Day 1 Transfer to Santillana

Pick up from arrival point and transfer to the charming medieval village of Santillana del Mar. Introduction to bikes and route briefing.

Spend the rest of the day walking round the cobbled streets of this beautiful village, visit the modern museum of the Altamira Caves or enjoy a ride around the country lanes and down to the coastline.



Distance 40 km 25 miles

Day 2 Santillana - San Vicente

Leaving Santillana our route heads westwards through green meadows and the hills and valleys of Cantabria with its marvellous unspoilt coastline and beaches nearby. We soon arrive at the charming village of Novales set amidst lemon groves and with its fine typical rural architecture.

Next stop is the seaside village of Comillas. Here a visit to the fine beach, the small harbour and the pretty village square with its pavement tapas bars and restaurants is a must, not to mention the architectural sights of El Capricho by the famous Catalan architect Gaudí and the Palace of the Marqués de Comillas.

After leaving Comillas, cycle through the Parque Natural de Oyambre and along the seashore with the beautiful beaches of Oyambre and Merón. On the last stretch we are greeted by the stunning view of San Vicente and the Picos de Europa in the distance.

Distance 36km - 23 miles

Day 3 Free day in San Vicente

Spend time getting to know this pretty fishing village with its many seafood restaurants and magnificent setting.

Take a ride on one of the free day routes through the charming unspoilt countryside behind San Vicente.

You may just prefer to spend a lazy afternoon on the beach, or enjoying a fine meal in one of the local restaurants.

Day 4 San Vicente – Llanes

Leaving San Vicente the route heads westwards along the coast. After a short distance, cycle around the beautiful headland of Pechón with its magnificent views of the coastline.

Crossing the River Deva in Unquera we enter the province of Asturias with its markedly different flavour. The village of Colombres is home to the sumptuous villas of the indianos, emigrants to the Americas who made their fortune and returned to show it off at home.

From here the route continues between the coast and the dramatic mountain backdrop of the Sierra de Cuera, foothills of the magnificent Picos de Europa.

A beautiful descent through eucalyptus forests brings us back to the coast where we cycle past beautiful and unspoilt beaches, so typical of Asturias, to arrive at the charming fishing village of Llanes.

Distance 50km – 31miles (This route can be shortened by 10 miles by taking the local train to Unquera)

Day 5 Free days in Llanes

Cycle westwards and visit a string of fine beaches including the incredible landlocked beach of Gulpiyuri.

Another beautiful route takes us through the most beautiful hills and valleys behind Llanes.

Alternatively we can give the bikes a rest and take a canoeing trip on the Deva or Sella Rivers, or a hike through the dramatic and renowned Cares Gorge in the very heart of the Picos de Europa.

Take a train to Ribadasella and visit the Caves of Tito Bustillo with their prehistoric paintings before cycling back to Porrúa.

Enjoy the busy atmosphere of the fishing village of Llanes, so popular with Spanish tourists.

Day 6Llanes – Arenas de Cabrales

From Llanes, we turn southwards towards the Picos de Europa. Today’s stage is a short one but we have the chance to lengthen it if we wish.

We head along the valley of the Río de las Cabras past picturesque villages and many examples of their hórreos, the wooden granaries on stilts that are so typical in Asturias.

At the top of the valley, we are greeted by magnificent views of the Picos.

In Arenas we can leave our luggage and cycle along to the beginning of the famous Cares Gorge. From there we can take the funicular railway to visit the remote mountain village of Bulnes.





Distance 32 km – 20 miles

Day 7Arenas de Cabrales - Potes

From Arenas de Cabrales, we follow the course of the River Cares with the Sierra de Cuera to our left and the imposing Western, Central and Eastern Massifs of the Picos de Europa to our right – sublime scenery!

In Panes, the Cares flows into the Deva and we follow the latter upstream to the village of Potes.

Suddenly the sides of the valley close in and the route runs through the incredible rocky gorge of La Hermida. Mountains tower around us as we cycle through the gorge towards Potes and the valley of La Liébana, completely encircled by mountains.

Spectacular scenery, but easy riding – downhill to Panes and then a barely perceptible ascent to Liébana and the village of Potes.

Distance 52 km – 33 miles

Day 8 Free day in Potes.

Cycle along any of the three valleys that meet in Potes.

Take a trip on the cable car at Fuente Dé to enjoy breathtaking views of the Cantabrian Mountains, where the brown bear and wolves still roam.

Enjoy a walk through the lush green valleys or the higher mountains. Spend time in the bustling market village of Potes with its peculiar mix of local farmers, tourists and mountaineers.

Visit the many other picturesque villages dotted around the area.

Cycle up to the Monastery of Santo Toribio, home to the largest surviving fragment of the True Cross or to the charming country monastery of Piasca.

There’s no shortage of things to do in this magnificent setting.

Day 9 Potes - Carmona

From Potes we retrace our route to the village of La Hermida.

From here we begin our climb out of the Deva Valley and through the beautiful scenery of the Cantabrian Mountains.

This is a route that few tourists ever see. From La Hermida we climb up to the village of Linares at 400 metres.

Another climb takes us to the Collado de Hoz at 658 metres. A third and final climb takes us up the Collado de Ozalbal at 556 metres and with incredible views of the Nansa Valley.

A fast descent takes us down the valley and to our final resting-place at Carmona.

A challenging stage but compensated by the varied, unspoilt and beautiful scenery and remote villages.

Distance 54 km – 34 miles

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Day 10 Carmona – Villacarriedo

Our route today takes us across some of the lesser-known valleys of Cantabria through beautiful green scenery and villages way off the beaten track.

Finally we arrive at the village of Villacarriedo, surrounded by the most beautiful landscapes.

Distance 68 km - 43 miles

Day 11 Villacarriedo - Somo

After riding through the village of Selaya, we take a climb over to the next valley to begin our descent of the River Miera Valley to our final stop in Somo.

A marvellous ride through stunning limestone scenery takes us down to the farmland around Somo and the Bay of Santander.

En route we can visit the mountain village of San Roque de Riomiera and the spa village of Liérganes with its charming old quarter. s

 

Distance 40-86 km 25-49 miles

Day 12Free day in Somo

Enjoy the marvellous beach with its miles of golden sand. Take a short boat ride across the Bay to visit the lively and elegant city of Santander, capital of the province of Cantabria.

Enjoy the belle époque atmosphere of El Sardinero, the beach resort of the city, where Alfonso XIII and his court spent the summer months in the early 20th century.

Stroll around the town centre for some last minute shopping. Take one of the free day routes to visit the beautiful beaches of Loredo, Langre or Galizano.

Ride through the green country lanes, where a surprise awaits you round every corner, to the village of Ajo, famous for its paellas.

Visit the Nature Park of Cabárceno with wild animals from all over the world, and bizarre scenery resulting from its one time use as a Roman mine.

Eat freshly grilled sardines in the seaside restaurants of Pedreña, birthplace and home of the famous golfer, Severiano Ballesteros.