Cycling along the “Coast of the Light” (Costa de la Luz)

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Type of Tour

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Difficulty Level


Duration

8 days & 7 nights


Departure - Destination

Seville/Jerez - Lebrija


Number of participants

2


Price from

895 €

Cycling along the Coast of Light (Costa de la Luz)

On the Costa de la Luz (Coast of Light), you can spend an incredible week full of culture, gastronomy and relaxed cycling along Spain’s most beautiful golden sandy beaches!

Located at the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula, the Costa de la Luz’s excellent climate has made it a popular destination with the Spaniards themselves for millennia.  You will also cycle along rivers, on former railway lines and on paths along marshes and along the coast.

 

From Seville to Vejer and cycling to Cadiz 

You can start this trip in Seville, the lively capital of Andalusia, or in Jerez de la Frontera, famous for its sherry. You’ll then travel to one of Andalusia’s prettiest white villages, Vejer de la Frontera, where you’ll find history in every corner. Here you get your bike and start a scenic circular cycling route through the Parque Natural de la Breña y Marismas del Barbate Nature Park to the old fishing village of Barbate, famous for its fresh tuna! You’ll first cycle flat through the marshland around the mouth of the Barbate river and then climb to the pine forests on the cliffs back to Vejer. The following days, you’ll continue cycling towards the sea, to follow the Coast of Light passing villages like Conil de la Frontera and Novo Sancti Petri to the beautiful old city of Cadiz. Here you’ll have all afternoon and evening to explore this charming city, with its no less than 4,000 years of history.

 

Golden sandy beaches

You then cross the Bay of Cadiz by ferry, and continue cycling along a former railway line that takes you to the coastal villages of Chipiona and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Again, you cycle along beautiful sandy beaches and at low tide you can see the natural monument “Corrales”, an ancient handmade construction of porous stones and a conglomeration of algae, oysters and seaweed that acts as natural cement. At high tide, fish swim into this walled area and at low tide they cannot get out! This is also the place from where sailboats left for America to discover the “New World”.

 

Sunset at Doñana National Park

Sanlúcar is famous for its special wine called manzanilla.  Visit a bodega here or taste the manzanilla wine with a plate of Sanlucar prawns at sunset overlooking the mouth of the Guadalquivir river and the Doñana National Park.  You can take an excursion by boat and jeep to the Doñana National Park from Sanlúcar. before cycling further along the Guadalquivir river to Lebrija in the province of Seville. By train, you can easily travel further to Jerez or Seville.

Day 1: Arrival Jerez or Seville

Day 1: Arrival Jerez or Seville

Sevilla and  Jerez have their own airport.  If you fly on Malaga you can take the train to Sevilla or Jerez. (Málaga-Sevilla 2 hours by train, and Sevilla-Jerez is 1 hour by train ). Sevilla is the capital of Andalusia, and a city with a long and interesting history. Visit the Cathedral and the famous Giralda tower, or the beautiful Reales Alcázares Palace. There is so much to see, for example the Torre de Oro, the Plaza de España square, the picturesque barrio Santa Cruz and the Casa de Pilates.


Day 2: visit Sevilla (or Jerez) and transfer to Vejer

Day 2: visit Sevilla (or Jerez) and transfer to Vejer

In the morning, you have time to visit Sevilla. In the afternoon or in the evening you travel to Vejer de la Frontera. Vejer, a hill top village (220 meters above sea level) is considered as one of the most beautiful white villages of Andalusia.  Have a stroll through the charming old town before or after dinner! Overnight in a charming hotel in the historical center.


Day 3.  Vejer-Barbate-Vejer,  30 Km 300 m ascend

Day 3.  Vejer-Barbate-Vejer,  30 Km 300 m ascend

Today you pick up your bike at the bike shop and you start with an easy route into the Marshland of Barbate, a fishing village famous for its tuna fish and popular in the summer with Spanish holiday makers although it is generally untouched by foreign tourists. After a good downhill, you will cycle into a nice flat area following the  Barbate river to the fishermen village  of Barbate. You can have lunch at a beach restaurant. The way back to Vejer will lead you into the other part of the Nature Park, the “Breña”, a large pine groove. The umbrella pines provide shade for a rich variety of Mediterranean wildflowers. One of the park's main natural resources are the pine nuts collected from the Pinar de la Breña. You have also the opportunity to visit Worlds’ biggest dovecote on the way. Climbing bit by bit through the pine forest, with views over the valley and the Sea, you will cycle back to Vejer, where you can visit an old windmill from the 19th Century.


Day 4. Vejer-Novo Sancti Petri,  38 km

Day 4. Vejer-Novo Sancti Petri,  38 km

Cycling out of the village Vejer goes fast downhill towards the coast and the beach El Palmar, where you will see lots of people surfing. From El Palmar you take the track towards the bigger village of Conil de la Frontera, nice place for lunch, or maybe you would like to eat in a “chiringuito” (Beach bar) as you now follow the beach line for a while. Then you climb a bit, just enough to reach the cliffs which you will follow having great views of the Sea, small beaches and the light tower of el Roche. You continue towards Novo Sancti Petri, where you find your hotel nearby one of the most famous golden sand beaches of Spain, la Barrosa. Best thing to do in the evening? A walk on the beach and enjoy the incredible sunset!


Day 5: Novo Sancti Petri-Cádiz, 35 km

Day 5: Novo Sancti Petri-Cádiz, 35 km

Today we have the chance to visit the old fishing village of Sancti Petri, nowadays a small port to take a boat to the island of Sancti Petri, where an old castle occupies almost all the island. The history of the island is amazing; it seems to be related to the personality of Hercules. Today you cycle a part of the first stage of the international Eurovelo 8 route from Cadiz to Athene by cycling through the Bahia de Cadiz Nature Park passing marshes and salt works. Only pedestrians and cyclist can enjoy the beauty of these unique landscapes with a big variety of fishes and birds. After crossing bridge Lavaera you come to the town of San Fernando, where you can take a coffee before you continue to the romantic harbor town of Cadiz. And as this is a short and flat stage, you will have all afternoon free to visit this amazing old town! Overnight in the historical center of Cadiz.


Day 6.  Cádiz-Rota by ferry, Sanlúcar 30 km

Day 6.  Cádiz-Rota by ferry, Sanlúcar 30 km

You leave Cádiz by ferry to Rota, from there you pick up the old Greenway to Sanlúcar de Barrameda.  It is worth to make a little d-tour to Chipiona, and cycle again along the coast with the highest light tower of Spain, and the old castle with an interesting exposition of “The New World” about the voyages of Columbus.  If the tide is low, you can see the “Corrales” built in the sea to catch fish. Sanlúcar awaits you with its fine “Manzanilla” wine and authentic King prawns looking out over the river, the little boats and the Doñana National Park . You can visit a bodega to see the process of making this unique wine, or have a coffee in the beautiful gardens of the Palace of the Dukes.  The historical centre of Sanlúcar is nice and lively, with many good tapas bars. And do not forget to try this marvelous Manzanilla with the special Sanlúcar prawns!


Day 7.  Sanlúcar de Barrameda-Lebrija, 42 km

Day 7.  Sanlúcar de Barrameda-Lebrija, 42 km

If you wish, you can still visit a bodega in Sanlúcar in the morning before cycling to Lebrija. The bike tour will lead you first along Salinas, then through a Pine forest (Algaida) of the Doñana Natura Park . You continue cycling along the Guadalquivir river on an old tarmac road, almost without asphalt nowadays. It is almost sure you will see flamingos here! Once you leave the river to go inland you will notice that the main productive activity here is agriculture, with beet, cotton, wheat and various fruits.  You enter the province of Sevilla and cycle to the village of Lebrija. Lebrija has remnants of its Muslim past among its old buildings. Its chief buildings are a ruined Moorish castle and the parish church, Santa María de la Oliva. The campanile tower was inspired by the Giralda of the Seville Cathedral , and it is commonly known as "La Giraldilla" (little Giralda).


Day 8:  Lebrija, train to Sevilla or Jerez

Day 8:  Lebrija, train to Sevilla or Jerez

After breakfast you can take a direct train to the Jerez airport, only 10 minutes away! You can also go by train to Sevilla in less than 1 hour and enjoy the capital of Andalusia for another day!



Accommodation with breakfast

Included

7 days


Luggage transport

Included

7 days


Information on the trip

Included

7 days


Telephone helpline

Included

7 days

Services not included


Bike rental with delivery & collection

Not Included

225€

5 days


Supplement for single occupation

Not Included

225€

7 nights


E-Bike rental with delivery and collection

Not Included

340€

5 days

Questions about the travel

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