Aug
23
Vuelta a España 2013: cycling holidays in Spain
Filed Under EN
This year’s course is particularly challenging, featuring 11 uphill finishes,
including the devilishly steep Alto de L’Angliru on stage 20. The
professionals will cover the race’s 2,062 miles in just three weeks. But for
mere mortals hoping to emulate them, we’ve unearthed some more manageable
cycling holidays that feature key sections of the 2013 route.
Galicia
The first four stages of this year’s race take place in Galicia, the region to
the north of Portugal. Given the recent rail disaster in Santiago de
Compostela, stage four – which passes directly through the city – is likely
to be poignant affair.
Telegraph Travel’s Louise Roddon described Santiago as a “good-looking
city of Baroque squares, Romanesque churches and Renaissance courtyards,”
that is “surprisingly lively, with affordably priced restaurants and a
buzzing bar scene.” The city’s cathedral attracts thousands of pilgrims
each year.
Pontevedra and Baiona will also be visited on the opening stages. Our
correspondent Fred Mawer says Pontevedra has a “lovely old quarter”
that is “far less touristy than Santiago de Compostela’s”. “A
maze of streets connects half a dozen pretty squares whose arcaded mansions
sport elegant wrought-iron balconies and heraldic coats of arms,” he
adds. “There are no must-see sights. Come instead in the evening for a
tapas crawl – the best-placed tables are on Praza da Lena.” Fred
describes Baiona as “Galicia’s most appealing resort”, with “attractive
beaches” and medieval walls.
Headwater‘s seven-night Camino de Santiago cycling tour will take
you from León to Santiago, travelling a very civilised 30-40 miles a day.
From £1,514 per person, including flights, transfers and bed and breakfast
accommodation. Departs October 5. See www.headwater.com
Extremadura
Stages 6 and 7 see the professionals enter Extremadura, birthplace of the
conquistadors Cortés and Pizarro, and home to a large number of paradors –
luxury hotels located in heritage properties. The inimitable Anthony
Peregrine visited the region for Telegraph Travel last year:
He wrote: “I was standing on the square of Trujillo, looking up at the
statue of Francisco Pizarro and wondering: ‘Just what kind of mincemeat
would he have made of Mrs Merkel?’ There was a time when Spaniards didn’t
take any nonsense from the rest of the world. They were conquering much of
it. Pizarro himself vanquished the Incas with, it is said, 180 men and 27
horses. Cortés didn’t have many more when he bagged Mexico. One may imagine
how they might have reacted to diktats from Brussels or Berlin.”
Away From The Crowds has a six-night “Cycling the Land of
Conquistadors” tour, travelling from Oropesa to Caceras. En route is
the Monfrague National Park, known for its birdlife, and Trujillo.
Accommodation includes five different paradors. From £760, not including
flights. See www.awayfromthecrowds.com.
Freedom
Treks has a similar itinerary.
Andalusia
The riders head south for stages 8, 9 and 10, to Andalusia, a region of
pueblos blancos (white towns), hilltop forts, and spectacular walking
trails.
Major cities along the route include Jerez, known for its annual flamenco
festival and prancing horses, and Granada, home to the Alhambra palace.
“Part fortress, part palace, part water garden, the Alhambra is a
pinnacle of Moorish art that encapsulates Andalusian history and is one of
the great architectural sights of Europe,” says Natasha Edwards, in her comprehensive
guide for visitors.
Saddle Skedaddle‘s one-week self-guided White Villages of Andalucia
package starts and ends in Jerez, and includes accommodation in Juzcar
(famous for having its white houses painted blue for the Smurfs movie), and
Ronda (a tourist magnet known for its dramatic location, Arab baths, ornate
cathedral, and literary links). From £855 per person, not including flights.
See www.skedaddle.co.uk
Catalonia
Stages 12 and 13 take place in Catalonia, home to the best restaurant in the
world, El Celler de Can Roca, some of Spain’s prettiest settlements
(including Cadaques, the seaside town that inspired Salvador Dalí), and
perhaps its most hip city, Barcelona (click
here to read our expert guide).
Inntravel has several cycling packages in the region, including two
options that visit Llafranc (recently
covered in our Secret Seaside series). See www.inntravel.co.uk
The Pyrenees
The climbing begins in earnest on September 7, with the first of three stages
in the Pyrenees, including excursions into France and Andorra. The riders
will be asked to tackle the Port de Envalira (2,410m), the Coll de Ordino
(1,980m) and the Collada de la Gallina (1,550m) on stage 14; the Puerto de
la Bonaigua (2,090m), the Col du Port de Bailes (1,770m), and the Col de
Peyresourde (1,570m) on stage 15; and the Sallent de Gallego (1,800m) on
stage 16.
Exodus and Explore both have far easier itineraries, sticking
to the foothills of the Pyrenees. See www.exodus.co.uk
and www.explore.co.uk
Asturias and the Alto de l’Angliru
After a dash across the northern regions of Castile and Cantabria, including a
stop at Burgos and the sharp ascent of the Pena Cabarga – where this year’s
Tour de France winner Chris Froome took stage honours in 2011 – the riders
reach Asturias. The region is known for its fine cuisine, while excellent
hiking can be found among the stunning mountains of the Picos de Europa.
Stage 19 concludes in Oviedo, the regional capital and home to some fine
religious architecture, but it’s stage 20 which will have cycling fans
rubbing their hands in anticipation. The stage finishes atop the Alto de
l’Angliru, one of sport’s most gruelling climbs. Riders must ascend 1,266
metres in just 12.5 kilometres, with the gradient touching 25 per cent in
places. Not all the professionals are fans of the climb. After its
appearance in the 2002 Vuelta, when some support cars stalled in the rain
and were unable to restart, one team manager said: “What do they want?
Blood? They ask us to stay clean and avoid doping and then they make the
riders tackle this kind of barbarity.”
Saddle Skedaddle offers a one-week mountain biking tour of the Pico
de Europa, with accommodation in “cosy” mountain huts. From £965
per person. See www.skedaddle.co.uk
If you really want to tackle the Angliru, base yourself in Oviedo, take the
N-630 road to Mieras and turn right onto the AS-231 to Las Mazas and La Vega
(Riosa). From the latter follow signs to the Sierra del Aramo and
Grandiella. And hope for the best.
Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.