horseman magazine invites readers to participate Editor Scott A. Williams during the IMTBike Essence of Northern Spain Motorcycle Tour, which runs from September 9 to 17, 2023, and offers riders a rich mix of breathtaking and unforgettable landscapes and encounters with ancient cultures.
Based in Madrid, IMTBike specializes in tours to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), but it also offers tours in France, Italy, the Alps and Morocco, as well as MotoGP tours (Catalunya, Jerez and Valencia) and tours in Turkey, Thailand, Japan, and New Zealand. In 2021, IMTBike won the coveted Best of the Best Travelers’ Choice award. In 2022, IMTBike celebrated its 25th anniversary and horseman EIC Greg Drevenstedt and his wife, Carrie, helped celebrate by taking a tour of Andalusia in Southern Spain.
Related: Iberians escape | IMTBike South Spain Andalusia Tour Review
Advertisement
The IMTBike Essence of Northern Spain Motorcycle Tour will be equally amazing. IMTBike says the nine-day tour (including two travel days and one day of rest), will combine “all the wonderful fragrances one would expect to find in Northern Spain; from the salty blue waters of the Cantabrian Sea along the Costa Verde, to the pristine green meadows of the Basque Valley and the fresh air of the majestic Picos de Europa of Asturias.”
The tour will begin and end in Bilbao, a former shipbuilding town now famous for Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum and Jeff Koon’s “Puppy” sculpture. The tour will pass through the northern regions of Spain – the Basque Country, Cantabria, Castilla-León and Asturias – on its route past picturesque little fishing villages and charming lost villages in the Spain’s most remote mountain region. You will visit fascinating cities such as the capitals of Asturias and the Basque Country, Oviedo and Vitoria.
On Day 1 (or earlier, depending on your country of origin), head to Bilbao and spend the day exploring the city. The group will meet for dinner and prepare for a journey that begins on Day 2, when the riders will enter the Cantabrian Mountains at the extreme east. You’ll take little-known mountain roads surrounded by incredible greenery on your way to the beautifully preserved medieval town of Santillana del Mar.
Day 3 passes through the Picos de Europa mountain range, distinguished for both its altitude and its proximity to the sea. You will visit the beautiful beaches and cliffs of the Blue Coast (Costa Verde). We’ll dive deep into the heart of the vast Picos de Europa Mountains, where you can take a cable car to the top and pass through the narrow gorges that surround the massif.
Day 4’s destination is the Asturian capital, Oviedo. Along the way, riders will visit some of the most photographed fishing villages on the Asturian coast and ride along some of the most interesting local roads that run through the verdant mountains of eastern Asturias.
Take a day off to explore the elegant city of Oviedo on foot, or take a trip to visit the Asturian west coast and the picturesque fishing village of Cudillero. IMTBike prepared “a nice winding road to get there.”
On Day 6, the route will begin to return to the eastern part of Northern Spain, crossing Asturias through its mining area. These mountains are filled with natural resources below ground and perfect motorcycle paths above. You’ll spend the day immersing yourself in the captivating natural landscapes and traversing numerous mountain passes before reaching the lake region of Castilla-León at the foothills of the Picos de Europa.
Day 7 takes riders to the charming Basque capital of Vitoria, passing through a number of beautiful mountain ranges, valleys and outbacks, as well as several natural parks east of the Picos de Europa and the Mountains Cantabrian before returning to Euskadi (Basque Country).
The last day of horseback riding will be a beautiful route that crosses the whole of the Basque Country from south to north on the way back to Bilbao. After several mountain crossings, you’ll reach the coast and then go on local roads passing through authentic fishing villages while experiencing the unspoiled landscape of this coast.
If you’re looking for winding roads, verdant mountains, azure waters plus delicious food, charming cities and incredible hotels, it all comes down to one drag vacation. week long, this Tour of the Essence of Northern Spain has been tailored just for you!
IMTBike Essence of Northern Spain Motorcycle Tour daily itinerary:
- Day 1: Arrive in Bilbao
- Day 2: Bilbao – Santillana del Mar
- Day 3: Santillana del Mar – Picos de Europa
- Day 4: Picos de Europa – Oviedo
- Day 5: Oviedo – day off
- Day 6: Oviedo – Palentine Mountains
- Day 7: Palentine Mountains – Vitoria
- Day 8: Victoria – Bilbao
- Day 9: Flight back home
Prices start at $3,990 per person, including rent for a BMW G 310 R motorbike for one rider in a double room (see below for what’s included in the price). see The quintessential travel site of Northern Spain for tiered pricing for different motorcycle models as well as pricing for one passenger and one additional room.
IMTBike Essence of Northern Spain Motorcycle Tour includes the following services:
- Airport pick up on the first day of the tour
- Overnight at a high quality hotel
- Hearty dinner every night (except weekends)
- Complete buffet breakfast every morning
- New model BMW motorcycle fully equipped with three BMW tanks
- Travel handbook (usually about 70 pages-very comprehensive) and marked map
- Expert multilingual guide on a motorbike
- Multilingual instructions in the support vehicle that will carry your luggage, any oversized purchases you make; or even one or two passengers
- tourist souvenirs
Service does not include:
Airfare, lunch, gas, drinking water, tolls, personal expenses and tips
