You’ll be met on arrival into Bilbao airport and transferred to the capital of Rioja, the beautiful and historical city of Logrono.

Bikes will be fitted and tested for our week of cycling ahead and your local representative will brief you on the adventures to come, before you can step out and discover this wonderful city that sits on the banks of the majestic Rio Ebro. Flight times permitting, a visit to the Museo de La Rioja is highly recommended to learn a little about the diverse and fascinating area we are about to discover by bike.

Logrono is gaining a culinary reputation to rival anywhere in Spain and no visit to the town would be complete without a visit to Calle del Laurel which showcases the best pincho and tapas bars in the area. A great chance to go shoulder to shoulder with the locals, soak up some fantastic Riojan atmosphere and wash down local culinary delights with fruity red ‘de la tierra’, while getting to know your riding ‘amigos’ for the week.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,150 Metres Approx.

Our first day in the saddle begins by following the Camino de Santiago. We will leave the city via the ‘Puerta del Camino’ and head into the seemingly endless vineyards of Rioja; quiet, single lane strips of asphalt lead us through pretty sandstone villages, heading towards the dark, looming Sierras de Cebollera. By mid-morning we’ll reach the tiny village of Ventosa, which has been offering travellers refreshments for hundreds of years; with never-ending views across the Ebro plains it’s a fitting spot for a break.

Our route proceeds west and a steady descent on winding roads leads us into the dramatically located medieval town of Nájera where the Rio Najerilla is an ideal shady spot for a sumptuous picnic lunch of local delicacies (there might even be time to stretch out under the shade of a tree for a rejuvenating siesta before heading out on the final miles of the ride!). Next we’ll continue onto the medieval villages of Codovin and Villar de Torre before a final steady climb brings us to the majestic monasteries of San Millan de Cogolla, guarded by the towering peak of San Lorenzo (2,270m).

San Millán de la Cogolla, site of the Suso and Yuso monasteries which were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, is known for being the birthplace of the first written words in Spanish. The setting of the Yuso monastery is exquisite and, lucky for us, we are dining there tonight! Opening days permitting, we will have time for a tour of the monastery this evening followed by tasting the local Bodegas Moreno reds in the hotel bar, not forgetting the chance to sample some Riojan culinary delights.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,100 Metres Approx.

Following a relaxing breakfast it’s time for us to head deeper into the La Demanda Mountains. Leaving our hotel, the views across the Ebro Valley, to the Cordillera Cantabrica mountains, are splendid as we wind our way through foothills and farmlands, before dropping into the beautiful Najarilla Valley. The dramatic road weaves us up the valley, passing the Anguiano monastery. We’ll be able to stop high above the rushing river for a morning coffee break and will have chance to spot soaring vultures! Creeping further away from the fertile Ebro Valley, the mountains become ever more enclosed around us, until we reach the Mansilla reservoir.

We take a beautiful climb up through a twisted narrow canyon, taking us high into the Demanda mountain range on a virtually traffic free road. As we cross into the Castille y Leon province, the road eases into a beautiful glacial valley before arriving in the small, picturesque village of Neila, where we will stop for a well earned lunch by the village spring. The short afternoon takes us higher into the forested sierra and over the Collado pass to finish with a beautiful twisting descent to the village of Quintanillar de la Sierra, our home for the night.

The village is isolated and takes a privileged spot in the middle of a vast wilderness, surrounded by mountains. Peace and tranquility are simply oozing from the walls of the family run hotel where we will stay for the night. The family who run the hotel know a thing or two about feeding weary travellers and so you might want to try their restaurant, which serves up mouth-watering local produce.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,600 Metres Approx.

From the hotel door we’ll set off deeper into the La Demanda mountain range and we come across a stiff warm-up climb before a fantastic 20km descent down through a narrow forested valley, passing through the village of Huerta to the valley floor, spanning the trout river Rio Pedroso. Once the capital of the sierra, it’s a great spot for a mid-morning coffee to soak up some local life. Back in the saddle, we take on the second climb of the day, gaining height on a terrific switch-back lane, before another gliding 20km descent to the Uzquiza reservoir.

Climbing steadily through pine trees we’ll be rewarded as the route begins a great traverse. Pradoluengo, sitting between flower filled pastures and high mountains, is ideally placed for a refuel and rest before our final push for today. We’ll begin a fantastic descent into the wooded Ciloria valley, to reach the grand Rio Oja valley and the quintessential Riojan village of Ezacaray, where we will stay for the night. Here, cobbled lanes link inviting plazas where some of the best cuisine in the region is served in a range of quality establishments.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,200 Metres Approx.

We start our day with a very gentle ride out of Ezacaray and down the Rio Oja valley, passing the village of Ojacastro dominated by limestone cliffs. The valley flattens and widens as we approach the Ebro plain and we’ll find ourselves winding past woods and wheat fields until we reach the town of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, meeting the Camino de Santiago once again. It’s worth taking time here to meander around the town’s network of medieval streets and 12th century cathedral, before we cruise past endless vineyards to arrive at the beautiful city of Haro, a place which lives and breathes wine and is the hub of the Riojan wine industry.

Here we’ll take a break in the atmospheric central square before riding down through the historical ‘estacion’ part of the town, which has been home to some of the most famous Riojan wineries for over 150 years. From Haro we will meander downstream on quiet lanes, skirting past the the wine village of La Bastida before climbing into the beautiful Sierra de Cantabria and the Alava province of the Basque country. We’ll soon meet an exhilarating descent taking us back towards the Ebro valley to the village of Elciego, where we can marvel the architect Frank Ghery’s dramatic creation, the Marques de Riscal Winery and Hotel.

Our route begins to ascend, gaining height from the Ebro basin. The sight as we head through the villages is quite something, with undulating vineyards as far as the eye can see! Following the picturesque Rio Rozanco we will arrive in the beautiful, medieval wine village of Laguardia. Sitting high on a rock foundation, the village is located within pristine fortress walls and has hardly changed since the 13th century. Below the village is a honeycomb of tunnels built to store food and provide refuge to residents when under siege. For the last few centuries these cellars have been used to produce and store wine! We’ll head into the depths of the town for a tour of a historical bodega dating back to the 13th century, with a touch of tasting of course, before there is chance to feast on some fantastic Basque cuisine.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,300 Metres Approx.

The final day of our Riojan cycling tour is a true beauty! As the sun rises and lights up the ancient golden sandstone of Laguardia, we set out for the stunning Sierra de Cantabria. Gaining steady height through vineyards, we pedal beneath impressive crags with griffon vultures spying on us as we check out bronze-age dolmens that scatter this ancient land!

Skirting past swaying golden wheat we pass the village of Lapoblacion and cross into the Navarra region which stretches to the high Pyrenees and the French border. The roads are desperately quiet and smooth as a terrific 15km descent lets us pin back our ears to blast our way down the Linares valley.

A shot of fine Spanish coffee in the sunshine will hopefully aid us up the final true climb of the week, a 5km climb past the impressively situated Santuario de Condes, to finally descend out of the sierra on a cracking 20km rollercoaster ride through deciduous forest and wheat fields, bringing us back to the beautiful blanket of vines for our last picnic lunch together. Snaking through foothills, we will arrive at the Camino stage-post town of Viana and we’ll meander through the lanes for the final few kilometres to our final destination, Logrono, for some celebratory wine tasting and tapas along the fun Calle Laurel.

• Meals: Breakfast

Time to pack our bags for the last time. Hopefully there may be time to explore the old quarter of Logrono before heading back to Bilbao and saying our farewells.