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" It never surprises us that each year more people feel 2 wheel trips are the way to go. After having done a few fair miles around the globe ourselves, we believe that the experience from the saddle is worth any hill you may have to go over. The idea for Cycling Country was born on a bike tour to Turkey, when after passing the small villages of Romania and Bulgaria in this humble form, the realisation hit us about what other tours were missing with their rushed bus schedules and museum breeze throughs. Thus, it was a natural progression to share this slower, yet more fulfilling form of travel with others and create a cycling company beginning in our
favourite area of the world to cycle - Andalusia, Spain."
The Cycling Country Team
Cc was set up in 2003 by the husband and wife team of Maggi Jones and Geoff Norris, both who had travelled over 60 countries - more than a 1/3 of their trip photos being taken from the bike saddle. With their headquarters set in pretty Alhama de Granada’s historic centre in the heart of Andalucia, they are busy developing routes and arranging the behind the scenes logistics to ensure you have the perfect cycling holiday. However, with the stunning landscape around, both still try and escape the office as much as possible and prefer a hands on approach with their tours, joining in on the fun.
Maggi having a background in art history and education is also a successful travel photograper and writer, and has spent several years living across Canada, her native country, as well as Australia, Israel and England. Geoff, a bike rider since he could walk and ex-business consultant, can boast of having the British school’s club record for cycle-touring as well as the ability to fix punctures across Europe, Australasia, North and Central America.
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Press Coverage |
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Living Spain Magazine (August 2007)
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"Combining their love of cycle friendly Spain and the outdoor life, Geoff Norris and Maggi Jones have built up a successful business that also puts something back into their new community...." Read more....
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Costa Del Sol News (Feb 2007)
"I begin our gentle ascent. Past almond trees and patchwork fields and sandy scrub, purple hills behind us and the snow capped Sierra Nevada ahead in the distance. At last we reach the brow of the hill and the views of the turquoise lake, and then its a fabulous downhill freewheel......
.....with their determination to do things properly, their sheer hard work and their passionate idealism, they have created a successful and ethical tourist business that foments understanding and genuine interaction between the visitor and visited."
Spanish Fiestas (Jan 2006)
"Freewheeling through Southern Spain’s almond and olive groves is like a religious experience for a cyclist, from the African infused winds to the pulsating warm vibe of the Mediterranean coast, this captivating landscape makes any hill worthwhile. In fact, most of the routes you ride in Andalucia will convert you to two wheel trips forever - it’s that inspiring." Read whole article....
Where 2? (Nov-Dec 2005)
"If you prefer two wheels to four, take in the spectacular countryside of the Poniente Granadino and join a guided cycling tour run by Cycling Country. It's a great way to see this area and they 'promote responsible and sustainable tourism. pushing pedals and putting the brakes to your hectic pace of life'.
Tours range from a 'Quiet Paths Weekender' to 8 or 10 days cycling through hills and valleys further afield. The weekend trip takes in four days of unspoilt landscapes, including thermal baths to soak stiff joints, Alhama de Granada's gorge, Loja, Montefrio, the Alhambra and a quiet stroll through the Albaicin quarter."
In Madrid (July 2005)
"It's a great holiday option - a healthy active break with a dose of culture and some tasty Andalusian food. When I gave it a go, despite it being my first time on a bike since childhood, I was soon freewheeling off into the sunset, leaving behind all the stresses of the city." Read whole article....
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Testimonials |
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Testimonials from previous cyclists are always available. Please feel free to contact us if you would like a reference to talk to.
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"Dear Maggi and Geoff, Thanks for posting the photos. I had a great holiday. You don't really notice when somethings are well organised but looking back everything went so well, hotels, food company and of course some easy and more challenging cycling on a comfortable bike"
Paul Randall, Yorkshire, UK, December 2007 (Moorish Andalusia) |
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"Just a quick e-mail to thank you so much for such a good week's cycling. I had an amazing time....it just didn't last long enough! It was a really nice taster of the real Andalucia - The touring was amazing and the hotels and food just set it off perfectly. I would be happy to recommend the trip to anyone who is unsure"
Emma Page, Kent, UK, November 2007 (Moorish Andalusia) |
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"Phillip and I wanted to thank you for the wonderful cycling tour...the only thing we had to worry about was to get to breakfast on time with our bags packed! Everything...was taken care of – the hotels, the routes, the lunch stops – it all made for a very relaxing experience. Your evident love for and interest in the area we traveled through also added to our overall enjoyment, as you were always a source of interesting information and local lore. If you ever need a recommendation for your tours, we would be more than happy to laud you!"
Lorna Poplak, Toronto, Canada, October 2006 (Rustic & Royal Routes) |
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"We want to thank you both for the great ride we had.
It certainly was the highlight of our two week trip. The equipment was very good. You took the
time to make sure we were fitted well. We can't say enough good things of
the time you spent pointing out the local history to us from the beginning
of Columbus' expedition to the 2 BC Roman bridge."
Dennis Lemieux, USA, October 2006 (Alhama Explorer, Guided)
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"Thank you so much for our tour! We enjoyed it immensely and found the service and organisation to be of an exceptional level. The bikes were in excellent condition and we also thought that your choices in accommodation were spot on. We would recommend Cycling Country without hesitation to anybody who has a sense of adventure and a love of cycling!"
Damon Hunt, London, UK, September 2006 (Moorish Andalusia) |
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"As we sit here having bottles of cava and reflecting on the last 7 days, we are absolutely overwhelmed with the experience and can't get over what a perfect operation you run. We were hopeful that we would get good tour guides. We had no idea we would meet such special people."
Fran Theriault, Ottawa, Canada, June 2006 (Custom Tour) |
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"Having returned to our go go go life, I
often reflect back on the mile after mile of rolling
Spanish countryside and find a moment of peace and
calm. For anyone interested in a trip to Spain, there
is no better way to get to know the land and its
people than by bicycling across its territory. You
will not be a passive tourist but will emerse yourself
as an active participant in a vibrant and colorful
landscape. My wife and I were most impressed by the
facility and professionalism with which Maggi and
Geoff were able to guide 10 cyclists of varying
ablilities across 200 miles of Spanish countryside.
Their knowledge of the route is intimate. Moorish
Andalusia is, afterall, their home. Hats off to you
both Maggi and Geoff, we look forward to our next
adventure together!"
Hemant Vankawala M.D., Texas, USA, June 2006 (Moorish Andalusia)
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"Geoff, we are back in the States and catching up with work, family, etc. Thanks for a delightful day cycling around Alhama...You were an excellent guide and very knowledgeable about Spain and the local area where we biked. Hope to be your way again and we will definitely look you up. Thanks."
Allison Wear, Colorado, USA, May 2006 (Alhama Explorer) |
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"I'm having a great time telling everyone about the trip. Basically I'm in raving mode! So thank you both for a great time. The holiday could hardly have been better. It certainly met every expectation and I really feel like I had a great tour of Andalucia."
Dave O'Connor, Dublin, Ireland, May 2006 (Moorish Andalusia)
"Just a quick note to say a very big thank you for our holiday earlier this month. The whole holiday was just what we wanted – the bikes, the route, the food and hotels all superb. We were all really knocked out by the well chosen routes, your personal attention to detail and superb support. We were also really impressed at how welcoming the locals were despite our non-existent Spanish. So many thanks."
Dick Gill, Jackie and Alex Burman, Aberlady, Scotland, April 2006 (Quiet Paths)
"I was cycling today and thinking about you guys. The organization of the trip, the attentiveness and flexibility of the leaders, the routes, and the accommodations were all top notch. The variety and the overall high quality of the hotels were a pleasant surprise. All of this in the beauty of Southern Spain's ancient cities and breathtaking countryside. That was a great vacation. Maybe I just need to get out more, meet more people, and take more great vacations!"
Eddie Flayer, Berkeley, California, USA, April 2006 (Custom Tour - Granada to Seville)
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"Maggi & Geoff: Thank you for a wonderful ten days of adventure, encouragement, and expert guidance. The andalusian tour exceeded all our expectations! Best of luck in all your endeavors!"
Nicole, Kathy, Annie, David, Frank, Karla, USA, April 2006 (Moorish Andalusia)
"Just a little note say thanks for a fabulous time travelling through Alhama de Granada. It was such a great experience made special by you both. So many thanks. I hope all goes well with the business and we hope to see you again soon."
Tom and Nicole Woodrow, Hong Kong, China, March 2006 (Quiet Paths)
"It
was a fabulous experience; we both loved it!
Maggi & Geoff are just delightful, both complement eachother very well.
Extremely helpful and sensitive to client wishes....they
have an in-depth knowledge of the region and provided wonderful insight,
sight-seeing, cuisine etc through quaint towns and villages."
Annie Lurie and Andrew Crawford, Melbourne, Australia, January 2006 (Moorish Andalusia)
"I can really recommend the Moorish Andalucia tour. I would happily give a reference."
Paul and Barbara Martin, Chicago, USA, August 2005 (Moorish Andalusia)
"I was a little nervous of joining one of your tours having not cycled much for a while, but couldn't have been more wrong. You gave a me a warm welcolme and I felt safe on my bike knowing support was never far away."
Roberta DeLose, London, England, May 2005 (Quiet Paths)
"Thoroughly enjoyable holiday. We'll be back."
Mark Hackney, Tim and Vicky Selter, Guildford, England, April 2005 (Lakes, Mountains and Sea)
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