Cookies on this website We use cookies on our website to make sure we can give you the best experience while browsing. If you are happy with this, please continue to use this site as normal or learn more

0   
+44 (0)1653 617001
back
back
back
back
back
back
back
back
back
 

Life in an Alpujarran Village

Las Alpujarras – a land steeped in tradition
 
Gain unique insights into local ways of life on this self-guided, single-centre walking holiday, with car hire included. Savour delicious regional gastronomy and enjoy rewarding, varied walks in this timeless area of outstanding natural beauty.
Life in an Alpujarran Village. 7 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
Life in an Alpujarran Village. 7 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
 

Holiday information

 

Culture & walking in Las Alpujarras

To the south-east of the Moorish city of Granada, the almond-coated hills of Las Alpujarras flank the southern slopes of the dramatic Sierra Nevada, the highest mountains in mainland Spain. This is an area of outstanding natural beauty, where characteristic whitewashed villages tumble down terraced valleys, and the ancient Moorish irrigation systems are a testament to the area’s long and colourful past. Here, you will find a traditional way of life that seems untouched by the passage of time. Mairena, the base for your holiday, is one such timeless Alpujarran village whose hard-working inhabitants adhere to a simple way of life, based upon a sound knowledge of the terrain and climate.
Autumn heralds the fig, medlar and pomegranate harvest, after which the traditional farming cycle continues with preparations for the December olive harvest. By January, this is in full swing and the hillsides are dotted with families, armed with sticks to dislodge this stubborn, yet highly prized, fruit. February sees an explosion of colour as the almond trees burst into flower beneath impossibly blue skies; and so, into March, when the intoxicating scent of sweet, young oranges wafts down the valleys and the grapes in local vineyards begin to ripen under the warming sun.

Here, with the help of your knowledgeable hosts, Emma and David Illsley, you have the opportunity to become much more than just a spectator, immersing yourself in the gentle rhythms of the south. Follow David on a guided tour through the fruit trees of their nearby organic farm (finca); join in the olive harvest (December to January); meet Adolfo, the local olive-oil producer who sends his renowned produce to a top London restaurant; and marvel as the hotel cook, Soledad, lovingly recreates authentic Alpujarran dishes. Combine these unique experiences with scenic, varied walks along ancient paths linking other traditional villages, and you will gain a real insight into this alluring corner of southern Spain.
 

Autumn/winter 2020/2021

Travel restrictions mean that we cannot accept any new bookings from UK residents for the 2020/2021 season at the moment. We remain hopeful that restrictions will be eased and that we will be able to resume the holiday before the end of the season. If you have a holiday booking with us, we will contact you nearer the time.
 
Gallery
 

Walking & more

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on the day of your choice, and are free to add extra nights. There’s no fixed itinerary, so take your pick of our suggested walking routes as the mood takes you.
  • The average maximum daytime temperatures and monthly rainfall relate to the nearest weather station and are intended as a guide only.
     
    Average temperatures and rainfall
      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    °C 11 12 15 17 22 27 32 32 28 21 15 11
    mm 53 55 47 52 37 26 10 7 20 51 64 61
  • Learn about life in Las Alpujarras
    This holiday combines unique insights into local ways of life with some superb walks so as to give you a real feel for Las Alpujarras. Your enthusiastic hosts, Emma and David Illsley, will be only too happy to share their knowledge of their adopted village and its traditional practices with you, and to introduce you to some of their neighbours. To get your bearings, David will take you on an introductory tour of their small finca and the village, explaining the intricacies of the complex Moorish irrigation system which still waters the terraces as you make your way to the local olive mill. Here, Adolfo, who has supplied a renowned restaurant kitchen in London, will explain the processes involved in extracting the oil from this prized fruit. In December and January, you can join in with the harvest if you so wish, enjoying the buzz that animates the immaculate groves as you knock the branches with a sturdy stick to dislodge the stubborn fruit. Another insight into village customs comes in the form of local cook Sole. Her family has lived in Las Alpujarras for generations, and she lovingly recreates age-old local recipes with a delicious modern twist. For anyone with an interest in wine, David and Emma can arrange a tour of the award-winning Buena Vista bodega in Ugijar, complete with a wine-tasting

    Sustainable tourism at the finca

    David and Emma care deeply about the long-term sustainability of the Alpujarras region and a week with them will give you a real insight into some of their ongoing projects on their organic finca. From its inception, the finca was always going to be a place where traditional farming methods would be used to enhance and improve the land, creating a restful haven where the fruits of the fields could be harvested for the hotel and restaurant. Central to this idea – and still as important today – has been learning from the locals and working in tune with nature and the seasons. With this uppermost in their minds, David and Emma have always been quick to seek – and accept – help and advice from local farmers who showed them how to irrigate, plough, prune and tend the land in the age-old traditions of the village.

    ;
    Traditional cooking

    Organic farming

    The finca has been granted official ‘organic’ status by the Soil Association, based on farming methods and a complete absence of herbicides and pesticides, thus recognising that all their produce is as fresh, good and natural as nature intended. A welcome by-product of these methods has been the deliberate setting aside of areas of uncultivated land – as all weeds, hedgerows and grasses now have to be controlled the old fashioned way, by hand – leading to an extraordinary variety of flowers and an abundance of insects and bird-life which flourishes in this magical place.




    ;
    Gathering the olives
  • Choice of routes: 3km to 15km

    A stroll in the Mairena Valley (grade 1): 3km, 1hr; ascent/descent 150m
    Taking in David and Emma’s finca, this is a great introductory circuit around the terraced slopes south of the village. It’s a walk that David and Emma often accompany you on, showing you the tended gardens of the villagers and passing the rocky outcrop known as the Peñón de Alfaguara, from where there are spectacular views of the landscape and of the village.

    Down to Ugíjar (grade 1): 6km, 1.5hrs; ascent 60m/descent 545m
    A great way to visit the market town of Ugíjar, perhaps in time to visit the local market and linger over a leisurely lunch. The way weaves down along the river valley, through some of the oldest olive groves in the area, passing alongside the steeply eroded, coloured marls and clays and into the well-watered almond terraces that fill the pretty valley just before Ugíjar. Return by taxi (pay locally).

    A short circuit above Mairena via Júbar (grade 1): 6km, 2.5hrs; ascent/descent 355m
    This walk starts with a steepish climb but soon descends to the small village of Júbar, following one of the many water channels built to irrigate the lower slopes of the Alpujarras. It then follows a pretty path back to Mairena.

    Longer circuit above Mairena (grade 2): 9.5km, 4hrs; ascent/descent 530m
    David and Emma refer to this as the ‘On Top of the World Walk’ as it climbs up high on the northern slopes above the village, passing ancient, abandoned water cisterns and threshing floors. With views of Laroles on the other side of a valley you wind down through chestnut groves to the hamlet of Júbar before a stroll back to Mairena.

    The old silk village of Válor (grade 2): 12.5km, 4hrs; ascent/descent 655m
    This is a delightful walk which leads to the old silk weaving town of Válor, passing through terraced slopes, and then descending to the Rio Nechite, crossing the river by stepping stones, before finally reaching Válor where there are several restaurants for lunch.

    A circuit from Mairena via Laroles: 9km, 3.5hrs (grade 1-2) or 15km, 5.5hrs (grade 2); ascent/descent 820m
    This lovely circuit joins the two villages of Júbar and Laroles, taking you up the Laroles river valley on the western side and down on the eastern. On the way, you use a lovely path alongside a water channel, pass a thousand-year-old chestnut tree and drop down to the stream on an old mule path.
    The old silk village of Válor
  • Choice of routes: 4km to 15.5km

    The walk of the Fountain of Health (grade 1): 4.5km, 2hrs; ascent/descent 240m
    A very pleasant short walk into the hills to the northern side of Yegen, following an ancient cobbled track past springs in the hills, hence its name.

    The Gerald Brenan circuit (grade 1-2): 4km, 2hrs; ascent/descent 350m
    This walk on the southern slopes of Yegen heads down into the bad-lands, a multi-coloured lunar landscape of strangely shaped, eroded rocks. At the base of the valley sits the isolated cubic rock known as Peñon el Fuerte, the site of a now vanished Moorish castle. It is said that Gerald Brenan walked this route every afternoon.

    Río Grande – higher route (grade 2): 15.5km, 6hrs; ascent/descent 800m
    This is a scenic and rewarding walk, initially rising steeply up the east side of the valley, then following pretty paths contouring the valley in and out of woodland. You pass over the Río Grande at the head of the valley before returning on paths to pass an ancient silk-mill.

    Río Grande – lower route (grade 1-2): 11km, 4hrs; ascent/descent 400m
    An easier way to explore the valley of the Río Grande and reach the ancient silk-mill.
    Walk to the west of Mairena
  • Choice of routes: 3km or 9km

    Laroles – Picena circuit (grade 1-2): 9km, 3.5hrs
    An interesting circuit through various fincas of almond and olive terraces into a deep valley and then to the village of Picena, famed for its Mudéjar-style church and the ruins of the nearby Castillejo de Picena.

    The Picena gorge (grade 1): 3km, 1.5hrs
    More an experience than a walk, you combine this exploration of a pretty, verdant gorge with a trip to the village. The rock has been carved into gullies and cauldrons; while the unique fauna includes the rare nettle-tree butterfly.
  • Visit the Alhambra
    Given the area’s rich Moorish heritage, you will probably wish to visit Granada's world-famous Alhambra*, a two-hour drive away. This is the epitome of Moorish architecture and design, showcasing the astonishingly intricate décor of the royal palace and its colourful gardens. Across the river, the atmospheric Albaicín district is Spain's most characteristic Moorish quarter and is wonderfully intriguing, its steep, cobbled streets leading past whitewashed houses. We include notes for a superb self-guided walking tour taking in the city's main attractions.

    *You must pre-book tickets online (or by phone) as far as possible in advance. It is open every day except 25 December and 1 January.
    The Alhambra, Granada
 

Accommodation

Your base is Mairena, a typical Alpujarran village where mules still outnumber cars by two to one at harvest time!
Casa las Chimeneas
  • rural hotel

Bedrooms

 

Options to extend or shorten your stay

 
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter. For general information on pricing, see the 'your holiday price explained' page.
Currency converter

We can only accept payment in GBP, but you can use this converter to find out how much the holiday equates to in your own currency.

Please enter an amount Please enter a valid amount British Pound Sterling (GBP)
Currency is required
NB: this should be used as a guide only. Fluctuations in exchange rates could result in significant variation by the time you come to pay.

  • 7 nights: 01 September 2020 - 11 November 2020 & 01 February 2021 - 30 June 2021

    Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    1 Sep - 14 Oct 2020 £795 £295
    15 - 31 Oct 2020 £775 £290
    1 - 4 Nov 2020 £755 £285
    1 - 28 Feb 2021 £675 £270
    1 - 31 Mar 2021 £720 £275
    1 Apr - 23 Jun 2021 £745 £280
    3rd & 4th person discount -£50 to -£60
    Single traveller supplement £50 to £60

    Includes accommodation, meals and services integral to the holiday as described, plus walking notes and maps, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.

    Price includes: 7 days' category B car hire (eg VW Polo or similar with manual transmission)

    Driving time to/from the hotel: Almeria 1h45, Granada 2h, Málaga 3h

    Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.

  • Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

    Prices include an additional day's car hire
    Casa las Chimeneas, Mairena (with dinner) Double room Single room
    01 Sep - 11 Nov 2020 £108 £148
    01 Feb - 28 Feb 2021 £95 £130
    01 Mar - 30 Jun 2021 £100 £135
  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Almería, Granada or Málaga

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend Málaga. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Travelling from outside the UK
    We have many years' experience catering for customers who live outside the UK, and will be happy to make tailored arrangements to fit with your plans.

    You have two options:

    1) Book your own flights to London, from where we can book flights and onward connecting travel to your hotel.

    2) Book your own flights direct to an airport appropriate to your chosen holiday. You can either make your own way from the airport to the hotel, or we'll be happy to book onward connecting travel for you. Please consult with us before booking your flights, so that we can advise you on the suitability of your proposed route and timings.
    Outward route Airline
    Aberdeen - Malaga Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Belfast Intl. - Malaga Aer Lingus,  easyJet,  jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Birmingham - Malaga jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI,  Vueling 
    Outward route Airline
    Bournemouth - Malaga Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Bristol - Almeria TUI 
    Bristol - Malaga easyJet,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Cardiff - Malaga TUI,  Vueling 
    Outward route Airline
    Doncaster Sheffield - Malaga TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Nottingham East Midlands - Malaga jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Almeria jet2 
    Edinburgh - Malaga jet2,  Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow - Almeria jet2 
    Glasgow - Malaga easyJet,  jet2,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow Prestwick - Malaga Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Leeds Bradford - Malaga jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Liverpool - Malaga easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    London City - Granada British Airways 
    London City - Malaga British Airways 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Almeria British Airways,  easyJet,  TUI 
    Gatwick - Almeria (via Madrid) Iberia 
    Gatwick - Granada easyJet 
    Gatwick - Malaga British Airways,  easyJet,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Almeria British Airways 
    Heathrow - Granada (via Madrid) Iberia 
    Heathrow - Malaga British Airways 
    Outward route Airline
    Luton - Malaga easyJet,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    London Southend - Malaga easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Stansted - Almeria Ryanair 
    Stansted - Malaga British Airways,  easyJet,  jet2,  Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Almeria jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Manchester - Granada easyJet 
    Manchester - Malaga easyJet,  jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Outward route Airline
    Newcastle - Almeria jet2 
    Newcastle - Malaga easyJet,  jet2,  Ryanair,  TUI 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend Málaga. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated in the connecting travel section, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you. We charge £35 per person for our flight booking service (£60 for India and Nepal). Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.

What is included
  • 7 nights
  • 7 dinners
    3 picnics
    7 breakfasts
  • route notes, maps
    & detailed cultural notes
  • tour of finca
    visit to olive mill
  • 7 days' category B car hire
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

All 16 reviews
  • Mrs A Backhouse
    Edinburgh
    28 February 2020

    Emma and David were excellent hosts in every way. The food was delicious and all the staff extremely friendly. We were fortunate to have warm sunny weather and enjoyed our day trip to Granada and the incomparable Alhambra.

  • Anon
    27 February 2020

    The wildflowers in the Cabo de Gata (in Almería) were fantastic.  We loved our stay at Las Chimeneas, David and Emma have created a wonderful haven with their very relaxed yet efficient approach, and of course we were extremely well fed!

    [Inntravel note: These customers combined a tailored stay with a hire car at both Rodalquilar (featured on our Almería walking holidays) and Mairena, in the Alpujarras, with a stay in Granada at the end of their holiday]

  • NDC
    15 February 2020

    Genuine enthusiaism from hosts, superb food, laid back atmosphere and delightful walking that can be more or less challenging as you choose.

  • Anon
    21 October 2019

    We had a fabulous week. Would recommend that you recommend everyone takes walking poles as without these the walks would have been more challenging than suggested; the Alpujarras are steep! David and Emma are indeed the source of a huge amount of local knowledge. A personal highlight was sitting in the sunshine outside Jubar church (next to the author Chris Stewart as it happens!) while David discoursed knowledgeably and entertainingly about the history and culture of this corner of Spain. It's a fascinating area and a combination of the Inntravel pack and David and Emma's local expertise enabled us to get a great deal out of our week. The food is absolutely delicious; Sole and everyone else who pitches into the cooking (it's the only place I've stayed where the waiter could recommend a dessert because he made it) are superb cooks.

  • Anon
    19 September 2019

    A great way to experience village life in the Alpujarra mountains as well as a good variety of walks and activities. Meals were great, we appreciated not having to go out and look for a restaurant each night - much more relaxing. We especially enjoyed seeing the procession, fireworks and horse races during the village festival.

  • Mr M Shipley
    Hailsham
    22 April 2019

    Great location, great hosts and wonderful food. Extras included visits to a traditional weaver and an ancient but working olive mill, and an informal cookery demonstration all arranged by Emma. The walks we undertook both locally and round Granada were an excellent mix and gave a real flavour of the region.

  • Mr H Aldous
    London
    07 March 2019

    The Alpujarras, Las Chimeneas, the care and thought of that hotel's owners, the quality of the cooking, restful rooms, make this walking holiday an ideal way to start your walking year and warm up and stretch those 'pins'. A week in March was just right. The hotel is an excellent conversion of village houses. The region is charming and restful; the cooking was superb and Emma and David exude care for their residents and enthusiasm for the region and its many walks. Those walks range from 'quite demanding' to long easy strolls. Splendid views. You can stretch yourself on high, snow-capped mountain ridges or amble for 5 hours or more along hillside contours amid chestnuts and water channels for miles and relax in the warmth. Every evening the menu was fun and the food delicious. There is an entire, coordinated team looking after you that enjoy working together. We will start another year there again. Thank you, Las Chimeneas. 

  • Mrs VM Blandford
    Uckfield
    06 October 2018

    We were a party of four and it was lovely to have a small house to ourselves. David was great in passing on 'top tip for the day for walking, sometimes weather dependant' so it is worth being flexible. Look out for the 'outdoor geriatric gyms' in most villages for that extra fun. On an early start one morning Emma gave us a breakfast tray to take to our house which was great. 

  • Mr C Highcock
    Edinburgh
    06 October 2018

    This was one of the best trips we have ever been on. A wonderful hotel in a beautiful location with fantastic, knowledgeable caring hosts. The food was outstanding and the variety of walks and mountains was brilliant. Thanks to Inntravel for another great holiday.

  • Anon
    26 May 2018

    It was very rural with not much to do apart from walking, little sight seeing available and with everything shut (even some of the bars) from 13.30 to 17.00 not even villages to explore.

  • anon
    18 January 2018

    Great views, great to get a cooking session and be able to visit the oil press

  • John Wilkins, Reigate,Surrey.
    29 November 2017

    HIGHLIGHT: Waking up to a sunny blue sky then planning which walk to do. The majority can be done from the hotel and the variety of scenery and vegetation as you descend/ascend is incredible. If you do take the car go to Yegen and do both the recommended walks to fully appreciate this variety. You do not need to buy lunch as you get a free tapa with every beer! After an exhilirating day you then have a warm welcome and excellent home cooked food and local wine. A knowledge of Spanish is greatly appreciated as Mairena and the surrounding villages are thankfully relatively untouched by tourism.

  • Anon
    17 October 2017

    A wonderful holiday - thank you.

  • Mr J McCrae
    Herne Bay
    10 October 2017

    There was an amazing panoramic view from our room (which had two balconies). The food was superb. The history and geography of the local area were fascinating. Driving on the mountain roads was an experience which we quickly relaxed into as the days went by. The standard of the road surfaces was excellent. We were lucky to be there at the time of the annual fiesta in Ugijar (Feast of Our Lady of Martyrdom). There was a great atmosphere on the day of the procession. We combined this holiday with two nights in Granada and would highly recommend visiting the Alhambra Palace. Make sure you book your tickets for the Nasrid Palaces online a month or so in advance, as we did.

  • Mrs H Payne
    Burntisland
    06 October 2017

    The whole experience was amazing. We loved the village, all the people with whom we came in contact, and the FOOD!

  • Stablec
    19 September 2017

    Las Chimeneas is delightful and the quality of food very nice, this along with friendliness of the staff made for a lovely week. We walked every day and most walks were different, superb picnics, quiet location away from the main tourist routes.

    Nice 1 night stay at Hotel Berchules, good food and walking.

     

    INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers requested a tailored itinerary to include a stay at the Hotel Los Bérchules in Bérchules in addition to our Life in an Alpujarran Village holiday.
 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • We sincerely hope that your holiday experience will be as enjoyable as it would have been before the pandemic – walking holidays are ideal in these times of social distancing, and we’re not operating holidays if the key highlights can no longer be delivered – but, naturally, there will be some changes to ensure your and other people’s safety.
    Your holiday experience: what to expect >
    Safety measures being taken by hoteliers & others >
  • We’ll send you route notes and maps 2-3 weeks before your holiday. The route notes not only contain directions to get from hotel to hotel, but also include practical information about places of interest and eateries along each route, plus cultural information about the area. If/when you are moving between hotels, you leave your luggage in reception as you leave, and it will be transferred ahead to your next accommodation, meaning that all you need to take with you are a camera, sun cream, drinks, food and waterproofs.

    For more detailed information, see our walking holidays in Europe page.
  • We can book a wide range of airlines and routes from the UK. As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. For Europe and Morocco, there’s a £35 booking fee per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). For India and Nepal, the booking fee is £60 per person. More information on flights >
  • Absolutely! We are experts in tailored rail travel. Making use of sleeper trains or stopovers in cities along the route, we can get you from London to virtually anywhere in mainland Europe. We can even make arrangements to Mallorca, Sicily and Norway with a combination of ferries and rail. Please contact Abi and Lizzie to discuss your plans.
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.

    More information about the booking process >
    Information about accommodation, general practicalities and more >
    Booking conditions >
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

    You don’t have to buy our travel insurance policy (if you live outside Europe you’ll definitely need to make your own arrangements, as the policy is only for UK and EU residents), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies – including falling ill with Covid-19 while on holiday – and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.

    We'll ask you for the details of your alternative policy (insurer, policy number and medical emergency phone number) so that we can help out if the worst happens while you are on holiday. It's up to you, though, to check that your policy covers the activities you'll be doing on holiday and that it is adequate for your own individual needs; we don't check alternative policies.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport to travel to Spain, but not a visa. If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice for UK citizens can be found through www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/before-you-travel and the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC). You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). UK citizens should also obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) by applying at a Post Office or at www.ehic.org.uk. The EHIC allows reciprocal health care but should not be seen as a substitute for travel insurance.
  • (Castilian) Spanish is one of several official languages; in Catalonia, for example, Catalan has equal status. The currency is the Euro. Spanish time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • At Inntravel we work in close partnership with our hoteliers, taxi drivers and other local suppliers to provide our self-guided holidays directly to you. We are entirely confident that you will continue to receive the usual warm welcome from them when the UK withdraws from the European Union (EU).

    It currently seems highly likely the UK’s withdrawal from the EU will take place on 31 January 2020, at which point the UK will enter a minimum 11-month transition period through to the end of December 2020. During this transition period there will be absolutely no changes to current arrangements for UK citizens travelling to an EU destination, so you can book your 2020 holiday certain that there will be no disruptions or complications caused by Brexit.
  • The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.
    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
  • You are the best judge of your child’s/children’s capabilities. We are happy to take bookings for families of older children/teenagers if they walk regularly, love the outdoors and are comfortable with the distances and ascent/descent involved. Please note that the bedrooms at most of the accommodation we use will normally only sleep a maximum of 3 people, and sometimes only 2.
Last fetch time is : 8/4/2020 7:11:32 AM