Rioja + Basque Country Bike Tour

Your DuVine guides will greet you at one of our recommended hotels in downtown Bilbao, followed by a 90-minute transfer to our boutique Relais & Châteaux hotel. After a safety review and bike fitting, we’ll head out on our first ride following the Rio Oja, the river that gives this famous wine region its name. Stop at our friend Victor’s organic honey farm, then return to the hotel to freshen up for a show-stopping first meal: a two-Michelin-star lunch prepared by Spain’s most influential chef and our good friend, Francis Paniego. This evening, join your guides for a stroll into the charming village of Ezcaray and enjoy a casual nightcap of tapas and local wine.

Meals: Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Bilbao, Ezcaray
Accomplished: 13 miles / 20 km, elevation gain: 787 feet / 239 meters
Longer Option: 16 miles / 25 km, elevation gain: 885 feet / 270 meters
Accommodations: Hotel Echaurren or Palacio de Samaniego

Before we depart Ezcaray this morning, there’s time to visit a luxury scarf and blanket weaver and stock up on a few souvenirs. Then we move on from Ezcaray and ride to the village of Santo Domingo de la Calzada, stopping at a pilgrim’s café where your guides relate the story of Saint Dominic and the miracle of the rooster. Our own pilgrimage continues along vineyard roads and past medieval villages. Along the way, stop for photos at a 2,000-year-old Roman bridge before arriving in the town of Haro—the spiritual capital of the Rioja wine region. We’ll break for lunch in the barrel room of a historic winery located in the heart of the railway station quarter. Inaugurated in 1863, Spain’s first electric railway was built to transport Rioja wines to Bilbao and beyond, bringing them to export markets around the world—many of the region’s best-known wine houses established their home base here. After lunch, opt for some extra miles or hop in the van to transfer back to our luxury hotel nestled in the heart of the charming town of Briones. Spend the afternoon exploring the town before dinner at the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Briones
Accomplished: 36 miles / 58 km, elevation gain: 1,453 feet / 443 meters
Longer Option: 45 miles / 72 km, elevation gain: 1,443 feet / 440 meters
Accommodations: Hotel Santa Maria De Briones or Palacio de Samaniego

Today we cruise south to the 11th-century UNESCO World Heritage Monastery of Yuso, considered the birthplace of the Spanish language. We’ll pass pilgrims from around the globe and stop to chat as they hike this section of the 500-mile Camino de Santiago. After visiting this historic monument, it’s just a short ride to our picnic lunch in a picturesque garden encircled by mountains. Choose to bike back to the hotel or transfer by van for some downtime (and perhaps a Spanish siesta). Tonight we transfer to downtown Haro and meet our friend Jaime, who opens the doors to his family-run restaurant that’s been serving its famous wood-oven roasted lamb since 1870.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: San Millan de la Cogolla
Accomplished: 21 miles / 34 km, elevation gain: 1,692 feet / 516 meters
Longer Option: 40 miles / 64 km, elevation gain: 2,667 feet / 813 meters
Accommodations: Hotel Santa Maria De Briones

Begin the day with a stunning vineyard loop that descends towards Dinastía Vivanco, a family winery that’s also Spain’s largest private museum of wine accouterments and art. Back on our bikes, we’ll pedal through undulating vineyards to the small town of Elciego where we’ll our friend Irene hosts us at her family-run winery for a casual lunch of tuna and local meat grilled over wood cuttings from her vines, paired with a selection of her estate’s wines. It’s a short ride to our next high-design hotel; the moody bar is the perfect place for a glass of wine before dinner. Stay close to home this evening and dine at the restaurant on-property, or transfer to the city of Logroño to try out a few of nearly fifty tapas bars that line Calle Laurel.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
Destinations: Briones, San Vicente de la Sonsierra, Eltziego
Accomplished: 30 miles / 50 km, elevation gain: 2,227 feet / 694 meters
Accommodations: Palacio de Samaniego or Hotel Santa Maria De Briones

Today, take your pick between an easygoing or a more challenging route. We’ll climb out of Elciego along a ridge high above the vineyards, then meet the Ebro River after descending through the town of Lapuebla de Labarca. Our destination is the medieval town of Laguardia, which sits upon a warren of 300 cellars carved from rock during the Middle Ages. These cellars (called calados) aren’t just subterranean wineries—they were once hideaways to protect townspeople in times of turmoil. The ancient calados are a striking contrast to the ultra-modern wineries that have cropped up since Spain joined the European Union in the mid-1980s. We’re headed to a small family-owned winery for a terrace-top tapas lunch of cheese, charcuterie, olives, and croquettes with dreamy views overlooking the estate’s vineyards and the town of Laguardia beyond. Tonight, we will finish our Rioja and Basque country adventure in style with a celebratory apéritif at the hotel, followed by a gorgeous dinner at the Riscal 1860 restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Lapuebla de Labarca, Laguardia, Elciego
Accomplished: 24 miles / 38 km, elevation gain: 2,000 feet / 615 meters
Longer Option: 29 miles / 47 km, elevation gain: 2,600 feet / 797 meters
Accommodations: Palacio de Samaniego or Hotel Echaurren

Bid “adios” to La Rioja, its wines, medieval architecture, sumptuous gastronomy, and stunning landscapes. After breakfast, we transfer back to Bilbao where your guides will take you to your post-trip hotel or the Bilbao airport.

Meal: Breakfast