Calpe 2024

The 2024 trip to Calpe will be from Saturday 9th March to Wednesday 20th March. This is a loosely organised group, open to anyone who wants to get on their bike for 10 days of cycling, sun, coffee stops and lunches. Calpe is a very popular training location for all cyclists from pro to leisure, with bike friendly roads, lots of climbing, and bike friendly cafes. It's a fantastic start to the summer cycling season, whether you're planning on racing, audax, randonees, or leisure.

Who: This is open to anyone. It's not an official Orwell outing, so there will be Orwell and non-Orwell people in the group, with mixed fitness levels. Daily rides vary from 100km down to 30km rest days, with usually more than one group going out each day. On any day you can choose to shorten (or lengthen!) a route, go your own way, or put your feet up.

Arrangements: As last year, we'll be staying in the Esmeralda Hotel in Calpe. You book your own flights to/from Alicante and I book the hotel and the airport transfers.

Dates: Sat 9th to Wed 20th March 2024. It is possible to shorten your stay, by arriving after the 9th or leaving before the 20th, but you will need to organise your own airport transfer for days that don't match the group arrangements, and you may have to take a single rather than a twin hotel room if I can't match you with someone else doing the same dates.

Bike: You can bring your own bike or rent a good road bike in one of the bike shops in Calpe - I will provide contact information for them. eBikes are also available for rent.

Hotel: The cost for 11 nights half board at the Esmeralda Hotel is €464.85 per person sharing (twin room) or €678.60 for a single room. Both are with balcony with mountain views and the setting sun. The rooms are actually small apartments, with a bedroom and a sitting room. It is possible to move one of the beds into the sitting room. That cost includes buffet breakfast and an all-you-can-eat buffet dinner each evening. The hotel require 25% deposit in advance, with the rest due when you check-in. You can also choose to book directly with the Esmeralda Hotel if you wish.

Airport transfer: We will use a private coach from Beniconnect, direct from Alicante airport to our hotel. The transfer takes an hour and a bit. The cost of this is usually around €50 return per person, depending on group numbers. A bike is an additional €10 or so each way. I will confirm these costs when the group size is known. You pay the cost of the transfer to me during our stay in Calpe.

What to do next

1. Book your flights:
   Saturday 9th March 2024 Dublin-Alicante FR7062 10:40.
   Wednesday 20th March 2024 Alicante-Dublin FR7763 13:15.
   
   Don't forget to book your bike if you're bringing it.
   
   The sooner you book your flights the better. They will only get more expensive, and may book out. In particular, the flight to Alicante on 9th March is just 1 week before St Patrick's Day so will probably book out with people going to Spain for the break. I've already booked my flights.
   
   
2. Tell me that you've booked your flights.
   
   
3. I'll add you to the hotel booking - tell me whether you want to share a twin room or want a single room. In due course I will pay the 25% deposit, and then I will ask you to pay that to me.
   
   
4. I'll add you to the airport transfer coach.
   
   
5. Start planning and looking forward to a fantastic 10 days' cycling!

If you have any questions or want more information contact me by phone/text on
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or by email on
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. Or just reply here.

And here are some photos from Calpe 2023 to get you motivated.
 
 
 

 

The cost of our hotel in Calpe, the Esmeralda, will increase substantially after the 28th November, so if you're thinking of joining us now is the time to decide. You have 5 days, but really it's a no brainer.

Great value
As well as a really enjoyable way to lay down a great base for your 2024 cycling summer, this is fantastic value. With the current prices showing for the Ryanair flights on 9th & 20th March, and the hotel price available for the next 5 days, the total for flights, airport transfers, hotel, breakfasts and dinners comes to approximately €750 per person sharing, or €960 with a single room. That's the total for 10 full days of cycling, not including bringing/renting a bike and not including coffee and lunch stops.

Why you should
Need more reasons to join us? Here you go:

• 10 days of cycling as much or as little as you want;
• Cycling friendly roads and routes;
• Warm weather;
• Hills and mountains;
• Sea views and swimming opportunities;
• Delicious coffee and lunch stops at low Spanish prices;
• Bring your bike or rent in Calpe;
• Excellent bike friendly hotel with buffet meals and rooms with balconies & views.

Costs of the flights are edging up all the time, and the hotel cost will increase by about 30% in just 5 days from now, so decide now. It will only get more expensive, and flights and hotel may book out.

Book your flights
As described in my original post above just book your own flights, let me know you've done that, and I'll add you to the airport transfers and hotel booking. A reminder of the flights we're going on, which you should book for yourself:

• Saturday 9th March 2024, Dublin-Alicante FR7062 10:40.
• Wednesday 20th March, Alicante-Dublin FR7763 13:15.

When you've booked your flights let me know by email to
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or phone/text to
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Also Signal app on the same phone number.

And as usual, a few photographs from Calpe 2023 to get you even more motivated.

One more reason to book now:

Your hotel booking can be cancelled up to 5 days before we go (i.e. any time before 4th March) with no charge or loss of deposit. So even if you're not 100% sure yet then talk to me about booking your hotel anyway - you've nothing to lose, and the hotel price will definitely increase substantially from next Tuesday 28th November so you've a lot to gain by booking before then.

Last call before hotel prices increase after tomorrow. The hotel and flights are filling so do it now. Today. All welcome. Contact me on
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Thanks for organising Barry. Looks like another super trip

Saturday's stage of the Vuelta Valenciana is on some of our favourite roads around Calpe - looking forward to watching it on Eurosport!

The route goes from Moraira to Benissa, Calpe, la Nucia, Guadalest, Confrides, big loop around to Castell de Castells, Tarbena, Col de Rates, Parcent, Orba, Pego, then around a loop and up the back of Val d'Ebo. All names very familiar to anyone who has been to Calpe and roads we'll be on again in a few weeks.

 
 

A late cancellation by one of our group means that there's a flight and hotel booking available for our trip to Calpe 9th - 20th March. If you are interested or want to know more contact me asap
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Just back from our trip to Calpe. Sunny and warm with friendly roads filled with cyclists - including a few top professionals. Here's a few teaser photos from the trip to hint at what you missed, and to encourage you to put a note in your calendar for March 2025.