I have always dreamed of cycling the entire Iberian Peninsula and going from the sunny shores of the Mediterranean to the lush hills of the Atlantic Ocean crossing the wild expanse of the French Pyrenees mountain range which separates the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe stretching between France and Spain.

Trip details

My epic solo on a fully self-supported bike tour is a full circumnavigation trip around the Iberian Peninsula took in the whole of Spain and Portugal and a crossing of the Pyrenees.

Kilometers traveled: Cycling counterclockwise 5,714.23

Duration and period: 60 days without a single day of rest, from August 22nd to October 20th 2024

Nations crossed: Along the entire perimeter of the Iberian Peninsula: Spain, Portugal, Italy and France

What is this trip about?

From Ventimiglia, located on the western coast of Italy, on the border with France, cycling along the magnificent coast of the Côte d'Azur (or French Riviera), is the Mediterranean coast of south-eastern France and leaving the beach in Marseillan Plage I crossed the French Pyrenees.

After crossing the majestic mountains of the French Pyrenees I reached the northernmost part of France precisely in Beyonne which is located at the foot of the Pyrenees, on the Atlantic coast.

After that I cycled along Spain's Costa Verde, characterized by lush vegetation, towering cliffs and picturesque coastal towns. The wild rugged northern coastline with breathtaking views of the expanse between the Basque Country and the charming Principality of Asturias.

On that part of the Costa Verde route I followed the Camino de Santiago until reaching the extreme eastern coast of the town of Ribadeo on the Atlantic Sea.

Then the route headed inland, away from the coast as you make my way through central and north west Spain, the lush Galician countryside to Santiago de Compostela. It is the capital of the region of Galicia, in northwest Spain. This town is the final section of the Camino del Norte is a spiritual destination in the world that attracts pilgrims from all over the world one of the most important Christian pilgrimage routes.

Leaving Santiago de Compostela also famous point the final part of the Portuguese Way from Porto. I cycled trough following a ranges from very iconic and scenic coastlines routes: part of the Portuguese Camino historic coastal, the EuroVelo 1 - Atlantic Coast Route and other fantastic trails or roads, discovering the wild Atlantic beauty and sandy beaches facing the Atlantic to the quieter ones in the Algarvea in the south of Portugal.

After cycling along the coast from north to south and then west of Portugal I reached the rock of Gibraltar known as “The Rock” or “Gib”, it is a corner of England that stands on a rocky promontory right in front of the African shore and in the Ascona Strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

After spending a few hours in that corner of England that offers splendid views of the surrounding area sits on the tip at the southernmost tip of Andalusia in Spain I continued cycling along the coasts of: Costa de la Luz, Costa del Sol, Costa Granadina, Costa Almeria, Costa Calida, Costa Blanca, Costa del Valencia, Costa Daurada Costa del Maresme and Costa Brava.

The end of my journey of my incredible and unforgettable journey in the Iberian Peninsula ended in Jonquera s situated next to the border with Northern Catalonia, nowadays France.

The last real stage of the cycle touring trip was to ride again along the French Riviera but the La Grande Corniche Cycle Route is situated at an altitude of over 400 metres. It is the oldest road, built under the orders of Napoleon 1st. Between the zigzags and zags of the winding road perched on a cliffsid with spectacular panoramic views of the winding coast I followed the coast until I reached the starting point in Ventimiglia in the pretty tourist town in the province of Imperia, Liguria, Northern Italy. Goodbye trip and the train takes me back to Milan!

STAGE FOURTH - Cycling the Atlantic Coast of Spain from the border of France

I have never cycled in the north of Spain, so it was a very different experience compared to the rest of Spain that I had already known from previous trips, especially regarding the weather: I was expecting an Atlantic climate with occasional rain, while it was only the beginning of September it was more extreme and varied than I thought, including the temperatures. The locals had told me that generally sunnier and less cold! However, I was certainly not discouraged by the weather and the journey started from East to West after leaving the French border. I follow the Camino del Norte or Northern Way

The route follows Spain’s stunning northern coastline, known as “Green Spain” starting from the east after leaving the French border towards West through the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia.

My route was not exactly set following the actual routes of the Camino de la Norte or the Eurovelo 8 but I was flexible to choose the direction of the moment it depended on the interest of the moment by the curiosity of another road that at that moment I preferred to take because I found it more interesting but the fact remains that I took the Atlantic route that winded along the breathtaking views of the highlands, the Atlantic coastline, and some of the most stunning natural scenery such as: a realm of lush green hills and rugged coastlines, rolling hills, picturesque fishing villages, charming cities, rich culture to discover and warm hospitality.

* Spain.: Days

* Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur is the most popular holiday region in the south of France.

* El Camino de Santiago, has become one of the world's most popular walking holidays and spiritual journeys.

* The Camino del Norte, or Northern Way is one of the alternative routes to Santiago de Compostela

* Gibraltar: Rocky promontory (called by the English The Rock) at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula

coming soon