Tag: Spain

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 095 – Claire Davies – Braver Than You Think

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In this episode of The Cycling Europe Podcast, we talk to Claire Davies, former diplomat, cyclist and writer. She chats about her journey along LEJOG and her ‘end-to-end’ cycles around Europe.

“Are you braver than you think? That’s the question Claire Davies began asking herself as she cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats, ill-prepared, unsupported and alone. At a mid-life low point, craving space and time to think, or not to think, Claire decided that a long bicycle ride was what she needed. Setting off for Scotland just a few weeks later, on a bike named Trixie, guided by a gadget called Guillaume, she had little idea what she was letting herself in for. It turned out to be a journey not only to better physical fitness and mental health, but also to empowerment and self-discovery, partly through the eyes of the people she met along the way.”

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 094 – From Ibiza To The Norfolk Broads (Revisited)

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In 2020, episode 23 of The Cycling Europe Podcast featured a chat with cyclist and David Bowie fan James Briggs. Inspired by the lyric of his musical hero, David Bowie, James set off on a cycling odyssey from Ibiza… to the Norfolk Broads. At the time he was writing a book about his music-inspired journey and now, five years later, it has just been published. According to the blurb, “Criss-crossing Europe, he visited French chateaux where Bowie recorded, Spanish Olympic stadiums he played, former communist states where his music was banned, and the Berlin Wall he helped topple – all while navigating angry Soviet ballerinas, suspicious village mayors, and an irate Cliff Richard fan.” In this episode of the podcast we listen to what James had to say back in 2020 and catch up with him again about what happened next. We also hear from Rob Ainsley who in episode 23 provided his own suggestions for lyric-themed cycling adventures. Will James find inspiration in any of Rob’s ideas for his next long-distance cycle?

De Nuevo A España: Cycling In Winter In Spain

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It’s January. It’s cold. I spent much of yesterday evening watching Alan Carr and Amanda Holden renovating a house in Andalucia in southern Spain under the cloudless blue skies of summer. Do we have to wait for another six months before venturing south on our bikes? Well, no… and an email from Jannifer Margison provides some evidence that we should consider Spain in the winter too. Along with her husband, she is currently cycling in southern Spain for the second winter on the trot. Her website is worth visiting. If it weren’t for the fact that I have to work five days a week, I might be jumping on the next ferry and joining her…

aerial photography of city

The Four Best European Cities For Cycling Holidays In 2025

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Whether you’re a leisurely rider or a serious cyclist, exploring a city by bike provides a uniquely immersive way to connect with local life and culture. Many European cities offer extensive paths, bike-friendly infrastructure and even guided routes to showcase their highlights. If you’re intending to explore Europe on two wheels, the four cities we’ve shared below should be on your shortlist.

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 085 – Johnny Murtagh / Cycling The Camino De Santiago

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In the early autumn of 2023, at the start of a year-long sabbatical from work, Johnny Murtagh cycled from his home in southern England to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. “But the real story isn’t just the journey itself – it’s the incredible group of people I met along the way. A motley crew from all corners of the world, each with their own unique reasons for being there, and together we shared unforgettable moments.” He spoke to The Cycling Europe Podcast about his memorable experiences as a cycling peregrino and his new group of fellow-minded friends.

Guide To Cycling Tours In The Wine Regions of Europe

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Renowned for an extensive portfolio of diverse historic and wine regions, the European continent is synonymous with winery culture and expertise. For a winery adventure that’s also active, consider combining the beloved European tradition of wine-sipping, with an active cycling retreat. Cascading greenery to roll down on two wheels, whilst learning the significance of wine production and culture. Blend the fun of culinary delights and movement magic, with a cycling tour amidst a wine region in Europe. Here is a guide to everything you need to know about this vacation, pre-departure. 

Jennifer: Cycling In Southern Spain In The Winter

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Every so often I get an email from someone who has been cycling somewhere interesting and would like to share their story. I’m always happy to oblige. One such email arrived this week, from Canadian cyclist Jennifer. She’s currently in Spain with her husband, bravely cycling through the Spanish winter. I remember being in Andalusia in the run-up to Easter back in 2015 and although we had some lovely warm days on the coast, once I started cycling north and into the mountains, it could get chilly. I would imagine that’s certainly the case in January and February. Jennifer asks a question about cycling from Seville to Cordoba. If you have any information to help her I’m sure she would be delighted to hear from you via her website. Anyway, keep reading. Here’s her story…

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 068 – Tony Lenihan – Cycling Bilbao To Athens

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Tony Lenihan, a retired policeman, works for his local council in the English Midlands as their ‘Sustainable Travel and Wellbeing Coordinator’. He’s also a keen cyclist and, in the early autumn of 2022, after more than 40 years of work, he decided to take a career break and head off on a solo cycling adventure from Bilbao to Athens. It would be a 7-week ferry-hopping Greek odyssey that took him through northern Spain, to the islands of Sardinia and Scilly, across the heel of Italy to Brindisi before sailing the Adriatic to his final destination of Greece. He talked to The Cycling Europe Podcast about his continental experiences… but also about ‘active travel’ in the UK and how the country measures up (or not) to its European neighbours. 

YOUTUBE EXCLUSIVE: Episode 068 Of The Cycling Europe Podcast

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Tony Lenihan, a retired policeman, works for his local council in the English Midlands as their ‘Sustainable Travel and Wellbeing Coordinator’. He’s also a keen cyclist and, in the early autumn of 2022, after more than 40 years of work, he decided to take a career break and head off on a solo cycling adventure from Bilbao to Athens. It would be a 7-week ferry-hopping Greek odyssey that took him through northern Spain, to the islands of Sardinia and Scilly, across the heel of Italy to Brindisi before sailing the Adriatic to his final destination of Greece.  He talked to The Cycling Europe Podcast about his continental experiences… but also about ‘active travel’ in the UK and how the country measures up (or not) to its European neighbours. 

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 066 – Cycling On Tenerife

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A few months ago I was approached by Jet2 Holidays who asked if I would be interested in discovering the joys of cycling in one of their winter destinations in southern Europe. Of course I said yes and had a look at the map. Where would be nice and warm in the middle of February? The Canary Islands seemed the most likely place to deliver good weather so I arranged to travel to Costa Adeje on the island of Tenerife. I hired a bike and headed along the coast and up the hills… This was a different approach to travelling on two wheels. How did I get on without a tent and four panniers but in a luxury hotel on an unfamiliar bicycle?

YOUTUBE EXCLUSIVE: Episode 066 Of The Cycling Europe Podcast

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A few months ago I was approached by Jet2 Holidays who asked if I would be interested in discovering the joys of cycling in one of their winter destinations in southern Europe. Of course I said yes and had a look at the map. Where would be nice and warm in the middle of February? The Canary Islands seemed the most likely place to deliver good weather so I arranged to travel to Costa Adeje on the island of Tenerife. I hired a bike and headed along the coast and up the hills… This was a different approach to travelling on two wheels. How did I get on without a tent and four panniers but in a luxury hotel on an unfamiliar bicycle?Show less

Tenerife: Day 5

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A few mindful moments just after sunrise on my final morning staying in Costa Adeje on the Spanish island of Tenerife. It’s interesting seeing how, from the perspective of the drone, the natural and man-made worlds have collided rather sharply. But at 8am there was still calm to be found before people crawl from their beds and take up position beside the pools, in the cafés and bars and on the beaches…

Tenerife: Day 4

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When I was thinking about what to do today, top of the list of ‘possibles’ was staying at the hotel and cracking on with some writing. I was hoping to knock off at least another couple of chapters of the new book this week, but it hasn’t happened, yet. And it never happened this morning. With it been another nice day, it seemed a waste to sit at my computer, especially when there are so many things I haven’t done on this island. That includes getting anywhere near Mount Teide. Would today be the day I did?

Tenerife: Day 3

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The cycling day… It’s strange being on a cycling holiday without a bicycle. That’s how it felt yesterday. Today the normal order was restored and I have been cycling. Not on my bike but a hire bike from a local company called Mr Bike Tenerife. I don’t think that’s his real name but Mr Bike delivered the ‘Pro Mountain Bike’ to the hotel this morning at just after 11:30 as promised. Let the cycling commence…

Tenerife: Day 2

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I still have to jump on a bike but… I suppose that was never the plan until day 3. Today was spent wandering very slowly along the coast from Costa Adeje to Los Cristianos and then back again via a route slightly inland. My fitness app tells me 20km and 27,000 steps. Thant will work wonders on the average. ​

Tenerife: Day 1

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It’s a slight departure for this esteemed organ of the cycling world to head off on a package tour but this week that’s exactly what’s happening; I have been invited by Jet2 Holidays to sample a bit of cycling on the Spanish island of Tenerife. ​To say it’s outside of my comfort zone would be a mild understatement – I am happiest with at least two panniers and a simple campsite at the end of the day – but I’m always up for something new so here goes…

EuroVelo 8 – Mediterranean Route: (My) Once-In-A-lifetime Experience

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It will soon be 10 years that I set off to cycle along the Mediterranean coast from Cape Sounio in southern Greece to Cape St. Vincent in southern Portugal. My route was inspired by the EuroVelo 8, although it was much less developed back then than it is today. I saw some EuroVelo 8 signs in Catalonia but aside from that, I’m not quite sure I saw any elsewhere. And after Valencia, when I was beginning to run short of time – I needed to be back at work at the beginning of September – I headed inland, away from the coast in order to complete the journey without resorting to jumping on the train.

Rediscovering My Cycling Naivety

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When I started this website back in 2008 (yes, getting on for 14 years ago…) I came to the whole endeavour as a naive touring cyclist. When I wrote ‘Crossing Europe…’ many people commented upon how they had enjoyed experiencing the cycling journey from southern England to southern Italy from the perspective of an inexperienced two-wheeled traveller who, quite frankly, didn’t know what he was doing for much of the time. That epitaph has become increasingly tenuous in the past decade as, inevitably, I have learnt what to do. I’m still learning but it would be disingenuous to continue to refer to myself as ‘naive’. Or rather it is in the world of cycle touring. I still consider myself to be very inexperienced in many other areas of cycling including the one that involves donning tight lycra and heading out for the day with minimal kit on a bicycle designed for speed…

grayscale photo of mountain under cloudy sky

Cycling (And Not Cycling) On Tenerife (And Not Tenerife)

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A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that in mid-February I will be travelling to Tenerife for a few days of winter cycling. It won’t quite by ‘cycle-touring’ in the traditional sense, more a combination of travelling and then cycling whilst being based in the same place, a hotel in southern Tenerife. Although I still need to check all the details, I’ve been told that I will be able to hire a bike at the hotel and my trusty steeds – Wanda and Ronnie (and my rather rusty steed Reggie…) – will be left at home for the duration.

blue cable car

The End Of 2022 Is Nigh… And 2023 Beckons

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With the editing done and the premieres of Le Grand Tour films uploaded and scheduled for the remaining Thursdays in December (well, the three before Christmas), my mind can return to other matters ‘Cycling Europe’. And there are a few plans that have been on the back-burner that can now move to the front of the gas hob. If, that is, I can afford to turn on the gas…

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 048 – A Mountaineer’s Guide To Cycling From Spain To Norway

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The Cycling Europe Podcast mainly features, well, cyclists. The interviewee in this episode, however, is first and foremost a mountaineer. But he’s not just any mountaineer. His name is Tim Ralph and he’s a seven summiteer; a man who has climbed the seven highest mountains on each of the continents. In the last few years, he’s also taken up cycle touring and has just published a book called ‘A Life Accomplished: From Spain to Norway on a Bike’. So what can mountaineering teach us about cycle touring? What can cycle touring teach mountaineers about climbing mountains? And what happens when an experienced mountaineer sets off to cycle from Europe’s geographical southernmost point at Tarifa in Spain to its northernmost point at Nordkapp in Norway?

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 046 – Tim Moore, Travel Writer

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Tim Moore has been referred to as ‘Bill Bryson on two wheels’. Any reader of his adventures – both on and off a bike – will  appreciate why the comparison is justified. In his first cycling travelogue, he set off on the route of that year’s Tour de France just weeks before the professionals. He went on to recreate ‘the most appalling bike race of all time’ – the 1914 Giro d’Italia – on a vintage bike. More recently he embarked upon a brutal cycle following the stages of the 1941 Vuelta a España. Ever the glutton for punishment, he’s also ‘The Cyclist Who Went Out In The Cold’ who set off on an East German shopping bike along the route of EuroVelo 13, the Iron Curtain Trail… The Cycling Europe Podcast chatted to him in a Tube carriage at the London Transport Museum.

Eroica 2021

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I’ve never entered a cycling sportive in my life… but I’m a sucker for a good poster and these posters from the people who organise the Eroica events have featured several times in the past on CyclingEurope.org. They’ve just sent through the complete set for 2021 – yes, it appears that they are starting again… – and the first of their cycles is actually today in South Africa.

The Cycling Europe Podcast: Episode 027 – Dr Ian Walker

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In 2015 I cycled from Tarifa in Spain – the southernmost point of mainland Europe – to Nordkapp in Norway – the northernmost point. It took me over 100 days. In 2019 Dr Ian Walker – an academic at the University of Bath – completed the journey in the opposite direction… in 16 days 20 hours and 59 minutes. In the process he became the fastest person ever to cycle across Europe north to south. That’s no mean feat for a man in his mid-forties who had only taken up ultra-long-distance racing a few years prior to breaking the record. I needed to find out how he did it…

Ceri Middleton: Bikepacking Across Spain In February

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Ceri was one of the cyclists who submitted their photographs to the recent cycle touring photo competition and he even made it to the shortlisted final ten photographs. It was a cracking image (shown above). It was taken during a trip in February 2019 along the Ruta de la Plata in western Spain. In fact, his route from Seville to north-eastern Spain brought back good memories from my own cycling trip along a very similar route back in 2015 as I made my way from Spain to Norway…

The 2020 Virtual Cycle Touring Festival: A Review

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Last weekend was the virtual Cycle Touring Festival. I was planning on writing a few words about the event myself but then a chap called Graham Johnson from Derbyshire got in touch. He had never previously attended the (non-virtual) Cycle Touring Festival but had signed up for a few of the online webinars – including the one delivered by yours truly – at this year’s virtual event and was planning on writing something for his local CTC / Cycling UK group newsletter. Could he use some of my photos to illustrate his text? he asked. Yes, of course! Could I publish your article about the festival on CyclingEurope.org? I asked. Yes, of course! Mutual happiness all round. And here is what he wrote, illustrated by the photographs he chose to use. I think it’s all rather entertaining. He is clearly a man with a book inside him.

The Virtual Cycle Touring Festival: This Weekend!

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Earlier this month I talked about the annual Cycle Touring Festival going virtual for 2020 and the time is almost here! The festival kicks off later today (Friday) and continues over this coming weekend of the 25th and 26th April. Laura and Tim Moss, who have organised the festival every year since 2015, have done a magnificent job in putting together, once again, an eclectic, interesting and potentially inspiring programme of events.

Paul Gentle’s Tarifa to Nordkapp 2020: Spain, Part 4

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If you listened to Episode 015 of The Cycling Europe Podcast you will remember that Paul didn’t make it quite as far as Nordkapp, for fairly obvious reasons. But he did make it as far as Nice in France and will hopefully one day soon return to complete the journey. But here in the written world of these CyclingEurope.org posts (as opposed to the spoken world of podcasts), Paul is in Barcelona and about to set off in the direction of France…

Paul Gentle’s Tarifa to Nordkapp 2020: Spain, Part 3

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Where were we? Or rather, where was Paul Gentle? The observant amongst you – well, the ones who listened to Episode 015 of The Cycling Europe Podcast – will remember that Paul didn’t make it quite as far as Nordkapp, for fairly obvious reasons. But he did make it as far as Nice in France and will hopefully one day soon return to complete the journey. But here in the written world of these CyclingEurope.org posts (as opposed to the spoken world of podcasts), Paul has just arrived in Valencia.

Episode 015: Paul Gentle / Tarifa To Nordkapp Via COVID

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Imagine you set off to cross a continent on your bicycle only for a global pandemic to stop you in your tracks. That’s what happened to Paul Gentle as he attempted to cycle from Tarifa in Spain to Nordkapp in Norway. The Cycling Europe Podcast spoke to Paul about his plans, his cycle through Spain and France and his race against the clock to get back home to the UK while it was still possible.

Paul Gentle’s Tarifa to Nordkapp 2020: Spain, Part 2

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The Coronavirus outbreak has upturned many of our lives. I am now unemployed, for example, but in the context of a medical emergency, even that seems quite small beer. A couple of weeks ago, I posted a piece written by Paul Gentle about the first leg of his cycle from Tarifa in Spain to Nordkapp in Norway. Alas, that endeavour has also become a victim of the virus and now been cancelled. A few days ago Paul returned back to the UK from Nice in France. To his credit, however, Paul has written a second piece for CyclingEurope.org about the second part of his cycle through Spain.

Episode 014: Timmy Mallett / Utterly Brilliant!

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The Cycling Europe Podcast returns with a celebrity interview! Mark Beaumont? Tim Moore? Josie Dew? Not quite… This celebrity not only has surprising long-distance cycling credentials but also some thought-provoking comments to make about the joys of heading off on your bike for a long-distance adventure. His name? […]

Santander To Coimbra 2019: The Movie

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If you follow @CyclingEurope on Twitter, you may have noticed that over the past couple of weeks, short videos have been posted recounting the story of my cycle from Santander in Spain to Coimbra in Portugal last summer. The reason for the appearances of the videos is two-fold. […]

Spain / Portugal 2019

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The world of (brace yourself)… work feels as though it has interrupted things with the new bike this week. Although I used the Koga to commute to work on Monday, I’m feeling frustrated that for the past two days I’ve been working in schools and that has necessitated […]

A Summer Of Cycling (And Cruising…)

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So, summer has arrived. Well, meteorological summer. Pedants who insist on sticking with the astronomical one (which starts on June 21st) will still have to live in spring for a few more weeks but the rest of us are already basking in the sunshine… (That’s how it works, […]

Maxine Dodd’s Vuelta A España

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Hola! This year’s Tour of Spain got underway last weekend with a really absorbing Team Time Trial in the ancient city of Nîmes. My first image is of the team with the magical name ‘Sunweb’ – They put in a great performance, but lost out to eventual stage […]

“Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost”

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Exactly two years ago, I cycled into a very wet Salamanca in Spain. Below is an extract from ‘Spain to Norway on a Bike Called Reggie‘ recounting my day in the city. Aside from providing me with some beautiful buildings, frogs and reminiscences of teenage reading, it was […]

Along The Med: Three Years Ago Today

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It was August 28th 2013 when I completed my cycle from southern Greece to southern Portugal. The full story here or the even fuller story here… And here are a few photographic memories. Full marks to anyone who can identify where they were taken; Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, […]

Cycling Holidays In Andalucia

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By Geoff Cumming It is often said that the essence of Spain lies in the beautiful countryside, remarkable mountains, fascinating villages and the warmth and hospitality of the people of Andalucía. Cycling Andalucía, a small, friendly cycle touring company, has recently started offering cycle tours in the heart […]

Cycling Day 69: Oslo (South) To Langset

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Click here to see the detailed statistics of today’s cycle. Data is still an issue so just one picture tonight but I will update with others later in the week once my 10gb monthly allowance is replenished, hopefully on Wednesday.  Let’s start back at midnight last night. Earlier […]

Cycling Day 67: Tanumshede To Høysand

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Click here to see the detailed statistics of today’s cycle. First up today was a short wander around this reconstructed Bronze Age village just next to where I had camped. It compared quite well to my tent accommodation… Then breakfast at the local supermarket where I bumped into […]

Cycling Day 63: Ugglarp To Gothenburg

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Click here to see the detailed statistics of today’s cycle. Every epic cycle trip requires at least one epic day of cycling and yesterday was, probably, that day. 169 km. Not quite the 270 km that I cycled from Tarragona to Valencia back in the summer of 2013 […]

Cycling Day 58: Møns Klint To Vemmetofte

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Click here to see the detailed statistics of today’s cycle. I usually write these updates while I’m sitting next to the tent. Tonight I’ve found somewhere rather more beautiful and even more peaceful…    I’ll be honest. I’ve now returned to the campsite – only a couple of […]

Cycling In France (Review)

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I did promise to write one of the reviews after each country (here’s the one about Spain) but I am only now sitting down to write the review about cycling in France. As before, it may make more sense if you go back and read the post I […]

Cycling Day 47: Münster To Vehrte

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Click here to see the detailed statistics of today’s cycle. So, where were we? Ah yes; in a very wintery Munster getting hailed upon… On the terrace of the bar where I wrote up the report for cycling day 46 yesterday afternoon I was at least protected from […]

Cycling Day 46: Reckling-Hausen To Münster

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Click here to see the detailed statistics of today’s cycle. Let’s start with the positive:    I’ve arrived in Münster, the sun is shining sporadically and, on the whole, the physical cycling conditions today were good. For most of the time I was able to travel along dedicated […]

Cycling Day 41: Borgloon To Maastricht

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Click here to see the detailed statistics of today’s cycle. Tonight has been chuffing cold! I have now crawled into the tent at the campsite a few kilometres south of Maastricht wearing four upper layers of clothing, a beanie on my head and a Buff around my neck. […]

Cycling Day 33: Orléans To Montargis 

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Click here to see the detailed statistics of today’s cycle. An average day in several ways but most obviously In that I cycled 75 km, my target average (which is currently exactly 74 km). I was out of the tent early. The fact that I didn’t know where […]

Cycling Day 32: Amboise To Orléans

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Click here to see the detailed statistics of today’s cycle. One of those days where, when I set off, I really had no idea where it would end. I guessed somewhere between Blois and Orléans, the former being only 35 km from Amboise, the latter about 100 km, […]

Cycling Day 22: Arcachon To Gujan-Mestras

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Click here to see the detailed statistics of today’s cycle. No video today, but I do have a sign that I came across on the short – just 10 km – ride from Arcachon to the municipal campsite at Gujan-Mestras:    “Do not cross… without looking in both […]

Pamplona: No Bull(s)

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Pamplona without the bulls this time. Look out for lots of independence-minded balconies in the city centre sporting flags along those lines (as well as one door), an English mother (or is it a stepmother or a mother-in-law?), a closed down Hemingway, some of the many pilgrims en […]