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Cycling Spain’s Land of the Conquistadors
A unique tour cycling from Parador to Parador in Extremadura, west Spain. This tour features luxury hotels with a focus on historic buildings such as restored palaces, monasteries or castles.
The route starts in the old castle of Oropesa and takes you through the south side of the Gredos Mountains in the La Vera region, a place rich in agriculture. You will get to cycle to three beautiful old cities: Plasencia, Trujillo and Caceres, traveling along Monfrague National Park, famous for its spectacular bird life. Extremadura is the land of the Spanish Conquistadors that grew in wealth from the conquest of South America.
If you are interested in a guided experience, please contact us for details and pricing.
Highlights
- Parador Hotels
- Cathedral & Old Town in Plasencia
- Monfragüe National Park
- Historic town of Trujillo
- Monumental city of Cáceres
Learn More
Learn more about self-guided tours or see more Spain bike tours.
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![Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. Pedro@Flickr]()
![Wine & dining in Spain! International Railways Summit@Flickr]()
![Salto del Giatano, Monfragüe National Park, Extremadura, Spain. CC:Alonso de Mendoza]()
![Cycling Spain’s Land of the Conquistadors Bike Tour]()
![Delicious Spanish wines! Brett Jordan@Unsplash]()
![Monfragüe National Park, Extremadura, Spain. Raul Hidalgo@Flickr]()
![Trujillo, Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain. VALDITHRASH@Flickr]()
![Vineyards! Nacho Dominquez Argenta@Unsplash]()
![Cáceres, Spain. Alex Chaves@Unsplash]()
![Monfragüe National Park, Extremadura, Spain. CC:Jorn Wendland]()
![Cáceres, Spain. Jaie Galeano@Unsplash]()
![A Petit Pa in Spain! Marco Verch@Flickr]()
![Cycling Spain’s Land of the Conquistadors Bike Tour]()
![Plasencia, Extremadura, Spain. Antonio@Flickr]()
![Plasencia, Spain. Manuel Torres Garcia@Unsplash]()
![Delicious Spanish wines! Armands Brants@Unsplash]()
![Salto del Giatano, Monfragüe National Park, Extremadura, Spain. CC:Alonso de Mendoza]()
![Paella. Sandra Wei@Unsplash]()
![Monfragüe National Park, Extremadura, Spain. Heribert Bechen@Flickr]()
![Spanish sangria! helena Yankovska@Unsplash]()
![Salto del Giatano, Monfragüe National Park, Extremadura, Spain. CC:Alonso de Mendoza]()
Traveler photos
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Daily program
Day 1: Oropesa
Oropesa is easily reached by train from Madrid (1 hour and 40 minutes).
Overnight in OropesaDay 2: Oropesa to Jarandilla de la Vera (34-42 mi/55-67 km)
Today you will cycle on flat land amongst typical Mediterranean woodland towards the foothills of the Sierra del Gredos.
Overnight in Jarandilla de la VeraDay 3: Jarandilla de la Vera to Plasencia (36-42 mi/59-69 km)
An easy cycle through lovely countryside takes us to the historic town of Plasencia with its beautiful cathedral and old center.
Overnight in PlasenciaDay 4: Plasencia to National Park of Monfragüe (27 mi/44 km)
Today you begin the day cycling south towards the Tajo River. As you enter the National Park of Monfragüe, watch its famous bird life. On the way, you will enjoy the landscape of grazing land with holy oaks and cork trees. The landscape is dotted with large farms that are dedicated to raising wild bulls and the famous black “iberico” pig.
Overnight in MonfragüeDay 5: Monfragüe to Trujillo (31 mi/49 km)
Another cycle through Mediterranean woodland to reach Trujillo. Trujillo is one of the areas most important historic and cultural towns and is certainly one of Spain's finest gems. The walled hilltop town, which overlooks the countryside dates back to 600 BC.
Overnight in TrujilloDay 6: Trujillo to Cáceres (34 mi/56 km)
The last day of cycling gives you a last chance to explore this beautiful landscape, crossing little villages along the way to reach the historic city of Cáceres. Strolling along the narrow cobble stone streets of the old city center, having a drink in one of its small old taverns, and enjoying a terrace in one of its plazas are all great ways to end your holiday.
Overnight in CáceresDay 7: Departure
Departure from Cáceres or extra nights.Surface and terrain
The tour has very reasonable length cycling days. Most of the cycling is done through relatively flat terrain on tarmac roads, although there are some climbs.
Tarmac: 99%. Cycle track: 1%.
Hotels
These are sample hotels and may vary based on availability.
The accommodations on this tour are mostly Paradors. Paradors are a semi Estate owned chain of high-end hotels that offer superb service. Their uniqueness lies in the fact that they are all placed in renovated, historic buildings such as palaces, castles or convents. One of the accommodations is a restored traditional country farmhouse.
Parador de Oropesa, Oropesa
www.parador.esParador de Jarandilla de la Vera, Jarandilla de la Vera
www.parador.esParador de Plasencia, Plasencia
www.parador.esPalacio Viejo de las Corchuelas, Monfrague
www.lascorchuelas.comParador de Trujillo, Trujillo
www.parador.esParador de Cáceres, Cáceres
www.parador.esInterested in visiting other areas before or after your tour? Visit our hotels page to learn more about lodging options.
How to get there
Tour start
Nearest airport: Madrid-Barajas airport
Nearest train station: MadridTo reach the tour start, you can take a train from Madrid train station to Oropesa train station, 2 kms from the Parador. There are 5 trains a day which take approximately 2 hours and cost about €15.
Tour end
Nearest airport: Madrid-Barajas airport
Nearest train station: CáceresAt the tours's end, you can take a train from Cáceres to Madrid. There are 5 trains a day, and the trip lasts about 4 hours and costs about €30.
Tips on getting to and from your tour
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Dates
Daily, upon request: Mar 1-Jun 30; Sep 1-Nov 30, 2023
Prices
Tour package
Per person, double occupancy €1047 Single use room (1 person/1 room) €1284 Solo traveler (1 person in party with single use room) €1519 Bike rentals
Hybrid touring bike, 24-speed €100 Electrically assisted bike €180 Additional Options
Dinner package(drinks not included) €208 GPS unit (1 per room) €30 Transfer from Madrid to Oropesa(1-6 people) €240 Transfer from Caceres to Madrid(1-6 people) €517 Extra night in Madrid and Caceres upon request.
Included services
- 6 nights accommodation
- Daily breakfast
- Luggage transfers between hotels
- Detailed maps and itinerary description
- Telephone emergency support
Bike rentals
Bikes available to be rented (reserved in advance at time of booking):
- Hybrid touring bikes, 24-speed or equivalent (men's or ladies')
- Electrically assisted bike*
*More about electrically-assisted bikes >
All bikes are equipped with:
- Rear rack and pannier
- Mudguards
- Bottle holder
- Odometer
- Waterproof map holder and stand
- Helmet
- Repair kit, pump, spare inner tube, multi-tool (per room)
GPS units are available to rent for €30 (1 per room)
Bike Protection:
Bike protection can be purchased at the time of booking. You can read more about that HERE.Pedals:
The bikes will have flat pedals. If you want to bring your own pedals, please bring your own shoes and also the necessary equipment to change the pedals.Helmets:
Helmets are included with the bike rental. For safety and hygiene reasons, we still recommend that you bring your own helmet.
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Route Map
Maps are for information purposes only and reflect typical routes between overnight locations. They may not reflect your actual route.
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Reviews
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★★★★★ Miguel7844 October 21, 2019
Amazing Cycling Experience
What a great trip! Just imagine staying in old castles as lodging and cycling from one castle to another going past ancient rivers and seeing condors fly right above you. That’s what you have in this trip. The cycling was challenging enough to keep myself engaged as an avid cyclist. The best part if this trip was going thru small towns and cycling in a part of Spain that isn’t talked about enough. Extremadura is an amazing place to visit!!!
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 5, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ DRC1 October 8, 2019
Great intro to Extremadura
An area with tons of sites and (relatively) little visited. Can you say Juradilla de la Vera? The Paradors are outstanding. Only down side of trip is that it involves a substantial amount of blacktop. Plus side of that is that it is usually lightly trafficked. We had ebikes and grateful we did because some of the days are long and with a difficulty greater than I would have otherwise enjoyed. The bikes were first rate, German built with Bosch drives. Can’t comment on support because we needed none.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept/Oct 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ CJ4EY March 30, 2019
Fabulous Paradors - Challenging Cyclying
We really enjoyed the Paradors as each one is historical and unique. The biking is through rural countryside and is very pretty, and the temperatures in March were perfect. The directions provided by the tour company were outstanding! The surface of the trip is along asphalt roads, but I think it should be noted that the terrain is very hilly. The only flat section of the trip is the first half of the first cycling day and last cycling day. Otherwise, you’re climbing or descending, and since descending is much faster, you’re spending most of your days climbing. It was our 8th trip and definitely the most challenging. Another aspect of the trip is there is a lot of traffic passing at high speeds. While most of drivers are courteous in the amount of space given, if you’re accustomed of cycling without traffic, it can be very disconcerting. It a lovely trip, but I think the surface and terrain need to be disclosed.
- What was the date of your tour?
- March 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
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★★★★★ Brad2008 November 28, 2018
very nice lodging and service
Great places to stay and eat. Great service. It was definitely hilly but beautful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- November 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 15
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ ned75 November 10, 2018
Two small issues. When we arrived at Oropresa (TO) the printed material told us to ring the Paradore to organize a taxi. Unfortunately the reception did not speak English (only in this Paradore) and we could not get an answer (after they hung up they did not answer the phone any more). Good thing that the station master spoke English and gave us the Taxi number whihc is 670841586. We suggest that the tour operator changes his instructions and tells people to ring the taxi directly.
also unfortunately the second day is on a very busy road but the rest is ok
- What was the date of your tour?
- October
- How many tours have you completed?
- three
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Amy M August 8, 2018
Unbelievably Amazing
My husband and I took this self-guided tour in mid-June. It was the fourth trip booked through biketours. Despite hot weather (above 90 degrees farenheit every day) and elevation profiles that were definitely a bit more than anticipated, we loved this tour. The route was interesting, with lots to see. The Paradors were some of the nicest, most comfortable hotels I have stayed in as part of a cycling tour. The bikes were in good working order, and we didn't need assistance. The only thing to keep in mind is that Extremadura shuts down on Sundays, and services, especially groceries, are hard to come by. With the help of biketours and the local company, we booked a second night in the Monfrague National Park, which provided a much-needed day off the saddle, and the opportunity to take a bird watching tour with Monfrague Vivo. The trip was definitely an experience we won't soon forget!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 14-20, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Long legs June 21, 2018
Challenging and wonderful!
To be in the Extremadura on a bike was a dream. Many hills but wonderful rewards. A lot of beautiful solitude in varied remote and rural landscapes.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 5/12/18
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Big Wave Dave June 24, 2016
A Beautiful Ride With Great Accommodations
This was our tenth self-directed tours with BikeTours.com and was one of the best. The seven of us - three quite fit mid-sixties and four thirty-somethings - had a fun time exploring the very pretty countryside and ancient towns. The Paradors were spectacular - the best accommodations we've had on a trip. The rides were challenging with a good bit of ups and downs. The bikes were relatively new and in good shape. As usually happens, we had a couple of mechanical challenges, but the support team was excellent and made the issues into an adventure rather than a detriment.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 11
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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