Southern Catalunya Bike & Wine 7 day tour
Southern Catalunya is one of the truly undiscovered and best preserved parts of Spain with a wealth of nature, history and culture. You will be surrounded by fine wines and excellent Catalan slow food, full of long forgotten flavours. There is the incredible diversity of landscape from one county to the other. The Cistercian pilgrim route leads from Penedès to la Conca de Barbera. The medieval trade routes continue to stunning Priorat and the highlands of Terra Alta before descending to the Ebro Delta and the Mediterranean Sea.
Touring or Road bike, Guided and Self guided tours
Guided tours include bikes, comfortable rural accommodation, all breakfasts and lunches, cultural and winery visits, expert guide, luggage transfers and back up van which takes the pain out of some long climbs between the valleys.
Visitors comments about this route are that the road surfaces are amoung the best they have found, and apart from extremely low traffic density, that motorists are very sympathetic and careful around cyclists.
Self Guided tours are recommended for experienced cyclists and those with an independant spirit. Tours include bikes, comfortable rural accommodation, all breakfasts, luggage transfers and extensive info pack, the essentials.
We use fully equipped Decathlon B-Twin touring bikes with front suspension and comfort gel saddles.
We arrange rental and purchase of road, racing and mountain bikes on request.
Visitors are welcome to bring their own bikes, pedals, clips etc.
Routes are prepared for touring and racing bike with daily distances of between 40 and 120 km
Accommodation is in comfortable Bed & Breakfasts, 3 star hotels and historic Paradors
El Molí Tours have more than 10 years experience of introducing visitors to our neck of the woods.
We keep an eye on the local cultural calendar, so you get in touch with real Southern Catalunya.
Day to Day Program at a glance
Day 1 Arrive in Penedès, bike fitting at el Molí, Torrelles de Foix, Penedès.
Day 2 The Wines & Cavas of Penedès 20/40km
Day 3 The Route of the Reconquest, Penedès - Montblanc 60 km
Day 4 The Moorish Queen of Siurana, Montblanc – Gratallops, Priorat, 40/80km
Day 5 The Ebro river and the castle of Miravet, Gratallops - Horta de Sant Joan, 30/60 km
Day 6 Picasso’s Highlands, Horta de Sant Joan – Tortosa, the city of 3 cultures 65km
Day 7 The Ebro Delta, rice paddies and seafood heaven, Tortosa to Eucaliptus beach and l'Ampolla 50km
Day 8 Transfer from l’Ampolla to Barcelona
Note: Guided tours start on first Sundays of the month, Febuary - December 2008
Day 1 Arrive in Penedès
Our meeting point is Vilafranca del Penedès. We collect you and bring you to your accommodation and fit you for your bike. We get you oriented and go through the roadbook for the next 7 days. Then we leave you to settle into your accommodation and enjoy a stroll or warm up cycle in beautiful quiet wine country.
Day 2 The Cava & Wine route of Penedès 20/40/60km
A lazy sunny wine route through the towns and villages of DO Penedès, A territory full of family run wineries. Between the medieval castles and small restaurants you will stop to taste crisp white wines, bold rosés, vintage white and rosé sparkling wines and lots of big fruit forward reds. Some wineries will be expecting you and you may just drop-in on others. Your route will be marked with locations of good restaurants, olive mills and historic sites of interest.
Day 3 The Route of the Reconquest, Sant Marti Sarroca – Montblanc - Poblet 80 km
Climb to the historic walled town of La llacuna. You pass the Modernist Cathederal of wine at Roquefort de Queralt, and then the Winery of Carles Andreu, the only producer of Trepat red wine and wonderful rosé sparkling wine. Lunch will be in the medieval walled city of Montblanc; explore Espluges de Francoli and Poblet, the largest Cistercian monestary in Europe and final resting place of the Catalan aristocracy. Poblet is also the location of Torres Milmander winery with some of the finest Chardonnays of Catalunya.
Day 4 DOQ Priorat Poblet – Gratallops 80 km
The Crown of Southern Catalunya has many jewels but one that shines particularly bright. is the DOQ Priorat. Isolation has meant preservation. Since its most prosperous period over a centuary ago the population and wine production has dropped to a tenth. The vines grow on steep slate/rock hillsides, the climate is extreme, the varieties rare and the production miserable. The resulting brews are magnificent.
Our approach brings us from the soft landscape of La Conca del Barbera into the intense presence of Priorat and the Montsant. We follow the Siurana river past the beautiful Carthusian abbey town of Scala Dei, la Vilella Alta/Baixa and Gratallops. This is the toughest days of the tour, but your efforts will be amply rewarded, before you get to heaven.
Day 5 Miravet Castle and the Ebro river 40/80 km
We come out of Priorat and down to the Ebro River which we cross at Mora del Ebre for some easy cycling to the impressive Castle of Miravet . The fortress/monastery looks down over the Ebro river and controled all access to the Iberian interior from the Mediterranean. The quiet little town was the scene of two of the fiercest sieges in Medieval history. We use the "cable ferry" to cross the Ebro and cycle to Benifallet and meet the "Via Verde" green route between Tortosa and Horta de Sant Joan in Terra Alta. We turn south along the converted train line that tunnels its way into beautiful valleys for the easiest route to Horta de Sant Joan.
The Picasso centre, Horta de Sant Joan
Day 6 Picasso’s Highlands, La Via Verde de Terra Alta, Arnes - Tortosa 40/80km
We tour through the beautiful highlands of Terra Alta, The Ports mountains, full of valleys, forests and iconic geological formations, a hiding ground and path of discovery. The town of Horta de Sant Joan can boast it was the subject of one of the earliest cubist paintings. Visit the Picasso museum for an excellent presentation of the artist’s two visits to Horta. Wander up the spiraling narrow streets of the fortress town. Enjoy a coffee in the plaza before descending the Green Way or follow the road to the Ebro and Tortosa, the city of 3 cultures.
Day 7 Flamenco Catalana, Ebro Delta, canals and beaches, Tortosa to l’Ampolla 50km
We leave Tortosa and the mountains behind. Straight ahead (and absolutely flat), lies l’Amposta, the Delta and the rice fields of Spain. There are 3 nature reserves. Flamencos and storks will regularly rise out of the canals and paddy fields. Soak up the cool Mediterranean sea breezes, sun and the best seafood in the world. Cross the Ebro by ferry at Deltebre and cycle to the lake of les Olles and the pretty fishing port of l’Ampolla.
Day 8 Departure L’Ampolla – Barcelona by train
These tours may be booked through our participating Travel Agents
Pack & Pedal Europe
Spanish Trails Adventures
Euro Adventures Tours