HobbesOnTour
Guru
- Location
- España
Not a fan of the EV routes in general and in some places cycling is so good designated "routes" can miss a lot but I thought some long term planners might be interested in this.
From Lisbon through some pretty steep hills, then Mérida (full of Roman ruins), through sparse, but stunning landscape (and hills!) to the magical, medieval Toledo, then up to Madrid, a glorious city, then across to Teruel through stunning mountains, red landscapes and empty towns, and finally up to Pamplona across Aragon and via Zaragoza.
It won't be easy! There's a whole lot of climbing and parts of that route are going to be blistering hot in the summer but it gives a very good introduction to the variety that is Spain. (Very little is in Portugal).
They say that something like 85% of the route is ready to go but that it will take until 2028 for the route to go live. Personally, I'm incredibly lucky to have some experience in most of the areas that the route covers and a signpost every now and then won't make much of a difference - Spain is a great place to cycle, bike route or no. Camping, in parts though, may be challenging.
There's a bike bus that runs from NL to Pamplona that can be joined in Brussels and Paris to get bikes down (or back). And of course, it intersects with two Camino routes, Via de la Plata (at Mérida) and the Camino Francés (in Pamplona). Teruel is on (or close to) the famous Camino del Cid (not a pilgrim route). From there it's all downhill to the Med at Valencia if you fancy a detour and a dip.
For the more adventurous (and probably lighter packers) there's no shortage of interesting gravel/off-road options in all those parts, most notably the Montañas Vacias (Empty mountains) around Teruel.
If all that isn't enough...... there's the food! So. Much. Food!
Portugal. Narrow roads, can be rough, can be very steep, but away from everyone? Pretty damn good!
For my money, Extremadura (Mérida) is one of the friendliest parts of Spain and relatively lacking in tourists. But there's something about the air and the open spaces that makes magic.
Approach Toledo from the right direction and you'd need to be dead not to feel a thrill. Taking a trip through the old town is like taking a trip through time.
The Martian landscape around Teruel
Zaragoza has, in my humble, one of the finest Plazas in all of Spain. Impossible to photograph it, though, because it's so big!! It's behind that building. Be wary of the cops though. They are not very friendly.
Aragon. Generally flat and rural. Get away from the main roads and it can be very, very pleasant.
Early, early morning just outside Pamplona.
Whatever EV might say, this is how CycleTravel suggests to get in or out of Madrid
And that ends this Public Service Announcement by the Spanish Bike Tourist Board
From Lisbon through some pretty steep hills, then Mérida (full of Roman ruins), through sparse, but stunning landscape (and hills!) to the magical, medieval Toledo, then up to Madrid, a glorious city, then across to Teruel through stunning mountains, red landscapes and empty towns, and finally up to Pamplona across Aragon and via Zaragoza.
It won't be easy! There's a whole lot of climbing and parts of that route are going to be blistering hot in the summer but it gives a very good introduction to the variety that is Spain. (Very little is in Portugal).
They say that something like 85% of the route is ready to go but that it will take until 2028 for the route to go live. Personally, I'm incredibly lucky to have some experience in most of the areas that the route covers and a signpost every now and then won't make much of a difference - Spain is a great place to cycle, bike route or no. Camping, in parts though, may be challenging.
There's a bike bus that runs from NL to Pamplona that can be joined in Brussels and Paris to get bikes down (or back). And of course, it intersects with two Camino routes, Via de la Plata (at Mérida) and the Camino Francés (in Pamplona). Teruel is on (or close to) the famous Camino del Cid (not a pilgrim route). From there it's all downhill to the Med at Valencia if you fancy a detour and a dip.
For the more adventurous (and probably lighter packers) there's no shortage of interesting gravel/off-road options in all those parts, most notably the Montañas Vacias (Empty mountains) around Teruel.
If all that isn't enough...... there's the food! So. Much. Food!
Portugal. Narrow roads, can be rough, can be very steep, but away from everyone? Pretty damn good!
For my money, Extremadura (Mérida) is one of the friendliest parts of Spain and relatively lacking in tourists. But there's something about the air and the open spaces that makes magic.
Approach Toledo from the right direction and you'd need to be dead not to feel a thrill. Taking a trip through the old town is like taking a trip through time.
The Martian landscape around Teruel
Zaragoza has, in my humble, one of the finest Plazas in all of Spain. Impossible to photograph it, though, because it's so big!! It's behind that building. Be wary of the cops though. They are not very friendly.
Aragon. Generally flat and rural. Get away from the main roads and it can be very, very pleasant.
Early, early morning just outside Pamplona.
Whatever EV might say, this is how CycleTravel suggests to get in or out of Madrid
And that ends this Public Service Announcement by the Spanish Bike Tourist Board
