VIA VERDE DEL ZAFÁN - EBRO DELTA - PEÑISCOLA - VALENCIA COAST
Trek with hotels, Linear route from 300 to 450 km,cycling level 2/8
4 or 8 days of cycling, Individual or Group trip
Via Verde del Zafán / Ebro Delta / Via Verde del Mar: In our opinion, the most beautiful Via Verdes in Spain! This is the most varied route in our entire program, with an alternation of mountains and sea.
You start inland and cycle mainly downhill to the Ebro Delta and the Mediterranean Sea. You can then extend the route, with a beautiful stage through the hills, along a forest of centuries-old olive trees and beautiful paths right along the virgin Mediterranean coast and the Via Verde del Mar, until the finish in Valencia. Your route includes picturesque Peñiscola and a number of protected nature reserves, such as the Sierra de Irta and Prat de Cabanes. You cycle from Catalonia to Valencia with a sea view, traveling as much as possible.cycle paths, Vias Verdes and quiet country roads. Additional excursions are possible along the way; bird watching or planting rice in the Ebro Delta, a visit to a mussel and oyster farm at sea or the Picasso Museum in Horta de Sant Joan.
The Via Verde del Zafán and Via Verde del Mar are former railways through the mountains. Because a train cannot travel steeply up or downhill, the route is constructed as flat as possible, with the necessary viaducts and tunnels. It goes gradually uphill, but mainly downhill. Enjoy rolling through nature! Once at the Ebro River you follow the water, through the rice fields to lagoons on the Mediterranean Sea. Here you can spot special birds, such as flamingos. In the summer you can take a dipn in the sea or one of the lakes and rivers along the route. And there are nice places along the way where you can enjoy delicious food, including in old stations. From the Ebro Delta you cycle through the hills to Peñiscola, and follow the coast until Valencia.
The route is located on the border of Catalonia, Aragon and Valencia and can therefore be easily combined with a trip to Valencia, Tarragona (Salou/Cambrils) or Barcelona.
CYCLING HOLIDAYS
Individual or group trip
Rail cycle path with many bridges and tunnels, of which
over 100 km car-free
Route book with tips for restaurants and sights along the way
Personal explanation before departure
35 to 70 km per day, with sometimes a choice of short or long routes
Optional excursions along the way:
Visit to mussel- and oysternursery at sea
bird watching in the Ebro Delta
Plant your own rice
Olive oil mill Sant Jordi
Peñiscola Castle
Surfing & Sup Peñiscola
You can start this trip in Valencia, Tortosa or Deltebre.
The journey ends inthe Ebro Delta (after 4 days) or Valencia (after 8 days).
INCLUDING
overnight stays in small-scale hotels, 'casas rurales' (both including breakfast) or holiday apartments (accommodation only)
Personal explanation ovthere routes,
route book with tips for the road and GPS device or GPX tracks
transfer from Valencia, Tortosa or Deltebre to the starting point Valdeagorfa
telephone assistance
during the daythe journey in English
Repair kit for flat tires and minor repairs
Replacemente bicycle in case of serious mechanical problems
OPTIONS
Rent a trekking bike or ebike
You can also bring your own bicycle on the 8-day trip
Luggage transport
Travel insurance
DATES & RATES
Weekly departure
on Tuesday (4 days) or Friday (8-day trip)
Different departure days on request.
ALL RATES PER PERSON,
subject to availability
Minimum quantityl participants: 2.
The4-day cycling tour starts on Tuesday from Tortosa and ends in the afternoon on day 4 in Riumar,
after which you will be taken back to Tortosa or Deltebre.
Price from €590 in low season including rental of trekking bike and 3 nights.
The price varies according to the available accommodations.
In Tortosa you can take the train to Valencia, Tarragona or Barcelona.
The nearest airport is Reus, with Ryanair flights.
The 8-day cycling tour starts on Friday and starts with a transfer from Valencia to the starting point Valdeagorfa.
The rates can be found in the table below.
After more than a week you return to Valencia, where you vyou can continueextend.
From Valencia there are several direct flights to the Netherlands and Belgium every day with Transavia, KLM, Ryanair, Brussels Airlines and Vueling.
MORE INFORMATION
The first 2 days you follow the old railway line from Alcañiz to Tortosa and 'Camino Naturales de Terres del Ebre' towards the Mediterranean Sea. You start in Valdeagorfa, in the Aragón Region, and cycle in 4 or 8 stages via Catalonia to the Mediterranean Sea or all the way along the coast back to Valencia, at your own pace and on your own occasion. At the start you will receive a detailed explanation of the route and you will receive our route book and GPS tracks or a Garmin cycle computer, so that you can easily find your way. You can bring your own bicycle or you can rent one through us. We can also have your luggage transported daily.
The steepest slope on Via Verde is 2 percent. On normal roads sometimes 5 to 7 percent, but always over a short distance.
After every climb there is a descent ;) Sporty cyclists will enjoy this a lot.
Do you want to enjoy yourself, without too much effort?Then take an e-bike.
The 8-day trip starts with a transfer from Valencia.
You can also combine this trip with our trip on theVia Verde Ojos Negros (the longest rail cycle path in Spain) or the journeyAlbufera-Jucar. This way you can put together a cycling tour of up to 21 days, with start and end in Valencia.
Small restaurants directly along the route may be closed in winter.
For the winter period we have another beautiful alternative trip, in an area with something more stable weather, south of Valencia.
Various articles have been published about our cycling tours, including inDagblad Trouw on September 9, 2018,
and February 2023, written by Jeannette van Ditzhuizen.
And an article by Kees Volkers in 'the Outlaw Cyclist', from the magazine of the Cyclists' Union (January 2018).
PROGRAM
Day 1 (Valencia) - Valdegorfa - Horta de Sant Joan, 40 km
Early in the morning, we will take you from Valencia to the starting point of the cycling tour, about 250 km inland.
Your tour starts at the town of Valdeagorfa, immediately on the rail cycle path, the Via Verde del Zafán.
The train used to dive here in a 2 km-long tunnel, the longest on the route. You can also bypass this tunnel, even if you cycle a bit uphill, via small roads through the orchards. You are immediately surrounded by silence and wide views. The terraces against the hills are full of ancient olive trees. You cross the river Mataraña via a beautiful bridge. The mountain peaks in the distance are slowly getting closer.
You will stay in Horta de Sant Joan, in *** Hotel Miralles or **Hostal Casa Barceló, depending on availability.
In the village are several restaurants and terraces. And a small Picasso museum, with works that the famous artist made at a young age in the village's 'picturesque' environment.
Day 2: Horta de Sant Joan-Tortosa, 45 km
Today a trip through spectacular ravines, along lakes and rivers. The path has been carved right through the mountains, including the necessary tunnels and viaducts. You pass a number of old stations. Some are used as a restaurant.
You cycle almost continuously downhill today, it will take little effort.
Once at the Ebro River, you cycle along the bank towards Xerta, ending in Tortosa.
Here you can visit the old center or the castle, with a wide view over the Ebro.
You stay in ***Hotel Berenguer IV, **** Hotel SB Corona or ****Parador de Tortosa, located in the castle (surcharge on some dates).
Day 3: Tortosa-Ebro Delta, 35 to 55 km
You follow the Ebro River towards the Delta, where the river fans out over the plain via tributaries and irrigation canals. You cycle through the fields and fruit orchards and eventually reach the rice fields.
During May and June, the rice plants emerge and all that water turns into a bright green carpet.
In winter and spring the rice fields are flooded and attract many birds, including ibises and flamingos.
There are several lookout towers along the route for bird watching.
You can book a birding excursion on site at one of the natural lagoons or visit a mussel or oyster farm (at sea).
In the evening you will stay in a small-scale hotel or attractive 'Casa Rural' in the Ebro Delta.
Day 4: Ebro Delta - Vinarós, 50 to 55 km
If you choose the 4-day route, you will end today in Riumar, where the Ebro River flows into the Mediterranean Sea.
There you can take a boat trip on the river or take a beautiful walk through the dunes. Then we will take you back to Tortosa.
The 8-day journey continues, from Catalonia to the Valencia Region. You can choose from short - relatively flat - stages or a longer route with a short climb to the balcony of the region. You then cycle through hills, with endless silver-green olive trees on your right, and the azure blue of the Mediterranean Sea in the distance on the left.
The orchards stretch to the horizon, and nowhere will you find as many 'olivos millionarios' (thousand-year-old olive trees) as here.
After the climb follows a beautiful descent on a road full of hairpin bends.
The stage ends in Vinarós, on the coast. You will stay here in a beautiful, comfortable four-star hotel with a swimming pool, not far from the beach.
Day 5: Vinarós - Alcosebre 40 km
Today you will pass Peñiscola, a beautiful fortified town built on a rock, right on the Mediterranean Sea. You can wander through the medieval center and visit the castle. Then you cycle further to the Sierra de Irta, a protected nature reserve. Here you follow a beautiful gravel path along rugged cliffs and virgin bays. Today's end point is the quiet seaside resort of Alcossebre, where you will stay in a lovely four-star hotel with a swimming pool.
Day 6 Alcossebre / Grao de Castellón, 50 km
Today another beautiful bike ride through a number of nature reserves right along the coast.
First of all, Prat de Cabanes, a vast reed land with a number of lagoons right behind the coast, which are fed by fresh spring water. It is teeming with birds. And then you follow the Via Verde del Mar, a former railway with a number of tunnels, right along the rocky coast. In Benicassim you can sit on a terrace along the boulevard and marvel at beautiful villas. Then it is just a short cycle ride to your hotel, close to the beach and marina of Castellón.
Day 7 Grao de Castellón - Canet, 56 km
You follow the coast and then turn inland for a while, to the center of Castellón de la Plana. There you cycle past the Mercado Central, the cathedral and the Fadri, a 15th century bell tower. Then you cycle back towards the coast via the orange groves at Borriana, to follow the waterline along the Marjal de Almenara nature reserve. Here you will find a number of observation posts for migratory birds.
You are in a four-star hotel, a few steps from the beach and the boulevard.
Day 8. Canet - Sagunto - Valencia, 45 to 60km
Today you can choose from a short route or a long route, passing a few typical villages in the interior. In both cases you pass Sagunto. Here you can visit the enormous Roman castle and amphitheater before heading towards Valencia. On the way to the finish you cycle through the 'Horta', the city's vegetable garden. Here, all kinds of crops are grown on small plots for the local market. Including 'Xufa', the ingredient for 'horchata', a local drink. Finally, you cycle into Valencia via the boulevard, ending at the futuristic 'City of Arts and Sciences' with the iconic buildings by architect Santiago Calatrava.
In the afternoon you hand in the bicycles and the package ends.
All mentioned distances are indicative and depend on the place where the accommodation is located. The hotels and B&Bs we have selected are as close as possible to the route.
PRICES
All rates are subject to accommodation availability.
This tour basically starts every Monday, all year round.
Other departure days on request.
The minimum number of participants for this trip: is 2 people.
Low season
(January-June 15 and September 15-December)
6 days/5 nights
€759 per person for 2 persons
€699 per person for 4 people
based on Bed & breakfast
in a double room
Easter holidays, May holidays, June 16-September 15, Christmas holidays:
959€ pp for 2 persons
€899 pp for 4 people
Single room supplement: +€249
On other departure days, during holidays, local events or local holidays the price may differ;
If you fill in the booking form, we will check availability and get back to you with a quote as soon as possible.
As an alternative, we can provide extra large panniers (approx. 2x25 liters), so that you can take your own luggage on the bike. The surcharge for these bags is €3 per day.
INCLUDING:
- Transfer from Valencia to the starting point (approx. 250 kilometers)
- Trekking bike with panniers and helmet for 6 days
- 5 nights in excellent hotels or B&B on a bed and breakfast basis
- Briefing in English, Spanish or Dutch at the start and detailed route information in English and Dutch
- Telephone support in case of complications along the way and roadside assistance or replacement bicycle (in case of serious technical problems) between 9:00 and 18:00
- Alternative routes in bad weather
- GPS device with pre-programmed routes.
NOT INCLUDED
. Transfer by train to Valencia (approx. 15€ pp)
- Transfer with driver to Valencia (125€ pp, minimum 2 persons)
Surcharge E-bike: € 30 per person per day.
Deposit: €50 for normal bikes and €150 for e-bikes.
Surcharge for single room: €225
Daily luggage transport is an option, this costs €150 per person with 2 participants or €90 with 4 participants.
Luggage transport is based on a minimum of 2 participants.
Finally: Nobody likes stress on vacation. We regularly get guests who doubt whether cycling in the mountains is not too hard.
If the ride is too demanding, we can still arrange an e-bike or a bicycle taxi for you, so that you can easily continue your journey.
The bicycle taxi is also a solution in bad weather conditions.
This service costs approx. €70 to €100 for exchanging a bicycle or transporting 2 persons+2 bicycles to the next accommodation, depending on the distance.
NOT INCLUDED:
Extra nights, personal travel, accident or cancellation insurance, your flight or another trip to Spain / Valencia, airport transfers, and deposit for the bicycles.
All mentioned prices are based on availability and are subject to changes.
For questions or reservations you can also call us: +34 677 709 109
We speak English, Dutch, Spanish and German.