Cycling from Bilbao - should I go east, west or south?

[Idaho]

I'm going to be in Spain in 2 days time. I'm cycling from Santander to Bilbao, spending a couple of days in the city, then I've got 8 days as free as a bike packing bird. Can't decide whether to head back west and pootle round the picos de europa, go east to the Pyrenees, or aim for some of the places in the interior.

Any suggestions of places people have enjoyed?

 

[Pickman's model]

Roll a die to determine your direction - 1-2 south, 3-4 east, 5-6 west

 

[Spymaster]

Not sure if you're looking for cycling recommendations, which I can't help you with, or places to visit recommendations. If the latter, keep going east and visit Guernica, San Sebastien, St Jean de Luz, and Biarritz.

 

[Pickman's model]

Not sure if you're looking for cycling recommendations, which I can't help you with, or places to visit recommendations. If the latter, keep going east and visit Guernica, San Sebastien, St Jean de Luz, and Biarritz.

Where did you stay in biarritz?

 

[sleaterkinney]

We’re going to Bilbao and Oviedo in sept. Inland be mountains, if that’s your thing.

 

[Spymaster]

Where did you stay in biarritz?

We were only there for 3 nights and stayed at an AirBnB which was about a kilometer up the hill through the town. It was ok but a bit of a walk to anywhere. If I went again I'd find something around the old port. There also seemed to be a whole host of reasonable looking small hotels, one block back from, and parallel to the Grand Plage.

 

[Spymaster]

We’re going to Bilbao and Oviedo in sept. Inland be mountains, if that’s your thing.

Oviedo is a cracking town and you get the feeling of finding something previously unknown, which it is to most Brits, as is Asturias generally. Great value too.

 

[The39thStep]

I spent a very pleasant four days in Lekeitio many years ago. It's a fishing port , got a beach and the food was great.

 

[platinumsage]

Google Maps says you can cycle to Andorra and back in 8 days cycling 8 hours a day.

 

[Pickman's model]

We were only there for 3 nights and stayed at an AirBnB which was about a kilometer up the hill through the town. It was ok but a bit of a walk to anywhere. If I went again I'd find something around the old port. There also seemed to be a whole host of reasonable looking small hotels, one block back from, and parallel to the Grand Plage.

thought you'd have stopped at the beaumanoir

 

[Spymaster]

thought you'd have stopped at the beaumanoir

It was a lads rugby trip so was on a budget. A few of us drove from Bilbao, stopping at those for a night or three each before joining the main tour group in Bordeaux, via Arcachon.

 

[dessiato]

Go west. Go along the Camino De Santiago route. You’ll see amazing beaches, small towns, fabulous countryside. There’s the Picos De Europa. You’ll go through Asturias, Galicia.

Having lived there I can promise you the views are stunning, the beaches fabulous, the food is amazing. I’d strongly recommend the fish. Asturias has terrific cider, although not exactly my taste. Galicia has amazing artisan cheeses and beers.

And it’s not overly touristy, even on the Camino.

 

[Bus Honeygun]

Picos de Europa is beautiful.

No experience of cycling around there, but we stayed in Bilbao in 2004 and walked on the coast and estuary around Bermeo, stopping in Gernika, which was a good day out.

Did another trip to a town due north of Bilbao on the western side of the river mouth which was less successful. We have a family joke that on every holiday there's always one day where you end up in the local equivalent of Bovey Tracey (i.e. looks like it might be interesting on a map but the reality is dreary as fuck) and that was it with the bonus of ETA graffiti and posters everywhere.

 

[Pickman's model]

Picos de Europa is beautiful.

No experience of cycling around there, but we stayed in Bilbao in 2004 and walked on the coast and estuary around Bermeo, stopping in Gernika, which was a good day out.

Did another trip to a town due north of Bilbao on the western side of the river mouth which was less successful. We have a family joke that on every holiday there's always one day where you end up in the local equivalent of Bovey Tracey (i.e. looks like it might be interesting on a map but the reality is dreary as fuck) and that was it with the bonus of ETA graffiti and posters everywhere.

a good book about basque nationalism, if you can find a copy (the only one i can see for sale is £52), is eoin de broin's 'matxinada: basque nationalism and radical basque youth movements'

 

[A380]

Google Maps says you can cycle to Andorra and back in 8 days cycling 8 hours a day.

To the mountain fastness of Andorra, located in the heart of the mountains and that bases it existence on the mountains? Sounds like a top cycling destination...

 

[A380]

Go west. Go along the Camino De Santiago route. You’ll see amazing beaches, small towns, fabulous countryside. There’s the Picos De Europa. You’ll go through Asturias, Galicia.

Having lived there I can promise you the views are stunning, the beaches fabulous, the food is amazing. I’d strongly recommend the fish. Asturias has terrific cider, although not exactly my taste. Galicia has amazing artisan cheeses and beers.

And it’s not overly touristy, even on the Camino.

Can you use all the infrastructure (accommodation and food) of the Camino if you are on a bike? or would people look at you funny?

 

[dessiato]

Can you use all the infrastructure (accommodation and food) of the Camino if you are on a bike? or would people look at you funny?

Of course. People do the Camino on foot, bike, horses... There's no restriction. You don't need to be a pilgrim per se, just travelling the Camino is enough.

 

[Bus Honeygun]

a good book about basque nationalism, if you can find a copy (the only one i can see for sale is £52), is eoin de broin's 'matxinada: basque nationalism and radical basque youth movements'

Cheers. That was noticeable when we were there. Loads of bars in Bilbao playing Basque punk music festooned in ETA posters and other nationalist political stuff. Didn't look too welcoming to outsiders, but I recall we went to one for a couple and nobody bothered us. That was 18 years ago now, so don't know if it's still like that.

 

[Idaho]

Not sure if you're looking for cycling recommendations, which I can't help you with, or places to visit recommendations. If the latter, keep going east and visit Guernica, San Sebastien, St Jean de Luz, and Biarritz.

Place recommendations ideally, then I can work out how to stitch the places together on the bike or with the (apparently) free trains.

Currently tempted by a couple of days around the Basque country - perhaps checking out Pamplona, then going west towards the picos and the coastal areas that way.

 

[Idaho]

To the mountain fastness of Andorra, located in the heart of the mountains and that bases it existence on the mountains? Sounds like a top cycling destination...

Cyclists love hills, strange as that might sound. Lots of professional cyclists live in girona and commute to Andorra by bike to their training camps.

 

[Idaho]

Google Maps says you can cycle to Andorra and back in 8 days cycling 8 hours a day.

People do Bilbao to Barcelona in that time!

 

[Sweet FA]

I'd go West young man. I was in that area a couple of weeks ago and it's beautiful and the food is fantastic. Drove through the Picos and ended up in a town called Luarca staying on a cliffside campsite above the town and had the best razor clams I have ever eaten in a harbour restaurant there. Laredo, between Bilbao and Santander is also a cool little beachside town but busy - I ended up wild camping as no pitches free anywhere. All those coastal towns are great though - busy working ports with great cafes/restaurants/bars all over the place.

Camping Tauran |

 

[planetgeli]

I'd go West young man. I was in that area a couple of weeks ago and it's beautiful and the food is fantastic. Drove through the Picos and ended up in a town called Luarca staying on a cliffside campsite above the town and had the best razor clams I have ever eaten in a harbour restaurant there. Laredo, between Bilbao and Santander is also a cool little beachside town but busy - I ended up wild camping as no pitches free anywhere. All those coastal towns are great though - busy working ports with great cafes/restaurants/bars all over the place.

Camping Tauran |

I camped by the sea in Luarca. That was lovely. I found the town a bit crap for some reason (just looked back at my blog, town was actually quite nice but my satnav went mental there). Also the camping involved lugging our equipment up and down a steep hill but I think that was because we are masochists. Lovely view though.



I too am biased towards west and picos de europa. What a place. I was driving though. Couldn't imagine doing any of that on a bike.

Anywhere Basque/Pyrenees is pretty stunning too.

 

[Idaho]

I was driving though. Couldn't imagine doing any of that on a bike.

I have an electric bike that does 50% of the work, and I tend to just do 3 hours or about 50-60km a day - so it's by no means extreme.

 

[dessiato]

If you get the chance pop into Lugo, A Coruña, Pontevedra, they're all really nice places.

I'm trying to remember the best places for you, but I only lived in Galicia for one year. However, during that time I fell in love it, apart from the weather. It really isn't like my beloved Andalucía.

 

[Sweet FA]

Oh yes, forgot - also stopped overnight at Bakio, (East of Bilbao) which is another coastal town with great food though pretty industrial looking. As usual on that coast; beautiful beach. No campsite though.

 

[DJWrongspeed]

I'm going to be in Spain in 2 days time. I'm cycling from Santander to Bilbao, spending a couple of days in the city, then I've got 8 days as free as a bike packing bird. Can't decide whether to head back west and pootle round the picos de europa, go east to the Pyrenees, or aim for some of the places in the interior.

Any suggestions of places people have enjoyed?

How did you get on? I'm thinking of something similar next year. Taking the bike on the Plymouth or Portsmouth ferry down there.
I'd previously been camping along the coast at Comillas which was beautiful.

 

[Idaho]

Loved it! I'm persuading Ms Idaho to get a bike so we can go again next year. There is so much to explore. Out in the countryside it's super cheap. Menu of the day is €10 for three courses and a bottle of wine.