When organizing a bicycle holiday in Europe, Spain is certainly not the first country you think about… erroneously though.
Although cycling has a long tradition and is well known in the world (just think of Vuelta), the possibilities for a bicycle holiday in Spain are not as well known.
In part, it depends on the fact that bicycle touring in Spain was not a widespread activity until recently, and therefore cyclists were not popular either. Only exception was the Santiago Way, one of the most popular routes among European cyclists.
This is probably due to the particular shape of the territory, which is often mountainous and characterized by vast semi-arid areas (such as the Meseta plateau).
Today, thanks to the commitment of local communities, Spain is experiencing growing attention towards the bicycle and cycling routes.
In large cities such as Barcelona and Madrid, it is not uncommon to meet cyclists who move along the bike lane. In the rest of the country there are also numerous “vias verdes”, or routes reserved for cyclists and pedestrians built from the transformation of old railways or trails.
The “vias verdes” closest to the cities are the ideal option for families wishing to make a bike holiday in Spain. They allow you to make a stop in a city and explore its surroundings with the bike returning to the base for the night. There are a lot of possibilities: Valencia, Seville, Barcelona, Cordoba, Granada, Madrid.
For the more adventurous cyclists there are different scenarios on “vias verdes” that cross the country long and wide. Especially in the regions of Andalusia and Catalonia, but also in the Basque region.