Cycling across Spain (Eleanor Allen)

When my husband and I were discussing what to do to celebrate our 25th anniversary, we decided our adventure had to include cycling. So we booked a trip to Spain on a self-guided tour. This was a first for us. We wanted to go to the area in Spain where pro cyclists live and train. Our destination became the Pyrenees around the town of Girona. The tour level choices were: easy, medium, or hard. Our tour company was Creative Catalonia, and we had an excellent experience—highly recommended. Of course we chose the hard level. They supplied the bikes (Canyon, which I ride at home!), picked the routes and hotels for us, and moved our luggage. We rode about 60 to 80 miles each day, with plenty of elevation gain and descents. Not super hard, but hard enough that we could eat whatever we wanted every day. It was perfect, and especially nice because the food in Spain is so incredible!

In summary, it was an amazing week. The roads were in excellent condition, there were very few cars, drivers gave a wide berth, and the people we met were super friendly. We also enjoyed the added bonus was being able to stop for coffee in small towns along the route. The frosting on the cake was being able to catch the last hour or so of la Vuelta a España every day from our hotel when we were “recovering” and getting ready for our gastronomic adventure of the day. We were a bit obsessive about La Vuelta!

 We decided this was one of the best vacations ever because we were doing something we love, with someone we love, and our foodie ambitions were fulfilled! Truly a vacation made in heaven and highly recommended to all the cycling enthusiasts out there who want to have an active and fun vacation. We are currently researching Sardinia, France, or Italy next… stay tuned!