Voyage to La Rioja

Bike tour along Spain's longest River to the world famous vineyards of la Rioja

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Frías, LaGuardia, La Rioja

8 days − Self Guided

3 & 4* Hotels / Inns

From

€1420

Follow the River Ebro to La Rioja!

This self-guided cycle tour in the Rioja region takes in this very unique part of Spain, with its longest river as your companion.

Bike right to the heart of the wine growing region, La Rioja. Cycle through undulating valleys and rocky hills through pretty medieval villages and towns, following the Ebro valley to the fertile Rioja vineyards. Explore this area, and enjoy this scenic river through beautiful countryside, trying the delicious wines (of course!) and wonderful tapas / pinxos on your way, a true Spanish bike voyage.

Enjoy the scenery from the Green Cantabrian Mountains, through the fairytale village of Orbaneja del Castillo, with cascades running through the village, travelling through other picturesque villages in La Rioja such as wine-producing Haro, ancient Miranda del Ebro and lovely medieval La Guardia, the “prettiest village in Spain”.

A delightful Spanish tour for cyclists who enjoy a route which has lovely villages, great gastronomy and scenic landscape!

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Dates

1 Apr 2024 to 31 Oct 2024

1 Apr 2025 to 31 Oct 2025

%

Riding Level

Moderate with
Longer Hills

60KM Daily Average

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

Stay in rustic and quaint villages in dramatic landscape

Visit 2 villages, officially known as some of the “Prettiest in Spain”!

Pass by the famous Camino de Santiago along the way

Taste the best and rich Rioja Spanish Wines

Visit medieval towns & enjoy their history

Taste the best tapas and pintxos of this region

THE CC ADVANTAGE

We live permanently in Spain, so we will so whatever we can to make this the best experience ever!

Enjoy your CC history book in your package

This magical area is a part of Spain which we love to cycle

Choice of tour start dates

We would not hesitate to recommend Cycling Country for a great bike tour experience! We had a super time and the customer care and friendliness was really excellent. Thanks so much. We wish Maggie and Geoff and the team all the best of luck for the coming year!”

M. & T. Chopra

Mississauga, Canada

Route Map

itinerary

Day 1. ARRIVAL TO ORMAS

Arrival Day

Transfer from Santander or Bilbao Central stations to arrive in Ormas (Campoo district). The small rural Campoo district is a very attractive area with its dark forests and rocky cliffs surrounding its valleys. Their yearly festival in September harks back to their cattle stock rearing origin with carts being pulled by sturdy oxen. A scenic area of high pastures, you start your journey to the heart of La Rioja via some very quaint Spanish villages.

Arrive in time to try out bikes and have a nice dinner included.

Day 2. POLIENTES

Ride: 61 km (+570m) or optional longer distance : 97 km (+848m)

Some lovely green scenery on the way to Polientes with mountain pastures, valleys, riverside and forests. In a large valley almost at the frontier of Castile & Leon and Cantabría, with the rocky sierra flanking it and surrounded by dark green forests, find the pretty Spanish town of Polientes with its stone houses and red tile roofs.

Dinner Inc.

See more

Day 3. VALLE DE ZAMANZAS

Ride: 43 km (+476m)

Cycle through the open valley of Valderredible, and take in the rocky landscape which has many Romanesque churches carved into the stone. A ride through the great canyon of the Ebro river leads you to one of the quaintest villages in the district, that of medieval Orbaneja del Castillo where the river rushes through it in small waterfalls.

You will enjoy your stay here immensely.

Dinner Inc.

Day 4. MEDINA DE POMAR

Ride: 37 km (+474m) or optional longer distance: 58 km (+810m)

A very nice day of riding which follows the river and takes you past some lovely little villages, including if you wish to make your ride a little longer Puentedey, a small village placed dramatically on a natural rock bridge over the River Nela. Settle into the attractive village of Medina de Pomar tonight, overlooked by its stalwart castle and featuring a small Jewish quarter, small open plazas, twisting medieval alleys and stone houses.

Dinner Inc.

Day 5. MONTEJO DE CEBAS

Ride: 60 km (+551m)

Heading back to the river, the cycling is pleasant taking you through valleys and river canyons. Pass through the village of Frías, which is considered officially one of the “Los Pueblos Más Bonitos” (One of Spain’s “most beautiful villages”) with its stone homes, deep gorge and impressive castle which shelters it all. Cross the Ebro and stay in nearby Montejo de Cebas nestled into the dark forest surrounding it.

Day 6. HARO

Ride: 66 km (+576m) or 90km (+885m)

Follow the river feeding the Rioja once again with its force and cycle through small tunnels river’s edge as you bike down the canyon.

As you come closer to Haro, which is one of the main wine producing areas in the Rioja, this opens up into a large valley. The town itself offers many wine tasting opportunities and is an attractive place to sit on its large main plaza, with its pleasant town hall, and of course..have a glass of wine and people watch! There are many interesting monuments to visit, including its impressive Cathedral.

Day 7. LAGUARDIA

Ride: 26 km (+469m) or optional longer distance: 51 km (+832m)

The Sierra de Cantabría is your companion as you cycle row upon row of vines in the vineyards around this area. You can almost breath in that lush rich Rioja smell as you go by each vineyard and village in this pretty area all the way to Laguardia (another “Pueblo Más Bonito”!) with its really impressive setting. A really attractive stone city, with many photogenic spots to see such as the Romanesque Gothic styled church San Juan Bautista and medieval walls, you will enjoy stopping here on your last cycling day.

Day 8. ONWARD TRAVEL

Transfer from Laguardia to Santander or Bilbao (90 minutes) – 9 a.m and say goodbye to this pretty area.

Trip details

Road Cycling Tour : Self-Guided

Bikes : Hybrids | E-bikes | Carbon Road bike

Route : Ebro, Haro, La Guardia

Terrain : Quiet country and mountain roads. Good asphalt road surface

Group Size : Minimum 2 people | Discounts for 4+ booking together

Riding Level

Moderate : Daily average of 50 km with some hills. The tour is suitable for moderate leisure cyclists of all ages with a good level of fitness and enjoy road biking.

Accommodation

3 and 4* Hotels | All bedrooms are en-suite | Breakfast included

Food

All breakfasts

5 dinners included with Wine

Extras Included

Transfers to & from Bilbao / Santander centre arrival hubs
Pre-tour information & Travel help
Helmet bag & Personal guide book of the area
Maps, Elevation Profiles, (gps option – 50 Euros)
Luggage Transfer each day

Road Bikes

You can bring your own road bike or we can arrange good quality bike hire. Those bringing their own bikes will have a bike box transfer fee of 65 euros.

Hybrid – TREK FX 140€ | Carbon Road Bike – CUBE 185 € | E-Bike – upon availability 210€

Transfers

From Santander or Bilbao central hubs on the first and last day.

Lodgings

The cycling in this area, is a treat in itself but the hotels can stand on their own. Our Self-Guided Rioja bike tour is no exception and the accommodation is carefully chosen to ensure this. The hotels are exceptional and reflect the charming regional style and comfort in order to get revitalised for the next day’s bike ride. On this tour, we have a selection of Highlight Hotels (4 star hotels) and Boutique spots (smaller, family run places which are charming and often historical).

Reviews

“Hello!
LaGuardia is amazing. We had a fantastic trip—very impressed with EVERYTHING!
Thank you and we hope to plan a trip for next year 😊,”
S. Lanman – Arlington, VA, USA – July 2021

Testimonials from previous cyclists are always available and we enjoy receiving the feedback after tours. It helps us improve our services and offer you an even better experience. Please feel free to contact us if you would like a reference to talk to. Others have also posted reviews on the independent travel website .