• tapas and txakolí wine in the beautiful city of San Sebastián
  • Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum and the World Heritage Bridge of Vizcaya 
  • Santander and its marvellous Bay
8 Days
7 Nights
268 Total kms
44.666666666667 km/day (avg)
mini-map
A wonderful tour following the coastline of the Basque Country and Cantabria through seaside villages and the beautiful cities of San Sebastián, Biilbao and Santander.

Tour Route

Day
1
Arrival Point
to
San Sebastián

Arrival in San Sebastián. Tapas and txakolí wine in the Old Quarter. The beautiful promenade and beaches. It is worth spending an extra day here to enjoy this marvellous city.
Day
2
San Sebastián
to
Lekeitio

Bikes arrive after breakfast. The route leaves San Sebastián via Monte Igeldo, with magnificent views of the city. As we ride, we have the txakolí vineyards between us and the sea. Then the elegant seaside resort of Zarautz, the "Mouse" of Getaria, fishing villages such as Deba and finally the beautiful harbour and beach of Lekeitio on the shores of the Bay of Biscay. You may like to shorten the ride (to 48, 38 km or to 23 km) by taking the train to Zarautz, Zumaia or Deba. 71 km
70km
Day
3
Lekeitio
to
Guernica / Mundaka

Along the coast again past unique geological flysch formations. The coastline is impressive, the fishing village of Elantxobe is beautiful and shortly after we turn inland along the Urdaibai Estuary Nature Reserve to the town of Guernica, sadly famous due to the Spanish Civil War bombing and the painting by Picasso. Accommodation in Guernica or the nearby village of Mundaka on the estuary with its world-famous surfing wave.
45km
Day
4
Guernica / Mundaka
to
Bilbao (Getxo)

The route follows the estuary again to the fishing village of Bermeo. A climb then offers a fantastic view of the famous chapel on the island of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe (Game of Thrones). Then through the coastal villages of Bakio, Armintxa and Plentzia to reach Getxo / Portugalete. Getxo has magnificent villas built by the Basque industrialists. Our accommodation is at the mouth of the estuary of the River Nervión by the famous transporter bridge Puente de Vizcaya. The Bilbao Metro allows easy access to the city centre and the Guggenheim Museum. Extra nights can be added here in order to be able to spend time in the city of Bilbao.
51km
Day
5
Bilbao (Getxo)
to
Castro Urdiales

In Getxo we can see the magnificent 19th century villas built by the rich Basque industrialists, before visiting the one-time fishing villlage of Algorta. We cross the river using the unique Puente Vizcaya, a transporter bridge which dates back to 1893, and is a World Heritage Site. We then follow the coastline to the fishing port of Castro Urdiales with its pretty harbour and gothic church on the seafront.
28km
Day
6
Castro Urdiales
to
Santoña

From Castro Urdiales, we head west along the magnificent coastline. We shortly reach Sonabia with the impressive cliffs home to a colony of majestic griffon vultures which we should see soaring above us as we ride. We then reach the fishing port of Laredo and head out along its enormous beach towards Santoña and the backdrop of the Monte Buciero. A short ferry crossing takes us across the river estuary. Santoña is famous for its anchovies, a local delicacy. From here it is only a short ride to our hotel on the beach of Berria.
35km
Day
7
Santoña
to
Santander

From Santoña our route takes us westwards, parallel to the coast, with beautiful green scenery, beaches, cliffs. Finally we reach Somo with its beaches and surfers. A short ride takes us to Pedreña, with its world famous golf course where Severiano Ballesteros was raised and learned to play golf. From here we take a boat across the Bay of Santander, to reach the elegant capital of Cantabria.
39km
Day
8
Santander
to
Departure

Depart after breakfast with the satisfaction of having completed a marvellous tour along the coast of Northern Spain.

FAQs

  • 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.


     

  • 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.

  • 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

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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Contact Us

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