Bilbao to Granada - late spring/early summer.Route advice ?

CyclepathToHell

I'm meeting friends in a little village SW of Granada in late June.

As I am going to have the time and I am a little crazy I am going to cycle there.... Probably taking the ferry to Bilbao but I may even take off ten days earlier and go from San Malo and do the West coast of France first - a pretty pleasant and easy ride I've done a lot of times.

Anyway, apart from the Basque country my knowledge of Spain for cycle touring is limited - I 've only driven on the big motorways.


So, I would be grateful for any advice on a decent route. So far I can't tell if I should drop straight down , going through a lot of mountains and hitting the awful traffic a hundred miles before Madrid, or going to the West more..

Alternatively I could go to the East more.

Hard to choose. As I will be mainly camping (and I hate wild camping as I find it stressful that I shall be discovered) I will need a route with a decent amount of campsites , which is hard in Spain as it's less into camping than France.

Anyway, any advice or thoughts?

ut_och_cykla

I crossed from Gibraltar to Somport, east of Madrid. No serious traffic probs, used Hostals as they are nearly always available. Cuenca was cute but north of there pretty isolated. Used Michelins 1/400 000 map - detailed enough. Can't say much about campsites - only saw two in three weeks & both were closed (May 2000)
Have a super trip - I am just a little envious!

CyclepathToHell

thanks for the heads up and info. yea, i have heard about the lack of campsites but the cheap pensions are pretty decent and widespread from my experience of car touring.

megilleland

Basically you have identified three routes from Bilbao to Granada. Whichever way you go you will hit mountains! All three will offer an exciting journey, but you have to take the plunge and decide whether you want to visit Madrid. If you don't I would plan a western route avoiding Madrid via Burgos, Penafiel, Segovia, Avila and Sierra Gredos, Oropesa, Almaden, Cordoba, Baena, Priego de Cordoba, Montefrio, Granada.

I wouldn't bother with an eastern route from Bilbao. Instead if you are coming down through France cross the Pyrenees at Roncesvalles take the Camino Santiago to Estella, through the wine country of La Rioja to Soria and into the area called La Alcarria to Tarancon. From here to Mota del Cuervo, Tomelloso, the lakes of Ruidera, Villanueva de los Infantes and across the sierras to Santisteban del Puerto and arrive in the architecturally historic towns of Ubeda and Baeza. Finally through the Sierra Magina to Huelma onto Iznalloz and into Granada.

Regarding camping in Spain there are several campsites in each province which are open all year round, the earliest the other sites open is Easter with some only open during the peak holiday season from June to September. I can send you a file of those open all year round if you want, otherwise stay in hostals which are cheap and found in most large settlements and towns. Whichever route you take in Spain you will be guaranteed a great adventure.

CyclepathToHell

megilleland wrote:

Basically you have identified three routes from Bilbao to Granada. Whichever way you go you will hit mountains! All three will offer an exciting journey, but you have to take the plunge and decide whether you want to visit Madrid. If you don't I would plan a western route avoiding Madrid via Burgos, Penafiel, Segovia, Avila and Sierra Gredos, Oropesa, Almaden, Cordoba, Baena, Priego de Cordoba, Montefrio, Granada.

I wouldn't bother with an eastern route from Bilbao. Instead if you are coming down through France cross the Pyrenees at Roncesvalles take the Camino Santiago to Estella, through the wine country of La Rioja to Soria and into the area called La Alcarria to Tarancon. From here to Mota del Cuervo, Tomelloso, the lakes of Ruidera, Villanueva de los Infantes and across the sierras to Santisteban del Puerto and arrive in the architecturally historic towns of Ubeda and Baeza. Finally through the Sierra Magina to Huelma onto Iznalloz and into Granada.

Regarding camping in Spain there are several campsites in each province which are open all year round, the earliest the other sites open is Easter with some only open during the peak holiday season from June to September. I can send you a file of those open all year round if you want, otherwise stay in hostals which are cheap and found in most large settlements and towns. Whichever route you take in Spain you will be guaranteed a great adventure.

hey, this is fantastic information. thanks ever so much.

Yes, I definitely want to avoid Madrid - I've been there a few times and can't think of much more horrible experience than cycling in and out on a tourer.

I think the Western route via Burgos sounds very interesting..do you think this is potentially a better tour than the La Rioja one?

I would be very grateful for the file. I will pm you my email.

Once again, thanks for going to the trouble to give me such a detailed answer.

CyclepathToHell

megilleland - you have PM

geoff_ss

My only experience of cycle camping in Spain is just to the south of the Pyrenees and we found campsites quite rare except near the coast. We wild camped several times sometimes getting permission sometimes not. Certainly in the late 80s wild camping was permitted in Spain except within a certain distance of an official site and on dry river beds

We had some fantastic spots.

Good luck with your trip. We rode out tandem from Torremolinas to Granada (about 100 miles) and spent a day in the Alhambra which was quiet as it was February. We rode back over the mountains having stayed in Granada for 2 nights. A great ride in perfect weather.

Geoff

megilleland

CyclepathToHell

megilleland - you have PM

I haven't received your message yet

megilleland

I misread the date you were going to Granada. I thought it was fairly soon. Being June you will have no problems camping, all sites will be open and there are plenty of them. Will give you links on PM.

CyclepathToHell

Check your inbox megilleland I sent you my addy. I am interested in any info you might have on where the campsites are. I'm probably going to buy an Alan Rogers Spain or similar guide so I can work out a route that has a fair few campsites.

In an ideal world I can find some of the cheaper, quieter type 'camping municpals' if they have them in Spain as I hate being a cycle tourist in amongst all the huge camper vans and motorhomes. I might stay at a few pensions as well..

oliverevilo

I'm planning a 16 day trip in Spain arriving and departing from Santander. I have a friend in Madrid and a friend in Castro Urdiales, both of whom i'd like to visit. I was planning on wild camping for the majority of the short time, as I am beyond poor but haven't been anywhere since 2004. Any route suggestions or advice?

thank you

Oliver

megilleland

An idea would be to organise a circular tour and break off at a point where you could get a train to Madrid. Castro Urdiales is close to Santander and if you want to continue travelling east along the coast you could go as far as Bilbao and then swing west through the Cordillera Cantabrica to Aguilar de Campoo. You can catch a train here to Valladolid (2hrs) and at Valladolid experience the high speed AVE (1hr to Madrid). On your return to Aguilar de Campoo cycle through the Picos Europa to Potes and onto Panes and back to Santander along the coast.

You should be able to leave your bike somewhere securely in Aguilar de Campoo when you travel to Madrid. Try a bikeshop or garage.

There is one here in Spanish yellow pages:

GARAGE PACO
BICICLETAS: VENTA Y REPARACION (Sales and repair)
Av. Ronda, 72
34800 AGUILAR DE CAMPOO (PALENCIA)

blorg

Campsites in Spain are often not much cheaper than a pension (although this may differ if you are solo), and are concentrated around the coast. There is an official book that lists them all- I have this at home, and it really can be sparse in the interior (found this out doing the Camino with a tent, after having no problem previously cycling the northern coast.) There really are vast regions where you simply won't come across one in a suitable location (as there are also regions where you will have them every 10km for hundreds of kilometers- e.g. the coast!)

If you are going through France following the Camino is a good idea- get the pilgrim card and you can stay in the refugios. Also make sure to check out the Vias Verdes although in your general direction there may not be anything suitable.

Another option would be to consider flying to Girona (or across the border in France) and heading down the coast. It's pretty nice in places at least as far as Alicante (north of here is as far as I've gone), shortly after which you could turn inland anyway. Note flying will probably cost less than the ferry anyway.