Green Coast of Spain
Spain Bike Tours
Bike tour from Santander to Gijón through Spain’s verdant coastal countryside
- Tour Type
- Skill Level
- Length8 days
- Prices from€1167 Rates
Overview
This self-guided bike tour is a cycling journey exploring the spectacular green northern coast of Spain from Santander to Gijón. This area of Spain enjoys a very appealing, mild, and balanced climate all year round, making it an ideal holiday destination for those people who prefer more moderate heat.
You will bike carefully selected small country roads close to the coast to provide excellent views of the sea and the many coves and beautiful cliffs. This area is famous for its stunning yellow sand beaches, and you will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy some of the best.
Each night you will stay in a different, interesting, and beautiful location including fishing villages, medieval towns, or historic city centers. In the evenings, you will be able to enjoy the rich cuisine that this area is renowned for.
Highlights
- The belle-époque elegance of Santander´s El Sardinero beach
- Perfectly preserved medieval jewel, Santillana del Mar
- The town of Comillas with its lovely golden beach and tiny fishing port
- Quaint fishing village of San Vicente de la Barquera
- Coastal town of Llanes
- Santa Marina beach
- Villaviciosa
For a list of all of our bike tours in Spain click here.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival to Santander
Day 2: Santander to Santillana del Mar, 32 mi. (52 km). Climb: 906 m
Day 3: Santillana del Mar to San Vicente de la Barquera, 20 mi. (32 km). Climb: 573 m
Day 4: San Vicente de la Barquera to Llanes, 30 mi. (48 km). Climb: 1011 m
Day 5: Llanes to Ribadesella, 29 mi. (47 km). Climb: 1042 m
Day 6: Ribadesella to Villaviciosa, 29 mi. (46 km). Climb: 1042 m
Day 7: Villaviciosa to Gijón, 27 mi. (43 km). Climb: 855 m
Day 8: Departure or extra nights*All distances are approximate. Due to circumstances, such as weather conditions or provisions issued by local authorities, the itinerary may be subject to some changes before and/or during your holiday. For example, along the way you may find temporary deviations/detours caused by roadwork, please follow the directions posted on site.
Day 1: Arrival to Santander
Individual arrival and a chance to explore the belle-époque elegance of Santander along the famous El Sardinero beach.Sample accommodation: Hotel Chiqui or Hotel Hoyuela
Day 2: Santander to Santillana del Mar, 32 mi. (52 km) | Elevation gain: 906 m
On this first cycling day, you will have the bicycle handover in the morning and then your adventure begins. Following bike lanes, you will leave the city and cycle through the verdant countryside following the coast. Your overnight this evening will be the beautifully preserved and historic Santillana del Mar. There is an old saying that this town is The Town of Three Lies it is not holy (santi), flat (llana) or by the sea (mar)! But, you will not be disappointed. This town is a jewel with its bright cobbled streets and lovely little houses passed from one generation to the next.Sample accommodation: Hotel Altamira, Hotel Los Angeles, or Hotel Cuevas
Day 3: Santillana del Mar to San Vicente de la Barquera, 20 mi. (32 km) | Elevation gain: 573 m
Leaving Santillana, first on the agenda is the internationally famous Altamira Caves, containing Spain´s finest prehistoric art, the wonderful 13.000- 35.000-year-old paintings of bison, horses, and other animals. The town of Comillas, first inhabited in prehistoric times when the caverns that are plentiful in the area were used as shelters will be an excellent place to stop for lunch and spend some time exploring. This full day will end in the fishing village of San Vicente de la Barquera where you will be able to enjoy incredible fresh fish and seafood for dinner.ónSample accommodation: Hotel Faro San Vicente or Hotel Luzón
Day 4: San Vicente de la Barquera to Llanes, 30 mi. (48 km) | Elevation gain: 1011 m
From San Vicente to Llanes, the route is totally on secondary roads near the coast with stunning beaches dotting the way. The beautiful coastal town of Llanes awaits you with its small medieval core and bustling harbor.Sample accommodation: Hotel Don Paco or Hotel Sablón
Day 5: Llanes to Ribadesella, 29 mi. (47 km) | Elevation gain: 1042 m
You will cycle along the coast following wonderful sandy beaches, pretty coves, and cliffs. Your day´s cycle ends in the small port town of Ribadesella with another stunning beach.Sample accommodation: El Jardín De Eugenia
Day 6: Ribadesella to Villaviciosa, 29 mi. (46 km) | Elevation gain: 1042 m
From Ribadesella to Villaviciosa you will see many orchards as this is the area where much of Asturias´ famous cider is produced. More beautiful beaches and estuaries will take you to the quaint small town of Villaviciosa.Sample accommodation: Hotel Carlos I or Hotel Casa Espana
Day 7: Villaviciosa to Gijón, 27 mi. (43 km) | Elevation gain: 855 m
One final cycling day along small country roads following the coast will take you to your final destination: the small city of Gijón. Gijón has emerged from its industrial past and has given itself a facelift with pedestrianized streets, parks, seafront walks, cultural attractions, and a very lively food and drinks scene.Sample accommodation: Hotel Alcomar or Hotel San Miguel
Day 8: Departure or extra nights
Extra nights in Gijón, Santander, or return.Be sure to check out all of our featured bike trips, and specials, or check out all of our bike tours in Europe.
Map
Hotels & Bikes
Accommodations
You will be accommodated in an eclectic mix of 3 * accommodations from the modern to rustic and historic, some located by the sea, and others, in the heart of the villages. Please refer to each day’s details in the itinerary for a list of the preferred accommodations based on availability, or check below. If the preferred hotel list is not available, a hotel of equal standard will be contracted.
Night 1: Hotel Chiqui or Hotel Hoyuela (Santander)
Night 2: Hotel Altamira, Hotel Los Angeles, or Hotel Cuevas (Santillana del Mar)
Night 3: Hotel Faro San Vicente or Hotel Luzón (San Vicente de la Barquera)
Night 4: Hotel Don Paco or Hotel Sablón (Llanes)
Nights 5: Hotel Jardin de Eugenia (Ribadesella)
Night 6: Hotel Carlos I or Hotel Casa Espana (Villaviciosa)
Night 7: Hotel Alcomar or Hotel San Miguel (Gijón)Bicycles
Trek FX 2 Disc (or equivalent)
- Frame - Alpha Gold Aluminum
- Fork - FX Alloy
- Shifter- Shimano Atlus M2010, 9-speed
- Cassette- Shimano HG200 11-36, 9-speed
- Chain- KMC X9
- Saddle - Bontrager sport
- Tire- Bontrager H2 Comp, 700 x 35mm
- Front Derailleur - Shimano Acera T3000
- Rear Derailleur - Shimano Atlus M2000
- Brakes - Tektro HD-R280 disc frame
- Pedals- Bontrager City
Inclusions
What’s Included
- 7 nights accommodation
- Breakfasts
- Luggage transfer
- Detailed maps
- Route descriptions and tourist information
- GPS tracks available on request
- 18-speed touring bike with bottle holder, rear pannier, odometer, map holder, lock, puncture repair kit, multitool set, and helmet
- Pump, puncture repair kit, spare inner tube, and tool provided per room
- Emergency support
What’s Not Included
- 7 nights accommodation
Dates & Pricing
Dates
Arrivals are possible any day from April 1 to October 31, 2024
Please Note
- Rates are per person, based on double occupancy
- Tour prices are based on the fuel costs at time prices are set, often months or years in advance. In rare cases, additional fees may apply for fuel cost increases.
- Information to read before you book
- We recommend purchasing trip insurance
- Please see our FAQ
Pricing
Season 1
April, May, June, Sep 15-31, & OctoberSeason 2
July, August, & September 1-15Twin/double $ 1939 £ 997 $ 1,786 € 1167 Ft 475141 kr 176779 ₪ 4906 ¥ 194280 Mex$ 25358 NZ$ 2146 kr 14038 zł 5115 S$ 1703 kr 13538 CHF 1121 $ 1,302 $ 2431 £ 1250 $ 2,239 € 1463 Ft 595657 kr 221618 ₪ 6151 ¥ 243557 Mex$ 31790 NZ$ 2691 kr 17598 zł 6413 S$ 2135 kr 16972 CHF 1405 $ 1,633 Single supplement $ 394 £ 202 $ 363 € 237 Ft 96494 kr 35901 ₪ 996 ¥ 39455 Mex$ 5150 NZ$ 436 kr 2851 zł 1039 S$ 346 kr 2749 CHF 228 $ 265 $ 512 £ 263 $ 471 € 308 Ft 125401 kr 46656 ₪ 1295 ¥ 51275 Mex$ 6693 NZ$ 566 kr 3705 zł 1350 S$ 449 kr 3573 CHF 296 $ 344 Solo traveler (includes single supplement) $ 833 £ 428 $ 767 € 501 Ft 203981 kr 75892 ₪ 2106 ¥ 83405 Mex$ 10886 NZ$ 921 kr 6026 zł 2196 S$ 731 kr 5812 CHF 481 $ 559 $ 951 £ 489 $ 875 € 572 Ft 232888 kr 86648 ₪ 2405 ¥ 95225 Mex$ 12429 NZ$ 1052 kr 6880 zł 2507 S$ 835 kr 6636 CHF 549 $ 638 Extra Options
Electric bike $ 116 £ 60 $ 107 € 70 Ft 28500 kr 10604 ₪ 294 ¥ 11653 Mex$ 1521 NZ$ 129 kr 842 zł 307 S$ 102 kr 812 CHF 67 $ 78 GPS device (one device available per group) $ 50 £ 26 $ 46 € 30 Ft 12214 kr 4544 ₪ 126 ¥ 4994 Mex$ 652 NZ$ 55 kr 361 zł 132 S$ 44 kr 348 CHF 29 $ 33 Extra nights on request Transfer Gijon to Santander $ 457 £ 235 $ 421 € 275 Ft 111966 kr 41658 ₪ 1156 ¥ 45781 Mex$ 5976 NZ$ 506 kr 3308 zł 1205 S$ 401 kr 3190 CHF 264 $ 307 An extra fee may be applicable when booking dates associated with bank holidays, local holidays, or other events. In the event of any changes to your plans, kindly be aware that a €50-€100 booking modification fee will apply. If you wish to cancel, please refer to our cancellation policy.
Extra Info
Skill Level — Moderate–Difficult
This is a moderate-difficult, self-guided bike tour on rural, paved roads and sometimes hilly terrain, with perhaps four ascents per day averaging 905 meters. The cycling surface comprises: Tarmac: 85%. Cycle track: 10%. Dirt road: 5%. See the day-to-day itinerary for information regarding climbs.
Airport Info
Fly to Santander or Bilbao International Airports
Local Travel
Arrival: There are more international flights to Bilbao than to Santander. If you fly to Bilbao, you can easily get to Santander by bus. The company Alsa runs a regular service (about one per hour). The transfer takes 1hr and 30mins.
Departure: At the conclusion of your tour, the nearest airport to Gijón is Aeropuerto de Asturias. It is a 45-minute bus ride away. The bus company Alsa runs a daily service every hour on the hour. The ticket costs approx. 10 euros. There are flights from Gijón to London, Paris, Madrid, and Barcelona.
To go to Santander Airport for your return flight, there are three buses each day from Gijón to Santander Airport. The bus company Alsa runs this service taking around 3hrs and 30 mins and costing around 23 euros.
To return to Bilbao for flight out of Bilbao Airport, there are several buses each day to Bilbao with the Alsa service. A bus ride is approximately 4 hours and costs about 32 euros. From the city center to the airport, you will take the Termibus which departs frequently throughout the day.
Important to know
Documents
It is each traveler's responsibility to ensure that you are in compliance with the country or countries you plan to visit. This includes and is not limited to passport validity, visa requirements and acquisition, blank passport pages required for your destination (s), etc.
US citizens: A good website to research the requirements of the Schengen Agreement and entry into other countries is travel.state.gov.
Non-EU and EU residents: Please research the requirements of your country of residence for international travel and your destination country or countries.
*Important note: Please check on the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) status as once implemented, this will be required to visit any of the 26 Schengen-member countries for tourism, business, medical, or transit. This is an additional check on security rather than a visa.Tour Operator
This tour is run by Senderos y Pueblos.
We value the strong relationship we have with our local partners and the services we provide.
We are not a broker.
We do not inflate tour prices.
We are simply travelers helping travelers.Would you like to learn more About Us? How about What Makes Us Different than other companies?
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