The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

Northern Spain: La Rioja and Basque Country 2022

July 4th to July 20th

Ride Coordinator: Clarice Sackett
Report by: Patricia Olson

Twenty-two riders gathered for Happy Hour in Bilbao on the 4th of July.

While this was billed as a Spanish ride, we experienced far more. Cycling through both the Spanish Basque Country- País Vasco-and crossing the border into France - we entered the Pays Basque François, with its own language, food and unique customs. We  got a cultural bang for our buck.

As the ride description accurately stated, we began 15- days of riding at the headwaters of the Rió Ebro- the most important river in Spain. We cycled through limestone canyons and watched the river change as we progressed on our daily routes. Our 2-night stay in Haro-  Capital of the Rioja - allowed riders to sample the highly regarded wine. In and out of the Basque Country we rode as we worked our way east. An overnight in Pamplona coincided with the final day of the Festival of San Fermin, which is known to many for the “Running of the Bulls”. The whole town seemed to be wearing white clothing with red kerchiefs! Some attended a bullfight; all were caught up in the festival excitement. Over the Pyrenees into France we descended and on to San Sebastián on a busy, hot July weekend. Our tour finished with two hilly, dramatic coastline routes along Spain’s border with the Atlantic. We cycled past Basque fishing villages and were treated to a spectacular 30-min boat transfer along the rugged coastline. Eight hardy riders opted out of the train option and finished the final day’s ride back into Bilbao.  Outstanding BAC tour!

Rundown:

*  Ride rating was accurate but I found that RWGPS- as compared to Strava- generally has a higher elevation total/ride. Therefore, this ride was actually less climbing than presented. 

*  Routes were on generally less trafficked roads with pavement in very good condition. Routes were well-curated and options were available on many occasions.

*  Hotels were unique and memorable. Two- nt stays we’re strategically placed. Some were business hotels with welcome AC, many amenities and fine buffets; some were family run boutique-size inns where the lack of amenities were replaced with charm, gardens and personal touches.

*  Personal notes: should this BAC tour be offered again,  suggest avoiding July. We encountered a ‘freak’ extreme heat event throughout. Late dinners (8-8:30) combined with later breakfasts on many mornings presented a challenge as the only way to avoid the excessive heat was to start riding early.

*  Also, consider avoiding riding from France into San Sebastián on a Saturday. Very busy both times that I’ve ridden it.

Trish Olson BAC member  2014 9 International Tours

Photo by Tennis Olson