Picos de Europa Self Guided Bike Tour
Cycling the Picos de Europa
If you enjoy spectacular cycling scenery, this is the bike tour for you: from the sparkling Bay of Biscay in Cantabria, you cycle south into the magical Picos de Europa, a breathtaking geological explosion of high snow-covered jagged peaks and deep narrow gorges carved by icy rivers full of salmon and trout.
The whole mountain range is tiny by in size - only 312 square miles - but of such awesome beauty that they almost defy accurate description. Most of your cycling will be through the stunning gorges that bisect the Picos de Europa in Asturias. While fairly easy riding throughout, there will be only one long, low grade climb of 25km. On both of your layover days you can take advantage of the superb hiking trails - including the World Class Cares Gorge to enjoy the Picos from another perspective. With low traffic, stunning landscapes and cristal rivers flowing to the beautiful Cantabrian beaches, it's no wonder this is one of our favourite bike tours! |
Day to DayDay 1 - San Vicente de la Barquera
Enjoy an afternoon sightseeing and sampling some of the famed seafood serving the freshest catch! Day 2 - San Vicente to Potes
58 km / 36 mi Gentle ride along the beautiful Bay of Biscay before heading into the Picos and our first gorge.
Day 3 Potes - Fuente De - Potes
47 km / 29 mi A loop ride up to the source of the Rio Deva in Fuente De, followed by a terrifying cable car up 960mts to one of the highest points in the Picos.
Day 4 - Potes to Riano
57 km / 35 mi A bracing climb to the famous San Glorio pass and an exhilarating downhill to the eerie town of Riano.
Day 5 - Riano to Cangas de Onis
69 km / 43 mi Our favourite ride! A short up hill and then downhill all the way through the most beautiful gorge in Europe.
Day 6 - Hike Cares Gorge
12 km / 7 mi A day off the bikes to experience one of the top hikes in the world, along the Cares river.
Day 7 - Cangas de Onis to La Pereda
57 km / 35 mi A brief stop at Covadonga before tackling two climbs with stunning views before reaching the charming village of La Pereda.
Day 8 - La Pereda to San Vicente
43 km / 27 mi Leaving the magical Picos behind it's a short bucolic ride today back to San Vicente de la Barquera where you'll drop the bikes off before continuing to your next destination!
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Where You StayComfortable accommodations with private, en suite bathrooms, ranging from converted convents, mountain lodges & sea front escapes - all chosen for the 3 C’s; comfort, charm and convenience to sights. All the photos are of the actual hotels we use.
Hotel upgrade options are available for this tour. Contact us for more details. |
What You Get
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Optional ExtrasSingle Supplement
€360 per person Extra cost for having a single room to yourself. E-bike Upgrade €190 per bike Private Airport Transfer Santander to San Vicente and back - price on request. Don't need luggage shuttle service? Save €200 per person and we'll provide pannier to carry your gear! |
Quality AssuredCycling Rentals were a dream to deal with from start to finish. Very helpful by email in setting up the booking, I arrived for my holiday with the bike ready to go, a quick twist of the handlebars and fitting of my pedals and I was off. Very recommended, and I've got some great memories of cycling in this region now. |
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Go E-Bike!E-bikes are available as optional upgrades for this tour. Why go electric? If you love cycling but don't like uphills or head winds, electric assisted e-bikes are the way to ride.
Our premium e-bikes feature powerful, German made electric motors and a high capacity battery. Find out more here. |
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