| country: | France, Spain |
| trip type: | Guided or self guided moderate / adventurous cycling vacations |
| departures: | 2008: 28 Aug |
| price: | From US $3780 (11 days) excluding flights. Single supplement US $400. Price includes top of the line 27-speed bicycles, full support, all scheduled visits, first class accommodation & 8 gourmet dinners with wine and a riverside picnic |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Spanish and French Catalonia
Fantastic rides and scenery takes us from the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean to the romantic medieval city of Carcasonne, with vineyards and haunting castles along the way, as well as probably the finest food on any of our tours!
Join us on an epic adventure, steeped in history and art, that takes us through some of the most exquisite locations off-the-tourist track.
Please note: This trip can also be tailormade as a 'self guided cycling vacation' to suit your budget, interests & requirements.
Fantastic rides and scenery takes us from the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean to the romantic medieval city of Carcasonne, with vineyards and haunting castles along the way, as well as probably the finest food on any of our tours!
Join us on an epic adventure, steeped in history and art, that takes us through some of the most exquisite locations off-the-tourist track.
Please note: This trip can also be tailormade as a 'self guided cycling vacation' to suit your budget, interests & requirements.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Barcelona pickup. Shuttle to the coastal town San Feliu de Guixols. Welcome Banquet. |
| Day 2: | San Feliu to Girona (Ride of 41km / 25.5miles). Along the lovely rail-for-trail. Evening tour of the Col (Jewish quarter). Evening free to sample on the towns many great eateries. |
| Day 3: | Girona to Olot (Ride of 55km / 34miles). A remarkably scenic ride still on a beautiful rail-for-trail. Luxury dinner in 4 star Michelin restaurant, and beautiful views of the Pyrenees from our hotel. |
| Day 4: | Olot to Besalu (Ride of 32km / 20miles). Short ride following with a morning hike around the volcanoes and beech wood forest of the Garrotxa. Exquisite little B&B accommodation with a splendid view of the medieval town bridge. |
| Day 5: | Besalu to Cadaques (Ride of 52km / 32.5miles). A good ride with lunch in Figueres and an afternoon tour of Salvador Dali’s Museum. Then on to Cadaques - the most beautiful of Costa Brava towns. |
| Day 6: | Cadaques to Colliure. Train through the Pyrenees to France. Tour of Colliure artist’s haven. Charming B&B accommodation and a group dinner - try the local bouillabaisse. |
| Day 7: | Colliure to Ceret (Ride of 53km / 33miles). Rides through beautiful French fields and orchards takes to this cherry capital. Afternoon visit of the Impressionist museum or explore the local craft and produce shops. |
| Day 8: | Ceret to Cucugnan (Ride of 50.6km / 32miles or 70.4km / 44miles). Long beautiful ride through seas of vineyards, in the biggest wine producing region in France. First views of the imposing Cathar hilltop fortresses. Group dinner in the quaint hamlet. |
| Day 9: | Cucugnan to Lagrasse (Ride of 43km/ 27miles or 64km/ 40miles). Stunning ride through gorges to Lagrasse - certainly one of France’s most charming villages. |
| Day 10: | Lagrasse to Carcassone (Ride of 35km / 22miles). Short ride & afternoon tour of the ramparts in fairy tale Carcassone. Farewell dinner. |
| Day 11: | Depart. |
how this holiday makes a difference
The communities we ride through are doing very well indeed, largely thanks to good quality tourism. We use the existing cycle trails that lead us through towns and villages whose primary source of income is direct or indirectly tourist trade. It is our company ethic to take only small groups of around ten people; this minimizes our impact and maximizes our attention to each individual and thereby we can most often avoid staying in large chain accommodation, staying instead at private and often family managed Hotels and B&B’s. In Catalunya particularly our restaurant stops feature the exquisite organically grown local produce, particular to the region. Although we are travelling through undeniably wealthy areas, our very presence is a driving force to preserve local customs and the rich architectural and natural heritage. We try to ensure that every tour and service we offer directly has the lowest environmental impact, and always aim to work with suppliers that provide an appreciable environmental accountability. We educate and train all our staff to follow and comply with our sustainable business policy which will ensure continually improved and innovative environmental practices in such simple ways as separating trash and keeping punctured inner tubes for reuse. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |












The communities we ride through are doing very well indeed, largely thanks to good quality tourism. We use the existing cycle trails that lead us through towns and villages whose primary source of income is direct or indirectly tourist trade.