Eight best cycling routes in Spain | Cycling routes | Cycling tours

Cycling trips allow you to combine physical activity, being in the fresh air, the opportunity to see amazing landscapes and cover more new places in one trip in a short period of time. Spain is an ideal country for this active type of tourism due to its excellent climate, which gives many sunny days a year, and convenient road infrastructure. Whether it is a one-day trip or it turns into a long journey across the country is up to you. We choose a comfortable two-wheeled horse and set off to discover the best cycling routes in Spain. Don’t forget to pick the right gear!

Ruta de la Plata

This route overlaps with sections of the famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route and the ancient Via de la Plata road. The route starts in Seville and ends in Gijon, crosses four autonomous communities and seven provinces in Spain, for a total of 800 kilometers of roads. Along the way, you can see special signs in the form of yellow arrows, which will help even beginners not to get lost, looking at the beautiful landscapes that open up at each site. The Ruta de la Plata route can be traversed both by mountain bike through natural paths and by road, driving along asphalt roads. The path leads through beautiful cities with a rich history such as Seville, Merida, Caceres, Placencia, Bejar, Zamora, Benavente, Leon, Oviedo and Gijón. The best time of the year for this route is spring, when the fields and pastures of Extremadura, Castile and Leon and Asturias are filled with bright colors and fresh scents of nature.

Transpirenaica

Transpirenaica is one of the most famous routes in Spain with a fairly high level of difficulty, requiring preliminary preparation. The route is about 800 kilometers long and runs through the Pyrenees from east to west, from the Mediterranean to the Cantabrian Sea. It starts in the municipality of Llanza (Catalonia) and ends in Fuenterrabia (Basque Country) and lasts about 16–18 days. The route is intended for mountain bikers, as most of the trail runs on rough roads with a lot of stones. Travelers note that leg fatigue is compensated by the joy of being in beautiful wild mountainous areas and in the authentic atmosphere of small villages.

Vía verde de Ojos Negros

Vía verde de Ojos Negros is currently the longest Green Route in Spain. Green Roads are old railways surrounded by nature that have been converted into convenient routes that have become popular with hikers and cyclists. The path runs between the city of Teruel (Aragon) and Sagunto (Valencia). A total of 160 kilometers of the route are divided into two different sections. The first section, which follows the Sierra Menera railway line, passes through the Hawalambre and Goudar mountain ranges and the Hiloka valley in Teruel province. The second part descends to the famous agricultural area of ​​Horta de Valencia on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, passing through the province of Castellon, leading to the Valencian municipality of Aljimia de Alfara. The advantage of this route is that most of the road is downhill, which makes life much easier for cyclists, especially those who do not have much experience of this kind of travel.

El Túnel de Engaña

The most unusual cycling route for thrill-seekers is through the unfinished railway tunnel connecting the provinces of Burgos and Cantabria through the Cantabrian Mountains. The route is marked with an average level of difficulty with a duration of no more than one day. But for this day, travelers will experience an unforgettable experience from a trip inside several abandoned tunnels and bright green nature in open areas. Adventurers will be able to tap their imaginations and imagine how successful this railway could have been if its construction had not been suspended.

Ruta Costa da Morte

From A Coruña to Finisterre by bike, this route is considered one of the most beautiful in Spain. It runs past cliffs, ports, lighthouses and beaches, allowing you to enjoy the exquisite gastronomy of the Galicia region at stops. During a 4–5 day trip, travelers can see such unusual places as the rocky Cabo Vilán peninsula, the Ezaro waterfalls, the Dolmen de Dombate cultural heritage museum. Ruta Costa da Morte is a medium difficulty route, as it combines flat areas with fairly steep slopes.

La TransAndalus

The most interesting route to get to know the Andalusia region is the TransAndalus, a cycle path of more than 2,000 kilometers that runs through eight provinces in the region. It is heavy enough for one trip, however, it allows you to start and end it on almost any leg, so many travelers prefer to go through it in parts. Its landscape diversity is amazing, combining beaches, mountains, nature reserves such as the Sierra Nevada or Doñana, small villages and large historic cities such as Seville, Granada and Cordoba. It is worth noting that most of the path runs along dirt roads and rural trails, therefore it requires a mountain bike and good physical fitness.

Vía Verde de Girona

One of the most famous routes in Catalonia, which follows the old railway lines that connect Girona with Olot. It runs on a flat road without sharp descents and ascents, so it is ideal to go on a bike trip with children. The most iconic site of the route is the Garrotxa volcanic zone, which has a unique ecological significance for Catalonia.

El Camino de Levante

Caravaca de la Cruz (Murcia), along with Santiago de Compostela, Rome, Jerusalem and Santo Toribio de Liebana, is one of the five places in the world that the Vatican has granted the right to be considered pilgrimage. The road leading from the city of Orihuela in the province of Alicante to the Basilica Santuario Vera Cruz, which is the final destination of the pilgrimage, is called El Camino de Levante. Cyclists also love this route for the absence of sharp descents and ascents, the presence of direction signs and wonderful landscapes. At the initial section, the path runs along a convenient pedestrian and bicycle road parallel to the Segura River. Then the landscape changes, leading travelers to another “Green Way” on the site of the old railway. The route is considered easy enough to travel with children.

Originally published at https://bike-west.com on January 24, 2021.