CYCLING HOLIDAY VIA VERDE OJOS NEGROS
Description
In and around the city of Valencia there are fantastic places to cycle safely with your children. Even the youngest children can enjoy using child seats, trailers or the Follow Me Tandem!
During this completely organized holiday you cycle in various areas, both in the city and in the hinterland of Valencia, wherever posible on cycle paths or low-traffic roads.
Along the way there are also a number of nice museums.
There's a lot of variety in scenery; the mountains, beaches, or the coastal plain with its orange groves. We provide the necessary transportation from one area to another, arrange your accommodation and optionally forward your luggage to the next stay.
You spend the night with in a holiday apartment, holiday home or guesthouse/Bed and Breakfast.
All accommodations have a place to safely store the bikes at night.
We can make the stages shorter or longer depending on the age of your children.
Children from 1 year can go in a seat on the back of the bike or in a bicycle trailer (up to about 4 years).
From the age of 4, we recommend the Follow me tandem, a children's bike that can be connected or disconnected to the bicycle of one of the parents.
Children from 8 years old, who can cycle well and have a normal condition, can cycle these routes themselves.
In addition, you can always order our bicycle taxi in case you won't make it to the next stay.
You cycle on your own pace, based on our roadbook in English and/or optional GPS navigation.
Itinerary
Below you will find an example of a program for an entire week, suited for a family with children up to 12 years of age.
It will be tailor-made, depending on the desired distance per day or specific needs according to your children.
Just let us know and we will adjust the program, make it shorter or longer.
For families with active teenagers (who are able to cycle longer distances) we could adapt the Via Verde program, adjusting the stages of this route. We had many families already, their kids love this route on a former railway line.
Day 1: Arrival in Valencia
From Valencia airport, we will take you to your apartment or hotel near the 8 kilometre-long city park through the riverbed of the Turia.
Around the corner, you will find a shopping centre and the Oceanografico (the sea aquarium with dolphin shows) and children's playground Gulliver.
Day 2: Turia park (10 - 25 km)
Today you will explore the huge Turia city park by bike. This is a car-free zone of no less than 8 kilometers in an old river bed. You will cycle past the science museum, IMAX cinema, children's playground Gulliver, the Oceanografico (sea aquarium) and you can also visit the Bioparc zoo (just outside the park).
You can also refresh your knowledge (and practice) in the free traffic park.
On this day you can take a city tour by bike, accompanied by an English-speaking guide.
You spend the night in an apartment or family hotel in Valencia. The bicycles are parked safely in the garage of the complex at night.
Dag 3: Horta Nord and Valencia-beach (15-25-35 km)
The beach of Valencia is miles long, and there is a beautiful cycle path. You drive north and end up in the 'Horta'; the vegetable garden of the city. This is a special agricultural area with small farms and old irrigation canals. Beautiful roads and cycle paths run right through the fields. Along the way you can stop to taste 'Horchata', a local drink of groundnuts, which are grown in the Horta.
You can cycle all the way to Sagunto and visit its Roman castle.
After that you can take the train back to Valencia, bicycles are allowed on this route.
You spend the night in an apartment or family hotel in Valencia.
The bicycles are parked safely in the garage of the complex at night.
Day 4: Via Verde / Navajas (20-40 km)
We take you to the mountains, up to 1000 meters above sea level. There is a cycle path over an old railway line, the Greenway Via Verde Ojos Negros. From here you cycle downhill, past old railway stations, over railway bridges and through a number of tunnels (up to 400 m long!). Along the way are many picnic areas, with views over the mountains.
You spend the night in a holiday home or guesthouse in the village of Navajas.
Alternative accommodation is the **** Hotel Spa Martin el Humano in the neighbouring town of Segorbe.
Just outside Navajas, the Palancia River flows and a huge waterfall splashes down. A nice place for a stroll or (in the summer months) a swim in the river. There's also a huge public swimming pool.
On the Regajo reservoir, you can go paddle surfing or canoeing in the summer.
Segorbe has a nice swimming pool as well, with water slides, on top of a hill. You have a beautiful view of the surroundings and there are picnic areas in the shade.
You can extend your stay in Navajas or Segorbe for an extra day of water fun, an extra round of cycling fun or hiking in the surrounding mountains.
Day 5: Via Verde and / or Roman Sagunto (15-25-40 km)
There are a number of options on this day, depending on the desired distance.
You could follow the Via Verde track to Sagunto (the last part is on the public road.) A total of about 40 km. Sagunto has a huge Roman castle and amphitheater, on top of a hill.
You could skip the part on the public road by boarding the train on the way. (Or we'll arrange a taxi for you.)
A wonderful alternative is a route of 20-25 kilometers on quiet roads through the foothills of the Sierra de Espadán, a protected natural area.
We first take you to a starting point higher in the mountains. From there you roll downhill towards Navajas. Along the way you will pass a few villages and castles from the Moorish era, which you can visit (on foot). And you cycle along the Regajo reservoir. In the summer, you can go paddle surfing or canoeing on the lake.
At the end of the day you will stay again in Navajas or Segorbe. Or you take the train to Valencia and spend the night in an apartment or family hotel in Valencia.
The shortest alternative is to cycle around Navajas and Segorbe. That is 15 to 25 km. Afterwards, you can go to the swimming pool, waterfall or reservoir in Navajas or Segorbe (see day 4). At the end of this day, you will board the train to Valencia, or you will stay another night in this region.
Day 6: Through the dunes to Albufera
Once you return to Valencia,
you can make another nice trip to the south. A cycle path runs through the dunes to Lake Albufera. This is a protected nature reserve, where you can also take boat trips and taste the authentic paella.
At the end of the day, you cycle back to Valencia or stay overnight at the coast. In that case, you can continue the next day crossing the rice fields and along the banks of the river Xuquer (Jucar).
More details about this alternative itinerary can be found here.
More options:
Extra Day(s): at Sierra de Espadán Natural Park (15-35 km)
Extend your journey through the Sierra de Espadán, a protected mountain area. The rocks are red and purple in colour and you will find special trees: cork oaks.
To ensure that you do not have to cycle uphill, we drop you higher up in the mountains. You will cycle on quiet roads among the olive trees and you will ride through a forest with huge red sandstone rocks; it looks like a set from a cowboy movie.
From here you cycle through country lanes through the orange plantations towards Nules, on the Mediterranean Sea.
Here you can go to the beach, before taking the train back to Valencia.
Or we will take you to the eco-hotel Mar de Fulles for a luxurious stay with breathtaking views. This sustainable hotel has its own power and water recycling system, grows vegetables for the own restaurant and is located in the middle of the mountains. A magical place where people like to stay an extra day!
You can extend your stay here, for walking or cycling extra days, for example to the caves of San Juan, where you can take a boat trip on the longest underground river in Europe.
Rates
Ask for a quote without obligation.
It is useful if we can talk in advance via telephone or Skype. Feel free to call!
As an indication for 2 adults and 2 children: € 1,799 for 6 days / 5 nights
INCLUDING:
Airport transfer on the arrival day.
Stay in a family hotel, guesthouses or holiday apartments in Valencia and on the bike route
Bicycle rental from day 2 to 5 for the whole family.
For adults: Trekking bicycle with luggage rack, bike bags and helmet.
For children: child seats (from 1 year), bicycle trailers or mountain bikes for children from 5 years.
Bicycle helmets for all participants and repair, and first aid kit.
Necessary transfers to connect the stages of the shown itinerary
Detailed route information and/or GPS
Helpline (English/German/Dutch) and roadside assistance or bike replacement (in case of serious technical problems) between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm.
GPS tracks are available for the Wikiloc mobile app or as a .gpx file for your own GPS device. Optionally you can rent a GPS through us.
E-bike surcharge: € 20 per person per day.
Deposit: € 50 for normal bicycles and € 150 for e-bikes.
GPS device surcharge: € 10 per day
Optional luggage transport to the next accommodation, 80€ per family/day
Not included: train tickets or taxis that are needed to shorten or cancel a route.
All rates based on availability.
The price may differ during local holidays or local events or "fiestas".
If you fill in the booking form, we will check availability and we will get back to you as soon as possible with a quote according.
This tour basically starts on Monday and is possible all year round. In the winter months, routes are sometimes adjusted due to the weather and/or the conditions of the (cycling) path.
NOT INCLUDED:
Your Trip or flight to Spain / Valencia, entrance to museums or places of interest on the route, extra nights at the end of the trip, personal travel, accident or cancellation insurance, airport transfers on the day of departure, deposit for bicycles (refund on last day), taxis or transportation that are no part of the regular itinerary or service.
For questions or reservations you can also call us: +34 677 709 109
We speak English, German, Spanish and Dutch. Talk to you soon!