• beautiful coastal scenery
  • green hills and valleys
  • spectacular Picos de Europa
8 Days
7 Nights
345 Total kms
57.5 km/day (avg)
mini-map
A beautiful ride with tremendous variety through the highlights of this part of Northern Spain, recently selected by Lonely Planet as one of the most rewarding places to visit in Europe. The rich green countryside contrasts with the blue sea and the magnificent unspoilt beaches. Fishing villages, picturesque valleys and the magnificent backdrop of the Picos de Europa. Last but not least, the charming city of Santander on the shores of its beautiful bay.

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, visit the modern museum of the Altamira Caves or enjoy a ride around the country lanes and down to the coast.
Day
2
Santillana del Mar
to
San Vicente de la Barquera

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. 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 Palace of the Marqués de Comillas. Cycle through the Parque Natural de Oyambre and along the beautiful beaches of Oyambre and Merón with the stunning view of San Vicente and the Picos de Europa in the distance.
36km
62km
Day
3
San Vicente de la Barquera
to
Picos de Europa

From San Vicente, 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. Colombres is home to the sumptuous villas of the indianos, emigrants to the Americas who made their fortune and returned to build their mansions. Follow the Deva Valley, riding through the incredible rocky gorge of La Hermida. Mountains tower around us as we cycle towards Potes and the valley of La Liébana, completely encircled by mountains. Here we stay 2 nights.
56km
70km
Day
4
Picos de Europa

Explore the three valleys that meet in Potes. The cable car at Fuente Dé has breathtaking views of the mountains, where brown bear and wolves still roam. Hike through the lush green valleys or the higher mountains, or visit the busy market village of Potes, with its mix of farmers, tourists and mountaineers. Many other picturesque villages are dotted around the area. Cycle up to the Monastery of Santo Toribio, or the charming country monastery of Piasca. There's no shortage of things to do in this magnificent setting.
Day
5
Picos de Europa
to
Cabuérniga

Leaving the hotel, we head towards Potes along the River Deva and then down the valley. A long but gentle ascent leads towards the pass of Piedrasluengas and the border with Castile. Here we finally bid farewell to the Picos and journey through equally beautiful scenery to the village of Carmona. This is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved in Cantabria. From here we have just one more ascent until we descend to our final hotel in the beautiful valley of Cabuérniga.
92km
Day
6
Cabuérniga
to
Villacarriedo

A lovely ride takes us across four different river valleys to Villacarriedo. The River Saja flows through the green meadows and tranquil villages of Cabuérniga. A small and beautiful rise leads to the River Besaya and the medieval village of Riocorvo. Another climb leads to the valley of the River Pas and the spa village of Puente Viesgo, with its famous salmon beats and caves with prehistoric paintings. Our next valley is that of the River Pisueña and Villacarriedo, surrounded by the most beautiful and tranquil scenery.
60km
85km
Day
7
Villacarriedo
to
Santander

An ascent takes us to the stunning limestone valley of the River Miera. From here, a marvellous descent takes us to the mountain village of San Roque de Riomiera and then the spa village of Liérganes with its charming old quarter. Finally, pretty farmland around Somo and the Bay of Santander. Maybe time for some barbecued sardines in Pedreña looking across the water to the Magdalena Palace of Santander. A final boat trip across the bay takes us to the capital of Cantabria, with its marvellous seafront, tapas bars, and beaches. A great end to a great tour.
59km
106km
Day
8
Santander
to
Departure

Transfer to departure points of Santander or Bilbao.
42km

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
    • 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. 

  • Guests are transported to and from arrival / departure points (these are specified in the route guides), unless otherwise stated in the tour descriptor.

    Luggage is transported by IberoCycle to the next hotel. Cyclists carry just what they need for that day.

    A back-up vehicle and IberoCycle staff member supports cycling stages.

    There are normally 10 - 20 cyclists on each trip. Cyclists choose whether they cycle alone or with other cyclists.

    Clients do not cycle with a cycling guide.

    Cyclists are free in the evenings to dine with other members of the group or to do their own thing. Our representative will organise a meal for those who wish to dine in company.

    Routes have soft options for those cyclists who do not wish to cycle the full stage. Thus the routes are suitable for all levels. Non-cyclists may also participate using our transfer service.

    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.

Prices

We are in the process of confirming pricing for this tour, please let us know if you are interested using the form below.

Or call us directly: (+34) 942 58 10 92
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