Green Spain & Picos de Europa Cycling Tour

Day 1: Arrival – Santillana del Mar
You will be collected from your arrival point and transferred to the charming medieval village of Santillana del Mar. After settling in, you will be introduced to your bike and briefed on the route ahead. The rest of the day is yours to explore the cobbled streets of this beautiful village, visit the modern museum of the Altamira Caves, or take a gentle ride through the surrounding country lanes down to the coast.

Day 2: Santillana del Mar – San Vicente de la Barquera (36 km or 62 km)
You will ride west through green meadows, rolling hills, valleys, and a stretch of unspoilt coastline and beaches. Novales sits amid lemon groves, its rural architecture typical of the region. Comillas welcomes you with a fine beach, a working harbour, and a pretty square lined with tapas bars and restaurants, alongside the architectural sights of Gaudí's El Capricho and the Palace of the Marqués de Comillas. You will cycle through the Parque Natural de Oyambre and along the beaches of Oyambre and Merón, with striking views of San Vicente and the Picos de Europa on the horizon.

Day 3: San Vicente de la Barquera – free day
This is your day to get to know San Vicente de la Barquera, a pretty fishing village with numerous seafood restaurants and a magnificent setting. You can choose one of the free-day routes: visit the mountain village of Carmona, take a train to the fishing village of Llanes in neighbouring Asturias and cycle back, explore the unspoilt hill country behind the village, or simply spend a lazy afternoon on the beach.

Day 4: San Vicente de la Barquera – Potes / Picos de Europa (56 km or 70 km)
From San Vicente, you will cycle around the beautiful headland of Pechón, taking in sweeping views of the coastline. Crossing the River Deva at Unquera, you will enter the province of Asturias. Colombres is home to the grand villas of the indianos, emigrants who made their fortune in the Americas and returned to build their mansions here. You will follow the Deva Valley, riding through the dramatic rocky gorge of La Hermida, with mountains towering around you as you approach Potes and the valley of La Liébana, completely encircled by peaks.

Day 5: Picos de Europa – free day
Today is yours to explore the three valleys that meet in Potes. The cable car at Fuente Dé offers breathtaking views over mountains where brown bear and wolves still roam. You can hike through the lush green valleys or higher into the mountains, or spend the day in the busy market village of Potes, among farmers, tourists, and mountaineers. Many other picturesque villages lie scattered around the area, and you can cycle up to the Monastery of Santo Toribio or the charming country monastery of Piasca.

Day 6: Descent of the Miera Valley to Somo (43 km)
You will be transferred by vehicle to the Cantabrian Mountains to begin your descent of the Miera Valley toward your final stop in Somo, starting from 822 metres above sea level. From here, a marvellous ride through the limestone valley of the River Miera takes you down to the farmland around Somo and the Bay of Santander. Along the way you will pass through the mountain village of San Roque de Riomiera and the spa village of Liérganes, with its charming old quarter.

Day 7: Somo – free day
Somo has a marvellous beach with miles of golden sand. A short boat ride across the bay brings you to the lively city of Santander, capital of the province of Cantabria, where you can enjoy the belle époque atmosphere of El Sardinero or shop in the town centre. You can also cycle through green country lanes to the beaches of Loredo, Langre, or Galizano, and the village of Ajo, known for its paellas, or eat freshly grilled sardines in the seaside restaurants of Pedreña.

Day 8: Departure from Somo
You will be transferred from Somo to Santander or Bilbao for your onward journey.