VB Group travels around Spain once again to discover ‘La Vuelta de los Colosos’. Through a series of five videos, La Vuelta’s official travel agency proposes an itinerary in order to discover the summits of La Vuelta 23. These enormous peaks include, above all, the Alto de l’Angliru and the Col du Tourmalet. Both will be present in the sporting aspect of the race as well as in the touristic aspect, which is the connecting thread that runs through the videos. Catalonia, Andorra, El Maestrazgo, Alicante, Murcia, Aragón, France and Navarre will be the stars of said videos. This is the third edition of this proposed itinerary by VB Group and La Vuelta that, in previous years, has helped viewers discover the race’s destinations thanks to ‘La Vuelta de las Catedrales’ and ‘La Vuelta de los Sentidos’.
CATALUÑA AND ANDORRA
Catalonia will be the great protagonist of the official departure of La Vuelta 23. The city will be the starting point for the race and the beginning of this journey through our national territory, with the Sagrada Familia (Gaudí’s masterpiece) as the first colossal destination of this touristic itinerary. The route then continues towards Mataró in order to discover one of the great peaks of Catalan culture: the Castells. The salt mountains of Cardona are the final stop before crossing over into Andorra, the country with the highest altitude in Europe, to visit the Bici Lab Museum in Andorra la Vella, among other places.
EL MAESTRAZGO – CASTELLÓN AND TERUEL
The impressive fortress of Morella marks the start of this second colossal journey that invites you to discover, for example, the characteristic flavour of local black truffles – the ‘Pearl of El Maestrazgo’. The itinerary then continues through the mining park of El Maestrazgo, a touristic-cultural option that allows visitors to learn about the area’s mining past. The Caves of Sant Josep, in La Vall d’Uixó, are home to the longest underground navigable river in Europe and will be one of the natural treasures to witness the arrival of La Vuelta 23. Later, in the Province of Teruel, the Montañas Vacías (Empty Mountains) Route becomes the star of a trip that ends by touching the stars in Galáctica, a scientific and informative space that seeks to bring the public closer to the secrets of the universe.
ALICANTE AND MURCIA
This video’s main axis is the sun. Denia and its gastronomy fire the starting gun for this route that takes viewers back to their childhoods, by visiting the Valencia Toy Museum in Ibi. In spring, the white almond blossoms welcome visitors who come to learn about the production of the famous Jijona nougat before entering the Region of Murcia. The Cartagena Naval Museum, with an icon like the Peral submarine, is another colossal destination along this adventure where you can become immersed, this time literally, and discover the treasures of the Murcian coastline by diving. The Basílica de la Vera Cruz will mark the end of the first week of La Vuelta 23 and of this touristic option.
ARAGÓN AND FRANCIA
This magical route departs from Zaragoza, with the Aljafería Palace as its starting point. In Huesca, the Loarre Castle, often used as a filming location, is a compulsory stop on the way to the Pyrenees. If La Vuelta 23 is colossal, so are the inhabitants of Sabiñánigo, the tallest in Spain, who are just as colossal as the impressive Canfranc Station. The Train d’Artouste, the highest rack railway in Europe, is the final stop before arriving at the Col du Tourmalet, one of the authentic summits of La Vuelta 23.
NAVARRA
La Vuelta de los Colosos concludes in Navarre. The Roncal Valley will receive the peloton as it climbs towards Belagua among the green pastures that nourish the production of Spain’s very first Designation of Origin cheese. Also colossal are the walls of the Foz de Lumbier, sculpted by the Irati River and Navarre’s largest bird sanctuary. In the capital, the troupe of Gigantes y Cabezudos are the icon of Pamplona’s festivities and are a part of Navarre’s culture just as the sports of pelota, cesta-punta and pala are. In the final stretch, the Plazaola Train takes visitors to Lekunberri in order to discover Mendukilo Cave.
