Calpe 2023

I'm planning a trip to Calpe from Saturday 4th March to Wednesday 15th March 2023. This will be our first time back to Calpe since March 2020, when we barely slipped home under the wire of the first lockdown, so we're really looking forward to this. Ask anyone who's been - they'll tell you that whether you're training for racing, training for leisure events, or just enjoying days on the bike in the mountains you can't beat Calpe. It's very cycling friendly, with many professional teams using it for training camps. Every day we'll have a group spin, with distances varying from mountain rides of 100km or so down to rest day rides of 30km. And of course coffee stops feature prominently every day.

The hotel we used before, the Galatamar, has changed to self-catering apartments so we will be using the Diamante Beach hotel instead. It's only a few hundred metres from the Galatamar, so it's still ideally placed for the mountains, the beach, and the cycling cafe. I have a quote of €47 full board per night per person sharing, which is a really excellent deal.

At this point I just need expressions of interest so that I can judge numbers. The way it will work is the same as before. You book your own flights (Ryanair to Alicante), I book the hotel and the airport/hotel transfers. You will have to pay a 25% deposit to the hotel in the next few weeks.

It's open to anyone. It's not an official Orwell outing, so there will be Orwell and non-Orwell people going. Mixed fitness levels. We never leave anyone behind. If we get the numbers we split the group so you can join whichever matches your mood on the day.

If you're interested in knowing more please let me know by posting here or:

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Barry Redmond

To help you decide to join us in March, here's a photo of a hard working group on one of our previous visits to Calpe.  
 
 

Some more details. We'll be staying at the Diamante Beach hotel . Cost will be €47 per night per person sharing, including breakfast and dinner. 25% deposit required up front, the rest to be paid at the hotel.

Flights will be Sat 4th March 12:50 FR7762 Dublin - Alicante, and Wed 15th March 17:35 FR7763 Alicante - Dublin. At the moment Ryanair is showing €79 each way for these. Bike is €60 extra each way if done at time of booking. It is possible to rent a good road bike in Calpe instead of bringing your own.

Airport transfer will be a private coach with Beniconnect , who we've used before. Cost will be less than €50 return, exact cost depending on the size of the group.

What you need to do

1. Book your flights, including bike if you're bringing it.
2. Tell me that you've done that.
3. I will add you to the hotel booking and pay your deposit. You will need to pay me the 25% deposit.
4. Start thinking about sunny Spain in March!

When we arrive at the Diamante hotel you will need to pay the balance due. During your stay you will need to pay me the cost of the airport transfer (exact cost will not be known until group numbers are known).

If you'd like to come but can't make the full 11 days it is possible to shorten it by arriving later or leaving earlier. In that case you will need to find your own flights (Ryanair fly Dublin-Alicante every day) and arrange your own airport transfer (Beniconnect do shared coach runs to any hotel in Calpe).

I want to get the hotel booking confirmed before Christmas so you will need to book your flight and let me know in the next three weeks. My contact details are in the first message of this thread. Ryanair flights will only get more expensive, and may become fully booked, so the sooner the better.

Here are some photos of sunny Calpe cycling from previous years to cheer you up on a cold damp winter day.

 
 
 
 
 

If you're thinking of renting a bike in Calpe here are two places we've used before.

Vuelta Turistica is literally a 2 minute walk from the hotel (and includes a cafe, and cycling tv!):
www.vuelta-turistica.com/en/bike-rentals/

Solybike is a full bike shop in the centre of Calpe:
www.solybike.com/alquiler-de-bicis/

The main benefits of renting a bike are that you get gears that are suitable for mountains, and you don't have to lug along a bike box or reassemble your bike.
 

Team DSM training there this week:

That video is in the car park directly across the road from the Diamante Beach hotel that we will be using, so I guess the DSM team are staying in the Diamante!

Calpe is a popular training spot for professional teams, and getting more popular it seems.

If you're coming to Calpe 4th - 15th March then now is the time to decide. Flights are filling up, and I'll be making the initial hotel booking in the next week. Delay risks full flights or full hotel. So don't risk it - all you have to do is book your flights today and then let me know. I'll include you in the hotel and airport transfer arrangements.

If you leave the decision to after Christmas then you can still join us if you can get the flights and if the hotel has room.

Here are the details again.

Flights
Sat 4th March 12:50 FR7762 Dublin - Alicante, and Wed 15th March 17:35 FR7763 Alicante - Dublin.
Book your own flights (with bike if you're bringing one) and then let me know. Contact details below. Flight cost is increasing almost by the day. At present the flight out is showing as €102, and the flight home as about €79. Bike is an extra €60 each way.

Hotel
Diamante Beach hotel, Calpe. €47 per day per person sharing, including breakfast and dinner. 25% deposit due on booking (through me), and the rest at the hotel.

Airport transfer
I'll arrange a private coach from Beniconnect direct to and from our hotel. Return cost per person €50 or less depending on group numbers, payable to me during our time in Calpe.

Some notes
You can come for less than the full 11 days. Just book the flights for the days you want (Ryanair fly to Alicante once a day) and let me now. I'll tell you how to arrange your airport transfer for days that don't match the group arrangements.

This is not an official Orwell outing. There will be non-Orwell people in the group. Feel free to involve any of your cycling friends that you can convince to join you.

There will be at least two group rides each morning, a longer/faster one and a not-so-far/fast one. You choose which you want on the day (or just go to the beach!). We will have easier rides every 3 days or so for recovery and extra coffee. On all the rides we will regroup at the tops of climbs.

If you have any questions just contact me on
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And on this cold winter's day here's a reminder of warm weather cycling and coffee stops. Some more photos from our previous trips to Calpe.

Irish U23 men's squad training in Calpe now. It's definitely the place to be seen this season!  

 

Last call for Calpe 4th - 15th March! The hotel cost has reduced from €47/day to €43.60 per person sharing, including breakfast and dinner. That's total hotel cost for 11 days of €479.55.

Ryanair flights to Alicante are showing as about €150 return at the moment, plus €120 return to bring a bike. Airport transfer by private coach about €50 return. So the total cost, including main meals, of about €800 for 11 days of cycling and coffee stops on warm, sunny, friendly roads with warm sunny friendly people.

Contact me on
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asap.
 

Who was in the Orwell jersey we passed yesterday going the opposite direction somewhere between Orba and Pego?