Arrival in Santander or Bilbao and transfer to our hotel in Campoo. Test bikes.
This stage takes us through some fabulous and unspoilt scenery. From the green mountain pastures of the Cantabrian Mountains, along the shores of the Ebro Reservoir, past the Monastery of Montesclaros surrounded by forests to finally rejoin the Ebro in the Valley of Valderredible and tonight's stop in Polientes. Those on the short version follow the river direct to Polientes. The longer version circumnavigates the Ebro Reservoir. 59 km - 38 miles or 97 km - 61 miles
A beautiful route which follows a huge bend of the river through the most picturesque and undiscovered villages. An optional extension takes us to the dramatic village of Puentedey, built on a natural rock bridge over the River Nela. Tonight we stay in the Castilian town of Medina de Pomar with its old Jewish quarter and the castle dominating the town and the surrounding landscape. 36 km - 23 miles (63 km - 39 miles with route extension to Puentedey)
From Medina, we head back to the Ebro, The route then takes us along a quiet country road running parallel to the river where the valley begins to open out again. Visit the Romanesque church of San Pedro de Tejada and soon we are cycling through yet another canyon, which then opens out into the fertile valley around Frías. This is a spectacular village built around its castle and enjoying fine views of the Ebro Valley. 58 km - 36 miles
As we leave Frías, the valley begins to close in on us again until we find ourselves in another spectacular canyon. The road runs along the shores of a reservoir surrounded by high mountains and through short tunnels carved out of the rock. The route crosses the little town of Miranda del Ebro before passing through imposing peaks that signal the gateway to the enormous open valley of La Rioja. Tonight is spent in the wine-producing village of Haro, with a chance to drink a glass or two of Rioja in its birthplace. 62 km - 39 miles
We cycle through endless vineyards and numerous picturesque villages of La Rioja, with the backdrop of the Sierra de Cantabria mountains and the Ebro never too far away. We finally reach the superb walled medieval village of Laguardia where, as in Haro, wine is almost a way of life. 25km - 15 miles or 50 km - 31 miles
Transfer from Laguardia to Santander or Bilbao - 9 a.m.
Comfortable fitted and fully-equipped bikes for your cycling pleasure.
You can either make arrangements to bring your own bicycles or hire IberoCycle's own models. Most airlines will carry bicycles for a small extra charge or even free. Cyclists who choose to hire will be provided with a comfortable quality bicycle to suit their particular measurements and preferences. We place great importance on getting the bikes right.
Too many cyclists on trips with other companies have complained about past experiences where they have had to put up with uncomfortable saddles, the wrong sized bike etc. Measurements are requested on booking so the right bike is waiting for you on arrival.
You are provided with hybrid-type tourist bicycles with conventional handlebars and with triple chain ring and easy-to-change gear ratios for comfortable and easy cycling. Road bikes are also available on request.We can provide tandems, which make for great cycling fun, and are also ideal for those with children.
And last but not least, e-bikes. An absolute revolution in the world of cycle tours, and of course available on all our rides.
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| Ladies bike (Trek FX) | Men's bike (Trek FX) |
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| Hybrid e-bike | Road e-bike |
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| Road bike (Cube carbon) | Female road bike (Cube carbon) |
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| Tandem (a fun way to ride, and also ideal for helping smaller children - Dawes Duet) | |
Hybrid bikes will carry a handlebar bag, useful for carrying money, documents, camera and lots of other useful items which may be needed close at hand. This bag is easily removed it from its click fastening and carried around with the shoulder strap. They are also equipped with a rear luggage rack and one or two panniers, or a rear rack bag to carry just what you need for each day's cycling. Road bikes carry a seat post bag if required.
In addition, all cycles are equipped with pump, spare inner tube, water bottle, bike lock and basic toolkit. Extras such as lights or toe clips are available on request. Iberocycle provides cyclists with a fine bicycle in tip-top condition to make cycling an absolute pleasure.
Childrens Bikes
Children's bikes, and child seats are available on request.
We think cycle touring is the ideal way to travel in Europe and that is why we are very pleased to launch European Bike Adventures, as it allows us the opportunity to offer a whole new set of experiences to people we know will appreciate them.
Accordingly we have taken our time in selecting the portfolio of cycle tours you find listed here.
A selection of hand-picked bike trips in spectacular places throughout Europe that focus on fun with the same attention to detail and quality that hundreds of our very satisfied clients have been enjoying with Ibero Cycle Tours since 1999.
There is plenty on offer for vegetarians to eat. Restaurants tend to be fairly flexible and in general have no trouble in catering special requirements. The same also goes for different allergies such as gluten, lactose etc. Please let us know when booking and we will make sure that the hotels are fully aware.
On a self-guided tour, you are basically independent. IberoCycle transports luggage to the next hotel.
Riders are expected to complete each day's ride, unless there is an emergency, or a mechanical problem.
Cyclists do not travel as part of a group or with a guide, although they may coincide with other cyclists on the same trip.
Our "IberoCycle On Call" service means we are always available for help or advice.
Cyclists are provided with our own detailed Route Guide and maps for their chosen route.
Fitter cyclists may extend stages at will.
The closest airport for arrival is Santander Airport and the most convenient for departure is Bilbao Airport and we would prefer this. However, it may be easier for customers to book a return flight from Bilbao Airport. It is important to remember that at the end of the tour, the transfer time from Laguardia to Bilbao is 90 minutes, so if we allow for a 2-hour check in time, then it means departure time from Laguardia would be three and a half hours before flight time. Thus, departure time from Laguardia is scheduled for 9 a.m. so customers should take this into account before booking their flights. Another option is to spend an extra night in Bilbao and visit the city and the Guggenheim Museum (Remember the museum is closed on Monday except during the months of July and August when it is open every day).
Take note that you may not need to go to Bilbao after the tour, depending on what your plans are. For example, if you are going to Barcelona or Madrid then it is a lot easier to transfer to nearby Logroño and then take the train or the bus to either of these cities. If in doubt, contact IberoCycle to ask for advice.
Bilbao
Many people like to take the option of spending an extra night in Bilbao to visit the city and the Guggenheim Museum (Remember the museum is closed on Monday except during the months of July and August when it is open every day).
San Sebastián
San Sebastián is another option for those who have some extra time on their hands. This marvellous city has a beautiful Old Quarter, incomparable tapas bars and many superb restaurants, quite a few of them with the prestigious Michelin stars.
Transport
Customers staying extra nights in Bilbao are responsible for their own transfers between the hotel and the airport. The easiest way is by taxi. There is also a bus service with departures every 30 minutes to Bilbao centre. Click here for more info.
There is an hourly bus service from Bilbao Airport (Aeropuerto Bilbao) to the Plaza de Pío XII in San Sebastián with Pesa. Click here for ticket sales.
Check the Bilbao Airport website for more information on transport options.
There is a regular bus service Santander - Bilbao - San Sebastián run by ALSA.
Arrival day for this tour is normally Sunday. Groups of 4 or more may choose to begin the tour on any day of the week. For 2 people, there is a surcharge of 97 € per person for non-standard start days. For solo travellers (single travellers who choose to start on a different day to Sunday) there will be a surcharge of 194 € in addition to the single supplement.
For 2020, we have the following non-standard start dates for which no supplement will be applied:
3 October 2020
Please keep your luggage to 2 items: one suitcase and one piece of hand luggage. Avoid loose items such as plastic bags, laptops, handbags. Everything must be stored in the two items of luggage. Cases must be clearly labelled.
You are welcome to bring your own bike on this tour. However, depending on the size of the bike case, we may need to add a surcharge to cover the cost of transporting the case to the last hotel in Laguardia as they will not fit in our standard luggage-transfer vehicles. In general terms, flexible cases can be folded and are generally not a problem. However, rigid cases might be too large to transport along the route and will be subject to a 60 € surcharge.
We cannot be responsible for the maintenance of bikes other than our own. You must make sure you are able to assemble and then pack the bike back in its case at the end of the tour. We may not have the right spares for your bike so you must also make sure you have the following spares and equipment for your bicycle:
It is also recommended that you take your bike to a professional mechanic for a complete service before the tour.
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| Hybrid e-bike | Road E-bike |
The last few years have seen a revolution in the use of e-bikes. We now offfer e bikes on absolutely all of our rides. There are of course multiple advantages to using one on a bike tour:
The difficulty level is lowered by a grade. Thus an intermediate level tour becomes an easy tour as the motor assists pedalling.
The distance you can cycle on each day is effectively "reduced". Longer distances become accessible to a greater range of riding abilities.
Ability levels between riders on the same tour are levelled out as riders can choose an e-bike to enable them to keep up with stronger riders.
No more worrying about the hills!
So if you are in any doubt about whether a particular tour might be too challenging for you, then take the e-bike option. You can still get a good workout by keeping the pedal assistance level low. E-bikes are now available on all of our tours. And many have both the standard e-bike and also the road e-bike.
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Low Season
31
Mar
27
Oct |
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| Self Guided / per person | ||
| Standard Ebro to Rioja (2024) | Adult Double | €1140 |
| Adult Single | €1420 | |
| Bike rental | €120 |
| Road bike rental | €165 |
| e-Bike rental | €195 |
| GPS rental | €42 |
