| PICTURE THIS……………………………as Blondie once said! | |
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Past clients will be aware how we endeavour to get some great photographs of them whilst with us………….not just posing with a smile against the numerous stunning mountain backdrops (good as they are). We like to capture great action shots to send you away with……………………..we have snapped some top shots in the past with many ending up as client screen savers. A good number have been featured in the regular bike mags…………...you may have spotted some of them. |
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| ENTER THE SALAMANDER TRAIL! | |
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Our Mañana Mountain regular riders know that we rarely sit back and put our feet up during the festive period. Things were no different as we continue our quest for more top notch riding here in the Costa Blanca’s Marina Alta Mountains. True to form, our hard graft paid off again and we have sculptured another class act ride that has it all – stunning scenic climbs that deliver some mouth - watering single track gems, including Afan España, La Rata and ultimately the amazing new Salamander trail (pictured).The Salamander clings to the cliff face as it takes us on the coolest of descents throwing up a mix of fast flowing, twisting technical, with rocky stretches and a sprinkling of switchbacks. We cruise past a classic Spanish castle with its tall fairy tale towers looming above us. Next thing, we find ourselves sinking a cool beer and tapas at the remote bar gazing up at the “Salamander’s head” from which we had just dropped, wishing we had the energy to repeat the experience………………………….then the next beer arrives…………………………… This is what those riders lucky enough to experience it said about it…………………… |
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| "A truly exhilarating ride experience. Plenty to keep you on your toes plus an added bonus of spectacular views and wildlife. A route that left a broad smile on our faces." - Gary & Katherine, Hertfordshire, England. |
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| “What a day! Linked with The Knife, Afan España, and La Rata trails, the Salamander trail was an incredible finish to a top day in the mountains with Gary. We had to stop to really appreciate the views. We are already looking at the diary to plan our next visit.” - Lars, Arnold and the gang, Norway. |
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| THE CAPE CRUSADERS HIT CASTELL DE CASTELLS | |
By special arrangement they came a long way……………………………12 lovely ladies from Cape Town, South Africa. Seeking fun in the sun on two wheels they arrived with all manner of rigs that we assisted in assembling for their week in our mountains. With four experienced guides on hand, we tailored the rides to suit the variety of abilities and split where necessary to ensure full enjoyment for all and not a baboon in sight! Fabulous weather, sweet riding trails and a new “coast ride” that brought a brilliant week to a close. They left us with the Group Leader muting “we’ll be back”………………………..we can’t wait……………………neither can the old boys in Castells who didn’t know what had hit them! |
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‘Fourth time and still amazing! Some fantastic new trails too – the Skink rocks! See you again!’ - Paul – Leeds |
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| ‘Thanks once again for a fantastic trip. Your attention to detail is a credit. We have loved the biking and can’t wait to come back. Great food and great company! See you both again soon.’ - Stephen and Caroline – Cumbria |
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| ‘Thanks for a brilliant stay! Great accommodation, great food and wicked biking! Hope to see you next year.’ - Martin - Surrey |
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| ‘Our first holiday mountain biking and it has been memorable with good company, excellent food and lots of laughs! Thank you for all the thought and consideration in planning our rides.’ - Becky and Rob – Wirral |
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| LA RATA…………………. GREAT NEW SINGLE TRACK | |
| It never ceases to amaze us what hidden trail gems are still out there for us to uncover……………… We stumbled on this cracking section whilst having a tranquil Fiesta day run out putting some new tyres to test in glorious sunshine………….Wow, what a find! A superb flowing single track run offering yet more great ride options…………..We took a couple of shots of Sarah there and then so we could share our find with you……………..enjoy!…………..better still, come and get your wheels on it! | |
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| ‘This is my third time here and it has been fantastic! Good food, nice people, excellent hire bike ….and I have had the best ride of the year! Thank you!' - Kjetil, Norway |
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| ‘I came expecting just to go mountain biking, but got a lot more as the welcome was fantastic! Post ride cakes and dinners at night were wonderful and made the hills worthwhile. The singletrack trails were fantastic – can’t wait to do them again – I will have to save up some more time off work for another holiday here.’ - Derek, Isle of Man |
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| THE SKINK TRAIL | |
| We have been working on this new trail for some time and at last all our hard work has been rewarded! The result …………the Skink - an amazing new breathtaking 8km single track run. Accessible straight from base, the Skink dovetails into existing trail sections to make an unforgettable day in the saddle. This jewel of an XC descent has the lot……..goat beaten fast flowing stretches, twisting rocky challenges and mouth-watering switchbacks………………….all through breathtaking scenery with views to the Mediterranean. To top it all, the trail eventually delivers us to a favourite friendly bar..…………hmmm. If you have enjoyed previous visits to Mañana Mountain, the Skink is one not to be missed. With the Cyclops ride recent revamp, the new Pavo Pass trail and much more in the pipeline, isn’t it time to consider another visit? |
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| ‘Thank you so much for an awesome time on the mountains. Great riding, food and brilliant entertainment. A new, but different long weekend that I can’t wait to repeat. See you next year!’ - David, Rochdale | |
| ‘Thank you very much for a wonderful time. The trails are totally different to back home, but are well worth the journey. I hope to be back again to enjoy the riding, food and company.’ - Simon, Essex | |
| REAL SPANISH FOOD | |
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Tough days in the saddle require satisfactory re-fuelling, but we also like you to experience a ‘taste of Spain’ as well. With local wine direct from the barrel, we buy as much of the food as possible in our village so that we support the local economy and make sure you get the best tasting fruit and veg, and bread straight from the oven! Traditional Spanish food features high on guests’ hit lists with paellas and tapas meals prepared in the village to get that really authentic taste! ENJOY! |
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“Thank you again for such a fabulous few days. Food, hospitality and rides all top stuff” | |
| “Great food, great company and of course great cycling! You excel in making people feel welcome. Had a great time – can’t wait to come back and see you again” - Hilary and Mike, Buckinghamshire | |
| CYCLOPS RETURNS | |
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After opening up new singletrack sections and re-vamping the route, Faced with the ride re-think due to numerous storm felled trees blocking the original route, the resultant day ride is better than ever with some exciting new singletrack sections and great alternative options enabling riders of all levels to enjoy this amazing day in the saddle. Add to that a brilliant forest singletrack finish to Pepe’s bar and a cool beer, what could be better? |
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“Wonderful food, hospitality and company. Excellent riding tailored to our preferences.” | |
| “Back again – keeps getting better (except the jokes!). Great biking, superb food and almost too much alcohol.” - Jon and Nicky, S Wales | |
| NEW TRAIL, NEW VIDEOS! | |
| After a ‘little’ trail trimming, Pavo Pass, our latest long, flowing singletrack section is ready to wow our customers. Set in amazing scenery with views to the Mediterranean, it’s a real classic. Snippets of Pavo Pass together with a bunch of old trail favourites can now be enjoyed on our new Trail Taster Medley Videos – just hit the red button on our Home Page or any of our page links to view.
We have more medley videos in production so keep in contact! |
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“Superb break, first class riding, food and company. Jokes were free and fast flowing. Definitely will be back.” | |
| “Thanks for an amazing week. Superb fun, great scenery and wonderful food ….. and feeling much fitter too. Priceless!!” - Mark, Surrey | |
| “Had a great week again, as always! Many thanks for an excellent holiday” - Grahame, Southampton. | |
| IT’S VILLA BREAK TIME! | |
With the villa alterations completed, including a new en-suite bathroom and bike store/workshop, this year’s MTB villa breaks should be the best yet! Added to this, our awesome new singletrack ride sections will take your breath away! Over the next year we are completing a huge project on the garage, extending upwards and outwards to create more rooms and relaxation space, including for those who may want to book more independent holidays for larger groups. Brilliant days in the saddle...........post ride pool relaxation.........cool beer and biker banter....... Don’t forget, there’s also plenty of other activities for non-riding companions! BOOK NOW FOR SPECIAL DISCOUNTS! |
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“Brilliant week away with some real laughter and great company. Good food (plenty of it), very good biking trails and a charming village with hospitable occupants. Gary and Sarah do all they can to make the stay comfortable and go to lengths you wouldn’t get elsewhere. Thanks so much” | |
| “Fabulous holiday and great hosts. As a complete novice to MTB, the rides and instruction were great” - Maggie, North Yorkshire. | |
| “Return trip to Castells fully lived up to expectations – great biking, tough walking(!!) and wonderful hospitality! Return trip guaranteed! Excellent – thank you!” - Sean, Harpenden. | |
| COMPETING FOR THE ALHAMBRA CUP! | |
| Evenings in Castell de Castells have become very competitive during the summer months as groups relax after a hard day's mountain biking. With a few beers and snacks, we have headed to the village petanca (boules) rinks for a few 'ends'. Who said that it was easy?! And who said that they weren't bothered about winning?! As the photos show, competition has been fierce for the honour of winning the Alhambra Cup! In this match, Dave won by just one point! |
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“Cheers guys for a fantastic week and I hope my video clip keeps bringing a smile to your faces! (Please feel free to us it as a training aid or even to advertise your coaching skills). Thanks” | |
| “Third time for me and second time for Mike. Another great week of riding, good food and great company” - John and Mike, Harpenden. | |
| “We came through the sky of ashes from the north, left the snow behind us and arrived in this nice mountain village. Here we have had an unforgettable stay with super mountain biking, excellent service, good food, entertainment and friendly hosts. Thank you so much! We’ll seriously try to come back.” - Kjetil and Nina, Norway. | |
| SPANISH HUNTER TRAIL WORK PAYS MTB RIDING DIVIDENDS | |
| For a couple of months of the year, local Spanish hunters spend their weekends tracking wild boar throughout the mountains. Over hundreds of years a basic network of hunter trails have become established. Not documented, and hidden from view, these trails provide an awesome opportunity for top class single track mountain bike riding. Over the last year, we have taken it upon themselves to quiz our local contacts, search out and cut back some of these hidden gems to a rideable condition. After many hours of tough work, aching backs and blistered hands, we have created a number of new sections of amazing top notch Spanish single track. These long flowing trails compliment our already established network of rocky trading route single track sections. The combination of ride trails now on offer and our continually expanding route portfolio reaffirms MANAÑA MOUNTAIN mountain bike holidays at the top of any Spanish mountain biking trip available. Add to this, beautiful rustic accommodation, amazing food, and evening fun entertainment run by top qualified guides passionate about their mountain region, isn’t it time to check out what you’ve been missing?............................. |
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