Bike Tour Reviews Medieval Villages Of Catalonia
Guided from EUR € 1850
Self guided from EUR € 1350
Guided:
Daily, upon request: Mar 1-Jun 30; Sep 1-Nov 15, 2023 (additional dates in Jul-Aug available upon request for a surcharge)
Self-guided:
Daily, upon request: Mar 1-Jun 30; Sep 1-Nov 15, 2023 (additional dates in Jul-Aug available upon request for a surcharge)
Description:
This Medieval villages cycling tour is a perfect way to explore the quieter and less traveled areas of this fascinating region of Catalonia. The tour starts in Girona city and winds its way gently through the undulating and ever-changing scenery of the…
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★★★★★ HelC June 4, 2017
Excellent from start to finish!
This is a great introduction to the region, mixing coast and countryside, modern and ancient. We took the guided option to spare ourselves the map reading, the routes are generally well signposted but a few turnings could be tricky to spot. We've done previous tours in Tuscany I'd say the grade 2 rating is appropriate for the length of daily ride (up to 40km) plus the hills are fewer and generally shorter than the grade 2 Tuscany rides. Recommend taking the coastal walk option on day three, the botanical gardens are lovely even for a non-botanist. Bikes are very high quality, not a single problem all week, and even at a leisurely pace we were at our hotels by 4pm and able to enjoy a relaxed evening. No complaints at all, it was a great week!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ marka3 April 4, 2022
wonderful bike tour
Medieval Villages of Catalonia was a great cycling tour for us. We went in late March, and had very little rain and no traffic/crowds. Daniel was an excellent tour organizer. Very friendly, helpful , organized. The GPS systems( 2 of them) along with the maps made it impossible to get lost on our self guided tour. The hotels were good, and the bikes were very good. Highly recommend this tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 19/3 to 1/4
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4 others
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Bonita September 25, 2017
Great scenery, great food & good biking trails
Our guide, Daniel with Creative Catalonia, was always aware of our safety. He was knowledgeable about the things we were seeing. If he didn't know the answer to questions, we'd often receive an email that evening containing an answer. We got to see some amazing sites. The hotels were very nice & resturants we were directed to were usually really good. He made sure that our bikes were all in good, working condition.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Jim Johnson, founder and president September 26, 2017
Thank you for your review and ratings! Daniel is great, as is the Creative Catalonia organization. I'm glad you were able to have such a positive experience with them.
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★★★★★ WilcoxTandem November 10, 2019
Great Bike Ride with our 20 year old Grandson
Our Grandson is attending a College Semester in Barcelona and had a week off. Since we have done 4 other tours with Bike Tours we contacted them to find the right ride. Right away Taylor did a very good job of directing us to the Medieval Villages Ride. We wanted to take our own tandem and she contacted Lucy and Daniel to make sure it would work on the non asphalt paths.
During the ride Lucy and Daniel did and outstanding job of supporting us even though it was a Self Guided ride. The second day there was a huge lightening/thunder storm with lots of rain. They contacted us that morning and we mutually decided to not ride and they transported us along with our tandem to the next hotel.
The rout, scenery, and historical value was out of this world. Thanks everyone for a great ride---Barrie and Susan- What was the date of your tour?
- October, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 15
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Mattman October 25, 2016
Wonderful Cycling Vacation
This trip was exactly what we we're hoping for. Casual cycling along the coast and villages. The bikes we're fantastic and comfortable. All the hotels were first class and the food and ambiance in the hotels and small restaurants throughout the trip were delightful. GPS was adequate, but be sure you can read a map! The tour briefing was helpful beforehand and be sure you understand how to change a tire before you embark. There is some incredibly beautiful country on this ride, and since it is 6 days long, I think if we we're to do it again we might have skipped a day of riding in Calella de Palafrugel in favor of a hike along the coastline. There are some lovely hiking trails that were begging to be explored. Also, by traveling in early October we missed the european vacationers and essentially had all the beaches and villages to ourselves. Never a worry with busy roads or vehicle traffic. Looking forward to our next adventure.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ bikebuddies September 20, 2017
Muy Bueno!
A great way to see and experience this area of Spain. The hotels were very nice to exceptional; especially the Hotel Los Arcs in Monells with its very gracious host/owner family and wonderful food. The maps and Garmin GPS made route finding almost flawless and the tour operators (Lucy and Daniel ) checked in with us during the week to see how things were going and if we needed anything. Don't miss seeing the Botanical Gardens midway through the trip on one of the loop rides; it is very well worth a visit. We have done over a dozen self-guided bike tours in Europe and this is one of the best organized and planned.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 11-16, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 13
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ pam123 September 5, 2018
Beautiful landscapes - amazing way to see Catalonia
Our second trip through biketours.com did not disappoint. We did the peak season self-guided trip in August 2018. Our orientation guide was extremely kind and took a lot of time with us to get us oriented to the materials and the bikes. There was a hiccup on the first day with the bag drop off, but Daniel, the head of the local tour company, was responsive and immediately worked to rectify it. We were pleased that they gave us both a GPS device and an smartphone with the routes outlined in the maps.me app - so both of us could follow our route in real time. We had a few times where we had to backtrack just a bit to make a different turn, but we were never lost -- and the GPS-enabled devices meant we could venture off the course when we liked and then find our way back to the pre-determined route pretty easily. Bikes were very good. Roads were a mix of paved and dirt (about 60/40 I'd guess). We had one flat just before the last day but we were able to fix it with just tire inflation. All in all, we liked the routes and the suggested stopping points, as well as the hotels we stayed in -- especially the first and the last hotels. One thing that would have made the trip better would have been some information on each daily route, with more suggestions/options on places to stop in the various towns or along the way -- e.g. churches, museums, other points of interest.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Bonita September 16, 2017
This Tour went beyond our expectations!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Kathryn Staropoli 7 months ago
This trip exceeded all expectations!
This was the perfect trip! I love biking on a recreational level, and the friend I went with is a more avid biker, but it was great for both of us. It was challenging without being too difficult. We rode 20-25 miles a day on the self guided tour and loved it. We were on bike paths, trails, and dedicated bike lanes for almost the entire trip. We rode through farms and fields, along the sea, and through beautiful medieval villages without ever feeling like we had to rush to reach our destination, and we always felt safe. We met Daniel from Creative Catalonia, who set us up with the bikes, and he was incredibly kind and helpful. We had no trouble at all, so we never had to reach out for assistance, but I'm sure he would have been able to help us out if we were ever in need. They did let us know that the hotel restaurant where we would be having dinner was hosting an event the night we were staying there, and asked if we wanted them to make a reservation for us so we would still be able to eat there. We said yes and enjoyed a wonderful dinner thanks to their considerate outreach.
The GPS worked very well. My friend is very good with directions and she did a great job navigating. Some spots, those intersections with a number of options, were sometimes hard to correctly discern, but if we did choose the wrong path, the GPS quickly corrected us and we would be on our way after only a few extra minutes. The route they programmed for us was really great. We loved going through fields, farms, and wooded areas, riding along the Mediterranean was just beautiful, and we stopped in several of the medieval villages to explore, shop, or grab lunch. We didn't typically stop where they suggested we go for lunch or a coffee, but we were always able to find food and drink along the way. The stops they recommended for sightseeing were really great and we did stop for all of those. They were fun and varied. They included a botanical garden, the Dali museum, the ancient ruins of a city, and a lighthouse! The route they chose was exactly what we were hoping for.
They were also great about the luggage transfers. It was always at the hotel when we arrived and the hotels themselves were really nice, they were clean and comfortable, and each included a delicious breakfast.
We did go in the off season and really lucked out with the weather considering we were there the last week of October. It was perfect biking weather for me, clear and sunny, with temperatures in the high 60s and into the 70s every day. The fact that many cafes and restaurants were closed was not a big deal, we always found a place to eat. Quite honestly, it was a small price to pay for the lack of tourists. Everywhere we went was far less crowded than it would have been in season.
I highly recommend this tour and Creative Catalonia.- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was my first
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Sara Riordan 6 months ago
Wonderful ride, wonderful scenery, wonderful people
My friend and I chose the self-guided trip and loved every minute of it. Daniel was very thorough in orienting us to the itinerary and important details. The map and GPS worked great and we felt very safe. Our accommodations were nicer than expected with lovely hosts, great views, delicious breakfasts, and very comfortable rooms. The riding was not difficult and gave us a chance to explore as we wished. It was magical to ride through the rolling countryside and medieval villages. I loved riding along the coast and jumped in the Mediterranean at every beach. Our trip was the last week in October with (unseasonably) warm weather and no crowds. We visited castles, museums, an archeological dig, and a gorgeous botanical garden on a cliff above the sea. Last but certainly not least, the food was amazing everywhere we went. It was just perfect! Many thanks for a very well-organized tour!
- What was the date of your tour?
- Late October 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- My first organized by a company
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Sharon Roberts 9 months ago
Beautiful Spain!
Best curated trip I’ve been on so far. Hotels were pretty and comfortable and had wonderful staff. Bikes were in great shape and loved the electronic gps devices provided. The creative Catalonia folks were over the top helpful. Great mix of beaches, medieval villages and scenic views of the mountains and the med. Highly recommend.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ BikingNana September 21, 2016
Fabulous vacation pedaling by the Sea
This trip was a blast. I love seeing the world from the back of a bicycle. We had great weather the entire trip. There were a lot of gravel roads but not much traffic. We were self-guided with maps and a Garmin so we enjoyed getting off course a few times at first with lots of laughs. We ate in some fabulous restaurants suggested by the super nice lady who gave us our bikes and packets. She was very helpful and insightful with great ideas. The villages were full of nice people, historical castles and churches. I really enjoyed staying in the towns by the Mediterranean Sea and going to the beaches. Girona is a beautiful city. I liked the narrow old streets lined with little shops and walking the wall built around the city. We rode our bikes up and over Els Angels on our last day and it was a nice view from the top. We only had one small issue when our luggage was taken to the wrong hotel but it arrived within an hour. I highly recommend this bike tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 09/07/2016-09/12/2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- First one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Bruce K August 23, 2017
Terrific all the way around
Wonderful trip. The routes were well-planned and suitable for a group of six with differing levels of biking experience. The scenery was spectacular. With the garmins, following the route paths was easy. Being able to stay two nights at each hotel (all first-class) was great, giving us a feel for the places we were staying in, and the loop routes on alternating days meant we experienced something new each day, too. Lucy, the Creative Catalonia founder, was enormously helpful and easy to work with. I can't say enough about how great a time we had. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 5/29/2017 - 6/5/2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Veronica Calderon 8 months ago
Better than expected!
Very organized, hotels were amazing, people were friendly. Never felt lost or like i didn't know what to do. Couldn't recommend more, will definitely using biketours.com again. Thanks for everything!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ kathy60 October 1, 2019
Beautiful coastline & Great Hotels
We have done many trips with biketours and this will be remembered as a very special one. The hotels were very good and we even had ocean view rooms! This is extremely rare on packaged bike tours, even when upgrading hotels. The old town of Girona is fun to explore. Daniel provided a good briefing and even though this was September, his bikes were excellent and seemed brand new. This is a rarity for September tours as usually it's evident the bikes have already been used all season. As someone else mentioned, Daniel provides both a gps and an adroid with the routes on maps.me. This makes the trip so much more enjoyable for the navigators! The Brava Costa coastal area in early September was beautiful and we swam every day. The restaurants are still open, but not as busy as in August. The Arc Hotel in Monells is a little gem and very relaxing. The route itself has some dirt roads and some hills ... and even though the distances are shorter, if it's hot you'll feel like you've had a good ride, with time for a swim after each day.
- What was the date of your tour?
- early September, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 15+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Gabby September 30, 2019Perfect trip and ride for vacation
We loved the rides, and places to stay on this trip. Daniel did an excellent job prepping us and providing us with a gps and a smartphone with a map that made this the easiest self guided tour we have done. The hotels we stayed at and the towns were beautiful. Do not pass up eating at Hotel Arcs in Monells. Best meal of trip and we had a lot of great meals.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 16-21
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Maria June 24, 2018
Beautiful coast and villages
What a fantastic trip! We were 10 women all eager to see the Costa Brava and Creative Catalonia made it happen. First off the tour briefing in Girona with Lucy and Daniel before we set off was amazing. I've done 5 trips with Bike Tours and never have we had the tour operator go over so thoroughly our week at a glance. Very impressed with the time and care these two put into their clients' cycling experience.
The hotels and restaurants were lovely and every attention to detail sorted before we set off. We can not thank you enough for your expertise and all the time and effort in creating our Catalonia experience. You had your work cut out for you and you delivered. It was outstanding. We will be back! Muchisimas gracias!!Example: The perfect way to experience Italy! Our guide was great - a very knowledgeable local. The hotels were charming, but wish we'd gone for....
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 31-June 6, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Kimmer June 21, 2018
Girona - Great Trip!
This was my first bike trip so I was a bit nervous but Lucy was amazing, she kindly installed the upright handlebars that I'd brought so that I could ride more upright. Lucy and Daniel gave us a very thorough briefing with maps and GPS devices. We had such an amazing trip I would highly recommend them!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 1st, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- First one.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ happyPedals December 2, 2017
Variety, history, largely off roads
I appreciated the variety in landscape, from hilly interior to craggy and beautiful coastline. The trails were varied, from slightly rough bike trails to quiet roads. Hotels were good. I went at the end of October. Some facilities were closed, but also this made things quiet which I like, and the weather was still warm. I would recommend this tour. The Creative Catalonia owners were very helpful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 29 Oct start
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ sharon November 11, 2018
beautiful scenery, perfectly planned route
This is one of the most organized self-guided tours we have taken. The map and accompanying photos and tips were terrific. In addition, one bike had a Garmin GPS device, the other a smart phone with Maps.me. Great bikes, high-quality accommodations...It was a wonderful trip. We have several friends who are considering doing it.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 10/4/18
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
