Spain Hike, Bike, Food & Wine Adventure
Trip Itinerary
Day 1
Location: Getaria
Lodging: Saiaz Hotela
Activities: We depart Bilbao for the coast to begin our first hike on the Camino de Santiago and stop for a tasting of Txakolina wine along the way.
Day 2
Location: Getaria
Lodging: Saiaz Hotela
Activities: We again hike along Camino de Santiago with beautiful views of the ocean. Tonight we head to the high-end surfer town of Zarautz for dinner.
Day 3
Location: Haro
Lodging: Hotel Los Agustinos
Activities: Today we travel south to La Rioja and bicycle down into the valley of the Ebro River. Post-ride we'll visit Bodegas López de Heredia Viña Tondonia for one of our favorite tastings before enjoying a tapas dinner together in Haro.
Day 4
Location: Laguardia
Lodging: Hotel Villa de Laguardia
Activities: The biking in Rioja offers sweeping views of the valley and each town is more scenic than the previous. Our day culminates with dinner and tasting at the famous Marques de Riscal.
Day 5
Location: Laguardia
Lodging: Hotel Villa de Laguardia
Activities: Our loop ride takes us to the beautiful town of San Vicente for lunch, with an optional visit to the Dinastía Vivanco Wine Museum in Briones before returning to Laguardia, either by van or bicycle. Our farewell dinner begins with a private tasting in a cellar underneath the city and ends with dessert, if you still have room for it!
Day 6
Location: Departure Day
Activities: This morning we hike up one of the tallest peaks in the region and enjoy stunning views of the entire valley below. We will return you to Bilbao in time to take an afternoon flight.
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Dates: September 8 - 13, 2013
Trip Length: 6 Days & 5 Nights
Activities: Hiking & Biking
Trip Difficulty: Moderate
Guides: Iker & Jenny
Other Info: Bicycle Rental €25/day for 3 Days
Spain Hike, Bike, Food and Wine Adventure
Spain and its people seem to have a true zest for life. A calendar and culture alive with feasts and celebrations gives the Spaniards every reason to congregate with friends, take in a siesta, or enjoy a glass of wine — even in the middle of the afternoon. (Maybe that’s why we love it!) This relaxed mode of living, combined with a six-day hiking and biking adventure through two of Spain’s most beautiful regions (the Basque country near Bilbao and the wine country of Rioja), result in a trip you’ll remember for a lifetime.
“It was my first Zephyr tour and I enjoyed every moment of it! From the beautiful hikes, gorgeous views, challenging (but fun) cycling and great wine, it was extremely enjoyable.” (Sharon D.)
On your trip you’ll first experience the famous Camino de Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain, a pilgrim’s path full of backpack-toting, staff-wielding travelers. We’ll hike for two days on this famous trail, but with the added comforts of our cozy seaside hotel in the small fishing village of Getaria.
Next, we’ll ride through the Rio Ebro valley of Rioja, a lovely basin scattered with rolling hills, small towns, and views that seem to stretch forever. The Rioja region has not yet attracted the hordes of tourists that it rightfully should have, so we have the area practically to ourselves. Our biking routes take us through quaint villages, nearby wineries and back and forth across the beautiful Ebro River that bisects the valley. As on all our biking days, we have multiple routes from which you can choose each day and with a support van available throughout the day, you can get as much or as little riding in as you wish.
Our final morning, we get up early and hike to the top of Mount Lapoblación, a unique outcropping that affords us a spectacular view of the fog bank curled above the mountain tops as the sun simultaneously spills onto the entire valley below.
Life in Northern Spain seems to revolve around food, and we take part in that obsession. This is a foodie paradise! During the trip you will:
- savor the delicious local grilled fish or seafood that was likely caught that day off the rocky coastline of the nearby Bay of Biscay
- enjoy a fun night of tapas (or pinxtos, as they call them in the Basque area), where you’ll share small plates with others
- eat outstanding multi-course dinners that range from typical local dishes at one of the most famous wineries in Spain to the creative fusion cuisine for which Spain is becoming known and has earned it many Michelin stars
Last, but certainly not least, this is also a wine adventure! As you bike, hike and nibble your way across Spain, you’ll experience wines you may not be familiar with at home: the Txakolis of the Basque Country (a refreshing straw-colored wine with a slight green sparkle, and made from the Hondarribi Zuria grape), the deep vino tintos of Rioja, and the cavas (Spanish sparkling wine). Our wine tastings on this trip vary wildly — you might be sipping on the patio of an estate overlooking acres of rolling vineyards, in a private cellar underneath a small hilltop town, as part of a formal tasting with a sommelier, or as a serendipitous stop at a winery that beckons from the bike route!
The blend of delicious Spanish food, excellent wine, Basque culture, and a countryside perfect for hiking and biking, make this area of Spain the perfect place to reconfirm your zest for life.
Accommodations
- Nights 1 & 2: We stay in the Hotel Saiaz in Getaria, north of Bilbao in the Basque country. This beautifully renovated hotel in the seaside town of Getaria is one of our favorites.
- Night 3: We spend our next night in the Hotel Los Agustinos, a four-star hotel in the historic center of Haro, capital of the Rioja region.
- Nights 4 & 5: Our final nights are in the four-star spa Hotel Villa de la Laguardia, in the walled city of Laguardia.
Trip Photos
For More Information
See our Spain Frequently Asked Questions page
I will be guiding this trip in 2012 — please email me directly if you have specific questions that aren’t answered on our website.
will any zip lining?!
Chris — no zip lining on this trip, sorry! You will have to come back on our Chile & Argentina (http://www.zephyradventures.com/adventures/chile-argentina-wine-multisport/) trip for that!
Phenomenal! Fantastic rides, the best hotels of any Zephyr trip I’ve taken. Outstanding guides, fantastic meals and a historical, mystical place full of warm people and outstanding wine. I was stunned that from our stellar hotels and restaurants to even roadside gas stations and bars, everything was CLEAN and very eco-conscious.
Clearly this was a very well thought out trip. My impression was that considerable time must have gone in to the planning of our itinerary because it unfolded without a hiccup. The daily routes, restaurants, luggage transfer, etc. were all so smooth. We didn’t have to think about anything! Even dietary restrictions had been communicated with restaurants ahead of time! This was the 1st Zephyr trip we took and we had a blast! I liked that it was planned but not overly scripted. It was great to go to areas not frequented by Americans. I loved the hike on the last day up the mountain – so gorgeous! The little villages we biked and hiked through were postcards and I loved the great boutique hotels we got to stay in. What a treat. Our group was diverse with ages and backgrounds and it was really fun to get to know such great people from all over!
This trip was all I dreamed it would be, and more! I loved the Bay of Biscay! The food was so incredible ~ I had the time of my life! Just, a few more days would have made it even better! I made new friends and learned so much! This time in Spain will always be the sweetest of all my life experiences. Thank You!