Spain Road & Mountains

Northern Spain, which most riders skip and probably should not. Eleven days from Madrid, ten nights and around 1,575 miles, taking in Barcelona, the full width of the Pyrenees, the Basque coast and the Picos de Europa.

The first leg heads east out of the capital through the Alto Tajo Natural Park and Molina de Aragon to Alcaniz, then the Prades Mountains and Montsant Natural Park lead to Tarragona, whose Roman amphitheatre sits above the sea, and on to Barcelona. A free day there is given over to Gaudi, and to the Sagrada Familia in particular, which has been under construction since 1882 and is still not finished.

Then the mountains take over. The Pyrenees carry the route to Andorra, then across to Sallent de Gallego and on to San Sebastian, three consecutive days of high passes on the French border. Bilbao and the Guggenheim follow on the Cantabrian coast to Santander, then the Picos de Europa National Park, where limestone peaks rise straight out of green valleys, before Burgos and the run back to Madrid.

EAGLERIDER supplies the bike and books all ten nights, with route notes for each day of the trip. Fuel, meals and insurance are arranged separately. As with its sister tour, the operator’s page is not currently showing a price, so that needs confirming before booking. For riders who think Spain means heat and empty plains, the Pyrenees and the Picos de Europa come as a considerable surprise, and this route crosses both of them properly.