Cantabria & Asturias Cycling Tour

Day 1: Arrival in Santillana del Mar
You will be picked up from your arrival point in Bilbao or Santander and transferred to the medieval village of Santillana del Mar. After an introduction to your bike and a route briefing, the rest of the day is yours: wander the cobbled streets of the village, see the collegiate church of Santa Juliana with its Romanesque cloister, visit the museum of the Altamira Caves, or take a first easy ride along the country lanes down to the coast.

Day 2: Santillana del Mar – Comillas (22 km or 50 km)
You will ride west through green meadows, hills, valleys, and unspoilt coastline and beaches. Novales sits amid lemon groves, its rural architecture typical of the region, before the route reaches a stretch of coastline where green meadows meet the Bay of Biscay. Comillas welcomes you with a fine beach, a harbour, a lively square with tapas bars and restaurants, and the architectural sights of Gaudí's El Capricho and the Palacio Sobrellano of the Marqués de Comillas. The nearby beach of Oyambre is spectacular.

Day 3: Comillas – Pechón (28 km or 43 km)
Leaving Comillas, you will follow the spectacular coastline along the beaches of Oyambre and Merón. San Vicente de la Barquera is a busy fishing village almost entirely surrounded by its two estuaries, shaped constantly by the ebb and flow of the tide. From there the route turns inland toward the valley of the River Nansa and the estuary of Tina Menor, with wonderful beaches and coastline, before reaching the village of Pechón, close to more spectacular beaches.

Day 4: Pechón – Llanes (47 km)
You will ride west around the beautiful headland of Pechón, taking in its magnificent coastline, before crossing the River Deva at Unquera into Asturias. Colombres is home to the sumptuous villas built by the indianos, emigrants who made their fortune in the Americas and returned home. The route continues between the coast and the dramatic mountains of the Sierra de Cuera, foothills of the Picos de Europa, before a descent through eucalyptus forests brings you to unspoilt beaches and the charming fishing village of Llanes.

Day 5: Llanes – Arenas de Cabrales (39 km or 50 km)
A choice of longer and shorter routes will take you today from Llanes to Arenas de Cabrales, at the gateway to the Picos de Europa. Along the way you will pass a string of fine beaches, including the landlocked Playa de Gulpiyuri, before riding through the beautiful hills and valleys behind Llanes. For those who prefer to give the bikes a rest, a hike through the dramatic Cares Gorge or a funicular ride to the mountain village of Bulnes are options along the way — and no visit is complete without tasting the local Cabrales blue cheese with Asturian cider.

Day 6: Arenas de Cabrales – Nansa Valley (35 km or 42 km)
From Arenas de Cabrales, you will follow the beautiful River Cares through its impressive limestone gorge. In the village of Panes, the Cares meets the River Deva, which the route follows downstream — watching canoe excursions along the water — to Unquera, before crossing to the valley of the River Nansa, home to the Atlantic salmon. Along the way, a detour leads to the cave of El Soplao, with its striking stalactites and stalagmites, before you rest in a charming rural hotel on the banks of the River Nansa.

Day 7: Nansa Valley – Cabuérniga (27 km or 57 km)
You will follow the River Nansa to Puente Nansa and on to the village of Carmona, one of the emblematic rural villages of Cantabria. A climb takes you into the valley of Cabuérniga, shaped by the River Saja and famous for its cocido montañés, a rich bean stew typical of Cantabria. A side trip leads to the rural village of Bárcena Mayor, and the more adventurous can climb to the mountain pass of Palombera for views over Campoo and the valley of the River Ebro, the longest river in Spain.

Day 8: Cabuérniga – Puente Viesgo (42 km)
Following the River Saja to Ruente, where another river emerges from a cave said to be home to the anjana, a mythical fairy-like creature, you will ride through green meadows and pretty villages before a short ascent leads you to the River Besaya and the village of Ríocorvo. A final climb and descent bring you to the River Pas and Puente Viesgo, where you can relax in the hotel's spa facilities, visit the cave paintings at the caves of El Castillo, or ride along the Pas on the vía verde (green way) cycle path.

Day 9: Departure from Puente Viesgo
You will be transferred from Puente Viesgo to Santander or Bilbao for your onward journey.