Camino de Santiago cycling vacation in Spain
| country: | Spain |
| location: | Spanish Pyrenees, Galicia, Camino de Santiago |
| trip type: | Guided or self guided moderate / adventurous cycling vacations |
| departures: | 2009: 5 Sep |
| price: | From €2429 (8 days) - €3174 (15 days) excluding flights. Price includes top of the line 27-speed bicycles, full support, all scheduled visits, the finest accommodations & 6 (or 11) delectable dinners with wine |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
“...a pilgrimage across northern Spain to the sanctuary at Santiago de Compostela, is the finest journey in Spain and one of the two or three best in the world.” James Michner
For a thousand years since the bones of St. James were reputedly discovered in Santiago, common people, bishops, priests, kings, popes and saints have made this famous pilgrimage.
Our tour will echo their footsteps following the first guide book ever written, by a 12th Century monk - the Codex Calixtinus.
You have the option of cycling the full 15 days or joining us in Leon on Day 8 (27 Jun & 10 Sep departures only). We begin high in the Pyrenees above Pamplona and cross beautiful unspoiled northern Spain taking in the cathedral cities of León and Burgos, and countless pilgrim stops steeped in wonders and miracles along the way.
Our lodgings include luxurious monasteries, ancient pilgrim inns and small hotels. We dine in restaurants famous for their regional cuisine and atmosphere.
Please note: This trip can also be tailormade as a 'self guided cycling vacation'
For a thousand years since the bones of St. James were reputedly discovered in Santiago, common people, bishops, priests, kings, popes and saints have made this famous pilgrimage.
Our tour will echo their footsteps following the first guide book ever written, by a 12th Century monk - the Codex Calixtinus.
You have the option of cycling the full 15 days or joining us in Leon on Day 8 (27 Jun & 10 Sep departures only). We begin high in the Pyrenees above Pamplona and cross beautiful unspoiled northern Spain taking in the cathedral cities of León and Burgos, and countless pilgrim stops steeped in wonders and miracles along the way.
Our lodgings include luxurious monasteries, ancient pilgrim inns and small hotels. We dine in restaurants famous for their regional cuisine and atmosphere.
Please note: This trip can also be tailormade as a 'self guided cycling vacation'
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Roncesvalles. Transfer from Pamplona to Roncesvalles, the legendary pass shrouded in deep forests and mists, and the traditional beginning of the Camino in Spain. This evening we’ll toast our adventures to come with a champagne reception and a typical Basque dinner. |
| Day 2: | Roncesvalles to Puente la Reina (Ride of 77km/48 miles). Our first day’s ride takes us on a long lovely ride downhill through shady woods following the Urrobi River, where Hemingway spent so much of his time fishing. Overnight in the little town of Puente la Reina famous for its 11th century humped bridge. Dinner together. |
| Day 3: | Puente la Reina to Laguardia (Ride of 85km/53 miles). Ride to the medieval town of Estella with its 12th century Palace of the Navarese kings. Overnight in the little walled town of Laguardia in the Rioja province, producing some of the finest Rioja wines, which you can try at our dinner. |
| Day 4: | Laguardia to St. Domingo de la Calzada (Ride of 45km/ 28 miles). Today we briefly detour off of the Camino to visit Haro, the capital of the Rioja Alta, where there’ll be a chance to visit one of the wineries. On to St. Domingo. Free evening to try one of the local restaurants. |
| Day 5: | St. Domingo de la Calzada to Burgos (Ride of 92km/ 58miles). We head into the beautiful Oca hills to Burgos, home to El Cid. Along the way, however, we’ll visit San Juan de Ortega - one of the holiest spots on the Camino. In Burgos, we have a free evening to sample one of Burgos’ famous restaurants or tapas bars. |
| Day 6: | Burgos to Carrión de los Condes (Ride of 96km/60 miles). We head across the beautiful gently rolling plains of northern Spain, passing numerous chapels on our way to Carrión de los Condes, where we’ll eat dinner & spend the night in the sumptuous royal monastery of San Zoilo. |
| Day 7: | Carrión de los Condes to León (Ride of 94km/59miles). Across the vast rolling meseta we pass through Sahagun with its ruins of a vast monastery. We have two nights in which to rest up and visit the wonderful sights that León has to offer. Two nights in our charming little hotel right in the heart of the old town. Evening free. |
| Day 8: | León. A day to relax and just enjoy León. Visit the wonderful Cathedral with its incredible stained glass windows - an engineering marvel. Then there’s the Basilica de San Isidoro with its vivid 12th century frescos. León also has a vibrant night-life! For those joining our tour today, we'll get you fitted for your bike, make sure you get your Pilgrim Passports and point you in the right direction for a day of sightseeing in beautiful León. Welcome dinner at one of León’s oldest restaurants to say "Buen Camino" to our newly arrived participants. |
| Day 9: | León to Astorga (Ride of 61km/38miles). Back on our bikes and on to Astorga, the land of the Maragatos, a curious subculture of mysterious origin. Once a Roman stronghold and now is home to a 15th century Cathedral. Our hotel is opposite the Cathedral and Palace. Free evening. |
| Day 10: | Astorga to Cacabelos (Ride of 66km/41 miles). We head up into the forbidding Montes de León that separate León from Galicia. Riding through this region we’ll pass tiny hamlets unchanged since the Middle Ages on our way to our sweet little family-run hotel. Dinner together tonight at a truly memorable regional restaurant! |
| Day 11: | Cacabelos to O Cebreiro (Ride of 43km/27 miles). On to Galicia and the last leg of the Camino. Passing Villafranca Del Bierzo along the way, we climb into the Montes de Galicia and our night’s destination, O Cebreiro, a tiny hamlet just inside the Galician border. Dinner together. |
| Day 12: | O Cebreiro to Portomarín (Ride of 70km/43 miles). We’re in the misty country of Galícians - a Celtic people with their own language, music, culture. Even the countryside is reminiscent of Ireland. Stay in a comfortable inn with lovely views out over the Galician hills. Dinner together. |
| Day 13: | Portomarín to Castañeda (Ride of 50km/ 31miles). Almost there, today we spend our last night on the Camino near the little town of Castañeda. Through forests and meadows, we follow the actual Camino, on to our night’s accommodation - a Galician country manor house. Dinner together. |
| Day 14: | Castañeda to Santiago de Compostela!!! (Ride of 50km/ 30 miles). The last day’s ride brings us to the beautiful cathedral town of Santiago - accompanied by other pilgrims - some on foot and some on bikes - all eager to reach their goal. In Santiago, we head to our night’s accommodation only a block from the Cathedral. Galician Feast tonight at one of Santiago’s most renowned restaurants to celebrate our achievement. |
| Day 15: | Santiago de Compostela. After breakfast we’ll say farewell and transfer to the airport. For those of you staying on we can offer recommendations of what to see and suggestions as to where else to go if you’re looking for a few more days of travelling in this exceptionally lovely area of the world. |
how this holiday makes a difference
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Throughout our journey we stay at generally small, locally or nationally owned independent hotels. As in our other tours, this itinerary takes us through small towns and villages, who owe their livelihoods to agriculture and quality tourism.
All along the way we offer our riders the chance to talk to the locals, understand their way of life and make a direct contribution to the local economy by purchasing handicrafts, wines and other goods from the producer. A lot of the smaller hamlets we pass owe their very existence to the passage of pilgrims throughout the ages! It is our company ethic to take only small groups of around ten people; this minimizes our impact and maximizes our attention to each individual. Along this trip, apart from the enormous satisfaction derived form the epic journey, each rider is helping to sustain what is one of the oldest travel paths in Europe, in a clean and responsible manner. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |