Spain Hike & Bike Wine Adventure
September 20-25, 2009
| Price | $2,300 |
| Single Supplement | $950 (always optional) |
| Length | Six Days & Five Nights |
| Activities | Hiking and Biking |
| Guides (Tentative) | Kris and Rafa |
| Difficulty Level | Moderate |
| Navigation Required | Basic Map Reading |
| Other | Bicycle Rental Included |
Spain and its people seem to have a true zest for life. A calendar and culture alive with feasts and celebrations give the Spaniards an excuse to relax and enjoy life, take in a siesta, and enjoy another glass of wine.
Our route is a loop in the very north of the country. We start in the city of Bilbao on the northern coast and traverse east across the coastline into the Basque region, an area rich in culture and steeped in history. We hike along the coast and on the Camino de Santiago, the famous pilgrim path, before tasting both Txakolí, the local white wine, and the traditional local cider.
We then travel south into the Navarra region where we ride bicycles from Pamplona, home of the Running with the Bulls, through vineyards laden with the Tempranillo grape, to our hotel in Puente la Reine, which we access by bike over a six-arched medieval bridge.
Heading west into the province of La Rioja, we are again on our bikes for a ride in the Ebro Valley, past the fortress village of Laguardia that contains the oldest winery in the region, and on to our home for the next two nights, Haro. Haro is the capital of the Rioja wine area and is the perfect place to explore the tapas bar culture of Spain.
We enjoy another hike, this time high above the vineyards of La Rioja, before completing the journey by returning back north to Bilbao. The blend of a unique gastronomy, delicious varietals, and a rolling countryside make Northern Spain’s wine country the perfect place to find that Spanish zest for life.
Accommodations
We spend our first two nights in the Saiaz Getaria,
a 15th century stone hotel perched above the sea in the town of
Getaria, heart of the Basque country. You'll know right away from the
architecture and furnishings that you're in Spain! We then move to a
(relatively) newer hotel, the 17th century Hotel Bidean
in Puente la Reine. This is a typical Navarra structure in the middle
of the village that has been converted into a modern, comfortable
hotel. For our final two nights, we stay in the Hotel Los Agustinos,a
four-star hotel in the historic center of Haro, capital of the Rioja
region.
For More Information
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