Spain with Alto Aragón

“Basque Hills and Coast” was a wonderful guided hiking holiday in Spain that my husband and I took with Alto Aragón (31 Heathside, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9TD, U.K.; phone +44 [0] 1869 337 339 or visit www.altoaragon.co.uk).

Our tour, Sept. 17-24, 2006, began and ended in Bilbao. The cost of approximately £875 (near $1,696) per person included airport pickup and dropoff, very nice hotels, great food (all meals were included), wine and, most importantly, the services of Richard Cash, who is an excellent and accommodating guide.

Richard and his partner, Nicola Forsyth, are English but have lived in northern Spain for many years. They are fluent Spanish speakers with a vast knowledge and love of the area’s flora and fauna.

The hikes (Europeans call them “walks”) are fairly demanding, as hill climbing is involved, so you need to be reasonably fit. The views were worth the effort!

We’ve also taken Alto Aragón’s “Foothills and High Valleys” walking tour. It begins and ends in Zaragoza and we would highly recommend it. The 2007 land price for this 8-day, 7-night tour is £750 ($1,454).

Alto Aragón also offers more strenuous mountain trekking, horse-riding treks, cross-country skiing and independent walks. They will put together specialized guided walks, for example, for bird lovers. They also will arrange hotel breaks and car rentals.

When we did the “Foothills and High Valleys” walk, they arranged for us to extend our vacation by staying in the lovely village of Sierra de Guara at Hotel Villa de Alquezar (12-22145 Alquezar, Sierra de Guara, Huesca, Spain; phone/fax 974 31 8416 or visit www.villadealquezar.com), where singles cost €50 (near $66) and doubles, €56 ($74). They also arranged our car rental and suggested itineraries.

KATHY PARSONS

Ann Arbor, MI