On Monday 13th August, together with my regular riding buddy Mark (he likes to see his titles change from initially “client” to “returning client” to “regular riding partner” and so on!…) I completed a superb route around the valleys and peaks of the Serpis and Gallinera area of Valencia. Despite the heat, once we were on the move it was quite comfortable – an advantage of biking over walking in the summer months is that there´s always a breeze.  We started by descending into the very pretty Serpis valley where we followed the riverside trail to the village of Lorxa. [read more]

On Thursday 9th August, I provided a guided mountain bike trip for a father and two sons who were holidaying at Villa Florencia in Marxuquera.  The eldest of the sons was celebrating his 18th birthday on that very day. The forecast was for temperatures to peak at around 32 degrees C but all 3 riders were fit and experienced.  With some sensible precautions, it´s possible to ride in these conditions.  Having ensured that we were carrying sufficient water and sun protection, and having amended the route accordingly, we set out.  I´d modified the route such that the main climb was [read more]

On Friday 27th July, I spent a very enjoyable morning biking with a French client who was holidaying with family here in our home village of La Drova.  Although not a regular mountain biker, he was certainly an experienced cyclist and last year had in fact cycled to La Drova from his home in Toulouse! We began the day with a relaxed ride through the valley of La Drova on dirt tracks then headed inland along some rocky trails and wooded singletrack.  We then joined a trail through orange groves and pedalled into the Barxeta Valley.  We were making good [read more]

Last week, together with regular biking partner Mark I enjoyed a great ride out in the mountains that surround our village. In the summer heat it´s always worth adapting the routes to get the steepest or longest climb done first whilst the morning is still relatively fresh. We began by climbing out of the La Drova valley up a steep track that placed us on top of the Sierra de Marxuquera. The hard work done, we then enjoyed a relaxed ride over the hills before beginning our descent into the remote mountain village of Pinet where we sat in the [read more]

On Saturday 12th May I was fortunate enough to provide a day of guided mountain biking for a couple from Palma de Gandia.  Both of them keen, fit and active, Alison had booked the trip as a gift for her husband´s birthday. We began the day with a coffee in the Valle de Albaida from where the ride began before getting the only sustained climb of the day done before the sun was too high in the sky.  Both riders soon began to feel comfortable with the bikes and were clearly enjoying the stoney trails through the mountains. A great [read more]

On Wednesday I gladly provided a day of guided mountain biking for clients Mark and Nicholas.  For Mark, the owner of a local hotel, this was his third trip out with us.  Nicholas, an Australian tourist was back-packing through Europe and was spending a few days here in Spain. Mark and Nicholas opted to rent a couple of Trek mountain bikes from us, and after a brief introduction and pre-ride checks, we hit the trail. Today´s route was very civilised as the first 1.5km were all down hill, providing a gentle warm up.   Having descended through some woods, we emerged onto [read more]

As it´s the time of year when thoughts are turning to the warmer months ahead and of holidays in the sun, we´re all thinking of how we can maximise our precious free time and of course value for our hard earned cash. These days, more people are opting for a vacation that provides the opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities rather than just a beach holiday or sight-seeing trip. However, it´s often the case that to indulge in a favourite hobby whilst away, one has to opt for a specifically organised activity holiday.  Here at Nature Trail Spain, we recognise that such [read more]

In preparation for the forthcoming season, I have been working on a new Guided Mountain Bike Route that will now be added to our portfolio. This is one of our tougher routes as it includes some very steep ascents and takes in a remote and high mountain pass. I´ve been working on this one for a while, essentially trying to join up various off-road sections to form a circular route that minimises the amount of on-road work and makes the most of the rural tracks and trails. After 3 or 4 outings, today´s objective was to ride and record the entire [read more]

Today, I had the pleasure of introducing Mark, the owner of a local country hotel to the joys of mountain biking.  Although he´s an active sportsman, and a keen runner, he´s never been out on a mountain bike.  He admitted to having been keen to give mountain biking a try for a while, so a day of guided mountain biking from La Drova, our home base, proved to be a great introduction. He was provided with a helmet and fully equipped Trek mountain bike.  Following some initial instruction on bike set-up, efficient braking, pedaling and gear changing we set off along [read more]