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From quiet, country cycle paths to stunning scenery and culinary delights, this self-guided cycling tour of La Rioja, Spain’s most well-known wine region, ideal for those who are passionate about wine and pedaling.
Lying along the south of the Ebro river, the La Rioja valley boasts a lush, rolling landscape dotted with picturesque medieval villages, fine wineries and avant-garde architecture. It truly is a feast for the senses!
Starting in the Basque area of La Rioja, you will stay in the beautiful town of Laguardia, perched peacefully above the sprawling vineyards of the famous tempranillo grapes. From here you will pedal your way east across the rolling valley of the Ebro river with plenty of opportunity to visit wineries, admire beautifully preserved Romanesque churches and stroll around charming medieval towns such as Briones and Ezcaray.
The Camino de Santiago (St. James Way in English), the world’s oldest tourist trail, is the dividing line between the upper and lower Rioja regions so you will also get a glimpse of this famous pilgrim route.
Staying in some of the region’s most luxurious hotels and biking past many of its acclaimed wineries, this trip is the ideal introduction to one of Spain’s more undiscovered regions. Our self-guided cycling itinerary allows you to enjoy La Rioja at your own pace.
Day 1: Laguardia
Arrival day
Accommodation: Hotel Hospederia Los Parajes
Meals included: Dinner
Welcome to La Rioja, and your fabulous cycling and wine tour!
The easiest way to get to Laguardia is by taking a train to Logroño from Madrid or Bilbao, and then taking either a public bus or private taxi to Laguardia (approx 20 minutes). If you need assistance, your Bike Spain Tours travel consultant will be happy to help!
Laguardia is the unofficial capital of the Rioja Alavesa – the Basque section of La Rioja – and many of the 320 wine cellars dating back from the late 18th century are still functioning today. As you approach, the town looks like something plucked straight from a fairytale: standing atop a hill, still partly surrounded by walls, towers and fortified gateways. Once in Laguardia, you’ll have a chance to sample some famous Rioja vintages in a nearby wine interpretation centre, set in a traditional Basque farmhouse.
Day 2: Ábalos. Riding through the Rioja Alavesa
Route: 42.6 km/26.5 miles
Elevation: +714m/2343 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Villa de Ábalos
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner
After breakfast, your local Bike Spain Tours representative will meet you to carry out your bike fitting and welcome briefing.
Next, it’s time to start cycling! Your first route takes you along the banks of the Ebro River, winding your way through vineyards.
You’ll hit your first bodega within 2km! The majestic architecture of Bodega Ysios, created by famous architect Santiago Calatrava, seems to blend into the surrounding mountains. Next, you’ll come to Elciego, you’ll notice the unmistakable titanium waves of a Frank O. Gehry building. This is the famous Marqués de Riscal hotel and winery, which is worth visiting for its fabulous futuristic architecture alone.
You’ll spend tonight in the tiny village of Ábalos (population just 255!), which is almost completely dedicated to winemaking.
Day 3: Ábalos. Discovering the winery towns
Route: 44.1 kms/27.4 miles
Elevation: +754m/2474 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Villa de Ábalos
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner
Today’s routes follow small, quiet country paths along the Ebro River, giving you a chance to roam through some of the area’s most beautiful and historic little towns.
The first of these is San Vicente de Sonsierra, a former fortress town where coats of arms still decorate historic palaces. Here, you can visit the medieval city centre, which boasts a castle, several watchtowers and the remains of the original city walls.
Next, you’ll visit Remelluri, which boasts a fifteenth-century monastery that has been converted into one of the region’s most memorable wineries.
The final stop is Haro, one of La Rioja’s centres of wine production, and world-famous for the wine battle that takes place every June, in which locals and visitors alike attack each other with thousands of litres of wine! Of course, no visit to Haro would be complete without stopping by a winery, and our recommendation here is CVNE, which belongs to one of Spain’s biggest wine companies and boasts a wine barrel cellar designed by Gustave Eiffel
Day 4: Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Along the Camino de Santiago.
Route: : 42.3km/26.3 miles OR 60.1 km/37.3 miles
Elevation: +581m/1906 ft OR 837m/+2,747 ft
Accommodation: Parador Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Meals included: Breakfast
Long acknowledged as the oldest tourist trail stretching throughout Europe, the Camino de Santiago (Saint James Way, in English) is the dividing line between the upper and lower Rioja regions.
After a leisurely tour along the Ebro, you’ll ride through the atmospheric town of Briones and head along quiet secondary roads to the town of Santo Domingo Calzada. We highly recommend a visit to the fascinating Museum of Wine Culture, which explores two millennia of the history of wine at Bodega Vivanco.
From Briones, you’ll continue south through Azofra and Alesanco towards Cañas, where you can visit the imposing 12th century Monastery of Santa Maria de San Salvador.
OPTIONAL: If you fancy a bit more cycling (approximately 15 km extra) you can head south from Cañas to the town of San Millán de Cogolla, considered to be the cradle of the Spanish language, thanks to the influence of the Yuso and Suso monasteries. The monks worked for almost a hundred years to create the first comprehensive Spanish grammar, and the two spectacular monasteries are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Day 5: Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Along the Oja River Valley
Route: 30 km/18.6 miles
Elevation: +257m/843 ft
Accommodation: Parador Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Meals included: Breakfast
Today, you’ll follow a former railway line that once went all the way to Haro, and has now been converted into a peaceful cycle path: Vía Verde del Rio Oja. Fifteen kilometres of pure biking pleasure between the floodplain of the River Oja and the foothills of the Sierra de la Demanda, dotted with picturesque medieval hermitages and flanked by agricultural fields. As you head towards Ezcaray, the route gradually becomes more forested until you reach the limestone cliffs of the Peña de San Torcuato, an important habitat for birds of prey.
Ezcaray is considered to be one of the most beautiful in La Rioja: set in the mountains, surrounded by unspoilt nature, and retaining the traditional architecture of its historic town centre.
Day 6
Departure day
Meals included: Breakfast
Today, your cycling and wine tour of La Rioja comes to an end.
Transfer to Logroño, Laguardia (starting point) or to the train station of Miranda Ebro. Ask us about the best options to continue your trip through Spain.
Hospederia Parajes
Set in a palace with over 500 years of history, Hospedería de los Parajes offers a unique experience for wine lovers. The hotel’s basement is a genuine 16th century calado – subterranean wine cellar – which has been converted into a wine bar. The perfect place to begin your cycling and wine tour of La Rioja!
A new hotel concept, where history and modernity combine to accommodate a range of rooms and services full of sensations. Passing through the main gate in the wall of Laguardia, you will find an exceptional building. Inside the walls we have built our hotel. Spa and a great restaurant.
Hotel Villa de Abalos
Located in the very heart of Spains La Rioja region, in the village of Ábalos.
This pleasantly-situated family hotel is surrounded by fields containing seemingly endless rows of the areas characteristic grape vines. Stone, wood and wrought iron combine to create an ambience that is both attractively modern and traditionally comfortable. The ground floor is the location of the communal areas, the reception desk, the lounges, the sun terrace, the garden and the bike park.
Parador Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Comfortable guest rooms decorated with exquisite taste where you will find a warm, harmonious environment.
The hotel occupies a former 12th-century hospital near the cathedral, erected by St. Dominic to take in pilgrims traveling on the Way of St. James. It has a regal, elegant style, with majestic function rooms and a lobby filled with Gothic arches and wood coffered ceilings.
1.310,00€
*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 | Any date up to 31 Oct 2024 |
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I wanted to do a vineyard bike trip for my 60th and bikespain offered the perfect solution!
I love spain, I love Rioja wine and they had electric bikes, and it was reasonably priced.
10/10 we had a few hiccoughs but this made the trip more fun! The hotels were great and in ideal locations. Staff were friendly and accommodating.
We loved this trip. The scenery was outstanding and the route layout was good. We loved coming back to the same hotel for two nights and not having to repack every night. We both rate it a 10.
In all the hotels we enjoyed the accommodations and felt like we enjoyed the flavor of the town and community. Our favorite hotel in all respects was the hotel in Abalos. The food was amazing and our accommodations were roomy and very comfortable.
We upgraded to Ebikes. They were very comfortable and easy to use.
Just a great trip and it met all our expectations. When we return to Spain we will definitely check out another biking adventure and recommend your company without hesitation.
