On this tour we ll skirt the base of the Alberes and Aspres mountain ranges (foothills of the Pyrene

T he French table is inextricably linked to terroir— the earth and elements of a particular place that give character to the products cultivated in that place. On this six-day aaa travel maps tour we ll introduce you to the unique aaa travel maps and stunning terroir aaa travel maps of French Catalonia while we pedal between mountains and sea. Here, the Pyrenees drop into the Mediterranean with no shortage of drama—creating a terroir dominated by extremes—mountains aaa travel maps and sea, sun and snow, arid and fertile.
On this tour we ll skirt the base of the Alberes and Aspres mountain ranges (foothills of the Pyrenees) on the edge of the Roussillon plain. We ll taste from prolific vineyards on the plain as it spreads out to the sea and we ll sample complex wines made from grapes grown on slopes a little higher up. We ll taste locally harvested almonds, artisan olive oils and fresh goat cheese. We ll spread home-made fig confiture on our organic breads, and snack on the seasonal cherries and peaches for which this region is known.
We ll begin in the Aspres mountain range in the foothills of the Pyrenees at the hilltop village of Camèlas. We ll base at a rural inn for two nights, coasting aaa travel maps down to the Roussillon plain each day (and climbing back up each afternoon). On day three, we ll pedal over the Col de Llauro aaa travel maps at 380 m (1247 ft) into the Tech River Valley in the Alberes moutain range. We ll base in the artistic village of Céret for a night, before following the Alberes to the coastal town of Argeles-sur-Mer where we ll spend our last two days exploring stone-terraced vineyards on the coast. We ll climb the col de Mollo at 231 m (758 ft) on our last day.
Each day s distance ranges from 40 to 65 km (25 to 40 miles) with continuous rolling hills. There are three notable climbs throughout the week, all of which reward with spectacular views. This is an inn-to-inn trip with luggage transfers, so you won t be hauling anything but yourself up the inclines. You can also count on beverages and encouragement at every crest. If you already bike hills, you ll love the scenic climbs on this tour. If you re not an experienced hill-climber, this is the perfect tour to learn how to approach them. There are no Tour de France epic mountains on this tour, only picturesque hills that we re sure anyone with the will can mount.
aaa travel maps Accommodations on this tour are private rooms in rural estates with swimming pools and tranquil grounds, except for one night in a traditional village hotel. Dinners will be catered at the inns or in village bistros. Lunches will be organic picnics along the way or in casual café s and bakeries. We ll stop for one edible discovery each day (wine tasting or farm visit) and incorporate a few cultural visits (Romanesque chapel, medieval village) aaa travel maps throughout the week.
The focus of this tour is rural France, where tables that best express the region s terroir hold more weight than opulent restaurants. Expect to meet the cheese maker, the baker and the vintner and expect aaa travel maps to eat around the table with the innkeepers.
A word about hills: Both Avery and André learned to travel by bike in the mountains. We know from experience, if you start with hills, you don t know anything different and they don t feel so ominous. aaa travel maps With the right bike gear combination and a little aaa travel maps self-compassion, we believe anyone who determines they re capable of joining our tours, can climb hills. The worst thing that can happen is you get off and walk. Big deal. In fact, bravo. We salute you for the effort!
aaa travel maps TO PREPARE: We’ll send you details on packing, planning and preparing once you’ve confirmed your reservation. You’ll get info on how to pack for easy European travel, how you should train and other pertinent information. Don’t worry if this is your first organized bike tour, we’ll walk you through the essentials.
We ll meet you at the train station in Perpignan, the capital city of French Catalonia known for its gypsy music and Spanish influences. From there, we ll shuttle you to a local, organic aaa travel maps winemaking aaa travel maps domain where we ll have a wine tasting, light lunch, and an introduction bike lesson. Next, we ll pedal to Pain d Eric, a rural organic baker whose chocolatines and natural rise breads will fill our picnic baskets for the week. You may want to nibble one of Eric s baked sweets right away, because we still have to make the climb to the country village of Camélas in the Aspres mountains for our first night s inn. The reward is sweeping poolside views of the Roussillon plain, Corbières mountains and the Mediterranean in the distance. Though aaa travel maps we don t have an official van sweeper for tired legs (we prefer to help you push your limits and get to the top on your own power), we promise not to make you sleep on the hillside if the grade proves to be too difficult. We ll demount and walk up with you or our shuttle can always be called on for extreme cases. We ll reassemble in the evening for well-earned aperitifs , dinner and conversation around a quintessential French table where simple, local food and wine reign. Bonne nuit.
Scenery Mediterranean garrigue (habitat), snow-covered mount Le Canigou in the distance, Les Aspres mountain range (Pyrenean foothills), peach and plum orchards, vineyards, olive groves, views of the Roussillon Plain and Mediterranean from afar
Rise and shine for a poolside aaa travel maps breakfast with expansive views of the plain below. We ll go over the day s route and help orient you on your map before coasting down from Camélas. Don t relax just yet, because the climb up to the historic Catalonian village of Castelnou isn t insubstantial. We ll break for a café in the village and a stroll through the medieval streets, then roll down to the Roussillon plain and over to Domaine les Conques where you ll meet Francois Douville the president aaa travel maps of the region s impressive organic initiative, and the maker (in our opinion) of one of the region s best organic white blends (macabeu, grenache gris and grenache blanc grapes). We ll also taste Francois s reds (carignan, grenache and syrah grapes) and learn about the historic vin doux naturels of the region (with surprising aromas and notes not to be missed). We ll have a picnic lunch in Francois s hillside vineyards, and then make our way back to Camélas for a second night in this remote village. Our friends Carmen and Didier will meet us later to explain their passion aaa travel maps for olive trees and lead us through an olive oil tasting. For dinner, we ll shuttle aaa travel maps down to one of our favorite local restaurants for a taste of the region en plein air or in the wine cellar-turned-cozy-dining-room. aaa travel maps Bon appetit.
Scenery hillside medieval village, Mediterranean  garrigue  (habitat), peach and plum orchards, Le Canigou in the distance, rolling vineyards on the flanks of Les Aspres, olive groves, Mediterranean and Roussillon plain from afar
Rise and shine for croissants and coffee sur la terrace . Take in your last expansive view of the Roussillon plain from the vantage at Camélas before saying au revoir to our innkeepers. Straddle your two wheels and head down the hill light as a feather. Our shuttle will move your bags to the next night s inn. We ll first pedal to the village aaa travel maps of Passa where we ll meet a vraie Catalan aaa travel maps (real Catalan) whose family has been working the region s vines for generations. Pascal and Fabienne Rossignol will recount their family story and introduce us to their organic aaa travel maps (and amazingly affordable) bold southern wines. We like their Cote du Roussillon Bérénice (mourvedre, grenache noir, syrah blend) best, but vote for your favorite and we ll include it in the day s picnic basket.
aaa travel maps Don t kick your feet up just yet, because we have the trip s biggest climb to roll over before picnicking on the other side of Les Aspres mountains. We ll spread out our picnic blanket at L Ermitage St. Ferreol with its 13th century chapel and views of the Tech River Valley below, before coasting down to the artistic village of Céret. aaa travel maps Known for its early season cherries and as the birthplace of Cubism (Picasso painted here), Céret has an excellent modern art museum and streets punctuated with shops, café s and galleries. You re on your own to explore and dine here tonight.
Our hotel is ensconced inside the village center, walking aaa travel maps distance from everything. It s not a hotel for luxurious wallowing, rather a real provincial hotel with typically small rooms, aaa travel maps firm beds and sincere service. Don t forget to ask the innkeeper about the superb art hung in the lobby and public areas. And we re eager to recommend our favorite restaurants, make reservations for you or point you to the best place for tapas so pick our brains aaa travel maps freely.
Scenery aaa travel maps rolling vineyards of Les Aspres, green oak stands, olive groves, cherry orchards, Les Alberes mountain range, Mount Pic Neolus, Le Canigou, the Tech River Valley from high, the Mediterranean (and perhaps bits of Spain) from afar.
We ll meet for breakfast at our hotel, hand your bags off to our shuttle driver, then pedal off to learn about the region s cork industry and the cork oak tree stands found only in this part of France. Then we ll skirt the base of Les Alberes mountains as we make our way seaward. Depending on the season we may stop to taste a local natural wine, or stop off at an organic almond grove to meet the woman who turns the year s harvest into fine almond oils, almond nougat, candied almonds, roasted aaa travel maps almonds and more. We ll lunch at a roadside bakery along the way, and then pedal to our night s lodging—a Catalan estate tucked in the hills with views of the Mediterranean on clear days. Tonight we ll gather round an outdoor table at the inn for dinner à la planxa —the Catalan version of grilling aaa travel maps out. Bonnes fêtes.
We ll breakfast aaa travel maps outside on the terra cotta-tiled patio, then mount our bikes and pedal through aaa travel maps a majestic cork oak forest on the way to the day s edible discovery, a goat cheese farm. From here we ll make our way to the coast! After dipping our toes in the Mediterranean, we ll continue on up into the vine covered hills climbing high for