Cantabrian Mountains and Santiago De Compostela
12th - 24th July
Santiago tour 2024
Tour of the Picos de Europa, Cantabria and Asturias mountains to Santiago de Compostela over 13 days, with a combination of camping and 3 nights in hotels. Taking in 7 National Parks.
Pitching our tents just 4 times over the entire trip, this base-camp tour provides the opportunity to ride luggage free for much of the time! ​Get ready for an unforgettable adventure!
Day 1
The Santiago de Compostela Tour starts in Plymouth on Sunday 12th July 2026.​
We meet at a convenient location near Brittany ferries check-in. There are toilet facilities and an undercover waiting area. We meet @14:00
​When we are all together, Oly or Natalie with brief the small group on boarding the ferry and share any top tips. We depart the meeting point at 14:30 and go directly to the ferry check-in.
​When we are on board there will be a float behind the bar. See you there!
​Here, you will also find the on board entertainment and there is also a cinema, whale watching experts and beauty treatment to make the most of.​​
Only 3 spaces left!
Day 2
After disembarking the ferry, we head West away from Santander before slipping off the main road and settling in. We then pass through several small, typical Spanish villages, soon arriving at the foothills of the Picos de Europa and the roads become tremendous! Long sweeping bends soon tighten up into switchbacks as we climb up past a dam to a lovely viewpoint with uninterrupted views of the stunning mountains. We pitch our first camp and spend 3 nights here.
​​
​
Days 3 and 4
2 loops to ride luggage free!
The classic Picos triangle HAS to be ridden, and so we shall! A compulsory photo stop at the Bear and Stag statues, coffee in Riaño, plenty of twists and turns on stunning roads. It's a real treat and is on everybody's bucket list for a reason.
Another favourite of ours is a look out at 6,500 feet! 360 degress of uninterrupted views. Our return to camp is on a recently resurfaced road that is now better than ever.
With 3 nights here, there is ample opportunity for an evening exploring Potes, with plenty of restaurants and souvenir shops.​
Days 5 and 6
Breaking camp we head West into the heart of the Cantabria mountains. This is wild bear country! More remote than the touristy Picos, much quieter, less traffic, fewer bikes and the roads and scenery are spectacular. We arrive at a mountain campsite in a tiny village for 1 night.
​
The next morning, we break camp and stay in the mountain range to continue to explore 'bear country', past a stunning lake, through a mile long tunnel, twisty roads, wide sweeping roads and arrive at a country hotel for a one night stay.​
Days 7 and 8
We are Santiago bound! With a stunning ride through more wild bear country, over peaks and valleys and across dam walls to ride the Fonsagrada road! We arrive in Santiago de Compostela for a 2 night stay in a small, private hotel: private, because we have all the rooms - the entire hotel!
Day 8 is an optional rest day from riding, or you could take a taxi into Santiago, to explore the historic city. A taxi is circa €15 or you could ride to the western most point in Spain over a lookout by the wind turbines and visit the lighthouse at Faro Touriñán
Days 9 and 10
The next day we leave Santiago and head back to the Cantabrian mountains to our little campsite in the heart of a mountain village for a 2 night stay. En route we visit a lovely view point of 2 bridges; one old, one modern. A bridge that crosses the river so high it is a favourite for bungee jumpers!
The next moring we ride a loop through the mountains, passing a stunning lake, we ride through lots of tunnels, including one a mile long! Then up over a peak of almost 5,000 feet before tackling the switchback and hairpins down the other side to return to our camp.
Days 11 and 12
Returning back to Potes today, still staying in the Cantabrian mountains, we ride through a gorge and pass over the top of the mountain past a ski lift, before dropping back down into Riaño and then back up the N-621 past the stag to our campsite.
​​​​The last day is a cracking final ride: climbing uphill through a pine forest on quiet, flicky twisties to a view point, overlooking the Picos de Europa, before heading down a gorge, past a dam, to ride some smooth, sweeping bends.
Eventually we find ourselves back in Santander ready to catch the ferry home.​
Day 13
Day 13 the ferry crossing home.
​
As with the outbound crossing, there is entertainment, cinema, whale and dolphin watching, a bar, beauty treatments and food options.
​
We arrive back in Plymouth on Friday 24th July @11:15. You can expect to clear passport control by about 12:15 then enjoy the UK traffic to get back home and dream about your next tour!​​
​
Santiago de Compostela
£2193 save £150 on an early bird ticket - £2043
Our price is per person, per bike on a 13 day tour, with 11 days riding.
​
It includes return ferry, with shared cabin both ways, camping and hotels, with private en-suite rooms, GPX route files, guided, with 24/7 support and morning pre-ride brief.
​​​​
Private ferry cabin both ways add £152
​​
Pillion add £545