Overview
A 10 day self-guided cycling holiday covering the first section of the Camino del Norte, from Bilbao to Oviedo. Staying in a selection of small, locally-owned hotels and traditional guesthouses, explore this coastal camino through Basque Country, Cantabria and Asturias. As well as the great cities of Bilbao and Santiago, this pedalling pilgrimage takes you through traditional fishing villages and Asturian beaches, in the shadow of the Picos peaks. The trip comes to a close in the elegant Asturian capital of Oviedo, where it’s worth extending your stay. You can rent both traditional and e-bikes for this tour.
- Bilbao
- Laredo
- Santander
- Oviedo
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Bilbao
Bilbao (or Bilbo in Basque) has reinvented itself in the past 30 years, becoming host to some of the best art exhibitions in the country at the impressive Guggenheim Museum. Explore the Old Town with its rustic taverns and order pintxos, a culinary specialty of the Basque Country. We also recommend booking an extra night in Bilbao.
- Accommodation: Hotel Sirimiri Bilbao or similar in Bilbao
Day 2: Bilbao – Castro Urdiales | 41km
After a night in Bilbao, join the camino by cycling towards Portugalete through an urban area. From there, a long cycle path takes you to the beach at La Arena. Follow the path along the cliffs, leaving the Basque Country to enter Cantabria. The coastal trail leads to Castro Urdiales. Castro Urdiales has a good mix of modern and medieval architecture as well as a beach, and we also recommend visiting the Church of Santa María de la Asunción.
- Accommodation: Pensión Ardigales 11 or similar in Castro Urdiales
- Cycling for the day: 41km, ↑575m
Day 3: Castro Urdiales – Laredo | 31km
The journey continues along the northern coast, with the Bay of Biscay as your backdrop. The trail to Laredo takes you past several beaches, along cliffs and through forests. The day comes to a close in Laredo, which is famous for its beaches and the medieval quarter of Puebla Vieja.
- Accommodation: Hotel Cosmopol or similar in Laredo
- Cycling for the day: 31km, ↑735m
Day 4: Laredo – Santander | 52km
The trail winds through countryside and rural villages, alongside three long beaches: Salvé (in Laredo), Berria and Helgueras-Trengadín. From the Puntal de Laredo to Santoña, take a short local ferry trip (payable locally), then turn inland to Güemes before going back to the coast. Once in Somo, take a second passenger boat across the bay to Santander (payable locally). The capital of Cantabria, Santander, is an elegant city with plenty of beaches, parks, architecture and great food.
- Accommodation: Le Petit Boutique or similar Santander
- Cycling for the day: 52km, ↑650m
Day 5: Santander – Santillana de Mar | 40km
Leaving behind the urban environment of Santander, the cycling trail takes you through tranquil countryside to Santillana del Mar, one of the most impressive towns for ancient architecture along the Cantabrian coast.
- Accommodation: Hotel Museo Los Infantes or similar in Santillana del Mar
- Cycling for the day: 40km, ↑650m
Day 6: Santillana del Mar – Colombres | 50km
Leave Santillana del Mar and head towards Comillas. In Comillas, we recommend visiting El Capricho, one of Antoni Gaudí’s first works. Continue towards San Vicente de la Barquera, crossing several bridges over marshes and estuaries, with steep inclines between valleys. After visiting the fishing village of San Vicente de la Barquera, leave Cantabria to enter Asturias and bring the day to a close in Colombres, noted for its indiano architecture, such as the town hall.
- Accommodation: Agroturismo Muriances or similar in Colombres
- Cycling for the day: 50km, ↑1,125m
Day 7: Colombres – Ribadesella | 56km
Leave Colombres and head towards Adrín, followed by a descent to Llanes, a lively town nestled between the coast and the Picos de Europa mountains. From Llanes, cycle past the beaches of Palombina, Torimbia and San Antolín. The route then turns inland once again, as far as Ribadesella, a town that’s divided by a bridge. The east side is home to the medieval Old Town, while the west side has a beach and the town’s famous Tito Bustillo cave and cave art.
- Accommodation: Hotel Jardín de Eugenia or similar in Ribadesella
- Cycling for the day: 56km, ↑950m
Day 8: Ribadesella – Villaviciosa | 39km
Cross the Sella River and head towards Santa Marina beach. Continue uphill towards Vega de Ribadesella, then cross the Vega River as far as La Vega beach, then on to Berbes, where you follow a path across the beaches of Arenal de Morís, Playa de la Espasa and La Isla. Then leave the coast to arrive at Colunga, from which the route runs through orchards, farmland and more mountainous terrain than on previous days. End the day in Villaviciosa, famous for its cider production.
- Accommodation: Hotel Casa España or similar in Villaviciosa
- Cycling for the day: 39km, ↑800m
Day 9: Villaviciosa – Oviedo | 46km
Today the camino turn towards the interior of Asturias. Leaving Villaviciosa behind, traverse the hills of Asturias to arrive in the market town of Pola de Siero. From here, continue towards Oviedo, the capital of Asturias, where we recommend visiting San Salvador Cathedral and savouring the local cuisine at one of the city’s many restaurants or sidrerías (cider bars).
- Accommodation: Hotel Fruela or similar in Oviedo
- Cycling for the day: 46km, ↑900m
Day 10: Departure
We can arrange extra nights in Oviedo for you, or depart after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of small, locally-owned hotels, B&Bs and traditional guesthouses. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their proximity to the camino, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Click to view default hotels
- Hotel Sirimiri Bilbao (Bilbao)
- Pensión Ardigales 11 (Castro Urdiales)
- Hotel Cosmopol (Laredo)
- Le Petit Boutique (Santander)
- Hotel Museo Los Infantes (Santillana del Mar)
- Agroturismo Muriances (Colombres)
- Hotel Jardín de Eugenia (Ribadesella)
- Hotel Casa España (Villaviciosa)
- Hotel Fruela (Oviedo)
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included (usually a simple buffet breakfast/coffee and toast/bread/croissant) on all days. When no restaurant location is available on the route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. Where no dinner is included, most places serve hearty pilgrim menus – you can get a three course dinner including wine for about €14-18 per person.
Difficulty and terrain
This trip is graded moderate, including cycling distances of up to 56km per day on a mixture of asphalt and dirt roads, with a maximum daily elevation gain of 1,125m. To enjoy cycling, it is recommended that you have some previous experience and are in very good physical shape (read more about difficulty grades). You can also rent an e-bike, which makes the trip accessible practically to everybody. The routes are well waymarked, and the itinerary is very easy to follow. We will also provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from mid-March till mid-October, which are also the best months to visit.
The weather in northern Spain is very varied. Generally, pleasant temperatures between 19C and up to about 26C in the summer months are expected. However, as you will be cycling near the coast for much of this tour, prepare for some rainy days, particularly in spring and autumn.
The flexibility of self-guided holidays means there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date during the season. For more information, see our blog the Best time to go to Spain
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended arrival airport for this tour is Bilbao Airport (BIO). The alternative airport is San Sebastián Airport (EAS). The recommended departure airport is Asturias Airport (OVD).
By train or bus
Arrive in Bilbao
- If you are able to travel to Spain without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail with train stations in Bilbao and Oviedo. For more details, see the national rail operator Renfe or use the Omio planner above
- There is a regular shuttle bus between Bilbao airport and Bilbao. See Bizkaiabus or use the Omio planner above
- Bilbao has direct bus services with San Sebastián, Madrid and other major cities. For more information, visit Alsa or use the Omio planner above
Departure from Oviedo
- From Ovideo, there are regular buses to Asturias Airport. For more information and tickets, visit Alsa or use the Omio planner above
- From Oviedo, there are regular train services to many destinations in Spain. For more information and tickets, visit Renfe or use the Omio planner above
- Alternatively, there are also regular bus services to many destinations in Spain. For more information and tickets, visit Alsa or use the Omio planner above
Inclusions
Included
- 9 overnights in rooms with private bathrooms
- 9 breakfasts
- Detailed digital holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions, road notes and maps. Please note that the info pack is emailed to you before departure and no printed documents are mailed or provided on-site
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel on all cycling days (one piece up to 15kg per person)
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Flights and airport transfers
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- All lunches and dinners
- Bicycle hire
- Personal expenses such as snacks, drinks, phone calls, extra transfers, tips, etc.
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not specifically mentioned as ‘included’ in the programme
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers
- Extra nights bookable upon request
- Bike/ e-bike rental
Bike rental
We offer the following types of bicycle for rental: carbon road bikes, hybrid bikes, mountain bikes, electric mountain bikes and e-bikes. All bikes come with a repair kit, pump, lock and helmet. Depending on the type of bicycle you can add (for free, but on request): map holder, one front pannier or one rear pannier.
Sample bikes models: Trekking Urban FS Alivio 27S Disk, MMR KUMA 29 and MMR Kore
Sample e-bike model: Movelo Kalkhoff, Neomouv Adonis 2, Neomouv Elia 2
Spain’s legal requirement for personal information
Please note: in December 2024, the Spanish government introduced a new law making it a legal obligation for all visitors to Spain to share personal details with their accommodations and car rental companies. Consequently, as we book your accommodation for you, we are obliged to pass these on to our local partners on the ground. After booking your holiday, we will send you a form to complete requesting all the legally-required information, including: name, nationality, gender, passport number, DOB, address, phone numbers and email address. This applies to all travellers aged 14 and over. If you are travelling with people under 14 years old, you need to declare your relationship to them. We apologise for any inconvenience. For more information, see here.
