| Discover
Spain in this tour |
Museums!
Toledo! Segovia! Monasteries!
The Sierra! How do you select
a tour that allows you to see
all the great sights of the city
and its surrounding regions without
sacrificing time in the saddle?
Easy. Our Madrid and Segovia Guided
Tour gets you out of the city
to experience the beauty of Madrid’s
surroundings - the Monastery of
El Paular, the Aqueduct of Segovia,
Toledo’s narrow, winding
alleys – by linking all
the most famous sites with narrow
country roads, forestry paths
and under-used roads, to create
a tour that combines the best
of all worlds within an hour’s
drive of the Spanish capital.
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Itinerary |
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Day
1 Soto del Real (Madrid)
Guests of Bike Spain Tours
are taken by van to the
town of Soto del Real. Once
we arrive at the hotel and
have had a chance to unpack,
we’ll have a welcome
drink, fit your bikes and
provide you with the road
book and maps for the tour.
If time permits, we’ll
take a short ride to get
acquainted with the terrain.
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Day
2 SEGOVIA
After
breakfast, we’ll drive
to the top of the Morcuera
Pass to ride down and through
the beautiful Lozoya Valley
and visit the El Paular
monastery and ride along
the edges of the Pinilla
Reservoir. Then we’ll
take the van over the Navafría
Pass and ride along the
northern flank of the Guadarrama
Mountains, travelling through
oak and pine forests on
back country roads to the
town of Pedraza, a perfectly
preserved medieval town,
complete with castle. We’ll
have lunch in Pedraza and
travel by van to Segovia,
where we’ll stay the
night in a historic hotel
located in the city’s
Plaza Mayor, after we have
a chance to visit Segovia’s
cathedral and Alcázar. |
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Day
3 El Escorial (MADRID)
Segovia’s
ancient streets and medieval
neighbourhoods provide a
great place to start today’s
riding. We’ll pass
along the ancient city walls,
under the world-famous Roman
aqueduct and go by some
marvellously old monasteries
as we travel around the
city and head towards the
town of San Ildefonso de
la Granja, built by the
first Bourbon monarchs of
Spain, who were determined
to re-create a little piece
of Versailles in the dry
plains of Spain. From there,
we’ll drive to the
town of El Escorial and
visit the Monastery of San
Lorenzo. Built between 1563
and 1584, the Monastery
was the biggest building
of the Renaissance period. |
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Day
4 TOLEDO
The
mountainside setting of
El Escorial is a favourite
location for cycle tourists
and road bikers alike; once
we’ve had the chance
to explore the area surrounding
the San Lorenzo Monastery,
we’ll jump in the
van and go further back
in time, to the world-famous
city of Toledo, which was
the capital of the country
in the 15th century and
was once the most famous
seat of learning in the
peninsula. Every square
inch of the hill rising
from the banks of the Tagus
River has been built upon,
and the city is home to
innumerable convents, churches,
museums, synagogues and
palaces. Take the afternoon
to discover the narrow alleys
and hillside staircases
that have inspired everyone
from artist El Greco to
novelist Noah Gordon.
Toledo was the capital
of medieval Spain until
1560. It sits on a rocky
mound isolated on three
sides by a looping gorge
of the river Tagus. Every
available inch of this outcrop
has been built on: houses,
synagogues, churches and
mosques are heaped upon
one another in a haphazard
spiral.
Toledo is the most significant
of all cities with a strong
Jewish, arab and Christian
heritage at same time. |
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Day
5 MADRID
After
a quick van transfer, we’ll
head to the town of Chinchón,
which has one of the prettiest
town squares in the region.
From there, we’ll
ride through the rolling
countryside to the town
of Aranjuez, going by wineries,
olive grove and melon farms.
We’ll reach Aranjuez
just in time to visit the
18th-century Aranjuez Palace
(recently restored, it contains
all of its orginal furnishings)
and in the afternoon, we’ll
head back to Madrid. |
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Day
6 MADRID
The final day of the tour
gives you the chance to
discover Madrid on your
own, either on foot or by
bike. There’s so much
to do that it almost seems
unfair to list all the possibilities,
but favourites of past participants
– and of most visitors
to Madrid! – include
the Big Three museums (the
Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza
and the Reina Sofía),
the beauty of the Retiro
Park, or the wide open spaces
of the Casa de Campo Park
(perfect for those who’d
like a spin on a mountain
bike!) In the evening, you’re
free to go on your own tapas
crawl, take in a flamenco
show or see something cultural
at the Teatro Real or the
Teatro Nacional (we’ll
be happy to make the reservations
for you).
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Day
7 MADRID
Transfer to the airport.
Time to say goodbye to the
capital. We hope that the
tour has given you the opportunity
to discover the natural
beauty and historic depth
of Madrid and the surrounding
region.
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PRICE
2010:
1095
€ in hotels 4*-3*
190 € single
supplement |
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DAYS/ NIGHTS:
7
d / 6 n
LEVEL:
Intermediate
2010
DATES (Monday):
March:
29
April: 5 and 26
May: 3 and 31
June: 28
Sept: 27
Oct: 18
INCLUDED:
Accommodation,
buffet breakfast, 4 lunches,
transfers, quality touring
bike, travel insurance
and some special gifts.
NOT
INCLUDED:
dinners
OPTIONS:
SUPPORTED
TOUR
MINIMUM GROUP 4 PERSONS
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-
The heritage listed cities
of Segovia and Toledo.
- The sepharad museum and
the arab legacy in Toledo.
- The city of Madrid.
- The monastery of Escorial.
- The scenic routes and
cuisine. |
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