Accommodating professional or enthusiast cyclists is a big pleasure and a source of satisfaction and pride. We are concerned in all the sporting initiatives on the territory of Andora and of Val Merula, the wonderful valley which lies behind it. Indeed, we have been supporting and promoting them for years.
A branch we particularly care of is the one of bicycles, whatever form it presents: professional or amateur, in team, groups or for single cycling. The sportsman who chooses the Hotel Galleano has to feel at home, to have at his disposal services and the stuff, can count on places of interest and activities for escorts (for example, in the bathing period escorts can make use of our beach).
We had the fortune and the honor to accommodate also important teams, that appreciated our services and the fact we are always available to satisfy every need. Athletes fell in love of the springtime’s and autumn’s mild climate, of the paths overlooking the sea and their breathtaking glimpses, of the paths in the woods, of all the walkable ways along the coast.
The Val Merula offers 150 km of paths and mule tracks, from the coast at a height of zero metres above sea level to an altitude of almost a thousand metres of the Pizzo d’Evigno, which is located at the end of the valley. Moreover, it offers the possibility to travel with different degrees of difficulty.
Here there are some of the services at the disposal of the sports guests:
Particular menus which suit the athletes‘s requirements and flexibility of duty time
A local storage of bikes with a washing machine and a dryer
Maps showing the accessible paths in MTB on the coast and in the valley
Experts on streets and MTB paths advice
Collaboration with trusted mechanics
Masseur on request
Maximum availability in case of accidents
E-bike GPX Tracks Download – Thanks to Raul Dell’oro
Track 1: about 1000 dls – Difficulty of climbs none – Difficulty of descents medium high
Track 2: about 1000 dls – Difficulty of climbs medium – Difficulty of descents medium
Track 3: about 1000 dls – Difficulty of climbs low – Difficulty of descents medium high
Track 4: about 1000 dls – Difficulty of climbs medium – Difficulty of descents medium high
Track 5: about 1000 dls – Difficulty of climbs none – Difficulty of descents medium high
Track 6: about 1500 dls – Difficulty of climbs low – Difficulty of descents low – Track starting from Stellanello
The excursion on foot is refreshing, enjoyable and surprising. And is a great way to discover and explore an area rich in natural beauty and historical evidence, as is the Val Merula.
The valley opens up behind Andora; it begins at sea level and reaches up to 989 meters at Pizzo d’Evigno (Monte Torre). Ancient villages, olive groves and woods line the Merula torrent, surrounded and crossed by 120 km of paths and mule tracks, suitable for walkers and bikers.
Between breathtaking views and jaw-dropping views, the flora and fauna develop in a mild and sunny climate, preserved by the two hill ridges that line the valley floor.
The presence of a very large Mediterranean spot near the coast and on the eastern ridge (broom, lentisk, strawberry tree, myrtle and maritime pine) in certain seasons explodes into a multicolored bloom, together with wild orchids and aromatic plants. On the western ridge, on the other hand, there is an extensive forest consisting of red oaks, Scotch and maritime pines, ash trees and some holm oaks, to witness the existence of a primeval forest.
But if the vegetation is rich and varied, the fauna can surprise those who have the patience to observe.
Walking you can meet wild boar, roe deer, foxes, badgers and hedgehogs; looking up you can see the buzzard, the royal crow, the green woodpecker, the hoopoe, several species of hawks, and small and large migratory birds (gray herons, egrets) that stop to rest at certain times of the year, in addition to a series of resident birds. The world of reptiles and amphibians is rich in lizards, geckos, lizards, salamanders and newts, frogs and frogs; in some sites, the most patient, silent and above all lucky ones could observe the Ocellata Lizard, which is the largest in Europe (up to 60 cm) and that in this part of Liguria finds the only suitable habitat, in Italy. Finally, the world of arachnids and insects presents hundreds of species of spiders, butterflies, beetles, stick insects and religious mantids, which populate every corner of the valley and sometimes colonise in unthinkable ecological niches.
The great wonders as described by above are added to by the architecture and historical beauties that are sometimes evident such as the castle, the Romanesque bridge and the bastion by the sea, while very often they are discovered wandering through the fractions observing the details and slipping into the “carruggi” to understand how this extraordinary territory, even harsh and hard, has influenced the culture and habits of the population of the valley.
