Bici-Spain + Costa Blanca Bike Tour in Spain

7 days, 6 nights, 4 days of Cycling

20 May - 26 May 2019

Itinerary
Monday, May 20 (Day 1)
Morning: Arrival in Murcia
Overnight: Murcia
Participants arrive in Murcia to check into accommodations. (See Hotels/Accommodations on Page 8
for more specific information) As we are unable to coordinate each rider’s arrival, whether via air,
rail or bus, each of you is responsible for your own transport to the hotel, where you will already be
booked. Checking in should be worry-free, as each reservation will be booked ahead of time, and
you will have your reservation info before your arrival in Murcia.

Day One is meet & greet day, and assuming some of you will have just arrived from the States, the
day provides a much-needed opportunity to adjust to the local time zone. Get your bearings, settle
in, take a nap, and let’s all plan on meeting at 17:00 hrs. (5:00 p.m.) in the hotel lobby, at which time
we will provide you with all the details about the cycling routes that we will be taking during the
tour. After that, we will go and check out the bikes, make bike-fit adjustments for each participant,
and ready them for the following morning’s ride.

Then, we hit the town for a few drinks and tapas in the heart of beautiful Murcia and take in the
sites including the iconic 1998 City Hall Annex that Pritzker Prize-winning architect Rafael Moneo
designed across the plaza from Murcia’s cathedral, a building that took 500 years to build, and
seamlessly incorporates an array of architectural styles popular across those centuries.

The relationship between these two structures is still locally controversial. Whether you find their
relationship perverse, sublime, musical or contentious, there is no denial that the two coexist in a
sort of marriage, and they are in it for the long haul. We’ll have time for sketching, photographing,
or just taking it in with a glass of wine. It will be great to get everyone’s perspective on this.

And speaking of Moneo, a suggestion for those of you who arrive earlier in the day and are
interested in “when old meets new”: it’s worth seeing his museum intervention in the ancient
Roman theater 40 km down the road in Cartagena.

Tuesday, May 21 (Day 2)

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(Distance: +/- 27km/16.8 miles)
Morning: Murcia
Overnight: Murcia
After breakfast*1 you and your bikes are transported by vehicle to Caravaca de la Cruz where your
cycle adventure begins. It will be a beautiful ride, much of it downhill, as we ride to Calasparra,
passing 2 sanctuaries. Along the way we can stop and visit, learn about their history, draw, sketch
and so forth. We will be following the course of the Segura River, which we will eventually follow all
the way to the Mediterranean Sea, and to Guardamar de Segura.

For lunch* we will have an authentic paella, made just for the group along the path. It should be a
memorable meal.

Those who wish to end the ride after lunch will be transported back from Calasparra to Murcia by
vehicle. Those more hard-core types who wish to continue riding back to Murcia will have that
option available to them. If you prefer to continue riding, figure on adding another +/-20 km to the
day’s ride.

The evening will be yours to do as you will. We’ll have cena (dinner)* in the hotel and will enjoy that
the sun won’t set until about 21:30 that night. During this trip, you will note that in much of
southern Spain, this is the time when cities come to life, and the public spaces fill up – after the heat
of the day passes. The sun and the shade of the region tell a tale of two cities: the secluded/private
city and the open/public city.

Wednesday, May 22 (Day 3)

(Distance +/- 60km)
Morning: Murcia
Overnight: Guardamar
We check out of our accommodations, load our luggage onto one of our support vehicles, and after
breakfast* we begin our ride along the Segura River all the way down to Guardamar Del Segura.
Before we arrive in Guardamar, we’ll take a break in Orihuela, and later stop for lunch* in one of the
very good restaurants in a village that we’ll pass through along the route.

A note regarding Orihuela and the Segura River; in the middle ages, especially after the “reconquest”
of the peninsula by the power-couple Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile (ring any bells from
your junior high American History class? Hint: 1492!), Orihuela becoms the established seat of the
Church in Southeast Spain, with a Cardinal no less. Orihuela develops into not only a wealthy city
with lots of potential booty, but a symbolic prize for the rival North African Muslim navies. For
centuries these dispossessed mariners (some called them pirates) launched incursions from the

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Meals marked with an * indicate that these are included in the program cost.

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Barbary Coast into their former peninsular lands, raiding for many years along the Mediterranean
coast of Spain, often with great force. (Any US Marines reading this? Hint: “…Halls of Montezuma to
the shores of Tripoli?) The point is, the Segura River at that point is a navigable river and requires
guarding and fortification against raiding parties. Thus, Guardamar sheds its humble past as a
Phoenician/Muslim/Medieval fishing village, emerging as a key strategic entity; “Guardian of the
Sea” AKA, “Guardamar, Port of Orihuela.”

Today, much has changed, including the navigability of the river. Though it no longer flows in its
original channel, the river has not vanished, but takes on new forms, acquires new uses, and is fitted
with new prosthetic devices. We’ll get to see it all unfold as we ride by.

Thursday, May 23 (Day 4)

Morning: Guardamar
Overnight: Guardamar
This is a biking optional day. After breakfast* you can discover Guardamar by bike, by foot, or take
an R+R day on the beach, a 3-minute walk from our hotel, the Hotel Guardamar.
https://www.hotelguardamar.com/es-ES/index.aspx Everyone will be on their own time today, so
lunch and dinner are on you. We’ll have plenty of great options to suggest.

The bikes will be kept in the hotel basement, so if anyone wants to get back in the saddle to explore,
access is easy. Local cyclists enjoy cruising the pine-forested Dunes Park of Guardamar out to the
jetties, where the Segura River meets the Mediterranean.

Among the great bike-accessible locations just outside of Guardamar are the protected nature parks
of La Mata Salt Lakes and The Salinas deTorrevieja (especially the Pink Salina on which sits the
strange croissant-shaped Toyo Ito-designed Relaxation Spa, now in ruins. There is long, weird story
behind that one, and we can get into it all when we are together). Toyo Ito’s folly notwithstanding,
the salt lakes are spectacular, and you need to walk in barefoot at dusk to experience them fully; at
the right moment, this place is mind-bendingly beautiful.

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As an alternate, no-cycle plan, Alicante is about a 30-minute drive up the road. Alex will be taking
anyone interested in a day-long excursion to visit Alicante’s beautiful historic district with some of
the area’s best shopping and food experiences. Even though there is an elevator at the base, we will
take the scenic hike up to the top of the incredible Historic Castle of Santa Barbara, where the views
can’t be beat, and total immersion in centuries-old history seeps into your pores.

Friday, May 24 (Day 5)

(Distance +/- 28km)
Morning: Guardamar
Overnight: Biar
After an early breakfast* we check out of the hotel, load up the support vehicles with our bikes and
luggage, and are transported northward to Elche, home of the Lady of Elche (aka: Princess Leia) and
where apocryphal legends tell of the drowning of Amílcar Barcan (one of Carthage’s greatest
generals) in the once mighty Vinalopó river while in a battle during the First Punic War. We’ll spend
about an hour in the world heritage site of El Palmeral, and/or climb the Basilica of Elche’s bell tower
to take in the great view. Or visit MAHE (the Museum of Archeology & History of Elche), a great little
piece of architecture which stands at the threshold of the ancient entrance to the city and its
medieval wall.

In Elche, we’ll saddle up and ride further north to Novelda, where we can visit the beautiful
Sanctuary of Mary Magdalene church, built in Gaudi style, and pause for lunch. * After lunch we’ll be
transported by vehicle to Biar, where we will stay for a nice dinner and overnight stay in a great
hotel. https://www.daniyabiar.com/en/location/

Our dedicated trail boss from Costa Blanca Cycling is named Bas, and he has been out test-riding all
the routes. Based on his recent test-ride between Novelda and Biar, Bas discourages riding that

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segment due to the rocky trail conditions and the steep climb. Instead, he suggests that we all take
the vehicle, and once in Biar whoever wants to can take their bike from the trailer to do some local
sight-seeing on the great variety of agricultural roads and mountain trails in this lovely region.

Saturday, May 25 (Day 6)

(Distance +/- 50km)
Morning: Biar
Overnight: Altea
After breakfast, * some sketching and drawing, we will be transported by vehicle to Bocairent, or
perhaps a little bit further eastward to Muro de Alcoy, where we’ll start our guided tour, winding
through an incredible landscape via an amazing occasionally tunneled route, down toward the sea,
to the small city of Vilallonga. You may not want to stop riding, but lunch* is mandatory in Spain and
thus it shall be provided during this stunningly beautiful ride.

Vilallonga is where the cycling adventure ends. After lunch we will transport you, your luggage, and
bikes to Altea on the Mediterranean Sea, for a wonderful evening and our last overnight stay, in a
magical place. http://hostalfornetaltea.com/ Hopefully, our favorite mojito bar will be open to host
a round or two as we celebrate a great week.

Sunday, May 26 (Day 7)

Morning: Altea
The next morning we’ll have a last breakfast* together and get ready to check out, say goodbye for
now, and either head for home or just move on to the next leg of your adventure.

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We hope that you can make it to the tour! As Americans, we often think of Spain in terms of regal
Madrid, beautiful Barcelona or perhaps the flamenco of Andalucía. We want to introduce you to the
other Spain of ancient myths and castles, warm beaches, the ghosts of rivers, of dramatic landscapes
and cities that were once fortified to keep out strangers with walls now preserved to attract
outsiders.

We have curated a series of linked rides between carefully chosen cities and towns, with some
spectacular landscapes between. These rides are not crushing slogs intended to wear you out, or to
provide KOM bragging rights on Strava, but to allow the countryside to seep in, to share with new
friends, and to allow time for sketching, reflection, discussion, discovery and relaxation. We look
forward to not only guiding you on bike-rides through these wonderful places, but to fostering an
experience to cherish for life.

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 Appendix

Travel to Murcia
Please note that due to logistical conflicts we have adjusted our tour’s first day to May 20. This gives
participants the weekend to fly in into Madrid or Barcelona and spend the weekend acclimating
before kicking off the ride in Murcia.

In terms of getting to Murcia from your port of entry, there are direct flights from within Spain, of
course, but also try looking into Renfe (the train) or ALSA (the bus, which is surprisingly cheap, and
pretty nice).

American citizens traveling with a USA passport need not apply for a visa in order to enter Spain or
the European Union. We are fortunate to get up to 90 days in the EU without the need of a visa.
Please make sure that your passport is current and will be valid through up to 30 days beyond the
length of your stay in Spain, or the European Union.

If you are traveling with a passport issued by another nation, please make sure that you will not
need a visa to travel to Spain. If required, please start the visa application process early, as it can
occasionally take up a month to acquire it.

Bikes and Equipment

Included in the program cost is a 6-day rental of a lightweight and rigid aluminum Cube MTB 29
bicycle, or similar from our partners at Costa Blanca Cycling. https://www.cube.eu/en/cube-bikes/
Not well known in the US, Cube Bikes are made in Germany, and are highly regarded and extremely
popular throughout Europe. We are sure that you will love your bike, and please know that we take
great pride in keeping our equipment in top shape. With your rented bike we provide tire repairs
and/or any other sort of required maintenance from our support vehicles during our tours. Rental
bikes come with regular (flat) pedals. If you require click pedals (clipless mountain-bike SPDs, e.g.)
you will need to bring them, along with your riding shoes. You may also want to bring your own
saddle. We will help you get properly fitted to your bike before we take to the trails, and all bikes
will be checked, fit and adjusted before our first ride out of Caravaca de la Cruz. Please let us know
in advance your height (in centimeters, please) and your usual bike size (S,M,L,XL). You can consult
the Costa Blanca Cycling website for images and more specific information of the bicycles and
components: www.costablancacycling.eu

Some have inquired if it is ok to bring their own bikes to Spain. Of course! Bringing you own bike is
fine with us, and in fact, if you do so we will deduct 100 euros from the cost of your matriculation.
All we ask is that if you do BYOB, also bring the following important items:

• repair kit (just in case we do not have the right tools to help service your particular bike)
• spare inner tube (in the event we do not have your size/type readily available)
• tire replacement, preferably Kevlar belted (in the event that we do not have your size/type
readily available)

Also, please note that the cycle routes that we will be taking are definitely not suitable for road or
race bikes. Thus, we would insist that you bring only a mountain bike. If you don’t have one, we’ll
have one waiting for you here with your name on it.

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Participants should also bring the following items for their own personal use:
• cycling helmet
• sunglasses
• sunblock
• adequate cycle clothing – how many sets? Up to you (and your roommate) as to how often
you like to change
• rain gear (just in case but not likely to be used this time of year)
• cyclist’s backpack with minimum of 1-liter storage for liquid (We like the Camelbak)
• front and rear lights
• mobile phone that works in Europe – check with your provider about a temporary
international plan
• frame pack for drawing and sketching materials is a good idea
• Also keep in mind that electrical service in Spain is 220v, so don’t forget your handy
converter and adaptor traveling kit for use in the hotel. Phones and laptops these days
seem to take either 220 or 110 so check your specs. Still you will need that adaptor for the
U.S. plug

Also, if possible, please bring a good little video camera and/or a POV camera, for example a GoPro
with a bike handlebar or a helmet mount. More on this later, but we (Alex & David) have thought
about compiling everyone’s footage and pictures into a short documentary of our experience
together. The more riders shoot pics and footage - not just riding footage, but also the time in
between rides - the more that we have to work with when editing our film.

During our rides, each participant will be provided with:

• 2 water bottles, mineral water, isotonic drink (Gatorade, e.g.)
• 2 bananas
• 2 sports bars
• 1 sports gel
• support vehicle if needed / required
• luggage transport from hotel to hotel

Hotels/Accommodations
Once we have a confirmed roster of participants, we will book the specific hotel and email you with
the hotel name. In Murcia, for example, we are considering the Hotel Catalonia Conde De
Floridablanca, or the Arco De San Juan, or equal.
https://www.cataloniahotels.com/es/hotel/catalonia-conde-de-floridablanca?mb=1
https://arco-de-san-juan-es.book.direct/en-us/photos
In the case of Murcia, we will do all we can to place you in the historic part of this interesting and
beautiful city. We are just not able to book it until we have a confirmed number of participants. The
important thing for us is to place you in the best, affordable hotels that we can book, and in the best
locations. We want not only to provide for some great riding, but we want to create a great overall
experience in all aspects of the trip.
Please note that rooms shall be double occupancy, so please let us know if you and a travel
companion wish to stay together. We shall have to deal directly with the hotel at check-in if anyone
prefers single occupancy. This would require an upcharge by the hotel. Also, we will segregate the
rooms by gender unless requested otherwise. Welcome back to dorm life!

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 Costs
Price for participating in this riding and cultural program shall be 1600 euros (including V.A.T.)
We request a reservation payment of 525€ before 15 March 2019 so that we can start to reserve
meals and lodging.

This can be paid through bank wire, Zelle transfer, Paypal, Visa credit card (although paying with
your credit card incurs an extra cost of 45€). We will also need your full name as it appears on your
valid passport, a copy of your passport, address, telephone number and email in order to confirm
your reservation.

This price is based on a double occupancy rooms with 2 single beds. If you require a single room, we
will check availability and extra costs. Please let us know if you will be traveling with a non-riding
companion so that we can make sure that we can accommodate each of you.

Please note that although we are happy to have non-riding guests accompanying us, we may not
have the space for them in our transport vehicles. Thus, they may have to rent their own mode of
transport for the week, but we are happy to try to work out what we can.

Insurance
All precautions shall be taken by the organizers of this tour to offer a safe and enjoyable experience.
That said, we must state that we are neither liable nor responsible for any accident that may occur
during the course of the tour. Each rider will cycle at her/his own risk and assume their own liability.
For this reason, we require (as does the Kingdom of Spain for all tourists) that all participants
purchase their own travel insurance in the event any medical care is required.