Cantabria Green Spain

Cantabria - "The Green Spain" 5 Nights is a compact, self-guided introduction to Northern Spain's coast and valleys, condensing IberoCycle's longer Green Spain itineraries into a shorter break. From the medieval village of Santillana del Mar, with its cobbled streets and Altamira Caves museum, the route heads west through the lemon groves of Novales to the seaside village of Comillas, with its harbour, tapas-lined square and Gaudí's El Capricho, then along the beaches of the Oyambre Natural Park to the fishing village of San Vicente de la Barquera, where two nights and a free day are spent.

San Vicente's free day offers a choice of routes: a ride to the mountain village of Carmona, a train excursion to the fishing village of Llanes in Asturias with a ride back, a loop through the unspoilt hill country behind the village, or simply a lazy afternoon on the beach.

From San Vicente, a vehicle transfer carries riders up to 822 metres in the Cantabrian Mountains for the tour's signature stage: a long, scenic descent of the limestone Miera Valley, passing the mountain village of San Roque de Riomiera and the spa village of Liérganes, down to the farmland around Somo and the Bay of Santander. A final free day at Somo allows a boat trip across to Santander's belle époque seafront, or a ride to the beaches of Loredo, Langre and Galizano, finishing with grilled sardines at Pedreña.

Highlights:

• Medieval village of Santillana del Mar and the Altamira Caves museum
• Comillas, with Gaudí's El Capricho and the Palace of the Marqués de Comillas
• Free day at the fishing village of San Vicente de la Barquera, with an optional train excursion to Llanes
• Scenic descent of the limestone Miera Valley from 822m to the coast
• Boat trip across the Bay of Santander to the city's belle époque seafront
• Grilled sardines at the seaside restaurants of Pedreña

Surface and terrain:
Generally easy to intermediate cycling. A mix of move-on days and free days lets riders choose their own distances. Day 4 is a long descent from 822m down the Miera Valley to the coast. Carbon, e-road, trekking and e-hybrid bikes offered.

Suitable for:
Self-guided cyclists wanting a short, flexible introduction to Cantabria's coast and valleys, with two free days built in for extra activities or simply resting.