Gravel Route in stages along the tacmarc roads, vineyards and mountains of LA RIOJA

Below we show our usual selection of accommodations for FUENTES del VINO GRAVEL. However, since in LA RIOJA the hotel reservations are usually complicated at certain times of the year - especially during the harvest - the Pack proposal that we finally offer may differ from the one presented here.

"Booking in advance is in this case something more than a commercial trick, it makes the difference between being able or not being able to do the route."

Our PUNTO BIKE in LOGROÑO, is set in the Hotel GRAN VÍA, the best choice in town if we need to blend lodge and BIKE.

We are talking about a 4-star establishment well sited in the center of the town and strongly involved in a large part of the sports and gastronomic activities linked to LOGROÑO.

Lodging for stages with start in Logroño
Hotel FG Logroño

We have chosen this hotel located on the banks of the Ebro for our days in Logroño. In addition to its unbeatable location, their quality is unquestionable, we are talking about a four star service "camouflaged" in one of three.
To the usual services of a hotel of these features we add that we have free access to the relaxation of the hotel zone, which consists of a jacuzzi, sauna and gym.

Lodging for stages with start in Nájera

Depending on availability, we will stay at one of the following hotels.

Duques de Nájera Hotel

HISPANO Hostel

Lodging for stages with start in Ezcaray

Depending on availability, we will stay at one of the following hotels.

Palacio Azcárate

Casa Masip

Lodging for stages with start in Laguardia

- WINE OIL SPA Hotel Villa de Laguardia -

The base of LA RIOJA PUNTO BIKE in Laguardia is a 4 stars hotel located among vineyards, with a delightful spa (1.000 m2). Connected to the hotel is the WINE THEMED CENTER VILLA LUCÍA a place for tasting and degustations.

Lodging for stages with start in Albelda de Iregua La Casa del Cofrade

Our PUNTO BIKE in Albelda de Iregua is - we dare to affirm it - a four star hotel "camouflaged" in one of two. Located in the same place as the Vinícola Real Wineries to which it belongs, it allows us access from its facilities to the calados -caves- dug in the rock of the mountain on which it is attached, and in which the renowned wines of 200 Monges as well as other elements of historical value that will make us immediately perceive that we are in a special place. Something more even than a Winery + a Hotel.

If to all this we add the link and the total dump with everything that sounds like cycling, the choice could not be more obvious. Sports activity here becomes almost an excuse to live this part of the global experience of FUENTES del VINO.

End of route: We will finish the route at the same hotel where we started it. It will also be the place where you will have received our luggage at the last stage of the route.

INCLUDED

• 1 night of accommodation with breakfast
  Corresponds to the 1st night as usually the groups prefer to choose themselves where to dine during the arrival trip to the destination

• The rest of the nights accommodation in half board
  2 or 3 nights, depending of the choosen Pack. By default, night is not included at the end of the last stage.

• Transport of luggage between hotels
  1 bag or package per person

• Tracks of the route in GPX format for mobile phones or GPS devices
  Warn us if you prefer them in another format

• Explanatory printed map-sketch of the different route options for each stage
  One per stage Download sample

• Shower and luggage reception at the end of the last stage despite you don’t spend the night at the finalising point of the route

• Presentation of the route and delivery of information in hand the day of the arrival of the group to the hotel or the morning of the next day when groups are of 6 or more people

• Telephone assistance for incidents or consultations during the days of the contracted activity

NOT INCLUDED

• Beers or other consumptions outside the proposed menus in the dinners or during the stay in hotels

• Meals in restaurants at the time of the noon, unless it has been agreed previously to replace dinner with meals

• Any kind of sports material, helmets, shoes, etc.

• Mechanical Assistance during the activity
  If possible, we will try to help you in case of a breakdown, but in many situations this help can be very limited due to lack of specific spare parts or other circumstances. The cost of the service if it can be done is € 18 per hour + € 0.40 per kilometer.

• Anything not expressly indicated in the offer

All the proposals presented on this website are sold through Pirineos PUNTO BIKE
Travel Agency registered in the Tourism Registry of Navarra with registration code: CI. NA-128

• Airport/station pick up
• Hire Accident Insurance
• Add a hotel night at the finalising point of the route
     38 € par person in doble room or 67 € in single room
• To replace the night before the start of the route per night at the end of the route

• Best time to go: The route can be done at any time of the year as long as there is no snow in the high mountains. The altitude of the Sierra de La Demanda stage is 500 meters above the rest of the stages, so for the occasions when the snow covers these high areas blocking the entire route, we have options in which we modify the track by deviating it by lower levels.
  
     Spring and autumn are usually the most pleasant seasons; In summer it can be hot in the low areas, if it is the case, it is advisable to get up early and have the whole afternoon to relax. Actually, excluding winter, we can conclude that it is more important the punctual weather of the days in which we are going to make the route than the season itself.
  
     Anyway, at the end of autumn the days are short, but more than enough for our purpose. The vineyards of La Rioja "burn" red in those days, and the experience of descending from the Sierras at dusk to join that sea of vineyards becomes almost "brutal". So if you can afford to choose those dates, there is no question. This is the "Star" moment for FUENTES del VINO GRAVEL.
• Ideal bike: Gravel bike.
• Our GRAVEL concept: We have run away from the idea of gravel = unpaved road. If the objective were exclusively unpaved routes -including easy paths in the term- we believe that it is more comfortable, fun and functional to use the traditional trekking bikes, or even, the light MTB Trail bikes if we wanted to print a character sportier to the activity.
  
  Our Gravel proposals do not avoid roads, especially if they are quiet and with little traffic. Our objective is to combine them, in the best possible way, with sections of tracks and paths -usually easy to pedal- and generate unpublished tracks and, so to speak; "not suitable" for other types of bicycles with which it would be heavy and ineffective to pedal following such a tracks.
  
  In summary; In our Gravel concept, sport prevails over tourism, we jump without prior notice from unpaved sections to paved roads and vice versa without at any time believing that this alters the character of the route. And - when posible - we use unpaved sections to climb up, and paved ones to go down.
• Orientation: The route is followed by a GPS track.
• Ciclability: The route is 99,9% cyclable. With this precision what we want to convey is that at some very specific point it will be necessary to get off the bike and carry it for a few meters in your hand.
• Philosophy: Although some stages can be demanding, the proposal is designed so that the stages can be finished and we still have part of the day to enjoy the place where we are.
  The circular stages delve into the purpose of "slow down" the rhythm of the route as a whole, always offering a more relaxed track option that ensures that we have a free afternoon for other tasks beyond cycling. Believe it or not; There is life beyond the bike.
• Provisioning: The situation is different depending on the stages and the chosen track options. The towns in the lower areas usually have bar services and fountains, but once we go up to the Sierras we will have to be self-sufficient in terms of food and water. Two bottles better than one.