Why cycling is not incompatible with the best hotels.

Xalet La Coromina in Viladrau

There is an extended opinion that most of cyclists just need a very basic hotel for their cycling trips. If you are travelling to Catalonia to do some cycling, we can help you with any service you may need: route design (according to your needs), luggage transportation, hotel bookings, supporting car, etc. But the hotels we collaborate with are not basic hotels. Nothing to do with that.

Gran Hotel Havana in Barcelona

 

In Montefusco Cycling we are proud of colaborating with the best hotels in the area. They are not basic hotels, definitely. They are hotels which you will enjoy your stay the same (o more) as your cycling trip. Once you get to your destination point you will be able to relax in a centric hotel (where possible!), with spa facilities, massage, etc. Food is obviously another key factor in our hotel selection. Long and tough stages need also some good food the night before!

Balneari Vichy Catalan in Caldes de Malavella

Our experience during many years of cycling means a deep knowledge of catalan geography and supernice hidden hotels and special places to be. Old farmhouses converted into guest trendy houses, historic buildings with large luxury rooms, ancient hotsprings become spa resorts.

Our cycling trips are not only cycling trips.

Things to do in your Barcelona cruise stop? Road Cycling!

Let's go!! Our starting point, just beside the ship!

Barcelona has become one of the most popular cruise destinations all over the world. No need to say that Barcelona is one of the highlights in mediterranean cruises. Figures are huge, and growing!

At Sagrada Familia, probably the most famous place in Barcelona!

Let us suggest one of the best things you can do in Barcelona in a cruise stop if you are a sportsman/sportswoman. What do you think about discovering Barcelona from a different prospective, upon a bicycle? At the same time we can do a demanding route (about 60-80 km with 3-4 climbs). Not an easy route, indeed. But in this private tour we will lead you to the best roads close to Barcelona, in the countryside, and getting the best views over the city. All this at your own pace, we will adapt speed to your abilities, and being a private tour you won't have to be faster or slower than needed.

Barcelona is a large city, so we highly recommend to do this guided route, much more than trying to do it on your own. We will show you the best routes nearbby and the best way of getting out of the city.

Stop at Park Güell

In our tour we will show you iconic places, as Tibidabo mountain (the highlight of our trip!), or Sagrada Familia, Parc Güell or Hospital de Sant Pau (all of them, modernist works), but also the Olimpic Stadium in Montjuic or the FC Barcelona Stadium. Being a demanding route, when we go back to Barcelona our guide will lead you to the places you most would like to visit. Cycling in Barcelona is the best (and fastest) way to transport yourself. Cycling in Barcelona is great!

Our tour includes the carbon bike rental (you just need to bring your cycling shoes, although we can also provide some strapless toeclip pedals if you just brought your sneakers), the private guided tour, and also pick up/drop off at your dock, so we will begin cycling straight away! No need to worry about anything else but enjoying your day at Barcelona!

The highlight of our ride: Tibidabo church!

Bike rental for Gran Fondo Barcelona 2016

GF Barcelona 2016

On 2016 April 3rd will take place Gran Fondo Barcelona, the cyclosportive that has replaced Gran Fondo New York Barcelona, which was held on 2015.

The route and the spirit is the same: this is not a very demanding route with some not that steep climbs and some nice and solitaire roads among vineyards. Instead of 2 choices, riders must complete de 140 km long route. Hilly terrain.

Some customers at the end of GF New Your Barcelona 2015

If you are going to participate in GF Barcelona we can help you with a carbon bike rental, hotel arrangement or even guiding routes some days before. You just let us know what you would like to do and we will make it real!

All our bikes are 2015 models, full carbon, Shimano 105, compact crank 34-50 and 11 speed. Models BH Prisma and Orbea Avant M30.

Guided cycling tour in Barcelona

Let us introduce our private guided tours around Barcelona.
Much better than explaining all we can offer, just please have a look to a video that recorded one of our customers. This is just the beginning, cycling along the bike lane beside river Besos, north side of Barcelona, the best way of getting out of the city...

Amazing cycling in Catalonia: Barcelona-Girona in 6 stages

 Barcelona-Girona in 6 stages   

1)  Barcelona-Calella 83 km It is a stage to get closer the Costa Brava. Flat road beside the sea. There are different choices if some group wants to get this stage longer or tougher: instead of leading straight to Calella, get a small nice hilly road in Mataró towards Arenys de Munt and Sant Pol de Mar. After that, back to the main road NII leading to Calella.

2)   Calella-Caldes de Malavella 80 km 

One of the nicest roads you can cycle in whole Catalonia is the one from Tossa de Mar to Sant Feliu de Guixols. It is time to enjoy landscape, views, weather… cycling. Once in Sant Feliu de Guixols we will lead to Santa Cristina d’Aro and afterwards to Romanyà. Finally, a crossroad leading to Llagostera will put you in the right direction to Caldes de Malavella.

3)   Caldes de Malavella-L’Escala 77 km. Few miles after the start begins the climb of the day, a beautiful, solitaire and not very steep climb named Santa Pellaia. After the descent towards La Bisbal we will cycle through not very crowded roads, and then a stop in Peretallada is worth. Old and touristic town, cars are not allowed to pass and lots of restaurants and shops welcome the tourists. After Peretallada we will continue through Torroella de Montgrí till L’Escala.

4)   L’Escala-Figueres 53 km A shorter stage for those who are not that strong, but this stage can be much longer and tougher if needed.  A possibility would be going from Roses to Alt de Perafita and stop in Cadaqués, where genious Salvador Dalí lived. Steep climb to the Monestry of San Pere de Rodes is also possible. Nice aerial views from there to Port de la Seva and Costa Brava. This area maybe windy, with the so named, tramuntana wind, very strong if it blows. Figueres is a must, with the Museum dedicated to Salvador Dalí.

5)   Figueres-Olot 64 km Going out from Figueres through N260 is a quick way out. Wide road leading Besalú that you will leave direction Esponellà and Banyoles. It is worth, the visit of Banyoles, the village beside the famous lake, where a lot of triathlon competitions take place. A good place to stop and enjoy the place. Afterwards there are severals climbs, not very steep, to get some height reaching finally Olot at 440 meters height.

6)   Olot-Girona 55 km. This is also a quite short stage, mostly in descent. It is a quite wide road C-63 till getting the crossroad in Sant Feliu de Pallerols to a more narrow road leading to Girona. If you like steep climbs, there is a very good option from Olot and Sant Esteve de’n Bas, this is the climb to Coll de Bracons, challenging climb with nice overviews of the valley at the top. It is really worth. Afterwards it is possible to go back and follow the normal suggested stage.

Getaway from Barcelona to the Pyrenees, amazing climb to 2000 mts!

Just you, the bicycle, some animals and trees

Supporting car for cyclists

Time to enjoy

At the top of the world

So tiny and the mountains so huge

You won't believe we are that close to Barcelona. In just two hours train/1 hour drive we will be in a small village at the foot of Pyrenees. Climb a first category col, reaching 2000 mts height and afterwards a long, nice and safe descent to the starting point. All in all, just 90 km loop. Amazing, unforgettable.
Available just from June to September, depending on weather forecast!
More information and prices here.

Happy customers at the top of the climb!

Cycling gastro tour of Basque Country

Cycling, drinking, good food... Fun!

One of our specialities is putting together great cycling rides with the best hotels and restaurants experiences. We can fully customize cycling tours adapting to our customers needs.

Amazing landscapes, solitaire roads

Of course we can do that in Catalonia, our home, but also we can do it in Basque Country, one of the leading destinations when talking about the best food all over the world. No wonder in Basque Country are 3 restaurants in top 100 restaurants in the world (year 2015): Arzak, Berasategui and Mugaritz.

Vineyards in La Rioja

But that's not all. Basque Country means good food even in not that famous restaurants. Some "pintxos" on San Sebastian old town are not to be missed, driking some "zuritos" (small glass of beer). Also worth a visit the local restaurants called "Sidrerías", manufacturers of Cider (Sidra), where you can have a fantastic menu based on cod omelette, "churrasco". No chance to have different food! Any other local drinks? Of course, taste Txakolí, the low alcohol, slightly efervescent regional white wine.

Grapes about to be collected

And what about wine? In our trips we also include a visit to "La Rioja alavesa". Demanding climbs as La Herrera ("Rioja balcony") can also be included in the stages. But also easy roads, rolling hills to enjoy solitaire roads among the vineyards. In the evening we include some visit to the best wineries.

SAMPLE PROGRAM

Day 1 Arrival to Hondarribia. Dinner at San Sebastian

Day 2 Hondarribia-Hondarribia 98 km (climbing Jaizkibel). Dinner at Arzak/Mugaritz

Day 3 Transfer by car to Alsasua, Alsasua-Elciego 94 km Dinner at Laguardia

Day 4 Elciego-Elciego 63 km (climbing La Herrera) Dinner at Elciego

Day 5 Transfer to Irurzun, Irurzun-Mugaire 65 km. Lunch at Venta de Ultzama

In this program you will be able to enjoy many different landscapes. From the coastal roads close to San Sebastian (the climb to Jaizkibel cannot be missed), to the woods in Navarra, and also small roads among vineyards in La Rioja. 

A unique experience. 

Here you can read some of the reviews of our customers doing this trip:
 

"I contacted Claudio to arrange a 4 day cycling tour in the Basque. We were four couples with different cycling experiences and were interested in cycling, experiencing the local culture, especially the food and wine. I sent Claudio an article from Bon Appetite describing a 3 day trip, eating and drinking in the Basque. His immediate response and enthusiasm for helping put together a wonderful experience was amazing. Hotels, restaurants, arrival pick up, cycling stages, transfers, dinners and lunches were are carefully thought out. It is not an easy task to move 8 people, luggage, and bikes thru four days! That said, I must comment on the cycling...we received kits, bike fitting (great bikes) tee shirts and hats. All four stages were printed out with distance and climbing gradients so we knew what to expect. Always Claudio, or Jon, our Basque connection and expert cyclist, as well Andoni, who drove our sag and made delicious lunches as well as captured amazing moments with his camera for us. To say this trip was incredible does not describe its entirety. The terrain alone is worth the visit! More beautiful than Tuscany...uncanny light and beautiful vistas. Each days stage was planned to see the most beautiful views in the Basque. We ended our trip with a lunch at a local restaurant that served a traditional Basque meal with the wines and a unique dessert local to the region. Toasting each other's accomplishments, exchanging gifts and laughs and promising to ride again with these guys! Spectacular trip....every detail, however minor, was well attended, even chamois cream and an adapter! Thank you, Claudio, Jon and Andoni!

"My wife and I joined 3 other couples from the US to cycle Basque Country for four days. What an amazing time we had cycling and enjoying all the local culture! If you are considering a cycle trip in Spain, look no further than Claudio at Montefusco Cycling. The 8 of us converged in Hondarribia from various areas where Claudio, Jon, and Andoni transferred us to our first hotel. Every detail of the trip was well planned from the set-up of our bikes and route planning to guided tours of notable areas and restaurants in the region. The scenery we experienced was truly amazing as we were guided by Jon who was our expert ride leader. The routes were well planned with Andoni greeting us after a challenging section with a SAG van for a wonderful lunch. In between the SAG stops Andoni (a professional photographer) documented our journey with photographs that will be cherished. Thank you Claudio, Jon, and Andoni for producing an exceptional cycling experience in Basque and creating memories of a lifetime!"

 

"We recently made a tour in the Basque region of Spain with Montefusco Cycling which far exceeded our expectations. Most of the riders were very experienced and looking to do some serious climbing, my wife and I were new to this but in pretty good shape. Claudio and his team provided us with a beautiful and challenging (to say the least) collection of rides. At all times we felt safe and at every stop we were treated with provisions including much needed energy supplements. The hotels were great but Claudio, Jon and Adoni made the trip. Jon was the local expert and Adoni is a professional photographer who not only drove the support van but provided us with a collection of incredible photographs of our week.
If you want a safe, uncrowded, beautiful cycle trip in a place with fantastic views, excellent food and a good time with some great guides I cannot give a higher recommendation than one for Montefusco. If you are thinking of such a trip, in the words of Jon (incredible cyclist) at every stop "Let's GO."

Amazing restaurants in Basque Country