Las Alpujarras guided hiking vacation, Spain
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We encourage our guests to have an interest in the wildlife of the area and we explain the ways the local flora and farming is used to benefit the local communities. We only walk on trodden paths and encourage our clients to do the same, be it in Spain or back home.We encourage our guests to behave in a environmentally responsible manner. We do not allow guests to pick wild flowers and take them home with them but we encourage identification with photos and we always carry a wildflower book to help.
We put on our kit list a water bottle/camelpack to be used for the week to keep down the plastic bottles being used and only give one bottle of water at the beginning of the week and we explain the reason is not money but waste as the local springs are all drinkable.
We always take our litter home with us.
The Impacts of this Trip
We run a tourism business and we appreciate that this is a large employer in some of the villages and for us to keep running rural vacations we need to support our local communities. Encouraging the use of traditional ways of farming, building and cooking.
On all our itineraries we use local family run hotels that employ local people from the community. This not only helps the local community but shows guests a personal side you do not receive in larger chain hotels. We encourage our clients to speak in Spanish, even if only a little as this enhances the clients vacation as well giving local people the opportunity to practice their English.
We eat in the locally run restaurants/hotels which helps the local economy and we source our lunches from local fresh produce. We employ local people to help to run our vacations with transport and sometimes guides. Wherever we can also use local companies to help with advertising. We give local guides that we use first aid training to a UK standard which in turn gives them the confidence to lead groups.
We encourage our guests to have an interest in the wildlife of the area and we explain the ways the local flora and farming is used to benefit the local communities. We only walk on trodden paths and encourage our clients to do the same, be it in Spain or back home.We encourage our guests to behave in a environmentally responsible manner. We do not allow guests to pick wild flowers and take them home with them but we encourage identification with photos and we always carry a wildflower book to help.
We put on our kit list a water bottle/camelpack to be used for the week to keep down the plastic bottles being used and only give one bottle of water at the beginning of the week and we explain the reason is not money but waste as the local springs are all drinkable.
We always take our litter home with us.
The Impacts of this Trip
We run a tourism business and we appreciate that this is a large employer in some of the villages and for us to keep running rural vacations we need to support our local communities. Encouraging the use of traditional ways of farming, building and cooking.
On all our itineraries we use local family run hotels that employ local people from the community. This not only helps the local community but shows guests a personal side you do not receive in larger chain hotels. We encourage our clients to speak in Spanish, even if only a little as this enhances the clients vacation as well giving local people the opportunity to practice their English.
We eat in the locally run restaurants/hotels which helps the local economy and we source our lunches from local fresh produce. We employ local people to help to run our vacations with transport and sometimes guides. Wherever we can also use local companies to help with advertising. We give local guides that we use first aid training to a UK standard which in turn gives them the confidence to lead groups.
5 Reviews of Las Alpujarras guided hiking vacation, Spain
Reviewed on 30 Apr 2018 by John Franklin
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Certainly the most memorable part for me was the unexpected accumulation of ascents which I found quite hard. The linear distances were largely as described in the literature, but there is no mention of the ascents - on the second day the total ascent was 1400 m... In my view this is excessive for a walk described as "medium difficulty" and I think your customers should be made aware of this.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
See above - be aware that every day involves very considerable ascents and descents which means (in my opinion) that this walk is only suitable for people
with regular experience of quite tough conditions. I would not have booked this walk had I known how hard it was. I am nearly 70... Perhaps there should be an
age limit!
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
It must have benefited local people insofar as we were paying for services provided by them, but I cannot say that it reduced environmental impacts. If
anything I would have thought that having groups of people tramping about through the countryside would have the opposite effect. I saw no evidence of the
vacation supporting conservation.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Dan, our guide and the owner of the tour company, is extremely knowledgeable about the routes, the local history and the flora and fauna. On days necessitating a picnic lunch he carried all our food and then prepared it for us; he provided walking poles for those without; he tolerated inane chit-chat from the party; he
improvised a bridge across a raging torrent that blocked our path at one point; and at all times he lead from the front but adapted to the group speed as
required. To conclude, a better walking guide would be hard to find. Five stars for the guide.
Read the operator's response here:
Dan Shaffrey
Reviewed on 24 Oct 2017 by Anonymous
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Wonderful views, lovely white villages
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
You need to be quite fit - lots of steep climbs
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
The accommodation used was locally owned.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Excellent apart from the change of Capileira hotel
Reviewed on 25 Oct 2015 by Sibyl Ruth
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Walking through the dramatic - and beautiful - landscape of Las Alpujarras. Also the chance to eat tapas and drink the local wine!
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
The walks may be a little more taxing than the 'moderate' ones advertised by some other companies. But definitely worth the effort.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
The two hotels we stayed at were both locally run. Apart from the airport transfers and a (highly enjoyable) trip to Granada, relatively little car travel was involved.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
My partner and I thoroughly enjoyed our week in Andalucia. Dan looked after us really well. It's the first time we'd gone on vacation with a relatively small company and we really appreciated the greater flexibility of traveling this way.
Reviewed on 27 Sep 2014 by Elayne Jackson
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Reaching the highest point of our steepest climb and surveying the breath-taking mountain scenery in all directions.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Bringing appropriate clothing and footwear for walking and being at a reasonable level of fitness.
Learning a few basic words of Spanish - the local people seem to really appreciate that.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
The local hotels, cafes and shops benefited from our custom. As it was a walking vacation, the minimum amount of fuel was needed to transport us from one area to another thus reducing environmental impacts.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
It was a brilliant vacation. Dan, our guide, is very knowledgeable about the local area and is a very experienced walker. He paced the walks to accommodate each member of the group ensuring that the walks were enjoyed by all. Each of the walks was varied and we therefore encountered many different types of beautiful scenery, plant and wildlife.
Dan ensured we were settled into each hotel and that individual requirements were met. The hotels and catering were all good and especially the last hotel in which we stayed, which is set in delightful surroundings.
The local people were courteous and friendly and did their best to ensure we all had a good vacation.
I had a thoroughly great week's vacation and would love to do this again some time, possibly in a different area of Spain.
Reviewed on 09 Oct 2013 by Ann Hoptroff
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
One of the most exciting parts of our vacation was being at 2,500metres in the Sierra Nevada mountains after an exhilarating walk & being able to see across the Mediterranean sea to the north coast of Africa. The weather had been misty as we drove to the beginning of our walk but as we walked through the cloud we came into bright sunshine & could see clouds below us with a fantastic rainbow above. As we walked through the ancient silk routes the fragrance of wild herbs accompanied us & in addition the wild fruits sustained us.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
We would recommend taking leki sticks, as we did, for the ancient silk routes are quite steep at times.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Our vacation significantly benefited local people as all the food was locally sourced & the hotels were run by local families.
We walked on paths that were ancient thus conserving the countryside. We always took our rubbish back to the hotels
with us & recycled what we could.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
An excellent vacation filled with lots of special, characterful hotels. We walked with a fantastic guide, Dan Shaffrey, who taught us so much about the local flora,fauna & history of the areas. He was always very willing to help us in
any way he could & was a key part in making this a most memorable week. His management of the whole vacation was faultless & he exuded confidence in every step of the way.
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