Duration: 7-10 days • Distance: 1305-1910 miles • Average daily ride: ±6hrs

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Northern Spain has everything: the weather, the food, the roads, the mountains… but which ones do you visit? The Picos de Europa or the Pyrenees? 

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Why choose between them? This tour features the best roads in both sets of mountains, spread over seven easily managed days with mile after mile on some of Europe's best – and quietest – roads. The Tour Pack comes with three additional daytrip loops to allow you to expand the tour to suit you.

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It is a tour structured around riding rather than sightseeing, but the daily saddle time is still suitable for pillions and there are regular stops planned into the schedule.

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What are the highlights? For some riders, it will be the N260 that runs along the Pyrennes, but there are so many other roads to enjoy – including the highest pass in the Pyrenees, Andorra's Envalira Pass. Some prefer like the grey-tipped peaks of the Picos, with their quiet passes and shady gorges – though to get the best from this area, take the Tour Pack's extra ride. But there are dozens of unexpected moments, crossing La Rioja and Navarre on some mind-blowing roads, as well as discovering the less-well known parts of the mountains. This is one of those tours where every day could be the best day you've had on a bike.  

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What’s included on the route? Each day’s route has recommended places to stop for coffee in the morning and afternoon, a suggested lunch stop and planned fuel stops. Hotel recommendations are included as well.

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How long is each day’s ride? Each leg of the tour is planned to be a full day in the saddle. If you check-out of the hotel and hit the road at 9am, you should reach the next night's stop by 5:30-6pm. That's with coffee stops and lunch. They are full days but relaxed days. It's not a hardcore slog: it's a nice, relaxed riding holiday. Saddle-time rating: seven out of 10.

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Why seven days? The shortest version tour is timed to fit in with the Santander ferry: sailing from Plymouth on a Sunday, then returning from Santander to Portsmouth the following Sunday. However my strongest recommendation is to take at least an extra day, returning from Santander on the Monday sailing to Plymouth, so you can ride the Tour Pack's extra loop in the Picos. If you want to take the Wednesday sailing, the Tour Pack has two further loops in the Pyrenees to let you get more from that range of mountains.  

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How is it supplied? Each download is a zip file containing a set of interactive notes for the route plus individual GPX files for each ride, for sat navs and suitable phone sat nav apps. As well as the additional route, t the Tour Pack also includes printable tankbag notes and comes with a marked-up hardcopy map (please note these are marked-up to order, so if I'm on the road at the time there may be a slight delay before I get it out to you). 

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Sailing from Bilbao? Any trip can be adapted to run from Bilbao instead of Santander. If you need this, just get in touch.