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Spain mountain biking holidays, Sierra Nevada

COUNTRY:
Spain
LOCATION:
Andalucia
HOLIDAY TYPE:
Introductory to hard core mountain biking holidays
DEPARTURES:
2012: 11 Feb, 14 Apr, 28 Apr, 12 May, 30 May, 20 Jun, 30 Jun, 11 Jul, 21 Jul, 1 Aug, 11 Aug, 22 Aug, 1 Sep, 12 Sep, 22 Sep, 3 Oct, 13 Oct, 27 Oct
PRICE:
From £745 (7 days) excluding flights
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MORE INFO:
£745 pp. Price includes transfers and all meals (exc 2 restaurant dinners). Under 18s and non-cyclists pay 65%. Full suspension bike hire £220. Discounts for groups of 6+. Special tailor made trips available for groups of 4+. Exclusive occupation option available.
VOUCHERS:
Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday
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Spain mountain biking holidays, Sierra Nevada

Spain mountain biking holidays, Sierra Nevada

Free bike hire for guests arriving by train!
In the spirit of promoting greener transport and longer stays per mile travelled, we are offering guests who travel to Spain by rail the incentive of free top-of-the-range mountain bike hire for the duration of their holiday (worth £110 for an eight day trip). So, as well as getting a great deal, guests need not worry about the complexities of taking their bikes on the train.

It is surprisingly easy and a great holiday adventure in itself to travel from the UK to Andalucia by train. The afternoon Eurostar from London to Paris takes just 2 hours 20 minutes, followed by the excellent overnight trainhotel from Paris to Madrid. From Madrid there are regular regional trains to Malaga, Almeria and Granada.

Plus, if you do not need airport transfers, we offer you a £30 'no transfers' discount per person from the cost of your holiday.

How this holiday makes a difference

Environment

We encourage a responsible approach to travel. We offer expertly and sensitively guided mountain biking for small groups, staying in our farmhouse in Sierra Nevada Natural Park, within The Alpujarra region of Andalucia. The development of responsible rural tourism in the area provides economic benefits and encourages an alternative development pattern to the intensive poly-tunnel agriculture or golf course tourism, which have affected many parts of Andalucia.

Accommodation: Guests stay in our farmhouse, which has been built in compliance with environmental and aesthetic considerations. We have regenerated the smallholding around the farmhouse and planted numerous indigenous trees, thus encouraging birds and other animals back to the land. The house runs on solar power for the hot water and electricity generation and guests are encouraged to understand the need for modest consumption of electricity and water.

Food: Meals are made from scratch with locally sourced ingredients, avoiding packaging wherever possible. We avoid paper napkins and disposable plates etc. Glass bottles are returned to the supplier or recycled. Kitchen waste is composted.

Water and water use: Potable water from local springs is provided for drinking, avoiding the need for bottled water. Guests are encouraged to be sparing in their water consumption. Towels and sheets are changed once a week on request.

Office: We use recycled and recyclable materials wherever possible; print as little as possible using double sided printing. Bookings and correspondence are done electronically, avoiding paper use.

Respect for the environment: Guests are informed of the fragility of the mountain ecosystem and required not to leave litter or damage or stray from the trails.

Community

We live in the farmhouse year-round, contributing to the economic and social structure of the village.

Staff: We employ local people for cooking, cleaning and transport.

When eating out we patronise locally owned bars and restaurants.

Culture: Guests are encouraged to interact positively with the local community by being respectful and courteous in the countryside and villages. We also encourage guests to try and to buy local foods, and wines and crafts.

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Spain mountain biking holidays, Sierra Nevada

Reviewed 05 Jan 2009 by Justyn Evans4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


A punishing 2.5 hr hill climb (we had the option to do most of it in the support vehicle, but I opted not to!) followed by the best single track down hill I have ever done. It was awesome!

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


Go for it! Definitely worth doing. I took my own bike, but they have good bikes available to hire. Tim and Jennie know the local area really well. You'll have a great time.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Yes.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


Very good.

Reviewed 04 Aug 2008 by Kama Wager5 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


The holiday was fantastic in every way. From the very comfortable accommodation, delicious home cooked food, and exciting challenges that each day had to offer and the very homely and friendly atmosphere created by the fantastic hosts. My most memorable parts were the fantastic rides, the buzz you get when you reach the top of an exhausting climb and then get to whizz down descents that will really get the adrenaline pumping through your body! The guides teach you techniques while your out, so it feels great to come away feeling like you have really accomplished something, and tackled rides that you may have been nervous about doing before! Having learnt a new skill as well. To be honest, the whole holiday was memorable and exciting, all in an extremely positive way.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


Don’t go to loose weight, the food is so delicious that you want to eat it all the time, hungry or not, and there is plenty on offer. Don’t do what I did and pack loads of clothes. You are cycling everyday so your cycling gear is pretty much what you live in, plus perhaps a couple of changes of clothes for the evening. You wont be going out partying or anything... not a negative part of the holiday because you wouldn’t want to leave the peace and tranquillity of the farm house in its most perfect setting. Make sure you have a reasonable level of fitness to really get the most enjoyment out of the trip. However the guides are really good at doing routes that accommodate everyone’s abilities. There really isn’t anything negative I could say.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Yes. We ate at local restaurants when we were out. The house was powered by solar panels. Local people prepared all the meals from scratch. All rubbish was recycled efficiently. By spending most of our times on the bikes we were not damaging the environment whilst enjoying ourselves.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


Fantastic in every way. I really don’t have a bad word to say about everything. I had never been mountain biking before. I found it challenging and exciting. I came back and invested in a really decent bike and have since been out biking every weekend and as many times in the week as I can. Being a gym fanatic, it is great to find something I enjoy which I can do outside rather than being in a gym. It is far more rewarding and the adrenaline kicks are far greater.

The holiday was brilliantly organised, food, accommodation, people, setting were all magnificent. I would certainly go back again, in fact I look most weeks to see if i can go last minute, and would recommend it to anyone that likes the perfect balance between an active yet idyllically relaxing holiday. The holiday offers fantastic value for money. No corners are cut, or luxury deprived. Well worth the money you pay for the trip.

Reviewed 18 Apr 2008 by Lisa Rose4 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?


The views.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?


Not for the feint hearted, need basic level of fitness and some ability to overcome fear - i have no mountain biking experience and was frequently at the edge of my adrenaline envelope - which made it extremely enjoyable for me but may not make it ideal for those expecting to meander around. Some of the climbs are quite hard- be prepared to take vehicle support help or push yourself.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Yes, very little environmental impact - solar power, economic use of materiel. Required use of transport will increase emissions but no way to get around this and was minimised as much as possible. Very good eco credentials.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?


Endurance limits reached, learnt new skills, exhilarating for the novice who is prepared to have a go, good environment and beautiful surroundings.
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Holiday Reviews

We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!

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