2023 Vuelta Spectator Final Week

Welcome to Spain! We’ll be meeting up in the lobby of our hotel, on the outskirts of Oviedo, in the late afternoon. Our hotel, is situated in an area known for it’s mineral-medicinal thermal waters which come from a natural spring. We will have the pleasure of calling this “home” for the next three nights.

Your guide lives in Spain and has extensive knowledge of pro-cycling and of Spain. The group will review the plan for the coming week and all guests will receive gifts from Custom Getaways. Tonight we’ll enjoy a group welcome dinner.

We’ll hit the ground running. After a well-balanced breakfast, we’ll start the day by touring the city of Oviedo. Oviedo is a town in northwest Spain between the Cantabrian Mountains and the Bay of Biscay. Classic Spanish architecture of the Asturias region in the cathedrals and plazas will be on display this morning. We will enjoy a short walking tour of Oviedo and you will have time for a quick bite before we transfer to our first Vuelta VIP venue.

From Oviedo, the transfer is short to L’Angliru to view the finish of this important mountain stage. The Alto de L’Angliru is a summit with a special mystique that has become a true Vuelta icon. Our VIP venue is located at the base of this world famous climb. You can choose to stay in the VIP venue with food, drinks, seating, TVs and private restrooms or walk up the mountain a bit and find a place to watch the race with the cheering crowds. 12.5 kilometers, an average incline of 10% and slopes of over 23%. No wonder this is the toughest mountain pass ever to be featured in La Vuelta. This climb will sure to be memorable for the pro and also for us, the spectator.

After the race finishes, we will transfer back to our hotel and enjoy a group dinner.

Today we visit the start village in Pola de Allande. Pola is located in the Nilson River valley where the history of Pola de Allande dates back several centuries. We will walk around the start village, where you can watch the riders sign in for the day and walk around the team bus area. With our VIP access, we will see the racers at the starting line as they depart.

This is always one of the favorite activities for our guests as you see the racers come out of the team buses and jump on their bikes. Some guests get autographs and pictures with the pros.

After the racers depart, we will walk around Pola and find a place for lunch before returning to our hotel.  Tonight you’ll be on your own for dinner. You’ll have the option of sticking close to the hotel for dinner or you can easily take the local bus into the city of Oviedo to explore and/or find a cool spot for tapas or other local fare. Or you can stay on the property and eat in the hotel restaurant.

Today we will tour the Cueva de Valporquero. This ancient cave has many rooms, pools and features cool natural formations such as stalactites and stalagmites.

Our next stop will be Segovia with it’s diverse architectural legacy, which includes medieval walls and Romanesque churches. Our hotel is within walking distance of Plaza Azoguejo, where you’ll discover the iconic Roman aqueduct.

We will enjoy another group dinner tonight at our hotel.

This morning we will tour the Aqueduct of Segovia, which has more than 160 arches and most in the original mortarless granite. From Segovia, we’ll transfer to the the finish of today’s stage in Guadarrama. Guadarrama gives its name to the mountains that separate Madrid from Segovia and is the ideal place in which to discover the mountain range’s natural wealth of groves, riverbanks and meadows and will host La Vuelta finish line for the first time.

Today’s unique VIP experience includes driving on the race course and walking across the finish line. We will tour the podium area and get pictures on the podium. Our passes will allow us entry to the VIP venue near the finish line where we will experience the race in comfort with food, drinks, private restrooms and TVs to view the action until the racers pass directly in front of us.

After the finish, we will transfer into Madrid and prepare for tomorrow’s finish of La Vuelta. Our hotel is a 5-star property in the center of Madrid. You will be able to explore the city and find a cool place for dinner with some of your new friends.

Everyone will have the morning free to explore Madrid…the Prado Museum, Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor…the possibilities are endless!

Later, we will head to the finish of this year’s La Vuelta a España. We will view this exciting final stage finish in the Neptuno VIP area. This venue is located very close to the finish line and has food, drinks, open bar, TVs and comfortable seating to enjoy this experience.

After the race, we will enjoy a group, farewell dinner in the heart of Madrid.

This morning we will be departing the hotel at 08:00am with an approximate arrival to the Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport (MAD) at 09:00am.  If you’d rather, you can always extend your stay in Madrid.

Safe travels and we hope to see you again.