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Ten of the most amazing bike routes in Spain

Here are some of the greatest and most beautiful cycling routes across Spain for avid cyclists, from Don Quijote territory to the green north. Saddle up everyone!

Ten of the most amazing bike routes in Spain
The view from Santander in northern Spain. Here are some of the best bike routes in Spain. Photo: Willian Justen de Vasconcellos/Unsplash

Spain is a great country for cycling, so great in fact that it even has several dedicated cycling routes across the country called vías verdes or greenways.

These greenways were built along old disused railway lines and have now become an environmentally friendly way to explore the country (here is a map showing all the greenways).

But there are other cycling routes around Spain that are just as impressive and can be completed by avid low to mid-level cyclists.

Here are ten bike routes in Spain that will take your breath away (at times in both senses of the word).

The TransAndalus, Andalusia

The TransAndalus trail is a 2,000km (1,240 miles) long circuit specifically designed for mountain bikes. It goes through the eight provinces of Andalusia and gives experienced riders a chance to pass through incredible natural sites, such as the Sierra Nevada, Doñana and Cabo de Gata national parks. There are a total of 23 stages, meaning that you can pick and choose which one or ones you do, without having to complete the entire trail. Less experienced cyclists can choose a specific shorter section. Stage one starts in Seville and is a mostly downhill ride to Chiclana de la Frontera.

The TransAndalus passing through some of the region’s most spectacular scenery. Photo: jbdodane / Wikimedia Commons (CC 2.0)

Vía Verde de Ojos Negros, Aragon and Valencia

Running from the town of Ojos Negros, in the province of Teruel to Sagunto, on the Valencian coast, this is Spain’s longest greenway at 160km. It has been divided into two sections, so you can just choose to do one or the other if the whole route is too long. The first part follows the line of the Sierra Menera mining railway, in the Palancia river valley, while the second part descends towards the Valencian orange groves, on the shores of the Mediterranean.

Cycling along the Vía Verde de Ojos Negros. Photo: Pacopac / Wikimedia Commons
 

Ruta Don Quijote, Castilla-La Mancha 

Lovers of literature, Cervantes and Don Quijote will enjoy this route following in the unlikely hero’s footsteps. The whole route covers 2,500km (1553.4 miles) and runs through all five of the region’s provinces, but it’s split up into 10 sections, making it easy to select which one you want to do. Declared a European Cultural Route, it travels through two National Parks, six natural parks and six nature reserves, running along a combination of cattle trails, historic paths, riverbanks and disused railway lines. 

Windmills Castilla-La Mancha
See the famous windmills of Consuegra along this cycle route. Photo: JamesHose / Pixabay
 

Vía Verde del Val del Zafán, Aragon and Catalonia

This spectacular route travels alongside the azure blue channels which eventually end up joining the grand Ebro River. It passes through the regions of Bajo Martín, Bajo Aragón, Matarraña, Terra Alta and Baix Ebre. Punctuated by viaducts, tunnels and protected natural spaces, it’s a pretty straight and easy greenway to follow, with some final twists and turns when you reach the Catalan coast at Tortosa near the Ebro Delta at the end. 

Ebro Delta
This route follows parts of the grand Ebro River. Photo: Future75 / Wikimedia Commons
 

READ ALSO: Cycling in Spain -12 fines you need to watch out for

Camino de Santiago 

Pilgrims on foot are not the only ones who can enjoy this world-famous voyage. Cyclists can choose whether to complete the full 800km (500 miles) French Way or do the minimum 200km required to obtain the precious Pilgrimage Certificate.

READ ALSO: Top tips to safely enjoy Spain’s Camino de Santiago on foot or by bike

Camino de Santiago
You can also do the Camino de Santiago by bike. Photo: Burkard Meyendriesch / Pixabay
 

Vía Verde del Carrilet, Catalonia

This route runs for 57km (35.4 miles), linking the town of Olot and the Garrotxa Volcanic Naural park with the city of Girona. Following the banks of the Ter, Brugent and Fluvià rivers, it winds its way between fields, forests and bridges, with the towering ancient volcanoes as your backdrop. The route is well signposted and is also suitable for hikers. 

Via verde Olot to Girona
This route begins at the otherworldly Garrotxa volcanic natural park. Photo: Peremagria / Wikimedia Commons
 

Vía Verde Tajuna, Madrid

This spectacular bike path offers city dwellers the chance to escape the hustle and bustle without planning ahead. Simply get off at the last stop on Metro line 9 (Arganda del Rey) and hop on to your bici. The route runs along the river of the same name and runs for a total of 49km (30.4), passing through the quaint towns of Carabaña, Ambite, Oruco, Tielmes or Perales de Tajuna and Morata. This cycle path is also equipped for hiking and for people with disabilities or reduced mobility.

Via Verde Tajuna Madrid
You can see the ruins of the old station of Tajuna along the way. Photo: Malopez 21 / Wikimedia Commons
 

Vía Verde de la Sierra, Cádiz, Andalusia 

This 37km (22 mile) vía verde runs from the village of Puerto Serrano in the province of Cádiz to Olvera, a small village north-east of Ronda. It passes through no less than 30 tunnels and over four viaducts, as well as valleys and river banks. Free of traffic and a relatively easy ride overall, it’s ideal for a family day trip – and if the little ones are too tired, taxis with bicycle racks are available for the return journey.

Via Verde Cádiz
The Vía Verde de la Sierra is ideal for the whole family. Photo: El Pantera / Wikimedia Commons.
 

Timanfaya National Park, Lanzarote, Canary Islands 

Go for a ride through the land of volcanoes in Lanzarote’s Timanfaya National Park. Ideal for mountain bikers, there is even an 8km (5 mile) downhill track through the island’s unique landscapes and lava fields. The archipelago’s mild climate makes it a biking paradise throughout the year.

Lanzarote
Ride through the volcanic landscapes of Timanfaya National Park. Photo: Manfred Zajac / Pixabay
 

Vía Verde del Plazaola, Navarra and the Basque Country

One of the most beautiful greenways is the 66.5km (41.3 miles) Vía Verde del Plazaola, traversing through the regions of Navarra and the Basque Country, passing through an array of forests and meadows. 41.9km of the route passes through Navarra and 24.6km through Gipuzkoa, so you can choose which section to do. The route also takes you through many tunnels, including the longest tunnel you can cycle through in Spain. The trail takes its name from the abandoned Plazaola mines, you’ll pass along the way. 

Plazaola cycle route
The Vía Verde del Plazaola takes you through many tunnels. Photo: Cherubino / Wikimedia Commons
 

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Seven of the least touristy places in Spain to visit over Easter

Looking to spend Easter in Spain but dreading the crowds? Here are seven places across the country where you're far less likely to encounter many tourists.

Seven of the least touristy places in Spain to visit over Easter

Spain’s bigger cities like Madrid, Barcelona and Seville are always pretty packed with tourists. During Easter, when many countries have public and school holidays, they can be even busier than usual and getting around can become pretty difficult.

During Easter specifically, some towns and cities, most famously Seville, can be absolutely overrun with tourists during Semana Santa – Holy Week.

If you’re wanting to get away but don’t fancy facing the crowds, here are 8 of the least touristy cities in Spain to visit this Easter.

READ ALSO: What are the best cities in Spain to see the Semana Santa processions?

Badajoz

Badajoz is often ignored compared to its neighbours Cáceres and Mérida, but well worth a visit. The city of roughly 150,000 in the Extremadura region of western Spain sits on the border with Portugal and is much cheaper than visiting traditional tourist hotspots such as Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville over Easter.

Badajoz’s impressive Moorish citadel, located on the banks of the Guadiana river, is an extraordinary fortress from the Al-Andalus period and is one of the largest in Spain. The San Juan Bautista cathedral is another historical monument worth seeing. For those who’ve visited Seville, Badajoz also has a Giralda tower very similar to the one in the Andalusian capital.

Badajoz and the region of Extremadura as a whole welcome very few tourists. Photo: Alonso de Mendoza/Wikipedia.

Ciudad Real

Ciudad Real is a small city, with a population of around 75,000 people, found right in the centre of Spain in the Castilla-La Mancha region. It’s about a 2.5 hour drive south of Madrid.

For the literature fans among our readership, Ciudad Real is most commonly associated with the seminal novel in Spanish history (indeed arguably in world history) Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. As such, one of the city’s main attractions is the Don Quixote museum, but the city has much to offer than literary connections. The Santa María del Prado cathedral and Plaza Mayor are of particular note. Close to Ciudad Real is Almagro, considered one of the most beautiful villages in Spain. 

Almagro is a short drive away from Ciudad Real city. Photo: Carlos Cuerda/Flickr (public domain)

Huesca

Another hidden gem is Huesca, in the Aragón region. Huesca is small, with a population of a little over 50,000, but the city and province that goes by the same name stand out and really punches above its weight for incredible historical heritage. In the old town alone, the smaller city boasts the San Pedro el Viejo monastery and the Cathedral of Transfiguración del Señor. 

The cathedral of Santa María de Huesca is arguably the most renowned and well known historical monument in the city. It is Gothic in style and was somewhere built between the 13th and 14th centuries by order of Jaime I — definitely worth a visit!

You can escape the crowds of tourists this Easter in the village of Torla in Huesca province (Aragón). Photo: Antonio López/Pixabay

Soria

Soria is a stunning little city in the Castilla y León region. It’s around a 2 hour drive from Zaragoza, and can be easily reached by public transport from Madrid in around 2 and a half hours.

The city also oozes history wherever you look. Soria’s Plaza Mayor, the heart of the city, is home to both the Fuente de los Leones and Casa de los Doce Linajes, which dates back to the 18th century and has neoclassical style. Soria also boasts the Church of Santo Domingo, considered one of the masterpieces of Romanesque architecture in Spain.

San Juan de Duero Monastery on the outskirts of Soria. Photo: Diego Delso/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

El Hierro

The smallest of Spain’s Canary Islands has fewer than 10,000 inhabitants and is a world apart from touristy Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. Dozens of trails through dense laurel forests, some of the best scuba diving Spain has to offer and quaint villages are some of its main draws. Above all, you’ll find it extremely easy to find peace and tranquillity in La Isla de Meridiano, considered for centuries to be the most westerly point in the world.  

Don’t expect traffic jams on the isolated Canary island of El Hierro. Photo: Simon/Pixabay

Camino Natural Senda del Duero

Another worthwhile Easter trip for nature lovers, ramblers and cyclists. The Camino Natural Senda del Duero is a very long trail that begins on the border of the provinces of La Rioja, Burgos and Soria in the highest peak of the Iberian mountain range, the Picos de Urbión. This is where the river Duero begins, and it then flows into Oporto before crossing Castilla y León from east to west for 750 kilometres.

Along the way are towns such as Aranda de Duero, Peñafiel, Almazán and Simancas, stops on a long tour through Castilian nature, history and tradition.

A bend in the Duero river around Fermoselle and Pinilla. Photo: Zona especial de conservación/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ezcaray

Ezcaray is a tiny town of around 2000 people in the La Rioja region. It’s less than an hour from nearby Logroño, three and a half hours from Madrid, and the picturesque town is surrounded by rolling green hills and mountains.

Ezcaray may be small, but boasts a lot of visit worthy sites. The Real Fábrica de Paños de Santa Bárbara, an old textile factory, is a recognised cultural asset, as is the Casa de Tintes ‘El Fuerte’, which has been converted into the town hall. The church of Santa María la Mayor is also worth a visit, especially during Easter, for its eye-catching reddish stone, Gothic style and an ornate altarpiece dating back to the 12th century.

Ezcaray and the region in which it is located – La Rioja – are both off the tourist trail. Photo: Almudena Sanz/Pixabay

L’Ametlla de Mar

If you want a coastal trip this Easter but don’t want the hustle and bustle of cities like Valencia, Málaga or Alicante, consider L’Ametlla de Mar in Tarragona.

A town of just 8,000 people that has gorgeous coastal views, L’Ametlla de Mar strikes a balance between being small and compact but also offering tourists plenty to keep busy with. The port is worth a visit, as is the fish auction at Llotja de L’Ametlla and, of course, the 30 beautiful coves and beaches in the area, five of which have been awarded with distinctions.

Cala de la Leña, one of the many quiet coves around ‘Ametlla de Mar. Photo: Damià Llaó/Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 4.0

Sierra Morena Sevillana

Though Seville city centre will be absolutely packed with people during Semana Santa, the province itself has something of a hidden gem you could enjoy during Easter. Sierra Morena Sevillana is a protected nature reserve north of Seville, and whether it be fishing in the Rivera del Huéznar, heading to the Almadén de la Plata, the only public astronomical observatory in Spain, or enjoying some of the famous local Andalusian gastronomy, you’re sure to find something to help you disconnect from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Escape Seville’s Semana Santa processions in the nearby Sierra Morena. Photo: NacionAndaluza/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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