Overview
A seven day adventure, cycling Costa Blanca’s inland and coastal trails. Starting with three nights in inland Jalón, you get a good sense of the cycling trails ahead, as it’s located in the heart of Marina Alta Valley, also known as Vall de Pop or Jalón Valley. For the second half of the holiday, you have some colossal coastal cycling, with capes and coves, cliffs and some inland cols too in Parque Natural del Montgó. You are based in Moraira on the coast in northern Costa Blanca. There are two options of cycling trails every day on this holiday, and it’s categorised as a moderate/strenuous road cycling holiday.
- Jávea
- Cala Granadella
- Coll de Rates
- Sierra de Bèrnia
- Parque Natural de la Serra Gelada
- Castell de Guadalest
- Altea
- Parque Natural del Montgó
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Jalón
Arrive in Jalón, a small market town set among vineyards and almond orchards in the Marina Alta Valley. Known for its long history of wine-making and Saturday market, Jalón makes an easy base for the days of cycling trails that lie ahead. If you have time after checking in, we recommend a wander through the Old Quarter or find a terrace looking out over the valley.
- Accommodation: Casa Mistela or similar in Jalón
Day 2: Inland valleys and villages | 70/93km
- Option one (70km ↑1,150m ↓1,150m): cycle towards Fleix, a small village in the Vall de Laguart, before continuing into Vall de Gallinera, which is dominated by cherry orchards and traditional hamlets. The route continues to Pego, then through Orba before returning back to Jalón.
- Option two (93km ↑2,010m ↓2,010m): cycle to Pego, through the Vall de Gallinera and around the Tossal de la Creu massif. Follow the Girona River downstream to Vall d’Ebo, then climb up Alt de Tarrenyes, which is surrounded by olive and almond plantations. The bike ride continues to Coll de Garga and Fleix before finishing in Jalón.
- Accommodation: Casa Mistela or similar in Jalón
Day 3: Jalón Valley | 83/126km
- Option one (83km ↑1,630 ↓1,630m): climb up Coll de Rates, one of the area’s most popular cycling climbs, before dropping to Tárbena, a small village with Moorish heritage. The route continues through La Nucia and Calp, finishing with a climb over Puerto de Bèrnia.
- Option two (126km ↑2,070m ↓2,070m): set off to Benissa and cycle down La Fustera before reaching Calp, which is dominated by Peñón de Ifach rock. The route continues to Callosa d’en Sarria and on to Castell de Guadalest, a hilltop fortress village above a reservoir, before cycling up and over Puerto de Confrides to Castell de Castells and finishing in Jalón.
- Accommodation: Casa Mistela or similar in Jalón
Day 4: Jalón – Moraira | 91/105km
- Option one (91km ↑1,310 ↓1,500m): cycle towards Pego, then through Marjal wetlands before arriving in Dénia, a larger town known for its castle and marina. Continue through Parque Natural del Montgó, a protected massif rising sharply behind the coast. Continue to Jávea and around the coast to Cap Negre and Cala Granadella to finish in Moraira, your new base for the rest of the cycling holiday. Explore the old town and its small castle, located above the harbour. The port area is worth a wander, with the fishing fleet still active alongside the marina.
- Option two (105km ↑2,120m ↓2,310m): set off to the remote villages of Castell de Castells and Quatretondeta. Cross Puerto de Confrides and descend to Castell de Guadalest, a hilltop fortress village above a reservoir before continuing through Callosa d’en Sarrià to Moraira, as above.
- Accommodation: Hotel Serawa Moraira or similar in Moraira
Day 5: Marina Baja coast and cols | 98/115km
- Option one (98km ↑1,980m ↓1,980m): cycle south to Calp, dominated by Peñón de Ifach rock, then along the coast to Altea before turning inland through Parque Natural de la Serra Gelada. Loop through La Nucia and Callosa d’en Sarrià, then descend via Altea Hills and La Fustera back to Moraira.
- Option two (115km ↑2,730m ↓2,730m): cycle up to Parcent and over Coll de Rates to Embalse de Guadalest, a turquoise reservoir below the peaks of Sierra de Aitana. Drop through La Nucía and Altea before finishing along the coast in Calp.
- Accommodation: Hotel Serawa Moraira or similar in Moraira
Day 6: Around Moraira and Marina Alta | 77/78km
- Option one (77km ↑1,630m ↓1,630m): set off to Cala Moraig and Cala Granadella, two of the most visited coves on the Costa Blanca and great swimming spots. The route continues to Cruz del Portixol, where a stranded barge sits beside Isla del Portitxol, then through Jávea and Teulada before descending La Fustera back to Moraira.
- Option two (78km ↑1,380m ↓1,380m): set off to Cala Granadella before reaching Cap Negre, where you get the best views of the Marina Alta coast. The route continues through Jávea and Gata de Gorgos and Lliber before descending La Fustera back to your accommodation.
- Accommodation: Hotel Serawa Moraira or similar in Moraira
Day 7: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a traditional guesthouse and a four-star hotel with spa and wellness facility. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including its location, warm hospitality, fine local food and commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Click to view default hotel
- Casa Mistela (Jalón)
- Hotel Serawa Moraira (Moraira)
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days. When no restaurant location is available en route, lunches and snacks can either be bought from local shops or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. Dinner is available either at the accommodation or from restaurants in the local area.
Difficulty and terrain
This tour is rated moderate/strenuous and is suitable for experienced cyclists. Depending on the route of your choice, daily distances vary between 70 and 126km with daily elevation gains ranging from 1,000m to 2,800m. An excellent level of fitness is required for this tour and it is most suited to those who partake in road cycling all year, in all conditions, and regularly cycle over 100km in a day (read more about difficulty grades). Renting an e-bike is also possible, which will make the cycling experience more leisurely.
We strongly advise you only to follow marked trails and never try to shorten the path through unknown and unmarked terrain
We will provide you with detailed route notes and maps and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed information on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available all year round, from January until the end of December. The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates and you can start your trip on any date during the season.
Please note supplements may apply on certain dates during major holidays, such as Easter, Christmas and New Year.
The climate in this region of Alicante is Mediterranean, characterised by hot, humid summers and mild winters. The most comfortable conditions for cycling are typically found in spring and autumn, when temperatures are moderate. During summer, particularly in July and certainly August, daytime highs often exceed 30C, so it’s advisable to carefully plan the rides to avoid the peak heat.
To find out more about when to go, take a look at our blog, the Best time to go to Spain blog.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
The recommended airports for this tour is Aeropuerto Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández (ALC).
By train or bus
- From Alicante Airport, take the L525a bus (Les Marines-Alacant regional service) operated by Alsa (1h 55mins – five stops) to Dénia Bus Station where you can take the L3 bus service to Jalón/Xaló operated by Autocares Carrio (1h 10mins – 14 stops). For more information, use the Omio planner above
- From Alicante, take the L527 bus operated by Alsa (1h 25mins – three stops) to Calpe Bus Station where you can take the L3 bus service to Moraira operated by Autobuses Ifach (25mins – 13 stops). For more information, use the Omio planner above
- Private transfers from and to Alicante or Alicante Airport can be arranged at the start and at the end of the tour
Inclusions
Included
- 6 nights accommodation
- 6 breakfasts
- Luggage transfer on day four (one piece per person, max 15kg)
- Tour materials: detailed roadbook including maps (digital format), a navigation app for smartphones, and GPS tracks
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- International flights and land transfers
- Lunches and dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Optional bike insurance if available
- Additional travel-related changes in the programme due to bad weather
- Entrance fees for attractions and museums
- Personal expenses
- Any items not specifically mentioned as included in the programme
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers
- Bike and e-bike rental
- Bike insurance
- Private transfers from and to Alicante or Alicante Airport can be arranged at the start and at end of the tour
- Extra nights before and at the end of the tour can be booked on request
Bike rental
Choose from high quality standard road bike or e-road bike. The following bikes are available to rent on this tour:
Standard road bike
- Model: Wilier Garda or equivalent
- Frame: carbon frame and fork
- Brakes: disc brakes
- Transmission: Shimano 105, 12-speed 11/34 cassette
- Weight: approx. 8,9kg
Premium road bike
- Model: Wilier Cento 10 SL or equivalent
- Frame: carbon frame and fork
- Brakes: disc brakes
- Transmission: Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset or equivalent, 12 speeds, 50/34 crankset and 11/28-30-32 cassette
- Weight: approx. 7,6kg
Electric road bike
- Model: Willer Garda Hybrid or equivalent
- Frame: carbon frame and fork
- Battery: 250 Wh battery (expandable to 500 Wh at an extra charge)
- Brakes: disc brakes
- Transmission: Shimano 105 Di2 groupset or equivalent, 12 speeds, 50/34 crankset and 11/32-34 cassette
- Weight: approx. 12,0kg
Sample pictures shown above. Note that the exact models may differ depending on availability, but the standard will be the same.
Details (apply to all models):
- Phone and GPS holder: please bring a phone holder specific to your device, as this will be crucial for your tour
- Helmet: note that helmets are not included. If you don’t bring your own, you can rent one
- Repair kit includes hand pump, patches, multi-tool, one inner tube, tyre levers
- Two bottle holders (except for e-bike with additional 250 Wh battery, on which only one can be placed)
- Pedals: our rental bikes come without pedals. You can either bring your own pedals or specify your needs and you can rent a choice of three types of pedals at an extra charge: Look KEO easy, Shimano SPD-SL or Shimano SPD
- Saddle: our rental bikes come with comfortable road bike saddles. You can, of course, bring your own for improved comfort
- E-bikes are always delivered with a 100% charged battery and the charger is always included
Please indicate your choice of model and pedals as well as your height (if possible, also frame size) when filling out the booking form.
