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Views of the Pacific 2002

Σεζόν 2002–2003 · όλα τα τουρ εκείνης της σεζόν

Τα έγγραφα που διατηρούνται σε αυτή τη σελίδα — περιγραφές διαδρομών, προγράμματα, λεζάντες φωτογραφιών, ανταποκρίσεις και κριτικές ποδηλατών — εμφανίζονται όπως ακριβώς γράφτηκαν αρχικά, στα αγγλικά.

Πρόκειται για τουρ ΚΑΝΟΝΙΚΗΣ δυσκολίας που ακολουθεί την ακτή του Ειρηνικού νότια, από το Puerto Vallarta ως τη Ciudad Lazaro Cardenas. Καθώς ελισσόμαστε στους ήσυχους δρόμους των κυματιστών προπόδων της Sierra Madre, ο ωκεανός σκάει σε παραλίες 200 μέτρα χαμηλότερα, με φόντο εκθαμβωτικά βουνά και δάση. Το τουρ μπορεί να συνδυαστεί με το "Mountains and Natural Wonders" αμέσως μετά, για ένα τουρ 5½ εβδομάδων.

Σημείωση αρχείου: Οι ημερομηνίες άλλαξαν από Nov 9-23 σε Nov 12-26, 2002. Πραγματοποιήθηκε από το Puerto Vallarta ως τη Cd. Lazaro Cardenas. Η σελίδα vop.intro.html, όπως σώζεται, αντικατοπτρίζει την έκδοση του 2004. Οι τελικές ημερομηνίες προέρχονται από το πρόγραμμα του site του Oct/Dec 2002· το προκαταρκτικό πρόγραμμα (καλοκαίρι του 2002, ακόμη στο eltour.itgo.com) έγραφε Nov 12-26.

Ημερομηνίες:	Sat. Nov. 9, 2002 to Sat. Nov. 23, 2002 (2+ weeks - 12 cycling days)
Αποστάσεις:	Average/day: 66km Maximum/day: 97km Total Approx: 786km Total climbing: 8000m
Τύπος διαδρομής:	REGULAR Regular DifficultyA good level of fitness is required. Distances average around 50 - 80 km per day (depending on hills), and are always less than 120 km. Roads range from flat to very hilly. We may climb up to 1500 metres on a hard day. difficulty. Quite hilly and rolling. Weather The Weather: Pacific CoastLate fall and winter along the Mexican Pacific sees little rain. It is generally hot and dry, often with a cooling breeze off the ocean. The rainy season ends around October so that during our tours the rivers are still flowing full. \| Road The Road: Pacific CoastThe road is generally in excellent condition. Some flat straight sections exist however it is mostly windey and hilly as the road negotiates its way through the foot hills and mountain sides. Traffic is generally light to non-existent, except of course close to larger towns and cities. The surface is generally wide and the drivers are courteous. \| Land The Land: Pacific CoastMost of the Pacific coast is an abrupt meeting of the mountains and the huge expanse of a turbulent ocean. Beaches are many, surf is big, and the mountains looming. There are areas of dry shrub, while other areas are dense with tropical forests.
Κορυφαία σημεία:	Challenging cycling, the intrigue of the Pacific Ocean, small towns, small beach resorts, quiet roads, beaches, surf, camping, mountains, colonial towns, spectacular views.
Τιμή:	US$765 (το δημοσιευμένο εκείνης της χρονιάς κατά προσέγγιση συνολικό επίγειο κόστος)
Ποδηλάτες:	4 ποδηλάτες (από τη βάση δεδομένων πελατών της εταιρείας)

Οι λεπτομέρειες της διαδρομής, ο χάρτης και το πρόγραμμα που ακολουθούν διασώζονται από την έκδοση του 2004 αυτού του τουρ — την πλησιέστερη σωζόμενη εκδοχή της διαδρομής.

Η διαδρομή

Πρόγραμμα

Κάντε κλικ σε οποιαδήποτε ημέρα για την πλήρη περιγραφή. Τα προγράμματα υπόκειντο πάντα σε μικρές αλλαγές.

ΠότεΠούΑπόστασηΚορυφαία σημεία

Ημέρα 0Meet in Puerto Vallarta-

Beaches, Night Life, Live Shows, Market. [more]

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico's most picturesque coastal resort, is tucked between the sparkling blue Bahía de Banderas (Bay of Flags) and spectacular green palm and jungle covered mountains. Although tourism is its only industry, outside of the megaresorts, Puerto Vallarta retains a certain charm with its cobblestone streets and old-fashioned white adobe buildings with red tile roofs. Attractions include the many beaches, water sports, art galleries, and a very diverse nightlife.

Ημέρα 1Puerto Vallarta to El Tuito43 km

Into the foothills. Spectacular Mountain Views, Waterfalls and Rivers. [more]

This day starts with the spectacular coast south of Puerto Vallarta. Some rolling hills give way to a long climb going inland along a raging river and frequent waterfalls. Chico's Paradise offers us a break from the heat and a chance to swim in some tranquil pools nestled between pastel coloured boulders in the river. After well over 1000 metres of climbing and passing through some high pine forests we end the day in the small town of El Tuito.

Ημέρα 2El Tuito to Tomatlán64 km

Flat easy riding, frequent breaks to help get acclimatized. [more]

Our second day of riding gives us a chance to recover from the difficult climb the day before. We can take our time getting to Tomatlán, enjoying the views and giving us a chance to acclimatize to the heat and our bikes.

Ημέρα 3Tomatlán to Punta Perula58 km

Beaches. Curvy, rolling, very quiet road. Seafood. Our favourite Pacific coast beach. [more]

The quiet road takes us back to the coast and meanders in and out of the foothills. We get many sneak previews of the ocean before turning in to Punta Perula and its near perfect beach spanning several kilometres each way. Being a weekday, we will have this small resort town almost all to ourselves to enjoy the best body surfing waves on the Pacific.

Ημέρα 4Punta Perula to Barra de Navidad82 km

Beautiful, Quiet, Hilly, Sinuous Roads. Small Beach Resort. Beaches, Night Life, Seafood. What a beach resort should be like. [more]

The road continues to meander through the hills, peaking at the Pacific ocean and poking into the cactus and forest covered hills. This all but forgotten stretch of road takes us over higher and higher climbs, finally breaking out of the forest to some great views of the many bays and coves below and a long exhilerating descent to Barra de Naviadad.

Ημέρα 5Barra de Navidad-

Beach time. Surfing, boogie boarding. Nightlife. [more]

Barra de Navidad is a great little beach resort town squeezed onto a sandbar between the Bahía de Navidad and the Laguna de Navidad. This is a great place to try some surfing or boogie boarding - a small predictable wave gives the beginner a good chance to try the sport. Barra's great sunset kicks off an evening of casual but exciting nightlife.

Ημέρα 6Barra de Navidad to Manzanillo63 km

All the Comforts of Home, Big Resort Town and Bustling Port. Night Life, Beaches, Seafood. [more]

A fairly easy ride gets us back on the road after our rest day. A good portion of the ride is along the beaches at the north end of Manzanillo and ends in the centre of this bustling port town. You can find all the comforts of home here but there's also great fresh seafood, long beaches and exciting nightlife.

Ημέρα 7Manzanillo to Tecoman62 km

Scenic Inland Roads. Real Mexico. Good Food. [more]

No tourists at all here. This is a cute little friendly town bustling with activity. Several good beaches are only half an hour away by bus.

Ημέρα 8Tecoman to La Placita62 km

Into Michoacan and the start of the great views and more challenging cycling. Small-Town Real Mexico. Beach. [more]

We now enter the most isolated and beautiful stretch of the Pacific coastal road. There are no phones, banks or internet for the next 300km or so. Infact there are very few towns and the traffic is almost non-existent. We explore many beautiful beaches and get glimpses of many more not accessible through the dense vegetation. The road meanders in and out of the hills - to the sea on high cliffs and back in again. Tecoman is a charming little town, even more so on Sunday evenings when everyone comes out to the zocalo (town square) to eat and socialize.

Ημέρα 9La Placita to Maruata54 km

More beach. Very Quiet, Scenic, Hilly, Curvy Roads. Spectacular Views of the Ocean. Small Towns. [more]

If we're lucky, Umberto, the owner of our hotel in La Placita and an ex-bicycle racer, might join us as we ride up the first pass. More quite roads lead us to Maruata, a beautiful, interesting and odd little town. You can sleep in rustic cabañas or camp on the beach. In this area you will meet many Nahuas - the descendants of the Aztecs who ruled the Mexican world before the Spanish conquest.

Ημέρα 10Maruata-

Beautiful beaches, body surfing, fresh seafood [more]

Beautiful, interesting and odd little town. In this area you will meet many Nahuas - the descendants of the Aztecs who ruled the Mexican world before the Spanish conquest.

Ημέρα 11Maruata to Playa Rio Nexpa97 km

Incredibly Quiet Roads - Challenging Climbs, Rewarding Views of Ocean and Mountains. One of the most spectacular sections of Mexico. Small Towns. Surfer Beaches. [more]

This is a challenging day with almost 1500m of climbing and long stretches between towns and villages along the most traffic-free section of the Pacific coast road. We climb and wind through the breath-taking beauty of the mountains and ocean views. Playa Rio Nexpa is a serious surfer beach known only by word of mouth. Here we have the option of renting cabañas or camping on the beach. More comfortable accommodation as well as telephones and supplies are all available 5km away in the town of Caleta de Campos.

Ημέρα 12P. Rio Nexpa to Playa Azul62 km

Small Beach Resort. Seafood, Beach. [more]

Playa Azul is a small beach resort quiet and peaceful except during Semana Santa (holy week - the week leading up to Easter) and Christmas holidays. Enjoy the beach and the fresh seafood. You can also swim or bird-watch in the estuary at nearby Barra de Pichi.

Ημέρα 13Playa Azul to Petacalco43 km

State crossing, major dam, pebble beach. [more]

We have a short day today so you can rest up for the grand finale, the final stretch to Zihuatanejo. Petacalco is a small town dedicated to electricity production in its thermo-electric plant. The highlight is the incredible pebble beach where the surf is calm and there are pebbles of every imaginable colour, shape and size.

Ημέρα 14Petacalco to Zihuatanejo96 km

Small resort, beaches, night life, seafood. [more]

Zihuatanejo is Ixtapa's easy-going sibling. Only 8km away it still gets a lot of tourism but has a very different ambiance. Small-scale fishing is still important to the town's ecomony so seafood here is great. There are many good beaches, restaurants, bars and a very busy and colourful market. Deep sea sport fishing is the specialty here and Zihua hosts several world class tournaments. Many sailors also call this port home for several months of the year. You may choose to go snorkelling off of the remote playa Manzanillo beach, explore the wildlife of the area's lagoons on a kayak tour, or just laze on the spectacular playa La Ropa beach.

Ημέρα 15Van or bus back to Pto. Vallarta-

Daytime van or overnight bus back to Pto. Vallarta [more]

You can take an overnight bus or a daytime van ride back to Puerto Vallarta today.

Ημέρα 16Puerto Vallarta-

Stay a bit longer or fly back home. [more]

You may pack up and catch a flight home, or stay a few days and enjoy Puerto Vallarta.

Τι κόστιζε εκείνη τη σεζόν

Αμοιβή Ξεναγών	+ Διαμονή	+ Φαγητό & ποτό	+ Διάφορα	= Κατά προσέγγιση συνολικό επίγειο κόστος
$400	$115	$170	$80	$765

Όλα τα ποσά σε δολάρια ΗΠΑ, όπως δημοσιεύονταν την εποχή εκείνη. Οι ποδηλάτες πλήρωναν οι ίδιοι στον δρόμο τη διαμονή, το φαγητό και τα εισιτήρια εισόδου — η Αμοιβή Ξεναγών ήταν η μοναδική χρέωση της ¡El Tour. Πλήρες ιστορικό: η τιμή του Views of the Pacific μέσα στα χρόνια.