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I really wanted to do a bikepacking tour in the Picos de Europa. I didn’t spent much time thinking in something else then the routing. After all, it’s Spain and the weather should still be fine at the end of September. I was very lucky. The tour could have been very different.
The idea
My first idea for a bikepacking tour was from Bilbao to Santiago de Compostela. I wanted to cycle the pilgrims way of St. James. That failed due to the organization of the return journey. So best alternative was a round trip with start and finish in Bilbao. Bilbao is a great city and easy to reach by plane.
I’ve already been to the Basque Country itself and the Pyrenees by bike. So I headed west to the Picos de Europa. I didn’t know the area yet and I was very interested in it. I had two weeks. My final route took me west to Oviedo and back along the sea via Santander.
Where to put the bike case?
As it was a round trip, the only question that remained was where I could leave the bike case. I found Radical Storage online. There are countless options for storing luggage almost anywhere in the world. It costs five euros per piece of luggage per day, regardless of the size. A great option. and it worked really well.
Tipps and recommendations
There was a shuttle bus from Bilbao airport to the city for just three euros. The overnight stays in Bilbao were slightly more expensive than the other ones. However, the north of Spain is quite economical for vacations.
The recommendation from my previous bikepacking tours is not to plan the stages too long. You underestimate the required time and you should avoid rush yourself. After arriving at the destination, you need time to shower and do the laundry. Then you need to look for food and drink, you need a restaurant or supermarket. Depending on your destination, there should also be time for sightseeing. And you should go to bed early to give yourself time for regeneration. I recommend a maximum of 100 to 120 kilometers per day. Of course, it depends where accommodation can be found along the route.
Planning
The great thing about bikepacking is of course that you are in a different place every day. You’re not always lucky with your choice of accommodation. On the bikepacking tour to the Picos de Europa, the first overnight stay on the tour was a complete failure, despite excellent reviews.
A second disappointment was a booking at a dead ski resort. Everything was closed. There was nothing to eat either. Fortunately, I was able to cancel after arrival. After a little further downhill there was a small resort with a hotel and food. How can you avoid such mistakes when planning? Difficult. It sometimes just happens.
Nevertheless, I think bikepacking tours are a great thing. The fact that the luggage is extremely limited is special. So preparation is everything. What you don’t need you will have to carry every day. On the bikepacking tour to the Picos de Europa, I only had one jacket too many.
The Angliru
Highlight of the tour was the ascent to Angliru. My luggage stayed in the hostel when I did the relatively short tour. The lower part up to the flat section was still quite a usual climb. Still fine were also the first steep sections as I saved my energy. Should this really be harder than Monte Oiz in the Basque Country? It was.
After the longest and very steep section, I thought I had made it. Because there were only 2.5 kilometers to go with an average gradient of 7 percent. But the last kilometer is flat. So it remained steep right to the end. It really wasn’t easy. You have to be able to recover at 10-13%. That is the challenge. So it feels really good to reach the top.
The cities
Bilbao, Oviedo, Gijón and Santander are well worth a visit and are off the beaten track. Of course, Bilbao deserves a special mention. It’s unbelievable how the city has developed. For me, Oviedo is only just behind. Santander and Gijón also surprised me. In Gijón you have to overlook the harbor. Tourism in the entire region is rather low and predominantly national.
The region
In the Picos I only saw the pilgrimage routes. On the way back, I also met pilgrims. There were still quite a few on the way to Santiago.
The drive through the middle of the Picos, from Potes to Felechosa, was particularly special. It was very lonely. Hardly a car disturbed the peace and quiet.
I encountered lots of free-roaming cows, goats and even horses with cowbells on the entire tour. I have no idea what all the horses are kept for.
The weather
The climate is special. You can feel the Atlantic ocean. Even in the second half of September it was quite chilly. In the morning it was usually only just over 10 degrees. During the day it warmed up to around 20 degrees. But it was always nice in the sun. It was usually more pleasant from around 2 p.m., when the sun slowly made its presence felt. I think I was traveling too late in the year. It’s similar to the Alps. I could imagine that June is a good travel time for the north of Spain.
Overall, I was very lucky with the weather. It rained, but not when I was cycling. Before the last stage, it had rained heavily all night. It stopped when I was on the ferry in Santander. How lucky!
Travel information
In any case, the car drivers deserve special mention. I can’t remember any overtaking maneuvers that were too close or even unpleasant, as they are all the time in Germany. This is certainly partly due to the low volume of traffic. But there was never a problem in the cities either. I already noticed this positively last year in Andalusia.
The price level is also very pleasant. You can usually find a three-course meal for 15 euros including a drink. In a bar in Santander, for example, I got a breakfast of cafe con leche, toasted baguette with butter, jam and rolls with Jamón Serrano for less than 5 euros.
I paid between 45 and 87 euros for my overnight stays, almost all of which included breakfast. At 70-87 euros, the price level in Bilbao and Potes was higher than in the other places, where I paid around 50 euros. With the exception of Ormas and Santander, breakfast was always included in the 50 euros. However, the breakfast was usually rather modest, as is typical in Spain.
My requirement for the accommodation was a private bathroom and a rating of at least 8.0 on booking.com. Simple accommodation was enough for me for the bikepacking tour. I was satisfied with almost all of them and would book any accommodation again, with the exception of the Albergue de Soba in Valle de Soba.
The pilgrim hostels in Bilbao and Oviedo were very good for bikepacking. They had small kitchens with microwaves, fridges and crockery.
Bikepacking Tour in Picos de Europa
| start | destination | length | climb | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tag 1 | Bilbao | Valle de Soba | 100 km | 2.410 hm |
| Tag 2 | Valle de Soba | Ormas | 94 km | 1.840 hm |
| Tag 3 | Ormas | Potes | 94 km | 1.790 hm |
| Tag 4 | Potes | Felechosa | 128 km | 2.620 hm |
| Tag 5 | Felechosa | Oviedo | 82 km | 1.300 hm |
| Tag 6 | Oviedo | Angliru | 64 km | 1.940 hm |
| Tag 7 | Oviedo | Gijón | 82 km | 1.050 hm |
| Tag 8 | Oviedo | Ortiguero | 113 km | 2.090 hm |
| Tag 9 | Ortiguero | Lagos de Covadonga | 106 km | 2.610 hm |
| Tag 10 | Ortiguero | Santander | 111 km | 1.410 hm |
| Tag 11 | Santander | kurze Runde | 50 km | 730 hm |
| Tag 12 | Santander | Bilbao | 102 km | 1.270 hm |
| Total | 1.128 km | 21.060 hm |
You can find the exact route at Komoot in my collection “Picos de Europa“.
