To contact us, please click here or call 800-462-2848.
The Spain & Portugal Issue, October 2009
Dear Traveler,
Our trip planners had a blast uncovering the inspiring activities, routes, hotels and restaurants for our two new biking trips on the Iberian Peninsula: Spain Biking and Portugal Biking. All the details are now in place and we look forward to sharing the excitement with you. |
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Spain Biking NEW |
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 As you embark on this unforgettable bicycling journey, it’s soon clear that while you’re technically in Spain, you’re traveling in a land with a fiercely independent identity that has borrowed little from the rest of the country. Called “a nation without a state” by the Catalan people, Catalonia claims its own language, flag, history and culture. And it boasts a diversity of spectacular landscapes that make it an extremely satisfying place to explore. Pedal through tiny hamlets with a palpable medieval ambience. Gaze in awe at the mighty Pyrénées towering above rugged valleys. Swim in a pristine bay on the Costa Brava. And get to know the Catalan people—proud, independent, fun-loving and pleased to introduce you to the land they love.
 Among the trip’s distinguished hotels are La Torre del Remei, a stunningly restored 1910 palace, where everything is rave-worthy, from the belle époque-style manor house, sparkling swimming pool and day spa to the suites, each individually decorated with Italian furnishings, Jacquard tapestries, Greek marble and Versace paintings.
Trips depart in May, Jul, Sep-Oct More details. |
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Spain Biking Trip Highlights
- Kick off the journey in vibrant Barcelona
- Ride scenic routes in the Pyrénées foothills
- Costa Brava bike paths, where the Mediterranean laps against miles of white-sand beaches
- Highly acclaimed Catalan fusion cuisine and fresh seafood
- Admire the artistic genius of Salvador Dalí
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Bring the Family
On our Spain Family Biking Trip, the kids will be thrilled with the bike rides, pottery making, beach time, train ride and more, and adults will enjoy pedaling scenic route in the Pyrénées foothills, seeing landscapes that inspired some of Dalí’s first paintings and savoring sun-kissed Catalan wines. More details.
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Portugal Biking NEW |
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 It’s easy to fall under the spell of northern Portugal, one of our favorite places to venture off the beaten track and experience a culture rooted in age-old traditions. From the moment you ease your bike onto the peaceful road outside the town of Paredes de Coura, you’ll immediately feel like you’re embarking on a journey back in time. Time-honored traditions thrive in this mostly rural region, where it’s not unusual to encounter wooden-wheeled ox carts creaking along country lanes and witness farmers working the fields with handheld ploughs. Here Roman ruins meet medieval castles and ancient granite villages lie jumbled across the rolling landscape, forming an image straight out of a Souza-Cardoso painting.
 While the bicycling is truly a joy on this trip, there’s plenty of fun to be had off the saddle and one highlight is getting to know Francisco, Count of Calheiros, a longtime Backroads friend. He connects us to the spirit of his homeland during our stay at his family’s historic home, a Galician country manor house brimming with antiques, spacious salons, gardens, a pool and splendid valley views.
Trips depart in May, Aug-Sep More details. |
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Portugal Biking Trip Highlights
- Roman ruins, baroque manors and medieval castles
- Glide on quiet roads in the Douro Valley with river views
- Dine, lodge and dance with Count Francisco at his home
- Gerês National Park, where a tableau of pine, heather, granite and water stretch to the horizon
- Guimarães, a World Heritage site-town considered the birthplace of the nation
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We hope you’ll join us on the Iberian Peninsula in 2010. Just give us a call at 800-462-2848. Or for other biking trips in Europe, see our Web site, where you can reserve your trip 24 hours a day.
Happy travels,
Tom Hale
Founder and President
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801 Cedar St., Berkeley, CA 94710