Cycling through the lands of the Templar knights
Extremadura, Portugal, Aracena Natural Park

Leisurely riding through historical Iberian landscapes & culture, exploring the Templar lands of Extremadura, Baixo Alentajo in eastern Portugal & medieval villages in the Aracena National Park. Last day spent cycling in & visiting Seville.

Fact File:

Trip outline:
The southern Iberian peninsula has long been a land of turmoil and divide, fought over for its strategic position and natural resources by Romans, Moors and the disputing kings of Spain and Portugal. This area is perfect for leisurely cycling, the pace of the route dictated by the amount of time we spend visiting the Crusader castles, Moorish monuments and tiny villages that mark the route. This tour is not just about cycling but also about getting to know the way of life of a region that, although rich in culture, has gone through great extremes of wealth and poverty. The magic of olive oil pressing, the curing of hams, the weaving of rush mats and pottery-making are just some of the cultural traditions we will be seeing. We will be exploring Arab castles on both sides of the border, the rich gothic and rennaisance religious architecture of the region, the Templar fort of Fregenal, the 9th Century mosque of Almonaster, the huge natural labyrinth below the castle of Aracena - and of course enjoying the diverse popular gastronomy of southern Spain and Portugal. Our last day is spent in romantic Seville, with a visit to the Giralda Cathedral, the old Jewish quarter and the great Islamic/Christian royal palace.

Biking Profile:
The terrain on the Spanish side of the border is hilly with the occasional moderate climb. In Portugal rolling landscape with the occasional short steep hill. We ride along small country roads with little traffic. There is plenty of time for visits with a bias towards culture, history & nature. Days are occasionally not full cycling days & there is always the option of using vehicle support on demand. Two transfers included to make up distances on Portugal days.

Example Itinerary:

Day 1 Meet Seville airport. Transfer to hotel (110mins.) Check into our hotel late afternoon in the small Extremeño town of Fregenal de la Sierra. Welcome drink & 'tapas' followed by a tour of the town. The town is a maze of narrow streets & stuffed with monuments including a mudejar church, various picturesque plazas, medieval jails, a handful of churches & of course its Templar castle. Dinner. 2 nights Hotel Fregenal 2*.

Day 2 Fregenal to Jerez de los Caballeros & back Breakfast. Small country roads lead us to the medieval walled town of Jerez de los Caballeros. Jerez 'of the Knights' gets its name from its 200 year domination by the Order of the Knights Templar. The Templars originated in the 12th.C. as defenders of the the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem but later came to embody the crusade against the Moorish occupation of the Iberian peninsular. In Jerez we will visit the 'Bloody Tower' where some of the last Templars were hung by papal order for defying the official disbanding. In contrast to the Fortress and mudejar architecture of the towers the baroque churches of San Bartlomé & San Miguel are adorned with magnificent spires crowned in startling blue ceramic. After a picnic lunch in Jerez and plenty of time to explore the town we head back on a different route towards Fregenal in time for a drink in one of the quiet plazas of the town. Dinner. 56km.

Day 3 Fregénal to Moura Breakfast. We ride towards Portugal along a narrow twisting road through hills of wild olive & holm oaks down rocky gulches filled with juniper & thyme. We cross the border at Barrancos. Relax with a coffee & local pastries in the main square before setting off for Moura. The Bajo (Lower) Alentejo region is quite different from Andalucía, a land of huge cultivated fields of cereal crops & sunflowers with occasional stands of olive or oak. The donkey & cart is still a common sight on local roads here. In Safara we stop for lunch in the shade of a crumbling church while clacking storks wheel overhead. Visit the charcoal making operation using techniques dating back to the middle ages. Moura appears ahead of us a walled town of white houses & imposing mansions. Opportunity of relaxing in the hot waters of the towns Spa - soak away the soreness! Before Dinner we will have a walking tour of the town & visit the arab quarter. Dinner. 78km. 2 nights Hotel Moura 3*.

Day 4 Moura to Beja & transfer back Breakfast. Ride cross country today & use the occasional dirt track. Julius Caesar made peace in Beja with the Lusitanian tribes & the town was later fortified by the Moors until Christian reacpture in 1252. Enjoy a late lunch today in one of the many small tabernas of the town maybe trying a sopa alentejana of garlic, bread & poached eggs or a plate of porco alentejana - a stew of pork & clams, very tasty! Free time to wander around the town after lunch. Bejas elegant mansion houses & large tree lined plazas are interspersed with monuments such as the Dom Dinis tower & its 183 steps providing a magnificent view over the town. Visit the museum, chapel & elaborate cloister of the 15th.C. Convento de Conceição, the 6th.C. Santa Amaro church (one of the oldest buildings in Portugal) or the Museo Romano and its Roman foundations. Transfer back to Moura in the late afternoon with the option of more cycling for those with the energy. After dinner drinks with the locals in the towns attractive park. 48km. (with option of an extra 29km.)

Day 5 Moura to Rosal, transfer to Almonaster & ride to Aracena. Breakfast. Ride south to Machados & drop in to a local wine producer. Visit vineyards & learn about the wine production of the region. Take a few bottels with us for the picnic lunch. Small easy roads take us across plains of wheat & sunflowers gradually turning to olive plantations as we approach Spain. We cross the border at sleepy Rosal & stop for a coffee. We transfer (35mins.) from here to dreamy Almonaster, a classic Aracena hill town with its bright white houses framed by the magnificent church, mosque & bull ring that crown the summit. We walk up cobbled streets & picnic in the shade of the 8th.C. mosque, a perfectly preserved relic of its time. From Almonaster we cycle cross country through the Aracena Natural park towards Aracena. This is the main market town of the region, a clean classic white town once again topped by an ancient castle. Eevening walk through Aracena visiting the open air sculpture gallery & monuments. Dinner will be chance to enjoy a 'tapas fest' with over 20 regional dishes laid out for us. 68km. 2 nights Hotel Sierra de Aracena 3*.

Day 6 In the Aracena Natural Park Breakfast. Todays ride takes us along the quiet country roads lined with bracken, streams & ivy covered trees of this 186,000ha. Natural Park where basket weavers, potterys & ham curers still abound. We will ride through chestnuts forests & oak plantations where semi wild black Iberian pigs roam freely. In Castaño del Robledo we visit a traditional ham 'museum' and learn abut the art of producing the finest Iberian jamon, one of Andalucías most representative & tasty foods. Once again ancient churches and crumbling monuments provide a constant backdrop in these humble but proud villages. On returning to Aracena there is the option of visiting the huge labyrinth of the 'Cave of Marvels' that fans out below the town a worthwhile excursion into one of Europes largest cave systems complete with illuminated crystal clear pools & huge stalagmites. Dinner. Variable itin up to 50km.

Day 7 Seville Breakfast. Transfer 40mins. to market town of Gerena. Almost on the Seville plains. Cross into Seville across the Rivera de Huelva bridge & follow quiet residential roads into the centre of the city. We cross the Guadalquivir river & cycle along its banks overlooking the Cartuja Monastery. Cycle along the Paseo Colon & see the Bull Ring, Opera House & ‘Torre del Oro’ (Tower of Gold).Finish the ride in the Neo-classical Plaza Nueva. Check into Hotel followed by leisurely horse drawn carriage tour through Sevilles parks & along its palm lined river bank. The end of our journey is celebrated with a visit to a few of Seville’s many tapas bars and lively night spots. Option of 2-5* Hotels.

Day 8 Breakfast & farewells. Itinerary ends.

For a more detailed itinerary please contact James at discoverAndalucia.