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A luxurious wine bike tour with spectacular views. Many wine regions lie along a famous river but the Duero in Spain and Douro in Portugal is the most spectacular of them all! The landscape is beautiful and dramatic. The vines grow on striking slopes that you could never imagine being cultivated. Cycle and be an expert on wines at the same time.
In Roman times, the river was personified as a god, Durius. Now, it is personified as the god of the wines. The remarkable Duero river in Spain, or Douro river in Portugal, offers shelter to some of world’s greatest wine regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Toro in Spain and Port wine in Portugal.
From Madrid, we head north towards one of the largest wine producing areas in the world, Ribera Del Duero, where we are surrounded by stunning medieval towns and large sunny valleys. Later on we bike through the wine area of Toro and Rueda, entering further into the isolated, wildlife refuge of the Natural Park of Arribes del Duero. From there we pedal along the stunning Dam of La Almendra, one of the largest in Europe.
Once in Portugal the landscape gets wilder and more small towns begin to appear as the river grows to gigantic proportions. Wineries, lonely roads and excellent food are the landmarks of our friendly neighbors. In the valley of Coa, we visit one of the largest collections of Paleolithic Cave Art in Europe. Following our stay in the charming town of Peso de Regua we continue our journey along the Duoro to finish in the charmingly beautiful city of Porto. What a great way to end our wine journey!
Day 1: Peñafiel, Spain
Route: 55.2 km/34.3 miles
Elevation: 387 m/1269 ft
Accommodation: Castilla Termal Monasterio de Valbuena
Our team will pick you up in your hotel in Madrid and transfer to the splendid Romanesque town of Sepulveda in the Province of Segovia. From here we continue to the stunning gorges of the Duraton river, Las Hoces del Duraton, where we will see the impressive Hermitage of San Frutos carved into the rock and possibly also spot some local eagles or vultures. Then we hop on the bikes and pedal to the wine town of Peñafiel to our hotel for the night.
Day 2: Peñafiel, Spain
Route: 59.9 km/37.2 miles
Elevation: +513 m/+1,684 ft
Accommodation: Castilla Termal Monasterio de Valbuena
Today´s biking takes us on a scenic loop ride from the hotel through the surrounding vineyards with the opportunity to stop and visit some of the most interesting wineries. of the area. At the end of the ride we will have the opportunity to visit the impressive 10th century castle of Peñafiel and its interesting wine museum.
Day 3: Toro, Spain
Route: 43.6 km/27.1 miles
Elevation: +235 m/+772 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Valbusenda
After a quick transfer to Toro, the area that is known for its red wine variety “Tinta de Toro”, we jump on our bikes and make our way around. It’s a gentle ride today through picturesque, agricultural countryside with lots of sprawling vineyards. Toro is a relatively new wine-making region, which is slowly gaining recognition.
Great lunch after visiting a winery.
Tonight we stay in luxurious surroundings in the 5* hotel Valbusenda, where you choose to pamper yourself with the soothing properties of the local grape in their wine spa.
Day 4: Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Portugal
Route: 41.8 km/26 miles
Elevation: +463 m/+1,521 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Colmeal
After breakfast, we start a day with a transfer to reach Portugal through the spectacular area of the dam of La Almendra, one of the biggest in Europe, that well diserves a stop. The impressive dam was built between 1964 and 1970 and forms part of the hydroelectric system knows as the “Duero Drops”. We continue following the course of the Douro river into the natural park of Arribes del Duero offering remarkable goegraphical features and wildlife.
Crossing the border we arrive in Portugal at our final destination, the beautiful medieval town of Colmeal, which is just a stone’s throw away from our eco-friendly hotel for the night.
Day 5: Pinhao, Portugal
Route: 38.1 km/23.7 miles
Elevation: +408 m/+1,339 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Vintage House Pinhao
Our day begins with a visit to one of the most interesting archaeological sites in Europe. The Coa Valley is home to a remarkable set of prehistoric rock carvings, which have been designated a World Heritage Site. It is a fascinating open-air display of rock drawings in a spectacular setting above the Douro river.
From here we make our way to the start of today’s bike ride, which is a stunning stretch of riding along quiet roads with vineyards blanketing the landscape. Our final destination is the beautiful town of Pinaho, which sits peacefully on the banks of the river Douro and further along the river sits our hotel for the night, the luxurious Vintage House Hotel.
Day 6: Peso da Regua – Oporto, Portugal
Route: 28.7 km/17.9 mi
Elevation: +345 m/+1,131 ft
Accommodation: Editory Boulevard Aliados
After leaving Pinhao by bike, we will enjoy a beautiful final ride along the course of the river, which offers us glimpses of the many fortresses that dot the surrounding landscape. This area is at the heart of port wine production in Portugal.
On arrival in Peso da Regua, known as the Port wine capital, we will visit a beautiful port wine quinta, for a guided wine tasting and a lunch of delicious local fare – the perfect opportunity to relive the week’s biking adventures.
After lunch, your Bike Spain guides will say goodbye to you as they make their way back to Madrid. You will travel by van to the colourful city of Porto, where you will spend your final night of the tour.
Day 7: Departure
Porto is a particularly beautiful city, built on gently sloping hills along the meandering curve of the Douro river just before it enters the Atlantic. With many cultural sites of interest, as well as modern art museums and historic port wine cellars, it is no wonder that this city is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.
Castilla Termal Monasterio de Valbuena
Right at the heart of Ribera del Duero, this hotel – the first spa with 5 stars status in Castilla y León – is located in one the best preserved Cistercian monastery of the 12thcentury in Europe.
The Monastery of Santa María de Valbuena provides 79 rooms, all of them of high quality, a spa centre and hot spring bath, an outdoor pool, children’s playground and terrace.
Hotel Valbusenda
The luxurious Valbusenda Hotel Resort & Spa is 5-star hotel located in the beautiful region of the Vega de Toro.
Located 12 km from Toro village, and few meters away from the banks of the Duero River in Valbusenda winery complex. This spectacular wine resort with futuristic design is the perfect place to enjoy a unique experience in this famous wine area. It offers luxury rooms with minimalist decor and exceptional views of the vineyard.
Colmeal Countryside Hotel
Colmeal Countryside Hotel, “welcome to the land of silence”. This unique hotel is located right in the heart of the nature, where its architecture melts with the landscape.
The historical and uninhabited village of Colmeal is located on a farm spread over more than 650 hectares. This hotel, located in the middle of nature, it´s well-know for its unique design and for being as a “silence hotel”. They take seriously the concept of silence and tranquility .At the Colmeal Countryside Hotel, we do not make strict vows of silence but of serenity. Welcome to the land of silence. Find what you need to switch off from the world. And connect to yourself.
There is a pool, a spa and beautiful surroundings for activities such as hiking or cycling.
Hotel Vintage Pinhao
In the heart of Douro’s World Heritage site, this former 18th century wine estate enjoys a fantastic riverfront location.
The hotel is surrounded by famous Port wine production estates and their extensive vineyards. The interiors are sophisticated and comfortable and all the rooms have balconies overlooking the river. The award-winning “Rabelo” restaurant provides a combination of excellent food and wines of the region.
Editory Boulevard Aliados
A boutique hotel with soul and charisma, with elegant, natural materials and an atmosphere that exudes discreet sophistication and timelessness, in spaces that appeal to both guests and locals.
The Editory Boulevard Aliados Hotel offers air-conditioned rooms, an outdoor swimming pool, a sun terrage and a garden. This 5-star hotel offers room service and a 24-hour front desk.
3.770,00€
| Dates | 5 May 2024, 2 Jun 2024, 30 Jun 2024, 8 Sep 2024, 6 Oct 2024 |
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A solid 9plus ! Quality and price were all reasonable. Our favorite hotel was Qunita Da Pacheca-watching the wine production explained by the head wine maker was a treat ! Bike Spain did an outstanding job with all the logistics of transportation and solving any problems.
My bicycle was a high end Specialized E-Bike. I have never been on an E-Bike and thoroughly enjoyed the experience especially on the steep hills. The ride was incredibly smooth and the gearing was easy to use !
Visiting the Douro Valley and watching the wine production was indeed special.
We had a wonderful trip. The hotels were outstanding. The food was delicious.
Wine House Hotel Quinta da Pacheca Had the best staff!! They were amazing. They let us watch the port making and that was off the charts good!
Our guides were great. The ride is much improved when the guide rides with the group.
The whole trip was great. We loved it!!
