Spain Tours & Hiking Adventures

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For the majority of the summer season Spain is in the Central European (CET), which is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Our trips include all transportation, guiding, meals and activities (except where indicated on the itinerary). Most people like to bring a little extra to cover a round of drinks at the pub, take home some souvenirs, book a tour and eat out on their free day, and tip our guides if they've had a great time.

Usually the easiest thing to do is use your credit or debit card to withdraw money directly from your home account, in local currency. There are plenty of ATM's and banks in larger towns in Europe, and ATM's will accept all major credit cards and many debit cards. Cash advances are the most convenient way to get cash.

The currency in Spain is the Euro €.

We are accustomed to catering to the following special diets:

• vegan (no meat or animal products)
• vegetarian (no meat products)
• fishatarian (vegetarian, and eat fish)
• no red meat (eat chicken & fish)
• gluten intolerant (no wheat, rye, barley or oats)
• lactose intolerant (no dairy products)

You will get the opportunity to specify your particular requirements when you fill in our pre-trip questionnaire. If you have any other dietary requirements please let us know well in advance, via email or the online questionnaire.

Food is the one force that unites everyone in Spain and Spanish people’s love for food is also seen in the 5-6 meals they’ve in a day – breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, merienda (evening snack), tapas, or dinner. The first breakfast is light and usually had at home whereas the second breakfast or is called Almuerzo and is typically had at 10:30 A.M. A traditional breakfast in Spain includes café con Leche (espresso with warm milk) with a small bite of food. Paella is a typical lunch dish that consists of saffron, beans, vegetables, and a mixture of snails, rabbit, chicken, and duck. Nowadays, paella is also made with seafood as it’s abundant in Spain. A typical Spanish dinner will have a main dish, such as a seafood dish, vegetarian dish, or roasted meat. This is either stuffed in a sandwich or served with a portion of rice. Common sides include a green salad, omelette, fried potatoes, grilled vegetables, cold cuts, or cheese. The dinner may be finished with a light dessert.

Spain is possibly the only country in Europe that cares for its architectural relics as a heritage of its nation. The towns of Spain are known for being ideal for romantic tourism, and the country boasts undiscovered, hidden alcoves to popular tourist resorts, there's a beach for everyone and with over 300 days of sunshine each year you're guaranteed the weather to enjoy them!

Once you've booked your trip, you'll have access to a gear list in your portal on exactly what to bring along. The gear list is carefully thought out to provide you with everything you need to be warm and happy, or cool and relaxed, whatever the weather! So it is best to bring everything we recommend along, if you don't bring everything you need, we can't guarantee your comfort.

We generally take up to 14 people per trip, although this can vary, and all our trips have at least two of our guides to look after you (apart from the occasions we have a small group). We have found that our trips tend to attract a particular kind of person and many people have commented that the social scene was one of the highlights of their trip!

Accommodation
On your Spain trip you'll stay in a variety of places depending on the destination and activities. For the most part you'll stay in hotels along the Camino; great locations, comfort, character and friendliness. In addition, many of these hotels offer some of the finest breakfasts to be found in Spain.

Transport
Your transport will be mainly travelling on your very own two feet on our trips in Spain! All your transport is included from the start of your trip and until we leave you in Santiago de Compostela at the end, except airprot transfers, with the details all listed in the trip specific itineraries.

Meals
All your meals are included as described in the itinerary except on your free days. We have found that people enjoy checking out what is on offer by themselves sometimes, so you can go and see what's out there! On every other day and especially after any long hikes, we've chosen places to eat that can cater for our hearty appetites, work well with our small groups (they know we are coming) and provide us with an authentic destination specific culinary experience. There are always options for you, so you can either be brave or choose something more familiar. You can be assured that on all our trips we will make sure you are very well fed, and Europe's vast array of cuisine won't disappoint you!

Trip leaders
Our trips are all led by an experienced Trip Leader alongside a local specialist guide. Our Trip Leaders are very proud to work with Active Adventures and often lead our trips for many years, for which we are very lucky and very grateful, as it means we're able to consistently offer a fantastic level of service. They work closely with our local specialist guides to provide you with a seamless, fun, exciting and memorable trip. They will happily share with you as much or as little as you want to know about the history, culture, social aspects and lifestyle of the country you are visiting.

Our preferred Travel Partner Fuzion Travel can assist with you with flights and other travel arrangements. Let them know your preferred travel plans, including any stopovers or extra nights’ accommodation, and they’ll put everything in place for you. They offer a total travel solution and five star service that you’ll want to tell your friends about!

As an Active Adventures traveller, It’s essential you take out travel insurance to cover the likes of personal injury, medical expenses, trip cancellation for your travel with us. Please head to our Travel Insurance page for more in-depth information and insurance provider options. It’s also important to check your insurance covers all the activities you’ll be partaking in, in case you’re travelling to altitude or looking at extreme sports.

You don't need any vaccinations for Spain. Easy!

It is your responsibility stay up to date on the latest visa and entry requirements for your destination. Please use the CIBT entry tracker on our website as a guideline or visit the relevant immigration webpage for more information regarding this.

Traditionally the month for holidays is August, and during this time all the locals are travelling around so it may be best to skip this month for your holiday!

Ten days is the optimum amount of time to explore two regions or cities with time left to venture to the rural neighborhoods, including Barcelona’s Catalonia coast and the Andalusian city of Cordoba, which sits a two-hour drive north of Granada. However, we recommend a minimum of 12 days so you can hope on our Camino de Santiago trip and have a day or two either side to explore elsewhere!