the caves at Nerja make for a wonderful excursion. Although generally the wildlife has suffered from the heat and lack of rain earlier in the year, Rafa did manage to spot and point out a chocolate (black) squirrel and a mother + kid ibex on two of the walks.
Best holiday in a while
Lovely Finca in the mountains surrounded by groves of fruit and nut trees. Amazing hosts. Food beautifully served on the terrace under fairy lights in the unseasonably warm October evenings. Walks with knowledgeable guides, never too strenuous, back in time to enjoy a swim and relax in the pretty gardens.
I would recommend Headwater and hotel Finca el Cerrillo without hesitation. I enjoy walking and every thing about this holiday was excellent.
A well organised and varied programme of walks and activities. The Finca el Cerrillo was a wonderful place to relax after a day's walking.
This was absolutely wonderful. We cannot rate Finca el Cerrillo hiighly enough. Gordon and Sue were welcoming and kind hosts, and the whole atmospherre was that of a family holiday. Rafa was a superb local guide, and knew the hills around us intimately. He clearly tailored the walks to our ability. The mix of meals (in the Finca and in local restaurants) was really good. We liked the 'honesty bar' but spent too much there!
Of all the walking holidays we have experienced with Headwater , (this is the fifth) this one was the best. Maybe because it was based at a single centre (the excellent Finca) and was guided . A combination of an excellent small hotel, outstanding food, a well informed guide and varied interesting walks made this a holiday to treasure.
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Finca el Cerillo is an excellent holiday location. Accomodation and food were if a very high standard.
The walking, graded as level 1, was more difficult than I had anticipated and was exacerbated by the temperatures.
The classic Catalan walk offered a varied route from coastal scenery to well preserved villages in the interior. The standard of accommodation was good and well located.
At the time of our visit dining and drinking options in the area were very limited with most cafes, bars and restaurants closed. The only real option was the hotel where food choice was limited and repetitive.
Extremely gentle walking in beautiful Spanish scenery, excellent food and accommodation but rather a lot of idle time.
All hotels excellent, but all slightly different. Had a little trouble with walking notes and ended up walking much farther than expected. Very nice part of Spain and area I didn’t know I enjoyed Girona on the way back again very good hotel and right in the centre
Menorca is a beautiful, quiet island ideal for 1 boot walking. I cannot rate the hotel anything other than excellent, it surpassed all expectations. Great location and facilities.
Headwater were really helpful and met our various requests. It was an excellent trip with varied walks which really give you a feel for the La Palma. Recommend you use the first walk to gague the timings suggested in the instructions, and use a map too. Take plenty of water and snacks as cafés along some routes are closed. Take a swim suit on the Charco Azul walk as the sea pools there are great, and a refreshing way to end the walk. Make sure you have your camera charged as the scenery is stunning!!!
Excellent walking trip on a beautiful scenic island
Holiday was actually booked via Exodus so difficult to comment.
The whole set-up of the holiday was very good, the accommodation wonderful, it was just the detail of the walks that let things down - it seemed in many cases that the routes had not been revised for a considerable length of time. Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our holiday but much of this was due to the work that we put in rather than relying on the information provided. The walking maps are poor - why are they not provided by Headwater and in colour?
Headwater provide a stimulating itinerary, with walks that are fairly graded and staying at good boutique hotels. We really enjoyed the holiday.
An excellent week's walking with varied landscapes and beautiful scenery, flowers and birdsong. A good mixture of tough days and easy walking.
We have enjoyed twelve holidays with Headwater since our first visit to Sicily in 2006! They have all been thoroughly enjoyable and one of the beauties of booking with Headwater is that you can relax at every stage knowing yoiu are in very capable hands!
Charming, pretty Finca spread out with different rooms in the garden area. Very relaxing atmosphere and very kind, friendly hosts (Sue and Gordon). It was very hot for May during our week but the walks were all adjusted to allow for this. Nick was a very knowledgeable guide and very helpful. Spent a great week there and met some lovely people. Would definitely go again.
The hotel looked after us well. We went half board - the evening meals were generally good. The area was very scenic and the wild flowers were lovely. The ascent/decent from to the village was quite severe especially after a long walk! On the first day the walk took us through an area with poor GPS signal where the paths were also indistinct and in places over grown.
However the biggest challenge was the heat - in mid-May we were expecting low to mid 20s but instead central Spain suffered a heat wave up to 37C making walking after 11am not sensible. As a result we spent our last 2 days in and around the hotel. As a small local hotel it was an ideal base for walking but by its very nature its facilities were limited for the days when it was too hot to go outside! This is by no way a criticism of the hotel or the holiday but the severe heat somewhat spoilt our last few days.
Brilliant holiday, excellent hotel, great walking (although relaxed and appropriate for us mid 70s age group with health issues) and sea swimming (much helped by the lovely May weather of course). We recommend booking the best rooms (we had experience of the best and the cheaper ones).
Highly recommended
Should any changes be made to your accommodation, make sure that Headwater explain any differences between the original and new accommodation. The changes didn’t bother us but may bother some people (ie. Spar hotel with swimming pool was changed to a simple - albeit lovely B&B).
Holiday was made easy, flexible with alternative walking available due to the weather.
Excellent holiday, superb walks in great locations. We did all the longer walks, some with a fair bit of ascent/descent and they were all excellent. Take sticks for the descents! Vilaflor & Garachico hotels were great, good food (and large portions) included in Vilaflor. There was an event in the main square in Garachico for 2 nights whilst we were there, but fortunately the music stopped around 10pm both nights.
There's a great little bar/cafe in Vilaflor with a large terrace overlooking the views at the back - Casa Pana, just down from the Dulceria Vilaflor below the main square. You can't see the terrace from the front! And in Garachico we had great meals at Hotel San Roque, just around the corner from Quinta Roja, and also at El Caleton by the sea.
We had a couple of nights added on at the end and stayed at the Hotel Botanico near the botanical gardens, both excellent. La Orotava is also worth stopping at to look at the gardens.
An energetic walking holiday in stunning surroundings. Tenerife was surprising and stimulating, from the rocky coastline, amazing views through to the extraordinary volcanic landscape. Thoroughly recommend.
An enjoyable holiday based at a good local hotel with excellent food. The walking is quite rugged, although not strenuous and there is sufficient variety for a week. In fact, being based in one location allows you to get to know the topography well and appreciate the local way of life to some degree. We hired a car which meant we could visit other villages after our walk each day.
There is not one thing I could fault about this holiday experience. From the helpfulness and service when booking a holiday 4 days before travel (!), information re Covid practicalities, the accommodation, food, walks, group size and transfers. Everything was spot on. To add a few extra words about Finca el Cerrillo, everything previously said about the hotel is true. Wonderful owners and staff make it feel like home from home, where nothing is too much trouble. The food was outstanding and plentiful. They went the extra mile for some in the group when the walks were too strenuous, and arranged at no extra cost, alternative walks and activities. I have already booked to go back again and I haven't yet been home a week! Thank you to both Karen at Headwater and everyone at Finca el Cirrello for a relaxing and wonderful stay.
Finca el Cerrillo is a stunning holiday destination. Sue and Gordon are wonderful hosts and made our holiday so enjoyable. The walking was great with spectacular views. The hotel itself is a tribute to the thought and hard work that Gordon and Sue have put into a run down olive mill over the years. It is cosy, quirky and picturesque with many seating areas around the interesting garden to catch the sun or find the shade when needed. We loved our holiday here and really hope to return..
An interesting island for walking with a good network of well signed footpaths. We enjoyed our week and everything went smoothly.
La Palma has some wonderful walks. Pretty, attractive landscape, varying from lush, verdant plantations at sea level to stark volcanic landscapes at 2,400m. There is nowhere flat on La Palma! Some of the walking is very strenuous, but quite spectacular as you walk up and down steep-sided barrancos. Day 4 is the equivalent of walking from sea level to the top of Snowdon in 12kms. The location of the accommodation and the combination of taxis and buses to get to and from walks works very well. Santa Cruz is picturesque and compact with plenty of good places to eat and drink.
I could not fault this holiday. Although I have been on many Headwater holidays both cycling and walking I would recommend this particular trip to anyone considering taking their first walking holiday, both with friends and alone. It was recommended to me mainly because the hotel was so nice and I certainly appreciated that as soon as I arrived.
Headwater response:
Dear Mrs Whalley
Thank you for leaving such a lovely review and recommendation. We do hope that we will be able to welcome you back on another Headwater holiday in the not too distant future.
Kind regards
Customer Services
One reason we choose this holiday was because all meals were included in the cost of the holiday. This was exactly what we wanted. I see that future holidays in this area/hotel don't include a picnic lunch (essential as there are no shops on the walking routes) and only one evening meal. So I can't recommend on the basis of what we experienced. The food at the hotel was really good. The walks were as described on the itinerary and were enjoyable. In October the temperature was just right for walking. I'm glad we chose this month.
Headwater response:
Dear Mrs Drage, thank you for your review. I am pleased that you enjoyed your holiday and I would like to assure you that the opportunity to add picnic lunches and evening meals on this holiday are still available as additional options. It is important to Headwater to offer the choice to customise your own trip, therefore the standard trip is B&B, apart from on the first night when dinner is always included and the option is there to add the extras that you require.
A wonderful area of Spain to explore and the easy walking on offer was just right and gave access to wonderful views. Everything was organised well and the walking guide was excellent.
Superb welcoming English hosts and staff at outstanding accommodation. Nice mixture of eating at local restaurants and at accommodation. 12 walkers in group were an ideal number. All walkers were good timekeepers (including four Icelanders) making for a very affable happy group. Our guide had excellent knowledge of the area and its inhabitants.
Good for people who like an energetic walk
A charming hotel with lovely staff in quiet part of Andalucia
We found it too hot to complete all the walks but time by the pool was a god restorative. If one wanted to start early one had to miss breakfast which is only available from 8.00am. If we wanted to go to Cala Turqueta we were advised to get to the queue for access to the road leading to the beach by 7.30am - after that and for most of the day access was prevented. The hotel is isolated so there is no chance to wander off easily and enjoy local life without a fairly long car journey along an unsympathetic, narrow road. Once in the hotel the ambience and staff were charming and welcoming.
Excellent and well organised.
Very enjoyable experience, pleasant walks, nice hotels with friendly staff and excellent food. My favorite walk!
We had a good week though in very hot weather. Overall we thought the week was underated at 1+ boot. 2 would have been more appropriate. Greg, the rep was very conscientious. The walking notes were good. The Hotel Garbi and The Castle were extremely comfortable and helpful. The Hotel Rosa in Begur was extremely friendly and welcoming. However the room was very small and the air conditioning not able to cope with the ambient temperature. Not comfortable. But overall a good holiday.. very interesting hilltop villages.
Excellent walking holiday but would probably go to Menorca earlier in the year as the end of June is almost too hot for walking!
First class hotel with friendly and professional staff. Beautiful region of Spain with an excellent mix of walking and potential sightseeing.
Great route, interesting sites and beautiful sceneryi
Excellent holiday, well worth visiting this area, locals very friendly and we especially enjoyed the wildlife and tranquility on our varied walks.
A truly fantastic holiday. The distances walked were slightly longer than those documented but it was well worth the effort.
The food and wine for the whole week were excellent and the castle was the highlight from an accommodation perspective.
I would thoroughly recommend this trip. Greg, the local rep was very helpful and very helpful when one of our party was ill.
This is the second time we have visited the Finca, this time with friends to whom we recommended the holiday. It was a first class experience from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. Sue , Gordon and their team at the Finca were very welcoming knowledgeable and interested in all aspects of our days , they clearly loved the countryside and wanted us to maximise our experience. Our guide, Rafa was brilliant and added to the whole experience. The cuisine was also brilliant and in itself enough to draw us back!
Thanks to all involved....
A beautiful place...
Overall, a very good holiday. As I hadn't been on a walking holiday before, I wasn't sure what to expect. Given the location I expected slopes, and from photos realised that paths could be rough, however the walks were more challenging than I expected and I would not describe them as easy. In particular, on the last day we had a long steep, scrambly stretch up a fire break where I needed the guide to give me a hand in places. None of the walks are that long, but it was the terrain was quite difficult in places. However, Rafa the guide was great, and the vistas were great (when you weren't watching where to put your feet)! Some of the paths were narrow with prickly plants that were difficult to avoid, so long trousers would have prevented my legs getting scratched - mainly on the first and last walks.
On arrival, the photo of the cafe where we were to meet the taxi driver did not tally with the actual. A little map would have been helpful. The actual transfer takes about an hour - the first half along the coast and the second half going up the hillside on narrow winding roads with precipitous drops but Maria, (my taxi drive both to and from the airport) was an excellent driver.
The Finca was a delight, with lovely gardens. Don't expect TV's or telephones in the rooms, which are simply furnished, but clean and I found the bed comfortable. Meals were taken altogether around a long table. There were eleven of us in the Headwater group and we filled half the 14 rooms. The other rooms were taken by a group of artists from Canada on a painting course. Overall the food was excellent (although I wasn't too keen on the buffet meal one evening). Most nights at the Finca there was no choice of menu, with the exception of one night when it was a choice between two white fish for the main course, although vegetarians and dietary restrictions are catered for. Two evening meals are at local restaurants and we were then asked to make our choices before going off for our walk that day.
I didn't go on the trip down to Malaga as I had picked up a blister on the first day, so I stayed at the hotel and read. Although I was the only one staying in the hotel, Alison arranged for me to have a salad for lunch, and Sybil the dog came and kept me company for a while!
I was travelling alone, and was the only "solo" walker. I may have been very lucky, but my fellow walkers were all very nice and I never felt left out or uncomfortable in any way because I was travelling alone. The whole group seem to blend together very well, yet there was still time to sit alone if you wanted to.
Overall I was very happy with the holiday. I would have liked more time wandering around the white villages themselves, as opposed to seeing a little bit of them at the beginning or end of a walk, and I really would have liked to hear some Spanish guitar music sometime during the week. I also tried to book a massage (as advertised by the hotel), but apparently the lady who does it won't come for just one person.
Menorca is a pretty place with lots of history - the Menorcans are rightly proud of this. The walking is not too strenuous, but there are some coastal areas which are not suitable for people with vertigo. The views are magnificent. The hotel rooms are separate from the restaurant - if you go in shoulder season, you will need something warm in the evening. The hotel staff are delightful and nothing is too much trouble. You will get to know the main road down the spine of the island pretty well!
A great welcome from the holel that continued through out. Excellent variety of walks on the charming island of Menorca.
Finca el Carrillo is a little paradise. Our walks took us round the white villages and up into the hills. We saw many butterflies, flowers and birds. We even heard a nightingale. We also enjoyed local cuisine. Our day in Malaga was an opportunity to see some wonderful art at the Carmen Thyssen Museum also the Picasso
A great way to explore the hills of Andalusia, if you don't mind walking with the hotel dog bounding around.
Beautiful walks. Guide was good in assessing group ability and provided challenging walks. The hotel was fabulous. I have never stayed in such a wonderful place with such good food and facilities.
The whole trip was amazing, reps Jill and Colin were very attentive and knowledgable. Hotels were well picked and varied so we experienced castles to little boutique hotels. Really enjoyed the trip.
This holiday exceeded my expectations. Excellent doesn’t do justice to this holiday.
Good location to enjoy this beautiful natural park.
Wonderful hotel, staff and food/wine! We had inclement weather including snow, so early April may not suit everyone. Driving was easy on good if winding roads. Our last night had clear skies, and we were lucky that the hotel could provide an English speaking guide to show us the stars etc via the observatory - not to be missed! Only real issue was the Europcar booking process which was confusing and over complicated. Petit Precios hotel in Madrid was fine, but rooms facing the street were a little noisy.
We had a great time -The other members of the group were friendly and we had enjoyable walks and meals together. Gordon and Sue were so lovely . They were very knowledgeable and helpful both as guides and also as hotel owners.They have built such a great hotel ,both comfortable and efficient .I understood why so many of their guests return.
Very enjoyable with good company, good accommodation, lovely walks. A little more attention to detail with joining instructions would have helped.
The highlight of the holiday was most definitely the hotel. We were made to feel like old friends, even by fellow guests who weren’t part of our group. We’ve never stayed in a more relaxing hotel. The guide was excellent and the walks, particularly the last one into the mountains, where delightful. The accommodation was excellent as was the food.
A lovely week walking in the hills of Andalucia, based in a great little Finca. Wonderful food and friendly, helpful staff making for a very relaxing stay. Nice to have a day off in Malaga which has lots to see. A fabulous walking guide in Judith who although Dutch lives locally so knows the area very well. Would definitely recommend the week for gentle walks, great food and hopefully good weather!
Finca el Cerrillo was a beautiful property, with everything you could hope for. There was only 14 rooms but the outside space, with so many tucked away seating areas, was incredibly spacious. Dinner each evening was delicious. Our hosts were friendly and welcoming, and the staff always smiling and helpful. Judith, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable and very easy to get on with. She helped to make our walks a real experience.
The Hotel Zuhayra is brilliantly situated to explore both the white town of Zuheros and the mountains that provide the backdrop. The walk via Luque was excellent and we also enjoyed the easy choice of the Via Verde, walking on a disused railway line (a great option for cyclists too with well over 100km of level routes available). We were amazed that it was a Rural 2-star Hotel and wondered how much better it could have been had it been 3 or 4-star. As such it was excellent value for money [the food was at times, a bit disappointing and the choice was occasionally limited or there was no choice].
A great holiday - excellent planning and support and a wonderful location which combined beautiful countryside, a rustic rural Spanish locale and very enjoyable walking.
A generally enjoyable first visit to this attractive island with varied and undemanding walking on offer. Also, the historic centre of Ciutadella is charming. We were delighted and disappointed in equal measure with our hotel. The welcome, quality of service and the comfort of the lounge and bar areas were excellent. Our bedroom was comfortable enough but let down by a lack of storage space and a serious level of noise transference from adjoining rooms. Breakfasts were excellent but we felt the evening meals were somewhat mediocre considering the quality of the hotel, and the dining room though ideal for summer visitors became cold and draughty when it was windy.
Having undertaken guided walking holidays we wanted to try a self-guided trip which would enable us to set off, stop and finish when we wanted (later start, more and longer stops) and this was perfect. We did three days walking with a day of rest between each walk (altho' ample instructions for further walks were provided). Our luggage was transported seamlessly from one hotel to the next and the hotels were first class both in situation and service (the food was excellent). In addition we tacked several days onto our trip to make a short city break and all arrangements for travel and accommodation were dealt with seemingly effortlessly providing us with a superb holiday experience.
5* location, 5* beautiful Finca with endless hidden terraces, where you could relax in peace if you wanted to. Lovely swimming pool. Food was exceptional throughout the week, including lunch tapas stops out and evening restaurant meals,. Best of all were the Finca meals. Wine was flowing and , if you wanted, you could purchase further drinks before meals from the Honesty bar. I found the walks accurately marked at 1+ and, at 67 and only recently having become a walker, I thought they were perfectly doable unless you had mobility issues, in which case, choose a trip which doesn't include rugged mountain tracks. The guide, Nick, gave us background geography and history, while walking, and many thought that was a welcome addition to some other trips they had been on. There were only 9 of us and I think, again, that that is what made the trip so enjoyable. We could chat to different people on the walk and evening meals were all the more pleasant because of the smaller group. Sue and Gordon, who run the Finca with help, provided an exceptional experience. They put themselves out and were charming but unobtrusive. I think I was very lucky to have chosen this trip as my first walking experience away on my own. It was a brilliant week and well worth every penny.
EXCELLENT WEEK AWAY, GOOD COMBINATION OF WALKING, SIGHTSEEING & RELAXATION IN PRETTY SURROUNDINGS
Lovely hotel with super friendly and helpful staff, especially Antonio the manager. Good food and the picnics are very good - a very large sandwich, 2 pieces of fruit, juice and water. You wont go hungry! The walks are great and we did them in the order that was recommended in the walking notes. If you want a day off from walking a day trip to Cordoba is well worth it. All the logistics went according to plan and we had an excellent holiday.
Brilliant! Fantastic guide (Nick), food, The Finca and hosts. Great company in our walking group.
The Finca was first rate , and an ideal base to return to after a days walking. The walks were challenging and interestingly brought to life by our guide. An all round holiday experience
Beautiful situation, friendly staff and great food, with access to some lovely walks - similar to walking in the Lake District so bear in mind the effect of the heat!
A quiet, remote area of Spain yet full of interest. We visited three outstanding cities, all within driving distance - Avila, Sevogia and Salamanca. We interspersed these visits with walking days in the remote and beautiful countryside around the hotel. The hotel provided picnics which were delicious and the hotel food and local wine was outstanding.
Zuheros is a lovely, very quiet village in the Andalucian hills. The villagers offer a friendly "Buena DÃa" when you pass them in the street. The hotel Zuhayra offers friendly and helpful service.
Impeccable organisation - everything arranged to perfection!
Great walking in a lovely area. Accommodation excellent; allowing us to relax in comfort after a long day's walking. The Headwater team are excellent; everything (all booking arrangements, support from local guide) ran perfectly smoothly.
On our arrival we were upgraded to a lovely room, (the Manhattan), it had great views, with a balcony overlooking the mountains. The room was very spacious and had a nice sitting area. The hotel was quite spacious with plenty of inside and outside sitting areas and a bar. The staff were always helpful and friendly and I felt they wanted to make our stay enjoyable. Daniel is particularly helpful with any problem.
There was a good choice of food from the menu in the evening,both meat, fish and vegetarian options and many chocolate deserts. Our picnic lunches were exceptional, with fruit, nuts, salads and enormous baguettes of many varied fillings. I would highly recommend these if you are walking all day. The walks are very good. We wrote in their book where the instructions could be improved/updated.
June is probably too late for the recommended walks. Due to heavy use of the beaches it was not possible to take the car to the starting points of the coastal walks which meant we had to change the route. The latter was fairly straightforward as the cami way signs are excellent. Driving in Menorca is easy however the side roads are very narrow with high stone walls up to the verge. We had a polo which was very good but I thought a Fiat 500 would have been easier. The Hotel is very good and the staff very friendly and helpful. We were disappointed in the dinners which were a set menu. Two meals consisted steak and pork both of which were extremely tough and not enjoyable. The breakfasts were excellent and the wines very good and well priced. We would be pleased to return to Menorca.
Beautiful countryside, dramatic coast line, wonderful walking often with historical interest. Brilliant located hotel and tremendous service. First visit to Menorca, fallen in love with this friendly beautiful island.
Another enjoyable holiday and we are keen to do more.
The two weekest points were 1) - The arrangements with B.A. Both the Outgoing and Return journeys failed to allocate adjacent seats and the initial lack of a Boarding or Check-In document for the Return journey did cause us some concern. and 2) Details for the suggested walks for 5 days were quite difficult to follow.
A great holiday; a wonderful way to see unspoilt parts of this popular island holiday destination. Would love to return and explore more on foot.
A really enjoyable holiday on a beautiful island and staying at a lovely hotel
Wonderful tranquil location and excellent helpful staff at the hotel. Walking notes provided are very out of date however and we would recommend using the hotel walking notes instead which are very detailed.
We thoroughly enjoyed our first visit to Menorca. The walks weren't at all challenging but can be sometimes rocky underfoot. The wild flowers in May were exceptional, the coastal views were stunning and the weather was ideal for walking. We completed all the walks except the Mahon city walk and enjoyed all but the Punta Prima walk had long stretches between two high walls. We extended our stay to 10 nights which allowed us to do an extra walk of our own in the natural park of Es Grau. This we would definitely recommend as it is so unspoilt. Park at Es Grau and call for a taxi to Favaritx and walk south back along the coast to Es Grau. This was one of our two favourites, the other being the north coastal walk. The hotel was charming, the staff helpful, the food was excellent quality but the choice was limited to two per course as there was no a la carte in May. The last few miles of driving to the hotel is reminiscent of those narrow Cornish lanes with high rugged stone walls and blind bends.
For the money, the holiday could have been longer. 3 hotels of which only 2 provided evening meals. In previous years we have had 4 hotels and an additional days walking. Route notes very good and local information.
5 star holiday experience . Excellent hotel , location and walking experience.
Friendly, welcoming hosts in a beautiful location. Wonderful walking with Gordon and Sue.
A thoroughly enjoyable, relaxing time in beautiful surroundings. Congratulations to Sue and Gordon, and their team, they are wonderful hosts.
Amazing Spanish venue giving a true insight and feeling to old Spain (well away from fish and chips!). The Finca has been beautifully renovated to offer individually laidout room with plenty of quirky outdoor spaces (including a tree house with bar). The hosts are very welcoming with great enthusiasm and knowledge. The walks were well thought out with plenty to see.
Finca el Cerrillo is exceptional. The care and tought that have gone into the walking programmes is impressive.
Information provided by Headwater both on the phone and in written documents was thorough and informative. The choice of hotel was excellent - quiet rural situation with friendly staff whose customer service was of a very high standard. Walking notes were reliable and detailed. Road directions were accurate. This was our first Headwater holiday and we were impressed with how little we had to rely on our own research to accomplish the visits we made. Plus, we were bowled over by Menorca in early May - beautiful meadows of wild flowers, birdsong, relaxing and quiet beaches/walks. A heady mix.
Everything about the holiday was good, the hotel, the company, the food and the guides had an excellent knowledge of the environment. Overall a thoroughly enjoyable week.
Friendly, helpful, engaging and committed to ensuring a successful holiday experience.
Quiet location, offering a variety of challenging walks. Abundance of wild flowers and birds (in April). Excellent hotel, very welcoming and brilliant choice of good local food. Friendly and helpful staff, especially the taxi service.
Gentle walking in beautiful scenery. Nick was an excellent guide, and the Finca is a lovely, homely place to relax and enjoy some peace and quiet.
Following receipt of the excellent documents describing the holiday in full we were extremely excited. If anything we were a little worried that we had too high an expectation but this certainly wasn't the case. The holiday was every bit as good as we expected. Even the weather was perfect. Everything was arranged so well and the people looking after us from the owners to the staff were excellent.
Far from the madding crowds in clean air
The Sierras Subbeticas was a lovely verdant limestone area to explore in depth using the excellent Hotel Zuhayra as a base. By the end of the week we had criss crossed it in various ways but without unduly repeating any area.
In a word, EXCELLENT. The Finca el Cerrillo provided comfortable accommodation in a wonderful location. Surrounded by beautiful gardens with excellent views across to the nearby (white) village, this was a great place to relax. Breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals (two at local restaurants) were all delicious. The hotel owners, Sue and Gordon Kind, were welcoming and attentive hosts, keen to make sure that every guest felt looked after. Our walking guide, Elaine, was first class, leading us at the right pace for the group, and informing us about the local area, history and wildlife. The walks were typically 4-5 miles in length, and correctly described as 1+. Nothing too challenging, but with enough ascent and descent to keep us active for a few hours each day. I greatly enjoyed the trip to the caves at Nerja, the visit to Theo's bar, and the journey by 4x4 up into the mountains to start the walk on the final day. All flights and transfers went well, including Headwater offering alternative flights very quickly and efficiently following the collapse of Monarch. As a single traveller this was a great opportunity to meet with some interesting and sociable fellow travellers who all got on well together. Overall, I would highly recommend this holiday.
Walking along the coast is lovely, interesting old towns inland. The standard of hotels was mixed.
Most enjoyable variety of walking on a lovely island. Weather in October was wonderful...... ideal for walking.Driving around the island was a delight despite the manual left hand drive car! Accommodation was ideal in peaceful, relaxing setting.
Our holiday was good fun, route notes were excellent (we didn't need the area maps at all) and the food and wine in Catalan was fantastic and affordable. Our rep Greg was helpful, practical and caring. One of our group couldn't do the walking due to a hip injury and Greg went out of his way to ensure she was able to get from A to B on our hotel to hotel walking holiday. The hotel staff were super helpful and couldn't do enough. This is our fourth trip with Headwater and we'll be looking again for next year.
One of my best holidays. Good company (others on same holiday). Nick the guide was excellent too.
Exceeded expectations in accommodation and general arrangements & attention to,detail. Walks were good. However needs,to be made clear these are not gentle strolls and a degree,of difficulty is involved
A well chosen rural, village based location for an experience of the real Spain. The Finca el Cerillo takes some beating,and we would recommend every aspect of the holiday, the experience was only positively added to by the whole location team. Thanks to all.
We were made very welcome and comfortable by the hotel staff, taxi drivers and locals. The walking was very pleasant, despite the unseasonally high temperatures, with wonderful mountain views and plenty of wildlife interest. I would not advise some of the more remote walks to people who are not experienced hill walkers with good navigational skills. Owing to the lack of large scale, high quality mapping for Spain there were a couple of places where we were unable to find waymarks and strayed off the intended route (and hence needed to resort to GPS for assistance). A number of earlier guests made comments about this in the hotel log. Despite that we had a wonderful holiday and we hope to return in a later Spring season to enjoy the mountain flowers.
Headwater response:
Dear Dr Banyard,
Thank you for taking the time to write in with your post-holiday feedback.
Firstly, we were pleased to read you had an enjoyable holiday overall and found the Hotel staff and transportation providers welcoming. We have passed on your comments.
We were however sorry to read you encountered difficulties with some of the way marking. Please let me reassure you, we do review all of our route notes seasonally, however, we do realise areas can change during the season due to weather conditions, construction and route updates. With this in mind, we will review all of the feedback received in this area and updates made as required.. Thank you for bringing this feedback to our attention, as it allows us the opportunity to continue to improve our holidays for future customers.
In closing, we would like to thank you for your continued loyalty and look forward to welcoming you on another of our holidays in the future.
Kind regards,
Headwater Customer Service team
Beautiful places and great hotels. The walking is quite challenging but with clear directions.
We had a great holiday returning to Menorca after ten years. We thought the hotel was great, in a beautiful setting, extremely friendly and welcoming, and really well looked after; a peaceful oasis to return to after a day out walking.
This was our third visit to Zuheros. The hotel is an excellent base for a walking holiday and the walks are challenging enough to feel that something has been achieved.
We enjoyed the whole experience. The weather in September is delightful and the hotel is clean and comfortable. The walking is lovely in the valleys and very rewarding with beautiful views from the tops of the mountains. The driving is very easy around Hoyos.
We really enjoyed our trip to northern Spain. All travel arrangements worked well and we were very impressed by Greg, our rep, who met us at the station and couldn't have been more helpful or welcoming. All our hotels were clean and comfortable but the Castell d'Emporda stood out. Beautifully situated on a hill overlooking a patchwork of fields, it's a modern hotel (our room had one glass picture wall with wonderful views) situated in an old castle. The restaurant is relaxed and breezy and the breakfast buffet was truly awe-inspiring. All the walks worked well, although we would have appreciated a bit more shade on the hottest days! We're looking forward to our next Headwater adventure!
An extremely enjoyable holiday. Walking was at times tough due to the temperature, in the mid 30s, so perhaps May or September are better months for this holiday than June? The hotel was wonderfully situated. It was so relaxing and the staff polite, efficient and helpful. Would recommend taking out insurance for damage to car as some roads, especially the one to and from the hotel, were narrow and bordered by dry stone walls. However, we did manage to deliver the car back to Mao scratch and dent free!
A delight for birdwatchers and botanists in spring and early summer. Lots of opportunities for photography. Walks were flexible in length and difficulty. Car hire essential.
Perfect for a relaxed walking holiday. Routes took us through lovely and contrasting scenery in a part of Spain that we would probably never have thought to visit. So glad to have discovered it.
Very good, well signposted walking routes in a beautiful area of Spain.
Turquoise waters, ancient tracks and historic gems , all from a superbly restful hotel in a fabulous rustic setting --what not to enjoy?
Relatively easy, but varied, walking, glorious coastal scenery and beautiful sea swimming. The scenery, archaeological remains, and plentiful and varied bird-life made the walks very interesting. Good accommodation with exceptionally helpful staff. Slightly hair-raising driving on narrow roads around the hotel (a little car is good!). Generally relaxed and helpful atmosphere. Wonderful seafood.
We really enjoyed walking in the Catalonian countryside in the spring time. The towns and villages were delightful. The food and wine was great. The people in the hotels were super. It was all good.
Walking in Menorca seems to be nearly entirely on coast paths, with very few inland walks. That means linear walks, so unless you have two cars it's a matter of 'there and back', or a longish taxi ride. That said, it's a beautiful island, mostly unspoilt. Passing other cars in narrow lanes with dry-stone walls and thorn bushes can be nerve-wracking. We did four of the five Headwater-recommended walks, and would recommend Son Mercer de Baix for it's inland variety, the North Coast trail for its scenery, and Macaretta-Turqueta for beautiful coves. Also worth doing Cuitadella and Mao (on last day) town walks. Morvedra Nou is a delightful hotel in a very quiet location, with friendly and efficient staff. Standard room was clean and comfortable, but small, although with an outdoor terrace that was lovely in the evening sun. The dinner options included in the HW package were slightly unexciting and perhaps we should have spent a bit more on Menorcan specialities a la carte. House wines are OK and very reasonably priced. We had no difficulty finding restaurant/cafe lunch stops on our walks. Overall, a very enjoyable week.
I would have done away with the day to visit Malaga, instead put in another walk. The return flight was a mess because of B.A., nothing to do with you but it put a damper on future plans.
An excellent introduction to the area with a wonderful guide.
It was a five star Holiday.
Very nice and interesting to discover this part of Spain - nature, history, quiet beaches.
For me personally it met my expectations. Walking, time to relax and unwind each day with a relaxed evening . The. Cuisine was excellent and offerred an ideal choice of local food/dishes.
Menorca's surprisingly flat, especially round the coast where most of the walks are located, so ideal for gentle walking - not for hard-bitten hill-walkers! Easy to traverse the length or breadth of the island by car in a hour or less, but watch out for minor roads on the Kompass map which prove to be private or little more than an overgrown bridle path. Much of the island seems untouched by tourism, which is delightful, but don't expect to find a cafe wherever you stop. Many things are still free to visit. People and climate very friendly!
A magnificent holiday, well organised and all Headwater staff were extremely helpful. The hotels were very comfortable and the food (my God the food!) was astonishingly good. A holiday where we ate as much as we liked and still lost weight! Even though our holiday was rated as easy the walks are challenging and we very very glad of our equipment and a walking pole each although my wife was not keen on the way I whirled around near her head at times. The trees, flowers and bird life were at their very best in May. Nightingales, Cuckoos, Cirl Buntings, Bee Eaters, Hoopoes, Serins, Crested Larks... bring your binoculars. If I were to be picky then on the day 2 walk to La Bisbal we took the longer route (our default decision) which added an extra mile or two through similar countrisde and could have been omitted giving longer at the very pretty last 2-3 miles through villages and farmland. The circular walk (a) on day 3 was lovely, Monells a good place for a coffee and very cheap (coffee, tea and ham baguette for under €5). Day four's walk was great to Pals, villages en route very attractive. We then trekked up the rock path to the observation point at Quermany Gros which turned out to be rather lower in elevation than the castle at Begur and possibly my wife would have said ' I hate you' a bit less often if we'd taken the low road. The kilometre climb up soft sand dunes after this meant we crawled into Begur slightly delerious. Fortunately the Hotel Rosa, though not as luxurious as the others has the most superb restaurant, the owner is the chef. We ate enough to compared with that Vicar of Dibley episode in which Geraldine has to eat 3 Christmas Dinners. Day five's walk was lovely. Day six we actually got lost twice (our fault) due to failure to follow instructions which were uniformly excellent. From Sa Tuna we rebelled and followed the coast path GR92 but I'm not convinced it was 'better'.
Our only slight grumble was that we would have missed the train connection from Barcelona Sants to Flaca even if our Ryan Air flight hadn't been delayed by 20 minutes. We sprinted through immigration and got the train from T2 but they only run every 30 minutes and we missed our connection by 15 minutes. The station ticket office man couldn't have been more helpful but intransigently refused to honour our pre-booked ticket meaning we had to fork out an extra €19 for 2 singles. Can we claim this back?
Headwater response:
Dear Mr Evans,
Thank you for taking the time to provide your wonderful review of this holiday. It sounds like you had such an enjoyable holiday that you will treasure for years to come.
We were however sorry to read that you missed your train due to tight connection times. I will be in touch to refund this amount. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused at the start of your holiday, however are delighted it did not affect your holiday overall.
We would like to thank you for travelling with headwater this summer and look forward to welcoming you on another of our holidays in the future.
Kind regards,
Headwater Customer Service team
Snow capped mountains, woods, fields and flowers and wildlife made every day interesting
Our third visit to the Finca. As always great - although the mixture of guide/companions made this possibly the most enjoyable visit yet. As always the Finca is a superb centre for the holiday; and Elaine is an outstanding guide in all respects.
This is the fourth time my sister and I have been to Finca El Cerillo. Its setting, garden and swimming pool are outstanding and the buildings have been adapted imaginatively to make comfortable en suite rooms. Staying there feels like staying in an idiosyncratic country house where nothing is too much trouble. Food is delicious, the welcome is exceptional, and suggestions for improvement are genuinely welcomed. The walking is great too, and very well guided. We like the practice of sitting with fellow guests at supper and on each occasion have found them congenial. Very few exceptions!
This holiday has a delightful base at the pretty finca run by Gordon and sue and their friendly and efficient team .Their commitment to making your holiday as enjoyable as possible includes excellent guiding, delicious food within a relaxed , comfortable atmosphere. Walks seem to be adjusted to match the weather and overall ability of the group. The inclusion of meals out in the local restaurants etc meant we really felt that we were experiencing the Spanish cuisine. Great fun in a lively group. Thank you!
Headwater offers self guided holidays, but with the benefit of sorting all the travel arrangements.
We had a wonderful holiday. The hotel was very comfortable (we did have a free upgrade as the hotel wasn't very busy). The staff could not have been more helpful. The walking was very varied and we were blessed with beautiful weather.
It was one of the best walking holidays we have had. The hotel was superb with wonderful staff and food. The walking was excellent with varied terrain and scenery. I would highly recommend it to anyone.
This was a door to door excellent holiday and experience.
The Finca was excellent with varied & tasty food & comfortable rooms. The splendid location & walks were accurately graded & Nick the guide was very knowledgeable. He adjusted his pace to accommodate the slower walkers on the steep terrain. The programme was varied, but the days in Malaga & Nerja were not 'rest' days (this is not a criticism, but an observation)
We enjoyed a wonderful week's walking which exceeded our expectations. The landscapes, birds and flowers were exceptional and we particularly enjoyed hearing the nightingales singing in the gorge. We were very lucky to be able to see some of the Easter celebrations too. The hotel was very welcoming and offered excellent service and delicious food.
The walking tour was a great way to really explore the countryside. It was comforting to know there was someone there if we got terribly lost or hurt.
Beautiful walking in unspoilt limestone scenery. Fantastic bird walching opportunities. Comfortable hotel with hearty picnics and interesting evening meals. Antonio ensures that all aspects of a Headwater holiday are arranged with great efficiency.
This was the first week of the season and it was cold for three days. The hotel bedroom had heating but the bathroom did not. The communal areas of the hotel were cold. Obviously accommodation in this area is designed to keep heat out. If the weather is not good there are limited opportunities here. especially as the local museum was shut for refurbishment for the whole season. The hotel staff were very helpful and friendly. We found the walks quite challenging, the directions were mostly good but on one occasion (the end of the Ermita walk) the alternative route back to the hotel was impossible to find. The path was completely invisible and we had to walk back along the road. The scenery, birdlife and wild flowers were wonderful. We hired bikes from the hotel one day and cycled along the Via Verde (disused railway track) which was easy cycling with interesting views. Another day we took the bus to Cordoba which was cheap, reliable and well worth while. We enjoyed this holiday but felt that overall both the hotel and the village were not places to be If the sun isn't shining.
Excellent accommodation & location, good guide & good variety of walks.
The finca el cerillo was in a spectacularly beautiful place. On top of this the owners and staff were delightful and highly efficient. The food at the finca was quite superb and the arrangements at local restaurants were very good too. Elaine, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable, kind and thoughtful. The whole week was filled with interesting walks, history and culture, and was wonderfully managed. It was like staying as a house guest with very kind friends. We will definitely look at Headwater holidays again.
Excellent hotel, great walks with an excellent local guide, and super company. There were gentle walks in the early days building up to a lovely long last day hike in the mountains. Good local food and opportunities to sample local bars and restaurants. A couple of excursions to Nerja caves and Malaga old town added variety to an excellent week.
A combination of great walks in a beautiful place coupled with an outstanding hotel made it a week to remember.
Everything about this holiday was top class. From the accommodation, the food, the walking, the guide, the transfers to the hotel staff. Most of all the company of the other walkers. Compliments to all concerned.
We did the Classic Catalan walk as a short break at the end of the season, in October. The mixture of 15/17 kilometer walks, historic towns, seaside and forests, with comfortable hotels at nights, and luggage transported from place to place, was just right. Just what we needed.
The notes were very detailed,accurate and all the paths well-marked locally; that made for a very relaxing walking experience. The hotels, whether grand or more humble, exceded our expectations; The Castell d'Emporda was a stunning place to spend our rest day, the food and friendliness at Hotel Rosa was great.
One meal was appalling, and throughout the cooking was at best uninspired.
In the rooms, the shower over-flowed very quickly onto the floor. this resulted in a very slippery and potentially dangerous surface.
There were so many flies outside and in! No fly-swatters made available.
Headwater response:
Dear Mr Tucker,
Thank you for taking the time to write in with your constructive feedback. We were sorry to read you encountered maintenance issues with your room, the hotelier has assured us this has been resolved; unfortunately, they were unaware of this issue and are sorry this was not resolved during your stay. We will continue to work closely with the hotelier to ensure they deliver the high standard of accommodation our customers expect.
Despite these issues, we hope you had an enjoyable holiday overall.
We would like to thank you for choosing headwater this summer; we look forward to welcoming you on another of our holidays in the future.
Kind regards,
Headwater Customer Service team
Excellent holiday with varied scenery. The 1+ rating is about right. The walks are too long for a 1, but the terrain is not difficult.The timing of the arrival of the plane into Barcelona gave insufficient time to make the scheduled train so we had to wait an hour for the next one.
High standards.
Lovely holiday with great food. Elaine was an excellent guide and very informative.
The Finca was excellent, as were all meals. Our guide Elaine was fantastic,the walks not too long, the week was fun.
This was my second visit to the finca - my first was in November when the weather was poor, and I wanted to see what it was like in sunshine. I was not disappointed - I would recommend this holiday to everyone who enjoys walking, eating good food and drinking wine!
Absolutely brilliant, all the walk instructions easy to follow and the hotel acomodation and scenery magnificent.
We had promised ourselves a return to the Finca since our first brilliant experience a few years ago. We were not disappointed. Fabulous food, walks, & company in a glorious spot....we will return.
An excellent location, with good views, well appointed rooms and excellent food. The guide Nick was very knowledgeable. We would repeat in a different season to see the wildlife.
Absolutely fantastic, superb hotel a jewel in the island, delicious food well prepared, excellent staff. Beautiful hotel! So many varied and interesting walks away from the tourist areas. One of the best holidays we have had!
We will be returning one day to complete the other walks around the island. Just wish we had been able to stay longer.
A very comfortable stay in a lovely hotel with good walking on varied terrain in mountains close to Madrid yet unknown to us before we arrived.
Excellent holiday in little known area of Spain.
Very varied walking in a lovely area. The walks were of the right length with good descriptions. We had good advice from Teresa. This was not an area we would have gone to without you as we had never heard of it. In September it was quiet with very few other tourists Spanish or British. We had one cold day but otherwise it was good walking weather.
A fantastic location with plenty of variety in the walks. If you want a break from walking there are opportunities to visit to local towns/villages, or to relax at the hotel. Be prepared to deal with high temperatures, even in September!
Overall - excellent.
A beautiful area of Spain particularly the coastline with some wonderful accessible walks . Longer walks can be challenging on the warmer days !
A very well considered walking route with accurate and detailed route notes which helped to make the holiday very enjoyable. We opted to stay an extra night in one of the suggested hotels which worked out very well. We liked the independence and choice of pace the holiday presented even though we had the full back up of Headwater representatives there if we had needed them. The rating of 1 boot + for the Catalan Classic tour was appropriate as was the 'at a glance' write up in the brochure. Overall this walk/holiday fulfilled our expectations and introduced us to a lovely part of Spain.
Despite one of us not being able to walk very far we still had a lovely time. The hotel was in a lovely place and was a most relaxing place to stay.
We thoroughly enjoyed this holiday in Menorca. The weather was extremely hot all week so we often shortened the walks which is easy to do as many of them are linear walks. Although most of the walks are coastal there is plenty of variety. The hotel is absolutely lovely, in such a peaceful location with beautiful gardens. We had a very warm welcome on arrival and the service throughout the week was consistently good. All the staff were helpful and polite and nothing was too much trouble. Our accommodation, the gardens and all public areas were kept spotlessly clean and the food was good and plentiful.
We were very pleased with the walking routes and overall package, plus interesting days out in Cordoba and Malaga. The hotel in Zuheros was slightly 'simpler' than we'd normally choose but they worked so hard to provide excellent service; taxi was great too. A well planned holiday in an area we would not have discovered apart from through your brochure - we rate Headwater highly.
1/ Never give up the Morvedra Nou; one of the most relaxing and enjoyable hotels we have stayed at. We had a junoir suite with a patio overlooking the pool - the best in the house.
2/ I know this was only a grade 1, but any experienced walker could have done a lot more. We spent some spare time on the beach. Would not be so good at high season, would be too hot and crowded.
3/ 'Would you take another holiday with Headwater?' - I think we have done them all. at least at grades we can manage now. I am well in the 80-90 bracket - not in your age scale! - but I think we started with Heaswater in 1998. I have all the notes and paperwork in boxes in the attic.
4/ I was worried about French Air Traffic Control industrial action, but we were notaffected.
Headwater response:
Dear Mr Emerson,
Thank you for taking the time to complete your post-holiday questionnaire. Please be assured we value all of the feedback we receive and use this to help us continue to improve and develop our holidays for future customers.
It is lovely to see you continue to enjoy your walking holidays with us; we value your loyalty dearly and look forward to welcoming you on your next holiday.
Yours sincerely,
Headwater Customer Service team
Beautiful Island and walks. Morvedra Nou is a lovely small hotel. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful. The breakfasts were very good, continental style with plenty of choice. The evening meals were a bit hit and miss unfortunately. You are given the menu in the morning and there is a choice of two of each of the courses. Choose wisely!
I am really happy with Headwater in all aspects except, perhaps, the standard of accommodation (at times). Although, in this instance, you do advertise that the hotel's accommodation will be a standard room, there are no definitive descriptions of standard compared to other rooms/prices. The room we were offered would have 'sufficed', but when staying for a length of time I think it is evident that a more comfortable room with more amenities would make the holiday that much more of an enjoyable experience. That is difficult to deduce from your literature. (We upgraded at El Milano Real as soon as we arrived).
When using your company in the past (on Inn-to-Inn walks) there have been other instances where we have felt a little let down by the quality of hotel.
We had a wonderful weeks walking, the hotel was in a lovely hill top village. The walking was good in wonderful scenery with beautiful wild flowers and birdsong.Antonio and his staff looked after us really well and we also enjoyed our day trip to Córdoba. This was our twelfth trip with yourselves and one of the best.
Peaceful location, excellent coastal and inland walking away from the crowds
The Morvedra Nou was the kind of friendly, family run, quality hotel that we always hope we'll find but all too rarely do. The rooms may be compact for some people but we were very comfortable, especially given the spacious private terrace. The food was good, fresh and well presented. We were very happy with the choice of two dishes each day, though would have liked the chance to try the cheese for which the island is famous - either as an alternative to dessert or as an extra small course. But we would thoroughly recommend the hotel and the programme of walks, which were all surprisingly different, considering this is a small island. It was our first trip to Menorca and we found the holiday perfect for those who like an active morning and lazy afternoon!
The holiday notes for Coastal trails of Minorca were pretty accurate. Overall we found the island delightful and at this time of year absolutely stunning with all the wild flowers in full bloom. Very easy to get around and not too crowded. We also were blessed with the weather which was in the low 20 C range
We thought Zuheros and the HotelZuhayra were both charming and beguiling - extraordinarily peaceful and calming - we were very sorry to leave and it took us some time to grow accustomed to the comparative mayhem of Granada . The taxi arrangements in Zuheros were quite remarkably efficient hts off to Maria and her brother - we would return to Zuheros tomorrow if we could = perhaps a progressive walk around these white villages might the na idea
Outstanding food in lovely hotels. Top class local support, advice and guidance. Stunning walks through fascinating medieval villages, shady forests and patchwork quilts of colourful fields.
This is a beautiful part of the world, and the hotel and service were magnificent. Sadly we had terrible weather, with heavy rain each day, further snow on the peaks and biting cold wind. The paths up the mountains were often streams of water and fields little more than bogs. We had gone prepared for variable weather as it was mountainous, but not freezing cold and near constant rain. Teresa and her staff were very accommodating and the food was great. We did see a wild boar, mountain goats and fantastic birds and had a good rest
A pretty perfect holiday. Headwater were very well organised and my reps, Brian and Olivia, were totally fantastic - helpful, very efficient and totally reliable. I was walking on my own and they texted me to ensure I had reached my destinations safely. The walks were wonderful and the instructions very clear. Everywhere I turned there was a picture postcard view. This is a wonderful area of Spain to visit - I did the Catalan Classic Walking holiday and walked every day, even though I didn't have to but there was so much I wanted to see. Wonderful that there was always hot water for a good soak in the bath when I got back to my hotel. I didn't want to come home although, to be honest I couldn't have kept up the walking for many more days.
This was a hub Hotel walking holiday enabling us to select the walk to suit the daily weather with the expert and sound advice of the Rep Teresa (hotel owner). Having car hire we were able to spend the rainy day in Salamanca - where the sun shone! The first week in May found us trudging through snow on one walk and waltzing through spring flowers on another. All great fun. Ibex herds added to the entertainment on one of the walks. The Blue Book was up to date with additional helpful comments. Hotel staff were superb as was the cuisine and the views from the hotel.
Had a great holiday. Eleven off us in the party and we all got on well together. No cliques. Wine tasting on the Sunday got us all going.
This was an excellent hotel and Sue and Gordon really looked after us. The food was great and the facilities were super. The walks were mostly good for us although quite testing for me in places. They were relatively short but in my opinion were greater than a 1 boot+ probably more like a 2 boot. My particular problem is that I suffer from severe vertigo and this resort is nearly 600 meters above sea level with very steep winding roads and many of the higher ones had no barriers. The local taxi drivers were really good but nobody should talk to them when driving because they use their hands to answer. Our guide Elaine was excellent and very understanding. However I backed off the last walk because it used 4x4 trucks to go high up, across winding narrow tracks and the walk was a bit hairy too. Don't get me wrong overall it was a great holiday.
Our only criticism is that of alternative departure airport does make a huge difference to the cost. The airline we were booked with is a low cost budget alternative, but we would have done far better to book independently. Any perceived benefit by having a 'package' booking was lost when flights were changed and no explanation or option was offered by Headwater. This is our 6th or 7th walking holiday with Headwater so we obviously happy overall, but the personal touch has been lost over the last few years. It is now much more of a 'package' and we would point that out to friends considering a walking/activity holiday. We have organised our own holidays of a very similar nature and that results in at least a 25% reduction in cost along with the benefit of being an independent booking at the destination - i.e. a higher value individual to the hotel.
An excellent walking holiday with a well chosen itinerary and beautiful scenery. Standards of food and accommodation were very high. We all had a great time.
FANTASTIC!!!
For a carefree holiday with attention to detail and comfort this ticked all the boxes.
Relaxing, interesting and enjoyable blend of easy walking and sightseeing.
We enjoyed this holiday enormously although we spent quite a bit more than 5 hours on the walks between hotels so we didn't take the recommended walks on the days in between. The first walk is the hardest.
I could not fault the hotel staff, who were all very friendly and extremely helpful. The walks were beautiful and April proved a lovely time of year with all the spring flowers.
A very beautiful and undiscovered part of Spain. Well worth a visit. Great hotel locations, good food, very good service. We would love to visit this area again.
A most enjoyable holiday - the organisation and transfers worked well and the hotel was a 'gem', friendly and relaxing and with helpful staff. The walking notes were easy to follow although care was needed on some paths where stony. Overall splendid walks in beautiful scenery with many spring flowers.
Accommodation at Hotel Finca was super and everyone on holiday there were very friendly, especially the five Singapore ladies who we were walking and dining with. They were great company.
This was a brilliant, relaxing holiday and a fantastic introduction to Spain which we had never visited before. Wonderful countryside, a gem of a hotel, lovely food and really helpful staff and walks guide. It couldn't have been better.
Returning!
Many thanks
Outstanding walking area. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Teresa was extremely helpful. The hotel was lovely and the food was plentiful and delicious.
Excellent group holiday with good accommodation and very well organised. Wine included was good.
Varied program & walking harder than expected for one boot but lovely. Walking guide lovely & encouraging!
A unique holiday experience that fully met our expectations. Would highly recommend
This was a very well planned, smoothly run holiday. All our connections/transfers/taxis operated like clockwork. We were very well catered for and the Finca
had everything we needed for an extremely rewarding and relaxing holiday. Our guide, Nick, was very attentive and inclusive and happy to impart his
knowledge of the area. We loved the challenge of walking in the morning and then plenty of time in the afternoon to chill around the beautiful grounds of the Finca - lovingly developed over the years by our hosts Sue and Gordon. All the staff were very accommodating and friendly. We couldn't have asked for more.
Thank you everyone involved.
The Finca el Cerrillo is a wonderful place to stay in a beautiful location. We were extremely well looked after and the organisation was seamless. The walks were, as stated in the brochure, very gentle and leisurely. We would definitely consider returning especially If some more challenging walks were on offer.
I have been on Headwater walking holidays before (not for at least 8 years ). I now have a partner and I needed to convince him that the holiday would be enjoyable. My partner is in good health and fit but he is 82 years and he was nervous that the walking would be difficult. I persuaded him that a 1 boot would be fine but it was harder that I thought it would be.
When I first telephone Headwater to enquire about the holiday the telephone rep was most helpful so I suggested that my partner telephoned so that he could ask for the information he needed - this time there was a different rep and she was not so reassuring.
However we enjoyed the holiday and will attempt another with Headwater..
Excellent holiday, well described in the brochure. However I thought the walks were a bit short so there was quite a lot of free time at the Finca. While the Finca is a really lovely place it was a little remote so if you wanted to go into the village/town there was a very steep walk down the ravine and back up the other side. I am sure later in the season the Finca is a lovely place to stay with swimming pool and lots of outside sitting areas but in early March it was a bit chilly. I wasn't too keen on the wine tasting in the morning before a walk. We seemed to spend a lot of time eating. We only had picnic lunches on 2 days which meant a lot of food was provided both at lunchtime and in the evening. I would have been happy to have longer walks and more picnic lunches.
An excellent holiday , helped by the weather!
Stress free excellence! I loved every minute of this holiday principally because all arrangements went super smoothly, the hotel staff, accommodation and location were way above my expectations. The week flew and the walking was thoroughly enjoyable. Would I go with Headwater holidays again? Absolutely.
Hotel absolutely first rate - fantastic tranquil location; we were very well looked after; food was simple but good. Menorca delightfully quiet when we visited (October) but weather perfect for walking. Walks were straightforward if perhaps a trifle short. We skipped the town walks and added two other walks of our own that I would recommend
1. Santa Galdana to Saint Thomas via GR 223, returning along coastal path - just be aware that to leave Cala Trebaluger you need to use a cave passage.
2. Cala Tuqueta to Plagues de Son Saura (out & return via coastal path - we did not find the green route marked on the map but we did not spend much time looking).
Exceeded all expectations. Very relaxing. Party of 10 ideal size to get to know each other. Excellent introduction to Andalucia
Very enjoyable. Felt like we had seen and experienced the real Spain, not touristy and commercial. We speak no Spanish and very few people spoke English but we got by and all the meals were wonderful, trying different things. The walks were very good some more challenging than others. We did go wrong but never too badly. Not sure if the mistakes were due to vague directions or just misinterpretation of instructions (we easily go wrong in England!!)
Beautiful location of hotel - truly rural. Lovely swimming pool area. The lounge and bar area were comfy and inviting. Our room (junior suite) was very good.The walks were varied and all enjoyable. Wildlife was abundant. October was a great time to go as the crowds had gone and we had excellent weather.
The holiday was disappointing. Onward travel from Barcelona airport was so awful the thought of having to make the return journey hung over the rest of the period, such that I changed my flight and went home a day early, using bus rather than train. If you use Passeig de Graca station you need to supply the timetable - there is no way of identifying if you are catching the right train (and there's a train every 2 minutes) and it is an awful place to wait.
A fabulous quiet and beautiful area of Spain but within easy reach of some great cities. El Milano Real is a perfect base for the many and varied walks on offer through this unspoilt National Park with its great food and wine and accommodation. The highlight for us was a 'birding' walk with a local biologist who was just superb. The only down side was that we didn't get maximum benefit from Teresa (and Paco whom we didn't see at all) but on the other hand all their staff were excellent. Had to book our own hotel in Madrid as Headwater's was strangely booked although available through booking.com!
Excellent in every respect
The team at the hotel couldn't do enough to help. A decent range of walks nothing too strenuous but just right in the unseasonably high temperatures.
Cordoba was a stunning place to visit so would strongly recommend this on the free day. We enjoyed having the extra days in Granada as a counterfoil to the tranquility of Zuheros.
A delightful area, away from the usual tourist spots. An attractive, friendly hotel and village. Varied walks with lovely long-distance views. Care needed on the stony tracks and paths after a prolonged period of dry weather.
Great fun. Our reps were extremely helpful. We will definitely do another walking holiday.
From the first contact with Headwater until we left our Hotel the service was excellent. The Hotel was small, comfortable and the staff very friendly. The walking notes were fantastic, and the walks took in some most wonderful scenery. Cannot fault the holiday at all. Thank you.
Lovely village and some good walking. The vultures were impressive. Maybe more attractive in spring when the flowers are out. All the trvel arrangements worked flawlessly. The food at the hotel was very variable and a little disappointing at times. The walking was all in quite a small area and there was some repetition of sections. But overall it was a very enjoyable trip. Staying in a single location is definitely more relaxing than moving on every day. The bat cave in Zuheros was an amazing place, and a visit to Granada was definitely worthwhile. We were lucky too that our visit coincided with the cheese festival in the village
A fascinating area of Spain with varied landscapes from rugged mountains, to terraced hillsides with vineyards and fruit trees, gently flowing streams, Pine woods and open flat plains with Evergreen Oaks. Also abundant wildlife with dozens of bird species, wild mountain goats, Black cattle, and horses. Ancient walled cities and quaint villages. All within two hours of Madrid.
Really enjoyable week with everything thought of and attention to detail. Excellent route notes.
Booking straightforward. Transfer to and from Malaga airport efficient. Great welcome at the Finca. Excellent food including local dishes. Food and wine from local source. The Finca is located in spectacular countryside enabling walks to be varied. Our guide Nick supplied us with information of the area-the history and customs of the local people, the fruit production on the hillsides-avocados, olives, grapes etc.
An excellent holiday.
Why [in no particular order]
wonderful scenery and excellent walking routes
superb group of walkers - we all got on well together, all of us at a similar standard.
great accommodation with 2 very welcoming hosts and their staff
excellent meals at all times - at the Finca and in the villages
a very knowledgeable guide
well organised transport throughout the holiday
A wonderful holiday from start to finish, the accommodation surpassed our expectations and the food was some of the best we have had, especially in the Finca. The air of calm around the place made us relax from the first day, thanks to Sue, Gorden and the rest of their lovely staff. The walks were well led by Nick who was very knowledgeable and made the point of talking to everyone in the group and making sure all were OK as some days it was very hot. Would recommend Headwater to friends without any hesitation, thank you.
Well-chosen walks in a scenic area with classic limestone features. Can be rocky and stony underfoot in places, but all walks within Grade 2 definition. Arrangements at Hotel Zuhayra are excellent; Antonio was always helpful and the staff went out of their way to provide good, friendly service.
Excellent holiday; very interesting area of Spain to visit. The walks were varied with spectacular scenery. The hotel was well located and there was often something going on in the town square in the evening. Hotel staff friendly and helpful and the food was very good. I know the Spanish eat late but the 8.30pm evening meal was the only downside particularly when we wanted to have an early breakfast so we could start walking before it got too hot. Since Headwater clients have their own menu maybe an earlier sitting could be considered.
A really excellent week - well organised and planned, allowing us to concentrate on the splendid walks. I hadn't been on an organised walking holiday before, but I will certainly try some more of these trips in future, since they allow you to get to places that you might not try on your own.
The representatives Katie and Jim made the holiday truly wonderful. They were extremely helpful with nothing too much trouble.
Menorca is a lovely island, incredibly pretty and very easy to get around. The Morvedra Nou hotel is in a perfect setting if you want peace and quiet. The gardens and pool area are so relaxing, the bird song is the only thing you'll hear! Unfortunately, we were unable to upgrade at the time of booking, to one of the larger rooms, and although our room was spotlessly clean and had a sunny patio, we did find it on the small side. Not a big deal as we were out walking most days. The walks were excellent, sometimes really off the beaten track, great wildlife and fabulous scenery, quite a few 'wow' moments as we came round a headland or walked through the gorge to the caves. Our only gripe, was the food. Breakfast was fine, plenty of choice but dinner was very hit and miss. There was no comparison to the food photos on the hotel website, and the portion sizes and combinations were very strange. Sometimes the starters were far too big, and the main course would be just a large piece of meat/fish with one small potato if you were lucky (no veg). There was only one evening out of ten, that we both enjoyed the whole meal, which was so disappointing. Honestly, neither of us are fussy eaters, but we have never left so much food on our plates, and not once did anyone ask us about it.
This was our first Headwater walking holiday, and it has definitely lived up to our expectations. We thoroughly enjoyed the mixture of walks, as well as the cuisine and rest day activities. Jim and Katie are excellent reps, and definitely contributed to our memorable experience. Many thanks!
This holiday was superb. The scenery was unspoilt mountainous terrain and pastoral along the river valleys. Well away from tourist areas. A good variety of walks ranging from easy to quite challenging, with very accurate walking notes. We did Rio Tormes, Laguna Grande, Villages of the South to name a few. Saw 45+ species of birds. Weather in September was cool at night but got into low twenties in the afternoons. Typically 7 degrees warmer on the south side of the Sierras. We took the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander and drove down - very pleasant. The hotel was great and Teresa was a wonderful hostess.
I joined this vacation basically to walk through some lovely countryside and to see a lot of historic buildings in Spain. That was pretty much what I got. But in addition very enjoyable stays at the hotels where the staff all spoke great English and were really helpful. The guides made some very useful suggestions that saw me undertake day 2 hikes on day 1 and 2 . Good advice for the middle of summer and it enabled me to get back in time about 3.30 to enjoy the wonderful situation of Castell de Emporda. The Coastal phase was beautiful and after the completion of the hike and I stayed a few more days at Begur.
A good mix of scenic, coastal, country and historic town locations for both walking and overnight stays. Introduced us to a lesser known area of Spain. While most of the walking had excellent scenery and moderate challenges, some sections were slightly tedious on tracks/roads rather than paths. However these were marked walking routes on the published maps, and it is difficult to see what alternatives were viable to get you to the next place of interest. No gain without pain! Walking instructions were excellent throughout.
Another good Headwater holiday. We loved the island, the walking and swimming in the sea, but should have gone in May, June was a bit too hot for us and we were surprised how busy the beaches were. It was different getting a car at the airport and driving ourselves to the hotel and, once we had learned how to negotiate the narrow roads to and from the hotel, we loved having the opportunity to explore more of the island and plan our own sightseeing each day in addition to the walks. The hotel is a gem and being able to return to this tranquil country retreat each day and relax on your own terrace or swim in the pool before going for dinner made the holiday for us. The accommodation, food and service were all excellent. There was so much choice for breakfast including local cakes and pastries and in the evenings we enjoyed a good selection of Menorcan dishes served by friendly, attentive and helpful staff.
Interesting and active. Enjoyment of meals could be improved by more choices on the menu(at least three including salads). If necessary in a smallish establishment these could be pre-booked in the morning.
HW selection of hotels is VERY GOOD and we always enjoy their slightly off beat locations and warm atmosphere. We know that other HW guests will be like -minded people we can engage in friendly conversation and exchange anecdotes about each walk with in the evenings.
Although we had to look after ourselves the notes and guidance we were given were excellent. Sensible notes about our airport arrival, car hire, hotel, and walks told us everything we needed to know.
Excellent accommodation and staff. Food variable from excellent (breakfast mainly) to indescribably bad for some meals/courses in the evening. English translations of menus were unhelpful. ('Meat Soup' turned out to be a bowl of pasta shells in a chicken stock. Marinated fish was a mystery). Wines excellent. Walks were great.
Headwater response:
Dear Mr & Mrs Sutherland,
Thank you for taking the time to complete your post-holiday feedback. We were pleased to see that you had an enjoyable holiday overall. Although, we are sorry to see that you did not enjoy the meals at dinner. Ordinarily, this hotel receives good feedback in this area, however, we realise that we cannot allow our standards to slip, and therefore we will monitor the feedback we receive for the meals to ensure we are delivering the high standards our customers have come to expect.
Thank you for highlighting this feedback to us.
We would like to thank you for traveling with Headwater and look forward to welcoming you on another of our holidays in the future.
Yours sincerely,
Headwater customer service
The warmth of the welcome at El Milano Real was exceptional. Teresa was knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the area and the walks. She advised us about matching walks to the weather. The food was outstanding in quality and presentation. The route notes were exceptionally accurate. This was one of our best walking holidays ever.
First time and we loved it.
A most enjoyable week spent on a delightful, unspoilt island with comfortable accommodation and varied and interesting walking opportunities.
Driving on the smaller roads in Menorca can be challenging at times, particularly the fairly long stretch between Ciutadella and the hotel which is narrow,
winding and lined with unforgiving limestone walls - make sure you insure your hire car excess!
Ciutadella is a delightful town to explore and the Menorcan people are charming and very helpful to visitors.
We did this holiday two years ago and loved it - hence the decision to return. We think the new programme makes it even better, especially in hot weather, which we had! The mix of walking, visits and sightseeing exactly hit the spot for us. Gordon & Sue are, as ever, wonderful hosts; Jenny was a first-rate guide; and the local drivers were also first-class. Well done to all at the Finca - we cannot fault your excellent service, food and attention to detail!
Sue and Gordon offer a wonderful warm welcome and the friendly informal atmosphere at the Finca is very relaxing
As others have said in reviews, excellent hotel, hosts and food, The walks were relatively easy with very nice scenery,
Very good holiday, we were made to feel very welcome at the hotel El Milano Real. Good mixture of walking options, some fairly challenging. Worth visiting the south side of the Sierra de Gredos for quite different climate and flora.
A great week from start to finish. Excellent hotel. In particular Teresa the hotel owner, whose local knowledge, weather reports and enthusiasm were invaluable. A beautiful location to explore with varied and interesting walks.
A holiday for not-too-serious walkers but definitely one for foodies.
Very friendly and helpful staff at the Hotel who took an interest on what we did each day. Delightful scenery, good weather and interesting walks at thee right level of difficulty.
Wonderful location with excellent and varied walks; lots of interesting birds and flowers; the hotel observatory was a bonus. Teresa's local knowledge and advice were excellent
A really good holiday. Excellent Hotel and walking in a very quiet area. Will email some more detailed commets direct.
A really excellent holiday in a relatively unknown but attractive location, with a superb hotel and a very helpful and knowledgeable hostess, and a good choice of walks. But for goodness sake improve the return directions to the airport - saying 'reverse the outward route' is hopelessly inadequate for negotiating the motorways of Madrid!
On our holiday we found the attention to detail and the help from the reps was outstanding. The detailed route notes in particular were very helpful and made the walking a pleasure. We will definitely travel with Headwater again.
My fourth Headwater walking holiday but the first based in one place. Loved the small, friendly hotel, and the flexibility to chose our walks according to mood, weather and stamina. Also the chance to take day trips to Cordoba and Granada.
Excellent, well organised holidays with good company, first class accommodation and guides - and above all, personal service that cares!
An excellent location, good walks with knowledgeable guides who paid close attention to our safety, charming hosts at hotel and comfortable rooms with excellent food in the hotel and in nearby bars/restaurants - arranged by hotel
There had been comments that the walking on this holiday was too challenging, but I would have preferred longer walks.
Excellent holiday with good and varied walks and lots of interesting limestone scenery. Hotel was a welcoming base with friendly helpful staff and lovely food.
This was our first visit toSpain. It as well organised by Headwater, the arrangments worked perfectly and we would like to go again.
Lovely new experience. I enjoyed the variety. Nice not to have to start walks before 10.00 a.m.
The group were great and we all got on very well. Lovely having a leader, who told you about things. Wish you had more guided holidays.
They all said they preferred Headwater, because of the standards of accomodation, so lots of good quality hotels will be great for other holidays.
We all agreed that we are less keen on the three stars!
It was nice eating in sometimes and out at other times, and so you never knew what interesting thing was going to be provided next.
They were great walks and I loved everything about the holiday. We all liked the length of the holiday aswell. ie a week.
An invigorating holiday in an excellent and very enjoyable location.
We had a lovely week in the mountains. We loved coming 'home' to the Finca after our days walking. Christine's cooking was an inspiration and we enjoyed our evening meals enormously. Jenny's guiding was safe and interesting and she gauged the pace of the walks perfectly. Sue, Gordon and Alison organised everything perfectly and all arrangements went like clockwork. We did not need to think about anything-wonderful! Thank you to Mari our taxi driver who negotiated the bends and hills expertly without making me feel sick.
NOTE : Did not stay at Pousada Delmonte completed in error !
Finca and hosts ( Sue and Roger ) was excellent . Difficult to appreciate the countryside as most walks were steep climbs and descents .consequently most time was spent looking at footing ! Would have preferred more walking on flat ....but I guess that's Spain !
Very pleasant. And we enjoyed our visits to Granada and Cordoba,the latter easily done by public transport
All aspects of booking and organisation went without hitch.
Taxi arrangements and driver were again excellent!
This was our first walking holiday since we were teenagers and our first holiday without children. It was an excellent introduction. Good quality accommodation, a beautiful area and well guided walks. Sometimes the notes were a little unclear and we deliberately avoided a couple of walks that other travellers had said were difficult to follow but we only lost our way on one of the walks and think this was because there had been substantial recent tree felling and logging that obliterated the tracks. Our host Theresa was excellent and took her responsibilities very seriously in ensuring we were safe and happy. We also had the pleasure of meeting other headwater guests and spent some meals and walks together which was an added bonus. In summary, a well organised and enjoyable holiday.
I did find the notes back to the airport from the Gredos mountains very difficult, as it said 'reverse your original notes from Madrid Airport'. I thought this very lazy as we were taking many motorways and A roads and they were not clear to start with. There was plenty of space on the page and it felt as though we were being ignored at this stage.
The combination of a fine hotel location, dramatic countryside and superb food made this a unique holiday which brought us new and welcome experiences. We chose walks that ranged from beautiful countryside rambles to testing mountain ascents. In view of the excellent local advice, it is easy to tailor the nature and difficulty of the walks to your own abilities and inclinations. In addition, the gastronomy was first class.
The Gredos is a wonderful location for walking holidays and Milano Real provides and excellent base. This holiday offers lots of walking options from dramatic high level mountain views to idyllic river valleys resounding with tinkling cow bells and trickling streams. We had a fascinating day in Salamanca when we fancied a change from walking and the journey through the mountains added to our enjoyment of the day. Last but by no means least, Teresa and Paco were superb hosts and nothing seemed to be too much trouble to make sure we enjoyed our stay. We will definitely be back.
We had a wonderful holiday. The walking was a dream and took us to so many beautiful places we had never heard of. Two of the hotels were a bit basic for accommodation and we would have liked to have the option at Hotel Rosa to upgrade to a suite if we had known. Garbi first day the room was basic but on the last night we had a great room, much larger and with a view. Will be back....
An interestingly varied holiday with wooded hills, inland country and scenic coastal walking, giving a good taste of the area. We particularly enjoyed walking via some of the beautiful mediaeval villages included in the route of the second walk. Also, we really appreciated having route notes for some suggested 'rest-day' walks, especially as this holiday is relatively short. The three hotels were also quite different and all had a charm of their own - we thoroughly enjoyed each one. This holiday would suit those looking for variety and a balance between activity and rest. The walks were well constructed, with some challenging sections, but not too exhausting, so there is a sense of achievement at the end of the day and tired legs are soon revived by a gentle swim and a good dinner! Thank you, Headwater, for a great holiday and we hope to be back for another one.
This was our second visit to Zuheros. The Hotel Zuhayra is the perfect base for a walking holiday. All the staff are friendly and helpful and the evening meals provide a wide range of well-cooked local food. The walks are challenging enough to feel that something has been achieved at the end of the day.
Wonderful hotel in a beautiful, tranquil setting, with friendly, helpful staff. Close to some of the best beaches on the island.
Interesting and varied walking through delightful countryside with visits to and refreshment stops in beautifully preserved historic villages. Each day culminated in a stay in excellent accommodation, the highlight of which was the 3 nights we spent at Castell d`Emporda.
Lovely location, great hotel, wonderful support from hotel staff in our 'hour-of-need, varied walks and opportunity to visit an historical Spanish city.
El Milano Real walking holiday was the perfect combination of fantastic walks, outstandingly delicious food and a warm welcome.
The service and level of advice was great.
A beautiful place with some stunning walking in the mountains.
See comments on rail travel, and specifically Headwater's absence of advice. Naturally people from the UK expect a similar experience to using the rail at home, and while this assumption would be valid for rail travel in France, Germany, NL etc, Spain was very different.
Headwater response:
Dear Mr Bird,
Thank you for taking the time to complete your post-holiday questionnaire. We were pleased to see that you scored your holiday overall as good to excellent. However, it was disappointing to see that you encountered issues navigating the Spanish rail system. We would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.
In order to improve the experience for future customers, we have been working closely with our local agents. With this in mind, we are pleased to advise you that for the 2015 season we will be pre purchasing all Spanish rail tickets. This should alleviate the time spent queuing and ensure a smoother trip through the Spanish region. Whilst we realise this does not help you personally. We do hope that it goes some way to show we take your feedback seriously.
Yours sincerely,
Headwater Customer Service Team
We really enjoyed this holiday. Moving from hotel to hotel provides much variety. There was a real problem getting drinks especially at the castle hotel. A welcome drink immediately on arrival at the hotel should be offered especially as people are very tired and thirsty after a long walk in the heat.
Also the communication at the Castle Hotel needs to be improved, e.g. no one told us where to go for dinner when it was not outside as on the first evening.
However, we really enjoyed the holiday in spite of these little things.
Enjoyable. In the inland parts the villages were lovely with less interesting walking, but the coastal walking was great.
A very good hotel on a lovely Island which provided an excellent base for a walking holiday on routes which were varied and not too 'testing'
A lovely hotel (small and family-run) in a beautiful landscape. All food locally sourced as much as possible. We chose to pay extra for a better room, more spacious and with private terrace and a beautiful view, that was well worthwhile. I don't think we would have been happy in standard accommodation.
Great walks. Plenty to see and do. Vegetarians beware.
Headwater response:
Dear Mr Gower, Thank you for completing your post-holiday questionnaire and for the feedback you have provided, we have discussed your comment regarding vegetarian meals with the hoteliers. As a result of this they have advised us they will ensure a better variety of vegetarian meals are available for future customers. We are sorry for any disappointment this may have caused you during your holiday and were pleased to see that despite this you had an enjoyable holiday.
Yours sincerely,
Headwater Customer Service team.
We loved the island, the walks and the hotel. The staff were all very friendly and helpful, just a little disappointed with the food at dinner: usually it was fine and occasionally good. Had our best meal on the way home at Meson Galicia in Es Mercadal near the car park with excellent views of mount Torro.
A great holiday in an off the beaten track location.
The Hotel El Milano Real was an excellent base for a walking holiday as several walks could be done directly from the hotel. The food was usually good, sometimes excellent but occasionally disappointing: the wines were generally very good and also very reasonably priced. The weather during the week was unseasonably cold, which spoiled our enjoyment of the highest climbing - we were unable even to attempt Morezon - but the superb walk to the Mirador was completed in very pleasant conditions and we were glad it wasn't too hot. The area is rich in flora and fauna, and May is a good time of year for observing it.
We really enjoyed our Headwater walking in the Catalan region. The walking was a great combination of inland and coastal routes. The mediaeval villages were lovely and at this time of the year not overcrowded.
One or two of the walks had some challenging sections, particularly the suggested more interesting route to Begur on Day 4. We are older walkers and although experienced and fit we thought that the long relentless climb should come with a little more warning of the steepness. The weather was perfect for us but on very hot days this section of the route would be very demanding.
Otherwise the descriptions of the walks and the routes themselves were helpfully detailed and informative.
Breathtaking scenery for our walks with a friendly, knowledgeable guide. Then, back to the Finca- a real gem of a hotel, nestling in the hills amongst typical white villages- for a swim before an excellent evening meal. On three nights we were taken to local restaurants where the food, though very good, still couldn't compete with the Finca. Sue, Gordon and Sybil (the dog) are wonderful hosts - no wonder they have so many visitors who return year after year !
Main concern was the grading of the walking routes, I run 10 miles each week, fitness is a priority , but found the gradients challenging as did many group members, ascents and descents.Thursdays walk was gentle and everyone enjoyed it more as we were able to take in the views , flowers ,without having our eyes glued to the terrain in case of fall, stumble, several of the group fell on previous walks, not what you want from a holiday.
The group dynamics were excellent and much laughter was shared, the idea of inhouse and restaurant meals, tapis lunches was the perfect mix. We did enjoy our holiday very much.
Menorca is a really beautiful island and relatively unspoilt. May was ideal weather for walking and it was very quiet. The best walking by the sea that we have ever done. A week was not long enough so we will return1
Hidden Valleys of Cordoba: a week at the charming Hotel Zuhayra in the pretty white mountain village of Zuheros in mid-May was all that six 70 somethings could wish for. Headwater certainly have a hit on their hands here. Very attentive, helpful staff, good regional food and wine, excellent, if strenuous in parts, walking and wonderful scenery. We added on two nights in Granada at the comfortable, centrally situated Hotel Dauro II from where it was an easy coach ride back to Malaga airport. Headwater's arrangements for our travel and stay were excellent.
The hotel is in an excellent rural location. Menorca in May is ideal for walking. It's not cheap but is good value if you can afford it.
We enjoyed the holiday but did find some of the walks challenging. The accommodation was good but the quality of the food at the Hotel Rosa was outstanding.
First try at a walking holiday and enjoyed it thoroughly. Would certainly recommend it.
Very welcoming owners in hotel in a beautiful area of Spain
We are seasoned Headwater clients and have been more than happy with all the holidays we have taken with the company.
A wonderful mixture of healthy exercise,beautiful scenery, fantastic food and friendly people.
The Finca is a terrific destination for people who wish to enjoy rural Spain but the experience is heightened by the quality of the hospitality provided by Sue, Gordon, David and Christine. Their welcoming and informative approach, and the eye for detail, guarantees a good experience and, combined with the quality of the guides (principally Jenny), ensures a great holiday.
We were fantastically fortunate with the weather, the organisation was excellent and the Finca was a superb base for the walks. It is easy to see why visitors return several times - walkers and non-walkers alike. Our travel arrangements were good and Jenny, our guide, fun and informative. Food at the finca was exceptional and the atmosphere was a great balance of friendliness and conversation and peaceful relaxation. This was a beautiful time to visit with all the Spring flowers. Having tickets for the Alhambra and having transport arranged was a real plus - especially during Holy week.
We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday at the Finca el Cerillo and our hosts Sue and Gordon could not have been more helpful and considerate. The location, high on a ridge, gave wonderful views of the steep, rugged valleys with white villages clinging to the crests and in the distance the Mediterranean. Our bedroom was large, the bed equally so and very comfortable and the tiled bathroom had underfloor heating-great! The food at the Finca and the local restaurants was very good and the wines at the Finca first class. The walking was tough, lots of steep ascents on rocky paths. After the first morning we took the gentler option accompanied by Rose a super local guide. We hope to visit the Finca el Cerillo again.
I can't fill in the travel section because we were air/self drive. There are some comments I would like to make
1 The map situation was dire.You say in the walking notes that the map you provide is the 'Sierra de Gredos 1:25000. You gave us a map which was an area to the South West of where we were in Hoyos de Espina. We should have been given the correct map and it is 1: 50000 not the above. As you point out the other map (Parque Regional de La Sierra de Gredos) which is 1:25000 only covers the Plataforma area.
2 The spa was not open until the Friday of our stay and that should have been made clear in the notes/brochure.
Otherwise we loved it, the hotel was lovely and food delicious (also v good wine list) and will probably book again next year
I think that the Hotel Finca el Cerillo is a delightful location, with a wonderfully warm welcome by the owners Sue and Gordon. The rooms are all individually presented, and the mals provided in house were excellent and on other nights the local restaurants used were very good. The walking is guided by Jenny who maintains a steady pace that anyone with modest levels of fitness should be able to maintain while spotting out all sorts of flora and fauna.
I would not hesitate to recommmend this hotel to other travellers.
My one caution is that the some of the walking is at the upper end of a 2 boot grading.
If you're looking for a completely stress-free holiday then book with Headwater. I didn't have to think about any arrangements for the week as they were all taken care of. The finca is the ultimate retreat and Sue, Gordon and Jenny were all outstanding in their welcome and guidance. I can't wait to go back and will use Headwater again for another trip.
Only the weather let us down.... The hotel was delightful and the staff really helpful; the food was execllent and certainly pleantiful with the breakfasts well deserving of the description 'amazing'. Snow and rain prevented our walking as we had hoped and there is little else to do in the immediate vicinity but lots of beautiful places to see if you are prepared to drive (and the roads are surprisingly good).
Setting,food and walking were superb. Gordon and Sue were exceptional hosts and Christine's food deserved a rosette!
Excellent hotel and fantastic food, very friendly staff, taxis arranged to local restaurants, super walking with a great guide, lovely views in the hills and very quiet location. Only drawback really is that the hotel is a good walk from the nearest villages and towns, so you can't pop out after a walk to have a look around or do a bit of shopping unless you use a taxi, or get the boots out again. The map provided for the holiday wasn't any use for walking - good job we had a guide!
The Finca, the base for the 'Secrets of Andalucia' holiday is worth more than five stars! The welcome, friendliness of the owners an staff, and the 'house party atmosphere contribute to making this one of the best Headwater Holidays we have taken. Of course we went for the walking (and to get away from the cold weather) and this turned out to be pretty good as well. Jenny was the main guide, who was helped out by Rose when he walk was split into two levels. Both were excellent in their knowledge of the local flora, fauna and routes. The meals provided at the Finca were superb, and he packed lunches extremely filling. As part of the package two lunches and three diners were taken at local restaurants and this enabled us to sample local cooking aswell.
Overall a superb holiday that ticked all the boxes for us!
Visit the Sierra de Gredos. It is a beautiful and unspoilt part of Spain
We had a wonderful week at the Finca. It's a beautiful location and the hotel owners Sue and Gordon and their staff are great as is the food with a balance of eating in and out at local restaurants every other day.
The grading as leisurely is a little surprising as although the pace is not relentless the terrain is a little challenging at times and the week is packed with activity. That said it is of course not obligatory to undertake every walk or activity. The finca is a wonderful place just to relax.
On our week we had the benefit of Sue Bishop, a professional photographer. All took advantage of her great knowledge and skills which were freely and generously given.
We intend to revisit the Finca in the future.
Welcoming hotel and great walking guide. Exactly as described. Level of walking was rather more than leisurely though. The group decided that it was more of a Moderate grade.
A wonderful holiday, but be aware that although the pace of walking may be leisurely the terrain is very hilly, making the walks moderate rather than easy.
I couldn't fault the location, the ambience, seclusion and comfort of the hotel, and how well we were looked after by the hosts, Sue and Gordon. They treated us like friends and bade us farewell as such. My only complaint is that the walking was tougher than advertised. I don't do vertigo-inducing walks and the last day gave me 2 hours of fear and feeling very uncomfortable and I had to be patiently guided by a very understanding guide. Being classed as a leisurely walking holiday, is the reason I chose this holiday, so I feel let down and misled by this description. I questioned the guide about the classification and she understood it to be classed as moderate. It doesn't say this on your website!
I will no doubt take another holiday with you, but if I feel misled the next time, it will be the last time I choose Headwater.
A good holiday as usual. Hotel lovely, excellent breakfast but evening meals rather unusual and could be improved. Delightful staff, very nice rooms, good local wines. Walking directions good except for one when the map was not accurate and made for a very long walk back to our car along a very busy road. I can provide details on request.
We thoroughly enjoyed our week in the Sierra de Gredos, which is a beautiful, uncommercialised region that is excellent for walking. Teresa was a mine of information, not just on the walks but also on the weather in different parts of the region and even on what wine to have with dinner! The hotel staff were friendly and attentive. The food was wonderful and there was plenty of it! Overall, a great holiday.
Great friendly hotel with excellent food - Theresa was full of local knowledge particularly on the weather (which wasn't brilliant when we were there in early October) where she was spot on. Good walking (particularly the higher walks) and the instructions for the walks excellent. We would recommend this holiday. One small criticism a map from the airport to the hotel would have been useful as the instructions were not very clear or take your own sat nav.
Great holiday,due to very good accommodation and beautiful island
Overall a good holiday, Menorca is unspoilt and spotlessly clean. The walks a very well marked, just follow the Cami De Cavalls marker posts which are everywhere. In hindsight, we probably should have gone at a different time of year (we went end Sept) as the temperature got to 30 deg on most days, and as the walking was mainly costal there was not much shade. We also felt a bit overdressed walking across “nudist” beaches in our walking boots, back packs and sun hats! The hotel is very nice, with friendly and helpful staff. The only drawback is that there is not a communal bar where you can meet fellow guests for a pre dinner drink so there is not much of a social atmosphere. You just sit down, eat and go! A shame as the hotel has so much to offer. Our recommendation would be to go out of season, when the temperature is lower, the beaches empty and the scenery greener.
Menorca is a beautiful island and the Hotel Movedra Nou is a delightful rural hotel and sanctuary away from the commercialisation of many of the coastal villages and small towns. The food was excellent and true Menorcan country cooking involving many different types of fish and numerous vegetables.
This Headwater holiday was different to our previous ones as we were provided with a car at Mahon airport for our use during the week. This had the impact of helping us to see more of the island and walk in more distant places although the negative point was that walks either involved a 'there and back' walk, or we needed to catch an expensive taxi to get back to our starting point. The maps provided were poor although by day 4 we were bequeathed an excellent map by a fellow Headwater traveller which improved things considerably. [Map now passed on yet again] This map 'Menorca Tour and Trail - Super Durable by David and Ros Brawn' is available on Amazon today at £8.99. I would recommend that Headwater send their customers this map as it gives a much better mapping of the coastal path that the walks are covering. The walking was a little tricky as the 'coastal trail' was often bumpy and rocky making it difficult to get any rhythm into our walking. Some of the walks need reviewing as they are out of date to current local developments. Several of the walks ended in very commercial areas which was disappointing after walking beautiful coastal routes. The Menorcan trail was popular and busy - we often shared it with other walkers, joggers mountain bikers and horse riders. Several walks involved some beach walking which involved picking your way through sunbathers!
Summary, great hotel and food - considerable daily driving miles - walking limited on rocky paths - maps need improvement.
Excellent for walking with a good variety of walks at various lengths and levels of challenge. Hotel location and village very good.
Food excellent and a vegetarian well catered for.
This was a fabulous holiday in an area that was totally unknown to us. The landscape was stunning, the walks varied and the location ideal for visits to the cities of Avila, Salamanca, Segovia , Madrid and Toledo - all on empty, excellently- maintained roads. The hotel was exceptional with amazing food and service. We would thoroughly recommend this holiday for all the experiences it offers but would suggest booking a minimum of 10 days to ensure you able to fit everything in!!
Lovely accomodation with hosts who went out of their way to make you feel like family friends. One of the best guides (Jenny) we have ever had on walking holidays.
This was one of the best holidays we have had - hotel, walks, guide etc were more than excellent. Food at the Finca was worthy of accolades! A beautiful part of Spain to explore. Overall a holiday of a lifetime!
Would you please update this website to remove the spelling errors - it's very annoying! (Note use of too instead of to and during is incorrectly spelled)
The owners of the hotel really went the extra mile to makes us welcome. Their service was excellent and the quality of the food was superb, dealing with one of our party with a wheat intolerance with ease.
We have just enjoyed our second wonderful holiday at the Milano Real. The walks here are very varied, with scenery that ranges from green and leafy woods and meadows to impressive wild and barren terrain. The hotel is very friendly and welcoming and the food is superb, from the imaginative and unusual breakfasts, to the a la carte 3-course picnics to the tempting and varied evening menu, eaten while watching amazing sunsets. We strongly recommend this holiday!
Exhilarating walks in magnificent mountainous landscape with dramatic views; hotel a 'home from home' in authentic village Spain looked after by genuinely kind and courteous staff; vegetarian food was outstanding here with a careful choice offered for each evening (a first on the continent!). Local driver was punctual, good driver and always cheerful. Local people were a really significant part of making this holiday so enjoyable. There was sufficient of historical and architectural interest locally, from neolithic caves to nineteenth century railway history, to interest us without needing to go elsewhere.
The holiday overall exceeded our expectations. The Hotel Castell d'Emporda in particular is in a stunning location with exceptional service and quality. The food at the Hotel Rosa was excellent. The walking instructions were exemplary and Alan and Linda could not have been more helpful.
An excellent holiday. All the travel arrangements involving air travel and car hire were excellent. The Hotel El Milano Real was excellent and the food superb. Teresa was an excellent host. Scenery excellent. The waymarks on some of the walks need updating and an indication of the distances between waymarks would be helpful. Also distances on the route from Madrid to Hoyos del Espino would be helpful.
The Sierra de Gredos region of Spain is an outstandingly beautiful area of mountains, valleys and rural villages. It's an easy 2-hour drive from Madrid and the hotel El Milano Real in the village of Hoya del Espino can barely be faulted. In particular, the range and quality of the food on offer is of the highest order. Also, the views from the hotel of the Gredos range are breathtaking. The walking is varied from fairly demanding, to reach the higher areas with magnificent views, to idyllically rural along lovely river valleys.
The Sierra De Gredos is a fantastic destination in July/August and the Hotel El Milano Real in Hoyos Del Espino is a perfect place to base the holiday. The weather on the north side was perfect for walking, blue skies all week - high 20's near the hotel and low 20's in the mountains. The food and service in the hotel was excellent and everyone was very friendly. This was our first Headwater holiday and I hope that the other destinations can live up to this one.
We particularly like Headwater holidays as they take you to unexplored regions of countries which are unspoilt by tourism and overcrowding. We extended our holiday and stayed in Segovia for a few days which we loved and we had the opportunity to go to Salamanca for a day.
The holiday was everything we had hoped it would be. The notes provided on how to get to our destination, general useful information and the self guided daily walks themselves were very well put together and most helpful. The variety in the scenery of the walking itinerary each day enhanced our enjoyment of the trip as did the hotels which were individual, characterful and were perfect after a long day walking. Our Rep was knowledgeable and helpful and was available at the end of a mobile when additional assistance was needed in following the walking notes. The experience completely lived up to its claims and our expectations.
The holiday was exactly as described. The route note were absolutely perfect, we did not go wrong on the wrong route once
I really enjoyed the holiday. The local rep was excellent as were his directions. He'd obviously put a lot of work into them. The walks were very enjoyable and varied. The Castle Emporda which was the highlight. The hotel in Begur was OK but the location in the town centre was great and the restaurant of higher quality.
good experience well supported both by headoffice and at the resort. hotels were well chosen for quality of room and food. walking varied and interesting and routes accurate. let down by one hotel on one night which we will take up with the customer service team.
Menorca is ideal for walking with a diverse landscape and the whole island being relatively low- lying. The landscape is interesting, the coastal paths are really lovely and you are never more than 3 hours from a watering-hole! People are friendly. Driving on the island is very easy. Headwaters walking itinery was well-planned and descriptions excellent, even going so far as the tell you which cafe's will order a taxi for you. Coastal walking is particularly lovely as you have a light breeze coming in from the sea and plenty of opportunities for a cooling dip or paddle. Inland, there are castles and ancient monuments to explore. Hotel Morvedra Nou is a perfect base, being quiet and luxurious, an ideal spot to relax after a day (or a morning) walking
Not your fault but one of the landowners appears to have gated off one of the walks. When I get a spare moment, I'll write to you about it.
Overall a superb holiday.
The holiday was excellent. We were fortunate with the weather and the walks were good. It is a simple task to calculate the costs of the basics in the holiday particully hotel prices. We are therefore paying a significant premium for the convenience and support of having a local guide & his imput into the walk instructions.. What you charge is of course up to you and many will no doubt be happy to pay this premium for the reassurance it provides but we would not regard it as value for money
Dinner at the hotel Morvedra Nou was generally not good. Fish was the best option. However the staff were delightful and made up for the cooking somewhat. Breakfast was good but if we should go again we would probably prefer to go B&B and take our chances with the A La Carte menu. We did not try A La Carte this time as we felt the standard of the half board dinner was poor and didn't bode well for the A La Carte. However some other guests tried it and said it was reasonable. It would be a bit of a trek to go elsewhere for dinner so some improvement is needed. In spite of this we would happily go again.
we had a wonderful week's walking holiday in Andalucia. Our hotel finca el cerrillo was a small friendly hotel with each of the rooms with individual character and charm. The gardens were beautiful with many little seating areas both in sun and shade. Lovely pool to soothe the aching muscles after day hikes.Wonderful dinners at the hotel and local restaurants.Walks set off not too early in the morning and our very experienced guide Jenny new the walks inside out and told us local history, the names of flora and fauna and never faded in her enthusiasm.She looked after us individually in the group and tailored the walk and stops for info chats to suite everyone. The weeks holiday lived up to out expectations and more! Richard and Yvonne Clements
The holiday was a chance to explore a region in depth and to do walks into deep countryside, which we could never have done without your detailed route notes. Lovely scenery, flowers, butterflies and birds. Some of the walks seemed quite long! - but worth the effort.
Whilst we have had the most brilliant holiday as it was an old school reunion, considering the time in advance it was booked it seemed that the cost did not really reflect our expectation. We paid well over £1000 for a four night trip that did not seem very well tailored to our needs mostly in terms of transfer arrangements. We felt that for a group our size there could have been better transfer arrangements. The walking was very well organised and well marked and our guide whilst he clearly was not used to such a large group of opinionated women (!) he ensured that our needs were met.
My sister and I were looking for a walking holiday which neither of us had done before.
This was one of the best holidays I have ever had. The superb organisation from start to finish resulted in an almost totally stress free time.
The walks were very thoughtfully planned , varied and a total delight. The scenery and views were spectacular. The area is unspoilt and full of history. The hotels and food were a real pleasure.
The local knowledge meant that every aspect of the holiday was chosen carefully to maximise enjoyment.
You just couldn't do this yourself.
Grilled rep on way back about which holiday to do next.
I would highly recommend this trip
Marie Hand
Holiday was exactly as described, accommodation, food, service all very good. Headwater staff were excellent when required.
A very relaxing holiday in superb locations with varied walks & interesting local historical interest. Away from the usual tourist spots. Manageable walking for those not used to walking great distances & very helpful & knowledgeable local rep.
As other reviewers have noticed, the Finca el Cerillo is a gem. Gordon and Sue are great hosts; the location is stunning; and nothing is too much trouble for the hosts or the staff. The hotel is superb and the mix of local restaurants and eating in gave us an excellent mix of really enjoyable food. The grounds of the hotel are lovely and the views from the various patios are exceptional. The walking guides (Jenny & Rose) were also very good with a relaxed manner and a store of local knowledge. They responded well to the varying walking levels and needs of the group. This was unquestionably one of the best Headwater holidays that we have had.
Owners, staff and guides at Hotel Finca el Cerrillo go the extra mile in all ways to ensure guests have a wonderful experience. The hotel is remote, but taxis are used to get Headwater guests to restaurants & to/from walks. Personally we recommend the 1-Boot option weeks, as this is hilly country and weather can be warm. Even the hotel is built on a hillside with many little oases of calm corners. Wonderful scenery & views; fantastic meals; great guides; and such great hosts.
Menora is a beatiful island and as it had rained the week before our arrival (beginning May) the wild flowers were fantastic. If you're a birdwatcher there is also a lot to see (and hear) - spent a great half hour one evening after dinner watching a Barn Owl coming and going between the trees and the hotel grounds. Morvedra Nou Hotel is a delightful, converted farmhouse, very peaceful location. Victoria and all her team made us feel really welcome and couldn't have been more helpful. The daily dinner menu was a great way to sample Menorcan cuisine.
An 'independent' Headwater Holiday can be adjusted to suit individual capacity, especially as one grows older! We wanted to go to this particular area but no longer operate at two boot level. So we used the notes, Antonio's advice and good public transport services to visit Cordoba and Granada, to tweak the holiday, enjoy the Subbetica National Park fully as well as two historic cities.
A fantastic holiday. Alans notes made the self guiding really easy. There was a lovely mix of different types of walks i.e. woodland, coastal, villages. Alan did his very best to plan the walks away from any main roads en route so we had a lovely, safe views and vistas. The Castella D'Emporada was one of the nicest hotels that we have stayed in, in the world. The food in both hotels was excellent. The bags arrived before us, as if by magic at each hotel. This is a beautiful area.
The Sierra de Gredos holiday was very enjoyable. The hotel's normal clientele are weekend visitors from Madrid; a bit like the Lake District for the Midlands. The food (breakfast, packed lunches and dinner) was excellent, though quite different from British food.
The walking was very good, but we were glad we had come in April as there is very little shade.
This was a most beautiful part of Spain and completely unexpected. As we were the first guests of the season our hotels and destinations were not at all crowded. People had time to stop and chat. The weather for walking was perfect at this time of year.
Although this was a 'soft' holiday, we found some of the walks quite challenging either in length (Castell d'Emporda to Begur) or difficulty (Cami de Ronda between Begur and Lafranc), but we took our time and shortened walks by taking the odd taxi (phone numbers thoughtfully provided by Alan). We have had many wonderful holidays over he years, both in Europe and elsewhere, but have never been so reluctant to leave an area.
This was an excellent holiday, the accomodation and hosts/guides were superb.BUT
The grading was classed as soft/leisurely which it definately was not.This is misleading.
We did the 'Vistas of Valencia' last year which was classed as moderate. This was the same level of walking.
Without doubt, Finca el Cerrillo, has to be one of the best hotels we have stayed in with Headwater. Nothing was too much trouble for Sue and Gordon. They are the perfect hosts and it was more like being part of a house party than being a paying customer.
Our guide, Jenny, was good fun as well as being excelletn at her job.
The Sierra de Gredos has something for everyone who enjoys exploring the outdoors - from river banks to pine forests; from open heaths and alpine terrain. To have these in such a small area makes for a wonderfully varied break.
Combined with a comfortable and relaxing stay in the Hotel El Milano Real, we wondered why it took us so long to try this Headwater break!
We had a wonderful trip. One or two of the walks were at the top end of our comfort zone however and we'd probably not do another two boot with Headwater. Also, given the small amount of involvement Headwater staff had once we got to our destination, I think the cut they take is quite high (ie. our accommodation provides their own packages for a significantly lower price even taking flights into account).
Headwater response:
Thank you for your comments, we are so pleased that you enjoyed your time in Andalucia, although we are sorry you feel the pricing of the holiday could be improved. On this particular holiday, the tour we offer is not the same as what the hotel offer direct to the public, therefore the prices do differ. We include tickets and transport to/from the Alhambra and we include wine with meals for example. That said, we want to keep our prices as competitive as possible as will certainly bear your comments in mind when looking at the costings for next year.
Many thanks again for taking the time to contact us with your feedback.
The Finca was exceptional, the walking fantastic and the guide (Jenny) was professional, well informed and great fun.
We were forewarned from your office that the Spanish weather was unusually wet and our flight was 1 hour late due to adverse weather in the UK but Antonio waited at the hotel until after we arrived with up to date information and advice about the walks. I myself was 'indisposed' for three days so Antonio gave my husband a choice of alternative walks which avoided all the streams and rivers that had become too dangerous to cross. The packed lunches provided were excellent and the staff were very helpful and considerate and nothing was a problem to them. The taxi was prompt and very carefully driven by Maria. Altogether, considering the weather etc
the hotel and staff were excellent and
and the food was superb with choices which always included at least 1 vegetarian option for my husband.
A holiday which was thoroughly enjoyed.
and can be recommended without qualms.
Chris Douglas
I loved the holiday, the hotel was exceptionally good in the warm welcome, helpfulness of hosts and all staff, good food, arrangements for transport and meals out, and the character of the hotel and beautiful location. Visit to Alhambra and Granada also brilliant. Inspite of rain excellent holiday, one to remember
