A cycling holiday in Catalonia

Excellent holiday. the booklet sent from you beforehand was detailed and informative and gave us all a chance to study the area , history and routes beforehand. None of us had been to Catalonia and we all agreed it is a gem and perfect in May as not busy. However in the booklet it indicated we would be having city trek bikes for the standard option and Freel bikes for the electric ones. We looked them up on the internet and didn't think they were suitable at all and so were worried! when the Cicles JK guy came to the hotel (he came very rushed in the middle of our breakfast) the electrics were nice and new Scott bikes with Bosch electric which were excellent. My standard bike however was a rather heavy city trekker. I did however think it maybe OK and so accepted it. What a mistake - the hills are gradual but the bike is too heavy for this type of touring along paths and roads. I am fit and have a hybrid bike here at home - this bike was clearly not similar and struggled with the inclines. so I called Inntravel at lunchtime and you arranged for an electric one to be delivered the following morning which happened. I was so glad I changed. 

The routes on the whole were good to follow with a few amends due to roads being closed (around Platja de Castell). Loved the hotels particularly La Placa. We found the Mas Rabiol a bit dark and my bedroom (no 1) small so not worth the extra supplemement. We chose this hotel for the pool which looked nice but too cold in May we discovered. The hospitality was good, the food nice but overall we probably should have opted for the hotel in the town. 

Llafranc lovely and Hotel Terramar clean, fresh and good food and service. In all 3 cases the food was v good although portions probably too large for us.

Would definitely recommend to other cyclists. The routes are probably not for the beginner.   

This was yet another superb Inntravel holiday with exceptional and varied hotels in lovely medieval villages. Our final hotel on the coast was a pleasant contrast and we loved the nearby botanic gardens. Madremanya was such a treat with great views from our room and delicious meals. We had a suite of rooms in Hostal Blau with a complimentary bottle of cava and an open fire! Much appreciated as it was chilly there!  We were so glad that we had read other reviews as we changed our booking to e bikes! They were very good quality bikes and we would have struggled on hills and in headwinds without them. We were celebrating our 70th birthdays!

We enjoyed the whole holiday, the meals at La Placa were fantastic. Hostal Blau was quaint, the owners were very friendly and fun. We thoroughly enjoyed arriving at the coast and having a lovely room with sea view at Hotel Terramar, we reccomend an extra night here as a walk along the coast at the end of the holiday is great, as is the chance for a swim!

Another good holiday with Inntravel.  Well thought out and well organised which is why we often choose Inntravel. 

Overall, an outstanding holiday which exceeded our expectations. We will not hesitate to make Inntravel our go to holiday company in the future.

This is a wonderful cycling holiday for those who enjoy a biking holiday but want something less strenuous. It is advisable to have food through the day as restaurants tend to open later in the evening.

We enjoyed all the places we visited. The views from our hotel balcony in Madremanya were lovely as was the food and the unusual saltwater swimming pool which was refreshing. We enjoyed the atmosphere of Peratallada and your restuarant reccommendations Bonay and El Borinot. The old fashioned resort of Llafranc was picturesque and charming. The sea was gorgeous. We walked to the lighthouse which was quite an achievement but a doddle if you like hills. Calella de Palafrugell was beautiful. Also glad we had a few hours in Girona which is an interesting city.

We loved the holiday but would recommend upgrading from Hostal Blau especially if cycling in summer as a pool would have been great. Llafranc was fantastic and we would recommend an extra day spent here.

The cycling was not as scenic as the countryside in France.

I would strongly recommend Inntravel and I really enjoyed the holiday. The holiday I chose was described as of "moderate difficulty". Overall, this was accurate but I think you should suggest that some cycling prior to the holiday would be beneficial; both myself and my cycling partner are fit for our age (mid -60s) but as a doctor, I would suggest that the 5km ascent to Madremanya at the end of Day 1, especially when it is 32 degrees with no shade, is more of a coronary stress test than a holiday. We spoke to an American couple in their mid-30s who had done the reverse trip (coast to Madremaya)  and they said that the 5km ascent was the hardest ride of their trip and they were doing it on Day 5 not Day 1 !

Absolutely brilliant holiday, very relaxing.  Very well planned to give a variety of accommodation and terrain.

WE LOVED EVERY MINUTE!!!!

The bar was set high from our first experience of an Inntravel cycling holiday last year in Mallorca, and our expectations were more than met by this trip in Catalunya. Each of the overnight accommodations had a different character, and we thoroughly enjoyed our stays in all three. The staff were universally friendly and helpful. The menu and presentation of the food was particularly noteworthy at La Hotel Placa. Hotel La Placa and Hostel Blau are both almost overwhelmingly quaint in their adaptation of the centuries-old original buildings. Hotel Terramar has a perfect location on the seafront at Llafranc: The spacious balcony provides an ideal lounging spot overlooking the Med after the day's cycling, and it is only a short walk (beach towels provided) across the promenade to the beach and the sea. A pre-breakfast swim is recommended when the sea is glassy, before the sea-breeze picks up. The itinerary took us to parts of the country which we could not have hoped to have found using a map alone, only rarely involving roads with traffic, and then only for the shortest necessary time before getting back onto empty narrow roads and gravel tracks through beautiful countryside and historic villages. An ideal combination of activity, scenery, history, culture, relaxation and luxury.

All told a truly superb gentle holiday. Super places to stay. Weather brilliant  My bike had service problems.

Day 2 saw the Catalan general strike and we were getting fearful of not getting anything to eat for the rest of the day after breakfast. The bed and breakfasts hosts (Hotel Blau) conjured up and impromptu evening meal for six with drinks at minimal cost.

A really excellent holiday using quality hotels which had very different styles. The highlight was the evening meal with Jaume (Hotel-Restaurant La Plaça) who cooked up a real feast when the main restaurant was closed on Tuesday night. His generosity with wines from his vineyard was amazing. The cycling was in outstanding countryside. The routes will planned and the bikes of good quality. There are several hills which are challenging but manageable given the time allowed. The rewards far outweigh the effort. We would have no hesitation in recommending Inntravel and are likely to be returning customers very soon. Thanks.

Both holidays were delightful. We travelled through beautiful quiet countryside visiting places unknown to most British tourists and with fascinating histories. The scenery was varied with agriculture, livestock and fruit farms. The riding was excellent but the grading should be 1-2. Most of the circular routes were pretty hilly. Nearly all the hotels were a pleasure to stay in. The owners or staff were really kind and meals were delicious. Hotel Historic was the only disappointment and was very noisy and is not really a 4 star hotel.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers enjoyed both our Freewheeling in Catalonia and Catalan Coasts & Villages cycling holidays.

We thoroughly enjoyed the fantastic scenery around the Catalan Coast and Villages. We found the hotels very good and plenty of wonderful food too. The coastal resorts were a perfect way to round off our holiday.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers enjoyed a stay at the Hotel Sant Roc, Calella, after their cycling holiday.

You may wish to avoid national holidays such as the festival of St Joan resulted in 2 nights of fireworks beyond 3am!!! And overcrowded resort.

The highlight for us was the quality of the food at the Hotel La Placa. It was, quite simply, Michelin Star standard.

We had a fabulous holiday. Inntravel did a marvellous and thoroughly researched job. Routes, accommodation, bikes, transfers and recommendations for sites to visit and places to eat and drink were all spot-on. The distances we covered and the severity of the climbs were as advertised. But the single thing that turned this into such an enjoyable holiday was hiring e-bikes. They are like catnip for cyclists - hills just melt away, hot sweaty rides become easy, breezy trips that leave you enable to concentrate on the fabulous countryside instead of gasping as sweat pours into your eyes. If, as we are, you are knocking on a bit, they can extend your enjoyment of cycling for years. Recommended!

The host at La Placa was wonderful, we enjoyed a magical evening on a Tuesday when the restaurant was closed and he and his wife provided the meal at their house. 

We were very impressed with the whole area.

Fabulous holiday, beautiful places and routes. La Placa was amazing in all respects!!

Highlights of this cycle holiday were in fact the villages of Madremanya, Peratallada and Llafranc. We absolutely loved the Hotel-Restaurant La Placa in Madremanya and Hotel Terramar in Llafranc. The archaeological ruins of Ullastret we found almost overwhelming due to its size, historical significance and time in history. Pals was delightful. The ride can be challenging and the ebike option should not be overlooked.

The routes chosen on our cycling trip were excellent. Each day was different and the places en route were all of interest. We enjoy cycling in May because it is not too hot yet and that suits us however in some places it is too early in the season still and there is not much open. Peratallada was full of restaurants and on our first night only one was open and on the second night only 2 so this is perhaps worth taking into consideration ..it is a pretty little place though. La Placa in Madremanya was our favourite hotel on the cycle trip and the add on in Girona Hotel Historic also to be recommended. Girona is very much worth a visit. Catalonia is a lovely place to cycle and we shall definitely return to Spain this area and others in the future. The people were very friendly which always adds to the enjoyment of a trip abroad. We loved all the cycling ..very difficult to choose which one was best ..each day was different. The scenery was beautiful and the roads quiet. Cars are very respectful of cyclists and we never felt in danger when on the country roads. All in all we would highly recommend this cycle holiday.

This was our first organised cycling holiday. We'd normally just hire bikes at the resort, but this was much more enjoyable. We loved the variation of the routes and different locations. The scenery was beautiful and we enjoyed the hotels that had been chosen for us. Baggage transfers were excellent.

Overall, we had a wonderful time and the cycle routes were incredibly well thought out and beautiful. We enjoyed the different landscapes and terrain that we passed through along with the collection of medieval villages and the coastal scenery. 

There was one woman at InnTravel who was very knowledgeable about this trip. Had it not been for her and her level of expertise, I'm not sure we would have chosen to book a trip with InnTravel. A few of the other staff members that I spoke with clearly did not have the same knowledge. During the selection process, it would have been helpful to be forwarded directly to those staff members that had the most knowledge on a particular area or country. 

Lastly, we chose not to do the cycle route on day 5, since the route looked like it did not follow the coast but rather went inland and then circled back to the beaches (Playa Castell and Playa La Fosca). We wanted a change of scenery and opted to walk along the coast on our own. I did request some walking routes from InnTravel but never received them. On day 4 we ran into a couple doing the same trip as us and they shared their walking routes (which they had received from you) with us.