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Basque country by bike |
| Explore
the landscapes of the Basque Country
in an original, active way. If
you like biking and the countryside,
then make to discover this part
of Green Spain by bike. It's a
great way to enjoy the countryside
and the coast. Our tour goes along
the amazing coast of Basque Country
and includes the two most exciting
cities of this region: San Sebastian
and Bilbao.
San Sebastian is a small city
of 183,000 inhabitants, with
a remarkably high level of cultural
activity for its size. The beauty
of its Bay, known as the Pearl
of the Cantabrian Sea; its situation
in a natural amphitheater facing
the sea and protected by mountains;
its quality of life, and its
famous gastronomy have turned
it during the past two centuries
into a world-class tourist destination.
San Sebastian is world famous
as a food tourism destination,
since it's collected more Michelin
stars per square metre of its
territory than anywhere else
in the world; and, as the birthplace
of the “new Basque cuisine”
movement, it's nurtured the
renaissance of Basque gastronomy.
The quality of its ingredients
and its world famous “pintxos”
give much pleasure to both local
people and visitors all year
round.
Bilbao, capital of the province
of Bizkaia, is the centre of
a metropolitan area of more
than one million people. It
is located on the banks of the
Nervión river, which
joins the Cantabrian sea 11
kilometers further downstream.
The river has been protagonist
of its industrial and economic
development since the city´s
foundation in 1300. Bilbao,
together with the towns located
on both sides of the river until
it reaches the sea, form the
Greater Bilbao area. Bilbao
is one of the main economic
and cultural hubs in northern
Spain, and has gained international
recognition as an architectural
point of reference. Certainly,
the Guggenheim Museum has acted
as its main calling card. But
Bilbao has plenty of other interesting
sites to offer, in and around
the city. And its strategic
location makes it an ideal port
of entry to other parts of the
northern Iberian peninsula,
and to the southwest of France.
An irresistible idea: get to
know the unique Urdaibai Biosphere
Reserve. Located in the province
of Vizcaya, it is home to cycling
culture with its 11 cycling
routes to be found in this area.
Especially on Sundays you will
find this area busy with cycling
recreationists. The biking tour
is the perfect excuse to get
to know all the different landscapes
of the area and to make interesting
cultural visits.
Our route goes past the fishing
village of Bermeo where we recommend
you to stop to visit. Here you
can enjoy the maritime atmosphere
and visit Ercilla Tower, which
has the Cultural Property designation
and is currently home to the
Fisherman's Museum.
INFO: http://tourism.euskadi.net/en/
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Itinerary |
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Day
1 San Sebastian -Donostia
Today we pick up of the
bikes to make sure they
are fitted properly and
we can use the rest of the
day to explore the city,
also known as the the world
capital of the pintxo. Gastronomy
rivals nature as the most
attractive feature of this
city that's world famous
for its cuisine and chefs,
and boasts 16 Michelin stars.
Overnight in San Sebastian. |
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Day
2 Deba-Lekeitio
At
9am you will meet with our
partner Miguel at the lobby
of your hotel. He will transfer
you past the holiday resorts
Zarautz and Zumaia to Deba
where he will give you an
orientation of the tour.
In Deba we start cycling
along the northernmost coast
of Spain to Lekeitio, where
we stay for the night.
Route: 26 kms, 258 mts elevation |
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Day
3 Lekeitio-Mundaka
Today
we may opt for two different
routes. We can choose to
head inland until we reach
the Bay of Guernica halfway
inland, or we might opt
for a longer and more challenging
route all the way along
the coast to the beginning
of the Bay, where turning
and following it down inland.
From there we follow the
river Mundaka to Guernica,
historical capital of Biscay
and infamous for Picassos
painting. We sleep in Mundaka,
at the beginning of the
Bay of Guernica.
Route: 45 kms, 600
mts elevation, option to
ride more kms along the
Bay of Guernica. |
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Day
4 Mundaka- Sopelana
Today
we cycle from Mundaka to
the fishermens town of Bermeo,
where we recommend a short
stop to visit. We continue
along the coast to Sopelana
where the sandy beaches
us await for a refreshing
dive.
Route: 44 Kms 800
mts elevation |
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Day
5 Bilbao
Today
you can cycle around Sopelana
before you leave your bikes
at the hotel and take the
metro to Bilbao. A short
35 minute commute will take
you into the heart of the
city. We recommend a visit
to the world-famous Guggenheim
museum and a strong in the
old-town of the city. Overnight
in Bilbao. |
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Day
6 Departure
After breakfast,
end of tour.
You can get extra nights
in Bilbao or to an extension
to the beautiful city of
VITORIA. |
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