“I’m constantly in awe of Explorer Scouts’ resilience, curiosity and love of the outdoors,” said Chief Scout Dwayne Fields at the recent relaunch of the Explorer Scouts programme.
That adventurous spirit is typified by the Explorer Belt, one of our top awards, which invites 16-18-year-old Explorers – and Network members – to embark on a ten-day expedition to explore a new country or culture.
Summer 2026 is going to be a treasured memory of a lifetime for a team of four Explorers from Berkshire, who took on an epic trip to northern Spain and Portugal, working towards their Explorer Belt with support in-country from adult volunteers.
Two of the team, Explorers Alina and Ollie, described their amazing experience.
Over the ten days of our Explorer Belt expedition in northern Spain and Portugal, we travelled nearly 500 miles along the North of the Iberian Peninsula using only public transport and walking while managing a budget of around £250 per day for the group.
Starting in Bilbao and ending in Porto we visited so many places – A Coruña, Santiago De Compostela and Braga – with incredible architecture and historical significance. We had the opportunity to walk parts of the Camino, an ancient pilgrimage route through Spain where Apostle St James is said to be buried. In Cangas de Onis, we visited an ancient Roman bridge, another layer in the history of Iberian.
¡Por supuesto! (of course) we learnt loads about Spanish culture by visiting local landmarks, markets and museums, including a local festival in Llanes. We met some amazing people, including Scouts from around Europe: Spain, Portugal, Italy and Germany.
“I’m constantly in awe of Explorer Scouts’ resilience, curiosity and love of the outdoors,” – Chief Scout Dwayne Fields
We tried new things such as surfing and had to work together to solve problems when things didn’t go to plan, such as planning another route when a village’s only morning bus didn’t arrive!
Throughout our trip, we talked to teenagers about life in their city, town or village, comparing it to life in England, the part of our main project. It was particularly interesting comparing hobbies and interests. In Trevias, a village in the northern Spanish autonomous community of Asturias, it surprised us that people as young as 14 regularly owned motorbikes. We were also unaware how uncommon it was for teenagers to speak English, especially in more remote areas.
Whilst it was definitely challenging at times, especially with the language barrier and endless public holidays, it was such a rewarding experience. We came away with loads of great memories, more confidence and friendships that we’ll never forget!