The romance and mysteries of Spain's Andalucí¡ province and Portugal's Algarve region will unfold on guided biking and walking tours offered this October by Easy Rider Tours. Two unique tours will take travelers to a world of sunny blue skies, orange groves, flowered balconies, Moorish fortresses, dramatic sea cliffs and the rhythm of Flamenco music. Cyclists will discover the blend of Moorish and Spanish cultures that makes southern Spain so special on the ten-day "Viva Andalucí¡¡" biking tour. The eight-day "Walking the Hidden Algarve" tour will lead hikers to secluded beaches, whitewashed villages, and ancient almond groves.
The "Viva Andalucí¡¡" tour is scheduled for October 10 to 19 and October 24 to November 2. The 300-mile biking route winds through open Spanish landscapes en route from Seville to Granada. Fields of sunflowers and groves of olive trees along the Rio Guadalquivir give way to mountain vistas and white villages in the Parque Natural de Sierra Subbé´©ca. The tour concludes with a descent into Granada, with the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada on the horizon.
Easy Rider's tour includes plenty of non-cycling diversions along the way. In C󲤯ba, riders will visit the Mezquita, Spain's only surviving mosque from the Middle Ages. The group will tour one of Andalucia's premier olive oil makers, the Hermanos Nunez del Prado. A hike through the weather-sculpted rock formations of El Torcal National Park, a guided walk through the neighborhoods of Granada, and a private flamenco performance are also included.
Local flavors are a highlight of the experience. Cyclists will savor Andalucí¡§s cuisine and wines on a rooftop terrace overlooking the old city of C󲤯ba to the sounds of a Flamenco guitar. Award-winning Basque entr饳 are served in the refectory of a former monastery in Palma del Rio. On another night, the group will learn how paella is prepared alongside their chef. In Granada, the group's Spanish guide will offer a "tapas tour" of his native city. Luxury accommodations include historic palaces, Paradores, and a Medieval monastery.
The week-long "Walking the Hidden Algarve" tour explores the southernmost Portuguese province, and is offered from October 18 to 25. As last part of Portugal to be taken from the Moors in 1249, this region was often called its own kingdom.
The hiking tour features daily walks of five to nine miles. Coastal routes include the secluded beaches of the Ria Formosa Natural Park and the sea cliffs at Cabo de S㯠Vicente. Inland, hiking trails pass through foothills covered in grapevines, carob, olive and fig trees.
Along the way, walkers will overnight in towns that have played key roles in both Portuguese and world history: Silves, with its impregnable red-stoned Moorish fortress; the well-preserved town of Tavira, valued by ancient Rome for its salt pans; Sagres, where Prince Henry's 15th-century navigational school overlooked the Atlantic; and the walled city of Lagos, from whose port many voyages of discovery set sail.
Luxury accommodations include a restored 17th-century Capuchin convent in Tavira and the contemporary Pousada de Infante, overlooking the majestic limestone cliffs of Sagres. Meals feature the freshest of seafood, with specialties of grilled swordfish and bass, squid stuffed with shrimp, and cataplana de mariscos, a steamed shellfish casserole. Local cheeses and regional sweets made with almonds and figs are other specialties.
Each tour group is accompanied by two bilingual guides and a support van to carry luggage and offer en-route assistance. The price for the 10-day "Viva Andalucí¡¡" cycling trip is $2,395 (top-quality 27-speed bicycles may be rented for an additional fee of $159). The >"Walking the Hidden Algarve" tour price is $1,895 for 8 days. Tour prices include all accommodations, dinners with local wines, and airport transfers. Airfare is not included in either trip price.
Founded in 1986, Easy Rider Tours specializes in active vacations in Portugal, Spain, Ireland, the Canadian Maritimes, and New England. The company's Iberian trip offerings are the most extensive of any American adventure tour outfitter. For more information, contact Easy Rider Tours, P.O. Box 228, Newburyport, MA 01950, 800-488-8332 or www.easyridertours.com.
