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€840 Rates
- Book This Trip
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 around, 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. And at night 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, 33 mi./53 km. Climb: 893 m
Day 3: Santillana del Mar to San Vicente de la Barquera, 20 mi./32 km. Climb: 528 m
Day 4: San Vicente de la Barquera to Llanes, 30 mi./48 km. Climb: 880 m
Day 5: Llanes to Ribadesella, 24 mi./38 km. Climb: 556 m
Day 6: Ribadesella to Villaviciosa, 26 mi./45 km. Climb: 618 m
Day 7: Villaviciosa to Gijón, 28 mi./42 km. Climb: 246 m
Day 8: Departure or extra nights*All distances are approximate. Due to circumstances beyond control, weather conditions or provisions issued by local authorities, therefore 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.Preferred accommodation: Hotel Chiqui or Hotel NH
Day 2: Santander to Santillana del Mar, 33 mi./53 km. Climb: 893 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.Preferred accommodation: Hotel Altamira or Hotel Cuevas
Day 3: Santillana del Mar to San Vicente de la Barquera, 20 mi./32 km. Climb: 528 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 wonderful fresh fish and seafood for dinner.ónPreferred accommodation: Hotel Faro San Vicente or Hotel Luz
Day 4: San Vicente de la Barquera to Llanes, 30 mi./48 km. Climb: 880 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.Preferred accommodation: Hotel Don Paco or Hotel Sablón
Day 5: Llanes to Ribadesella, 24 mi./38 km. Climb: 556 m
You will cycle along the coast following a succession of wonderful sandy beaches, pretty coves and cliffs. Your day´s cycle ends in the small port town of Ribadesella with another stunning beach.Preferred accommodation: Hotel Jardin de Eugenia or Hotel Villadesella
Day 6: Ribadesella to Villaviciosa, 26 mi./45 km. Climb: 618 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.Preferred accommodation: Hotel Carlos 1 or Hotel A B Murias Blancas (Villaviciosa)
Day 7: Villaviciosa to Gijón, 28 mi./42 km. Climb: 246 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.Preferred 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.
Hotels & Bikes
An eclectic mix of 3 * accommodations from modern to rustic to 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 NH (Santander)
Night 2: Hotel Altamira 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 or Hotel Villadesella (Ribadesella)
Night 6: Hotel Carlos I or Hotel A B Murias Blancas (Villaviciosa)
Night 7: Hotel Alcomar or Hotel San Miguel (Gijón)Bicycles
Giant Argento (or equivalent)
- Frame - ALUXX-Grade Aluminum
- Fork - SR Suntour M3010, Aluminium, 50mm
- Handlebar - GIANT Sport City-Trekking, Aluminium, 590mm
- Stem - Kalloy AL-822 Quill, adjustable, Aluminium
- Seatpost - Kalloy SP-503 suspension seatpost, 30.9x300, Aluminium
- Saddle - Selle Royal Lancia
- Pedals - VP-607 City/Trekking, Aluminium
- Shifters - Shimano EF51, 3x7
- Front Derailleur - Shimano Tourney TX51
- Rear Derailleur - Shimano Acera M360
- Brakes - Tektro linear-pull
Inclusions
What’s Included
- 7 nights accommodation with breakfast
- Luggage transfer
- Detailed maps
- Route descriptions and tourist information
- GPS tracks available on request
- 24 gear hybrid bike (Giant Argento, Kalkhoff voyager, or equivalent) with mudguards, bottle holder, pannier, odometer, waterproof map holder, and helmet
- Pump, puncture repair kit, spare inner tube, and tool provided per room
- Emergency support
What’s Not Included
- Lunches
- Dinners (can be included for a supplement)
- Bike protection
- Travel Insurance
Dates & Pricing
Dates & Pricing
Arrivals are possible any day from April to end of October, 2021
Season 1
April, May, June, Sept 15-31, and OctSeason 2
July, Sept 1-15, and AugustTwin/double $ 1351 £ 762 $ 1,327 € 840 NZ$ 1452 kr 8650 $ 1,042 $ 1641 £ 925 $ 1,611 € 1020 NZ$ 1763 kr 10503 $ 1,266 Single supplement $ 201 £ 113 $ 197 € 125 NZ$ 216 kr 1287 $ 155 $ 230 £ 130 $ 226 € 143 NZ$ 247 kr 1472 $ 177 Solo traveler (includes single suppl) $ 415 £ 234 $ 408 € 258 NZ$ 446 kr 2657 $ 320 $ 444 £ 250 $ 436 € 276 NZ$ 477 kr 2842 $ 343 Extra Options
Electric bike: $ 129 £ 73 $ 126 € 80 NZ$ 138 kr 824 $ 99 7 dinners (wine not included): $ 249 £ 141 $ 245 € 155 NZ$ 268 kr 1596 $ 192 GPS device (one device available per group): $ 48 £ 27 $ 47 € 30 NZ$ 52 kr 309 $ 37 Extra night: Price on request
Please Note
- Rates are based on double occupancy
- Information to read before you book
- We recommend purchasing trip insurance
- Please see our FAQ
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 724 meters See 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.
Climate
Please check local conditions before your arrival. A good website to research average high/low temperatures, average rainfall and other important weather related information weatherbase.com.
Important to know
DOCUMENTS
Before you travel, please check your country's passport and visa requirements and the passport and visa requirements of the country/countries you plan to visit. For US citizens, the US Department of State website is a good source of information. The Country Information tab in the International Travel section provides details about passport validity, blank passport pages required, etc. For our other international clients, please be sure that you research your own country's travel requirements. It is each traveler's responsibility to ensure proper documentation.
*Important note: Beginning July 1, 2021, additional documentation from the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) 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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