Day 1. SEVILLA TO PALMA DEL RIO

Ride : 55 km | Gain : 70 m | Extra mileage available
We meet in historic Seville at our designated hotel at 09:30am to transfer out of Seville’s hustle and bustle to what was the fertile breadbasket of the Roman Empire. With time to explore fascinating Carmona, known to the Phoenicians, we set up the bikes and embark on a cycle through pleasant countryside plains and orange blossoms.

Stay the night in an unique and beautifully converted 15th century monastery of outstanding charm where Columbus was rumoured to have spent time. Read about its history on our Cycling Country Blog.

 

Day 2. PALMA DEL RIO TO CÓRDOBA

Ride : 40 km | Gain : 230 m | Longer Ride: 65 km | Gain : 450 m
Ride out into the Campiña Cordobesa, the fertile region known since Roman times, which produces everything from oranges, peppers, artichokes and olives. Under the shadow of the Moorish castle at Almodóvar which you may recognize from the “Game of Thrones” series as Highgarden, the ancestral home of House Tyrell!

In Córdoba, take a guided walking tour of the old Jewish quarter, and enter one of the most incredible buildings in Europe, the UNESCO heritage Mezquita (mosque-cathedral). Soak in the atmosphere of the monumental centre home to such luminaries as Roman state person Séneca, Abbas Ibn Firnas, father of aeronautics, and Jewish philosopher Maimonides (who wrote the wonderfully named, “The Guide for the Perplexed” which you can buy on Amazon today!).

 

“The Enchanted Andalucia cycling tour is a really fabulous experience & highly recommended. Maggi & Geoff’s Cycling Country team are totally committed to ensuring that the tour goes without a hitch & that everyone gets the best from it. Having local guides, both on the cycles & for all the cultural tours, is a bonus as their local knowledge is valuable. There is really nothing to fault. If you enjoy your cycling & have a reasonable level of fitness, you can’t help but appreciate the decent bikes, the quiet roads, the spectacular vistas, the company of others & the comfort of knowing that the back-up van is always there if you need a break. Coffee stops punctuate the day & provide the chance to regroup & recharge.
The accommodation is wonderful, being mainly heritage style, & the group meals all good. There is a good balance between being part of a small group (we were 9), with some scheduled meals & guided walking tours of Cordoba & the Alhambra, & having time to do your own thing in the evenings & on the rest day. The tour ran like clockwork thanks to the hard work of our 2 wonderful guides, Javi & Dani.
We will definitely do another tour with Cycling Country!”
J & D.Smart – Alberta, Canada – October 2019

“I just wanted to let you know that I have thoroughly enjoyed our ride across Andalucía. This was my first organized ride and I have been extremely happy with your guides, the support that we were given and of course the beautiful country of Spain.
Last day today!
Cheers!”
P. Pool – British Columbia, Canada – May 2019

“Andalucia!” We had a WONDERFUL time on our Cycle Country week! Javi was a terrific, professional and very personable guide, and kept us encouraged and entertained. He also went out of the way to give us a lift to the bus terminal earlier today, picking us up on his way to Alhama (sorry to have missed you!) to return the van. Much appreciated.

I was personally pleased to have made the switch to the e-bike, especially on the uphills and strong headwinds we encountered. I’m happy to give good testimony to it in the future, as needed. So glad we began our trip at Cordoba, given the weather last week, and couldn’t be more pleased to have joined the Granada/Generalife tour on such a perfect Spring day. We thank you so much (esp Maria Angeles) for making it happen! Finally, thank you for the kind gifts and thoughtful accommodation of our trip. We truly appreciated the high-touch experience we had on our first bike tour, look forward to more in the years ahead!

Cheers and can’t wait to see the pictures,”
C. Santos & M. Wuest – Washington D.C., USA – April 2019

“Enchanting Andalucia” I booked this trip very last moment and, notwithstanding, Cycling Country did everything to accommodate me, including arranging for me to stay an extra night on either end of the trip at the hotels involved.

I took the Enchanted Andalucia 8-day tour starting in Sevilla. I found the bike I rented (a hybrid) to be in excellent condition and was glad I had it over the road bike option given that some of the roads were rough. All of the accommodations were excellent and charming. If you go, you’ll stay in places most tourists don’t see let alone stay in. I’ve included a few photos with this review. Our guides, Javi and Dani, were very good and knowledgeable. I speak some Spanish and they were kind enough to help me speak it better (though their English is fine). I underestimated my biking abilities and the tenderness of my tush after the first day but managed to bike almost everything. There were a few really challenging climb sections that I decided to skip by having them load my bike on the accompanying van. There was no problem or stigma in doing so. Cycling Country just wants everyone to have a good holiday, and they delivered!” N. Carfra – B.C., CANADA – October 2018

“October´s Enchanted Andalucia” Dear Maggi and Geoff,So nice to receive the photos from the enchanted Andalucia trip. It was magical!”

M.J. Martin – CA, USA – October 2018

“We rode “Enchanted Andalucia” and Cycling Country did a great job with the tour. They were well organized, and accommodated last minute glitches well. Recent storms had washed out one of the roads they usually ride, but they provided an alternative route that was spectacular. Another day, when we were transferring in the vans, the highway was closed. No problem! And, when the weather got unseasonably cold, they adjusted some coffee stops and re-grouping points no one had to stand around outside too long. Our guides Javi and Dani were attentive, knowledgeable, and helpful. I know every rider has a different idea of what is “hard” or “easy” riding — this was a little more climbing than I had anticipated but I appreciated the challenge and it was a thoroughly enjoyable week of riding. Highly recommended!” J. Sale – Washington, USA – October 2018

“Enchanted Andalusia –Incredible trip, great guides, worth the $$$ I did the “Enchanted Andalusia” trip in mid-late September 2018. This was my first cycling trip and I was a pretty casual biker before this trip, so I was a little nervous that I was taking on too much, and just had a lot of questions about what I would need. Maggie was very responsive and helpful as I was trying to make up my mind. I went alone as a woman in her late 30’s — most of the trip was couples in their 60’s or older. The only other single person was in his 50’s — I asked about being a solo traveler upfront and Maggie told me the deal. While I was put off at first about the age difference between me and the rest of the group, I ended up having a good time with them and unexpectedly bonding with some people.

The trip itself is gorgeous — the land and sights are beautiful.

The routes were very carefully picked and planned out, the hotels we stayed in were great –especially the former monastery and the hotel in Zuheros. Also, the places we visited — The Mesquita in Cordoba, the Alhambra in Granada — are amazing historical resources in their own right–so it’s not just biking and pretty landscapes–there is amazing history and culture along the way — and the hired guides (included in trip cost) we had to show us these places were excellent. Our bike guides, Javier and Dani, were attentive, kind, patient, fun, and so hard working. I think our group was pretty low on drama and pretty good natured, but even so, I was able to appreciate how hard Javi and Dani were working to keep everything running smoothly, and how professional they are. I started out as the slowest person in the group, given everyone else was a more experienced and frequent rider, but I felt fine going at my own pace, and there’s always the van if you are tired (key!) –thought I didnt use it much. There was also a rest day which I happily took to explore Zuheros on foot on my own. Also, while I chose a hybrid bike, I found it was worth it to upgrade to a road bike, as otherwise I was just way too far behind the rest of the group. I feel I was lucky that our group of people was nice and low drama. I would have liked if there had been a bigger mix of solo travelers in the group, but some things you just cant control, and I managed to have a fabulous time anyways.”

G. Coppola – NY, USA – Sept 2018

“Hugh and I had such a wonderful holiday, it was a great group and of course Dani and Javi were an absolute delight.”

C. Therkildsen – NSW,Australia – April 2018

“Enchanting April Tour, Thank you so much for putting together the photo album of our tour in April. Overall we had a great time and we would recommend Cycling Country to others.”

J. Russell – Calgary, Canada – April 2018

“April Andalucia Bike Tour!
Thank you so much! Great trip.
Special thanks to Dani for taking the pictures and for Javi and Dani for being such good guides.”
K. Reich – Sydney, Australia – April 2018

“Our group of 8 recently completed the 8 day Enchanted Andalusia tour with Cycling Country. Geoff and Maggi organized a fantastic itinerary that included 6 days of biking and 4 walking tours on our route from Seville to Granada.

The biking was fantastic. We had a great mix of ride profiles, fantastic scenery and, thanks to Geoff and Maggi’s local expertise, very little vehicle traffic for the vast majority of the ride. The walking tours were very interesting and informative, culminating with the Alhambra in Granada. Cycling Country offers a perfect blend of professional organization while maintaining a relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere throughout the trip. Geoff and Maggi are very knowledgeable about the area and enthusiastic about their bike tours.”
D. Styner – Calgary, Canada – November 2017

“Everything I hoped it would be!
Geoff and Maggi clearly have put their hearts and minds into making these trips as enjoyable as they can be. The organization and planning of the route, our guides, and the countryside that we biked through were wonderful from start to finish. Also,we had two picnic lunches en route, which just have to be mentioned: the spread was fresh, healthy, and presented with exceptional care by our guides Javier, Balbino, and Dani. Really a treat! This was my wife’s and my first cycling trip, and we hope to do some others with Cycling Country! Many thanks!
A. Haigh – MA, USA – Oct 2017

“Just returned home from this bike tour with Cycling Country. The experience was amazing. I especially appreciated the fine support and care given by our 3 guides. They even helped us reach the train station the final day. I was able to learn a lot about Spanish culture/life and felt my needs were well addressed. Thanks for helping me to experience an once in a lifetime trip.

I just want to say the three guides were just terrific. I enjoyed getting to know them and having some great climbs with them individually. They did a great job of herding us around with a smile on their faces. It really was a great trip. It was super helpful helping us get to the train station (well bus) Monday. Thanks so much” D. Hinson – Sept 2017

“Outstanding!! Excellent Local Guides! Fab Option to Pricier Trips Run by Int’l Companies
As part of a 6-woman group, we joined the 8-day Enchanted Andalucia cycling trip run by Cycling Country. There were 16 in our group, all very compatible.

I’ve been on a number of Backroads cycling trips with my family, and have thoroughly enjoyed those, so didn’t know what to expect from a local company. I was very pleasantly surprised – the local guides were outstanding and very attentive. The level of the service and the overall experience were excellent. To be sure, there are some differences as one might expect (a little less formally organized, for example), but having such wonderful local guides who know the country, customs, and culture made such a difference.

Our three fabulous guides – Javi was the head guide, supported by Dani and Balbino. In two locations – Cordoba and Granada – they arranged excellent local guides to give us a tour. This was a great addition to the trip. Not only was the cycling great, but we had the opportunity to learn about some of the culturally significant sights as well. This was a great combination for me.

The route selected was fabulous – hilly, yes, as we’d been warned, but beautiful, and quiet – real backroads, for the most part. The van was always there for support and to provide tired legs with rides. BTW, the drivers were the most respectful I’ve seen anywhere. I was never honked at, and they patiently waited until they could safely pass in the opposite lane!

I would highly recommended Cycling Country, and will look at their other trips in the future. This was a trip to remember!

Many thanks to Maggi, Javi, Dani, and Balbino for the great memories!
L. Tse – NY, USA – Sept 2017

“Well planned. Well supported. Exciting. Enjoyable. And the food, hotels, guides, and routes: fantastic. I want to do this again.”

Edward Viljoen – May 2017

“Cycling Andalusia from Sevilla to Granada For first-time visitors, a tour across Andalusia introduced a country of rich culture and history, beautiful scenery and welcoming people. Detailed local knowledge, cycling know-how, caring people skills – Cycling Country riders took superb care my wife and I – fit but not expert – as our group rode Andalusia’s secondary roads through white towns, cities and countryside from Sevilla to Córdoba to Granada. We liked feeling “back-up” – always the option to “van” if a climb was too steep or a day ride too long. Hotel stays unique and very comfortable – Monasterio de San Francisco, Hacienda Minerva, Convento de Magdalena, Vincci Albayzin. Meal stops gave a wonderful introduction to Andalusian cuisine. Excellent guided visits to Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba and the Alhambra were fascinating highlights. This trip had it all! A memorable group tour offering a FUN introduction to Spanish and Andalusian culture and history – great meals, great weather and great hotels.”

Stephen G – Toronto – April 2017

“We had a wonderful trip and we have great memories from cycling in Andalucia with your company. Overall the trip was very good, the route was well planned, the scenery beautiful and the bikes in excellent conditions. It is a memorable week, biking all day, travelling to different places without having to deal with the logistic: a very relaxing trip! We appreciated having Javier with us, for his personality and the fact that he is a native of Spain. This is why we signed up with your company, because you are local and we wanted to encourage locals and have native Spaniards for guides. I don’t think we mentioned it to you then I guess we were lucky because we looked at your website site upon our return and saw that Javier is the only guide from Spain. We were lucky to have such small group, which allowed us to be able to spend more time with the guides, which we appreciated. The route was beautiful and well planned. 2 transfers by van were enough for us as one of our pleasures is to arrive to our destination by bike and use the van the least amount of time. The guide in Cordoba was great. The breakfasts were all very good with a lot of variety.

Lucie Lafranchise – April 2016

Testimonials from previous cyclists are always available and we enjoy receiving the feedback after tours. It helps us improve our services and offer you an even better experience. Please feel free to contact us if you would like a reference to talk to. Others have also posted reviews on the independent travel website .