WELCOME!
Portugal, Spain & France; Mediterranean Europe at its best...

CYCLING THROUGH THE CENTURIES began as a far-fetched suggestion in 1986 when few companies were in the field of cycle touring. My mother, Maggie Deffense, took that suggestion and ran with it, creating CYCLING THROUGH THE CENTURIES, a unique and specialized company offering in-depth cycling tours off-the-beaten tourist paths throughout the Iberian Peninsula and France.

We started with tours in northern Portugal’s wine country and from there branched out to the rest of Portugal and into neighboring Spain and southern France. Over the last 18 years we have shared our love of these countries with hundreds of other cyclists.

Our in-depth knowledge of the languages, the people and their customs provides a unique cultural backdrop to all our tours. We truly aim for the best, most memorable places to eat and rest our heads after an exhilarating day on the bike.

CTTC prides itself in being the foremost expert in Iberian bike touring - We look forward to cycling through the centuries with you - Imagine the memories you’ll bring home.

Happy cycling,Catherine Deffense
Director

The Routes

Savvy travelers tell us that our routes are the very best in each of the regions that we cycle. They are constantly upgraded to take advantage of improved roads or to avoid roads that have become too busy.  At CYCLING THROUGH THE CENTURIES we know that really enjoyable cycling is a combination of great scenery, good roads and interesting sights.

Accommodation

The “Three C’s” - Charm, Comfort and Convenience – our accommodations range from small family-run country inns to monasteries, manor houses, castles and luxury hotels.  We always aim to offer the best in the area and we look for that extra quality above the competition as well as convenient location to sights and events.

Cuisine

Good food – so important to the cyclist!  Our restaurants are chosen for their ambiance and superb regional dishes.  Tasty tapas in Andalucia, mouthwatering fish dishes in Portugal and the finest Spanish & French cuisine in Catalunya.  Mediterranean feasts - washed down with the best local wines – which are always included with the meals in generous amounts. This is a vacation, remember!

Guides

Our guides are top-notch - excellent mechanics and bi or tri lingual with English being a pre-requisite.  Most of them are natives of Portugal, Spain or France.  They’re dedicated to ensuring not only the welfare of each of our participants but also their enjoyment on tour – i.e. being informative, keeping the fun level high and the cycling safe!

We pride ourselves on lots of personal touches. Your comfort and enjoyment are of paramount importance to us and we will do all we can to ensure it at no extra cost - from booking pre and post tour accommodations to arranging train tickets or car rentals, or to helping you plan an itinerary to follow before or after your cycling tour.

We're more than happy to assist you with absolutely anything we can do to make your vacation the best ever.

Over the past 18 years, we have worked hard to generate hundreds of satisfied customers.

Click here to see what just some of them have to say. Give us a call at (+351) 212 424 604 or email info@cycling-centuries.com and we would be glad to put you in touch with a happy customer in your area whom you could talk to or email.

Happy Cycling!