Saturday Video: La Vuelta, the Ultimate Cycling Tour of Puerto Rico
Whether you’re a serious cyclist or a laid back cruiser, bicycles provide an exhilarating way to truly experience any Caribbean destination. Tours by bus or car generally offer just a passing glimpse at attractions. On a bike, you really get to see and experience all that a destination has to offer. Plus, the attendant workout isn’t bad either.
As our favorite pro cyclist has already cautioned, traveling with your bike can be a hassle. Rentals are available virtually everywhere in the Caribbean, making it easy to strike out on your own two-wheeled adventure.
For those who prefer the added cache of company and friendly competition, however, La Vuelta de Puerto Rico is a must!
Held each year in January, La Vuelta is an amazing cycling adventure encompassing a 375-mile ride around the entire circumference of Puerto Rico. It’s not so much a race as it is a tour, with three different pace groups comprised of riders of similar projected speeds sticking together throughout the event.
Still, La Vuelta does cover nearly 400 miles over a scant three-day period, so you’ll want to be sure to pack your Wheaties.
La Vuelta not only offers a chance at building lasting friendships and camaraderie among several hundred cycling enthusiasts, it also enables riders to really soak in the magic of Boricua. Sleepy little towns like La Parguera, with its unique Bioluminescent Bay, and Guanica, home to a vast dry forest, present visitors with a view of Puerto Rico seemingly a million miles from the glitz of metropolitan San Juan.
Downing a couple mojitos while salsa dancing in cycling shorts looks like fun too!
The 2011 edition of La Vuelta is scheduled for January 28-30. Click here registration and more information.