Medieval Villages Of Catalonia Bike Tour Reviews
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Medieval Villages of Catalonia
6 nights from €1450
Spain This medieval villages cycling tour is a perfect way to explore the quieter, less traveled areas in this fascinating region of Catalonia. The tour starts in Girona city and winds its way…
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★★★★★ Ann M.
Catalonia
Beautiful and overall great trip. While our itinerary said we would have 25-37 miles/day, we rode much less, often finishing the day of riding at 1:30 pm. I would have preferred to ride longer, finishing between 3:30-4:00 pm with opportunities for more stops along the way for photos, etc.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2026
- How many tours have you completed?
- first one! I would have enjoyed the tour more if the guides were more knowledgeable about local history, birds, crops, flowers, etc. Our guides were competent riders, but could be better with local knowledge (didn't know when olives were harvested!). Lunches could have been expedited by letting local restaurants know that our group was arriving instead of trying to find a cafe that was open and able to serve such a large group (23). Our best lunch was when the guides called ahead and paella was served family style.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Denise Walling
Showcase for the Diversity of Catalonia
From the mountains to the sea - the first day's ride was spectacular! Dining options along the coast were wonderful. Inland, especially in the village of Monells, the options for dining were very limited. Accommodations were wonderful - welcoming and comfortable. The daily rides after the first day included challenging climbs, especially without an ebike, and some of the urban portions were in aggressive traffic, but overall, we found solitude and peace in this beautiful country, flying down the backsides of the hills we had conquered. The routes were easy to follow, and scenic and historical/cultural attractions were enjoyable too.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Evelyn Savage
Adventure
Medieval Villages of Catalonia was an adventurous, fun and challenging bike tour. The villages were very interesting, the hotels very nice, the ebikes great and self guided directions mostly good. We had a few challenges finding some of the paths and the terrain was much more mountain biking than expected. But we found our way and enjoyed the beautiful countryside. One should be an experienced cyclist or mountain biker to enjoy the trails have some experience with directions to do self guided. Overall a very good way to experience the Baja Emporda coast and Medieval towns.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ PDBB
Challenging and Beautiful Trip across Costa Brava and Baix Emporda
Just completed this cycle trip. Scenery was stunning, as promised. Weather (May) was also very good (showers on 1 day only); temps mostly in mid-teens celsius. Bikes of excellent quality; maps could have been better (larger scale of font, better readability). Cycle routes were mostly well marked; but you can never have enough signage. I would not agree that the routes wind "gently" through the region. Hotels (even the 2-star) were very good; breakfasts Good to VG. The regional food is delicious; local bike company provided useful recommendations for restaurants and advice. This was our second cycling trip (4 seniors), and it was definitely more challenging (even with shorter daily distances) than the last (Danube) trip.The terrain is not "mostly flat with few hills to climb"; some hills were daunting/steep and long. We completed the tour but were never able to do the suggested/offered "optional extra cycling rides" after the day's cycling; simply too much for us to tackle. Others might be more accomplished or fit, but we rarely rolled into the next destination before 6 PM. We choose self-guided; but local cycling company was always available to assist if needed (we emailed regularly). This was not a Level 1 tour; nor does it claim to be. But it may not even be a Level 2 tour? Scenery of Mediterranean coast was stunning and the medieval villages were beautiful. All of us are glad to have taken the tour, and to have finished the cycling challenges. It's a beautiful part of Spain.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1 previously (Level 1)
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Oscar
Very interesting sights, routes could be better planned/guided
The medieval villages of Catalonia are certainly worth the visit. Beautiful and well maintained and inhabited villages, and of course the starting point in Girona old city - really beautiful places. In addition, for history lovers there are three interesting archaeological sites of ancient Iberian towns/villages on the road.
On the downside are some difficulties with cycling itself. If this tour had difficulty 1-2 on the scale 1-5, I wonder what categories 3-4 are. A very big part of the routes were "dirty roads", which as best meant steady sand roads, but as well at some places really rocky roads or soft sand. And the navigation... The Catalonian way of marking cycle routes left at quite many points room for improvement, especially those tiny little signs. But also the maps provided (piles of A4 paper sheets) meant that far too much of energy was spent on navigation instead of enjoying the cycling.
Equipment, service, accomodation: excellent.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Jim Johnson, Founder and president
Dear Oscar,
Thank you for your valuable feedback, which we will pass along to the local tour company that operates the tour. In the meantime, we will also update the "Surface and terrain" information to reflect your comments.
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★★★★★ Cowboybob
Off-Road Adventure
My first tour with Creative Catalonia tours, and I would consider another. I was with a group of eight friends, one who managed the Garmin about 90% of the daily routes were on off-roadway, gravel trails through beautiful countryside. Staying on route required close reading of the route maps at times. The villages toured are amazing for their age and charm. Plenty of great cafes and restaurants along the way. The arranged hotel lodging was very good.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 6, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Christopher Attwood
The Coast and Medieval Catalonia
What a lovely cycle tour. Mostly on cycle tracks that avoid the hustle and danger of busy roads. We were in an exclusive group of 10 which does add to the flexibility and fun of the ride. Riding with GPS is a game changer. So easy and allows for "self-guided" tours. I do think more variations should be incorporated on the routes to allow one to tailor make the ride for distance and substance. All the suggested restuarants and photo opportunities were spot on. If "Unguided", a better backround pack of stops and their historical significance could be prepared. Great holiday and experience.
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★★★★★ Sherri M.
Excellent getaway!
Perfect way to experience Spain. The local organizer did an awesome job, logistics ran pefectly with luggage transfers and accommodations. The itineraries each day were as described and there was a good mix of riding and sights to see along the way, with food and drink options marked accordingly.
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★★★★★ Rob R.
Beautiful rides, amazing accommodations
Overall tour was terrific. Beautiful little towns, fantastic scenery, great accommodations. And a fair value. I would recommend to anyone.
One piece of constructive feedback, in general terms and then in specifics:
Our group of 24, while fit and capable, is a little older and a little more interested in historical background and local flavor. Our interest is more on the "tour" side of bike tour. Our guides did not really pick up on that. They were more on the "bike" side of bide tour and a little more focused on simply getting us from point to point. They were knowledgeable, friendly and great to be around, but maybe not ideally matched for our group.
This played out on the last day, our climb of Els Angeles. This is a significant effort and many of us were looking forward to, embraced and attacked the challenge. Our guides, however, did not handle the situation in regard to those in our group who clearly were going to make it to the top. One of our group, on a standard bike, struggled, overheated and ended up walking most of the way. Our sweeper, on an e-bike, was then forced to also push her heavy e-bike up the mountain to stay with him. All while our two guides waited at the top. Clearly on that day, one of the guides should have been the sweeper. At the very least, having summited, one of the guides should have descended and taken over for the sweeper.
There was nothing to be done for the struggling gentleman pushing his bike uphill - it was a hot day and he overheated. He is fit and generally capable, but was having a rough time that day. However, better process from the guides would have prevented our other person from having to push her e-bike up the mountain.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2027
- How many tours have you completed?
- three
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Carl Kennes
Medieval Spain villages was amazing
Spain is very bike friendly and the bikes/ (and pedal assist e-bikes) were of great quality. The Hotels on this trip were very comfortable and provided nice breakfasts. The rides each day were moderate as described. On the first 3 days , you ride alongside beach views. After that, you do some countryside rides. On every ride and evening there were a bunch of outside cafes to choose from. It was an excellent mix of scenery. Thanks.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Carl Kennes
Medieval Spain villages was amazing
Spain is very bike friendly and the bikes/ (and pedal assist e-bikes) were of great quality. The Hotels on this trip were very comfortable and provided nice breakfasts. The rides each day were moderate as described. On the first 3 days , you ride alongside beach views. After that, you do some countryside rides. On every ride and evening there were a bunch of outside cafes to choose from. It was an excellent mix of scenery. Thanks.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ kathy60
Beautiful coastline & Great Hotels
We have done many trips with biketours and this will be remembered as a very special one. The hotels were very good and we even had ocean view rooms! This is extremely rare on packaged bike tours, even when upgrading hotels. The old town of Girona is fun to explore. Daniel provided a good briefing and even though this was September, his bikes were excellent and seemed brand new. This is a rarity for September tours as usually it's evident the bikes have already been used all season. As someone else mentioned, Daniel provides both a gps and an adroid with the routes on maps.me. This makes the trip so much more enjoyable for the navigators! The Brava Costa coastal area in early September was beautiful and we swam every day. The restaurants are still open, but not as busy as in August. The Arc Hotel in Monells is a little gem and very relaxing. The route itself has some dirt roads and some hills ... and even though the distances are shorter, if it's hot you'll feel like you've had a good ride, with time for a swim after each day.
- What was the date of your tour?
- early September, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 15+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Faye Gilraine
Very good tour
The tour was great, Daniel was extremely helpful, and the accommodation was very good. However, the tour should not be rated as easy. The first two days were easy, and it was no problem using a normal bike. However, for the next four days we should have rented electric bikes - it would have made the trip much more enjoyable. It was obvious the seventh day was over the mountains and would be difficult, but did not ever plan to cycle that day, as we only had six days available.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- At least 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Kathy K
Beautiful Villages and Stunning Sea!
I recently did the self-guided trip as a mom and son getaway with my 14-year old. We did this on e-bikes. Daniel was kind and thoughtful and checked in on us along the way via text. He was on time for bike delivery and super organized, setting us up for success. The hotels selected were great even though we booked last minute. Each of our rooms along the mediterranean had views of the Sea which was stunning and exceeded our expectations. My son managed the GPS and all of the navigating and we had an easy time of this. The route itself was wonderful! A great mix of medieval and coast and I wonder if the tour title should give more emphasis to the time spent along the coast, which was absolutely beautiful! I was sad to leave Llafranc and put the sea behind us, but this was quickly replaced with fascination at the beauty of the small villages. Overall, this was a wonderful adventure. The weather was superb and the towns were not crowded with tourists (late June). I do recommend the e-bikes if you have varying levels of experience and want to stray off the tour routes at all to bike uphill to other towns not on the tour route. We had more than enough time and energy to add things like this because of the benefit of the pedal-assist.
- What was the date of your tour?
- late June 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Colleen Petters
Biking, Sea, Art, Wine!
This bike trip included so many of the things we love: touring on two wheels, ancient historic towns, wine, Spanish food and art of the region.
We self-guided using the excellent map and GPS provided which helped facilitate fun side trips and stops, then returning to the established routes. Navigation was easy for all, even the one among us who is directionally challenged!
The hotels each had great character, charm and comforts, and we enjoyed the two 2-night stay overs where day trips were planned.
The Spanish individuals we met were friendly and welcoming. Using our basic tourist level Spanish helped us be polite and friendly in return.
The countryside scenery, small towns and roads/trails were great! Food and wine throughout this Catalonia region were excellent and fair priced.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Ronald Sawyer
Beautiful countryside, impressive historical sights (and sites)
Daniel and his crew were perfection when it came to organizing and helping with our self guided tour. Bicycling terrain and level exactly as promised.
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Sue Larson
Fabulous Way to Experience Beautiful Catalonia
This tour was a magical way to see the sights and sounds of beautiful Catalonia. The bikes were of a superior quality and shifted easily - which was a good thing because there was a lot of shifting involved along the way. The accommodations were top-notch and the GPS perfectly directed us along the way. Daniel was an exceptional vendor and his positive nature and encouragement were welcome and valued. He checked-in during the tour to make sure that all was well. This trip was a dream come true and comes highly recommended!
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Lynn Melin
Good trip!
A nice combination of biking and opportunities to experience medieval Catalonian history.
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★★★★★ Michael Golenberke
Spain Was Wonderful!
Our first trip to Spain was fantastic. This was not our first bike tour we were much better prepared. We had some difficulty navigating the Barcelona airport and train station to get to Girona. Once we arrived however, all was absolutely beautiful. I cannot give enough praise to Daniel. His briefing, preparation of the bikes and tips on stops along the various routes was excellent. He was a joy to work with. The only comment was to possibly reconsider staying one night in Monells instead of two. Monells is a very charming village but very small and limited sites to see. Otherwise, I would not change a thing! You will not be disappointed.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ G Coppa
Such a great trip!
We were hesitant to take a non-guided tour at first, but it turned out to be the best decision we could have made. The roots were interesting and the directions were great, and we got to take all of the roots on our own time and our own schedule. The hotels were wonderful, and the routes through the different seaside towns and medieval villages were fantastic! Daniel was communicative, responsive, and really helpful. Could not have been a happier with our trip!
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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