Picos de Europa Cycling Trip

Pick up from arrival point and transfer to the charming Asturian fishing village of Llanes. Introduction to bikes and tour leader. We may have time to explore the nearby coastline and Llanes itself. We should also try the locally produced cider, so typical of Asturias.

Today’s ride takes us through the Sierra de Cuera, the foothills of the Picos. A climb shortly after leaving Llanes gives us magnificent views of the coastline and of the Picos themselves. Finally we descend to the ancient Asturian capital of Cangas de Onís. A trip extension takes us to the Lakes of Covadonga, within the Parque Nacional de los Picos de Europa. This is a climb to some of the most beautiful and famous scenery in the Picos. Cyclists who do not wish to do the climb may take advantage of our backup vehicle to get a lift to the top.

This stage takes us from Asturias to the province of León in Castile. We take an easy ride along the River Sella and then through the Desfiladero de los Beyos, a spectacular gorge which takes us into León with the Western Massif of the Picos to our left. We then climb over two passes with beautiful scenery before descending to Posada de Valdeón. As we approach our destination, we see the village nestling in the valley surrounded by the most incredible sheer rock peaks of the Massif Central of the Picos.

As we stay 2 nights in Posada, today we can choose from 2 options, or even do both! Our first is a circuit which takes us away from the Picos through the equally beautiful Cantabrian Mountains and the village of Riaño, rebuilt on the shores of its reservoir after the original village was flooded. From here we return to Posada to be greeted with even more spectacular views of the Picos. For our second option, we leave the bikes behind and put on our walking boots for one of the most famous walks in Spain, La Ruta del Cares. We follow the River Cares from Valdeón down through its so-called divine gorge and more fantastic scenery as far as we like and then return

Leaving Posada behind, we turn our back on the Picos and cycle towards the pass of San Glorio. Here we enter the neighbouring province of Cantabria. A 27/17 mile descent takes us back towards the Picos and into the valley of Liébana, ending in its capital, Potes. If we wish to cycle more, we can cycle up a beautiful and little-known valley to Cucayo and enjoy the descent down to Potes again. Later we can enjoy the hustle and bustle of this charming mountain village.

Fuente Dé is one of the most emblematic sites in the Picos. After a climb from Potes, we are suddenly confronted with its enormous sheer rock amphitheatre. From here, a cable car takes us to the top from where we can enjoy marvellous views over the surrounding mountains. We can take advantage of this privileged position to enjoy a walk through some of the high Picos and be impressed by the starkly beautiful limestone scenery before descending through the pastures of Áliva to the village of Espinama. We then return to Potes to enjoy another evening before beginning the final stage of our journey.

Leaving Potes, we head towards the coast along the River Deva. After a short distance, we enter another impressive gorge carved through the mountains, La Garganta de La Hermida. A descent of the gorge takes us to the village of La Hermida. Here we finally bid farewell to the Picos and journey through equally beautiful scenery to the village of Carmona. This is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved in Cantabria. From here we have just one more ascent until we descend to our fine hotel in the beautiful valley of Cabuérniga.

End of trip. Pick up from Cabuérniga hotel and transfer to departure point.