Cycle through the old hilltop villages, along the narrow country paths bordered by vineyards, visit the century old castles and sample the true Rioja wines at the family run cellars. 
 
Wine has been the backbone of the economy of La Rioja since the time of the Romans, and it’s not difficult to see why. A microclimate bordered by two impressive mountain ranges, with the Ebro River cutting through the middle, its gentle hills are perpetually covered in vineyards and wheat fields.

In six days and five nights, this Rioja tour introduces you to the region’s most outstanding highlights: wineries, both historic and modern; kilometre after kilometre of quiet country roads that wind along the banks of the Ebro; the presence of the Camino de Santiago (Saint James Way); and the beauty of the Sierra de la Demanda mountains to the south.
 
Day 1

Laguardia

Laguardia is the unofficial capital of the Rioja Alavesa – the Basque section of La Rioja – and many of the 320 wine cellars dating back from the late 18th century are still functioning today. This medieval town Hill match your eye, it stands perched high, still ringed in part by ramparts, towers and fortified getaways. After arrival, you’ll have a chance to sample some famous Rioja vintages in a nearby wine interpretation centre, located in a traditional Basque farmhouse.
 
Day 2

Abalos

After breakfast, we’ll hold the orientation session, where your bike will be specially fitted for you and you’ll be presented with all the documentation and things you need for your trip. Afterwards, it’s downhill (almost!) all the way as you skirt the banks of the Ebro River, winding your way through vineyards. This evening, you’ll stay in a converted 17th-century bishop’s palace and get to sample some of the region’s best cuisine.
 
Day 3

Abalos

Almost all of today’s route follows small, quiet country paths along the Ebro River, giving you a chance to roam through some of the area’s most beautiful and historic little towns. We go through San Vicente de Sonsierra and see its internationally-famous Church of the True Cross; Haro, the city that wine built; and a fifteenth-century monastery that’s been converted into one of the region’s most memorable wineries.

Day 4

San Millan
 
Long acknowledged as the oldest tourist trail stretching throughout Europe, the Camino de Santiago (Saint James Way, in English) is the dividing line between the upper and lower Rioja regions. After a leisurely tour along the Ebro, ride through the atmospheric town of Briones and head along quiet secondary roads to the town of San Millan. This day’s purposely a little on the short side to allow you to visit the surrounding towns and monasteries at your own pace; or to stretch your legs and take in some of the marvellous walking opportunities throughout the valley.

Day 5

Ezcaray

Many of Spain’s most remarkable monasteries and convents are located in and around the Sierra de la Demanda, the southern boundary of the Rioja Region, and today’s route will take us through this scenic and architecturally stunning region, little-visited by tourists. From the town of Alesanco we’ll move south through the Cárdenas Valley to the town of San Millán de la Cogolla, home of the thirteenth-century Yuso Monastery, where the first Latin-Castilian dictionaries, the Glosas Emilianenses, were compiled. The Monastery itself is an architectural gem, and no one should leave without visiting its astounding library and sacristy. From there, we’ll skirt the lower ranges of the Montes de Suso hills to Santo Domingo de la Calzada, established by Saint Domenic in the twelfth century to aid pilgrims making their way to Santiago de Compostela. Once we’ve had a chance to explore the streets of Santo Domingo, we’ll take advantage of the excellent Vía Verde del Rio Oja rail trail – fifteen kilometres of pure biking pleasure that stretch deep into the Oja Valley, ending in the charming town of Ezcaray.

Day 6

Final day of your tour

Tour Inclusions

• 5 nights accommodation in small hotels and rural houses
• Breakfast
• 3 dinners
• Luggage transfers
• Road book
• Quality touring bike

Single supplement applies