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The
Route of the Caliphate -
Self Guided Cycling from Cordova
to
Granada |
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Self-guided
cycling trip, 8 days/ 7 nights
Cordova
Granada
Moderate: Stages are
between 29 and 60 km long and some have
a hilly profile
Start any day for self-guided
tours (min. 2 pax)
€775 per person (min.
2 participants)*
€95
During „Semana Santa“ (Easter
Week) 14. – 23. March, the Feria
in Cordoba 17 – 25. May, Spanish
Bank holidays: 1.-5. May, 6.-14. October,
31.October - 4. November, 2.-10. December
and Christmas and New Year’s Eve
21. December 2008 – 8. January 2009
• 7 nights accommodation in double room with breakfast, with private shower/WC
or bathroom in 2* and 3* or in country hotels (one of the country hotels is quite
small, so it might happen, that you have to share the bathroom)
• 3 dinners
• Entrance ticket to the Alhambra on day 7
• Documentation (cultural information & description of the routes with detailed
information and maps)
• Bike rental*
(bike will be delivered in Baena and will be collected in Granada)
• Luggage transport
*The bike is a comfortable mountain bike (Giant, Megamo, Jamis) with 27 speeds
(Shimano Deore), V-brake breaks and front suspension. It will be delivered with
helmets, water bottle, repair kit, extra inner tube, some oil, a lock, bungee
strap, a small front bag and a km counter) |
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A cycling
adventure through Andalusia’s past
and culture, a journey of discovery that
evokes the natural beauty and cultural
heritage of the Route of the Caliphate.
The ride leads through wide variety of
terrains, passing through a host of villages
Betake a journey through time and across
unique landscapes and natural reserves
that feature along the way. Ride through
landscapes with tranquil hills of olive
groves, holm-oak woods, vegetable gardens
and vineyards, rushing streams, imposing
watchtowers, proud castles, impeccable
farmhouses and humble farmsteads, all giving
the backdrop to an unforgettable visit.
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For more information or e-mail us at info@govisitireland.com
Day 1: Arrival Cordoba:
Arrive in good time so as to visit the famous "Mezquita" (Grand Mosque).
Later, a walk through the old Jewish quarter to see its beautiful patios and
have tapas in its inns. Finally we suggest you to experience an authentic flamenco
show to get you ready for a journey, which has only just begun.
Day 2: Cordova-Baena-Luque-Priego, 35 km:
From Cordoba you go to Baena by bus. The bikes are handed over at Baena bus station.
After breakfast in Baena, you set out towards Luque, and from there on quiet
county roads to Fuente Aljama. Riding through mountains, you will arrive finally
in the charming town of Priego.
Day 3: Priego-Carcabuey-Cabra-Zuheros, 54 km:
From Priego you are making for Carcabuey on an old disused road. Heading along
a little country road past the village of Algar, you then climb to the Gaena
mountain pass. From there you have a long and pronounced descent to the splendid
town of Cabra. You take the "Vía Verde" (old reconditioned railway
line), in gentle ascent to the romantic village of Zuheros.
Day 4: Zuheros-Luque-Alcaudete-Castillo de Locubín-Alcalá la
Real,
60 km:
Today you bid farewell to the Subbetica mountains, to immerse yourselves in the
countryside of Jaén, riding along the comfortable "Vía Verde" (old
railway line). After passing the station in Alcaudete, you continue uphill, and
the more bumpy trails and imposing watchtowers above remind you that you are
entering Nasrid territory. you encounter the majestic "La Mota" fortress
defending the town of Alcalá.
Day 5: Alcalá la Real-Santa Ana-Tózar,
30 km:
After visiting the La Mota fortress, with its thick castle walls, imposing towers
and the old cathedral built by the reconquering Christians within its confines,
you head out of Alcalá la Real over its fertile plain, (and adjacent villages
of Fuente del Rey and Santa Ana), riding between fields of cereal crops which
are full of poppies in springtime. Once passed Casillas de Mures, the landscape
changes and you head towards Tózar, just before the final bastion of the
Nasrid kingdom, Moclín. This village awaits you in the distance beneath
the watchful eye of its imposing castle.
Day 6: Tózar-Moclín-Olivares-Alfacar y Víznar-Granada,
58
km:
After climbing to Moclín you will enjoy the great views of the Sierra
Nevada during the large descent to Olivares. Soon the beautiful plain comes into
sight, its arrival announced by the last watchtower you will see, opposite the "tres
Juanes" hermitage. Sierra Nevada forms an impressive backdrop. You now approach
Granada, and have the option of entering the city from the North, taking a longer
route through the foothills of the Alfaguara Mountains.
Day 7: Today you explore the city and the amazing Alhambra:
This Palace/Fortress and residence of the Nasrid Sultans will awake your affection
for the city. Delightful little corners, palaces and gardens abound in its old
neighborhoods, along with a multitude of tapas bars, restaurants and wine houses...
All this will bring you to love a city that is as full of life as it is of history
and poetry.
Day 8: End of the journey in Granada and departure
After breakfast in the hotel your trip will be over and by bus or train you can
get to Cordova, Malaga, Seville or Madrid.
Traveling on the route of the Caliphate is an experience that brings together
two of the most emblematic cities of ancient al-Andalus: Cordova, home to the
ruling Caliphs, philosophers, astronomers, mathematicians and doctors who illuminated
the Middle Ages with knowledge, centuries ahead of the European Renaissance.
And on the other end Granada, whose mighty kingdom cultivated the sciences above
all and where formal refinement and architectural decoration reached levels unmatched
in any society of its time. Travel to see these two cities, on a journey that
combines culture, nature and anthropology, delighting the senses at every step.
Enjoy the villages, castles, churches and towns that stretch before you just
waiting to be discovered, such as Baena, Luque, Priego, Zuheros, Alcaudete, Castillo
de Locubín, Alcalá la Real, Tózar, Moclín, that now
give their name to some of the world's finest olive oils. You will find them
the perfect place to relax and recover lost energy with the best food and wines
this region has to offer.
Although each season holds its own particular charm, we advise you to plan this
tour in spring (March to June) to take advantage of the explosion of color in
the surrounding countryside, the splendor of the Subbéticas, the smell
of the olive mills and the views of the last snowfalls on the Sierra Nevada that
will accompany you on the last two stages!
Getting there (to Cordova):
Most common way is to fly to Malaga from Shannon & Dublin with Ryanair or
from Cork & Dublin with Aer Lingus. From Malaga you have various options
of getting to Cordova:
Via Malaga:
By taxi: Malaga Airport to Cordova approx. 185 € (at night and on weekends
a surcharge of 40 € will be applied)
By bus: from Malaga to Cordova: You first need to get to the bus station either
by taxi (20 – 25 €) or take the Bus No. 19 that leaves right in front
of the arrival hall – it leaves every half an hour, takes about half an
hour and costs 2 €.
Malaga bus station – Cordoba bus station (3 hrs/ 12€)
daily: 9:00, 11:15, 15:00, 16:00, 18:15
In Cordova it is approx. € 8 by taxi from the bus station to the hotel.
Check schedules, prices and possible changes on www.continental-auto.es
Getting back home (from Granada)
Via Seville:
By bus: 8.00-9.00-10.00-12.00-14.30-15.30-16.30-18.30-20.00 (2h45-3 hours, 18 €)
By train: 8.18-11.40-16.39-20.55 (3h10, 20,05 €)
Via Madrid:
By train: 8:00, 17:05 (6h10, 31-36 €)
By bus: 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 13:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00 (5h30,
15 €)
Via Granada airport:
by bus: take the airport bus from the city center to the airport (45 min./ 3 €)
by taxi: approx. 20 – 40 min./ 25 €
Via Malaga:
By taxi: 150 € (at night and on weekends a surcharge of 40 € will be
applied)
By bus: to the bus station in Malaga (1h 45/ 10€)
7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 9:30, 10:00 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 13:30, 14:30, 15:00, 16:00,
17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:15, 21:00
and in Malaga to the airport either with the bus no. 19 (every half hour, takes
half an hour and costs 2 €) or by taxi for 20 – 25 €Check schedules,
prices and possible changes on www.continental-auto.es
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