7 Night - The Basque Country
29 May - 5 June 2010 Guided Tour
Our latest trip is designed to give a comprehensive vision of the Basque Country from the seat of a bicycle. This relatively unknown area of Spain has some of the best scenery and the most marvellous cities in the whole of the peninsula, not to mention one of the finest cuisines in the world. Our circuit combines both inland and beautiful coastal scenery, along with the fine cities of Vitoria, Pamplona, San Sebastián and Bilbao. Part of our route takes us along the Camino de Santiago (the Way of St James) as we cross for a brief incursion into France, before returning again to the Basque Coast. A trip not to be missed. .
Trip Code - SAT7BC
| Night One | Vitoria |
| Night Two | Estella |
| Night Three | Pamplona |
| Night Four | Saint-Etienne-de-Baïgorry |
| Night Five | San Sebastián |
| Night Six | Lekeitio |
| Night Seven | Bilbao |
Day 1
Transfer to Vitoria
Pick up from arrival point and transrfer to Vitoria, the capital of the Basque Country. Time to enjoy a stroll around the Old Quarter and the impressive cathedral. In the evening you can visit the renowned tapas bars in the city centre.
Day 2
Vitoria - Estella
Leaving Vitoria, we head eastwards towards Pamplona. A beautiful ride takes
us through the Parque Nacional de la Sierra de Urbasa y Andía, with
a visit to the beautiful source of the Urederra. Finally we arrive at the
town of Estella, situated on the Camino de Santiago, the famous old pilgrimage
route known as the Way of St James.
Short 47 km -30 miles
Long 74 km - 46 miles
Day 3
Estella - Pamplona
Short 64 km - 40 miles
Long 79 km - 50 miles
Day 4
Pamplona - Saint-Etienne-de-Baïgorry
Pamplona - Saint-Etienne-de-Baïgorry
Leaving Pamplona, we continue along the Camino de Santiago towards France.
We cross the lower Pyrenees surrounded by the most beautiful scenery and
then descend towards the village of Saint-Etienne de Baïgorry.
Short 28 km - 18 miles
Long 68 km - 43 miles
Day 5
Saint-Etienne-de-Baïgorry - San Sebastián
.JPG)
We spend today cycling on the northern side of the Pyrenees through France. We reach the French Basque coast by Saint-Jean-de-Luz.
A short train ride from Hendaye takes us to San Sebastián (those who wish to ride there may do so).
This beautiful city has a fine bay, beaches, Old Quarter and fishing harbour.
Last but not least is its incomparable gastronomy, second to none, where
the multitudes of tapas bars compete with some of the best restaurants in
the world.
Short 78 km - 49 miles
Long 110 km - 69 miles
Day 6
San Sebastián - Lekeitio
After San Sebastián, we turn westwards to follow the coast towards Bilbao. This is some of the finest coastal scenery in Spain. At times we ride along the water's edge; other times we ride high above it with the most fantastic views of the coast, interspersed with charming villages. Tonight's stop is at the picturesque fishing village of Lekeitio.
Short 50 km - 31 miles
Long 74 km - 46 miles
Day 7
Lekeitio - Guernica - Bilbao
Another ride along the impressive coastline. En route we see fishing villages in dramatic settings such as Elantxobe, completely surrounded by high cliffs.
We cycle round the estuary of Urdaibai to finally reach the town of Guernica, subject of the painting by Picasso which depicted the horrors of war.
From Guernica a short train ride takes us into Bilbao to explore this fascinating
city and take the chance to visit the world-famous Guggenheim Museum before
we return home the next day.
41 km - 26 miles
| Day 8 | Transfer
Bilbao - departure point End of trip. Pick up from Bilbao hotel and transfer to departure point. |
| Trip Details | |
| Tour Dates | 29 May - 5 June |
| Prices | 1 person in double share - 940 € Single person - 1070 € Bike hire - 88 € |
| Included | Accommodation in double, twin or single room with en-suite bathroom
(see price list for prices and single supplement) Continental style breakfast Transport to and from arrival / departure points Information Pack with Route Guide and maps Luggage transport between hotels |
| Not Included | Lunch & dinner Bicycle hire (see price list) Holiday extension |
| Terrain / Gradients | The terrain is often hilly and does require a certain minimum level
of fitness. Stages are of course supported by our backup vehicle. More
leisurely cyclists always have the option of doing the shorter routes.
Road surfaces are good and it is perfectly feasible to do the tour on
a road bike. . Note: that partial transfers of riders with our support vehicle allow us to offer both short and long stages. |
| Arrival points | Airports - Bilbao or Vitoria. Ferry ports - Bilbao. Bus / train stations
- Bilbao or Vitoria. Please note that in the case of differing arrival
times, cyclists will be transferred at the same time to start point and
departure point. As the trip begins in Vitoria and ends in Bilbao, you
may like to consider arrival in Vitoria and departure from Bilbao. See our Getting There page for links to airline and ferry companies. Holiday extension |
| Transfers | Day 1 - Bilbao or Vitoria Airport - Vitoria. Day 8 - Bilbao - Bilbao or Vitoria Airport. Please note that differing pick up times may require some degree of customer flexibility |
| Holiday extensions |
Possibility of spending extra days in Bilbao, Santander. |
| Links |
Guide to Bilbao - a video by Simon Calder for the Independent Newspaper on what to see and do in Bilbao. |