Slow Cycling in Spanish Basque Country

After landing in Bilbao, you will be picked up and driven to Ábalos, a town perched at the foot of the Cantabrian mountains. We will arrive at your accommodation for the night, where you will enjoy your first taste of the Spanish gastronomy and wine. After lunch you can enjoy an afternoon walking along quiet tracks overlooking Rioja’s vineyards and in the evening we will visit a local family of winemakers who will host a delicious wine tasting and dinner for us.

In the morning we ride through vineyards in the foothills of the Sierra de Cantabria, stopping to admire some prehistoric megaliths. After another superb lunch in a small village, we climb a pass over the ridge and descend towards – and then through – the delightful and forested Izki Natural Park. The contrast with this morning’s landscape is stark. Our accommodation this evening is a house in the charming village of Virgala Mayor, and there’s a small pool in which we can cool off.

We begin with a short transfer to Maturana, where we jump on our bikes and head towards the sprawling Ullibarri-Gamboa reservoir, a haven for birdlife, from cormorants to herons and egrets. We will skirt its shore for much of the morning before beginning our gradual ascent towards the mountains. In Olaeta, nestled in a sheltered bowl, we will take lunch and visit a former Olympic wrestler who is now a shepherdess and makes traditional Basque cheese. In the afternoon our ride climbs further, towards the impressive jagged peaks of Urkiola, before dropping down to the picturesque village of Axpe. Despite an altitude of 200 metres above sea level, the feeling is alpine. We will spend the night at a peaceful hotel overlooking the valley.

After breakfast we will jump straight in the transfer to the airport, stopping to visit the historical town of Guernica. At the airport we will say our goodbyes.