Away from the Crowds

Reviews

We noticed the promptness of responses from Away from the crowds, much higher than with other companies which gave us great confidence before the trip.

We had a fabulous cycling week in Extremadura.

Everything was perfectly organised, the hotels, transfer of luggage, the route and the electric bikes! We noticed the promptness of responses from Away from the crowds, much higher than with other companies which gave us great confidence before the trip.

The route was great and the various places we visited rich in history and totally unknown to us beforehand.

The Paradors are amazing!!!

We really loved the finca in the National Park and Carmen the host. The park was amazing we took the shorter route , just as well as there was so much birdlife we wanted to take in. The finca was so restful, in spite of the bellowing of stags!!!

Mhairi Cameron & Trevor Thorley Bristol, UK

Great to hear that you enjoyed your first route with us! The birdlife in Monfrague National Park is something else! You were very lucky to hear the bellowing stags too!

Aftc Team

being the crazy pensioners that we are it made us more determined to complete each day on the bikes.

We have now been back home for a week and have recovered from our experience of cycling in Extremadura. As always, a brilliant holiday but this time the extra challenge of cycling in ridiculous temperatures of 40+. #pJaime very kindly emailed me and offered to arrange for a taxi to take us to the next hotel if we found the going hard on any day. But being the crazy pensioners that we are it made us more determined to complete each day on the bikes. I could not have done it without the E-bikes especially the first 2 days.

After that we tried to leave the hotel each day at 9 so that we arrived at our destination by 2pm.

Overall, another brilliant cycling trip. Brendan got to see places that he read about when he was a little boy and the statue of Pizarro in Trujillo was something he had wanted to see for years.

The accommodation was excellent and the routes were goodThe only negative about the holiday was the excessive heat which obviously cannot be controlled by you.So, roll on next year when we hope to enjoy another cycling holiday and we'll even chance going in June again.

Many thanks to all the team who make these holidays possible. We have now done 6 of your tours and look forward to doing more even though next year Brendan will be 80!!!!!

Regards

Pam and Brendan Stuart, UK living in Spain.

We think you're amazing!! Crazy, but amazing!!

Tha Aftc team!

Die Radtour ist sehr zu empfehlen, denn sie führt in eine unbekanntere Gegend Spaniens und ist wirklich super schön.

Hallo Jaime, hier kommt unser Bericht zur Tour durch die Extremadura.

Die Radtour ist sehr zu empfehlen, denn sie führt in eine unbekanntere Gegend Spaniens und ist wirklich super schön.

Die Strecken sind ohne Motor teilweise anstrengend zu radeln, an einem Tag waren es sogar mehr als 900 Höhenmeter, aber es ist jede Mühe wert.

Die Natur war in der 2. Aprilhälfte fantastisch grün und blühend, die Paradores und die Übernachtung bei Carmen im Monfrague NP waren jede für sich ein Erlebnis. Wann kann man schon mal in so alten Gemäuern so „fürstlich“ übernachten?!

Vor allem waren auch die Leute sehr freundlich und entspannt, einschließlich des Personals in den Hotels. Wir sind mit dem Zug von Madrid nach Oropesa gereist, es hat einwandfrei funktioniert.

Die Reiseunterlagen haben gute Hinweise gegeben, unsere Mietfahrräder haben super gepasst und waren gut gepflegt und das Gepäck war bei unserer Ankunft immer schon auf dem Zimmer.

Da es an einem Tag wirklich stark regnete und das auch noch bei unter 10 Grad Außentemperatur, mussten wir gemeinsam mit dem Gepäck zur nächsten Unterkunft reisen. Das war zwar schade, aber es wurde super organisiert und hat zum Glück sehr gut geklappt. Das schöne Wetter zum Schluss bleibt sicher in bester Erinnerung.

Wir haben jeden Abstecher mitgenommen, Monasterio de Yuste z.B lohnt wirklich auch den Besuch, und diese Reise sehr genossen.

Vielen Dank dafür und vielleicht kommen wir bald wieder und radeln im Rioja…

Alles Gute und bis zum nächsten Mal

Volker und Katrin, Germany

a perfect combination of cycling, exploring and relaxing.

We had a wonderful time. The paradores were fabulous places, your maps and info pack excellent, the bikes were great and your back up team very good and friendly. So all was perfect.

We did cut down on some of the distances for several reasons. It would have been a pity to spend all day in the saddle and not have the time for a relaxing afternoon exploring the towns we stayed in, have a swim etc.

We managed to do all that so had a perfect combination of cycling, exploring and relaxing.

The first day was quite difficult for us though as I had anticipated. Although we were taken for 20 km, by the time we had sorted out the bikes etc. it was 10 o’clock, far too late for a hot day. We got to the next parador at 3.30 pm having to have so many stops in the afternoon to try and cool down.

But all in all we had a fantastic time and enjoyed it very much. So thank you for organizing such a wonderful trip. Will be looking at your website again, maybe try something else another time.

Thanks again.

Kind regards,

Inge Bratley, Cornwall, UK

We decided to have an extra night in Monfrague

We chose “Away from the Crowds” because they were a local company and were very knowledgeable about the areas.

We have thought about doing the cycling parador trip for a number of years but work commitments have made this impossible until this year.

We thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. Everything was arranged perfectly and all seemed to flow well from our side.

Each days cycle routes allowed us to stop and explore villages, buildings, waterfalls, do some birdwatching etc and still arrive at our next parador by 3.30pm.

The bikes were great-very comfortable and all measured perfectly to our heights.

The routes were a good mixture of challenging sections and easier sections. All in very scenic areas. We loved seeing the changes in the landscapes as we progressed.

Although most of the cycling was on roads, on the whole they were very good and quiet. Even when there was traffic, the drivers are all very courteous to cyclists.

The maps and cycle guide were all very clear and easy to follow.

There was only one bit where the instructions were slightly awkward. This was in Malpartida de Plasencia. Neither of the two marked traffic lights existed and the sign at Calle Caceres was very faint and hidden. We had a little bit of detour into town then doubling back to find the road.

We decided to have an extra night in Monfrague to allow us to explore and birdwatch on the second day. The Palacio Viejo de Corchuelas was a perfect destination and Carmen was a great host. We ordered a picnic lunch between us for our hike. This was beautifully presented and very tasty.

We also had booked an extra night at Trujillo parador so that we could do the extra day circular cycle into the rural area. This was a god option and we enjoyed stopping to watch the many birds and scenery. We also ordered the 20 eurospicnic lunch to share from the parador. This again was extremely well packaged and presented and loads of it.

Each parador was interesting and all very different. We loved the fact we did the hard work during the day and could relax and have some luxury at night.

We had decided that we would eat in the restaurants in the Pardors in the evenings as this was part of our trip. The food was all excellent and lots of local produce and recipes.

To get to Oropesa we got the train from Madrid- very comfortable and efficient.

We extended our stay after arriving in Caceres - we had booked an apartment in the medieval city for a few nights then booked the bus to get back to Madrid. The times of this suited better than the early train departure and took about the same time. Again this worked out really well. Our extra stay in Caceres by coincidence overlapped with the WOMAD festival, which added another dimension to our trip.

We would not hesitate to use Away from the Crowds again for another trip to Spain. As the areas we were in were rural often there was not much English spoken. In anticipation we had gone for Spanish lessons and it was good to be able to converse in Spanish whenever possible. Most people were patient with our efforts to be understood.

Shiona and Bill Scott, UK.

attention to detail

We can not thank Jaime and Agustín enough for suggesting and making various arrangements to ensure we comfortably continued quickly onto Madrid.

Throughout our trip, the attention to detail on the maps, scenic cycling and the comfort of the paradores was excellent, gracias!

Diane ans Tim Morris. Australia.

We loved Extremadura

Our overall impression was excellent, as everything was very well organised: our bags arrived safely and promptly everyday; the hotels were expecting us and accommodated our bikes, gear etc. and the maps and bikes were of a high standard.

We loved Extremadura, the history, the landscape and the food all contributed to a memorable holiday.

Antonia Lanigan. Ireland.

the high standard of your organisation and the attention to detail is much appreciated

We had a fantastic cycle trip!

We’d very much like to thank you and all your team for the professional and friendly service we’ve received throughout. Right from the start the communication was excellent and inspired total confidence in your organisation.

Everything happened as described. When we arrived Augustin was reliable and very helpful with the bikes and our ongoing travel arrangements. We particularly appreciated the paper maps and the booklet (road book) which gave us invaluable information about the route, terrain, local history, swimming spots and tips on cafés bars and restaurants en route. It’s also a good souvenir to keep to remind us of our trip.

One place we might add was a nice restaurant we stopped at - just off the route on day 3 (Jarandilla to Plasencia). Not having a picnic we went into Arroymolinos and had a great lunch at Bar El Tozón which we’d recommend (maybe adding a few extra kilometres uphill).

The OSM app was useful as back up but we were so glad to have the paper maps as well, which were very clear.

We’re actually doing another self guided cycling trip in Andalucía at the moment with a different company (as Senderos y Pueblos didn’t cover this particular area). It’s very clear that your company is far superior in all ways. The only information we’ve been given about this 7 day trip is a GPS app with just the route marked.

So, many thanks again for everything- the high standard of your organisation and the attention to detail is much appreciated. We’d definitely recommend you to anyone considering cycling in Spain. Hopefully we’ll be back!

Best wishes

Stephanie and Jim, UK

It was a great week!

It was a great week! We were fortunate with the weather (not too hot and no rain) and Agustin was excellent in his setting up and support, particularly with the member of our group who had problems with his own bike. The e-bikes worked well and the routes were good, particularly the Camino Rural after Yuste. We charted our own route from Trujillo to Caceres, through La Cumbre and Botija (delightful until the final 25 kilometres along a busy road).

It was a great shame that three of the paradors were closed for renovations, but the alternatives in Oropesa and Caceres were very good (Alice in Oropesa really helpful). The hotel in Jarandilla was not really up to standard, but it might be hard to find somewhere else there. We loved our stay at the Palacio Viejo and the Trujillo parador was the perfect place for a two night stay.

Thanks to you and to everyone at Senderos y Pueblos (AKA: Away from the Crowds): we are very pleased to be on the Sevilla to Cadiz trip in November (I hope all the paradors will be open then) and, with us all being a year older, the slightly more gentle trip from Avila to Salamanca might be our group’s tour next May.

Tim & Alison Young, Surrey, UK

We're delighted that you enjoyed your holiday so much that you immediately booked your next trip! That's a great recommendation in itself! Yes, it's a pity that many Paradors are closed this year (2025) for restoration works and it's been a challenge to find suitable replacements!

Gaynor, Aftc

spectacular

From the minute that we were picked up at Madrid airport by Guzman, to the morning that we checked out of the Caceres Parador, everything was organised for us, and all we had to do was pedal!

Harry was also very helpful when he handed over the bikes and equipment at Oropesa. He also seemed to be impressed with the pace of two 'more mature' cyclists!

We will definitely recommend your services to our friends, family and colleagues. I will also be posting very complimentary reviews on Facebook and trip advisor. We will also be in contact soon to organise future trips with away from the crowds.

I must compliment you on the quality of the maps, road book, hotels, restaurant/cafe recommendations, bike quality and hotel choices. You should be very proud of the excellent business you manage.

As for the routes, the national park was one of the most spectacular places we have ever visited, and we have been to many places around the world.

Ged Bell, Scotland.

your communication & support to enable this holiday to happen, was outstanding

Thank you for your email that was sent to Michael….

We had a really lovely holiday…..we thoroughly enjoyed the hotels, all different & offered their own individuality, from 1st & last night to the more personalised ones in between.

Bikes & bike service when having them dropped off on the Saturday pm was excellent

The transportation of the luggage was excellent & it was a welcome site on arrival at each new destination, to see it waiting for us!

Not sure we did not see the luggage driver, as we got a most cheerful & engaging wave en route one day from a driver!!

Maps & our phone for some support meant we had no route errors Weather was lovely & we enjoyed the varying terrain, scenery, villages, towns and cities….we thoroughly enjoyed the via verde route & feel for us, that we do enjoy more of this type of cycling & less of road cycling….we would certainly keep this in mind for future holidays.

Overall & especially given such a difficult few years over covid, your communication & support to enable this holiday to happen, was outstanding - thank you so much

We look forward to hopefully booking a future holiday with you again #pBest wishes & kind regards meantime #pMichael & Jill Kyle, UK

The Paradors were excellent

We are now back in Norway after some days in Madrid after the the week on bikes. Guri-Lise came to Madrid and met us there and of course she was very disappointed and sorry that she could not participate on the biking tour, especially when she heard how great the tour had been.

We had some fantastic days with a lot of marvelous experiences. The Paradors were excellent and we were a little skeptical when we should stay at Palacio Viejo De Las Corchuelas which was really situated «Away from the crowd» but we were so positively surprised. The stay there was perhaps the best of all. The hostess was fantastic and we had a perfect dinner outside with a beautiful sunset. Really something we will remember.

I have been to several Paradores before, but several of the participants had never stayed at a Parador and they were really impressed. Guri-Lise is already lokking for possibilities to take the same tour in the near future and all of us will be good ambassador for the trip. #p Best regards

John Hosteland, Norway

The landscapes - are not as "wild" as we expected

We had a lovely trip, thank you. Right now we are resting in Madrid.Some concrete feedback:

The itinerary, which we got in print, was really good! Very detailed and included the places where we were NOT supposed to turn but might have had doubts.

There is not much car traffic on the route and it is true that Spanish drivers are considerate and keep a good distance, so it is very safe.

The hotels are nice and with good service.

One night we were not at the Parador. It was actually the place we liked the most. A unique experience with Carmen at her finca.

The landscapes, except for one day's route, are not as "wild" as we expected. It's not wild nature, but rather low-intensity agricultural areas you drive through. But beautiful, and the towns are very interesting.

In the hotels they speak English, but otherwise not, so it's an advantage to know a little Spanish. If you only know five words, you will use them many times :-).

Thanks for a great trip.

Per and Britta Linthoe, Denmark.

I loved it, even the hard bits

Overall we thoroughly enjoyed the holiday – in fact I loved it, even the hard bits. We were incredibly lucky with the weather.

All the Paradors were excellent. The directions were mostly good and the bikes were fine.

Some feedback which I hope will be constructive: there was one night where we didn't eat at the Parador. If I had known this was likely I would have been able to tell you in advance what my dietary requirements are – I am a vegetarian plus I don’t eat eggs and this did cause a problem.

Some of the directions weren't entirely clear and some of the distances were incorrect e.g. on day 2 we had to retrace our steps because we had overshot the turning by a couple of miles and this was uphill.

However an anecdote from the same day: We had just finished the detour in the national park; Neil had arrived at the top of a hill and was waiting for me. We stopped to catch our breath and a farmer called over and introduced himself. He said his name was Michael.

I think he was quite impressed about where we had come from and where we were going to. He invited us to fill up our water bottles, and to help ourselves to cherries and lemons from his orchards!

I would love to go on a similar holiday again some day.

Julia and Neil Edmunds, UK.

Thanks for the feedback Julia. Since then, we've carried out a full revision of the route and corrected errors.

Love the anecdote about the local farmer, although I doubt his name was really Michael!

Jaime, AFTC.

impeccable

The organisation of the tour was fantastic, flawless and gave us total ease of mind. The pre-holiday instructions were really clear so getting to the starting point was no hassle at all.

All our hotels were all aware of our trip and took care of bicycle parking and helped with luggage transfers. Each day our luggage was successfully transferred to the next location without any hassle or glitches.

On one of the days it rained persistently that we felt uncomfortable to cycle that day and Away from the Crowds so kindly arranged for us to be transferred by taxi to the next destination.

The cycle tour daily itinerary instructions were impeccable, they were so detailed and very simple to understand. We didn't have any troubles navigating from Parador to Parador.

The hybrid bicycles we hired were great, although we had a chain break they were able to organise a mechanic to fix the bike to get us moving again.

The holiday, the route and the idea is exceptional! Cycling from town to town, visiting various Paradors and the beautiful old towns they're in was truly an unforgettable experience.

We had such a great time... we highly recommend this tour and Away from the Crowds as a great tour operator!

ChiChi Wang, UK.

Every Parador had its own unique impressive character

Our rudimentary Spanish was useful as English was not widely spoken outside the Paradors. The local people were cheerful and friendly.

We hired e-bikes which performed very well, and the battery capacity was always more than sufficient. Augustín arranged a WhatsApp connection so that we would have been able to contact him easily had we needed advice or help.

We didn't use GPS. The route notes were fine until the last couple of kms into Cáceres; we had difficulty identifying the route from the ring road into the old town (but Google Maps and then signs to the Parador got us there).

Much of the route is on fairly main roads, but it would be impractical to cover the distances without using these, and it was easy to safely stop to admire the spectacular scenery. Even the larger roads had mostly only light traffic, and the road vehicles were respectful of cyclists.

Comfortable beds and peaceful sleep throughout. Every Parador had its own unique impressive character, and we were glad that our overnight in Monfragüe was at the Finca Palacio Viejo; its location deep in the National Park gave us a dark sky view of the Milky Way, and Carmen's hospitality was excellent.

Iain Noble, UK

staying at the farm in Monfrague park was extra special.

We really had a lovely trip. The paradores are wonderful as I’m sure you know and staying at the farm in Monfrague park was extra special. Carmen was so welcoming, the food was delicious and it was very comfortable.

We did get off track a couple of times but it was not a big thing it was became we were not looking close enough at the map- your tour book is really good. The bikes are definitely heavy but they stand up well for all the riding.

Best

Mary Hall, USA

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