A rugged coastline, interspersed with idyllic towns and an abandoned beach. Sounds of the ’txalaparta’ instead of the more rhythmic Flamenco. A cheerful ¡Aupa! to all the other cyclists you encounter. Basque Country It is really a different kind of Spain than you are used to, especially if you go here. cycling. You won’t find . Tapas here. Pintxos are the ‘snack of choice’. If you really want to experience the Basque food culture, you’ll eat in a Txoko, but only on invitation. And then you’ll also eat a Txuleta. Independence is still an important word, even within the union of Spanish regions. We were once again able to sample all the beauty that you can experience in a tour. Basque Country Can you find it? Are you enjoying it?
Text: Sander Kolsloot – Photos: Stijn Kanters – Sander Kolsloot
Read also our Baskenland Diary: Baskenland Diary Part 1, Baskenland Diary Part 2: Playing in Haimar’s Backyard, Baskenland Diary Part 3
Grand Depart of Euskadi
When we arrive at Bilbao airport at the end of April 2023, everything is different. That the Tour de France starts In the modern port city you see none of that anymore. Perhaps that also defines the culture. Proud, but somehow subdued or reserved. That’s not the case with our guides for the coming days. Although Ander Ortiz of Bizi Cycle Tours The tranquility itself, the passion comes almost out of Virginia Berasategui’s ears when we start talking about cycling in the region. The fact that we don’t want to do the section near Gaztelugatxe in our plans is not an option. “It’s the most beautiful part”. Noted.
Parel Bilbao
The sun shines on the city. Guggenheim museum, The design by Frank Gehry is absolutely stunning. The typical sound of a busy Saturday afternoon and evening is heard. We stay in the Hotel Gran Bilbao, just outside the old city center. A perfect base from which to combine the city and the region. In a few minutes you’re right in the middle of the city and in a few minutes you’re driving through the green hills. Tonight we’ll take the bike and ride along the river into the city. Here we’ll find the first signs of the approaching tour start. At the courthouse, with the Guggenheim in the background, we find a large countdown clock. The Swiss time sponsor is prominently displayed on the board. There are still 69 days left. An Irish couple is startled: ‘only 69 hours!’ They missed the difference between ‘jours’ and ‘hours’ for a moment.
Water ballet
Cycling in the Basque Country is like dealing with the weather. It’s green there; you’re on the Biskaje golf course with a mountain ridge that can really block out all the rain clouds. Where we arrived on Saturday in sunny weather, the big yellow ball was covered by gray clouds on Sunday. Initially, we were still thinking, ‘We’re going to cycle; we’re here now anyway.’ As the first rain shower came down, we saw that from there. It’s going to be a city tour. No penalty, because next to the Guggenheim, the absolute top attraction, you can have a great time in Bilbao. You can go to the impressive San Mames stadium, home of the local pride team, Athletic Club. Don’t forget the delicious food or a visit to a classic coffee bar. Above the city you’ll find a few beautiful viewpoints, where you can ‘climb’ up via the stairs. In short, Bilbao is also a top location for cycling.
Stage 1: along the coast
When we prepare for a long cycling day on Monday, we take a quick look at the route. We head towards the coast, to the town of Plentzia, and from there we follow the coastline towards San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. The route is the same as that of stage one from the Grand Depart of Euskadi. Although it is long enough for a ‘nice ride’, it is a beautiful route to ride. Our tip: cut it in half.)
Vizcaya Bridge
On the west side of Bilbao, near the port area, you will find an architectural masterpiece. The Vizcaya Bridge, a design by Alfonso Palacio, a pupil of the famous Eiffel, is a real eye-catcher. The floating pontoon at the bridge, which accommodates 200 passengers and six cars, moves back and forth between two banks. Nice to add as a crossing point. It’s a bit different from the bridge between Wijk bij Duurstede and Culemborg. After the bridge, we drive towards Plentzia, our guide Virginia’s second home. Here you will find a picturesque center, including a new, beautiful bridge and narrow streets. All the villages and towns we encounter offer a similar view. A beach or a harbor with a coffee bar, a restaurant, and fishing boats. In Plentzia you will also find some underwater wine cellar. If you still want to drink some courage, this is the time.
San Pelaio – Gaztelugatxe
When you think of the coast, you think of flat roads, vast views. Forget it. In the Basque Country, even the promenade is actually flat. We drive up and down again. After about 20 kilometers from Plentzia, we climb the San Pelaio. Three kilometers long, 320 meters high, but with an average of seven percent incline. Water splashes against the steep rocks below us. We meet some other cyclists. This tour of the Basque Country is also popular with fans of Game of Thrones. Above San Pelaio you have a view of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. Several seasons of the series have been filmed on this island and it serves as Daenerys Targaryen’s Dragonstone. In the past, this was a kind of forgotten part of Spain. Now the tour buses drive back and forth. Fortunately, everyone adheres to the passing regulations. According to the law, a 1.5-meter distance between cyclists and cars is mandatory.
Direction Bermeo and Leida
The fact that the Basque Country is home to a number of natural beauties is no wonder. One of them is Urdabai, a nature reserve with beautiful beaches; at low tide you can ‘walk on the water’ here. The detour from Bermeo towards Geurnica is a must for all cyclists, because of the beautiful view. We can see Laida lying across the road and the water in the bay is beautifully blue. A perfect place stop at Atxarre for a delicious bocadillo and a pintxo. This is pure pleasure.
Gametxo
From here we head towards Gametxo and turn inland at Ibarrangelu. As soon as you leave the coast, the climb begins. It is logical that the Basque Country produces good climbers: Haimar Zubeldia, Mikel Landa and the brothers Izagirre, Jon and Gorka. We were here with Etxeondo in 2022. Read that story again! We will discuss this here with Virginia The impact of the Tour start is also significant. Not only will it be extremely busy along the road, but the stages themselves will also provide spectacular views. Especially on this stretch, where the roads become narrower and everyone wants to sit in the front. Later, Haimar Zubeldia will add: ‘on these roads, all the team leaders shout in their ears that you need to sit in the front’. We for a moment imagine being at the head of the peloton. But for us, the ordinary cyclist, no race stress; it’s all about enjoying the rolling road and the views over the beautiful Basque Country.
Onward to Guernica
As you can see: there is a lot of beauty in this region, but the dark pages of Basque history are never far away. Guernica is perhaps the perfect example of this. A visit to the Basque Country automatically means a visit to this city, which was bombed on April 26, 1937.. After Ereño, where we climb along narrow roads, we descend towards Guernica. The photos of the town hall and the monument, a tree trunk that survived the bombing, are impressive. There is only silence here.
Final of the race
Our race continues towards the final of the first stage. With the Morga, Vivero and the final climb, the Pike ahead, it’s going to be tough. The climb of the Morga is more of a warm-up for the last two climbs. It’s a nice uphill section at an average of three percent. Towards the end, there’s a tricky section, but once you’re in the village that’s all forgotten. For professional riders it’s just a warm-up, but will that be the case for everyone?
A straightforward and spacious descent follows. We have to overcome a stretch of provincial road to reach the foot of the Vivero. At an unorganized roundabout, Komoot says ‘right turn’. The start of the climb follows quickly and the navigation immediately turns dark red. This is the terrain for the puncheurs. It’s a real struggle because after a rolling descent, you immediately get hit with 14% on your legs. I wonder who will still be standing here on July 1st. The descent is still a bit tricky. The work isn’t quite finished yet and we have to be fully focused. It does produce some nice pictures though.
Bilbao and then nothing
After the climb eases off, we turn right before the top and descend a narrow and winding path towards the provincial road. A stretch of 10 kilometers straight ahead towards the Pike. Here the game really comes into play. The climb is steep, like the Keutenberg or the Wall of Huy. The ascent through the residential area takes a lot of energy. Once you’re up there, there won’t be much attention paid to the beautiful view over the city. The ‘Bilbao sign’ at the Artxanda viewpoint is a nice photo opportunity. We roll down the mountain towards the Stadion San Mames. A beautiful first round of the Basque Country. This stage has everything you would expect when you go cycling here.
Tips for Bilbao to start your bike tour
Bilbao is known for its coffee culture. We have already ticked off many beautiful places, including Gürekoffee. But the latest addition to this range is the Bizi Cafe Hub, the best coffee shop in Bilbao for cyclists. Run by Virginia Beresategui, with whom we also did this route, it makes the whole experience complete. If you’re looking for good coffee too: Nokora Specialty Coffee.
Around the Basque Country – the route of stage 1
Here you can find the routes of our trip and also some routes from Stages One, Two and Three of the Tour de France 2023. A tour of Basque Country should be done by everyone at least once, because it is so beautiful and wonderful.
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.