SPAIN END TO END TOUR
Spain is a beautiful country, with stunning, diverse landscapes and fascinating history, and on this “End to End” cycling tour you’ll experience as much of it as we can show you. We start on the Atlantic coast in the north, and travel through one amazing region after another, visiting some of the prettiest towns and villages Spain has to offer, before finally arriving in the lovely seaside town of Mazagón. And of course, you’ll stay in some lovely hotels, and enjoy all the local foods and wines as you go!
£3,000 12 NIGHTS
1,247 KM, 16,000M OF CLIMBING, IN 11 DAYS OF RIDING
We start in the lovely coastal town of Hondarribia on the mouth of the Bidasoa river with its traditional timbered buildings, and travel the winding roads and beautiful rolling velvet hills of the Basque Country, before continuing south, passing through Navarra, Castille & Léon, Extramadura and Andalucia. We finish in the beautiful seaside resort of Mazagón and sleep in a luxury hotel on the cliffs overlooking the sea. You’ll see endless castles, cobbled villages, vineyards, and olive and cork plantations. You’ll marvel at the contrast between old and new - ancient castles vs modern architecture; fields of sunflowers vs fields of solar panels. The views are spectacular and diverse as we travel. All but three of the hotels are 4*, some with spa facilities for you to enjoy, and the others are 3 star. If you’ve been with us before, you’ll know we don’t do things by half!
ARRIVAL DAY
We'll be at the airport to meet your flight. We can pick up from Bilbao, Biarritz or Toulouse. We’ll then take you to the first hotel in beautiful Hondarribia, where you’ll be able to assemble your bike and perhaps even go out for a spin to make sure everything is working correctly. Afterwards we’ll have a wonderful dinner, while we get to know each other and discuss the tour.
DAY 1 - HONDARRIBIA TO IRURTZUN - 100KM, CLIMBING AROUND 2,300 METRES
We’ve kept this day quite short, as there’s a fair amount of climbing for a first day. We start in the beautiful Basque Country, leaving the small city of Hondarribia, historically a strategically important fortress on the mouth of the Bidasoa river, and continue through several smaller towns, climbing gently through the long Urumea Gorge on shady, winding roads. As we leave the gorge, we start to get glimpses of the lush, velvet green hills dotted with sheep and timbered houses that are typical of the Basque Country. About half way through the day we start the serious climbing - firstly 9km to the small hamlet of Arkiskil, then after a short descent, where we cross into Navarra, we start the 5km climb to the Alto de Uitzi, 802m. There’s a nice descent down to the town of Lekunberri, where there are several bars if you fancy an afternoon coffee before tackling the last climb of the day, to the Puerto de Zuarrarrate, 780m, which gets easier as you approach the top. As we drop down to the the small village of Madotz, you suddenly get an amazing view of an enormous plain, and the town of Irurtzun, where we’re staying the night.
DAY 2 - IRURTZUN TO LAGUARDIA - 122KM, CLIMBING 2,000 METRES
We flit backwards and forwards between the Basque Country and Navarra throughout the day. It’s fairly flat for about 10km as we leave Irurtzun, before we turn off to make a climb up to the charming village of Goñi, taking in the spectacular views of the valley as we go. We descend for a bit, and then there’s another climb up to the Alto de Guembe, 920m. That’s this morning’s climbs done; it’s just undulating now for the rest of the day until we get to about 95km, where we start the fairly gentle ascent to the small town of Lapoblación, and suddenly there’s the most amazing view as you descend, passing back into the Basque Country as you go - you can almost see forever! The route passes through endless vineyards, and finally we stop in the ancient Roman town of Laguardia, the capital of the Rioja Alavesa wine region, with its stunning medieval castle and architecture, but also its labyrinth of underground caves that have been used for wine making for centuries. These cool, humid cellars are apparently perfect for the aging of wine! Who knew?
DAY 3 - LAGUARDIA TO SAN LEONARDO DE YAGUE - 126KM, CLIMBING 2,000 METRES
Today is deceptive - we’re actually climbing for a good part of the day, although it’s such a gentle gradient, you’d hardly notice. We continue to ride through endless vineyards, soon crossing the Rio Ebro and passing into the region of La Rioja. Look out for the strange-looking hotel Marqués de Riscal in the distance, which is one of those “Marmite” buildings - you either love it or hate it. Not quite sure what the inspiration was, but it certainly catches your eye! As we ride through Cenicero, we’ll cycle past one famous “bodegas” after another, including Bodegas Riojanas, one of the oldest in Rioja. After the town of Najéra, the road straightens out quite a bit and you’ll travel fairly fast across the plain, leaving the grapevines behind. We pass through Baños de Rio Tobia, known for its Chorizo, and then on through Anguiano, famous for its red caparrones beans, and for its traditional folk dancing - on stilts, no less! We soon start to climb as we enter a gorge following the Arroyo Roñas, but eventually it opens out to the Mancilla reservoir. We cross out of La Rioja and into Castille and Léon, as we make the fairly gentle climb to the Collado de Neila, 1421m, and then there’s a sweeping descent into Quintanar de la Sierra. Our journey ends in San Leonardo de Yagüe, the gateway to the Cañón del Río Lobos national park.
DAY 4 - SAN LEONARDO DE YAGUE TO SEPULVEDA - 117KM, CLIMBING 1,100 METRES
There’s a short climb at the beginning of the day, as we pass through the national park, but after that you’ll be pleased to know it’s downhill for more than 68km! The terrain is different now - rolling hills with fields full of barley and sunflowers. We ride on beautiful, quiet roads through many small towns and villages and see unusual chimneys and storks’ nests perched in the most unlikely places. At 42km you can see an imposing Castle on the hill overlooking Peñaranda de Duero, which has a pretty square, where we can stop for a coffee. We continue our descent, past the vineyards, into the city of Aranda de Duero, the capital of the Ribero del Duero wine region. The River Douro, famous for its delicious wines, starts in this area of Spain and bisects Spain and continues all the way to Porto in Portugal. We ride through Moradillo de Roa, passing one vineyard after another, until we come to San Miguel de Bernuy where we turn left towards Sepúlveda, the site of a battle during the Peninsula War (1807-1814), when the Spanish, Portuguese and British joined together to fight off Napoleon’s forces.
DAY 5 - SEPULVEDA TO SEGOVIA - 63KM, CLIMBING 800 METRES
We leave our hotel, pass through a short, well-lit tunnel, and make the short climb to a hill, from where you can look back and admire Sepúlveda in the distance. The terrain today is open and undulating, interspersed with small towns and villages, many with cobbled streets. The roads are fairly straight, and you cover the distance quite quickly. We make a stop in Turégano, where we can have a relaxed coffee break in the pretty cobbled square, overlooked by the unusual combined castle and church. The road starts to wind as we continue, and we climb several gentle hills, riding through the small villages perched on top of them, and suddenly you get your first view of the ancient city of Segovia as we arrive at the end of the route. There’s plenty to see and explore in this UNESCO World Heritage Site, including a Roman aqueduct, a Gothic cathedral and a medieval castle, which was used as a template for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle. In medieval times, Segovia’s position on a major trading route allowed it to become an important market town, specialising in wool and textiles, including a flannel upholstery fabric called Segovienne. From the middle of the 13th century the Jewish Quarter was home to a Hebrew community, becoming one of the wealthiest communities in the whole of Castille, until the end of the 15th century, when the population was expelled, but you can still see the many impressive and important buildings, including no less than five synagogues.
DAY 6 - SEGOVIA TO AVILA - 74KM, CLIMBING 1,000 METRES
Shortly after leaving Segovia we turn away from the long, straight road and make a sharp 1km climb via 8 hairpins, up to the village of Navas de Riofrio. We continue to climb gently, crossing the railway line and passing under the motorway, before we turn right and ride along a bigger road for a short time. The landscape becomes very green as we approach El Espinar, with lots of trees, and small fields bounded by dry stone walls. We’re now only 65km from Madrid, close enough for local inhabitants to commute to the city to work. We continue on quiet, straight, undulating roads, crossing the lake on the Rio Voltoyo, passing through the village of Bernuy-Salinero, and under the lonely pedestrian bridge. We crest a last hill and we can see down into the Roman town of Avíla, our destination. Again, we’ve given you a short day so you will have plenty of time to explore this walled medieval city, which is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The most dramatic feature of Avíla is the stone perimeter walls which were constructed between the 11th and 14th centuries, and are 2,.516 metres long with nine gates allowing access into the town. There are also many other historically important buildings, many of them churches.
DAY 7 - AVILA TO JERTA - 131KM, CLIMBING 1,700 METRES
We leave Avíla on the N-110, but we immediately turn left and head south west, on a winding, undulating road, through a number of small towns and villages, before we make the short and gentle climb up to the Puerto de Menga, 1564m. The landscape is very beautiful, and there are some interesting rock formations. If you like descending, you’ll enjoy the long, fast descent. At 50km there’s a restaurant, where we turn left, but not before enjoying a coffee break. The road is quite flat for a while, and very quiet, but we soon start to climb again. Look out for the Red Kites, hunting overhead. We follow the valley, looking up on our left at the Sierra de Gredos mountains, where you can ski in the winter. We pass through Navarredonda de Gredos, and Hoyos del Espino, which hosts a famous music festival. The view from outside the town is stunning; arguably the most dramatic and beautiful terrain that we’ve seen so far. The road twists and winds, around the village of Hoyos del Collado, and then we start the long, 33km descent, looking down on the pretty village of Navalperal de Tormes as we go. At the bottom of the descent is El Barco de Avíla, where we turn left, and now we’re back on the N-110. We make a gentle climb on a big, wide road, up to the Puerto de Tournevacas, 1275m, and cross into Extramadura. There’s a wonderful view from here of the Tormantos mountain range. Finally we descend into the Jerte Valley, surrounded by hillsides full of more grapevines … no, they’re not grapes … they’re cherries! This valley is famous for its cherries, which were originally introduced by the Moors. The cherries benefit from Protected Designation of Origin, and are still harvested by hand. The cherry blossom festival attracts many tourists, and this area makes the most of this product throughout the year, holding fairs and festivals to attract people from far and wide.
DAY 8 - JERTA TO CACERES - 133KM, CLIMBING 1,200 METRES
We continue to descend along the Jerte valley, sourrounded by hillsides full of endless cherry trees, through one little town after another. After about 25km we’re riding along the banks of the Plascenia Reservoir, and then the medieval walled town of Plascenia comes into view, dominating the landscape on the opposite side of the river. The town has a 16th century aqueduct, which replaced a Muslim clay pipe that originally brought water to the town from the mountains. The clay pipe broke so often, and it was so hard (and expensive) to find the leaks and fix them, that the town decided to invest in the aqueduct. The town is also known for it’s Pine Park, which was built by prisoners of war during the Spanish Civil War. As we turn away from Plascenia, we ride alongside the motorway for a while, before turning off and continuing on small, quiet roads past fields of traditional crops, and stork nests perched on pylons, but also fields of modern solar panels. Through a couple of villages and then we have a small climb up to the village of Grimaldo. We descend, crossing underneath the motorway, and then there are olive groves as far as the eye can see! Before long we are riding alongside the enormous Alcántara reservoir, crossing bridges over the rivers Tagus and Almonte, before we turn away and climb gently again, through small fields bordered with dry stone walls, as we approach our final destination today, the ancient fortified city of Cáceres, yet another World Heritage Site, with a blend of Roman, Moorish, Northern Gothic and Italian Renaissance architecture. In particular, 30 towers from the Islamic period are still standing.
DAY 9 - CACERES TO ZAFRA - 132KM, CLIMBING 1,100 METRES
We start out on a fairly straight, quiet road, passing through several villages, climbing gradually up to the village of Alcuéscar. We descend through olive groves, until we arrive in Aljucén, where we can stop for coffee. From here the road becomes more interesting, as it winds and undulates, and you rarely see a car. Before long we arrive in the beautiful, and ancient city of Mérida, the capital of Extramadura. There was a Roman colony here from 25BC, and in 713 it became a Muslim settlement. We pass the ruins of the Roman aqueduct and then ride along a beautiful esplanade lined with palm trees, before crossing a stunning bridge. This is a route on the Camino de Santiago de Compostella, and you’ll see many pilgrims walking alongside the road.
We leave Mérida, following the Roman road alongside the motorway until we get to Torremejia, where we cross the motorway, and we’re surrounded by vineyards again. We’re climbing gently as we pass through the large town of Almendralego, and continue again alongside the motorway for a while. Through the small town of Villafranca de los Barros, and we soon reach the top of the climb, before descending into another ancient Roman town, Zafra, a National Heritage Site, where we stay the night. Zafra is known in particular for its Alcázar Palacio de los Duques de Feria, a 14th century fortress-palace, but there are many other historic buildings to look at.
DAY 10 - ZAFRA TO ARACENA - 120KM, CLIMBING 1,900 METRES
We leave Zafra on tree-lined, cobbled roads, passing through several villages with houses that look very similar to those in Alentejo, Portugal - white walls with coloured trim in yellow, blue or grey; we’re only about 70km from the Portuguese border. We ride through Medina de las Torres and continue on small, winding roads, bordered by dry stone walls and ancient olive groves, and then in the distance you suddenly see a massive field of solar panels. As we continue we look down on the town of Fuente de Cantos with its typical white walls and terracotta roofs. Turning right, we join the N-630, a bigger, faster road, but still very quiet. We pass through Monesterio, famous for its cured hams - in fact, this whole area is famous for its Iberian pork products, with the pigs traditionally grazing on acorns. At 63km we cross into Andalucia, and shortly after we make a sharp left turn, onto a smaller road, bordered by cork oak plantations (“dehasas”), which are valuable habitats for a diverse range of wildlife. It takes 25 years before a tree is mature enough for its bark to be harvested, which then happens every nine years. You’ll see many of the trees have had their valuable bark harvested, leaving them with a dark brown trunk. We pass through the white-walled village of Cala, with citrus-tree-lined streets and a pretty square with palm trees. Cala is known for its ancient mineral mines, which have produced Skutterudite and Nickeline, for more than a thousand years.
At Arroyomolinos de Léon we turn off onto a small, winding road. We’re now in the Sierra de los Gabrieles, and there are cork oaks as far as the eye can see, and you may even see small herds of pigs grazing on the acorns. As we descend, there’s a beautiful view across the valley. Another short climb up to Cañaveral de Léon and then we descend to cross the Aracena reservoir, before we pass through the small, cobbled town of Carbonaras. Finally we climb into Aracena, with its 13th-century castle, but also its spectacular cave system, the Gruta de las Maravillas (Grotto of the Marvels), which spans more than 2km.
DAY 11 - ARACENA TO MAZAGON - 129KM, CLIMBING 1,100 METRES
The first 15km is mainly downhill, followed by the short climb up to Campofrio, where we turn off. The reservoir of Campofrio is on our left, but we soon cross another reservoir, the Embalse de Gossán. Suddenly we see an amazing open-cast copper mine, known as King Solomon’s Mine, where you can see right into the crater, which is more than 2km long, nearly a kilometre wide, and 230m deep at its deepest point. Enormous earth moving trucks look like children’s toys as they move around the works. This whole area, known as Riotinto (stained river), has been the site of mining activities for 5,000 years, and the name refers to the by-products of the mining which pollute and stain the water. In more recent history the mine was leased to a Swedish company, and then in 1872 a British company bought the failing mines by auction. A railway was built to take the ore to the port of Huelva, and during its lifetime it is estimated to have moved 150 million tonnes of ore. The mines were returned to Spanish ownership in 1954, at which time they were considered to be one of the world’s most valuable copper mines.
We continue to the small town of Minas de Riotinto, where we turn away from the mines and continue on good roads, through small towns as we gradually descend towards the coast. We pass through Valverde del Camino, through more cork plantations, and then through the pretty town of Niebla, with its huge castle, and pretty streets lined with citrus trees. The road gets a bit busier as we near the coast. We ride past marshland and lots of Eucalyptus trees, turning off just before the town of San Juan del Puerto, to cross the Rio Tinto, passing through the town of Moguer and then berry plantations. This area produces all kinds of soft fruits, including everything from strawberries to figs and avocados. We leave the fruit behind and pass through fields of sandy soil and umbrellas pines, as we approach Mazagón, where we turn left and ride the last few kilometres to the Parador de Mazagón, a beautiful hotel perched on a cliff overlooking the sea. You can wander down to the beach and have a swim to finish your adventure, before we have a wonderful dinner.
DEPARTURE DAY
After breakfast we head off to drop you at Seville airport.
2025 DATES
3-15 MAY - BOOK NOW
28 SEP - 10 OCTOBER - SOLD OUT
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Airport transfers • Accommodation in mainly 4* hotels, in shared ensuite rooms (single rooms are available and a supplement of £450 applies) • Buffet-style breakfasts every morning • 3-course evening meals every night, with water, wine, beer or soft drinks • Snacks to keep you going during the day, such as bananas, crisps, nuts, cakes, fruit and chocolate, plus quality energy gels and bars • Bottled water, as well as High5 Zero electrolyte tablets • Maps of the route for you to refer to as you ride • GPS files for you to upload to your device and follow during the day • High quality Gobik Spanish End to End souvenir jersey
