On this self-guided cycling holiday in Northern Spain you explore the wine province of Rioja. You cycle through vineyards and picturesque scenery, and discover the best of this charming region.
Starting in the Medieval town of Laguardia, you ride between charming villages and historic towns, while visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites and some of the region's best wineries. You also stay in incredible boutique hotels, housed in stunning historic buildings, as you become immersed in the local culture.
This is a leisurely cycling holiday and is suitable for riders of all levels, with different route options depending on how far you wish to ride. Below you can find a detailed itinerary, and click on the tabs to see more highlights, as well as all the practical information about the holiday.
We pick you up from Logroño airport, train or bus station and transfer you to your boutique hotel in the small town of Laguardia. Perched on top of a hill, overlooking the surrounding vineyards, Laguardia
has a beautiful Medieval center, packed with fine historic buildings.
Here we do the bike fitting and, depending on your arrival time, there is the possibility of doing a short circular ride around the town. In the evening you can visit one of several
excellent tapas bars housed within the city walls.
Laguardia Castle
Day 2 - Haro
The first full day in the saddle crosses the rolling vineyards that are so characteristic of Rioja. On the route you pass an imposing 13th century castle and
ride along the banks of the impressive Ebro River.
The day finishes in the charming town of Haro - the wine capital of the province. Many of the best vineyards are based in the town and you can visit them for a tasting of the local produce!
Cycle Routes:
Shorter Route: 35km (20 miles)
Longer Route: 54km (33 miles)
San Vicente Castle
Day 3 - Sajazarra & Ebro River
The ride today leaves Haro on quiet roads and begins with a visit to the stunning Medieval village of Sajazarra. Its beautifully preserved center and castle gives a real sense of the history of this region.
From Sajazarra you continue to Miranda de Ebro, where you can enjoy a coffee next to a house where Napoleon used to reside.
The ride back to Haro is really spectacular, following a narrow lane above the Ebro River, with fantastic views. This is also a great spot for birdwatching, with
peregrine falcons and vultures usually circling the skies above.
In Haro there is the chance to do some wine tasting in the renowned barrio de la estación district.
Cycle Routes:
Shorter Route: 30km (19 miles)
Longer Route: 45km (28 miles)
Sajazarra Castle
Day 4 - San Millán de la Cogolla
The ride today begins by crossing a well preserved Roman bridge before riding through scenic open farmland. Rioja was one of the first regions of Spain to be conquered by the Romans, who, unsurprisingly used the area to plant a lot of vineyards! The route continues through vineyards and open scenery as you follow quiet country lanes through the picturesque landscape of the Sierra Demanda
Natural Park.
You pass through the village of Santo Domingo, which was originally built as a stopping point for pilgrims who were walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route.
From Santo Domingo the route heads through rolling countryside which crosses vineyards and arable farmland. As always, we stick to quiet country lanes away from traffic, and enjoy the calmness
and serenity of rural Rioja. The destination for today is the village of San Millán de la Cogolla.
San Millán is home to the UNESCO World Heritage listed Yuso and Suso monasteries. These are superb examples of Medieval and Visigothic architecture, which were constructed between the 6th and 11th centuries. They are known as
being the birthplace of the Spanish language/
You will have plenty of time to look around the monasteries, because your impressive hotel for the night is housed inside one of them, making for a truly unique stay.
* Please not that it is not always possible to stay in the Monastery of San Millan. If this is not open then we spend the night in Santo Domingo instead and visit San Millan the following day (see hotels section for more details).
Cycle Routes:
Shorter Route: 28km (17 miles)
Longer Route: 48km (31 miles)
Crossing the vineyards
Day 5 - Eguren Ugarte Winery
The day begins with a long and gentle downhill, as you ride along a short section of the Camino de Santiago route. The route crosses the River Ebro and
continue along quiet lanes through the vineyards, until reaching the small village of Paganos. There are several opportunities to stop for a wine tasting on the route, including at the iconic Marques de Riscal winery.
This is an excellent place to stop for lunch, before continuing the short distance to the hotel, which is housed in a winery amidst spectacular surroundings.
Cycle Routes:
Shorter Route: 31km (19 miles)
Longer Route: 43km (27 miles)
Rioja is home to some of the finest gastronomy in Spain
Day 6 - Logroño
On the final day in the saddle you follow a rolling route on narrow lanes through the heart of the vineyards. The scenery is beautiful here and there is almost no traffic throughout most of the route.
The destination is the city of Logroño, the capital of the Rioja region, and one of the most historic cities in northern Spain.
Logroño also has a fine gastronomic tradition, and is famous for its pintxos and tapas bars. Of course, as you would expect from the capital of Rioja, there are also many delightful bodegas where you can sample the local wine!
Cycle Route:
Shorter Route: 27km (17 miles)
Longer Route: 50km (32 miles)
Riding through the Vineyards
Day 7 - Departure / Extensions
After breakfast, the cycling holiday comes to an end. We can help to arrange extra nights for you to stay in Rioja to discover even more about this great region.
If you prefer not to extend your stay, we will transfer you to Logroño airport, train or bus station in time for your onward journey.
To find out more information about this holiday; including practical information, prices, dates and more tour highlights; return to the top of the page and click on the various tabs.
Extend your stay in the Rioja region or elsewhere
This tour explores the best of the Rioja wine region. You ride through beautiful scenery on quiet country lanes; surrounded by vineyards and picturesque farmland.
On the routes we ride through delightful villages, we ride past ancient monuments and we explore the history and culture of the region. We stay in hotels housed in stunning historic buildings, and we
sample some of the finest wine and gastronomy in this charming part of Spain.
Vineyards
Vineyards are simply everywhere in the Rioja region.
San Vicente Castle
This charming castle is situated on a small hill overlooking the River Ebro, which was an important frontier in the Middle Ages.
Rioja Balcony
This balcony viewpoint overlooking the Rioja extension is part of the longer ride between Laguardia and Haro.
Ebro River Gorge
An impressive gorge on the Ebro River.
Sajazarra Castle
The castle is part of the Medieval center of Sajazarra. It's a village that is rarely visited by tourists, which really gives a feel for the history of the region.
Lanes through Vineyards
The riding in this region is a lot of fun, following picturesque lanes through vineyards and arable farmland.
Haro Convent Hotel
You spend two nights in this beautiful hotel housed in a former Augustine Convent. The building is spectacular and the rooms are elegantly decorated.
River Ebro
This birdseye view of the river is from San Vicente castle. From the castle we enjoy a fun descent and then cross the Medieval bridge.
Wine Tasting
You can visit many of the local wineries for a tasting.
Rolling Rioja
The routes here are mostly rolling; not completely flat and not too hilly. This variety, along with the stunning scenery, always keeps it interesting.
Riojan Gastronomy
This is a great trip for foodies as well as wine lovers.
Quiet Country Roads
There is very little traffic on this tour. You can ride for long periods of time without seeing a single car.
River Ebro Cycle Route
A charming cycle route alongside the River Ebro.
Hybrid Bikes
We recommend doing this tour on hybrid bikes or e-bikes. But we can also provide road bikes if you prefer.
Roman Bridge
This beautiful bridge is one of several remains from ancient times. The Romans brought the first vineyards to Rioja, and the Ebro Valley was one of the first regions that they conquered in Spain.
Winery Hotel
You spend a night in this stunning winery hotel, surrounded by vineyards.
Santo Domingo de la Calzada
This historic city is situated on the Camino de Santiago route.
Wine Caves
These underground wine caves are quiet spots where friends enjoy a bottle or two while shaded from the hot sun.
Open Scenery
The open scenery of the Ebro Valley is framed by the mountains of the Basque Country, which provide an impressive backdrop.
Traditional Paella
About to tuck in to a couple of paellas!
Logroño Vineyards
Some of the best vineyards are right on the doorstep of the region's largest city.
Included
✔ 6 Nights Accommodation (see the Hotels section for more details)
✔ Continental breakfast each day
✔ Bicycle Hire (Hybrid, road or e-bike)
✔ Transfers to and from the arrival and departure points (see below for details)
✔ Luggage transferred between hotels
✔ Wine tasting on day 5
✔ GPS routes and mobile app to easily follow the routes
Bicycle hire is included in the cost of the holiday. We recommend our lightweight hybrid bikes or e-bikes for this tour.
If you prefer we can also provide road bikes, although the routes do change slightly for these to avoid a couple of gravel sections.
More details about our bikes can be found on our bicycles page.
All of our bikes come with helmets and handlebar bags if required, as well as a Cycle Fiesta water bottle.
Our lightweight hybrid bikes
Difficulty Level & Roads
We rate this tour as mostly easy level if you ride the shorter routes. They are gently rolling with no long or very steep climbs. The ride on day 4 is slightly longer and is closer to medium level, but is still not overly strenuous.
The longer routes have a few more hills and we classify these as being a medium level. You can choose whether to do the shorter or longer ride on any given day.
This is a leisurely tour, designed for you to stop frequently at cafes, or to check out places of interest. If you would prefer to do something more sporty, please let us know and we can provide more challenging routes.
We hate cycling alongside traffic, and so ride on a combination of quiet paved roads and cycling greenways. The majority of the route is paved, but there are some light gravel sections. These can be avoided if you are on a road bike or prefer to stay entirely on paved roads.
The arrival and departure points are Logroño, which is the capital of the Rioja region and has very good train and bus connections to both Madrid and Bilbao.
It also has a small airport, with mostly domestic flights (Madrid and Barcelona).
We can pick you up from the airport or train station. If you would prefer to be transferred from Bilbao, please let us know and we can arrange that for you.
Also contact us if you would like any advice or more information regarding getting to and from the region.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please browse through some of the frequently asked questions about this cycling tour. If you have any further questions, or would like any more information, please contact us and we will
answer by email.
Should I do the longer or shorter routes?
This depends entirely on you! The longer and shorter routes all start and finish at the same place, and so you can decide on any given day which you would prefer to do. There is no need to commit until the day of the ride itself.
On the longer routes you see more and are able to visit more places, while the shorter routes are more relaxing and ideal if you like to take your time and go at a slower pace.
If you would like to visit the extra towns and monuments on the longer routes, but are worried about the distances, then we recommend hiring an e-bike, which will give you more flexibility.
When is the best time of year to go on this holiday?
We recommend going on this holiday from April to the end of June and from September to November. The weather then tends to be dry and sunny, with pleasant temperatures for cycling, and the vineyards are also at their most picturesque.
It is also possible to do this trip in July and August, but it can often be very hot (above 30°C (85°F), and so this is only recommended if you are used to riding in the heat.
In the winter and early spring it can be quite cool and wet in the Rioja region, so it's not the ideal time to visit.
Can I change or customize this tour?
Yes, absolutely. The itinerary is very flexible and we would be happy to customize it however you wish. If for example, you would like to stay in a particular town or hotel we can arrange this.
Likewise, if you would prefer to do longer or shorter rides, including evening meals, or stay somewhere for extra nights, please let us know and we can adjust the itinerary accordingly.
Another possibility is to do more of the riding on gravel routes instead of paved roads. Rioja is a great region for gravel riding, and you can find out more information in
our guide to Gravel Riding in Rioja.
Can I extend the tour?
Yes, we would be happy to arrange any tour extensions for you. If you would like to spend more time in Rioja, the Basque Country, or elsewhere in Spain, we can help you with the bookings and transport.
Do you run this as a guided tour?
Yes, for more details, check out the guided version of this holiday.
Why book with us?
We are a small and independent company who are locally based, which offers several advantages:
- We have a lot personal experience of all of our tours, which have been refined over many years. We believe we are genuine experts in the regions where we run tours, and we are also close at hand to offer support and a personalized service.
- We are flexible and can tailor our itineraries to suit your requirements.
- We have low overheads. We don't spend money on advertising and don't use third party agents. We only sell our tours through this website.
By cutting out the middle man, you can be sure that more of what you pay is
being spent on the important things: like hotels, equipment and other services.
- We are a registered and fully bonded tour operator in accordance with EU regulations.
This boutique hotel is right in the heart of Laguardia, inside the Medieval walls. It is housed in a 17th century palace that is a listed monument. It has elegant rooms and its own wine cellars that you can explore beneath the building.
Los Agustinos
In Haro we stay in this **** hotel, housed in a beautiful former 14th century convent in the town center. The rooms are set around a large central cloister that oozes with history and charm.
San Millán Monastery Hotel
This 4-star hotel is housed within the Yuso Monastery - a UNESCO World Heritage Site, that is famed for being the home of the Spanish language. The large rooms combine modern comforts with the rich history of the building.
Hotel Parador Santo Domingo
If the monastery hotel in San Millan is not open, we spend the night at this beautiful 4-star hotel in Santo Domingo. This Parador hotel is housed in a former 16th century convent in Santo Domingo, just a short walk from the historic center. It has large rooms and is a nice building to explore.
Eguren Ugarte
This boutique hotel is part of a local winery. The large rooms look out over the expansive vineyards and the hotel is housed in a stylish modern building. On the tour of the vineyard you can explore the unique cellars and tasting rooms of this charming hotel.
Hotel Calle Mayor
A **** hotel in the historic center of Logroño. It is housed in a 16th century mansion and is just a short walk from the city's cathedral and lively calle Laurel district. The large rooms are beautifully decorated.
To find out more about how we select our hotels, please see our accommodation page.
Starting Date
Price (per person)¹
Single Supplement
Bike Hire
15th July - 6th September
€1,740 EUR
€520 EUR
Included
Any other date
€1,620 EUR
€480 EUR
Included
¹Price is based on two people sharing a double or twin room. If you would prefer to stay in a single room, the single supplement is applicable.
To reserve a place on the tour, click the button above and complete the reservation form. We will then get back to you within 24 hours to confirm the reservation, and to arrange for payment of the deposit.
For more details on the booking process, please check out our Reservations page.
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