Highlights
- Cycling near fantastic beaches, coves and rock pools
- Hunting for dinosaur footprints on the cliffs at Ribadesella
- Canoeing the breath taking Rio Sella
- Surfing with a qualified instructor
- Experiencing the sheer power of the Bufones (blow holes) de Pria
- Riding the FEVE train
We would have struggled to organise this ourselves from the UK and are grateful to you for introducing us to this beautiful area!
Itinerary
You will be collected from either Santander or Asturias airport on arrival and transferred to your first night’s accommodation to the port town of Llanes, known for it’s rugged coastline, framed by the Sierra del Cuera.
Your welcome meeting today will give your local representative a chance to fit your bikes and chat through the week ahead, and it’s a great opportunity to ask any questions you may have about the riding to come. After this, you’ll be free to venture out for your first taste of Asturian cuisine!
Llanes has a lovely old town, and if time allows a visit to Paseo San Pedro is recommended, a 1 km coastal walk with cracking coastal views, and an aperetivo at Play de Toro beach.
- Meals: Breakfast
After a relaxing breakfast you will take a ride on the FEVE narrow gauge railway that winds it´s way from village to village along the dramatic Asturian coastline. Jumping off at the village of Buelna, your route will follow coastal trails and lanes back to the port town of Llanes, passing inviting coves, dramatic beaches and picturesque hamlets.
Shortly after the inviting Playa de Vidiago, you will arrive at the Bufones de Arenillas. These dramatic sea geysers, when the sea is rough, shoot water through limestone cavities over 10m into the air! The village of Andrin is a lovely village for a spot of lunch before heading to see the incredible views of the coastline from the Mirador de La Boriza. It’s all downhill back to Llanes passing the beautiful playas of Ballota and Cue and the interesting rock formations at the Playa de Toro.
- Meals: Breakfast
Today you head west along the Paseo de San Pedro walkway. Picking up a back lane you’ll arrive at the deep, tidal inlet of Playa de Poo, a great spot for a swim. From here you’ll hug the coastline, taking in many a cove and the Island of Almenada as it undulates along. The route heads south and you’ll climb into the Llera hills and with just a little work you’ll be rewarded by one of the most spectacular views along the coast.
After lunch it’s back in the saddle, and you’ll follow the FEVE railway line until Naves, your home for the evening.
- Meals: Breakfast
Your base for today proves the perfect spot to stay another day. Naves is a great base to explore Asturias and a visit to Playa Gulpiyuri should be on the cards. A unique beach, the smallest in Spain, is set back from the coast, and is a great tucked-away spot to discover!
If you’d prefer to get some more miles in your legs, we have a lovely loop ride to get your tyres into. And if you’d prefer to give your legs a rest but still want to be active, there are a multitude of exciting activities nearby.
After lunch (weather dependent) we’ve organised a surf lesson with a qualified instructor. A great opportunity to can catch your first wave!
- Meals: Breakfast
The first kilometres of the day will take you past Playa Gulpiyuri, and as you head west you will catch glimpses of the incredibly narrow bay of Villahormes, which points like a finger inland. This picturesque section of the route meanders through tiny villages, where cows rule the lanes. You’ll drop back down to sea level to the unforgettable Playa de Cuevas del Mar (Beach of the Sea Caves); a jewel among the many fantastic Asturian beaches!
Before you know it you’ll be at the Garana picnic area, a perfect place to stop for lunch. Fuelled up, you’ll cycle onto the clifftop viewpoint overlooking the small fishing town of Ribadesella, your home for the next two nights.
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Based from Ribadesella, today is yours to spend at leisure. The fishing port town is a great base offering its visitors a lovely mix of medieval and modern. We recommend riding the short way or walking out towards Terenes to hunt down the dinosaur footprints in the cliffs!
We’ve also organised a canoeing trip for you today, to take in the breathtaking Rio Sella.
- Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, flight time permitting, there may be time to head to the beach for a swim before we pick you up to transfer you to the airport.
If you would like to extend your trip, then an afternoon spent canoeing down the River Sella, one of Europe’s most southern salmon rivers, to Ribadesella is always a hit! If you are interested in this extension, then please contact us for more details.
Gallery
The Cycling
Terrain
This trip mainly takes you along purpose-built cycleways, backlanes and country roads and tracks. Half of the route will be shared with vehicle traffic, but the roads are generally quiet. The route follows well-surfaced, gravel trails and meanders and undulates offering inspiring views of the coast. The coastal trails are hilly and can be loose in some places. Day 2 will pose the biggest challenge, with lots of short, steep climbs to take on, but pushing is always an option! The route however, has been designed with families in mind, so the terrain is mostly fun and forgiving. The route is well signposted and easy to follow, you’ll see signs every km or so, and at most junctions so you won’t need to make any guesses. We recommend mountain bikes for this tour.
Family Cycling Grade
Aspects of both our grade 2 and 3 trips
Suitable for those looking for some cycle friendly routes
Some modest climbs
Possibly sections of varying terrain (eg. forest tracks, gravel paths etc).
Our grading guidelines have been carefully created based on our many years of cycling experience, as well as customer feedback from our trips. Of course, if you're still struggling to figure out where you fit on the scale, do feel free to give us a quick call and we'll be more than happy to help!
For more information about our grading system click here.
Is this suitable for you?
Trips that are graded as a 2-3, will have aspects of both our grade 2 and 3 holidays. These tours are still suitable for those perhaps who have recently got into cycling, and offer an array of accessible, cycle friendly routes, cycle paths and quiet roads, however there will be some days / sections where you may have to tackle some ups and downs, the occasional steeper climb and perhaps some varying terrain (forest tracks, gravel paths etc). Suitable for those with a decent level of physical fitness, looking for some leisurely rides with occasional (achievable!) challenges along the way.
For more information about the grading of this holiday in particular, please check out the terrain section which will give you some specifics of what to expect on this tour.
Each cycle was interesting and different on beautiful coastline with great beaches.
Dates & Prices
Daily departures available. The season prices below are per person and applicable for all start dates between and inclusive of the stated dates.
2024
Season 1 – $1895 11 Apr – 30 Apr / 08 May – 30 Jun / 18 Sep – 16 Oct
Season 2 – $2440 01 May – 07 May / 01 Jul – 17 Sep
2025
Season 1 – $1990 05 May – 30 Jun / 18 Sep – 16 Oct
Season 2 – $2575 11 Apr – 17 Apr / 21 Apr – 30 Apr / 01 Jul – 17 Sep
We may be able to offer a children’s discount depending on your rooming preference and the age of your children. Please chat to our team!
Secure Your Holiday With A Deposit
Book now with a $375 deposit and nothing more to pay until 60 days before departure. Choose a date to start your booking and see all prices, including bike hire and single room supplements.
Whats Included
A) Accommodation (shared twin / double en suite rooms) in 2 * and 3* hotels and guesthouses
B) Meals as per the itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
C) English-speaking local representative (with welcome meeting)
D) Detailed route notes and maps
E) Access to an app for holiday information and navigation
F) Luggage transfers
G) 1 x surfing lesson
H) 1 x canoeing session
H) Airport transfer on scheduled arrival day from Santander airport (SDR)
I) Airport transfer on scheduled departure day to Santander airport (SDR)
J) Financial Protection through ABTOT
What's not Included
A) Bike hire (available if required)
B) Flights and charges for travelling with your bike (if applicable)
C) Meals not stated in the itinerary
D) Single room (available if required)
E) Travel insurance
F) Personal clothing and equipment
G) Personal expenditure (souvenirs, bar bills, hotel facilities etc)
H) Entrance fees to museums and other attractions en route
I) Airport transfers on days other than the scheduled arrival / departure days
The Essentials
News, Reviews & Stories
Reviews
Judith, West Lothian, UKVery good...We had a great week despite the mixed weather, beautiful coastline, friendly hotels, safe cycling tracks. I was glad we added extra rest days and would recommend this as it gave us time to enjoy the beaches and relax as well as cycling. Each cycle was interesting and different on beautiful coastline with great beaches.
We thought the route maps and descriptions were great. We added a km here and there on day 1 but from there on had no issues.
Sarah, Cheshire, UKExcellent...We enjoyed all the days but the last day kayaking was probably the most memorable. Seeing the start of the Sella race was amazing and then kayaking down with crowds of celebrating Spaniards through lovely scenery was fantastic fun. We also very much enjoyed the cycling, although because it was often off road with some steep descents we found it more challenging than expected on the first 2 days.
Anne, Leeds, UKWe loved our holiday!The area was absolutely stunning. Overall we had a lovely holiday in a beautiful part of the world with a great local rep and transport service. We would have struggled to organise this ourselves from the UK and are grateful to you for introducing us to this beautiful area. We found our local rep incredibly helpful and friendly i.e. excellent.