MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND HOPPING CLASSICO Ability Level: Intermediate / Duration: 12 days / 11 nights PEDAL YOUR PASSION
Mediterranean Island Hopping ITINERARY OUTLINE
Experience the best of Corsica and Sardinia on a new north-to- Trip Essence / Page 2 south route and a boat excursion in the Gulf of Porto Daily Itinerary / Page 3-6
Outdoor enthusiasts, photographers, nature and water lovers alike will be dazzled Arrival & Departure / Page 7 by this trip’s dramatic beauty. This new north-to-south route follows the coastline with spectacular seaside views before heading inland towards the secret heart of Bike Information / Page 7 Sardinia. Distinct and exotic, Italian-influenced Sardinia and French-flavored Corsica / Page 8 enchant all who visit their Mediterranean shores and magical hills. In hilly Corsica, Terms & Conditions called the “beautiful city” by the ancient Greeks, we’ll cycle by jagged purple-pink Reserve Your Space! / Page 8 rock formations, dramatic white cliffs, and translucent blue coves. In Sardinia, pastel houses fade into chestnut groves and cork forests, and sculpted pink rock formations and dunes melt into the sea. Indulge your deepest Mediterranean fantasy on this Italian island hopping tour.
Ciclismo Classico 1-800-866-7314 | [email protected] | www.ciclismoclassico.com 1 MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND HOPPING CLASSICO Ability Level: Intermediate / Duration: 12 days / 11 nights PEDAL YOUR PASSION
TRIP ESSENCE TRIP DETAILS Trip Dates • Pedal peacefully along the turquoise Mediterranean • Check website for departure dates • Take to the seas on an island-hopping boat excursion Ability Level • Marvel at the glittering-red granite walls of Les Calanques, a UNESCO • Intermediate World Heritage Site Summary of Daily Distances • Experience French and Italian cultures back-to-back • Day 1: 12 miles • Day 2: 50 miles • Cycle through spectacular limestone mountains and along stunning • Day 3: 44 miles • Day 4: 44 miles oceanfront cliffs • Day 5: 44 miles • Day 6: 50 miles • Visit prehistoric site of Filitosa • Day 7: 47 miles • Day 8: 50 miles • Savor fresh local seafood and learn about the creation of local foods • Day 9: 44 miles • Day 10: 52 miles • Day 11: 46 miles • Day 12: Arrivederci! WHAT’S INCLUDED Optional extra loops available • Use of a carbon road bike (see page 7 for details)
• Service of local, professional guides throughout the program
• Ciclismo jersey and water bottle
• All accommodations
• All breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 9 dinners
• A walking tour of Bonifacio
• Ferry boats to and from islands
• Boat excursion - Gulf of Porto
• Wine tasting at a Sardinian winery
• Samples of local enogastronomic specialties
• Group shuttles at the beginning, during and at the end of the tour
Ciclismo Classico 1-800-866-7314 | [email protected] | www.ciclismoclassico.com 2 MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND HOPPING CLASSICO Ability Level: Intermediate / Duration: 12 days / 11 nights PEDAL YOUR PASSION DAY 1 Highlights Bienvenue – welcome to Corsica! We offer a group shuttle from Calvi CALVI, CORSICA airport (CLY) at 12:30 pm to our first hotel. We’ll meet at the hotel at 1 pm Daily Mileage - 12 miles for a brief intro and warm up ride.
Riding Terrain - Hilly with some climbs Our journey begins in the charming coastal outpost of Calvi. Warm your and gorgeous views muscles up with a brief ride in the Balagna, the region of Northern Corsica famous for pink granite landscapes and mouthwatering local wine. Hotel - Regina Hotel • Location: Calvi The 4-star Regina Hotel will welcome you warmly in a heavenly atmosphere, • Duration: 1 Night a few meters from a beautiful sandy beach with panoramic views and its • www.regina-hotel-calvi.com refreshing swimming pool.
Meals - L, D DAY 2 Highlights Our tour gets off to a great start today with one of the most scenic rides of PORTO the entire itinerary. The first miles out of Calvi will challenge you, but the Daily Mileage - 50 miles view will it worthwhile. After mile 17, it’s smooth sailing along an incredible road that zigzags in and out of the trees, passing mountains lush with Riding Terrain - Hilly with some eucalyptus trees, meandering cows and goats, and coral-colored points climbs and gorgeous views along the sea. From the top of each climb, the reward of a different angle on the red granite coast is outstanding. Hotel - Hotel Les Flot Bleus • Location: Porto After our ride we will embark on a boat ride in the early evening to see • Duration: 1 Night the Calanques de Piana A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Piana creeks • www.hotel-lesflotsbleus.com/ offer a magnificent show of rock masses, peaks, mineral sculptures, needles and red granite cliffs. Overhanging the sea, this extraordinary site with Meals - B numerous shapes is a dream-like place. Some rocks conjure up animals and figures, like a dog’s head, a heart and a bishop. Colours are magnificent, especially at sunset! And what a contrast with the deep blue of the sea!
Hotel Les Flots Bleus is nestled in the magnificent gulf of Porto and dominated by a Genoese tower. Located near Ajaccio on the west coast of Corsica, the hotel offers the best hospitality and a warm and friendly atmosphere. The seaside town is in the heart of the Corsican regional natural park.. DAY 3 Highlights Today’s ride has an incredible variety of scenery. Just after we start, have PORTICCIO your camera ready for the next ten miles as we pass through the astonishing coastal area of Les Calanques, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose red Daily Mileage - 44 miles and pink granite spires soar above the sea. For the next few miles, we ride Riding Terrain - Rolling with climbs, along a wonderful coastal road with white sandy beaches. The last climb to descents and coastal riding Col de San Bastianu is perhaps the most challenging of the whole trip, but leads into a well-deserved descent into Aiaccio, Corsica’s capital. We’ll cross Hotel - Radisson Blu Resort & Spa the center with a private transfer to reach our seaside hotel in Porticcio. • Location: Porticcio • Duration: 1 Night Discover the beauty of Corsica at Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, Ajaccio Bay. • www.radissonhotels.com Situated on the western shoreline of one of the Mediterranean’s most beautiful islands, this resort rests on the Agosta Beach outside the village Meals - B, D of Porticcio. A short trip around the bay takes guests to the imperial City of Ajaccio, the historic birthplace of Napolean Bonaparte.
Ciclismo Classico 1-800-866-7314 | [email protected] | www.ciclismoclassico.com 3 MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND HOPPING CLASSICO Ability Level: Intermediate / Duration: 12 days / 11 nights PEDAL YOUR PASSION DAY 4 Highlights
PROPRIANO Early in the day we hit the hill of Coti Chiavari on a spectacular and quiet road that winds up through scented bushes. This is the essence of the Daily Mileage - 44 miles Mediterranean. Later, the terrain gets flatter and we end at a lovely hotel with time left for a dip in the clear waters of a private beach. We will visit the Riding Terrain - Hilly with some prehistoric site of Filitosa. climbs Hotel Miramar is located on one of the most desirable locations of the Hotel Miramar Hotel - island, known for its extraordinary beaches and sceneries, unspoiled • Location: Propriano landscapes and typical corsican villages. • Duration: 1 Night • www.miramarboutiquehotel.com
Meals - B, D
DAY 5 Highlights Today’s road is wide and hilly with views of the craggy coastline and sea. BONIFACIO After the start we climb to Sartene, the ancient capital of Corsica. Its austere Daily Mileage - 44 miles atmosphere and ancient dark granite buildings will send your imagination into overdrive. The road continues alongside the coast until we reach our Riding Terrain - Hilly with some final destination for the day, the city of Bonifacio. climbs Hotel Le Genovese is located right in the middle of this historical city, with Hotel - Hotel Le Genovese alleys full of secrets and appeal. • Location: Bonifacio • Duration: 1 Night • hotel-genovese.com
Meals - B
DAY 6 Highlights Today we leave the beautiful island of Corsica to Sardinia, another jewel of ARZACHENA the Mediterranean. We ride the ferry to Santa Teresa di Gallura, in Sardinia, and from the harbour we will start our ride towards the region called Daily Mileage - 50 miles Gallura. The scenary will change soon, from the limestone of Bonifacio to Riding Terrain - Hilly with some the rounded granite rocks of Sardinia. We will visit a Sardinian winery in the climbs region where the Vermentino di Gallura wine is made, a lightly sparkling white wine, dry and mineral, which matches perfectly with the fish of the Hotel - Hotel Stazzo Lu Ciaccaru Mediterranean. • Location: Arzachena • Duration: 2 Nights This small four star estate, once a farm, is wrapped in a beautiful • www.stazzoluciaccaru.it/en/ countryside with amazing views, ancient olive trees and old stone barns. resort-on-the-costa-smeralda
Meals - B, L, D
Ciclismo Classico 1-800-866-7314 | [email protected] | www.ciclismoclassico.com 4 MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND HOPPING CLASSICO Ability Level: Intermediate / Duration: 12 days / 11 nights PEDAL YOUR PASSION DAY 7 Highlights From Arzachena we ride straight down to Palau where, after a short ride ARZACHENA (LOOP) on a ferry, we will reach La Maddalena island that gaves the name to the La Daily Mileage - 47 miles Maddalena Archipelago, the biggest and most spectacular marine park in Italy. After a short loop of the island we cross the bridge to Caprera Island, Riding Terrain - Hilly known as the Garibaldi Island. This is the place where Garibaldi, after his precious tribute to the Italian unification, decided to spend the last part of Hotel - See Day 6 his life and where he’s been buried in 1882.
Meals - B, D After a short visit to Garbaldi’s house and grave we can cycle back to the pier at La Maddalena where we take the boat back to Palau. From here we will ride along the main Costa Smeralda road back to Arzachena and to our hotel.
DAY 8 Highlights Today’s ride will drive us to the heart of the Gallura region and along LI CUNCHEDDI the Costa Smeralda coast. It’s this part of the coast which made Sardinia Daily Mileage - 50 miles famous for its beautiful beaches in the 60s, when Karim Aga Khan, an Ismaelit prince who fell in love with the island, started building the most Riding Terrain - Hilly luxurious hotels in the Mediterranean. Since that time Sardinia, from a land of shepards and agricultures, became a worldwide appriciated holiday Hotel - Hotel Cala Cuncheddi destination. • Location: Li Cuncheddi • Duration: 1 Night The hotel where we stay tonight will give you a perfect example of the • www.calacuncheddi.com/english beauty of Sardinia. Ready to swim?
Meals - B, D
DAY 9 Highlights Today we will leave the granite rocks of Gallura and we enter the Baronie BUDONI region where the limestone raise out the sea 150 million years ago (Sardinia Daily Mileage - 44 miles is one of the oldest lands in Europe), and for millenia, glacier after glacier shaped the region with this big limestone massifs, rounded and separated Riding Terrain - Hilly by lush valleys.
Hotel - Hotel Janna e Sole Oak forests and cork tree farms will surround us during the ride. It will be a • Location: Budoni very peaceful day going across a very quiet territory where the only sounds • Duration: 1 Night will be the wind between the trees and some goat bells. • www.studiovacanze.it/holiday/ janna-e-sole/ The Hotel Janna e Sole is an all inclusive resort and built with architectural plays of heights, arches and colors, arcades and towers, between the neat Meals - B, L, D gardens and the narrow stone lanes that slope down in the square, the center of village life.
Ciclismo Classico 1-800-866-7314 | [email protected] | www.ciclismoclassico.com 5 MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND HOPPING CLASSICO Ability Level: Intermediate / Duration: 12 days / 11 nights PEDAL YOUR PASSION DAY 10 Highlights Spectacular stage today. Starting from the coast, after a nice warm up along OLIENA the coast, we will take on the long climb up to Mont’Albo. It’s a nice steady Daily Mileage - 52 miles grade with a stunning view of the coast all the way up.
Riding Terrain - Hilly It will be a ride in the wilderness with a privileged view from the ridge of the mountain down to the valley. An amazing descent will lead us down to Hotel - Hotel Su Gologone the other side of the Mont’Albo and towards another majestic limestone • Location: Oliena massif called Monte Corrasi. Our hotel is settled just at the foothill and is an • Duration: 1 Night experience hotel with a unique style. • www.sugologone.it/en This 4-star accommodation is a large white villa that blends perfectly with Meals - B, D the surrounding landscape of juniper trees and wild olives. With a swimming pool and views of the horizon, this hotel combines quality service, comfort and tradition.
DAY 11 Highlights The last ride will be along one of the most spectacular roads in Sardinia. ARBATAX From the hotel up to Genna Silana it’s a long but gentle climb with a stunning view on the Flumineddu valley that starts from the Gorroppu 46 miles Daily Mileage - Canyon, the highest canyon in Europe with its cliffs more the 1315 ft high. A Riding Terrain - Hilly stop to take a memorable photo is definitively worth it.
Hotel - Hotel La Bitta The ride approaching the town of Baunei is a fun rolling road in a very • Location: Arbatax unspoilt enviroment, full of wildlife and dramatic views. After Baunei the last • Duration: 1 Night adrenaline-filled downhill to the sea where we can celebrate the end of our • www.hotellabitta.it unforgettable adventure in the Mediterrenean islands.
Meals - B, D Hotel La Bitta is located a few steps from the sea on the beach of Porto Frailis, the east coast of Sardinia. Enjoy breakfast overlooking the sea, relax by the pool and pamper yourself in their wellness spa.
DAY 12 Highlights ARRIVEDERCI! It’s time to say arriverderci to the charms of the Mediterranean! After breakfast around 9 am, we provide a two-hour group shuttle to Cagliari Airport, or a two and a half hour shuttle to Olbia. Meals - B
Ciclismo Classico 1-800-866-7314 | [email protected] | www.ciclismoclassico.com 6 MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND HOPPING CLASSICO Ability Level: Intermediate / Duration: 12 days / 11 nights PEDAL YOUR PASSION
ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE OTHER INFORMATION For Flight Reservations GETTING TO CALVI Valerie Wilson Travel Please consult with a tour consultant or refer to “Other Information” to the right Call: 1-855-780-2022 or to determine the best route. We offer a group shuttle* from Calvi airport (CLY) at E-mail: [email protected] 12:30 pm to our first hotel in Calvi, which will take about 10 minutes. Travel Insurance *Please inform the office if you plan on taking this scheduled group shuttle at least one month in advance via this World Nomads form: www.ciclismoclassico.com/travel-plans Call: 1-816-905-3963 (Direct/ Collect) 1-844-207-1930 (Toll-Free DEPARTING FROM CAGLIARI within USA) After breakfast, we offer a group shuttle at 9 am to Cagliari airport (CAG) to https://www.worldnomads.com/ make your connections, which will take about two hours. travel-insurance/
Transportation Rome2rio http://www.rome2rio.com BIKE INFORMATION ON THE BIKE Included: Bianchi Intenso and Vertigo • Ciclismo Classico water bottle • The carbon frame guarantees maximum performance with minimum stress • Two water bottle holders for the riders, thanks to Bianchi’s special C2C (Coast to Coast) frame design/ • Map holder on handlebars geometry and different material combination. Carbon bikes are equipped and a Garmin Edge GPS with compact crank and 11/32 cassette. • Handlebar bag • Bianchi Vertigo included free on all Easy and Athletic Beginner tours. • Tire pump • Bianchi Intenso included on all Intermediate and Advanced tours. • Combination bike lock • Gel-padded saddle Bianchi C-Sport 2.5 • Choice of pedals • More relaxed riding at a look-around-you pace, this is a highperformance • Card with your tour leaders’ aluminum hybrid bicycle with straight handlebars. It has a sloping design for mobile phone numbers superior comfort and bigger tires and hydraulic disc brakes. Included on all tours. Pedal Options: • Flat pedals Tandems • Half-toe pedals (without • Cannondale RT 2: Racing position with 700 c wheels. Available for $400, straps) limited availability. • Toe cage pedals • Honey bicycles: Racing position with 700 c wheels. Available for $400, limited availability. Things to Bring: • Co-motion Periscope: Racing position with 700 c wheels. Accommodates • Helmet smaller team or even children. Available for $400. • Optional: clipless pedals with • Cannondale Hybrid MT800: Upright position with 26 c wheels and straight shoes handlebars. Available for $400. • Optional: your own saddle
E-Bike: Bianchi Manhattan • Available on all easy and athletic beginner tours, some intermediate and advanced tours. Please contact us for more information. Available for $400.
Bike type outside of Europe may vary, please contact us at 800-866-7314 for more information.
Ciclismo Classico 1-800-866-7314 | [email protected] | www.ciclismoclassico.com 7 MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND HOPPING CLASSICO Ability Level: Intermediate / Duration: 12 days / 11 nights PEDAL YOUR PASSION INSURANCE, TERMS & CONDITIONS
Insurance Ciclismo Classico will not assume responsibility or liability for any loss or damage of personal effects or for any injury or loss during the duration of the tour. Therefore, we highly recommend that you obtain travel insurance. Information on travel insurance will be sent to you via email once trip deposit is received. We recommend World Nomads, but travelers may choose the insurance carrier of their choice.
Cancellations and Refunds All requests for refunds must be submitted in writing as soon as possible to Ciclismo Classico. Exceptions to their cancellation policy cannot be made for any reason, including weather or personal emergencies. There is no refund for unexpectedly leaving a trip early or arriving late. The purchase of short-term travel insurance policy is strongly recommended. Cancellation fees are determined as follows:
Days before departure – Cancellation fee 121+ days - 50% of the deposit* 91-120 days - 100% of the deposit* 61-90 days - 30% of the trip price 31-60 days - 60% of the trip price 0-30 days - 100% of the trip price
*You may transfer your trip deposit to another departure in the same tour season up to 90 days before your original departure with payment of a $100 per person transfer fee. Prices quoted are subject to adjustment without prior notification. OR your deposit (currently $600) may be carried forward to the following year as a credit toward the final balance of a tour. At the time of booking, we will ask for another $600 deposit to secure your spot. Carried-forward credits expire at the end of the year to which they are applied.
Alterations to the tour itinerary Sometimes modifications may be made to the itinerary. We will notify you of any changes that may affect your arrival, departure or lodging. Any changes to the program are made in the best interest and safety of the group.
To review our policies, please visit http://www.ciclismoclassico.com/plan-your-trip/policies/
RESERVE YOUR SPACE!
To reserve a space, call Ciclismo Classico at 800-866-7314. Or, mail your deposit and contact information to:
Ciclismo Classico 30 Marathon St Arlington, MA 02474
At the time of registration, a deposit of $600 per person is due, payable by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or check, made payable to Ciclismo Classico, along with your full name, mailing address, phone number(s) and email address. We cannot confirm reservations without a deposit. Final payment is due 90 days before departure payable by check, credit card, wire transfer or money order. All travelers must review and sign a terms and conditions statement and a waiver form.
Ciclismo Classico 1-800-866-7314 | [email protected] | www.ciclismoclassico.com 8