
EuroVelo 1: Spain. World Heritage and Historical Routes.
An epic cycling journey across the Spanish landscape from the North-East to the very South-West. Covering historical routes such as the famous Camino de Santiago and the Via de la Plata (Silver Route) as well as the Duero River Long distance route.
From 1,103 € per person
Difficulty:Moderate+
Details ...
Duration:17 nights, 18 days
Dates:March to 30th June | Sept. and October
Start:Any day of the week

Longer distances and hilly terrain, with perhaps four ascents per day.
Cycling surface:Predominantly dirt tracks and many sections of small country roads.
Average daily distance / climb:52 miles (85 km) / 2469 ft (753 m).
Description
1332 kilometers taking in seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Pilgrim’s Route to Santiago, Monasteries of Suso and Yuso, Sierra de Atapuerca Archaelogical Sites (the ‘Rosetta Stone’ of human evolution in Europe), the Burgos cathedral (only cathedral declared World Heritage Site in Spain), and the protected historic cities: Salamanca, Cáceres and Mérida.
- The Spanish section of the Eurovelo 1 Atlantic route is actually well away from the Atlantic Ocean, except at the very start and end of the route.
- This epic journey will take you well off the beaten path, to discover continental Spain, crossing six strikingly different regions as you cycle.
- For two thirds of the way you will be following the Camino de Santiago and the Via de la Plata: both classic long distance cycling routes.
- Each night will be spent in towns and cities of outstanding historic, cultural and architectural interest, in a centrally located hotel where you will be able to rest and replenish energies.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival to Irún
Day 2: Irún to Zubiri
Distance: 54 miles (87 km). Climb: 4843 ft (1476 m).
Bicycle and equipment handover and first cycle stage in the hilly Basque Country.
Day 3: Zubiri to Estella
Distance: 46 miles (74 km). Climb: 3064 ft (934 m).
First stage following the Camino de Santiago pilgrim route going through the Navarra region.
Day 4: Estella to Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Distance: 63 miles (101 km). Climb: 4580 ft (1396 m).
Another day cycling on the Camino this time in the beautiful wine region of La Rioja.
Day 5: Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Burgos
Distance: 52 miles (83 km). Climb: 2428 ft (740 m).
Third day cycling along the Camino. Going through Atapuerca Archaelogical Sites and one of the extraordinary gothic cathedral in Burgos, both World Heritage sites.
Day 6: Burgos to Palencia
Distance: 68 miles (109 km). Climb: 1476 ft (450 m).
Half way through today´s stage we come off the Camino and continue along the Castilla Canal (one of the most important civil engineering projects of Spain during the Enlightment).
Day 7: Palencia to Medina de Rioseco
Distance: 45 miles (73 km). Climb: 636 ft (194 m).
Another easy cycle along the flat Castilla Canal amongst the castillian plains.
Day 8: Medina de Rioseco to Zamora
Distance: 64 miles (103 km). Climb: 1142 ft (348 m).
Today you leave the Canal route to follow the long distance route of the Duero River. A pleasant cycle alongside this important Spanish river.
Day 9: Zamora to Salamanca
Distance: 55 miles (88 km). Climb: 2493 ft (760 m).
We turn away from the river Duero and South along the historic Via de la Plata to end in the stunning historic city of Salamanca, World Heritage Site.
Day 10: Salamanca to Béjar
Distance: 50 miles (80 km). Climb: 3199 ft (975 m).
Continue along the Via de la Plata towards the Central Mountain Range with separate Castilla from Extremadura.
Day 11: Béjar to Plasencia
Distance: 55 miles (88 km). Climb: 2493 ft (760 m).
Descend into the rich agricultural foothills of northern Extremadura. Full of history and away from mainstream tourism.
Day 12: Plasencia to Cáceres
Distance: 45 miles (72 km). Climb: 2566 ft (782 m).
Follow the Via de la Plata from one stunning historic to another. Cáceres is protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Day 13: Cáceres to Mérida
Distance: 52 miles (84 km). Climb: 1385 ft (422 m).
From one UNESCO city to another: Mérida was an important roman city and many of its buildings are still well preserved.
Day 14: Mérida to Zafra
Distance: 39 miles (63 km). Climb: 1519 ft (463 m).
The last cycling stage following the historical Via de la Plata route and our last day in Extremadura.
Day 15: Zafra to Aracena
Distance: 61 miles (98 km). Climb: 4318 ft (1316 m).
We enter Andalucía, leaving the Via de la Plata and turning South-West towards Portugal to enter the beautiful Sierra de Aracena mountains.
Day 16: Aracena to Trigueros
Distance: 52 miles (84 km). Climb: 2257 ft (688 m).
Penultimate stage cycling along beautiful andalusian countryside passing small rural towns.
Day 17: Triguero to Ayamonte
Distance: 40 miles (64 km). Climb: 1106 ft (337 m).
One last cycle and we reach the South-West tip of Spain and the border with Portugal. The end of our long distance cycle after 1332kms.
Day 18: Return home
Travel
Frequent questions:
- Which airport should I fly to?
Biarritz airport in south west France is the closest airport to Irún (only 26kms away).Another important international airport near Irun is Bilbao (90kms away).
- How do I get to the starting point?
The tour starts in the small town of Irún, in the border between Spain and Franca. The best way to reach Irún from Biarritz airport is by taxi.
From Bilbao airport you can get a but into Bilbao itself and then another bus to Irún. Another posibility is to take a taxi (around 120 euros)
- How do I get home from the end point?
Ayamonte is a small town in the border between Spain and Portugal in the very South-West of Spain. The closest airport to Ayamonte is Faro, in Portugal (68kms). The other nearby airport is Sevilla (149kms). There are regular buses to both cities.
Hotels

Night 1: Irún

Night 2: Zubiri

Night 3: Estella

Night 4: Santo Domingo de la Calzada

Night 5: Burgos

Night 6: Palencia

Night 7: Medina de Rioseco

Night 8: Zamora

Night 9: Salamanca

Night 10: Béjar

Night 11: Plasencia

Night 12: Cáceres

Night 13: Mérida

Night 14: Zafra

Night 15: Aracena

Night 16: Trigueros

Night 17: Ayamonte
Our Bikes
Touring bikes
Electric bikes
Designed to withstand heavy loads and provide high safety and comfort even after long hours of riding in the saddle, these adventure bikes will serve you well both on and off-road.
The downside to all these extra features and equipment is weight, but on a long distance tour, reliability, comfort and safety, win the day.
Characteristics:
- Time tested components to stay maintenance free during the tour.
- Broad range of gears.
- Stable carriers for luggage transport.
- Permanently mounted lights with a hub dynamo.
- Comfortable sitting position and straight, adjustable handlebars.
- Other comfort features include bike stand, mudguards and bottle holder.
- High bar and low bar models and sizes xs to XL.
Equipment provided:
- Odometer
- Rear pannier
- Map carrier
- Helmet
- Water bottle
- Lock
- Pump
- Puncture repair kit
- Multitool set
Touring bikes
Electric bikes
Not every type of electric bike is suitable to use in a cycling tour. Most e-bikes are actually designed for city cycling rather than long distances routes.
Experience allows us to choose e-bikes with the most suitable features for touring: reliability, simple operation, long battery life and short charge time.
Characteristics:
- Time tested components to stay maintenance free during the tour.
- Broad range of gears.
- Stable carriers for luggage transport.
- Permanently mounted lights with a hub dynamo.
- Comfortable sitting position and straight, adjustable handlebars.
- Other comfort features include bike stand, mudguards and bottle holder.
- High bar and low bar models and sizes xs to XL.
Equipment provided:
- Odometer
- Rear pannier
- Map carrier
- Helmet
- Water bottle
- Lock
- Pump
- Puncture repair kit
- Multitool set
Prices
Basic price:
Per person in double room1,103 €
This includes:
- 17 nights' accommodation. 17 breakfasts.
- Digitised Itinerary, GPS tracks.
- Itinerary description, full of recommendations for things to do and places to visit, advice and suggestions and information about your accommodation, etc.
- Emergency support.
- Activity insurance.
Supplements:
Single room supplement324 €
Extras:
Half board (dinners)290 €
Bicycle hire340 €
E-bike hire580 €
Other options:(Prices on request)
Luggage transport to half way point (Salamanca) and end point (Ayamonte)
Extra night in Palencia (Rest day)
Extra night in Cáceres (Rest day)
Extra night in Ayamonte (end of tour)
If interested, please contact us with your plans, requirements and queries,
or simply use the "Get a quote" section, which we would recommend.
Get a quote
CO₂ footprint offsetting
This holiday produces a carbon footprint of 1032 tonnes of CO₂. This includes taxis, luggage transfers and accommodation for every traveller.
We will compensate the CO₂ footprint for each booking through tropical reforestation projects in collaboration with the CeroCO₂ platform.
Additionally, you can also offset your own flight emissions by visiting myclimate. See the link below.