Hands down we have THE best tour guides in the industry. We rely on them to be our eyes and ears on each of our biking and hiking tours across the globe. Guiding, in itself, is mentally and physically challenging. Working hard in extreme temperatures – making sure our clients have the best experience possible, needless to say Pure Adventures wouldn’t exist without our dedicated guides.

Nora & Angel guide our tours in Barcelona. With its wealth of art, culture and countryside…(and wine, don’t forget the wine) – it’s an incredible place to walk and ride, creating unique experiences with landscapes dominated by vineyards and wineries – did we mention the wine? We asked Nora & Angel where they like to kick back after a hard day on the Barcelona trails. Here’s what they said.

Botafumerio

If you like meat and/or seafood make sure you check out this place. Fresh, authentic Spanish food!

7Porte

These guys are famous for their traditional Paella. If you’re a fan of Catalan food you’ll definitely need to make a stop here.

Tickets Bar

Tickets Bar is famous because of the owner Albert Adrià who’s brother, Ferran Adrià, was named “Chef of the Year” for 4 consecutive years. It is very difficult to reserve so if you’re planning to visit in the coming months, book now!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA4B1zYPVQ8

Teresacarles

If you like vegetarian food be sure to swing by and re-fuel here!

Restaurantlasarte

These folks were awarded the Michelin star (highest award for a restaurant). You’ll need to change out of your riding gear –  formal attire only!

Grupotragaluz

One with nice see views and good food too!

The post Our Guides Dish On The Best Restaurants In Barcelona! appeared first on Pure Adventures.

After a day on the desert single track eating only trail mix, the occasional granola bar and lukewarm energy drinks, food is top of mind for all cyclists and hikers on our new Arizona tours. If it’s your first time visiting Pure Adventure’s home state, you’re in for a gastronomic treat – Arizona is just as well known for its grand dining as it is the Grand Canyon.

We turned to our friends at AOA and Pure Adventures staff for their recommendations as to where to stop for the best brewpubs and burger joints in the state.

Four Peaks Brewing Company

Loren Siekman, Pure Adventures’ founder and Brian Jump, AOA’s Director of Multi-Day Tours both list Tempe’s Four Peaks Brewing as Arizona’s best place for a pint. With 8 mainstays on tap and countless seasonal beers to choose from any other time of the year, Four Peaks is also one of the top ranked pubs on Yelp and TripAdvisor. The Peach Ale is a perennial favorite, but their cask conditioned beers deserve a nod, too. Be warned that parking is tricky and getting a table between Thursday and Saturday can take a while. Travel Tip: stop in mid-week after your ride to avoid the crowds or visit one of their other locations in the valley.  Note, you can find their beer on tap in restaurants all over the state.

FnB

Intimate and affordable, Scottsdale’s FnB not only tops our list, but Food + Wine magazine and New York Times names the trendy gastropub as a must try. “FnB uses as much local ingredients as they can and has a awesome wine list featuring a lot of excellent Arizona wines,” says Jump. Think the praise for FnB is just hype? Foodies on Yelp rave about every dish served up at FnB, with the Reuben being a lunch favorite and Jidori chicken the top dinner pick. Travel Tip: make your reservation as soon as your book your vacation.

Elote Cafe

The menu at Sedona’s Elota Cafe was inspired by Chef Jeff Smedstad’s travels throughout Mexico. Signature appetizers and melt in your mouth lamb are recommended by Yelp users, and naturally the margarita tops everyone’s drink list. Easily, this is the best Mexican food you’ll find in all of Arizona. Reservations aren’t accepted at this local favorite, so plan to either arrive early (well before doors open at 5:00 pm), or leave your name with the door staff and window shop while you wait.  Travel Tip: If you’re from out of town, pick up a copy of the Elota Cafe Cookbook on your way out and make your favorite dishes at home.

Diablo Burger

Chances are that you rode your bike further in one day than any of the ingredients in your meal at Diablo Burger – every ingredient travels less than 250 miles before it reaches your plate. The beef is sourced from the Diablo Trust Ranges, and 100%  open range-raised, antibiotic-free and growth-hormone free. Fresh greens, double-fried French fries and an extensive local beer and wine menu make this consistently top the list of best burger joints in both Flagstaff and Tucson. It’s cash only at this burger joint, and be prepared to shell out at least $20 for a meal (which is still a bargain in our opinion). Not ready to take our word for it? Fresno-based food blogger James Collier names Diablo’s Wrigley Field burger as the best he’s ever eaten. Travel tip: The burgers are incredibly lean,  so don’t be alarmed if they look pink in the center after that first bite.

Did we miss a place? Leave a comment or connect with us on Facebook and tell us where you love to eat in Arizona.

The post From brewpubs to burgers: Arizona’s best places to eat appeared first on Pure Adventures.

Tawny, crusted, reserve, ruby and vintage are just the beginning! Did you know there are eleven style of Portugal‘s most famous fortified wine? Porto, produced from grapes grown and processed in the Douro Valley, is most often regarded as a sweet dessert wine though off-dry and white varieties are also produced in Portugal. The Portuguese feel so strongly about their wine production that under European Union Protected Designation of Origin guidelines, only the product from Portugal may be labelled as port or Porto.

• See also: self-guided cycling trips in Portugal

Port can be enjoyed any time of year, but what makes September and the autumn months a perfect time of year to travel to Portugal is that the grapes that go into producing port are beginning to be harvested. Harvest of port wine grapes typically occurs between September 15 and October 15. Harvest season is kicked off with the Palmela Grape Harvest Festival, a week long event that includes musical performances, craft fairs and of course plenty of port and Portuguese wines. More festivals, fairs and tasting events follow throughout the fall, with many wineries opening their doors to travelers, including the Vinhos Alentejo which plans a full roster of special wine harvesting events.

• See also: cycling holidays in Alentejo, Portugal

Douro naturally is a destination for port aficionados, but wine lovers wanting to explore Portugal should spend time in either Alentejo or Algarve, both regions identified by Wines of Portugal as producers of fabulous wine (even if the quantity produced isn’t as high as the more famous Minho or Lisboa regions).

• See also: cycling holidays in Algarve, Portugal

While ruby vintage port and Stilton cheese is the most famous pairing, full flavored cheeses like Gorgonzola and Azeitao go just as well for their robust and slightly salty qualities. On the other hand, if you have a younger tawny port, pair is with a mild cheese such as Parmesan.

What is your favourite style of port? Join the conversation on Facebook: Facebook.com/PureAdventuresTours

The post Port Primer: pairing and enjoying Portugal’s favorite wine appeared first on Pure Adventures.