La Vuelta Ibérica

Since 2008 we organise La Bella Italia, a real Giro d'Italia. We made a big loop through France over more than 100 Cols in 2015 and 2022, a real Tour de France. It was waiting for a real Vuelta a España. So, here we are. La Vuelta Ibérica.

We start near Barcelona at the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea and cycle inland over quiet roads which soon start to climb. The Pyrenees loom up above the horizon and is the inspiring décor for the first week. Unknown Pyrenees passes are alternated with tranquil dam reservoirs and narrow canyons. A rest day is planned in the centre of the Pyrenees in the Monte Perdido National Park.

We drop down to sea level in San Sebastián at the Bay of Biscay. The city has dozens of tapas bars and tops frequently on lists of the world's best places to eat. Perfect ingredients for a second rest day. We ride along the Basque coastline with tiny fishing villages till Bilbao, an old hardworking harbour town which is decorated nowadays with a shimmering titanium Guggenheim Museum. We leave the cities and sea behind for more than 800 challenging kilometres. Fabulous cycling is waiting over small winding roads through the unspoilt Cantabrian Mountains which stretch east-west across northern Spain. We are captivated in the centre of the massif by the beauty of the jagged, deeply fissured Picos de Europa.

Santiago de Compostela in the northwest corner of the peninsula is for many travellers their final destination, for us it's one of those magical places along the route. The world famous town is definitely worth a rest day on our cycle pilgrimage around the Iberian Peninsula.

We continue south and enter soon the North of Portugal with green fertile hills and the valleys of the Rio Duoro with innumerable vineyards for the renowned Port. The golden river flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Porto, the second city of the country and the place where we have time to taste its famous wine. Rolling Portuguese inland and flat coastal roads bring us to the alluring capital, Lisboa. On the way we visit the old university city Coimbra.

The area south of Lisboa is flatter, emptier and dryer. A few longer stages bring us back into Spain, where Andalusia is decorated with its famous white cities and villages. The tour leads us along beautiful historical places like Sevilla and Córdoba before we end up in maybe the most picturesque city of Spain, Granada. It's known for its wonderful Moorisch architecture, but for us it's more than that. Granada is located at the foot of the impressive Sierra Nevada and the start for the climb up to Pico Veleta. We don't want to miss out on that of course. What a finish! Cycling up to 3.394 meter, the highest paved road of Europe.

The second edition of "La Vuelta Ibérica" starts Monday May 22nd, 2023 near Barcelona and finishes after 42 days, 34 stages, 3.500 kilometres and 56.000 climbing meters in Granada.

La Vuelta Ibérica has everything in it for a fabulous roadtrip around Spain and Portugal with a rich history, an interesting culture and a delicious cuisine. Fortunately it doesn't miss out on the challenge of a real Vuelta a España. This makes the trilogy of Tour, Giro and Vuelta complete.