Spain – Basque Country Bike Tour

Ride and savor the absolute best of Spain’s glorious, gorgeous Basque Country. From the Spanish Pyrenees to the San Sebastian seashore, passing through the most famous wine region in Spain, La Rioja. This tour offers the region’s very best riding, lodging and feasting. Start off with three nights in Isaba, a noble town in the foothills of western Spain’s Pyrenees. Ride from here across the border into the French Pyrenees for more iconic climbs. Explore La Rioja, famous for its infinite vineyards, staying three nights in Laguardia, a beautiful, historic medieval town with a mountain backdrop. Feast on regional specialties. Sample local wines. Finish off with two nights in seaside San Sebastian, perhaps the most beautiful city in Spain, famous for its natural bay and beach of La Concha – named the world’s best city beach several times! – and delicious gastronomy. From glorious mountains to flower-filled vineyards to salty seashores, the memories from this trip will stay with you forever.
SPECIAL LODGING NOTE: Our tour price covers 9 nights of lodging (not 8 as is typical with most itineraries). Your lodging in Bilbao on the last night of the tour (Day 9) is included!
PEDAL HAPPY! This tour has been crafted for strong intermediate to advanced level cyclists. E-bikes for this tour will be “racing-style” with drop-bars (not flat), and there is an additional fee.
Itinerary
Day 01
Meet in Bilbao and cycle straight into the heart of the Spanish Pyrenees of Navarra!
Meals
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Hostal Lola
Distance
34 miles
Elevation
+3653 ft / -2472 ft
Fly to Bilbao, Spain a day (or two) early so you have time to explore Spain’s de facto capital of the Basque region. Spend a few hours at its gleaming Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum or get oriented to Basque culture and history at Bilbao Basque Museum in “Old Town.”
Meet us in the morning on Day 1 for a transfer (~2hr) to where we begin cycling. Pedal to Isaba, tucked into the Spanish Pyrenees in the valley of Roncal. Narrow cobblestone streets lined with steep-roofed stone mansions are hemmed in by rugged mountain peaks. Isaba’s historic town center boasts the 16th-century church-fortress of San Cipriano. In this region of Navarra’s Pyrenees, the higher peaks begin, making for stunningly beautiful cycling and few cars. Hostal Lola, near the town center will be our base for the next three days.
Day 02
Ride Matamachos col today on a loop from Isaba and revel in mountain scenery.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Hostal Lola
Distance
68 miles
Elevation
+7,441 ft / -7,440 ft
Bicycle from Isaba through the gorgeous Navarra Pyrenees to Matamachos col today. Rolling roads wind through stunning mountain vistas on this loop. Pedal south, west, then north again, back to Isaba’s cobbled streets. Stop along the way for a typical Spanish ‘pintxos’ (similar to tapas) lunch.
Day 03
Rarified air and alpine views are on the menu as you cycle from Spain to France, and back!
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Hostal Lola
Distance
33 miles
Elevation
+4,198 ft / -4,197 ft
Head north into France for a hilly loop tackling some of the tougher climbs in the Pyrenees, including Arette La Pierre Saint-Martin and Larrau. Alpine views abound at the summit!
Day 04
Become a “pilgrim for a day” as you pedal a section of the 1,000 year old Camino de Santiago.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Silken Villa de Laguardia
Distance
52 miles
Elevation
+4,400 ft / -3,635 ft
In the morning, we transfer (1.5hrs) to Puente La Reina to begin riding. This small town, named for its ancient Roman bridge, is an important stop on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. Become a “pilgrim for a day” and follow a section of this 1,000-year-old route. We end in Laguardia, another historic town surrounded by hundreds of vineyards and wineries with a dramatic backdrop provided by the escarpment of the Sierra de Cantabria to the north. You will have plenty of time to explore as we spend the next three nights here at Silken Villa de Laguardia.
Day 05
Enjoy a layover in lovely Laguardia. Explore wineries and vineyards, go birding, visit Logroño, or relax at the pool.
Meals
– Breakfast
Lodging
Silken Villa de Laguardia
Today is a layover day. Explore Laguardia: visit a local winery (or two, or…); go bird watching at Barranco del Valle; enjoy a private massage; or relax at the hotel swimming pool. If you want more riding, our guides are happy to suggest a route. If you prefer to get out of town, you can visit nearby Logroño, the capital of La Rioja. Lunch and dinner on your own today.
Day 06
Ride the Rioja region today ... from below the Sierra de Cantabria ... to the summit of Valdezcaray. Indeed, it's as poetic as it sounds!
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Silken Villa de Laguardia
Distance
58 miles
Elevation
+5,646 ft / -4,858 ft
Ride the Rioja region from north to south. Visit the Parador Nacional of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, an old Hospital from the 12th century reconverted in a hotel. Climb to Valdezcaray, a ski resort overlooking the peaceful town of Ezcaray in the valley below.
Day 07
From vineyards, through savannah, and on to the coast - San Sebastian, here we come!
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
Lodging
Hotel Londres
Distance
68 miles
Elevation
+5,838 ft / -6,912 ft
A ride of contrasts! Pedal through three distinct environments today. Warm up in the rolling vineyards of La Rioja before entering the “Sierra de Urbasa” – a landscape reminiscent of the African savannah. Feel the humidity rise as you approach the lush greenery of the coastal region at San Sebastian. One of the most beautiful cities in Spain, San Sebastian is world renowned for its beautiful bay, beaches, gastronomy, and quality of life. We’ll give you enough time to decide for yourself if the reputation is deserved! Spend two nights here at Hotel Londres. Dinner is on your own tonight.
Day 08
The history of wine and fish, and the Route of the Coast.
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
– Dinner
Lodging
Hotel Londres
Distance
43 miles
Elevation
+4,291 ft / -4,281 ft
Ride the “Route of the Coast.” This fascinating commercial route was well known and much traveled in the past. Today, it’s most popular with local cyclists, as well as an alternate northern (coastal) pilgrimage route for the Camino the Santiago. The history of the Basque Country is one of both wine and fish – with their traditions inextricably linked to the ocean. Bicycle sheltered roads with matchless views and the sea at your side. Pedal through tiny fishing ports and marvel at miles of coastal vineyards. The region is especially well known for its unique Txakoli grapes, which produce an exuberant, bright, sometimes fizzy white wine. Today’s ride is one we guarantee you will remember forever!
Day 09
Mountains and coastline: Round off the week with another perfect Basque country route on roads deemed fit for Le Tour de France!
Meals
– Breakfast
– Lunch
Lodging
Hotel Petit Palace Arana
Distance
33 miles
Elevation
+4,266 ft / -4,530 ft
Last, (but definitely not least!), enjoy a route that combines both the Basque mountains as well as the coast. Le Tour de France passes by some of these roads in 2023. The ride ends in Lekeitio, a quaint fishing village well known for its beautiful beaches. From here we transfer to Bilbao (1hr) and stay at Hotel Petit Palace Arana.
Dinner is on your own tonight, but your lodging is included as well as breakfast in the morning before you begin your journey home.
Please make your return flight arrangements for the day after the last day of the tour.