The cycling area Northern Spain includes the regions of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Country, Navarre, and La Rioja. We also include the northern part of Castile/Leon in this area because the Camino de Santiago runs through it. All in all, this is an incredibly interesting area with a variety of mountains, forests, beaches, and rugged coastlines. The abundant rain in this part of Spain provides for grassy meadows and green landscapes. The coast here is also referred to as “La Costa Verde” (the green coast).
The main route of the Camino de Santiago runs south of the coastal mountains. A less popular Santiago route follows the northern coast and is a lot heavier due to the many climbs.
The mountains of Asturias, Cantabria, and the Basque Country are an exciting destination for road cyclists. The climbs there are often crucial in the Vuelta Ciclista a Espana. Consider the Angliru and the climb to the Lagos de Covadonga. Every year, new, unknown, climbs are included in the Vuelta course, often with eye-widening gradient percentages.
The Basque Country is characterized by many hills and valleys. The climbs are short and steep. Galicia has a rugged rocky coast with fjords and a wild inland full of forests and hills.
La Rioja (including the connecting areas just over the border of Burgos and Soria), is an extraordinary cycling region because of the combination of rugged landscapes, incredible nature, beautiful vineyards and vegetable gardens in the valleys, historic places, and many quiet roads.
All in all, the northern Spanish coastal provinces are very mountainous. From sea level, the elevation climbs immediately. The mountains of this so-called “Cordillera Cantabrica” form an extended relief from east to west and are a continuation of the Pyrenees. The rugged Picos de Europa are part of it. South of it begins the Meseta, the Spanish plateau.
Pilgrims have been traveling the Camino de Santiago for many centuries on their to the tomb of the apostle James. The route has also been discovered by cyclists in the last decades. There are several routes, but the most common is the southern Camino Francés. On this route, you cross the Pyrenees at the Col du Somport or at Saint-Jean-Ped-de-Port. Then it goes through Logroño (Rioja), Burgos, Leon and Ponferrada (Castile) to Santiago de Compostela. Some cyclists find the Camino Francés too busy and prefer a more northerly route. In this case, you encounter more mountains.
We enjoyed a well organised tour with friendly guides and clean, pleasant hotels. The support was excellent, even in rainy weather. We would definitely book this kind of trip again.
We enjoyed very much the biking, setup and everything around it✨
We had a fantastic week long cycle along the Ojos Negros. Pretty towns , charming hotels great food and a lot very safe riding along that spectacular greenway. Highly recommend!
We loved this beautifully organised Camino tour with great hotels and excellent bikes. The route allowed plenty of time to explore towns and villages. A fantastic experience overall.
This self-guided e-bike tour was perfectly organised and the route was beautiful and well maintained. The e-bikes made riding easy and the navigation worked flawlessly. A fantastic trip we highly recommend.
We loved this beautiful three-day ride through olive groves, old bridges and tunnels. The towns and accommodations were authentic and the people very friendly. A perfectly organised trip through Southern Spain.
We loved this beautiful three-day route with varied scenery, charming towns and great accommodations. Everything was very well organised, including bikes and transfers. We would definitely book again.
We loved this four-day ride with great organisation and extremely friendly support. The route was beautiful and the bikes were in excellent condition. Highly recommended for exploring Spain by bike.
We loved this beautiful three-day ride through olive groves, old bridges and tunnels. The towns and accommodations were authentic and the people very friendly. A perfectly organised trip through Southern Spain.
We extended the Via Verde del Aceite with the Via Verde de la Campiña to Cordoba. We enjoyed it and would highly recommend it to other cycling enthusiasts. We would love to return for our next cycling holiday in Spain.
We had another fantastic experience with Cycling Spain. Our three boys loved the three days of perfectly guided adventures. We will definitely be back and highly recommend their guiding services.
It was very well organized from the Netherlands, we definitely recommend booking with “Cycling Spain.”
The cycle paths are excellent, very safe, and drivers are very considerate of cyclists. Great e-bikes. The period from September 12th to 19th was wonderful. Not too hot. Luggage transfers were fantastic. Transfers to and from the airport were included. We’ll definitely do it again.
Everything was superbly organized, and the route took us past stunning places you might not otherwise discover. The equipment and service were excellent, and the communication beforehand was also very pleasant. We were kept updated via app throughout the trip, for example about the weather conditions, which was very helpful. The hotels were wonderful and well-maintained, and every day our luggage was neatly packed and ready at the next hotel.
Our first cycling trip in Spain, and it left us wanting more. Thanks to this organization. Everything was perfectly arranged and communicated in advance. Good e-bikes, the beautiful routes of the Via Verde del Aceite, the punctual local partner—everything was very good.
We did a multi-day cycling tour around Ronda and the white villages. We were provided with nice, clean bikes, and the accommodations were good. The scenery was very varied, with good climbs, and of course, the delightful Spanish villages. We will definitely go again!
Had a fantastic 4-day mountain biking tour in Girona. Every day was challenging and well-structured. Varied landscapes and hotels. Great support from Thijs! Highly recommended for anyone who wants to actively relax.
Great mtb trip, highly recommended. The trip is well organized and we cycled independently in 4 stages through beautiful area. The trails are very challenging and the hotels were more than fine! Thanks Thijs for this beautiful adventure! Sander
Super nice tour on the racing bike through Mallorca. In our opinion, all routes have been put together by people with experience. Receive detailed information in advance about what you can expect from each route. Beautiful hotels. Thijs prepares everything well and is also quickly accessible during your trip if necessary.
Beautiful views! You can cycle the Via Verde del Aceite in 3 days. We opted for 5 days (25 to 32 km per day). This gave us the opportunity to explore the towns upon arrival. We had a great time! Excellent accommodations. Luggage transport was well-organized. Highly recommended! Cycling Spain, thank you for the organization and the pleasant and practical communication!
We took a fantastic 5-day gravel bike tour around Girona through “Cycling Spain.” The trip was booked at short notice, and Thijs worked quickly to arrange everything. Communication was smooth. The surroundings are beautiful and diverse.
We had a very positive experience during our 9-day Mallorca tour. Hotels, routes and quick support were excellent. The personalised approach really made it stand out.
Thijs created a tailor-made cycling holiday tailored to my personal preferences. As a result, I got to know the Costa Brava better by bike in just 9 days. Both the inland and the coast of the Costa Brava are well worth exploring.
We are a group of 12 “senior” riders and have been biking together for 30 years. We had a fantastic riding experience in Zona Zero with Thijs and Felix as our guides. A really varied program with some serious technical challenges. Read more…
This is the second time we have used Cycling Spain and it has been the best experience. Thijs organized two coaches/guides and a driver to take our 3 boys on 3 wonderful days of guided adventures. Read more…
Great mountain biking organization in Spain, if you want to make the most of your passion without worrying about anything, you’ve come to the right address. Read more…
I booked a mountainbike trip with cycling spain and I loved it! I will definitely book another trip here if I am in Girona again. I could have never found these trails myself. Read more…
Biking with mtb adventures has been the highlight of our trip to Spain. The scenery was gorgeous and the trails were a blast. Read more…
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