Wine Pleasures Wine Country Bike Tour in Spain

09.00 Arrive Wine Pleasures in the High Penedès (Alt Penedès)

We set off at 9:30 am to miss the hot midday sun. The sky was blue already so we knew we had a gorgeous day ahead of us. All kitted out with helmets, water bottles and bikes and after a few adjustments we were on our way. Familiarising ourselves with the gears on the winding road we headed off-road onto bumpy track where the suspension came in very useful. After our first hard hill climb we came across a beautiful house (Mas de Pontons) surrounded by grape vines which was so glorious in the sunshine. The house had been a ruin and was converted back to its original glory which Anthony explained to us. We had a look at the grapes which were too small to eat so we set off again back onto the road heading for the village of Pontons.

The ride was a mixture of steady hills followed by long periods of free cycling along the beautiful winding countryside which was a great relief from the hot sun. Second stop was at church, just a few km from the village. This was beautiful as was a typical Spanish building and within the gardens were shaded areas which we rested in.

Once in the village we sought out a local bakery from which we bought some “Coca” which is a local bread that has a slight sweet sugary topping which was a welcomed sugar rush. We then visited the gorge that ran through the village, a magnificent drop beneath us so we held onto our sunglasses tight as we peered over the edge.

Back on our bikes for a long steady climb out of the village we climbed higher and higher and the views became more and more spectacular. We were able to see the village below and everywhere we had seen along the way in the distance which was so great and motivated us to ride on further. With Anthony setting the pace, we each cycled in a line along the winding roads waving at the friendly locals who drove past and waved back.

News of the next stop, a local bar, meant we picked up our pace. Just one more km hill to tackle and we would be rewarded by a 3km downhill cruise allowing us to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and just think about which way we were steering. On arrival we were rewarded with a crisp and fresh glass of Emendis Brut Nature and were able to laze and take in the journey we had completed. From the restaurant (Can Cuguls) we were able to see the entire route we had taken and in the near distance was the Wine Pleasures base so we knew we were nearly home.

On reflection we had a very enjoyable day with Wine Pleasures and felt so happy that we were able to experience the real Spanish countryside and local villages and the tour was so easy and enjoyable. We will certainly return and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend wine & bike as a holiday option.  

Alice, Georgina, Trish & Madelene.

Here’s our video at Mas de Pontons:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCrks8aKU6E&hl=es&fs=1&]