CYCLE THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO A really good group of people and a trip I'd wanted to do for a few years but which seemed to have disappeared from the brochure for a couple of years before being re-introduced. Cycling was harder than expected; although rated 'moderate' this trip was harder than other 'moderate' trips I've done in the past; in fact only two of our group actually cycled the whole way without spending any time in the support vehicle.
Fresh air, sunshine, mountains - a heavenly February escape! Fantastic trip - wonderful walking and scenery - almond trees in blossom, spectacular geology, great company and camaraderie among the group, a very knowledgeable and attentive guide (Jose) who clearly loves his home region and wants to share it with others as well as being a competent and experienced mountain guide, a comfortable family-run hotel with a personal touch in a tranquil location, copious amounts of very good food... We were lucky in having perfect weather in February and it was a tonic to get away from stormy Britain.
Overall, I had a great time. Love that the group size was small at only 20 people. It meant that the group hung out together a lot and our tour guide got to know us quite well. I think the tour should be longer such as 13-15 days rather than 10. We didn’t get enough time in places to really ‘delve deep’ such as Porto and Barcelona. I’d suggest 2 nights in each major destination so we can really explore a place. I think this would help with the long drives in Spain as well. Would recommend as a taster to Portugal and Spain!