Northern Spain: Cantabrian and Asturian coasts

Northern Spain

On this tour of Northern Spain, you will enjoy a beautiful ride along the Cantabrian and Asturian coasts. The rich green countryside contrasts with the blue sea and the magnificent unspoilt beaches.

Picturesque villages with flower bedecked houses, fishing harbours, and the magnificent backdrop of the Picos de Europa are a few of the tour's highlights. Beginning in the charming village of Santillana, you cycle on country lanes beside the coasts to San Vicente.

Other stops along the way include Llanes, Somo, Bay of Santander and Miera Valley. Fully experience all Northern Spain has to offer on this tour!

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Highlights

• Charming medieval village of Santillana del Mar
• Cantabria's marvellous coastline and beaches
• Architectural sights of El Capricho
• River Deva
• Mountain backdrop of the Sierra de Cuera
• Cantabrian Mountains
• Nature Park of Cabrceno

Learn More

Learn more about self-guided tours or see more Spain bike tours.

Daily program

Day 1: Transfer to Santillana
Pick up from arrival point (most like Bilboa, but Santander also possible) and transfer to the charming medieval village of Santillana del Mar. Introduction to bikes and route briefing. Spend the rest of the day walking round the cobbled streets of this beautiful village, visit the modern museum of the Altamira Caves or enjoy a ride around the country lanes and down to the coastline.
Overnight in Santillana.

Day 2: Santillana – San Vicente (21 miles/36 km or 36 miles/62 km)
Leaving Santillana, the route heads westwards through green meadows and the hills and valleys of Cantabria with its marvellous unspoilt coastline and beaches nearby. You soon arrive at the charming village of Novales, set amidst lemon groves, featuring fine typical and rural architecture.

The next stop is the seaside village of Comillas. Here a visit to the fine beach, the small harbour and the pretty village square with its pavement tapas bars and restaurants is a must, not to mention the architectural sights of El Capricho by the famous Catalan architect Gaudí and the Palace of the Marqués de Comillas.

After leaving Comillas, cycle through the Parque Natural de Oyambre and along the beautiful beaches of Oyambre and Merón. You are finally greeted by the stunning view of San Vicente and the Picos de Europa in the distance.
Overnight in San Vicente.

Day 3: Free day in San Vicente (route suggestions provided)
Spend time getting to know this pretty fishing village with its many seafood restaurants and magnificent setting. Take a ride on one of the free day routes, or visit the lovely mountain village of Carmona. Alternatively, enjoy a ride through the unspoilt hill country behind the village, or you may just prefer to spend a lazy afternoon on the beach.
Overnight in San Vicente.

Day 4: San Vicente – Llanes (29 miles/47 km)
Leaving San Vicente the route heads westwards along the coast. After a short distance, you cycle around the beautiful headland of Pechón with its magnificent views of the coastline. Crossing the River Deva in Unquera you enter the province of Asturias. The village of Colombres is home to the sumptuous villas of the indianos, emigrants to the Americas who made their fortune and then returned.

From here, the route continues between the coast and the dramatic mountain backdrop of the Sierra de Cuera, foothills of the Picos de Europa. A beautiful descent through eucalyptus forests brings us back to the coast, where we cycle past beautiful and unspoilt beaches to arrive at the charming fishing village of Llanes.
Overnight in Llanes.

Day 5: Free day in Llanes (route suggestions provided)
Cycle westwards and visit a string of fine beaches, including the incredible landlocked beach of Gulpiyuri. Another beautiful route takes us through the most beautiful hills and valleys behind Llanes. Alternatively, you can give the bikes a rest and take a canoeing trip on the Deva or Sella Rivers, or a hike through the dramatic and renowned Cares Gorge in the very heart of the Picos de Europa.

Take a train to Ribadasella and visit the Caves of Tito Bustillo with their prehistoric paintings, before cycling back to Llanes. Enjoy the busy atmosphere of the fishing village of Llanes, so popular with Spanish tourists.
Overnight in Llanes.

Day 6: Llanes – Somo (28 miles/44 km)
Today's ride begins with a transfer to the Cantabrian Mountains, where it begins with a descent to the Miera Valley, on the way to the final stop in Somo. Pick up after breakfast and drive to the starting point at 2,697 feet (822 m) above sea level. From here, a marvelous ride through the stunning limestone valley of the River Miera takes us down to the farmland around Somo and the Bay of Santander. Visit the mountain village of San Roque de Riomiera and the spa village of Liérganes with its charming old quarter.
Overnight in Somo.

Day 7: Free day in Somo (route suggestions provided)
Enjoy the marvellous beach, miles of golden sand. Take a short boat ride across the Bay to visit the lively and elegant city of Santander, capital of the province of Cantabria. Enjoy the belle époque atmosphere of El Sardinero, the beach resort of the city where Alfonso XIII and his court spent the summer months in the early 20th century. Or stroll around the town center for some last minute shopping.

Take one of the free day routes to visit the beautiful beaches of Loredo, Langre or Galizano. Ride through the green country lanes, where a surprise awaits you round every corner, to the village of Ajo where the specialty of the restaurants is that classic Spanish dish, paella. Try the freshly grilled sardines in the seaside restaurants of nearby Pedreña.
Overnight in Somo.

Day 8: Transfer Somo – departure point
End of trip. Pick up from Somo hotel and transfer to departure point, either Santander or Bilbao.

Please note that differing pick up times may require some degree of customer flexibility.

Surface and terrain

Gently rolling hills along the coast and then a fine mountain descent along the River Miera. This tour takes place on country roads with very little traffic. The surface will be entirely paved throughout the tour.

Hotels

These are sample hotels and may vary based on availability.

The accommodations on this tour are 2- and 3-star hotels.

Casa del Organista, Santillana del Mar
www.casadelorganista.com

Hotel Faro de San Vicente, San Vicente de la Barquera
www.maragrouphoteles.com

Hotel Don Paco, Llanes
www.hoteldonpacollanes.com

Hotel Torres de Somo
www.hoteltorresdesomo.com

Interested 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 and end
Nearest airport: Bilbao or Santander, Spain
Nearest train station: Bilbao or Santander, Spain

Santander airport is closer to the tour start/end, but it is smaller than Bilbao airport and therefore has fewer connections.; Bilbao Airport, further to the east, has more flight options but transfers to/from Bilbao Airport take longer.

Please note that the transport to/from the airport/train station and the tour start/end is included in the tour price. Usually, the transfer points include Bilbao or Santander airports, ferryports, railway stations, or bus stations.

Tips on getting to and from your tour

Dates

Prices

Included services

• 7 nights accommodation in double room with private facilities
• Continental style breakfast
• Luggage transfer between hotels
• Information pack with route guide and maps
• Hotline service for help or advice
• Transport to and from arrival/departure points (normally Bilbao or Santander, airports, ferry ports, railway stations, bus stations)

Bike rentals

Bikes available to rent on this tour (reserved in advance at the time of booking):

• Hybrid bikes
• Road bikes, available upon request
• Tandem bikes, available upon request
• Electrically assisted bikes, available upon request*
• Children's bikes, available upon request
• Child seats, available upon request

*More about electrically-assisted bikes >

Bikes come equipped with the following at no extra cost:

• Rear rack with panniers (on hybrid bikes)
• Seat post bag (on road bikes)
• Handlebar bag/map holder (on hybrid bikes)
• Helmet
• Cycle computer
• Pump
• Spare inner tube and basic toolkit
• Water bottle
• Bike lock
• Lights and toe clips available on request

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 available on this tour. For safety and hygiene purposes, we recommend that you bring your own helmet.

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