Cycling Gastro TOURS: Wine's route by UTOPIC Bike Travel

WINE’S ROUTE CATALONIA GASTRO 2014

DURATION: 8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS TYPE: ROAD BIKE START&FINISH: GIRONA/GIRONA (SPAIN) DATES: MARCH TO OCTOBER LODGING: 3*, 4* HOTELS AND RURAL ROUTE LEVEL: 2 KM.PER DAY: 50–90 KM TRAVEL OPTIONS: GROUP & PRIVATE GROUPS: 4/... MIN/MAX PRICE: FROM 2.400€ / See prices

WINE’S ROUTE / GIRONA & COSTA BRAVA Catalonia possesses an extraordinary landscape and patrimonial richness, but it is undoubtedly one of the main gastronomic destinations in the world. Catalan gastronomy dates from classic roman age. A complex, assorted and rich cuisine, plenty of mediterranean influences and based on all kind of products (seafood, vegetables, and all kind of meat). It is adapted to every season and all sort of traditions, as well. We cannot talk about gastronomy without including wine. Catalonia is the number one producer of high quality wine in Spain and one of the most important wine producing areas in Europe, holding a great history. Ancient Greek and Roman introduced the wine -making process and, by middle-age, catalan monasteries conitnued with this practice. Nowadays, Catalonia has eleven protected denominations of origin, spreaded throughout all our territor, with a great variety of white, rosé and red wines.

In UTOPIC BIKE TRAVEL we believe that cyclo tourism is not at odds with the pleasure of a good meal and that's why we have created gastronomic rotes for everyone who wants to experience a new culinary experience. It is still a cyclotourist route where we discover villages, valleys a beautiful spots of Catalonia, but we are going to dedicate more time to discover gastronomic culture and traditions, enjoying typical products and dishes available across this territory.

In this WINE'S ROUTE tour, we ride through the beautiful Costa Brava (meaning Brave Coast), enjoying charming crystal water coves, steep cliffs and picturesque fishing villages. We are going to discover the most rural and unknown part of the "Empordà" region. A tile of vineyards, cereal, fruit, all kind of vegetables and even rice fields, sorrounded by an endless number of medieval villages, romanesque churches and old castles, that will set us out on a time travel in this historical land inhabited in past centuries by iberian, greek, roman and modern pirates.

The city of Girona is to be discovered as well. A place with the charm of big cities but with no crowds. Located in a privileged site between the sea and the mountains it offers us a great display of unique and spectacular monuments, testimony of its millenary history. The tour will be completed visiting several family runned wineries and agricultural cooperatives where DO Empordà wines are produced. We will enjoy local art, culture and gastronomy and will lodge in old stone country houses and in little charming hotels, selected upon their quality, exclusivity and personalized care.

We are waiting for you!

Utopic Bike Travel

www.utopicbiketravel.com

info@utopicbiketravel.com

ITINERARY / WINE’S ROUTE / DAY 1 - 2 DAY 1: GIRONA Individual arrival at hotel.

UTOPIC BIKE TRAVEL presentation.

Bicycles set up Possibility of pickup at the Train Station or at the Girona Airport.

Please consult “Arrivals & Departures” in case of different arrivals or for additional logistical information.

WELCOME TO CATALONIA! Once settled in the hotel, our guides will give you information regarding tour details and will complete the setup of your bike. You have spare time to visit the “Barri Vell” (Old Neighborhood), the historical center of the city where you can find unique constructions in Europe: the roman city walls, “el Call” (one of the best conserved jewish quarters in Spain) and the Gothic Cathedral, with the widest central nave in the world. We recommend too a visit to the river Onyar colored houses that, together with the numerous bridges and the Cathedral in the background, define the most emblematic image of Girona.

At night we will have dinner in one of many traditional restaurants available. Lodging in a central 4* hotel.

DAY 2: GIRONA - PALS

92 km / Elevation 330m

After breakfast, we start our tour crossing the Space of Natural Interest" of Les Gavarres. Climbing through a narrow and winding road, very popular for local cyclists, we find at the top (357m) a X Century chapel and we get to admire a whole view of the Gavarres massif and the plain of L'Empordà.

Tour continues crossing beautiful and picturesque medieval villages like Sant Sadurní de l'Heura or Cruïlles until we arrive to the Capital of ceramics and pottery, La Bisbal d'Empordà. We then take a very beautiful road that ascends to the Coll de la ganga (200m) and crosses a tipically mediterranean forest of holm and cork oaks.

Once at the top, a nice descent will take us to the sea. We will follow the coast line finding the fishing village of Palamós. Riding through the seafront promenade we arrive to the harbor, with a lot of all kind of boats that bring in fresh fish every day.

We are going to visit a winery, placed in a protected area at the foot of the mountain, in a semi-buried building.

Afterwards you can either keep riding to Pals, where we stay for the night, or be taken directly to the hotel, a completely reconditioned fortified XVI century country house, in our support vehicle.

Dinner at the hotel.

A THRILLING ROUTE One of the most attractive regions in Europe Gorgeous crystal water coves in “Costa Brava” Picturesque fishing villages Rural roads through fields and gardens The most genuine medieval villages of the “Baix Empordà” region Tasting of catalan “Cava” in a magnifiscent medieval environment The exquisite catalan cuisine, a wonderful experience together with warm hospitality of catalan people

ITINERARY / WINE’S ROUTE / DAY 3– 4 DAY 3: MEDIEVAL VILLAGES ROUTE 61 km / Elevation 810m Circular route calmly riding through rural roads and rural landscape, sorrounded by rice fields, fruit trees, cereals and splattered with romanic churches and picturesque medieval villages like Peratallada, Pals (the most visited and best preserved in the region), Ullastret, Palau-Sator or Monells, where time really seems to have stopped.

Our itinerary will take us to the rice fields area of Pals, place of great natural and landscape interest and will continue getting close to the sea to visit the charming and picturesque village of Calella de Palafrugell, with its white façades that remind us its fishing past.

In the afternoon we will visit one of the winaries distinguished by Robert parker. A former XVIII century country house where award-winning wines, which have become synonym of high quality, are produced.

For dinner we will enjoy a barbecue by the hotel's pool with grilled meat, typical catalan cold meats and "pa amb tomata" (tomato's spread bread), all accompanied with cava, catalan sparkling wine.

Lodging in the same hotel.

THE MOST IMPORTANT INCLUDED VISITS:

DAY 4: PALS - L’ESCALA 58 km / Elevation 160m After breakfast we continue our trip towards Alt Empordà riding through agriculture fields and little medieval villages. Today's route main point is the Montgrí massif, crowned by a XII and XIII century castle from which all Empordà plain can be admired.

The route continues and we meet Mediterranean sea again. This time the fishing village of L'Escala, where we end today's stage, centres our attention. Our hotel is located in an extremely beautiful and historical place.

Our guides will prepare a delicious picnic.

Once settled in we will visit the ancient Greco-Roman city of Empúries, located just besides our hotel. It is the only archaelogical site in Iberian peninsula where greek and roman archaelogical remains can be found together. We can actually see very clearly how the city was arranged, and admire its houses, temples, streets, markets and stores.

Dinner at the hotel.

TEATRO-MUSEO DALÍ Biggest surrealist object in the world ARCHAELOGICAL SITE OF EMPÚRIES The only one in Iberian Peninsula where greek and roman remains can be found together TRADITIONAL FAMILY WINERY Visit and taste of wines in a reference Winery D.O. Empordà PERALADA CASTLE-MUSEUM Placed in a former XIV century convent

ITINERARY / WINE’S ROUTE / DAY 5 - 6 DAY 5: L’ESCALA Free day. A place like this deserves it. The hotel, placed in front of the sea, rests in a millenary spot which is considered one of the best of Costa Brava.

If you want more activity we invite you to make a further exploration of the zone, either riding, sailing or flying. Exploring Costa Brava is exceptionally attractive regardless of the way you do it.

Should you prefer a more relaxed experience, the pine sorrunded spa and Portitxol beach, in front of the hotel could well be your option.

In the afternoon we will visit Salvador Dali's Museum in Figueres. The biggest surrealistic object of the world.

We will have dinner in one of its best mediterranean and seafood restaurants of L'Escala.

Lodging at the same hotel.

DAY 6: L’ESCALA - GARRIGUELLA

50 km / Elevation 90m

Day starts riding towards north of Alt Empordà, passing by Sant Martí d'Empúries, a small IX century village, very close to our hotel, sorrounded by its original walls.

After crossing Aiguamolls de l'Empordà, a natural park (wetland declared spot of natural interest that enjoys a great variety of ornithological migratory fauna), we arrive to Empuriabrava, the biggest residential marina in the world. Its originality lies in its urban structure, based in a network of sailing canals up to 30 km long.

Our journey continues in Castelló d'Empúries, a medieval village that still possesses architectural jewels from the past. We will visit the XIII century basilica of Santa Maria, known as "The Cathedral of Empordà" because of its magnitude and its Catalan Gothic style.

In Vilajuïga we will vist the modern "Celler Espelt" winery, one of the main producers of this area.

After this visit we arrive to Garriguella, where our hotel is located. It's an old country house build in the year 1800. Completely restored and remodelled it still preserves its typical catalan vault ceilings.

Dinner in traditional cuisine restaurant and lodging in a 3* spa hotel.

ONE ROUTE, SEVERAL OPTIONS Routes designed to enjoy them at your own rate.

Take your time to take a good picture or to have a tasty coffee.

The most important places and visits have been taken into account.

Mileage has been calculated thoroughly as well to keep you feet till the end of the day.

Additional mileage offered for our most exigent clients.

ITINERARY / WINE’S ROUTE / DAY 7 - 8 DAY 7: GARRIGUELLA - GIRONA

49 km / Elevation 330m

We will discover today the wildest and most natural area of Alt Empordà, pedalling through vineyards and olive trees. We are right in the middle of the DO Empordà. We'll encounter multitude of wineries and agricultural cooperatives that elaborate their own products using always traditional methods.

In the morning we will visit the oldest oil mill of the region and a family runned winery where DO Empordà are produced.

In the evening we will visit the "Castell de Peralada" Museum, placed in a former XIV Century Carmelites Convent. We can admire its library, with some 80.000 volumes, the wine museum (with a wide range of historical objects related to wine history, some of them nearly 700 years old) or the old parts of the convent: the cloisters and the gothic church.

After this visit we will head to Girona, where our last hotel is waiting for us.

At night, farewell dinner at one of the most emblematic restaurants of Girona.

Lodging in 4* Hotel, the same of the first night

DAY 8: DEPARTURE After breakfast, farewell and end of our services.

NOTE: Possibility of extra days in Costa Brava, Girona or Barcelona. Consult us.

WHAT’S INCLUDED? / WINE’S ROUTE PRICES 2014 Minimum Group : 4 people* Tours available from: March 1st to October 31st Price per person (double occupancy) ……...………....……….…..

2.400 €

Supplements: Single Occupancy supplement ............................................... *Minimum group supplement (per person): 2 people group ……………………..……....…..…………...…..…...

3 people group ………………………………..….………...……..….

350 € 600 € 300 €

Other options Bike rental Bianchi Intenso….......…….………………………...…....

140 € Transfers to Barcelona /hotel /Barcelona Airport ................

50 € Extra night in Girona, Barcelona, Costa Brava ……………....…. Consult us Optional Travel Insurance (2.500€ cancellation costs) 75 €

INCLUDED Arrivals & Departures Transfers to and from Girona Train Station or Girona Airport to Hotel Lodging & meals 7 nights at selected 3* and 4* hotels and charming rural houses.

Breakfast every day, lunches or picnics, snacks and drinks throughout all the route. All meals with wine included.

Support Minimum of one guide + one support vehicle. (depending on group size) Road book with maps and tour documentation in spanish, english or german.

24h personalized care.

Clothes clean and ready every day.

Luggage transportation during the tour.

Client transportation in our support vehicle if necessary.

Insurances Travel and cancellation Insurance (consult policy)

NOT INCLUDED Plane ticket, air taxes and airport taxes.

Bike rental.

Optional travel or cancellation insurance.

Guide tips Personal items purchased during the tour.

Optional activities not programmed by Utopic Bike Travel Any aspect not specified in the above section.

MAIN REASONS TO TRAVEL WITH UTOPIC BIKE TRAVEL: We design our own trips * Our team is formed by a group of young nature and cycling lovers who have decided that their passion would become their way of life * Our guides have spent their lifes on their bikes and have covered thousands of miles on each zone * We want to share our experiences with our clients * For us, every client is unique, every need is different and every trip is unrepeatable!

LODGING & MEALS / WINE’S ROUTE LODGING In UTOPIC BIKE TRAVEL we have made a selection of what we think are special lodgings, regardless of their price or category. They are usually located in unique surroundings and placed at historical or ancient buildings with a great architectural value.

Charming and inviting places which are family-runned and join quality, peacefulness and personalized care.

In this route COSTA BRAVA, FROM SOUTH TO NORTH we will stay in little 3* and 4* hotels (spanish qualification) and in rural houses. Given their characteristics, we cannot allocate accomodation until we receive confirmation of availability by the hotel.

MEALS & GASTRONOMY To taste Catalonia can become a great experience! It possesses an extraordinary lanscape and patrimonial richness, but it is undoubtedly one of the main gastronomic destinations in the world. Catalan gastronomy dates from classic roman age. A complex, assorted and rich cuisine, plenty of mediterranean influences and based on all kind of products (seafood, vegetables, and all kind of meat). It is adapted to every season and all sort of traditions, as well. We cannot talk about gastronomy without including wine. Catalonia is the number one producer of high quality wine in Spain and one of the most important wine producing areas in Europe, holding a great history. Ancient Greek and Roman introduced the wine-making process and, by middle-age, catalan monasteries conitnued with this practice. Nowadays, Catalonia has eleven protected denominations of origin, spreaded throughout all our territor, with a great variety of white, rosé and red wines.

In this trip we will taste this country’s traditional dishes and we will discover the authentic Emporda’s cuisine, which masterfully combines fish and seafood, local fruits and vegetables and meat and cheeses from this zone. Every morning abundant breakfasts containing dairy products, cereals, bread, fruit and natural juices are waiting for us. Besides, in most of our selected lodgings we will find typical cold meats (all sort of sausages and ham), home made bakery and jam, and more…

Lunches are adapted depending on the route we are making and, therefore, can be more varied. A picnic on the top of a hill, some snack in a bar by the sea, energy bars right after surmounting a mountain pass…

Supper time in UTOPIC BIKE TRAVEL is intended to enjoy the authentic local gastronomy. Every night we will taste the most traditional and popular local dishes, either at the hotel’s restaurant or at some popular one around the place.

And of course, a good meal must be accompanied by a good wine. A good DO (denomination of origin) or a good house wine will surely complete the event.

In some of our trips we give the opportunity to our guests to explore by themselves and do it their way to discover places or restaurants the might find interesting. These meals are not included in the price of the tour.

Nevertheless, our guides will be delighted to suggest you any of our favourite restaurants if you want.

GENUINE CATALAN GASTRONOMY

“Cuisine is landscape put into a cooking pot” Josep Pla

TYPICAL PRDUCTS Like sweet catalan sausage, “requit de drap” (local cottage cheese), rice of Pals, prawn of Palamós…

TYPICAL DISHES Like “escalivada”, “platillos”, grilled meat, cuttlefish with green peas, all kind of fish “suquets” and all sort of rice dishes…

ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES / WINE’S ROUTE HOW TO GET HERE Flights. We recommend you toarrive at least one day prior to the start of our tour. It will allow you to adapt to a different time zone and will minimize risks of missing the start of the trip because of flight delay. There are two airports close to Girona: Barcelona Airport – El Prat, is the biggest and most important airport in Catalonia. 100 km from Girona. It receives flights from companies operating all over the world..

Girona Airport – Costa Brava, much smaller. Is the closest one. There are a few companies operating in it, most of them low cost like Ryanair. If you come from a EU country this is the cheapest and best option.

There are several option to transfer from Barcelona Airport to Girona (besides taxi).

Bus. There is a direct bus from the airport to Girona three times a day. It takes 1 hour and 50 minutes from T2 terminal and 1 hour and 35 minutes from T1 terminal.Further information in www.alsa.es Train. If your flight’s arrival does not let you take the bus, train is available too. You must go to Sants Station in Barcelona and then change trains to go to Girona. Further information in www.renfe.es Utopic Bike Travel offers an optional transfer service from Barcelona Airport to Girona and vice versa. (consult optional supplements in the price list).

DEPARTURE If you want to fly the same day the tour ends, please schedule your flight to leave after 16:00 PM to avoid delays due to traffic problems.

HOUR & MEETING PLACE Girona / Catalonia. Our guides will be waiting for you in one of theses places: Our Girona hotel, Train/Bus station, Girona - Costa Brava airport or Barcelona - El Prat airport (with supplement) One week prior to the start of the tour we will arrange our meeting place and time. You will receive an email with our guides names and their contact details. If you cannot get on time to the scheduled meeting please contact our guides and, should they not be availabe either, please inform the hotel of your expected arrival time. You will find all hotels contact details in the mail once we have confirmed all reservations.

BOOK NOW If you are ready just fill our reservation form.

If you think this tour does no adapt to your needs either because of its duration, lodging category, or budget...

BESPOKE TRAVEL We are specialists designing taylormade trips. We can modify any of our available tours or arrange a completely new one for you. Tell us your ideas a we can make it together.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / WINE’S ROUTE WEATHER Catalonia is famous for its warm days and fresh nights. Days are sunny and hot in summer and mild in spring and autumn. You can expect lower temperatures in the mountains zone, specially at night. But weather is definitely privileged in Costa Brava: mild temperatures throughout the year, with moderate oscillations and mostly sunny. This is the result of Pyrenees protection in the North and Mediterranean Sea in the East. Cold weather in winter is regulated by a warm stream, whereas higher summer temperatures are alleviated by the fresh breeze coming from the sea.

Hottest months are July and August, november is the rainiest and January and February are the coldest ones.

BIKE RENTAL Check the specs of our bikes.

ACTIVITY LEVELS We have tours for eveyone. You can find the one that suits you best.

FAQS In our “FAQ” section you will find answers to all your questions.

INSURANCES Every Utopic Bike Travel tour includes its Travel Insurance. Consult our policy.

CONTRACT GENERAL CONDITIONS Consult our contract general conditions.

IMPORTANT This document is a generic travel offer that must be considered as provisional since it is published beforehand the actual tour. The final travel contract (handed once the payment of the tour is done) contains all the services contracted definitely.

In Utopic Bike Travel we try our best to offer the perfect trip to all of ous clients. This is why our guides reserve the right to modify the itinerary of our routes either by weather or logistic causes.

ROADBOOK, MAPS AND BROCHURES You don’t have to worry about anything in our guided tours, but we will hand you a roadbook containing detailed information (maps, profiles and suggestions to know what to expect ahead of us).

SUPPORT VEHICLE At your disposal throughout the day.

Food, drinks, clean clothes, bike spare parts or simply to keep any of the shopping you made during the day or to take you back to the hotel ahead of schedule.