Exploring Gandia by Bike

Exploring Gandia by Bike Exploring Gandia by Bike: A Perfect Destination for Cycling Enthusiasts Gandia, nestled on Spain’s Costa Blanca, offers an incredible variety of landscapes that make it an ideal destination for cycling enthusiasts of all kinds. Whether you’re looking for a leisurely ride along the coast or a challenging mountain bike adventure, Gandia has something to offer. This guide will explore the best options for bike rental and routes in the area, catering to both occasional visitors and serious cyclists seeking a winter training camp. Why Choose Gandia for Cycling? Gandia’s unique geography offers the best of both worlds for cyclists. The coastal plains provide flat, easy-going routes perfect for relaxed rides, while the nearby mountains offer challenging terrain for those seeking more intense workouts. This variety makes Gandia a great base for cyclists of all levels. On-Road Cycling: Exploring Coastal Flatlands and Scenic Routes For those who enjoy road cycling, Gandia offers a plethora of scenic routes along its coastline. The flatlands near the coast are perfect for leisurely rides where you can soak in the Mediterranean views, explore charming coastal towns, and stop at various points of interest. The roads are generally well-maintained and provide a…

Read Article

All-Inclusive Mountain Biking Holidays Spain

We were delighted when we received a booking from Rob on behalf of himself, his wife Frances and their friends Brian and Christine who wanted to take advantage of one of our all-inclusive mountain biking short break packages. Our offer of a three night stay with bed, breakfast and evening meal included as well as two days guided mountain biking with a packed lunch supplied suited them perfectly. The fact that we also allow a late check-out for these packages (effectively making it a four day break) was also a bonus for them, as their flight home only left in the evening, so they were able to enjoy an extra day around the pool. They had begun their Spanish holiday in Valencia, and then came to us by train on the Sunday. We collected them from Gandia station and brought them to our casa rural in time for lunch and then a leisurely afternoon around the pool before dinner. They then were keen to have a fairly early night, in preparation for their first day’s mountain biking that lay ahead. Dave Warrington from Mountain Biking Valencia arrived on Monday morning after breakfast to discuss with them the route they might…

Read Article

Family Mountain Bike Skills Training

Family Mountain Bike Skills Training We were contacted by Dave Warrington of Mountain Biking Valencia asking if we could accommodate a family from the United States who were going to be visiting Valencia as part of a tour of Spain. The group consisted of Bob and his wife Wendy, along with their 13 year old twin boys Mitchell and Griffen, their 15 year old daughter Claire and her friend Andi, and they wanted to spend a couple of days mountain biking in the Costa Blanca. We were happy to have them stay with us, and they arrived on the Tuesday morning from Valencia city, all ready for their 2 day mountain biking skills training course. Wendy decided she wanted some rest and relaxation, however, so she was happy for the rest of the family to go for their skills course whilst she spent the day taking it easy around the pool. Dad & the teenagers had a great time learning mountain biking techniques in a shady wooded area across the valley from here – a lovely spot and an excellent place to be on a hot and sunny day. They returned during the late afternoon, just in time to join…

Read Article

Mountain Biking Skills Training Week-end

Mountain Biking Skills Training Week-end We were delighted to welcome Raul and Eva to our casa rural in Gandia last weekend. They had booked one of our all-inclusive mountain biking packages which we offer in conjunction with MountainBikingValencia.com . These are available as a weekend break of 2 nights with one day’s guided mountain biking, a break of 3 nights with 2 days’ biking, or a week’s holiday of 7 nights with 3 days’ biking. Of course, if guests wanted a different length of stay, or more or less biking included, we would be only too pleased to tailor-make a holiday to their specifications. In any event, breakfast and dinner are included every day and packed lunches are provided on mountain biking trips, as well as the services of a qualified and experienced guide. Raul and Eva had previously used the services of Dave Warrington for single day excursions whilst they were already in the area for professional reasons, but this time they had decided they wanted to spend longer enjoying the surroundings in this lovely part of the country. They drove down from their home in Catalunya, arriving late on Friday evening, with the intention of spending the day on…

Read Article

Mountain Biking the GR-236 Monastery Route Part 2

Mountain Biking the GR-236 Monastery Route Part 2This Sunday, the opportunity presented itself for another mountain bike ride in the beautiful countryside of our region, so our intention was to follow the second part of the Monastery Route (GR-236), starting from the monastery at Simat and following the route to the Convent d’Aigües Vives and on to the Monastir de la Murta near Alzira. We loaded the bikes in the car and set off around 11.30, driving to Simat. We left the car there and followed a mixture of road and tracks through beautiful orange groves surrounded by stunning mountains. There were plenty of photo opportunities along the way, with backdrops of mountains, orchards and green valleys. The route was well marked through all the off-road sections and after slightly more than an hour we arrived at Aigües Vives, where the former convent is now in use as a country hotel. At the edge of the village we saw signs to a nearby golf course – renowned for its spectacular mountain setting – so we decided to make a detour to see for ourselves. The approach to the course is uphill along a very steep road, but well worth the…

Read Article

Mountain Biking the GR-236 Monastery Route Part 1

Mountain Biking the GR-236 Monastery Route Part 1For today’s mountain biking trip, we decided to take in the first 2 of the 5 monasteries, the Monastery of Sant Jeroni de Cotalba, in Alfauir & the Monastery of the Corpus Christi, in Llutxent, and returning home via Pinet, a route of 45km. We set off at 11am and cycled down to the first monastery, Sant Jeroni, only 5km from the villa, a nice gentle way to start the day. Cycling through orchards and a mixture of tracks and semi-surfaced paths. A quick photo opportunity and then time to set off in the direction of Benicolet. Following a well sign-posted route we meandered through the Spanish countryside on undulating tracks and paths, for another 10km and finally reached the village of Bencolet, from here we followed the main road for another 5km and reached the second of the Monastery, Corpus Christi, in Llutxent. We stopped at a local bar for refreshments and a well earned break. Next it was on to Pinet, again following well marked tracks and bridal paths, for the next 6km. We stopped again for a break and to rehydrate in the village and to gather ourselves for the…

Read Article

Guided Mountain Biking in Spain

David (guide) Mario, Alain & Scott – Mountain Biking in Spain Scott, Alain and Mario from Montreal in Canada arrived on Sunday evening to stay with us for six nights and the purpose of their visit was to spend their time here mountain biking in Spain, in the beautiful mountains and countryside of the La Safor region. Scott and Alain had visited the area before, and although they had hired bikes then, they had not taken advantage of the guided mountain bike service that is available. This time they decided to do just that, and be shown new routes that they would otherwise not have discovered for themselves. After their evening arrival from Canada, they dined with us that night before getting some well-earned rest and attempting to adjust their body clocks to European time. The following morning though, on the Monday, they were eager to get on the road and set off with Dave Warrington from Mountain Biking Valencia on a route of some 30kms in the mountains of the La Safor region, starting from Pla de Corrals. They took a packed lunch with them and had a great time, returning to us in the early evening in time…

Read Article

Cross Country – XC Mountain Biking in Spain

Cross Country XC Mountain Biking in Spain Today’s cross country XC mountain biking route,…We started the route in a high valley in the mountains behind my home,.. a 10 minute drive by car. The first couple of kilometres were a gentle pedal and this was followed by the first major ascent of the day, a 4km gruelling climb up to the next plateau. The past couple of month this specific climb has become a bit of a personal demon for me,… a number of factors (new bike, trail running, lack of training, early mornings) have contributed to my struggle against the mountain, but not today! For the first time in months I conquered the climb in one go, and still felt good once I got to the top. A very good omen for the remainder of the day, given that there was some 70km, still to go. The next 6km of the route was a beautiful high mountain riding, undulating tracks through pine forests and orchards, and this brought us to the first village & coffee stop for the day. Refreshed and re-hydrated, we set off to cross the Valle de Albaida, 20km of good pedalling on off-road tracks, interspersed with…

Read Article

Mountain Biking in Spain, Walking and Winter Sunshine Holidays

Autumn Activity Holiday – Mountain Biking in Spain, Walking and Winter Sunshine Towards the end of October we received a reservation from Anne and Nigel who wanted to come to our part of the Costa Blanca in order to have an activity holiday in some welcome autumn sunshine. It was their intention to spend time getting to know some of the towns and villages in this part of Spain – which they had not visited before – and also to be out in the beautiful countryside both on foot and with mountain bikes. Since they were experienced mountain bike enthusiasts, they had already been in touch with Mountain Biking Valencia to arrange the rental of bikes for some of the days of their visit. They wanted to combine some guided excursions with some skills training, so by the time they arrived they had a fairly clear idea of what they wanted from their holiday. Dave and his wife Carolina joined Anne and Nigel here at Gandia Casa Rural for dinner on the night of their arrival in order to meet with him face to face and decide on the form the ride should take on their first full day of Mountain…

Read Article

Mountain Biking in Spain

Now that the heat of summer has passed and daytime temperatures are very much more suitable for outdoor activities, I decided to take my partner Nigel out on a mountain biking expedition, along with my mountain biking coach Dave Warrington we set off on a day’s excursion into the beautiful mountains and countryside around us. We transported the bikes in the back of Dave’s minibus to Pla de Corrals, which was to be our starting point for the day’s outing. And a beautiful day it was too! The sun was shining and the weather was just perfect for the trip, so we were able to fully enjoy the wonderful scenery in this part of the La Safor region. Starting in the morning and up in the mountains it was still chilly to begin with but once we were on the trail, the warmth of the sunshine came through and made for a great day out. We biked along trails, roads and pathways through the villages of Barxeta and Genoves before reaching the beautiful inland town of Xativa where it was time for a well-earned refreshment break and a look around the old town. Xativa is a warren of narrow streets…

Read Article

Biking 100.1

Biking in Valencia Last week, along with my good friend Dave, we decided to go mountain biking in Valencia.We parked the van in the town of Xeraco, just north of Gandia. After an obligatory coffee, we set off at 10:30, along a quiet country road that took us through orange groves and up the coast to the town of Cullera. From there we followed 7km of road riding to the town of Sueca from where we entered the Natural Park of Albufera de Valencia. This section of the ride was particularly pleasant as we rode through the rice fields along surfaced but very quiet country lanes. By 12:30 we had reached the famous “Paella village” of El Palmar for another coffee break and to replenish our water supplies, before taking another quiet road out towards the coast, passing the lake of Albufera along the way. From here took another trail, this time right alongside the beach. This great little trail took us up the Mediterranean coast and right into the city of Valencia where we biked through the Turia gardens to the stunning architecture of the City of Arts & Sciences, just in time for lunch! Our original plan was…

Read Article

Guided Mountain Biking

We were really pleased to welcome the Cameron-Jones family when they stayed with us recently, as they were not only spending part of their family holiday in Spain with us here on the Costa Blanca, but also celebrating the 18th birthday of one of their sons, Max. They had booked four nights with us, and planned to spend one of their days on a guided mountain bike tour of the area as well. Tim and Samantha wanted to have a mix of rest and relaxation along with seeing some of the countryside in this beautiful region of Spain, so decided to spend part of each day relaxing around the pool as well as exploring some of the towns and beaches within easy reach of the villa. On the day of Max’s birthday, Tim and Max, along with his brother Alistair, went for a morning’s mountain-biking with Dave Warrington and had a great time taking in the fabulous scenery and discovering unspoilt mountain villages and hamlets, before returning to the villa for a very welcome lunch. After a well-earned rest in the gardens they set off again, this time with Samantha as well, and took in the whole of the valley…

Read Article