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Catalonia Green & Blue: Mountains & Sea offered by supplier M09630 (read about supplier) Key Information: Tour Duration: 8 day(s) Group Size: 1 - 16 people Destination(s): France   Spain   Specialty Categories: Bicycle Touring   Season: January - December Airfare Included: No Tour Customizable: No Minimum Per Person Price: 1005 Euro (EUR) Maximum Per Person Price: 1060 Euro (EUR)

This is one of those rare bike tours that combines beaches with mountains, making it easy to understand why Lance Armstrong made this region his home base during his historic Tour de France run. Over the span of eight days you’ll skirt the clear, lapping waters of the Mediterranean Sea along Spain’s famed Costa Brava; you’ll pedal through the jagged reaches of the Pyrenees Mountains while crisscrossing the border between Spain and France and visiting tiny Medieval villages; you’ll sample wines from world-class vineyards; you’ll wheel through thick forests dotted with castles and even pass dormant volcanoes; and you’ll see firsthand the dramatic settings that inspired such artistic heavyweights as Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse.

In between you’ll stay in hotels with three and four-star ratings. And every morning your luggage will be shuttled to your next destination, so it will be waiting for you when you pedal into town and check into your hotel. Information kits, handed out before the tour begins, will detail everything you’ll need to know about the trip, including notable attractions and just-in-case contact numbers. So all you have to focus on is riding and e-mailing photos to your friends. And as an added bonus, Girona, the tour’s starting place, enjoys easy access by plane and train from most major European cities.

Tour Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive in Girona

Whether you’re traveling by plane or train or even car, Girona enjoys easy accessibility. Located in Spain’s northeast corner, Girona over the last decade has become a bicycling Mecca. Lance Armstrong thought so much of this city and its riding potential, he made it his training base during the height of his riding career. And the Garmin-Slipstream Pro Cycling Team calls it home. But before there was cycling, there was history and Girona has plenty of it. Narrow cobblestone streets wind past ancient buildings dating back to the 12th century. Your hotel is conveniently located downtown, near all major attractions including the Arab Baths, the Rambla de la Llibertat and the Cathedral. At night you’ll dine in a nearby downtown restaurant. Accommodations at the 3-star Hotel Peninsular.

Day 2: Girona - Tamariu (72 km/45 miles; 1,125 m/3,690 ft. of climbing)

Following breakfast, one of our representatives will give you an information kit and go over your itinerary in step-by-step detail. Your tour will begin with a popular climb that often plays part in the Vuelta (a three-week bike race that’s considered one of the three “Grand Tours” of Europe) and in the Tour of Catalonia. From atop you’ll pass the Sanctuary dels Angels, the church where Salvador Dali secretly married Gala in 1958. You’ll then descend into La Bisbal, before climbing the Coll de Calogne and reaching Catalonia’s coastal road along the famed Costa Brava. At night you’ll lodge in Tamariu, a small beach village tucked inside a secluded bay. Dinner is at your leisure. Accommodations at the 3-star Hotel Tamariu.

Day 3: Tamariu - Banyuls-sur-Mer (92 km/57 miles; 985 m/3,230 ft. of climbing)

If “sexy” could be used to describe a ride, this one is it. You’ll pedal north along Catalonia’s curvy coast, passing tiny coves bejeweled with immaculate white, comma-shaped beaches and glittering Mediterranean water, creating the visual sense of seeing Mother Nature in a corset. You’ll also wheel through Emporda’s wine region, consisting of 41 vineyards. Some estates, if you so desire, will be open for tasting. After crossing through the Alberes Mountains into France, you’ll have another wine tasting opportunity in Banyuls-sur-Mer, your home for the night. The vineyards here produce a sweet wine that is considered to be France’s most complex vins doux naturels. Dinner will take place at the hotel. Accommodations at the 3-star Le Catalan.

Day 4: Banyuls-sur-Mer - Amélie-les-Bains (95 km/59 mile; 1,830 m/6,000 ft of climbing)

Hugging the coast, you’ll pedal north into Collioure, a shockingly beautiful coastal village with an artistic past. It’s scenic awe has inspired such creative-giants as Matisse, Picasso, Derain, Dufy, Chagall and Marquet. From here, you’ll veer inland into the fortified village of Céret. Located at the foot of the Pyrenees Mountains, its Museum of Modern Art attracts visitors from around the world for its vast Picasso collection, which includes his famous bull fighting series. You’ll spend the night in Amélie-les-Bains, a town noted for its numerous thermal spas. Dinner will take place at the hotel. Accommodations at the 3-star Grand Hôtel de la Reine Amelie.

Day 5: Amélie-les-Bains - Olot (85 km/53 miles; 2190 m/7185 ft. of climbing)

Today you’ll wheel back into Spain, but not before pedaling through Prats-de-Mollo. This fortified village of only 1,100 residents, features a maze of narrow, cobbled streets that snake past rows of Medieval structures, making it feel like the calendar is locked in the year 1561. From here, you’ll climb Coll d’Ares. This mountain pass reaches 1,513 meters (4,963 feet) and serves as the border between France and Spain. Gravity will then speed you down into Camprodon and then into the Garrotxa Province. Eventually you’ll reach Olot, located in the heart of the Garrotxa Volcanic Natural Park. This off-the-beaten-path village, which the New York Times championed for its notable restaurants and surrounding “austere beauty,” blends old with new, highlighted by the Carmelite Cloisters, which date back to the Renaissance. Dinner is at your leisure. Accommodations at the 3-star Hotel Can Blanc.

Day 6: Olot - Vic-Sau (short option: 66 km/41 miles; 1,450 m/4755 ft. of climbing)

Today you have two choices. You can pedal a short route that will take you up the Faou and then down into Vic-Sau along a scenic road. Or, if you’re feeling as ambitious as a can of Red Bull, you can follow a longer route that wheels along the railway-turned-into-bikeway known as “The Carrilet.” This will then wander into “La Selva,” a wonderfully lush area filled with fairy-tale landscapes of thick beech and cork forests and towering castles. And then from here, you’ll ride into Vic-Sau, a city with a rich and varied collection of ancient architecture that dates back to the Roman Empire. Dinner will take place at the hotel. Accommodations at the 4-star Parador.

Day 7: Vic-Sau - Caldes-de-Montbui (125 km/78 miles; 2,230/7,315 ft.)

Today’s ride will present a culmination of everything you experienced the previous other days: extraordinary cycling, natural beauty, pretty Medieval villages, quiet roads. Your route will glide through the Parc Natural de Sant Llorenc del Munt i l'Obac, a stunning setting of thick oak forests, rocky bluffs and cliffs, and steep ridges and valleys. After passing through the tiny Medieval village of Mura, you’ll then ride into Caldes-de Montbui, a popular spa town that still features remnants of Roman bath houses. As an exclamation point to this extraordinary tour, you’ll receive a complimentary spa treatment. Dinner will take place at the hotel. Accommodations at the 3-star Hotel Balneario Broquetas.

Day 8: Departure. After breakfast, depart at the time of your choice. If needed, we can arrange for your transfer to Barcelona or Girona.

Notes:
- Pick your own travel dates for this self-guided trip.
- Trip starts from Girona and ends in Caldes de Montbui. Transfers can be arranged from Barcelona to Girona. From Caldes de Montbui to Barcelona or Girona.

Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.

We require a minimum of 2 to operate this tour

1,005 euros per person March 1 thru April 30 and Oct. 1 thru Nov. 30, 2011. Single supplement is 230 euros
1,040 euros per person May 1 thru June 30 and Sept. 1 thru Sept. 30, 2011. Single supplement is 250 euros
1,060 euros July 1 thru August 31st, 2011. Single supplement is 275 euros

Price Includes:
- 7 night accommodations in 3 and 4-star properties
- Daily breakfast
- 7 dinners (drinks are not included)
- Meeting with our local representative on Day 2
- Marked maps and/or cue sheets
- Tourist information
- Luggage transfers
- Assistance if necessary
- All tax and service charges.

Price Excludes:
- Expenses of personal nature
- Travel insurance
- Bicycle rentals. Full-carbon bikes are available at the rate of 230 euros per bike. This price includes the delivery and drop-off fees. Aluminum racing bikes are available at the rate of 175 euros.

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Also see tour packages in:
Europe   France   Spain   Outdoor: Land Rambler   Bicycle Touring  

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