Spain Tour Reviews — 181 to 210 of 236

We loved the scenery, the historic towns and the lovely hotels. It was much more challenging than we expected. We followed your guidelines and felt prepared but this is not an "easy" ride. It is, however, a beautiful ride with breathtaking views.

The most memorable part of the trip was arriving at the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. After 6 days of cycling over varied and often challenging surfaces it was a thrill to reach our ultimate destination. What a way to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary!
Other highlights include turning in our Pilgrim's Passport to receive our certificates of completion, attending Mass in the Cathedral, as well as the magnificent coastal scenery along the way.
Sergio and his team - Tiago, José and Pédro - are real pros. Safety is their number one concern and they are extremely attentive to the needs of their riders. The bicycles were well-maintained and adjusted as required.The support van was a much appreciated added feature.
Our accommodations were top-notch, in fact one place was the nicest in which we have ever stayed. The breakfast selections at every stop were plentiful and varied.
It was enjoyable speaking to the walking pilgrims and finding out their countries of origin.
If walking is not the way you choose to complete your Camino Journey we highly recommend joining this tour. Make sure that during your preparation you not only cycle "distances". Cycle "hills" and if possible a "variety of surfaces".
Everyone in our group of 22 felt a real sense of accomplishment having completed 280 km of challenging terrain.
The great food, wine and fellow cyclists add to the enjoyment.

The vistas on this trip were the most spectacular we've seen. Coming down a hill and seeing the cliffs along the coastline and the roaring ocean, the picturesque villages and green fields dotted with cows was unforgettable. Hearing the clanging cowbells only added to the experience! The accommodations were top notch and including breakfast was the way to go. However, anyone taking this trip should be prepared to climb many hills. Not sure this is "easy to moderate" until the last day!

Cycling on the camino in Portugal and Spain was beautiful at every turn but the most memorable part was the wonderful people we encountered, both those walking or cycling and those who lived along the way.

All trips with Hennie are always the best experience possible while on 2 wheels!
Thank you very much for all of your hard work in providing the best tours possible!

The bike trip was amazing! So impressed with the head of company who organized the trip and did the route and brought us our bikes. Hotels were all wonderful and included breakfast. Trip of a lifetime!

Highlights: Learning about how the farmers deal with the sparse rail fall and seeing the lava gravel covering the fields to assist in collecting the condensation. Seeing the unique way that they cultivate grape wines for the wine in individual walled semi-circles was amazing. I would rate this ride as a moderate to difficult, taking into account the elevation of the mountains.

Most Memorable Part: How friendly and clean the Catalonia was

Great bike paths - mostly paved & little riding on highways with traffic

Our guid Jeff Lacey was outstanding and and certainly added to the enjoyment of the trip which was very well organized.

I loved this trip, even tho it rained two days we were riding the Camino. Our guide was very knowledgeable and so patient and kind. My only concern was the bicycle was too large for me and there was no other option in the shop. I am 5' 1" tall and was on the same bike as my husband who is 5' 11". I needed a smaller bicycle. But I managed. It also did a Bike and Barge with Tripsite three years ago and was very pleased.

The scenery was awesome and the whole trip was fantastically organized and Jeff Lacey our guide was tremendous. We would recommend this trip to all our friends and will in all probability do another one in a year or two.

A wonderful self-guided bike trip. Perfect weather in early October. Map & instructions occasionally confusing, but adequate.
Hotels & food very good at all stops. A few climbs, but not really challenging for an experienced rider. Highly recommend!

I have taken many Tripsite bike/barge tours but this was my first van-supported tour. Sergio and Enrique, did a fantastic job of guiding our group of 9 along the route. The hybrid bikes provided were sturdy and in good condition. As others have noted, the coastal portions are relatively easy and flat - on beach promenades and boardwalks - but, once inland, the difficulty level increases drastically. The 20%+ grades on narrow lanes were a challenge but fun. Well, they were more fun going down than up :) You will ride on every type of surface - good pavement, wooden boardwalks, cobblestones, loose sand, rocks, gravel dirt tracks, forest trails, city streets, dodging traffic in the many roundabouts ... The daily distances are not that long but you are guaranteed to be tired at the end of the day! I would highly recommend this trip to any experienced and fit cyclist! The accommodations and food were first rate all the way. And the fact that we were riding the Camino de Santiago, the same route as the pilgrims walk, make the trip extra special.

I have booked 4 trips with Tripsite. Two others on boats and this was my favorite. Sailing the boat was really fun. The crew and guides top notch. The food was the best yet. It's always great to mingle with people from all over the globe and find out we are all the same.

The self-guided cycling tour of the Camino in Portugal and Spain was a great way to experience the Camino with our own small group.

My friend and I rode the Camino de Santiago from Porto the coastal route. Scenery was wonderful!
We did the self-guided tour using the Garmin gps. Once we got familiar with reading the gps the route was fairly easy to follow. We started with only 1 Garmin, but got a second gps on the second day of our tour. I highly recommend having 2! We found it very helpful double checking the route between the two of us.
The accommodations were outstanding! And each hotel had such a nice breakfast each morning!
Everyone we had contact with was helpful and friendly.
The description of the route "easy to moderate" would be accurate for persons who are physically active on a regular basis. Portions of the route could be very difficult for some.
I would suggest more emphasis on long days riding than the mileage. The bikes were very comfortable, but heavy in comparison to the bikes we are accustomed to riding. And the route conditions vary so much along the way that it is slow bicycling.
This was my first cycling trip and I loved it! Would highly recommend it!

What a delightful bike ride. The bike rental people/shop were very helpful and they provided us with good quality equipment and bikes. We enjoyed the country paths and wonderful views. The uphills on the asphalts were not for the faint hearted... you need to be in shape. The variety of foods were truly gastronomical satisfying. The picnic basket with local produce was an appreciate "extra" to make the trip that much more special.

It was my second trip managed by Tripsite and everything was perfect. The route was amazing.

This trip was, like others organized by Tripsite, fantastic. The duration was perfect, the rating easy-moderate was correct. Note that there are a few places where you have to dismount and walk your bike. The local partner in Porto was great. My brother's chain snapped, and they organized a repair in the next town before we even got to it, and my brother's bike was fixed within hours.
The local operator clearly care about cycling a lot. They were very organized and friendly and gave us a walking tour of Porto the day before we set out.
The scenery is fantastic, the food is great, take advantage and eat a lot of cod! I wish we had stayed a little longer in Santiago, as it is a wonderful city. The bikes we were provided were excellent. In short, one of the best adventures of my life. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Lanzarote is a beautiful destination perfect for a week of cycling! The volcanic landscape, mountains, caves, architecture, ocean views, climbs and downhills are all amazing. Unfortunately, our experience with our fist hotel and Papagayo Bike could not be described as beautiful or amazing. Our first two nights in Costa Teguise were spent at a hotel geared toward toddlers (H10 Lanzarote Garden Hotel). The room and breakfast options were quite good but the hotel was exceptionally overrun with toddler, strollers, and toddler oriented entertainment. This "toddler hotel" became even more disappointing when we found Papagayo bike shop located at, and nearly inside, a much more adult oriented hotel on the water. Again, unfortunately Papagayo Bikes did not meet our expectations. As a nearly two meter tall person I had specifically asked about bike fit and been told they could fit me just fine. The employees at Papagayo knew little about bike fit and how to move seats and bars. I had not brought my own tools because I had been told I'd be provided a small tool kit. I had to beg to take a hex key from the shop so I could make small adjustments along the way on my too small bike. The hybrid bikes provided were rather worn out and not at all up to the standard of the road bikes being rented out at this shop. We had to decline the first bike provided to my wife due to poor shifting and noisy brakes. The second bike seemed okay and she rode that for the first day of the tour, only to have difficulties with the brakes throughout that day. Although the route description we signed up for said we would be staying in Haria at the north end of the island our second night, we were not booked into accommodation in Haria and instead had an 80 km first day to get back to Costa Teguise for another night at the toddler hotel. Since we were nearby the bike shop, the next morning we brought my wife's bike back to Papagayo. They said the brakes could not be fixed right then and received what was now her third bike. She rode that one, dusty from being in storage, for the rest of the tour. When she got a flat on a long climb we discovered her spare tube was for a mountain sized tire! Luckily, the tube in my own pannier was the correct size and we were not stranded. New, correct sized tubes were immediately dropped at our second hotel the Florida. Our experience at the Florida was lovely in every way. The room, the food, the entire experience was just lovely. Our experience, and disappointment at the start of the tour, were smoothed over and tempered by the amazing island of Lanzarote and the much more adequate accommodations after those first two nights. We had a lovely experience despite the less than stellar first hotel and issues with the bicycles.

In relation to overall satisfaction for the trip we felt the breaks for coffee and lunch were a bit long and being in November daylight at the end of the day was an issue so in our opinion the breaks needed to be shorter.
In relation to hotel food overall the breakfasts provided were superb except for the hotel in Alcala La Real (Hotel Terrepalma) where the breakfast was both meagre and unhealthy. If the hotel can't accommodate the breakfast requirements perhaps another location for breakfast could be found for a group of hungry bikers.
In relation to the route descriptions that were written for the bikers to carry they were, at times, difficult to follow and somewhat confusing. For the most part the guide was able to offset the confusion.
The time of the year impacted the scenery as most fields were plowed under and there was a lot of smoke from fall burning making the views hazy however we did have fantastic weather which certainly added to the scenic experience.
Our guide, Jeff Lacey, was amazing! He was knowledgeable and attentive, great with people, excellent bike technician, fluent in both Spanish and English, he was encouraging and overall having him as a guide truly added excellence to this trip.
Thank you Tripsite for all your support prior to this trip. Your support and organization before the trip were truly appreciated, prompt and well executed.
What was the most memorable part of our trip? The variety in the terrain including the scenery!

The written notes for the trail description were poorly written and not accurate. Our guide made up for this with proper verbal description for each segment.
The hotels were all superb with the the one exception ( Hotel Torre Palma) where the breakfast was lacking, just some pastries, bread, coffee and juice and no fruit, cheese, meat or yogurt.
Overall the trip was excellent and we surely enjoyed our extra knowledgeable guide Jeff.

The road from Caminha to Baiona was the most memorable part of trip. The hotel in Caldas dos Reis was beautiful!!
Our guides Pedro and Tiago were very good.

Sergio did an excellent job. He provided transfers from the airport and even though flights got seriously delayed, he was there to meet everyone. His bikes were in top condition, he provided the most complete selection of tools and spares that we have ever had, he was very accessible, his restaurant suggestions were very good, and his GPS routing worked flawlessly. When we finished one trip, he made sure the bikes were cleaned up and tuned up before we started the next leg.

The trip notes were very brief but what was provided was accurate and the GPS made up for any gaps. This was an incredible trip provided by an a very well run provider.

I have been on several Tripsite trips over the last few years, and this was one of the best. There were several reasons: The food and wine was fantastic and inexpensive; the scenery was incredible; the hotels were great, and I loved having the route on a GPS. One of the highlights was our walking tour in Porto - Joanna was absolutely terrific - her knowledge and guidance made for one of the best days of the trip. Sergio was great - he looked after us well on the first day, making sure the bikes were properly adjusted and we were all comfortable and he followed up with us via email during both weeks. He also came out to our hotel after the first week and cleaned and serviced the bikes!! The "bonus" was Sergio's restaurant recommendations - each one served authentic local cuisine and were not "touristy". I have already recommended this trip to several friends.

The most memorable part of this trip were the rides down empty country roads, loving the scenery and quiet. A great choice of roads!

The best trip ever!!! Hope to do it again!

Inspirational ride along the Portuguese and Spanish coastline! This trip is truly outstanding. The trip operator's personalized customer service was above and beyond! Though we did a self-guided tour, we felt very supported throughout our entire stay. The package included a walking tour of the city of Porto. Definitely take advantage of this. We had a personalized four hour tour which was rich with information and recommendations for the rest of our stay. Sergio, the owner of the tour operator checked in with us daily and even picked us up at the end to drive us back to the Porto train station to catch an early train to Lisbon. The biking route takes you along beachside boardwalks, many cobblestone roads, some mountain biking as well as some paved roads. You will ride through beaches, forests and vineyards and weave through tiny villages. The route is very well marked, especially in Spain, but the terrain can be challenging at times. While I found this a little difficult to adjust to in the beginning, I wound up enjoying the adventure and appreciating the sense of accomplishment that came at the end of each day. The stopping points each night were amazing. Each town had its own character and was filled with local charm. The hotel accommodations were outstanding. We stayed in castles and inns that were truly unique. Throughout the trip, but particularly the last few days, we encountered many people walking the camino and it was awesome to stop and chat with them at coffee stops and wish each other the typical "buen camino" along the way. We were given an accreditation booklet where were collected stamps from our various stops along the camino. At the end, we received a certificate in Santiago for completing the camino. Though we did not take this route for religious reasons, the trip proved to be very spiritual and inspirational. I would do it again!

Loved the trip and especially our guides, the hotels, the food., the scenery..The Way was interesting and challenging (some gravel, some sand, beach boardwalks, etc; walked a bit but not because it was too hilly. We actually biked theough vineyards and even under trellises of grapes!! ) If you have a choice don't start the cycling portion on a weekend during beach season. (Dodging beach goers disturbs the scenery and calm). Porto is lovely and interesting too. A great opportunity to slow down and enjoy the countryside. None of us needed to ride in the van!!!