Picos & Angliru (Northern Spain)

Overview

Experience the best cycling in the Picos de Europa by road bike. Climb famous Vuelta passes: Alto de l'Angliru, Gamoniteiro, Fuenta Dé, and Lagos de Covadonga. Flexible itinerary with daily route options to suit mixed-ability pairs and groups. Optional daily Challenge route: over 800km and 16,500m ascent across the week. Comfortable and friendly 2* and 3* hotels with local cuisine geared to cyclists. Exceptional support from two customised support vans and two expert, proactive and fun guides focused on making your holiday the best it can be. The Picos de Europa in Northern Spain is a little-known paradise for cyclists. There are few places where the landscape is so varied: rugged limestone mountains, deep gorges, tranquil mountain pastures, and traditional Cantabrian villages. The climbs on this Marmot Classic style holiday are also diverse: from gentle and meandering to short and sharp! Then there is the infamous Alto de l'Angliru, which is just plain brutal - but optional of course! This is a fabulous cycling holiday for pairs or groups of friends with mixed abilities, due to the variety of routes we've crafted for you. We've designed the daily Classic route so that if taken steadily, the gradients and distance between the hotels where you'll be staying are manageable and enjoyable for most keen cyclists. However, each day there's an optional Challenge route, comprising extra climbs and loops, increasing the possible daily ascent to between 2000m and 3600m. This makes this cycling tour also suitable for those looking to really push themselves and take on some epic cycling challenges and infamous ascents. As with all our flexible-pace itineraries, you'll benefit from the incomparable support of two expert (and fun!) Marmot guides whose mission is to help you achieve your goals as an individual. You can ride at your own pace, stop when you like, and take advantage of our fully kitted-out support vans loaded with snacks, water, and mechanical spares, should you need them. All you need to do is admire the scenery, turn the pedals and enjoy the ride! 6 days of stunning cycling with route options daily. Detailed GPS route files provided for all route options. On-the-road support from two friendly and knowledgable guides both in customised support vehicles. Water and unlimited snacks (fruit, cake, nuts, snack bars etc) at support stops. 7 nights twin-share hotel accommodation including breakfasts. 7 three-course evening meals, with wine, beer or soft drinks included. Airport transfers on arrival and departure days at specified times. Our photos of you and your holiday, shared with you after the trip. Tips paid to evening meal restaurant staff on behalf of the group. Your money financially protected by ABTOT. Added consumer confidence and support via our ABTA membership. We stay in comfortable 2* and 3* hotels with ensuite facilities. We have selected the hotels for their location and for their customer service towards cyclists. You will be sharing a twin room with another client (of the same gender) unless you book a single room for a supplement. Each hotel has a garage/locked room to ensure that your bike has a comfortable night too. All the hotels have WiFi but it is not always reliable! Some only have WiFi in reception as opposed to in individual rooms. Also, WiFi can be slower in the evenings when many riders choose to upload their routes to Strava, stretching the bandwidth. We move on most nights of this trip, so opportunities to use hotel laundry facilities (where they exist) are limited. However, we can help dry your hand-washed kit, so consider bringing some hand-wash detergent with you. The hotels and restaurants we use can cater for most dietary needs and allergies if we know what these are well in advance. Each day, your guides will also double-check with the kitchen, to ensure they have something suitable planned for you. You can let us know about any special dietary requirements on the booking form or via email. Please note that we request you stick to your dietary preference for the entire trip, as it’s very complicated for the hotels (and guides) if an individual has dietary requirements for some meals and not for others. Despite endless perseverance from us, some hotels still struggle at times to accommodate specific diets. It is possible you’ll encounter some repetitive dishes across the week. Your day will typically start with breakfast from around 08:30 with set off time at around 09:45 to 10:15. Lunch is typically served in restaurants and cafes from 14:00 to 16:00. Depending on which route you choose each day, you’ll be back at the hotel any time between 14:00 and 18:30. Dinner is usually served at 20:30. Your guides may occasionally need to adjust these timings depending on the needs of the group or the weather conditions. Our holidays are cycling holidays (with an emphasis on cycling!), but you are welcome to have a lift in our vans during the day if you need one, for example if you’re injured, exhausted, or unsure about riding in challenging weather conditions. If you become ill or injured and are not planning to ride for the whole day (or if you would just like a day off the bike!), then we will normally recommend that you take a taxi directly to the next hotel. This will give you the maximum possible time to rest and recover at the hotel, or to enjoy other activities off the bike. If you have rim brakes on your carbon wheels then we definitely do NOT recommend you bring them on this holiday - this is because we have witnessed several cases of sudden and catastrophic delamination of these wheels on descents. Take a look at our blog about this issue. If you’re bringing your own bike, then please also bring: bike lights, a pump, tyre levers, inner tubes, brake pads, a chain link, a spare rear derailleur hanger. Tools for bike assembly are not required as Marmot Tours has them available for you to use on arrival (including a torque wrench). See FAQS for more detail. If you are a non-EU national, to enter the EU you will need a passport issued within the last 10 years, that is also valid for at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave the EU. Residents of many countries can enter the EU for short stays without a visa. From 2027, all non-EU visitors to the EU will require an ETIAS electronic travel authorisation. Travel insurance is essential for all Marmot Tours holidays and anyone without insurance is not able to take part in the tour. We offer included transfers from Bilbao Airport (BIO) at scheduled times on the arrival day. Transfers take about 2hrs 45min. Today you'll meet your guides, assemble your bikes, and have a welcome briefing with your fellow riders, before enjoying a great dinner in the peaceful setting of your hotel. Today we head north through the deep gorge of the Desfiladero de la Hermida, almost down to sea level, before joining a beautiful road that skirts around the northern high peaks of the Picos. The most significant climb is the modest Alto de Ortiguero (443m), which should test your legs for what's to come later in the week! Today we traverse the high plateau to the west of Riaño over several small mountain passes, cycling through narrow gorges, remote villages, and terraced hillsides. It is a truly stunning ride and the descent from the Passo Pajares (1378m) is a real treat. What goes down, must go up again! The Puerto de San Isidro (1520m) is an epic climb, lasting the best part of 30km! Next up, you'll climb the beautiful and gentle Puerto de Las Señales (1625m) before descending to the reservoir and our hotel in Riaño. Those really wanting to test their mettle might want to take on the gradients of the mighty Alto de l'Angliru (1570m) today - a climb that rivals Alpe d'Huez and Mortirolo as one of the most demanding in professional cycling. The main ascent is only 7km, but has an average gradient of 14% and an extended section of 24% - oof! In order to get to the Angliru you must first endure the Alto de El Cordal (789m) which serves as a good warm-up! Today you'll enjoy riding through narrow gorges, towering limestone cliffs and lush green meadows in the heart of the Picos. You'll start gently with the understated Puerto de Panderruedas (1450m), then you'll descend to the mountain town of Posada de Valdeón. Enjoy a coffee whilst you contemplate whether or not to cycle the Challenge route, which takes in the most visited road in the Picos: the narrow gorge to Caín de Valdeón... Unusually, this optional extra ride descends to Caín (where the road turns into a narrow path), so you must turn around at the end and climb back up! The road is narrow and our support vehicles cannot get down there, so it's a decision you'll need to commit to! Sadly, your week of glorious cycling in the Picos has come to an end - though your legs will no doubt thank you! We offer included transfers at scheduled times from Potes to Bilbao Airport (BIO), a journey of about 2hrs 45min. We are pleased to offer some tempting discounts off the basic trip cost (not including extras such as single rooms or bike hire): 5% early bookers discount for booking & paying deposit more than 6 months in advance. 7.5% group discount for groups of 10+ people and the group organiser receives a £150 voucher. 10% discount from your third Marmot Tours road cycling holiday onwards. Please note that there is a maximum 10% discount on any holiday.

Daily Ride Schedule

Accommodation & Services

Accommodation

Hotel

What's Included