Pablo: (+34) 677 356 586
Enrique: (+34) 696 546 088
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Tuesday, 14th May: Córdoba
Accommodation: Casas de la Juderia
Meals included: Tapas dinner
Welcome to Spain, and the start of an amazing tour!
10:30am: Arrival at Madrid Atocha train station. Please arrive at least half an hour in advance to allow time to go through security at the train station.
11:05am: Depart Madrid Atocha for Córdoba. Your train tickets have been sent to you via email; you can also access them here.
12:52pm: Arrival into Córdoba train station. Your hotel, Casas de la Judería, is located approximately 20 minutes from the train station on foot.
6pm: Tonight, you’ll explore the millennial city of Córdoba in true Spanish style: by going on a tapas crawl! Your guides, Pablo and Enrique, will meet you in the reception of your hotel at and take you on a delicious tour of Córdoba’s top tapas spots.
At leisure in Córdoba
Ten centuries ago, Córdoba was one of the greatest cities in the world and the capital of Muslim Spain, and boasts no fewer than four UNESCO World Heritage sites!
Wednesday, 15th May: Loja
Route: 63.6 km/39.5 miles
Elevation: +757 m/+2,484 ft
Accommodation: Casa Olea
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
After breakfast this morning we will transfer by van out of Córdoba and head south towards the natural park of the Sierra Subbética.
Our first cycle route will take us through the vineyards of Montilla, our first Protected Denomination of Origin wine region, until we arrive at Lagar Los Raigones, a traditional, family-run country estate that has been making wine and olive oil for many generations.
10:15am: Guided tour and wine tasting at Lagar Los Raigones
Next we’ll continue along a peaceful vía verde biking path, a former railway line once used to transport trains full of olive oil from Andalusia to the rest of Spain. The route borders the Sierra Subbética mountain range, offering fabulous views of the massif as we cycle all the way up to the charming medieval Moorish village of Zuheros, a striking example of beautiful Andalusian architecture.
We’ll stop for lunch at the beautiful pueblo blanco (white village) of Luque, from where we can enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding mountains, before continuing south to our next hotel, a charming property set in an impressive rural location.
Tonight, we will enjoy a delicious dinner at the hotel restaurant.
Thursday, 16th May: Ronda
Route: 76.7 km/47.6 miles
Elevation: +1,352m/+4,435 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Catalonia Reina Victoria
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
The natural park of the Sierra Subbética mountain range is home to some of the most spectacular landscapes in Andalusia!
We’ll enjoy a beautiful route to the romantic Andalusian white village of Priego de Córdoba, nestled in the mountains. This historic city is one of the key stops on the Route of the Caliphate between Córdoba and Granada, recognised as an official Cultural Route by the European Council. We’ll explore the winding cobblestone streets, whitewashed buildings and flower-filled patios of Priego’s Moorish old quarter, and enjoy the views from the Balcón de Adarve, and make a quick visit to the town’s imposing castle, a Moorish fortress reconstructed in the 13th century by the Christian conquerers.
Next, we’ll continue through endless olive trees and along quiet roads that curve through the mountains as we bike south towards the valley of the river Genil. Our next stop, Iznájar, is a gem of traditional Andalusian architecture: a maze of narrow streets and whitewashed buildings, winding their way up a hill overlooking the impressive reservoir of the same name. The Moors called the town Hins Ashar (stone castle), after the 8th century castle that keeps watch over the area from the top of the hill.
From Iznájar, we’ll continue south through the Andalusian countryside until our lunch stop: a converted traditional cortijo (farmhouse).
After lunch, we’ll hop into the van and travel to the spectacular city of Ronda, world-famous for the soaring Puente Nuevo bridge which crosses the Tajo gorge to connect the ancient Arab medina with the modern Mercadillo neighbourhood on the other side of the Guadalevín river.
Tonight, we’ll enjoy a delicious dinner in the city of Ronda.
At leisure in Ronda
Friday, 17th May: Ronda
Route: 51.4 km/31.9 miles
Elevation: +987 m/+3,238 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Catalonia Reina Victoria
Meals included: Breakfast and lunch
This morning, we’ll enjoy a spectacular route through vineyards and olive groves to Setenil de las Bodegas, one Andalusia’s most famous (and most beautiful) pueblos blancos. This small town is famous for its picturesque urban layout: the town centre is embedded in the basin formed by the Guadalporcún River as it passes through the city, with the result that many of the houses are built directly into the caves formed by the overhanging rock.
Next, we’ll head to the ancient Roman city of Acinipo, one of the best-preserved in the region. Perched 1000m above sea level, this spot impresses for both its fascinating ruins and its spectacular views. The city had a population of around 5,000 people in the first century AD, and even minted its own money.
Our route will end at a winery set in the majestic Sierra de Ronda mountain range, where we’ll enjoy a visit and taste some exquisite wines before having lunch at the bodega. After lunch, you can choose between returning to Ronda by bike, or by van.
7:20pm: Descend into the spectacular Tajo gorge to contemplate the majestic Puente Nuevo from below.
We’ll spend a second night in the beautiful city of Ronda. Dinner tonight is not included, so you will have some free time to explore this lively town and explore its many tapas bars at your leisure.
Saturday, 18th May: Jerez de la Frontera
Route: 63.3 km/39.3 miles
Elevation: +1084 m/+3,557 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Tío Pepe
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
This morning, we’ll set out from the hotel and enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding mountains as we descend towards the natural park of Grazalema. We’ll ride through a beautiful landscape of cork tree forests, and stop to admire the impressive Zahara reservoir. Along the way, we’ll spot some of Andalusia’s most magical pueblos blancos, perched on top of the surrounding hills, and finally stop for lunch in the white village of Prado del Rey, set at the junction between mountains and countryside.
After lunch, we’ll travel by van to Jerez de la Frontera, one of Andalusia’s most traditional and authentic cities and the home of Spanish sherry! For the next two nights, we’ll stay at Hotel Tío Pepe, the world’s first sherry hotel built within the historic bodegas of Spain’s most famous sherry brand.
In the evening, we’ll enjoy a delicious dinner in the city, accompanied by some of the finest local sherry.
10pm: Tonight, we’ll enjoy a spectacular flamenco show over an elegant glass of local sherry. What better way to celebrate your time in Andalusia!
At leisure in Jerez
Sunday, 19th May: Jerez de la Frontera
Route: 56 km/34.8 miles
Elevation: +392 m/+1,285 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Tío Pepe
Meals included: Breakfast and lunch
Next, we’ll travel by van to the seaside town of Zahara de los Atunes, which is famous for its history of tuna fishing and even has its own tuna fishing museum!
From here, we will enjoy a beautiful ride through the natural park of La Breña y Marismas del Barbate, surrounded by forests of pine trees. The ride then follows the coastline north through picturesque fishing villages. We will stop in one of these for lunch before heading back to Jerez by van.
Dinner tonight is not included, so you will have some free time to explore the city of Jerez and enjoy dinner at your leisure.
Monday, 20th May: End of tour
In the morning, we will travel by van to Seville Airport, from where you will catch your flight to Lisbon.
On a Bike Spain Tours vacation, understanding and abiding by the rules of safe cycling is vital.
You’re probably familiar with some common safety guidelines. Below are those that we follow at Bike Spain, and we ask that you follow them while traveling with us:
To check the weather before you leave on your trip, please take a look at current weather conditions at www.weatheronline.co.uk. For historical temperature and precipitation statistics visit www.weatherbase.com or take a look at the Spanish Meteorological website with detailed information per region (http://www.aemet.es/en/elclima/datosclimatologicos/valoresclimatologicos)
The history of Spain is a compendium of influences from the different cultures that have lived in the country. The first settlers on the Peninsula were the Celts and the Iberians. The Roman presence in Hispania lasted for seven centuries, during which time the basic borders of the Peninsula in relation to other European towns were set up. Many institutions were inherited from Rome such as the concept of family, Latin as a language, religion and law. At the start of the 5th century new settlers from the North arrived and settled on the Peninsula: the Visigoths in the interior and the Swabians on the West. The decomposition of the Visigoth state apparatus would lead to the successive infiltration of Arab and Berber troops from the other side of the Straits of Gibraltar at the beginning of the 8th century. In the middle of the 8th century the Muslims had completed occupation and Cordoba became the center of the flourishing Andalusian state. The Arab presence in Spain would last for almost seven centuries and leave an indelible mark on the Spanish cultural heritage.
Following a long period of peaceful coexistence, the small Christian strongholds in the North of the Peninsula took on a leading role in the Reconquest, which ended with the capture of Granada in 1492 under the reign of the Catholic King and Queen, traditionally considered the founders of peninsular unity and the imperial management of the Spanish revival. The 16th century represents the zenith of Spanish hegemony in the world, a process that would last until the middle of the 17th century. Following the death of Charles II, the last of the Austrians, who died without having had children, Phillip V inaugurated the dynasty of the Bourbons of Spain.
The crisis of the Old Order opened the doorway to the Napoleonic invasion. The War of Independence was a war against the French invasion, but also a revolutionary war due to the decisive involvement of the people and the clear formation of a national consciousness that would later shape the 1812 Constitution. The Courts of Cadiz thereby enacted one of the first Constitutions of the world which ratified that sovereignty would reside in the nation. The conflict between liberalists and absolutists, or in other words, between two different ways of perceiving the establishment of the state, would be one of the longest Spanish conflicts throughout the 19th century.
The ballot box is introduced into Spain and with it the first democratic experience of the 20th century: the second Republic, a brief attempt to introduce the reformations the country needed, frustrated by General Franco’s military rising and the outbreak of the Civil War in 1936. The military victory of General Franco gave way to a long dictatorial period that would last until 1975. Following his death, the Spanish peacefully made the transition from dictatorship to democracy in a process known as ‘the Spanish model’. Don Juan Carlos I, as King of the Spanish people, became the chief of a social and democratic state of law, which molded the Constitution of 1978.
More information…? Should you be interested in a specific theme, please check here, you will find many info about culture, environmental issues, nature, society, geography and politics.
In Spain you have exquisite and innovative dishes with the guarantee of internationally prestigious chefs. The highest quality products from the best producers, recipes combining popular tradition with artistic creation and offer you exciting, new flavors. Spain’s culinary revolution, headed by master chefs like Ferrán Adriá, Arzak and Berasategui turns the pleasure of good food into a luxury for the senses that is at its finest when savored in Spain.
Spanish cuisine is nowadays recommended in the finest restaurants, heralded by the most prestigious critics and demanded by millions of consumers over the world. It has gone through a real revolution, which, in the time of a few short years, has put Spain at the top of international cuisine. With traditional styles as the basis, a modern, innovative cuisine has developed, identified by the use of quality products and by the creativity of its chefs.
To read more about Spain’s cuisine
In A.D. 711 Muslim armies swept into Iberia from strong holds in what is now Morocco. Since then, Spain’s southernmost district has been enmeshed in the mores, art and architecture of the Muslim world. During the 900s, Andalucía blossomed into a sophisticated society. – Advanced in philosophy, mathematics and trading – that far surpassed a feudal Europe still trapped in the dark ages. Moorish domination ended completely in 1492, when Granada was captured by the armies of Isabella and Ferdinand, but even today the region offers echoes of this Muslim occupation. Andalusia is a dry district that isn’t highly prosperous, despite such economically rejuvenating events as Seville’s Expo. The major cities of Andalusia deserve at least a week, with overnights in Seville, Cordoba and Cadiz. Perhaps greatest of all is Granada, a town of such impressive artistry that it inspired many of the works by the 20th-century romantic poet Federico Garcia Lorca.
Andalusia, a melting pot of cultures and cuisines
The Romans taught the Andalusians how to cultivate wheat and vines and used the fish from the seas to produce the best “garum” in the empire. The Arabs taught the Andalusians how to grow fruit and vegetables. They used irrigation systems and improved the cultivation of olive trees and the production of oil. Furthermore, the Greeks, Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Visigoths left their mark on the art, science, culture and gastronomy of Andalusia.
