To the Top of Spain

We had a fantastic time on the To the Top of Spain walking holiday - just the right amount of walking, with the chance to relax in lovely accommodation afterwards. Great food, wonderful scenery.

A very good holiday. We liked the walks on the crater ridge and in the crater close to Mt Teide very much and were very lucky with the weather, sunny every day so very good views. It is a harder holiday than we have usually done with Inntravel with a lot of ascent but we are regular hillwalkers so managed it OK but our timings were usually an hour longer than given in the notes excluding stops. That may be because we are in our 70s! If any of your clients do not climb hills regularly they might find the holiday too hard.

For the first couple of days the weather was not as good as we had hoped.  The first 3-4 days are in the cloud and the temperatures were low.  It was beautifully sunny around Mount Teide.  The first days walking was really dull and uninspiring and because the weather was poor we were unable to use the roof top terrace etc. at the hotel.  The local restaurants were not great so it is a shame that the hotel doesn't offer meals.  The spa hotel was excellent - great facilities and a lovely lounge and sauna etc.  The walks to and in the Teide National Park were very enjoyable.

All the forest walks were beautiful, and although very steep in places, all were manageable. The notes were excellent and we never felt like we might have lost the route for more than a minute before a reassuring note matched what we found ahead.

It was extremely hot during our trip and we needed at least 3L of water each per day, all of which we had to take with us. Please note, there is nowhere to top up supplies on all but the first day. There was also almost no shade during the entire route on the first day. The final 'push' up over the crater wall was definitely the highlight and a life long memorable walk - fantastic in every way.

This is a wonderful walk, in the full sense of the word. Each day we learned more about the island, its history, agriculture, bird life, flora and above all, its geology. Moving from the arid lower slopes through the misty pine forest to the extraordinary sight of the caldera with Teide looming over it was fascinating. The information boards along the way all help build a picture of Tenerife, with those at the top which explain the sequence of volcanoes which formed the island bringing it all together. It is strenuous! Many of the paths are difficult underfoot, with rubble, chunks, and rolling grit to contend with. We are in our early 70’s, and more conscious than we were 10 years ago of the dangers of falling. Patches of smooth trail, where you can walk and look at the scenery simultaneously, are few and far between, and absolutely blissful! It is definitely on the ‘3’ side of ‘2-3’ in its grading. The timings allowed for walking can be roughly doubled to allow for stopping to raise your eyes from the path to the scenery, catching your breath, and the usual lunch stops. Nevertheless, we made it, and the rewards are great. Photographs cannot do justice to the rock formations and plant life that surround you on the last few days. We had an extra, ‘lazy’ day at the parador - we walked around the Roques de Garcia in the morning, and it was so marvellous that we did it again in the late afternoon, in the opposite direction and the different light. So, another exhilarating holiday with Inntravel - thank you! 

Teide National Park is an amazing place. The route is well designed and the hotels were excellent (apart from the Vilaflor Wine Route, which lacked the quality scenery we had on the other walks). Inntravel folder packed full of good information. The only thing that marrs walking in Tenerife is the bad habit of people leaving white tissues (at presumed toilet stops).

It was a terrific way to experience the 'real' Tenerife and provided an excellent variety of walks and experiences.

This was our first walking holiday abroad and it was a great success. We absolutely loved the scenery which was more dramatic than we had imagined. The transition through the pine forests, over the crater rim and into the national park with the views of Mount Teide was fantastic.

All of the accommodation was lovely,  the service and food were wonderful. We especially loved Hotel Villalba as the spa was great to relax in after a long walk, and the Parador for the location and views.

We had extra days in Vilaflor and in the national park and used these to do some extra walks and to have a day off in Vilaflor before our big day of walking to the Parador.

We would recommend walking from Villalba to Arona, a long walk which we found in our walking book and which is mostly downhill, with dramatically changing scenery. We managed to get a taxi back from Arona, having asked at the hotel for a number to call.

In the national park we took the cable car up Mount Teide then walked down and back to our hotel. This was a long walk but worth doing as we saw parts that we would have missed otherwise. Most of the trails are well signposted. We also took the bus to Portillo and walked back to the hotel, nipping up Mount Guajara on the way. The view over to Teide made it very worthwhile.

Our weather was hot and sunny, but it is dry and dusty and easy to burn as there was quite a breeze at times and it's a bit chilly up Mount Teide.

We were very sad to leave and are hoping to plan our next trip soon. We would recommend this holiday to anyone who enjoys slightly challenging walking ( although I was a little daunted at the prospect of heights and " vertigo risk " I was actually fine !) in a quiet but spectacular setting away from the crowds.

We would recommend walking poles, sun cream and taking lots of water, and maybe a book of walks and some extra days if you can.

Walking in Tenerife proved to be a revelation. The interest and beauty increased with altitude as the week progressed.  In the early part of the week, we enjoyed some fantastic hikes, but our arrival at El Teide and its crater was unforgettable.  The variety of volcanic features is stunning.  We could happily have spent another couple of days up there.  We are already recommending this holiday to our friends.

This was one of our best Inntravel holidays so far - beautiful weather and level of walking just right. Highlights were the relaxing spa at the Hotel Spa Villalba in Vilaflor after the day's hike and the walk up to the Parador unveiling the high mountain scenery as we ascended. We were lucky to get two beautifully clear nights at the Parador for stargazing too. We were originally due to ascend Mt Teide by cable car on our last full day but this was cancelled due to high winds. We were initially disappointed and did the the walk up to the 9,000 ft peak of Guajara instead. This route turned out to be the most stunning day of the week and we had the peak almost to ourselves. We were glad we hadn't missed that one.

We loved it - Tenerife is incredibly varied,  beautiful and dramatic.  We'd do it again, in a few years if possible and hopefully the walking notes would be more clear by then.  Please update the walk to stride notes to describe the most tricky bit in detail rather than other simple parts. Also you need to add some advice as to what to do if they are shooting sheep and the paths are shut until 2.00pm. 

This was one of our best Inntravel walking holidays out of seven so far in Europe. We had good sunny weather everyday so we were rather spoilt for March. The hotels were excellent and the information about the island was very good and, as the walks progressed, one learnt first-hand about the history and geography of the island. The walks were very enjoyable particularly as we met few other walkers and the quiet solitude at times was wonderful. The lunar landscape around Mount Teide was a highlight.

As usual the whole holiday was excellent.  Beautiful hotels and the organisation was very good indeed.  As advised in the notes, day 5 is indeed a tough and long day and should not be under-estimated if you decide to walk all the way without using a taxi for the first section.   

All the accommodation was good, but we particularly liked the Hotel Vilalba. The staff there were very helpful and extremely apologetic about the weather! 

We combined walking on Tenerife for a week, with a week's walking on La Palma, end of January/early February. I really enjoyed walking in the Mount Teide crater on Tenerife, with all its amazing, weird rock formations. We were a little disappointed not to be able to do the walk up to the crater from Vilaflor, owing to the adverse weather conditions. Teide in the 'snow' and mist, was quite an experience! On La Palma, the route on the first day, Ruta de Los Volcanes, passing the Teneguia volcano to the 'salt pans' of Fuencaliente, through the black sands and volcanic waste, was really interesting and, likewise, the route from Los Quemados to Los Llanos. The Caldera de Taburiente walk and the Cascades de Colores were also extremely memorable and enjoyable. Many of the descents were very steep and treacherous, especially when wet, so don't foget your walking poles to ease those aching knees!  Accommodation and especially evening meals, when provided, were all very good, our bags were always generally there, waiting for us on our arrival at the next hotel. A suggestion to use the ferry to cross between the islands, rather than flights, might be useful at this time of year, when we got 'snowed in' at Mount Teide!

A lovely winter break. The first two hotels were both excellent but in different ways, the Parador was comfortable but a bit more limited with its facilities. The first days walk wasn't too inspiring but they got better from then on in. The walk from Villalba to Parador is quite tough - particularly if the weather is inclement while walking along the edge of the crater. We had occasional snow and strong winds - manageable in poor conditions - but we certainly needed a fleece, hat, gloves and gillet. Amazing scenery at the top of the ridge and a rewarding walk. 

One of the best walking holidays ever. Everything from the hotels to the scenery was perfect. We were lucky with blue skies and warmth but not too much heat, though on the final day we didn't get up Teide as the winds were too strong. There are still many walks to do in the crater and this didn't spoil the holiday for us. I liked the amount of time we had in each place and the walks were varied and interesting. I think the first one to Aldea Blanca is well worth doing although it's not in the same stunning scenery, but we learned so much from the information boards. I'd advise walkers not to stay at Villalba over a weekend if you want to do the wine tasting tour as the Saturday was already full and they don't offer them on Sundays. The scenery in the forest and coming up to the crater is amazing and we could have spent another day or two in the crater. All the hotels are of a high standard and the food in Villalba and the Parador was excellent - the Parador had a slight edge on it for us. A great place to chill out and the views of Teide are fabulous.

Fabulous but challenging walk over to parador.  Amazing walks . The trip notes would have been complemented with a rough map of route. The map enclosed was too small, if cloud had descended. 

Some stunning volcanic scenery with the landscape changing as you gain height with each day of walking.Don't stay at the Parador if you're vegetarian as they really don't cater for veggies and it was a miserable hungry experience!

An excellent holiday, with challenging walks and hotels of a very high standard.

A fantastically varied walk through numerous different terrains. It was fascinating seeing the changes from San Miguel to the very top of Spain. We would certainly recommend this walk and would heartily recommend that people do the Bodega wine visit which was very informative and the wine was lovely! After the long ascent from Vilaflor the view, when first arriving at the top of the crater, was truly breathtaking as was the view from the very top of Mt. Teide.

This was a fantastic holiday, albeit a challenging walk with lots of climbing but the reward is the views and the magical experience of staying in the volcanic landscape - it was like being on another planet!! The highlights were reaching the rim and seeing the mountain and caldera for the first time and then when we walked to the summit and stood on the top of the volcano it was very special. The views were amazing! The hotels are all good but Hotel Villalba is exceptional and a perfect place for relaxation after walking! We added extra nights here at the end of the holiday which was just perfect. It was great to get to see the 'real' Tenerife and stay away from the very touristy places near the coast. The information provided was all very good about the island and it's heritage as well as the walking notes.

This was a wonderful walking holiday. The big 'wow' moment was getting to the crater rim for the first time and seeing Mount Teide in front of us.

 Also, Hotel Villalba is especially fantastic - the food is wonderful, the sauna and bathing facilities are great.

Undoubtedly the scenery at Las Canadas is the highlight. It is remarkable and unusual. We would have liked to have seen the area in spring/summer colours and have got to the top of either El Teide or Guajar or even perhaps up Sendero 23 to Pico Vieja. However, we do appreciate that going in February there is going to be a chance that the weather will not be favourable.