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Caen to Cantabria

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Our Caen to Cantabria tour will take you through some of the finest regions of France and into Spain for an easy return to Portsmouth on the Santander ferry. You will ride through Normandy, the Loire Valley, the ancient Poitou region, Cognac, Dordogne and Gascony before traversing the Pyrenees at St Jean Pied de Port, for centuries the crossing point for pilgrims on their way to Santiago to Compostella. Five days in Spain will end in Santander, in the Cantabria region, where the ferry return with take you back to where you began two weeks earlier - you may even spot some whales in the Bay of Biscay as you relax on deck. Spectacular scenery is guaranteed!

The ride is graded 'expert' as to ride for 15 days in a row is a big ask for most people - even the pros on the Tour de France don't do this. The route gets more challenging as you ride south with the Spanish section offering some good climbs; however the gradients are mostly shallower than many hills back home and it should be within the grasp of all regular cyclists.

Meals are included as follows: Breakfast every day; picnic lunch on 4 days; dinner on 11 nights.

Daily distances range from 41 miles to 80 miles with the great majority being in the 60 - 70 mile range (see daily descriptions for details of individual daily distances). If you have never done a ride like this before the key, as always, is steady progress at your own pace and we will ensure that you are looked after by our support team. As the ride progresses you will find out what routine suits you and adapt your speed or strategy accordingly; we have great experience and one of the most satisfying aspects of the job is helping people to achieve a ride across France successfully.

View Overall Route Map

Highlights include:

Beautiful lush Normandy and its produce
The Loire Valley and its chateaux
Cognac, an elegant town known the world over
Beautiful unspoilt Gascony
Pau, a civilised town at the gateway to the impressive Pyrenees
The tranquility of the Pyrenees
Sublime scenery of the Basque country
Sophisticated Santander
Hotels of character & quality
Cake & Coffee stops
Opportunity to continue straight onto our Spanish end to end ride in 2023 thus creating a truly epic ride from Caen to Cape Trafalgar!

Your Next Adventure Awaits

What you need to know...

Start Location
Caen / Ouistreham

Finish Location
Santander (Spain)

Country/Region
End to End (UK and European rides)

Grading
Expert

Shortest Day
64 km / 39 miles

Longest Day
134 km / 83 miles

Total Days
16

Total Miles
925

Departure Dates & Prices

There are no available dates at this moment.
Please choose an alternative Tour or check back soon.

Itinerary

Day 1

Many people come over the day before (on the Friday) so that they can get a good night's sleep in Ouistreham before setting off the next day (riding starts on the Saturday). Alternatively you can come over on the overnight ferry and start immediately you set foot in France. (Friday).

After breakfast and briefing, we take the obligotary departure photograph in Ouistreham and set of on our journey south! Skirting east of Caen, we stop for coffee in a wonderful old village full of half-timbered houses and this is the first chance you will get to experience of our famous coffee stops. Ground coffee, loose-leaf tea and home made cakes will be produced for your enjoyment and consumption, before setting you on your way again through wonderful verdant and lush Normandy. Apples, cider and cream are everywhere in this landscape which is wonderfully rural and very pretty. The second half of the day is hillier as we ride to a famous spa town with its lake and casino. (77 miles / 857m). (Saturday)

Day 2

Striking south we head through the lower reaches of Normandy along quiet roads through oak forests and rolling farmland. There are some lovely views to enjoy as you make good progress to our coffee stop next to a chateau by a lake. Continuing to a picnic lunch, there is more of the same after lunch as we head for our wonderful hotel in the pretty small town of Solesmes, famous for its abbey. 71 miles. (Sunday)

Day 3

Two famous rivers are crossed today - the Loir and the Loire - the latter being known the world over for its famous chateaux. The riding is benign and you will not find it difficult, arriving in plenty of time to explore the wonderful abbey at Fontevraud where we spend the night in a nice hotel with a great restaurant. With luck we can eat outside as the warmer climate begins to manifest itself - they always say that it is when you get south of the Loire that you notice that it is noticeably warmer. (100 km / 63 miles / 568m). (Monday).

Day 4

From Fontevraud the countryside is easy and you will speed along, encountering your first vines of the trip. There are several options for lunch stops, and you begin to feel that you are really getting into rural France - 'La France profonde' as they say! It is a little more undulating after lunch but not what we would describe as hilly. Overnight we are on the edge of a medium sized town in a small hotel in a quiet position. The food here is exceptional and you will enjoy a fine feast after a dip in the pool perhaps. (104 km / 65 miles / 1156m). (Tuesday).

Day 5

Apart from the Loire where we saw a small area of vineyards, we have not yet seen much evidence of France's most famous product. That will change over the next few days, but first, another by-product of the vine, brandy, is the order of the day. We are riding to Cognac where the famous producers' warehouses still line the river and where, if in time, you can take a tour; in any case, tonight there will be the opportunity to try the delicious drink. It is a little hillier today as although the elevation figure is less than yesterday, the height is gained in small climbs rather than very gentle long sections. Our hotel tonight is one of our favourites, in the heart of the town and extremely comfortable. (114 km / 72 miles / 997m). (Wednesday).

Day 6

From Cognac to St Emilion; two towns of great charm with some great riding in between. The terrain is more varied with a succession of ups and downs but these are not big hills as the elevation figure shows. In fact, this is one of our favourite day's riding in all of France as it seems to encompass so much of what the country is all about. Our destination is a Roman town and a charming hotel right in the centre, from where you can wander the cobbled streets seeking out a wine bar or tasty morsel to eat. The produce of the land is at the forefront in this region and there is so much of it to enjoy! Tonight is a free night where dinner is not included and you can eat in any of the multitude of restaurants of wonderful St Emilion. (116 km / 72 miles / 1215m ). (Thursday).

Day 7

The Dordogne needs no introduction and we cross the famous river today; another landmark checked off on our way south. We only really skirt the Dordogne region, however, as we are heading into Gascony, an old and proud region and home of d'Artagnan. There are vineyards galore today and some really lovely countryside; the views are truly exceptional on a clear day. It is little hiller so sensible pacing is required, but by now you will have found your rythm. Tonight's hotel is simpler; modern and spotlessly clean and they are used to welcoming cyclists. There is a good breakfast to look forward to and the evening meal in the past has always been well-received. (104 km / 65 miles / 1389m). (Friday).

Day 8

You have spent a week on the road and are now over half way to our final destination in northern Spain! Along the way you will have seen famous sights and some unexpected delights, as so often happens when touring by bike, as you stumble across an old chateau or a pretty view. With the Pyrenees getting closer you may be thinking they look rather high, and although you will inevitably have to cross them, the crossing point is lower than the section you can see today! There are some wonderful old villages and castles on the ride today and it is hillier, although the last third is predominantly flat or downhill. Our hotel is in an old bastide (a mediaeval village based around a central square) amidst glorious countryside. (98 km / 61 miles / 1574m). (Saturday).

Day 9

Today we cycle to glorious Pau. It is a short day, allowing you time to relax and enjoy this civilized town at the foot of the mountains which has been a favourite with the British for many centuries. With its old chateau, charming streets and abundance of cafes and bars, there is plenty to do whilst passing the afternoon, or you could simply sit on a bench on the Boulevard des Pyrenees looking at the glorious mountains. (80 km / 50 miles / 961m). (Sunday).

Day 10

With the mountains on our left we exit Pau along the river cycle path which avoids main roads and is a pleasant ride, before turning south and heading into the hills. The geography is hillier and you will appreciate that you are now approaching the higher mountains with a number of climbs to contend with along the way. At the halfway point there are several options to find lunch, including a supermarket where many riders stock up on their favourite riding snacks and drinks for the next few days. After lunch you will cross more quiet roads before the final climb up to one of best-positioned hotels of any of our rides. Sitting in a small Pyrenean mountain village, it has a superb kitchen and you will be spoilt without doubt tonight and at breakfast - of all of our hotels this is the one that was consistently rated as a favourite when we invited our riders' feedback. The views down the valley are sublime; the tranquility deafening and that growing sense of both achievement and the anticipation of the final stages of your journey just add to a great atmosphere. (106 km/ 66 miles / 1978m). (Monday).

Day 11

A fast descent from the hotel leads to the first proper test of the ride with the climb up the Col de Bagargui. At the top we pause for coffee and refreshments and wonder how Tyler Hamilton managed it with a broken collarbone. The col has a rude nickname given by Tour riders which is not suitable for a family website. The payoff is a great descent and then another simply stunning climb showing the best of the French section of the Basque country. Massive rock formations and long views will take your mind off this not inconsiderable climb, before you plunge down to St Jean Pied de Port for lunch, a town which for centuries has been the crossing place for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostella. It is then an easy ten miles or so to our overnight stop, where you can relax and anticipate the entry into Spain early tomorrow morning. (80 km / 50 miles / 1200m) (Tuesday).

Day 12

Straight from the hotel you are climbing the 8km stretch to the Spanish frontier. It is not a steep climb and as you reach the top you are rewarded with lovely views on you left of the country you have ridden through this morning and yesterday. Birds of prey will be in abundance, and at the top, the van will be there to cheer you on into the Navarre region. After a fabulous down, where you may see wild pigs grazing on acorns, you are essentially in a valley for 20 miles or so with no major undulations. We stop for a picnic lunch before a long and gradual climb which our riders all seem to enjoy. Down the other side, a few shorter climbs and you are soon on the run-in to our overnight stop in a larger town with plenty of options for an evening meal. (Wednesday).

Day 13

We are still in the Basque country and the ride continues to inspire with great views and pretty villages. The roads in this part of Spain are a little perplexing to begin with: when you first see them you imagine they will be busy because they are wide, well surfaced and modern. But no one lives here and the major routes run north-south which is not our direction of travel, with all of the east-west traffic on the shiny new motorway. Once out of town there is a long climb and fantastic associated descent, and then a wooded climb to our coffee spot with superb views and where, on a clear day, you should see the Bay of Biscay laid out before you. After exiting the next valley there is a very steep section but keep going and it levels out soon enough. The remainder of the day stays like this with ups and downs, and it may be that you find this the hardest day of the tour. We have altered the route for 2020 to avoid the last hill and enjoy the coastal road to the wonderful fishing village where we stay the night. The hotel is great, and is another rider favourite, with another good breakfast overlooking the bay. (85 km / 54 miles / 3382m). (Thursday).

Day 14

Riding inland we stop for coffee near Gernika, a town which became renowned for all the wrong reasons when it was flattened during the Spanish civil war in the first example of carpet bombing. It remains the centre of the Basque country symbolically and emotionally. Exiting its valley, the route heads for the famous transporter bridge at Getxo, where we pause for lunch. Crossing the river it is a little busier until you get past the old port (although there are cycle lanes) and turn off the road into the usual quiet lanes once more. A section of old railway runs right along the coast with spectacular views of the sea, a part of the route which will have you stopping to take photographs for sure. There are another two decent climbs to get you to our Paradore for the night, housed in a wonderful old palace with a wonderful banquet infused with that 'almost there' feeling (and the knowledge that you don't have to wash any more socks!). (122 km / 78 miles / 2412m). (Friday).

Day 15

The final day! Caen will seem a long way away and indeed it as you have ridden 875 miles to get to this point. The last day always seems easier and as you head to the coast the hills ease off. You will arrive in Santander at about 3pm judging from previous experience, ready to relax with a swim on one of the sandy beaches before celebrating your achievement that night. (75 km / 47 miles / 990m). (Saturday).

Day 16

After breakfast there is plenty of time to explore the famous beaches of Santander, the island of Magdalena and the old town, before the ferry departure for the overnight sailing to Portsmouth (Sunday) or stay an extra night and return to Plymouth on the Monday sailing.

Some Tour Photos...

A lovely point on the ride

A nice place t stop for coffee on day 2 of our ride to Spain

A typical climb in the Pyrenees. No traffic and good surfaces.

Almost at the top of the col in the Pyrenees

Arrival in Santander having ridden from Ousitreham in Normandy. Time for a celebration!

Beautiful countryside in Normandy

Glorious scenery in Normandy, a very rural and unspoilt part of France.

Beautiful countryside in Normandy

Glorious scenery in Normandy, a very rural and unspoilt part of France.

Beautiful countryside in Normandy

Glorious scenery in Normandy, a very rural and unspoilt part of France.

Bird life in the mountains

Bordeaux vineyards

Sometimes all you can see is a sea of vines; these ones are near St Emilion which you will pass on the ride.

Bordeaux vineyards

Sometimes all you can see is a sea of vines; these ones are near St Emilion which you will pass on the ride.

Bordeaux vineyards

Sometimes all you can see is a sea of vines; these ones are near St Emilion which you will pass on the ride.

Close support

Our team are always on hand to look after you on the road.

Close support

Our team are always on hand to look after you on the road.

Close support

Our team are always on hand to look after you on the road.

Coffee in Gascony

Col du Bagargui

Crossing the Dordogne

One of several landmarks that you will cross cycling south across France, the Dordogne is a beautiful river.

Crossing the Dordogne

One of several landmarks that you will cross cycling south across France, the Dordogne is a beautiful river.

Crossing the Dordogne

One of several landmarks that you will cross cycling south across France, the Dordogne is a beautiful river.

Crossing the Dordogne on our way south through France

Crossing the Pyrenees

We cross the splendid mountains at St Pied de Port, one of the lowest passes. There is however a chance to climb the Col du Tourmalet should you wish, but this is not obligatory!

Crossing the Pyrenees

We cross the splendid mountains at St Pied de Port, one of the lowest passes. There is however a chance to climb the Col du Tourmalet should you wish, but this is not obligatory!

Crossing the Pyrenees

We cross the splendid mountains at St Pied de Port, one of the lowest passes. There is however a chance to climb the Col du Tourmalet should you wish, but this is not obligatory!

Cycling across the Pyrenees

The scenery is dramatic as you cycle across the mountains into Spain. From here it's only four days to your destination with spellbinding landscapes.

Cycling across the Pyrenees

The scenery is dramatic as you cycle across the mountains into Spain. From here it's only four days to your destination with spellbinding landscapes.

Cycling across the Pyrenees

The scenery is dramatic as you cycle across the mountains into Spain. From here it's only four days to your destination with spellbinding landscapes.

Cycling in the Basque country

Cycling towards the majestic Pyrenees

Descending towards St Jean Pied de Port

Don Quixote

This scene could be unchanged since Don Quixote ambled around Spain. Actually, it is taken in Gascony, one of the delights of this tour and an area not particulalrly well-known.

Don Quixote

This scene could be unchanged since Don Quixote ambled around Spain. Actually, it is taken in Gascony, one of the delights of this tour and an area not particulalrly well-known.

Don Quixote

This scene could be unchanged since Don Quixote ambled around Spain. Actually, it is taken in Gascony, one of the delights of this tour and an area not particulalrly well-known.

Early morning mist after our night at a hotel in the Pyrenees

Enjoying refreshments

A chance to refuel on our morning coffee break. Real filter coffee and real tea (no bags here!) make for a fine cuppa.

Enjoying refreshments

A chance to refuel on our morning coffee break. Real filter coffee and real tea (no bags here!) make for a fine cuppa.

Enjoying refreshments

A chance to refuel on our morning coffee break. Real filter coffee and real tea (no bags here!) make for a fine cuppa.

Fantastic scenery in the Pyrenees

Fine food

Food and accommodation are important to us. You will stay in comfortable hotels and eat well on our cycling tours. Many people complain they don't actually lose weight!

Fine food

Food and accommodation are important to us. You will stay in comfortable hotels and eat well on our cycling tours. Many people complain they don't actually lose weight!

Fine food

Food and accommodation are important to us. You will stay in comfortable hotels and eat well on our cycling tours. Many people complain they don't actually lose weight!

Gascon delights

A typical bastide town in Gascony. Half timbered houses built around a square, usually with a cafe in the colonnade below!

Gascon delights

A typical bastide town in Gascony. Half timbered houses built around a square, usually with a cafe in the colonnade below!

Gascon delights

A typical bastide town in Gascony. Half timbered houses built around a square, usually with a cafe in the colonnade below!

Green Normandy with fine views on day 2 of the ride.

Half way cakes!

Half way on our journey from Caen to Santander by bike

Historic towns and villages

History is never far away in France and you will see some very old villages along the way.

Historic towns and villages

History is never far away in France and you will see some very old villages along the way.

Historic towns and villages

History is never far away in France and you will see some very old villages along the way.

Home made cake

We take great pride and joy in providing home made cake which is both tasty and keeps you going!

Home made cake

We take great pride and joy in providing home made cake which is both tasty and keeps you going!

Home made cake

We take great pride and joy in providing home made cake which is both tasty and keeps you going!

Loire valley chateaux

You will ride past some famous, and some less well-known, chateaux as we cross the Loire region. Some undiscovered gems await you!

Loire valley chateaux

You will ride past some famous, and some less well-known, chateaux as we cross the Loire region. Some undiscovered gems await you!

Loire valley chateaux

You will ride past some famous, and some less well-known, chateaux as we cross the Loire region. Some undiscovered gems await you!

Loire Valley splendour

The largest of them all, Chambord.

Loire Valley splendour

The largest of them all, Chambord.

Loire Valley splendour

The largest of them all, Chambord.

Loire valley vineyards

On this ride you will see lots of vineyards but one of our favourite stretches is the first you come across in the Loire valley.

Loire valley vineyards

On this ride you will see lots of vineyards but one of our favourite stretches is the first you come across in the Loire valley.

Loire valley vineyards

On this ride you will see lots of vineyards but one of our favourite stretches is the first you come across in the Loire valley.

Lovely villages

Lovely villages through out France; a joy to cycle through.

Lovely villages

Lovely villages through out France; a joy to cycle through.

Lovely villages

Lovely villages through out France; a joy to cycle through.

Magical towers in Normandy

Set up a quiet lane you wouldn't know this magical place was there unless we told you to visit it. We go to great lengths to show off the wonders of France and her varied regions.

Magical towers in Normandy

Set up a quiet lane you wouldn't know this magical place was there unless we told you to visit it. We go to great lengths to show off the wonders of France and her varied regions.

Magical towers in Normandy

Set up a quiet lane you wouldn't know this magical place was there unless we told you to visit it. We go to great lengths to show off the wonders of France and her varied regions.

Magnificent Basque Coastline

On a tandem through France...

Whatever you ride we will support you through and through on your journey cycling through France. We have tandems, trikes, electric bikes. So long as you are enjoying yourself we are happy!

On a tandem through France...

Whatever you ride we will support you through and through on your journey cycling through France. We have tandems, trikes, electric bikes. So long as you are enjoying yourself we are happy!

On a tandem through France...

Whatever you ride we will support you through and through on your journey cycling through France. We have tandems, trikes, electric bikes. So long as you are enjoying yourself we are happy!

One of our coffee stops, keeping cyclists fed and watered!

One of our overnight stops nearing Santander

Outside an old walled town in the south of France

Photo opportunities abound

Our earnest advice is to stop to take photographs and not just ride by. In years to come they will remind you of your amazing ride.

Photo opportunities abound

Our earnest advice is to stop to take photographs and not just ride by. In years to come they will remind you of your amazing ride.

Photo opportunities abound

Our earnest advice is to stop to take photographs and not just ride by. In years to come they will remind you of your amazing ride.

Pretty harbour in the Basque country

Pyrenean meadows

Pyrenees panorama

Quaint villages

An ideal place to stop for a break. France is blessed with hundreds and hundreds of pretty villages.

Quaint villages

An ideal place to stop for a break. France is blessed with hundreds and hundreds of pretty villages.

Quaint villages

An ideal place to stop for a break. France is blessed with hundreds and hundreds of pretty villages.

Quiet roads

We like quiet roads. We don't like white lines on roads. A lot of time and effort goes into finding the best possible routes that our riders tell us are consistently the best in the business.

Quiet roads

We like quiet roads. We don't like white lines on roads. A lot of time and effort goes into finding the best possible routes that our riders tell us are consistently the best in the business.

Quiet roads

We like quiet roads. We don't like white lines on roads. A lot of time and effort goes into finding the best possible routes that our riders tell us are consistently the best in the business.

Riders at the half way point. 450 miles done!

Riding into a mediaeval bastide (fortified) village in Gascony.

Riding south from Pau having exited the lovely town along the river

Rolling countryside cycling through the ancient kingdom of Gascony

St Emilion

St Emilion, a wine producing village since Roman times. A wonderful place to visit, and what is more, we spend a night right in the centre.

St Emilion

St Emilion, a wine producing village since Roman times. A wonderful place to visit, and what is more, we spend a night right in the centre.

St Emilion

St Emilion, a wine producing village since Roman times. A wonderful place to visit, and what is more, we spend a night right in the centre.

Sunflower

Sunflowers everywhere!

Sometimes the sunflowers go on for miles and miles. They are a wonderful sight bringing such vibrant colour to the countryside.

Sunflowers everywhere!

Sometimes the sunflowers go on for miles and miles. They are a wonderful sight bringing such vibrant colour to the countryside.

Sunflowers everywhere!

Sometimes the sunflowers go on for miles and miles. They are a wonderful sight bringing such vibrant colour to the countryside.

Sunrise in Spain

The Basque country

The coast in Spain; at this point our route follows the Camino de Santiago

The Col du Tourmalet awaits for those who fancy it!

The end of a tough climb in the Pyrenees

The heart of France

The centre of France has some ancient oak forests; here we cycle through some of them and take coffee by this former hunting lodge.

The heart of France

The centre of France has some ancient oak forests; here we cycle through some of them and take coffee by this former hunting lodge.

The heart of France

The centre of France has some ancient oak forests; here we cycle through some of them and take coffee by this former hunting lodge.

The Pyrenees are wonderful cycling country with unbelievable views

The Spanish border lies at the top

The top of a Pyrenean col

Time for a water refill from one of our ever-present support vehicles

Unspoilt countryside in the foothills of the Pyrenees

View from the top of the col in the Basque country

Wonderful French roads

The classic view of French country roads, with an avenue of plane trees and an absence of traffic making for excellent cycling.

Wonderful French roads

The classic view of French country roads, with an avenue of plane trees and an absence of traffic making for excellent cycling.

Wonderful French roads

The classic view of French country roads, with an avenue of plane trees and an absence of traffic making for excellent cycling.

Travel Information

The best way to travel on this trip is by ferry, which is round-trip from Portsmouth so you can either catch a train to Portsmouth or park a car at the port or in various other locations nearby. The return ferry gets in during the afternoon so you may wish to book accommodation in Portsmouth that night. Alternatively book an extra night in Santander and return to Plymouth. (Ferry not included).

Click here for our Travel Information page.