Spain End to End

Bilbao to the Mediterranean by road bike

Eleven days, more than 690 miles, and over 13,500 metres of climbing — that is the shape of Pedal Nation's Spain End to End. It opens in Bilbao under the titanium curves of the Guggenheim and finishes with a swim in the Mediterranean, taking in the Alpine character of the Basque mountains, the long inland plains of Castile, and the white villages and rugged sierras of Andalucia along the way.

It is a serious trip rather than a sightseeing pootle. The route is built around a deliberate rhythm: hard mountain days followed by faster, flatter rides across the meseta where the legs get some respite. If you have eyed up legendary Spanish climbs and wondered how a coast-to-coast might feel under your own steam, this is that ride.

The route and what the days look like

From Bilbao the road heads south through Burgos, with its Gothic cathedral, before crossing the high plains towards Segovia, where the Roman aqueduct still vaults across the old town. There are wine days through Peñafiel and, further south, Montilla, with the chance to stop at traditional bodegas for a tasting. Toledo brings Moorish architecture and Gothic stonework piled above the Tagus; Ronda, deep into Andalucia, sits split by its gorge and ringed by Arab fortresses and white villages.

The climbing is front-loaded with character rather than sheer numbers. Expect work in the Sierra de Guadarrama north of Madrid and a proper test in the Sierra Bermeja before the descent to the coast. Between the big days, the interior plains offer long, fast riding on roads that are genuinely quiet — one of the real pleasures of cycling in inland Spain. The trip ends at the Mediterranean, where a dip in the sea is more or less obligatory.

Two 2026 departures and how the support works

There are two departures, both priced at £2,395 per person sharing: 22 September to 4 October 2026, led by Ken Woodhouse and Angela Walker (confirmed, limited spaces), and 29 September to 10 October 2026, led by Lucy Burnett. A single room supplement of £650 is available at booking.

Accommodation is twin-share, bed and breakfast, in comfortable hotels chosen with two priorities: a decent night's sleep and secure bike storage. Some have pools; a handful of nights in smaller towns are in more basic places, simply because of where the route goes. Pedal Nation is upfront about this rather than dressing it up.

Breakfast is at the hotels and the support team puts out a packed lunch each day. Dinner in Spain runs late, later than most UK riders find ideal after a hard day in the saddle, so the team carries extra food and snacks to keep you topped up through the afternoon and tries to find earlier dining where possible. Emergency gels and bars travel in the support van, but you are asked to bring your own preferred sports nutrition.

Who it suits

This is for road cyclists who want a coast-to-coast with proper climbing and the cultural depth of Spain stitched into the route — cathedrals, bodegas, fortified hill towns — rather than a pure training camp. You should be comfortable with consecutive long days, big ascents, and the reality that some evenings will end later than you might choose at home.