Explore the Alhambra Palace
Grand Tour, Southern Sun and City Breaks
Spain
Grand Tour, Southern Sun and City Breaks
Spain
Sunny weather, tasty food, great hotels, interesting destinations and above all quiet, smooth, traffic free roads!
May 2020 tour led by John Raistrick.
Find out more about Magellan Guides
Find out more about Magellan Guides
From the epic Picos de Europa to the beautiful Cathedral city of Salamanca, the picturesque Cazalla de la Sierra in the south to the fortress of Alhambra this tour is jam packed full of beauty, seclusion and long empty roads
We start our sunny adventure in Santander and once we get off the ferry we are straight into a scenic ride towards the mountains, lakes and gorges of Llanes giving you the first taste of the winding roads and stunning scenery of the Picos de Europa.
The Picos de Europa offer some of the most beautiful roads and views in the whole of Europe and they are a firm favourite among the biking community bringing bikers back year after year to ride the unspoilt, sweeping empty roads. After playing in the mountains we go down into central Spain and towards the cathedral city of Salamanca.
John Raistrick, Guide
Spain has some of the most unadulterated, traffic-free roads you will ever ride! Coupled with the incredible scenery, people and places you will visit, this is truly an epic tour!
We have our first day off the bikes in Salamanca where we can relax around the city sightseeing in the sunshine or for those still raring to go there is of course a rideout planned on more of Spain’s beautiful empty roads. Well rested we continue our journey south through the foothills of the tranquil and colourful rolling mountains of Sierra Norte de Sevilla to our overnight stop in the pretty town of Cazella de la Sierra, the second largest town in the Sierra Norte National Park.
From Cazalla de la Sierra we make our way to the hilltop fortress of Granada, here in this beautiful medieval city surrounded by mountains we have a day off to see sights such as the Moorish Alhambra palace, Granada cathedral or just meander around the city and sample some of the incredible tapas. As always for those who want more saddle time a twisty rideout on the Sierra Nevada is planned to keep us and our bikes happy!
Why not try a Segway tour in Granada?
Why not try a Segway tour in Granada?
Quiet smooth Spanish twisties aplenty
Leaving gorgeous Granada we head east towards Cuenca in Castile La Mancha set in the junction of the deep gorges of the Jucar and Huecar rivers, this beautiful area encompasses plains dotted with vineyards, windmills, castles and mountains. From here we go north over Madrid and visit Franco’s tomb in the Valle de los Caidos before ending our last but one day in style overlooking the heart of Segovia’s old town.
Leaving Segovia we make our way back through the unmistakable rolling countryside of Spain and up towards the Picos de Europa for a final play before heading to where our adventure started in Santander and the overnight ferry to bring us and our trusty steeds home again.
The grandest of all the grand tours! Book your sunny holiday now.
Tour highlights
The Picos de Europa: A dramatic, beautiful combination of geological magnificence and lush green vegetation with roads to die for.
The Celtic cathedral city of Salamanca: A city of sandstone with every street containing beautifully carved churches, palaces and plazas.
Granada: Spain’s Andalusia region is beautiful and the city of Granada is no exception being home to the Alhambra palace and surrounded by the Sierra Nevada.
'From mountains, lakes and scenery to cultural cities like Salamanca and Granada, this tour was one of the things I had wanted to do for a very long time and I was certainly not disappointed!'Jeremy F
Valle de los Caidos: The catholic basilica was commissioned by Franco to house the bodies of those who fell during the Spanish civil war, he was also buried here after his death in 1975.
Cazalla de la Sierra: Surrounded by the beautiful National park of Sierra Norte de Sevilla this picturesque town is filled with ancient religious buildings and monuments.
The Lake of Riáno: This beautiful lake is over 22 square kilometres and at the bottom of it is the old town of Riano itself.
Cuenca: A world heritage site with narrow winding streets filled with brightly painted medieval buildings is described by lonely planet as one of the most memorable cities in Spain and we tend to agree
The Sierra Nevada: The highest point in Spain standing at 3,500ft the Sierra Nevada mountains in Andalucia are littered with tiny villages and spectacular views.
Tour Map / Itinerary
Full Itinerary
Day 1
Starting in Plymouth we take the ferry to Santander.
Day 2 114 Miles
Scenic ride towards the mountains Llanes giving you your first taste of the Picos de Europa.
Day 3 140 Miles
ide out around the Golden Triangle of the Picos de Europa.
Day 4 230 Miles
From here we ride through central Spain towards Salamanca.
Day 5 Explore Day / Ride-out Day
Day off to explore this famous cathedral city or we’ll have a ride-out planned for those who want more saddle time!
Day 6 260 Miles
Today we continue south through Sierra Norte de Sevilla to our overnight stop in Cazalla de la Sierra.
Day 7 174 Miles
Leisurely ride to Granada where we spend the next 2 nights.
Day 8 Explore Day / Ride-out Day
A well-earned day off enjoying this fantastic medieval city. With a walking tour on offer to explore the Moorish Alhambra palace or a twisty rideout.
Day 9 260 Miles
Granada we ride east towards Cuenca in Castile–La Mancha.
Day 10 165 Miles
We cruise north over Madrid visiting Franco’s tomb in the Valle de los Caídos before reaching our hotel in Segovia old town.
Day 11 220 Miles
We ride back towards the Picos de Europa for a final play before making our way to Santander to get our overnight ferry for the last leg of the trip home.
Day 12
Arrive home safe and sound and make your friends jealous with your tales of the tour!
What's included
Ferry return Plymouth – Santander with cabin (if Plymouth isn’t convenient for you do please get in touch as other crossings can be arranged see Q&As below).
11 Nights accommodation in good quality hotels (inc 2 nights ferry cabin accommodation) and 5 evening meals (We do this to allow you the flexibility to explore and choose where you eat on some of the evenings).
Excellent breakfast each morning in the hotels.
Full use of all hotels’ leisure facilities.
Detailed route plans and maps.
GPS routes (Garmin / Tom Tom).
Detailed daily itinerary including sights and suggested coffee / lunch stops.
Fully guided and supported by an experienced tour guide throughout.
What's not
Fuel.
Toll charges.
Admission charges.
Occasional hotel parking charges.
Meals and drinks other than specified above.
Travel/Breakdown insurance covering repatriation back to the UK.
Common questions about this trip
What’s the weather like on this tour?
We pick the date of this trip to get the best mix of riding conditions on the different elevations we cover. As you go over the top of the Picos it can be a little chilly but the rest of the trip should be sunny and warm, a sensible mix of vented kit and waterproofs with some base layers should cover all eventualities.
Is what I hear about the Spanish not eating until 10pm correct?
The Spanish do indeed eat late, in fact it’s not unusual for people to go out for dinner at 11pm or later. We’ve tailored the trip to take in English sensibilities and rumbling bellys after a long day’s ride though and normally eat between 8 – 8.30pm
Can I get a different crossing on this trip?
Of course, while the crossing from Plymouth allows you to go on the nicer, larger boat, leave on days that fit easier with the trip and arrive at a sensible time we know that Plymouth doesn’t suit everyone. If you would like to make your own arrangements to get over to Spain and meet the group at the hotel on the first night near Santander just let us know in the comments section of your booking form and we will deduct the cost of the included crossing from your booking.
More information
For general information on planning and preparing for motorcycle trips including what to pack please see our Prepare for your trip section.
Magellan Hub
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