The Picos trip can’t help but immerse you in the Spanish way of life. Riding through sleepy villages, long coffee breaks in the sun, relaxed dinners by the pool and exquisite scenery takes you away from the fast paced day to day and drops you into a tranquil dream bubbling over with culture, mountains, vineyards and endless empty sweeping roads.
The lead guide on this trip was Toby Best. Daily reports were written by Stephen Hunt.
DAY ONE AND TWO
We’ve just arrived at our day two hotel, Silken Spa La Hacienda de Don Juan in Llanes, after a smooth and relaxing overnight ferry from Plymouth on Brittany Ferries’ Pont Aven. Everyone is ready for our welcome meal. This new hotel for Magellan in Llanes is a lovely addition.
DAY THREE
We left our Llanes hotel under sunny skies, riding on fantastic roads all day. We enjoyed morning coffee in Sebares, a great lunch with panoramic views, and afternoon coffee in the medieval village of Salas. Arriving at our Tineo hotel still in sunshine, it looks to be a great tour ahead.
DAY FOUR
We had a fantastic ride from Tineo over smooth, winding roads, arriving in sunny Santiago de Compostela. Our new hotel, Santiago Plaza, is perfectly located for city exploration. Today, some of us took a guided walking tour of the city, while others enjoyed a ride to the coast at Cap Finisterre.
DAY FIVE
Some joined the guided city walk with Matias to learn about the culture of Santiago de Compostela, while others enjoyed a scenic 150-mile ride to Cap Finisterre.
DAY SEVEN
We rode 185 miles through Portugal’s beautiful, winding roads, passing lakes, rivers, and the Douro Valley, and up to the Estrela Mountains to our charming Luna Hotel.
DAY EIGHT
Today’s rideout took us through the stunning Serra da Estrela Natural Park, offering glorious mountain roads and breathtaking views above the clouds.
DAY TEN
We covered about 170 miles of mostly smooth, fast roads into the dramatic Picos de Europa. We had lunch by the lake at Riano, which was the fullest we’ve seen in years, and then enjoyed the scenic twisty roads down to our hotel for two nights, Parador Cangas de Onis.
DAY ELEVEN
The Parador Cangas de Onis is a delightful hotel with beautiful grounds, surrounding villages, and the local town of Cangas de Onis just a short walk away. We enjoyed our final meal together before heading to Santander port for our 4 pm Thursday departure. It’s been a wonderful tour with sunshine most days.
