To Guadalupe

April 14, 2024

A most extraordinary day - the weather, the cycling, the landscape, the history were all outstanding.

The day began with breakfast at Solaire and a warm thank you to Fabien, my wonderful host and big supporter of cyclists. Then it was onward to Guadalupe, a mere 17 miles away, but oh what wonderful miles they were. I’ll let the pictures and a few captions tell the story, there isn’t much more I can add.

Nacho and Juan, returning home after a short bikepacking adventure

Park area where Nacho and Juan spent last night

An amazing cycling road for both bicycles and motorcycles, the latter comprising most of what little traffic there was on this Sunday morning

The landscape became more wooded as I gained elevation on final climb before Guadalupe

At the overlook down toward Guadalupe. The descent from here was a bit dicey

The Guadalupe Parador (foreground) and the Guadalupe Monastery, all from my terrace

Due to the fact that I had already booked a room for last night, I was able to check in to the Parador as soon as I arrived. Located directly adjacent to the Monastery, the Parador offers guests wonderful views of the Guadalupe Monastery right from their room. I spent the first 20 minutes just sitting on my terrace taking it all in.

The Royal Monastery of Saint Mary of Guadalupe is a Roman Catholic monastery whose origins date to the late 13th/early 14th century. There are various legends regarding the significant event that first placed a religious edifice in Guadalupe, but all involve the discovery or vision of the Virgin Mary. The has been extensive structural expansion since a small chapel was first erected here, and the monastery now dominates the city of Guadalupe. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993, and today is a both a significant pilgrimage destination and tourist attraction.

Most of the following set of pictures were taken from my hotel room terrace.

After prying myself from the terrace, I cleaned up and walked the short block into town. It was then I realized how truly massive the Monastery is - it utterly dominates the town. I found a nice restaurant that seated me without a reservation and after lunch I took a brief walk about town. There was a line for Monastery Tours that I passed on, so I went back to the hotel for a nap – exhausted from all the wonderfulness I’d experienced today.

In Guadalupe - a town dominated by the Monastery

Today's ride: 18 miles (29 km)
Total: 617 miles (993 km)

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