Green Spain & Picos de Europa Self-Guided Cycling Tour

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Description

Summary

Starts
Santillana del Mar
Duration
8 days
Languages
English
Difficulty
Easy

Description

Embark on an unforgettable 8-day journey through the picturesque landscapes of Northern Spain. This multi-day tour is a perfect blend of cultural exploration, historical discovery, and natural beauty. From the medieval village of Santillana del Mar to the stunning Cantabrian Mountains, each day brings a new adventure. Cycle through green meadows, explore charming seaside villages, and marvel at architectural wonders. Enjoy the local cuisine, visit modern museums, and relax on golden sandy beaches. Whether you're a history enthusiast, a nature lover, or a foodie, this tour has something for everyone.

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Included

A variety of hand-picked hotels and country inns, each with its own particular charm and personal service and quality.

Hotels range from "posadas", "Casas rurales" or country inn type accomodation to two, three and four star hotels. One thing they do have in common is the standard of the accommodation. The key words here are quality, comfort, cleanliness and friendliness. All rooms have en-suite bathrooms. We have selected and inspected all our hotels personally and we constantly request custome feedback. They all have their own charm and character, and are chosen for their unique situation, regional atmosphere, comfort, cleanliness, and personalised customer attention. These hotels form an important part of the IberoCycle holiday experience. Most have at least one English speaker.

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Accommodation with en-suite bathroom.

Information pack (route guide and maps)

Luggage transport

Ridewithgps tracks

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Continental style breakfast

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Transport to and from arrival / departure points.

IberoCycle will pick up from arrival points in Bilbao, Torrelavega 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. Transfer times are as follows, and remember you need to add another hour at least for check in:

Torrelavega to Santillana del Mar - 15 minutes

Bilbao to Santillana del Mar – 1 hour 25 minutes

Santander to Santillana del Mar – 30 minutes

Santander to Bilbao – 1 hour 15 minutes

Santander to Santander Airport – 10 minutes

Arrival and departure day is Saturday.

Groups of 4 or more can choose any start day at no extra cost.

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 - Bilbao, Torrelavega 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 and Torrelavega have 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.

Transfer on Day 6 from Potes/Cosgaya to Miera.

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Destinations

Santillana del Mar
Photo of Santander city beach aerial panoramic view.Santander

Map

Attractions

photo of Cave of El Castillo in Puente Viesgo, Spain.Cave of El Castillo
photo of La Fuentona in Ruente, Spain.La Fuentona
Museo De La Naturaleza De CantabriaMuseo De La Naturaleza De Cantabria
Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liebana, Camaleño, Liébana, Cantabria, SpainMonastery of Santo Toribio de Liebana

Daily Itinerary

Day 1

Day 1 – Day 1: Santander to Santillana del Mar

  • Santillana del Mar
  • Santander - Arrival day
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  • Acantilado El Bolao
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Your journey begins with a pick-up from Santander, followed by a transfer to the medieval village of Santillana del Mar. After a brief introduction to the bikes and the route, spend the day exploring the village's cobbled streets, visiting the modern Altamira Caves Museum, or enjoying a leisurely ride to the coastline.

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Day 2

Day 2 – Day 2: Santillana del Mar to San Vicente

  • Santillana del Mar
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  • Cave of El Castillo
  • Museo De La Naturaleza De Cantabria
  • More

Day two takes you westwards through the green meadows of Cantabria. Visit the charming village of Novales and the seaside village of Comillas, where you can explore the beach, the harbour, and the architectural marvel, El Capricho. Cycle through the Parque Natural de Oyambre and along the beautiful beaches of Oyambre and Merón, before arriving at the stunning San Vicente.

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Day 3

Day 3 – Day 3: Exploring San Vicente

Day 3: Exploring San Vicente

Spend the day getting to know the picturesque fishing village of San Vicente. Enjoy the local seafood delicacies, take a ride to the mountain village of Carmona, or simply relax on the beach. The choice is yours.

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Day 4

Day 4 – Day 4: San Vicente to Potes

Day 4: San Vicente to Potes

  • La Fuentona
  • More

Day four takes you along the coast, around the beautiful headland of Pechón, and through the stunning rocky gorge of La Hermida. Visit the village of Colombres, known for its luxurious villas, before cycling towards the mountain-encircled valley of La Liébana and the village of Potes.

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Day 5

Day 5 – Day 5: Exploring Potes

Day 5: Exploring Potes

  • Parque Natural del Malecón
  • Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liebana
  • More

Spend the day exploring the valleys around Potes. Take a trip on the cable car at Fuente Dé for breathtaking views of the Cantabrian Mountains, visit the Monastery of Santo Toribio, or simply enjoy a leisurely walk through the lush green valleys. The bustling market village of Potes offers a unique mix of local culture and tourism.

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Day 6

Day 6 – Day 6: Potes to Somo

Day 6: Potes to Somo

On day six, transfer to the Cantabrian Mountains and begin your descent of the Miera Valley to Somo. Visit the mountain village of San Roque de Riomiera and the spa village of Liérganes before reaching the farmland around Somo and the Bay of Santander.

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Day 7

Day 7 – Day 7: Exploring Somo and Santander

  • Santander
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Spend the day enjoying the golden sands of Somo beach or take a short boat ride across the Bay to visit the lively city of Santander. Explore the elegant El Sardinero beach resort, do some shopping in the town centre, or take a ride to the village of Ajo. Don't miss the chance to try the classic Spanish dish, paella, in one of the local restaurants.

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Day 8

Day 8 – Day 8: Departure from Somo

  • Santander - Departure day
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Your unforgettable journey comes to an end. After breakfast, you will be transferred from your hotel in Somo to your departure point in Santander.

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