The Camino de Santiago by bike
Take the pilgrim trail to Santiago de Compostela on your bike with CaminoWays.com, the walking and cycling holiday specialist.
The Camino de Santiago is not just a walking route; last year, over 12% of those who received their Compostela Camino certificate completed the journey by bike. These cyclists are known as ‘bicigrinos’, which comes from the Spanish words ‘bici’, meaning bike and ‘peregrino’ meaning pilgrim.
For a bicigrino to receive a Compostela certificate, they must journey at least the last 200km of any Camino route and finish up in Santiago de Compostela. The French Way is one of the best routes to take as a bike pilgrim. To get your Compostela as a bicigrino on this route, you must at least start in the beautiful town of Ponferrada, home to the Templar’s Castle. It will take 7 days to reach historic Santiago de Compostela.
The first few days of this cycling Camino are made up of shorter cycling days across the beautiful mountains of El Bierzo where cyclists will encounter stunning views and lush landscapes.
Next, the route takes cyclists to the pretty town of O Cebreiro where they will discover quaint stone houses called pallozas and a beautiful pre-Romanesque church. From here, the journey continues to Santiago via the rolling hills of Galicia, with its charming hamlets and villages. These towns and villages are the perfect place to exchange stories with fellow pilgrims and experience the true spirit of the Camino.
Although cycling the Camino is a journey within most people’s physical capability, CaminoWays.com recommends that you only undertake the journey if you are familiar with basic bike maintenance and if you are used to cycling.
Details:
Cycling from Ponferrada to Santiago de Compostela, covering 200km of the famous French Way route of the Camino de Santiago.
7-night holiday, cycling between 23km and 50km per day.
Route Cycling distance
Ponferrada – Villafranca del Bierzo 23km
Villafranca – O Cebreiro 28km
O Cebreiro – Sarria 42km
Sarria – Portomarin 23km
Portomarin – Melide 38km
Melide – Santiago de Compostela 50km
When and price: Available all year. April to October.
Includes: Half-board accommodation, luggage transfer from hotel to hotel, and holiday pack with route maps.
Optional: Bike rental, hotel upgrades.
Does not include: Flights, insurance, or bike rental.
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For other Camino routes suitable for cyclists or, to tailor-make your Camino de Santiago by bike, contact the CaminoWays.com team
