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Spain - New Trip!
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Home | About Us | Bike Tour Schedule | Walking Tour Schedule | Featured Tour Bike Tours | European Bike Tours | Walking Tours Copyright © 2004-2007, Easy Rider Tours, Inc. |
May 11-17, 2008
Few would contest that Miguel Cervantes’ epic Don Quixote is Spain’s most famous literary work. The endearing tale of an aging nobleman-turned-knight has been translated into over 150 languages. From his ill-fated battle with a windmill to his courtly devotion to his imaginary lady Dulcinea, the romantic hero’s exploits have inspired films, ballets, musical theatre, and countless works of fine art. Artists from Picasso to Nureyev to Strauss have interpreted the classic tale.
To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the novel’s publication, the Spanish province of Castile-La Mancha inaugurated the Ruta de Quixote in 2005. Spanning the province, the 1,800-mile web of farm roads and ancient cattle routes crosses a wide variety of landscapes and passes through nearly 150 villages. Much of the Ruta is along well-maintained hardpack roads closed to automobile traffic—a cyclist’s “impossible dream” come true! Our tour begins in Cuenca, a UNESCO World Heritage city known for its casas colgadas, cliffside houses dramatically suspended above converging river gorges. We’ll take advantage of shuttle transfers to bike the most scenic parts of the Ruta, visiting cultural landmarks and Quixotic icons along the way: El Toboso (the birthplace of Dulcinea), the azure-hued Lakes of Ruidera, and the open-air Corral de Comedias theatre in Almagro—not to mention the celebrated windmills (no jousting allowed!). We’ll conclude our quest in Toledo, so rich in Christian, Jewish, and Muslim antiquities that the entire city has been declared a national historical monument.
Relatively gentle terrain and 20-to-30-mile biking days make our Land of La Mancha tour a perfect choice for cyclists looking for an easier trip in Spain. With bikes as our steeds and Easy Rider guides as vigilant squires, we’ll add a new “spin” to one of the most captivating tales of all time!
Day 1: Late morning rendezvous at the train station in Cuenca. Visit the early Gothic cathedral and surprising museum collections of abstract art and “found objects.” After lunch, a warm-up ride features sweeping vistas of the river canyons and Cuenca’s amphitheater-like setting. Welcome dinner and overnight in the heart of the Old Quarter. (0, 8, or 15 mi.)
Day 3: Free morning to visit the Casa de Dulcinea and the entertaining Museu Humor-Gráfico Dulcinea. Transfer to Ossa de Montiel to pedal a beautiful section of the Ruta past old farm estates, Mediterranean woodlands, and the Cave of Montesinos, where Don Quixote had his famous dream. Finish the day with an easy spin along the Lagunas de Ruidera, a linear park of interconnected lakes nicknamed the “Mirrors of La Mancha.” Creative cuisine and overnight stay overlooking the Laguna San Pedro. (16 or 28 mi.)
Day 5: Free day to explore Almagro’s sights: The grand Plaza Mayor, National Theatre Museum, and the Corral de Comedias, the only surviving open-air theatre from Spain’s Golden Age. An optional ride follows the Ruta to the imposing Sacred Monastery-Castle of Calatrava, headquarters of the powerful knight-monks from the 13th through 19th centuries. (0 or 22 mi.)