• beautiful headland of Pechón
  • oldest village in Cantabria: Bárcena Mayor
  • lemon groves in village of Novales
9 Days
8 Nights
240 Total kms
34.285714285714 km/day (avg)
mini-map
<p>This beautiful circular <em>move-on-each-day</em> ride takes in the wonderful coastline of Northern Spain, medieval villages, fishing ports, green valleys - all with the impressive backdrop of the Picos de Europa mountains. You will get a great feel for the provinces of Cantabria and Asturias as you tour hidden Spain. </p>

Tour Route

Day
1
Arrival Point
to
Santillana del Mar

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, see the colegiata church of Santa Juliana with its marvellous Romanesque cloister visit the modern museum of the Altamira Caves to learn about some of the best prehistoric paintings in the world, or enjoy a ride around the country lanes and down to the coast.
Day
2
Santillana del Mar
to
Comillas

Westwards through green meadows, hills, valleys and marvellous unspoilt coastline and beaches. Novales is set amidst lemon groves and with its fine typical rural architecture. Then magnificent coastline where the green meadows meet the Bay of Biscay. Comillas has a fine beach, harbour, a pretty square with tapas bars and restaurants, and the architectural sights of Gaudi’s El Capricho and the Palacio Sobrellano of the Marqués de Comillas. The local beach of Oyambre is spectacular.
22km
50km
Day
3
Comillas
to
Pechón

Leaving Comillas, the ride follows the spectacular coastline along the beaches of Oyambre and Merón. San Vicente de la Barquera is a busy fishing village almost completely surrounded by its two estuaries, constantly changing with the ebb and flow of the tide. Then we ride inland towards the valley of the River Nansa, and the estuary Tina Menor, with wonderful beaches and coastline. Finally we reach the village of Pechón close to more spectacular beaches.
28km
43km
Day
4
Pechón
to
Llanes

Westwards around the beautiful headland of Pechón with its magnificent coastline. Cross the River Deva in Unquera to enter the Asturias. Colombres is home to the sumptuous villas of the indianos, emigrants to the Americas who made their fortune then returned. Continue between the coast and the dramatic mountains of the Sierra de Cuera, foothills of the magnificent Picos de Europa. A beautiful descent through eucalyptus forests leads to the coast and unspoilt beaches, to arrive at the charming fishing village of Llanes.
47km
Day
5
Llanes
to
Arenas de Cabrales

A selection of longer and shorter rides today to take us to Arenas and the Picos de Europa. Visit a string of fine beaches including the incredible landlocked beach of Gulpiyuri, Then ride through the most beautiful hills and valleys behind Llanes. Alternatively, give the bikes a rest and take a hike through the dramatic and renowned Cares Gorge in the heart of the Picos. Or take the funicular to the mountain village of Bulnes and walk back down. And do not miss the fantastic Cabrales blue cheese with the local Asturian cider.
39km
50km
Day
6
Arenas de Cabrales
to
Nansa Valley

From Arenas de Cabrales, our ride follows the beautiful River Cares through its impressive limestone gorge. In the village of Panes, the Cares meets the Deva which we follow downstream watching the canoe excursions following the river to Unquera before crossing to the valley of the River Nansa. All these rivers are home to Salmo Salar, the Atlantic salmon. Extend the ride to visit the famous cave of El Soplao, with its indescribable stalactites and stalagmites. Rest in the charming rural hotel close to the banks of the River Nansa.
35km
42km
Day
7
Nansa Valley
to
Cabuérniga

Follow the River Nansa to Puente Nansa and then on to the village of Carmona, one of the emblematic rural villages of Cantabria. A climb takes us to the valley of Cabuérniga formed by the River Saja. This valley is famous for its cocido montañés, a rich bean stew, typical in Cantabria. A side trip leads to another beautiful rural village, Bárcena Mayor, and intrepid souls may like to ascend to the mountain pass of Palombera and enjoy the views of Campoo, the valley of the River Ebro, the longest in Spain.
27km
57km
Day
8
Cabuérniga
to
Puente Viesgo

Head along the River Saja through the Valley of Cabuérniga past charming villages. We turn eastwards, and a final brief ascent enables us to roll down into the valley of the River Besaya. Here we pick up a cycle path which takes us through the fine medieval village of Riocorvo. We follow the river along the cycle path and then a short climb takes us over to the valley of the River Pas and our spa hotel in Puente Viesgo where we can take the opportunity to visit the famous caves of Monte Castillo with their prehistoric paintings.
42km
Day
9
Puente Viesgo
to
Departure

Transfer from Puente Viesgo to Santander or Bilbao.

FAQs

    • Accommodation with en-suite bathroom
    • Breakfast
    • Transport to and from arrival / departure points - normally Bilbao or Santander, airports, ferryports, railway stations, bus stations
    • Information Pack (Route Guide and maps)
    • Luggage transport between hotels
    • Partial rider transport wheh the itinerary includes this within a certain day's activities
    • Lunch & dinner
    • Bicycle hire (see price list)
    • Holiday extension - i.e. extra nights at beginning and end of tour.
  • Comfortable fitted and fully-equipped bikes for your cycling pleasure. 

    You can either make arrangements to bring your own bicycles or hire IberoCycle's own models. Most airlines will carry bicycles for a small extra charge or even free. Cyclists who choose to hire will be provided with a comfortable quality bicycle to suit their particular measurements and preferences. We place great importance on getting the bikes right.

    Too many cyclists on trips with other companies have complained about past experiences where they have had to put up with uncomfortable saddles, the wrong sized bike etc. Measurements are requested on booking so the right bike is waiting for you on arrival.

    You are provided with hybrid-type tourist bicycles with conventional handlebars and with triple chain ring and easy-to-change gear ratios for comfortable and easy cycling. Road bikes are also available on request.We can provide tandems, which make for great cycling fun, and are also ideal for those with children.

    And last but not least, e-bikes. An absolute revolution in the world of cycle tours, and of course available on all our rides. 

    Ladies bike (Trek FX) Men's bike (Trek FX)
    Hybrid e-bike    Road e-bike
    Road bike (Cube carbon) Female road bike (Cube carbon)
    Tandem (a fun way to ride, and also ideal for helping smaller children - Dawes Duet)


    Hybrid bikes will carry a handlebar bag, useful for carrying money, documents, camera and lots of other useful items which may be needed close at hand. This bag is easily removed it from its click fastening and carried around with the shoulder strap. They are also equipped with a rear luggage rack and one or two panniers, or a rear rack bag to carry just what you need for each day's cycling. Road bikes carry a seat post bag if required.

    In addition, all cycles are equipped with pump, spare inner tube, water bottle, bike lock and basic toolkit. Extras such as lights or toe clips are available on request. Iberocycle provides cyclists with a fine bicycle in tip-top condition to make cycling an absolute pleasure.

    Childrens Bikes

    Children's bikes, and child seats are available on request.


     

  • IberoCycle will pick up from arrival points in Bilbao or Santander for this tour. This includes hotels, railway stations, ferryports, bus stations and airports. The same is true at the end of the tour. Please contact us if you have an early flight or departure on the last day, so we can let you know if it is possible for us to get you to departure point on time.

    Air - The closest airport is Santander Airport. This airport has the following destinations. However, it is a smaller than Bilbao Airport so has fewer connections. It is used as a hub by RyanAir, with connections to both Spanish and European cities. Further to the east is Bilbao Airport. Here we probably have more flight options, although transfer time to the start point of the cycle tours tends to be around 90 minutes. You may find this map useful for planning itineraries by air.

    Train - Both Bilbao and Santander are connected to inland Spain by the Inter-City RENFE network. Trains are relatively inexpensive. On arrival, it may be more convenient to leave the train in Torrelavega, just one stop before Santander. There is a train service along the coast from Santander; east to Bilbao and the Basque Country, or west to Oviedo and Asturias. However, this is a narrow-gauge railway run by RENFE FEVE and is rather slow and infrequent.

    Bus - Santander has good connections by bus to most Spanish cities run by ALSA. Buses are economical and comfortable.

    Sea - Santander and Bilbao are connected to the United Kingdom by ferries run by Brittany Ferries. This may be a fun and interesting way to travel if you have the time (the crossing takes around one day), but tends to be more expensive than the many flight options.

  • We think cycle touring is the ideal way to travel in Europe and that is why we are very pleased to launch European Bike Adventures, as it allows us the opportunity to offer a whole new set of experiences to people we know will appreciate them.

    Accordingly we have taken our time in selecting the portfolio of cycle tours you find listed here.

    A selection of hand-picked bike trips in spectacular places throughout Europe that focus on fun with the same attention to detail and quality that hundreds of our very satisfied clients have been enjoying with Ibero Cycle Tours since 1999.

     

  • There is plenty on offer for vegetarians to eat. Restaurants tend to be fairly flexible and in general have no trouble in catering special requirements. The same also goes for different allergies such as gluten, lactose etc. Please let us know when booking and we will make sure that the hotels are fully aware. 

  • On a self-guided tour, you are basically independent. IberoCycle transports luggage to the next hotel. 

    Riders are expected to complete each day's ride, unless there is an emergency, or a mechanical problem. 

    Cyclists do not travel as part of a group or with a guide, although they may coincide with other cyclists on the same trip.

    Our "IberoCycle On Call" service means we are always available for help or advice.

    Cyclists are provided with our own detailed Route Guide and maps for their chosen route.

    Fitter cyclists may extend stages at will.

     

  • Personalised tours are available for groups of 4 or more riders. You may like to add extra days, choose a different arrival day, modify the itinerary.

    Please contact us if you would like to personalise this tour.

  • Bilbao

    Many people like to take the option of spending an extra night in Bilbao to visit the city and the Guggenheim Museum (Remember the museum is closed on Monday except during the months of July and August when it is open every day).

    San Sebastián

    San Sebastián is another option for those who have some extra time on their hands. This marvellous city has a beautiful Old Quarter, incomparable tapas bars and many superb restaurants, quite a few of them with the prestigious Michelin stars. 

    Transport

    Customers staying extra nights in Bilbao are responsible for their own transfers between the hotel and the airport. The easiest way is by taxi. There is also a bus service with departures every 30 minutes to Bilbao centre. Click here for more info. 

    There is an hourly bus service from Bilbao Airport (Aeropuerto Bilbao) to the Plaza de Pío XII in San Sebastián with Pesa. Click here for ticket sales. 
    Check the Bilbao Airport website for more information on transport options.
    There is a regular bus service Santander - Bilbao - San Sebastián run by ALSA.

  • Hybrid e-bike    Road E-bike

    The last few years have seen a revolution in the use of e-bikes. We now offfer e bikes on absolutely all of our rides. There are of course multiple advantages to using one on a bike tour:

    The difficulty level is lowered by a grade. Thus an intermediate level tour becomes an easy tour as the motor assists pedalling.

    The distance you can cycle on each day is effectively "reduced". Longer distances become accessible to a greater range of riding abilities. 

    Ability levels between riders on the same tour are levelled out as riders can choose an e-bike to enable them to keep up with stronger riders. 

    No more worrying about the hills! 

    So if you are in any doubt about whether a particular tour might be too challenging for you, then take the e-bike option. You can still get a good workout by keeping the pedal assistance level low. E-bikes are now available on all of our tours. And many have both the standard e-bike and also the road e-bike. 

Prices


03
Aug
30
Aug


28
Sep
01
Nov


06
Apr
28
Jun


29
Jun
02
Aug

Self Guided / per person
Standard Adult Double €1160€960€960€1160
Adult Single €1640€1270€1270€1580

Extras

Bike rental €120
Road bike rental €165
e-Bike rental €195
GPS rental €42
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Contact Us

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