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We love a good road trip in the company of good new mates led by our lunatic guides. We will show you the best of Spain and Portugal with included festivals and events, this is going to be an awesome summer trip. The difficulty for you will be deciding which awesome date to pick as each one is unique!
Fast Facts:
It’s a sacred and hallowed institution for many criminals, deadbeats, and backpackers and Xtreme Gappers. As many of our best days have been those shared on the road. Sleeping on the car, in the ground, over a shoulder, on your pants, yessir, even the pants you were just wearing. Pants as a pillow, travelling just like Don Quixote de la Mancha.
Don’t worry about driving, don’t worry about rules, and don’t worry about pants, because it’s hot in the middle of Spain.
For those who bemoan the current trend of crappy budget flights, rigid train authorities or for those who just miss old school travel or moving within any country with misquoted timetables, inconvenient rail tracks and long routes with which to transport goods and materials.
Or just for those who’ve just never got on the road and seen the best of the Iberian Peninsula, wipe those teary eyes and prepare to get them bloodshot through dust, wind, sangria and asphalt. Sounds great? It is.
With that in mind we have 5 new Spanish and Portuguese road trips this year, slapping together our best Summer festivals and our favourite cities.
5 options, all starting in Barcelona and hitting San Sebastian, Granada, Madrid, Sevilla, Valencia. 4 options include the awesome country of Portugal, which Spain always wished they had, because holy inquisition is it pretty. Options for Malaga, Porto, Ibiza, Lagos and all sorts are available (see below).
With types of tours around every city, both partying and cultural, this is your greatest option to spend three weeks hot, sweaty, dazed, damaged and confused. It’s a liberating thought that will excite you (and us) from now until then, it’s a bit of adventure through heat, festivals, beaches and new cities. It’ll be amazing.
Come on one of our road trips, if only to check the maps, change the music, and clean the windshield.
Please note this trip has different itineraries depending on your startdate. This takes into account the best festivals and parties happening throughout the summer season choose from the following departure dates and itineraries.
Lanjaron Granada; Sumol Reggae Lisbon and Running of the Bulls Opening Weekend.
You can easily bolt on an extra night in Barcelona, Or the Ibiza Weekender
BBK Festival and Running of the Bulls Closing Ceremony
We stay in a range of guest houses, Dorms and tents along the way.
Not included but optional upgrades:
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Hop on hop off is all about being flexible. It enables you to join an extensive travel network giving you limitless options to build your own European trip. Our roots have been created for travellers by travellers and if you have a first to discover Europe, party with like-minded people and have the best time of your life then this is for you. We cover 34 destinations, you can travel at your own pace and if you get itchy feet every second day there are departures from all of our locations.
So you want to see Europe, but you want to do it your way. You have a couple of options. Buy a car and watch your entire travel budget gets sucked down the petrol pump before you’ve hit Paris. Get a Euro rail ticket and what your entire travel budget go on expensive sandwiches (Eurorail trains don’t stop in France these days either). Or join a bunch of like-minded travellers using a flexible hop on hop off coach network pass. Build your own trip and do your own thing. Perfect to link up festivals, Xtreme Gap weekenders and the best parties all over Europe.
There are two different types of passes available.
You can take anywhere between three weeks to 6 months to complete this trip. If you are really going for it 15 days but hey why rush it.
You can take anywhere between three weeks to 6 months to complete this trip. If you are really going for it 17 days but hey why rush it.
You can take anywhere between 4 weeks to 6 months to complete this trip. If you are really going for it 15 days but hey why rush it.
Accommodation is not included with our hop on hop off passes. We have expert guides on all buses who are able to pick you up and drop you off at our recommended hostels, but you are not tied to staying in any particular one. This is great because you’d never know who you will meet and what adventures you will have, so it’s nice to have that flexibility in there.
But why worry about it all,You can book an Xtreme passport with this gaining new entrance to some of the top festivals and events all over Europe and as its prepaid you know you will not run out of money. That just leaves you with a hostel bed and Food & Drink to deal with.
You can always jump back on board where you left off by using low-cost airlines to connect with The UK to work (handy with a working holiday Visa for non-UK nationals). Make sure your budget is carefully planned before starting. Accommodation is anywhere between €15-€30 per night. Then you will want to add another €20-€30 per day for everything else.
You can join this at any time we run all year. You will have a booking system where you can login and book your sectors as you go.
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Spend a week improving your surf on the west coast of Portugal. Portugal has amazing surfing conditions, the best beaches in Europe, great food and wine, and cheap and easy access from the UK. You will be amazed by the beauty and surfing conditions of this country!
Set on a cliff top in a national park, overlooking the vast golden sands of one of the finest secluded beaches in the Algarve, you will find the Xtreme Gap Portugal Surf Camp. Just not far from a laid back surfer town, Carrapateira.
You could be mistaken in thinking this is the ultimate chilled environment, but you would be wrong, because the full force of the Atlantic hits Carrapateira beaches providing excellent waves, making it one of the best places to surf in Europe!
For this reason we have selected this area to run our surf improvement camp in Portugal, if you are a beginner we can teach you how to surf too. With endless waves, amazing weather, superb seafood and the best beaches in Europe to relax on after a hard days surfing, believe us when we say you are gonna love it!
Sun, sea, sand and surf – what more could you possibly need for an amazing experience? Most believe that you need to travel half-way across the world to get these kinds of conditions, but that’s no longer the case, thanks to this revolutionary surf program. This is because Portugal, a land not always associated with surfing, actually provides the perfect backdrop for this exhilarating and adrenaline-fuelled sport, and we have the program for you there, whether you’re a beginner or an advanced surfer.
While surfing is a massive part of this experience, it isn’t the only thing you’ll do though, as the area of the Algarve has buckets of activities for you to take part in, from seeing the sites of wonderfully historic towns through to sampling the excellent nightlife of Sagres, the closest town to the surf school. We know that when you’ve finished, you won’t just be a great surfer, but will have a mind filled with memories of all kinds from this innovative and exciting Portuguese adventure!If you want to surf, or learn to surf then you don’t have to go far to learn with the best of them. Just a couple hours flight from the UK there are some of the best surfing conditions in the world, and definitely some of the best conditions in Europe. This is great because you can fly into Lagos with low-cost airlines and spend a week by some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe learning to surf with top International surf instructor’s.
With one week we are confident that you will be up on your surfboard and riding the waves like a proper surf dude, you never know this could lead to a new addiction.
Depending upon your surf ability you will be put into groups of students with similar abilities. You will have a 2 hour surf lesson in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon to practice on your own or with others from your group. The instructors are around all day to help you with any questions and technique.
The bulk of your trip will be spent honing your surfing skills, so what makes this area of Portugal such a great place for this? Well, Amado beach is renowned throughout the world for its pristine blue seas and unspoilt beaches, untouched by the relentless march of tourism in other areas of the Algarve. Miles upon miles of sand await you, with surfing conditions in the sea to match the abilities of any surfer. We can’t guarantee you’ll see nobody else at all, but we can guarantee it’s nothing like the crowded surf spots of other countries, such as Australia and the USA…
We just touched on surfing ability, and it’s a very important point to elaborate on. Is this course for you if you are a complete beginner? Or what about if you have surfed for years? The answer to both these questions is “this course is perfect for you!” It’s all because we make sure the level of tuition is tailored to you – there are no groups of mixed abilities. Therefore, whether you start with no knowledge or simply want to refine a few rough edges, this month long experience will let you come on leaps and bounds!
The surfing conditions are also important here, so what are they like? Well, there aren’t any massive barrel waves like Hawaii, but do you really want them? The waters around the surf school have easy waves throughout the year, with certain areas producing more challenging conditions for more experienced surfers. Our instructors – all certified by the Portuguese Surfing Federation – know exactly where to go to find the best waves for your level. Of course, waves are unpredictable though, which is why we have a back-up – if the waves around Amado are unsuitable, we’ll head off to another area of the region. There is always somewhere perfect to surf in southern Portugal!
Whilst we mainly have complete beginners joining us this is not exclusive to people learning to surf if you just want to hang out in one of the best surf spots in Europe you may prefer our surf guiding programme please let us know at the time of booking which option you want to go for:
A package for people that want to learn or progress in surfing.
As already mentioned, surfing isn’t the be all and end all of this trip, although the beaches themselves are likely to be a major part of your experience. Facing out onto the Atlantic Ocean, they sprawl away from the sea with majestic beauty, devoid of the crowds of lobster-coloured tourists found in package holiday destinations.
Behind, cliff faces rise into the sky, making many beaches look like little protected areas of beauty, perfectly reserved for just you and you alone. We have a selection a mountain bikes you to enjoy this beautiful environment.
Even if you don’t like one beach, another is just round the corner! On the beaches, you can relax, read, swim and play – you can even take a barbecue out with you and spend the evening. We’ll always stay at the beach for a bit after surfing anyway, in order to watch some of the most spectacular sunsets found anywhere in Europe.
While you will be based near the small town of Carrapateira – a quiet and secluded spot of immense beauty – you won’t have to spend your whole trip there.
Close by you have the chance to visit the hub of the region, Sagres, with its excellent restaurants and bustling nightlife. We’ll even drop you off and pick you up from the nightclub district, so that you can party with the knowledge you’ll have an easy route back home – and a day of surfing is probably the best hangover cure possible! Sagres also boasts plenty of opportunities for shopping, whether you want to stock up on food or buy those all-important souvenirs of your month in Portugal. We also have a bar just a few minutes from your camp or bungalow, for those nights when you simply want to chill with a cold beer and think about everything you’ve experienced over the course of the day.
When you’re not in the water you will be staying in surfer heaven. A chilled out modern Portuguese Country home will be your base. We have 9 gorgeous huge ensuite bedrooms And a cool swimming pool to chill in.
We also have a Surfshop, Bar, TV Room, Kitchen and dinning area is located next to the more modest wooden bungalows and dorms.
The house being more quiet and private, perfect for flashpackers and people on a no expenses spared budget and couples Wanting more privacy.
The house is also where the Yoga and Massage therapies take place.
Prices are on a per person basis and all inclusive.
We also have the following included.
You can start this trip any time please contact us for availability.
“The surf camp was great, really chilled out it was pretty stunning there. Learn to surf and felt really relaxed at the end of the week.”Victoria Ellison
“I’m now hooked on surfing thanks to you guys, question is where next?”Patrick O'Brian
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How would you like to get a diploma, spend four weeks travelling somewhere exotic with the possibility to get paid for your efforts at the end of it. Sound too good to be true? Well it isn’t.
Not only can you do all that, you will get mentored by one of the top journalists in the country Beci Wood who spent 10 years at the biggest newspaper in the UK. Get assistance publishing your piece and sending out through news channels with the aim of it being picked up as newsworthy. This will give you an amazing exposure and a genuine opportunity to try out and launch a new career in journalism.
On this program you can either undertake the diploma only and use it to boost your qualifications whilst you undertake any of our gap year programs, or you can involve yourself On our Xtreme journalism assignments. Set in 2 locations where you can study and learn more about journalism.
For the assignments, you can choose either Thailand, or Mexico and you have four weeks to complete the course and we throw in some adventure activities along the way. What they are depends on the time of year, we do not keep it set so we can react to any newsworthy stories or events.
The course involves quite a bit of coursework, so where better to undertake some investigative journalism, or get inspired than abroad by paradise beaches.
You have full backup and support of our UK-based tutors, who have considerable experience in the industry. You can actually study anywhere as long as you have an Internet connection and a laptop.
Once you have completed the course and have written your final piece we will assist you in sending this out to our media houses who may or may not pick up on the story. If you do get published you will receive 60 percent of your royalty fees which could be enough to cover the cost of the entire course.
What you report on is up to you, but you will have the full back up and support and guidance of professional journalists (including the head mentor on the programme – Beci Wood with 10 years experience on staff at the UK´s biggest newspaper).
Not only is journalism and exciting career, it’s something you can take with you to your next stage after travelling, whether that be a part-time job at University, or something you do on the side or launch phone into as a career.
So whether you want to do something genuinely rewarding while you travel, or want to have something that not only looks amazing – really is amazing on your CV then the Xtreme reporter as you.
On the Thailand option we have a completely unique and very exciting work experience attachment to this program. You will work in a genuine media Company that produces monthly magazines all over Asia. Working from their offices in Phuket, you will put your newfound skills to use: tasked With writing articles and uncovering stories as a reporter. You will go out develop and write stories and make a valued contribution to the magazine and online websites. Working under the CEO and his media team this is a genuinely unique opportunity to gain work experience and do a really fun job which will build your resume and give you an insight into an exciting industry as you travel.
The company is called think media and is American run running various different franchises of popular magazines, what’s on guides and delivers local news and features in and around Phuket.
The work experience option can either last two weeks or four weeks, depending on your preference and includes all accommodation.
In Mexico you will stay in Playa del Carmen, a short walk from the beach at our base the Bendito Rancho. This is based on a dormitory (shared accommodation).
In Thailand you will stay in Phuket where you will also be involved in a work experience module with think media. You will stay on a bungalow either your own or shared with one other person the same sex. The bungalow is located close to the officers.
Journalism needs specialists. People with knowledge and passion for their subject. We provide a range of courses in specialist subjects ranging from health to the environment through to investigative and travel journalism.
Journalism courses currently available:
Yes our courses are accredited by third party organisations
Our diploma is widely recognised in the UK and overseas. It is a vocational award, equivalent to an NVQ level 1 or 2.
The Open and Distance Learning Quality Council (ODLQC) and the ABCC validate it.
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