Transfer to Peñacerrada and 25-29 miles/ 40-46 km 580-700↑m to Laguardia

Our minibus takes you in a bit over an hour to the village where the route starts. There is first a stretch of uphill cycling along lush forest and prairies. At the top, you reach the border between the Basque country and La Rioja and start a scenic descent where the green deciduous forest is replaced by a more Mediterranean vegetation and environment.

There follows a beautiful ride on winding little roads through the vineyards and along the Ebro river, with the small difference in mileage being an alternative detour to a chapel in a particularly lovely spot. Your goal is Laguardia, an old fortified village on a hill, which you can explore in the evening.

23 miles/37 km 400↑m to Logroño

The second stage starts with a loop around the vineyards surrounding Laguardia, with stunning views of the sierras that protect them from northern winds and are mirrored by the Ysios winery’s facade. Little roads and lanes then thread their way through small valleys and hills, cliffs and riverbanks until reaching Logroño, the capital of La Rioja. In the afternoon its most historic wine cellars can be visited. Logroño is a small city with plenty of street life even on a Monday, including the international stream of way of St. James’ walkers and cyclists.

Bus and taxi to Soria – Cabrejas and 33 miles/53 km 360↑m to Berlanga de Duero

Today we get up early to take the regular line bus to Soria. The bus ride takes an hour and a half and is a nice experience in itself: it follows a scenic valley all the way up to a mountain pass. On the other side, we find ourselves in a very different kind of landscape: the high Castilian plateau. Soria is the capital of Spain’s least populated province and a pleasant little town to walk around and soak up its provincial atmosphere.

After a short taxi ride from Soria, you receive your bike again at the sleepy village of Cabrejas to start a smooth undulating ride. Underway is the pretty medieval village of Calatañazor and plenty of empty lands to just turn the pedals and be one with the peaceful surroundings. Overnight stay is Berlanga de Duero, an old, classic Castilian village with many charming spots and remarkable buildings

25 miles/40 km 260↑m direct route to El Burgo de Osma
37 miles/59 km 520↑m with detour Caracena
50 miles/81 km 860↑m with detour Caracena + Tiermes

The fourth stage can be, according to your choice, shorter than the average, or the longest. But for longer or shorter, you’ll enjoy delightful little roads, great landscape and amazing peace and quiet.

You ride first to the imposing ruins of the castle of Gormaz, a huge Moorish fortress from the 11th century. Further on, there is the choice of turning already to El Burgo or cycle to the medieval village of Caracena and its hidden castle, amid a superbly rough and desolated landscape. Pushing yet farther, you can reach the remains of Tiermes, two thousand years ago a Roman town carved out of a hill of reddish sandstone. The best of all this is that, in such special places, you and your companions will more often than not be the only visitors.

El Burgo de Osma is a little town surrounded by medieval walls and boasting its own cathedral. After the solitude of earlier in the day, you’ll enjoy its lively Plaza Mayor, a great place to sit and have a drink or dinner.

44 miles/70 km 720↑m to Santo Domingo de Silos, or

12 miles/20 km 90↑m cycling + walk Río Lobos canyon (about 3 1/2 hours) + taxi to Santo Domingo

Today there is a choice between two quite different options:
You can just cycle all the way from El Burgo to Santo Domingo: a very nice ride between undulating plateau on the south and a mountain range on the north. The back roads go through grain fields, forest and shrubbery, with rocky outcrops here and there. There are several villages underway to have a rest on a bar terrace and good places in the forest for a picnic. You finally reach the village of Santo Domingo de Silos, with a Benedictine monastery well known for its cloister and the Gregorian chants of its monks. We stay in another (former) monastery just outside the village.

Alternatively, after a short, easy ride, you can hand over your bike to us and walk 12 km of the Cañón del Río Lobos (wolves river canyon) trail. This famous path features pretty, varied vegetation along a stream and its pools, with great sights at every bend and birds of prey hovering above and sliding along the rock walls. At the end of the walk, a taxi takes you the rest of the way to Santo Domingo (€ 20 p.p. paid the same day if you choose this option)

38 miles/61 km 800↑m to Revilla del Campo – Burgos

On a free interpretation of Clint Eastwood’s famous “…you dig” words, we start the day with my words: ‘my friends, in this world there are two kinds of people: those with comfortable vehicles (me with my van) and those who push bikes. You push the bikes’

That’s because the stage begins with 3 km at 10% incline on an unsurfaced road. But the reward is fitting: you reach the high valley where the last scene of ‘The good, the bad and the ugly’ was filmed. The ‘Sad hill cemetery’ and its surrounding landscape are stunning. Under bare ridges, the mountain slopes are sprinkled with pine and juniper, and flowering heather or broom according to the season. There follows a final ride with plenty of peaceful countryside, nice landscapes and a few sleepy villages. With a fair share of uphill, it’s ideal to finish with a flourish and feeling satisfied. To avoid any busy or unpleasant roads entering Burgos, you deliver the bike just before at the quiet village Revilla del Campo from where a taxi takes you to the hotel.

At a major crossroads in northern Spain, Burgos has been a city of strategic importance since the middle ages, something that you can see in its many old buildings, monuments and impressive cathedral. The whole centrum is great to wander around, try some tapas and toast to the completion of a fantastic tour!

Departure of added night

From the bus station, at a ten minutes’ walk from our hotel, there are several busses a day to Bilbao or Madrid. See: alsa.com
The train station is on the outskirts of Burgos (taxi about € 17) There are also several trains a day to Miranda de Ebro-Bilbao or Madrid. See: renfe.com