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A beautiful bike tour along the coast of Cantabria and Asturias in Northern Spain. The lush green countryside contrasts with the blue sea while you visit unspoilt beaches, picturesque villages and flower-bedecked houses with a backdrop of steep mountains.
This local bike tour offers a truly authentic Spanish experience. While cycling off-the-beaten-path along the spectacular Cantabrian coastline, you’ll be amazed at the endless variety of the cliffs, tiny coves, small fishing villages and sandy beaches. Brush up on your Spanish, order the local cuisine, and stay in the region’s finest hotels.
Day 1: Transfer to Santillana
Accommodation: Posada La Casa del Organista
Welcome to your bike tour of Cantabria and Asturias!
Pick from arrival point (in Bilbao or Santander) 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.
Day 2: Santillana – San Vicente de la Barquera
Route: 36 km/22 miles
Elevation: +637 m/+2,089 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Faro de San Vicente
Leaving Santillana, our route heads westwards through lush green meadows and the hills and valleys of Cantabria with its marvelous coastline and enticing beaches nearby. We soon arrive at the charming village of Novales, set amidst lemon groves and with its typical rural architecture. Next stop is the seaside village of Comillas. Here we dearly recommend a visit to the local beach and the small harbour . After a potential refreshing swim, a stroll through the pretty village square with its 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 de la Barquera with the Picos de Europa Mountains in the distance.
Day 3: Free Day in San Vicente de la Barquera
Optional Loop Route: 39 km/24 miles
Elevation: +719/+2359 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Faro de San Vicente
Spend time getting to know this quaint fishing village with its many seafood restaurants. Enjoy one of our circular bike routes, or visit the lovely mountain village of Carmona. Alternatively, enjoy a ride through the unspoilt hill country behind the village, or you may just prefer to spend a lazy afternoon on the beach!
Day 4: San Vicente de la Barquera – Llanes
Route: 47 km/29 miles
Elevation: +802 m/+2,632 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Don Paco
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. A quick glance at the local beach, Playa del Amió, is very recommended! Then, you´ll cross the River Deva in Unquera and will 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 which are the foothills of the glorious 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 before we arrive at the charming fishing village of Llanes which will be our destination for the next two nights. Bienvenidos/welcome!
Day 5: Free day in Llanes
Accommodation: Hotel Don Paco
The options are endless today: One ideal option is to cycle westwards and visit a string of fine beaches including the incredible landlocked beach of Gulpiyuri. While another beautiful route leads 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. Yet another equally enticing option would be to take a train to Ribadasella to visit the Caves of Tito Bustillo with their prehistoric paintings before cycling back to Porrúa. Or, stay in town and enjoy the busy atmosphere of the fishing village of Llanes which is quite popular with Spanish tourists.
Day 6: Llanes – Miera Valley Descent – Somo
Route: 43.1 km/26.8 mi
Elevation: +381 m/+1,249 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Torres de Somo
After a hearty breakfast, we transfer you to the Cantabrian Mountains so you can enjoy the descent through the Miera Valley until your next stop in Somo. As you barely pedal all the way down, enjoy this marvelous ride through the stunning limestone valley of the River Miera until you make it to the farmland around Somo and the Bay of Santander. As you´re descending we recommend applying your brakes to visit the mountain villages of San Roque de Riomiera and the spa village of Liérganes with its charming old quarter.
Day 7: Free day in Somo
Route: 43 km/26.6 miles
Elevation: +680 m/+2,232 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Torres de Somo
Enjoy Somo´s marvellous surfer beach with its miles of golden sand. You can take a short boat ride across the Bay to visit the lively and elegant city of Santander, capital of the province of Cantabria where it´s easy to enjoy the belle époque atmosphere of El Sardinero, the beach resort of the city. Alfonso XIII and his court spent the summer months here in the early 20th century: this spot is fit for a King! Or, if you’re keen on more pedaling, enjoy one of the loop routes to visit the beautiful beaches of Loredo, Langre or Galizano. Ride through the green country lanes, where a surprise awaits you at every corner until you reach the village of Ajo which is famous for its paellas. Or you can opt for a unique visit to 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. Yet, another possibility is to eat freshly-grilled sardines in the seaside restaurants of Pedreña, birthplace and home of the famous golfer, Severiano Ballesteros.
Day 8: Transfer from Somo – Departure point
After your last breakfast your bike tour of Cantabria and Asturias will come to an end! You will be picked up from your hotel in Somo and transferred to your starting point.
1.090,00€ – 1.320,00€
*Coverage to guarantee a safe trip. An indispensable travelling companion provided by BIKE SPAIN TOURS for our clients. Nevertheless, we ask you to review the limited amount of such coverage included in our insurance, and to confirm with your insurer that you are adequately covered in any event.
(Included in our Guided tours)
| Dates | 29 March to 27 Jun 2025, 28 Jun to 29 Aug 2025, 30 Aug to 31 Oct 2025 |
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All the Bike Spain Tour staff were excellent. Nothing seemed to be too much trouble to sort out. Every interaction was punctual, helpful and friendly. I had a technical problem with my bike, which was sorted out very quickly in Llanes. We got a good flavour of the area from everyone – which everyone was clearly proud of!
It’s difficult to pin down the best bits because there were so many: the scenery, the people, the food, the culture (from architecture to festivals), the service, these were all fantastic and there’s no doubt we’ll be back to this part of the world again. Thank you!
Very pleased with quality! Before this trip I had never traveled outside the continental USA so it was a pleasant adventure. I found the price to be very good with no hidden surprises. And, I have also read that tourism in certain parts of Spain has grown to the point where it is causing resentment (understandably) from residents but that was not case at all on this trip. Your staff was friendly and helpful at all times!
