Cycle Touring in Spain. Harry Dowdell

of the peninsula.

      In the south, Neolithic people from north Africa settled in Alméria between 4000 and 3000BC. They were farmers, living in villages, and by 1000BC these Iberians had spread out to become the dominant inhabitants of the peninsula to which they gave their name. Celts and Germanic peoples from France joined the Iberians to form the Celtiberians in north, west and central Spain.

      Alhama de Granada, the old town built high on top of a cliff (Route 3)

      The Phoenicians arrived by sea around 1100BC and founded Cádiz and Málaga. These coastal-dwelling people traded widely, particularly in metals, and were joined by Greeks who also established coastal trading colonies.

      Around 250BC the Carthaginians came from Sicily to conquer parts of Spain, and founded Barcelona and Cartagena. This heralded the arrival of the Romans, who by 206BC had driven the Carthaginians out. Spain was very important economically and culturally to the Romans, who colonised the country over the next two centuries.

      Three centuries later, as the Roman Empire crumbled from within, the barbarian tribes swept in from the north. They were followed by the Visigoths, allies of Rome, and by AD573 they had taken over.

      However, in AD711 an army of Berbers invaded from north Africa, and by 718 the Moors had overrun Spain except for parts of the north-west. ‘Moor’ is a term applied to any Berber or Arab settler, while ‘Mozarabs’ were Jews and Christians who kept their faith under the Moors. Initially ruled from Baghdad, the Moors soon established Córdoba as their centre, but this unified rule only lasted until 1031 when the country split into a number of independent kingdoms.

      Oseja de Sajambre (Route 8)

      Just as the Moors were at their territorial greatest the Catholic Reconquest started from the north-west. It moved south in fits and starts, no doubt aided by antagonism between the independent Moorish states. Brief periods of unity under the Almoravids and then the Almohads stalled the Reconquest. It was completed when Los Reyes Católicos, Fernando and Isabella, captured Granada in 1492. In the same year Isabella sent Christopher Columbus to search for a westward route to the Indies, only to come across the Americas. It was Los Reyes Católicos who started the Inquisition and ordered the expulsion of nearly all the Spanish Jews.

      In 1516 the Hapsburgs came to the throne through the marriage of Carlos V. When elected Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire he also acquired Flanders, Holland and the Americas. Felipe II centralised the Spanish Empire from the newly built palace of El Escorial near Madrid. It was his support of Mary Queen of Scots that led to the Armada in 1588. The War of Spanish Succession was caused when the Bourbon Felipe V came to the throne in 1700 in competition with Charles of Austria who was supported by the British. Spain lost its European territories and the British took possession of Gibraltar in 1714. Nearly a century later, under the influence of France, the Spanish Fleet was destroyed at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. This defeat created a power vacuum and Napoleon installed his brother Joseph as king; his reign ended shortly afterwards with the Peninsular War.

      The remainder of the 19th and early 20th centuries saw a mixture of monarchy, dictatorship and republican governance. The Second Republic was declared in 1931 and in 1936 the Popular Front won power. Strikes and peasant uprisings led to turmoil, and in July of that year Franco and his garrison in Morocco rebelled. The bloody and bitter Civil War that subsequently took place lasted until 1939.

      Franco’s fascist Falangist government ruled until his death in 1975 when he was succeeded by King Juan Carlos. Reforms were hesitant, but democracy was restored in the elections of June 1977, and cemented when Juan Carlos refused to support the attempted coup lead by Colonel Antonio Tejero in 1981. EU membership came in 1986 and adoption of the Euro in 1999.

Getting There

      Getting to Spain with a bike is surprisingly simple. There are many long-established scheduled and charter airlines flying to Spain from all over the world. Since the mid-1990s various no-frills budget airlines have emerged in Europe, led by the likes of EasyJet and Ryanair, later joined by bmibaby and Jet2. These carriers concentrate on short-haul routes and continue to expand throughout Europe and beyond. As well as bringing more competition to the market they are more flexible than charter airlines and offer one-way tickets at no extra cost, making airport-to-airport routes feasible. From the USA the options are more limited, and for many scheduled airlines will often be the only way.

      Noviales (Route 6)

      Air travel is the quickest and can be the cheapest and most flexible way of getting to and from Spain. Flying direct is best in that bikes are more likely to arrive – and to arrive intact. Most airlines will carry a bike, but most have a policy of levying an additional fee, require advance booking and the signing of a waiver, and insist that it is packed in a bike bag or a box. Check at the time of booking what the conditions are as well as what is acceptable in terms of the bag or box. Often a telephone booking is required. A number of airlines will not guarantee that you will travel on the same flight as your bike. In addition a number of airports add their own requirements for the carriage of bikes. The situation is fluid so it is worth checking with the airports concerned or have a look at the various forums on cycling websites such as www.ctc.org.uk or www.bikeradar.com. If you have any doubts print off a copy of the airline’s instructions and also email the airport for their rules. Storage of bags or boxes in Spain can be a problem as only Madrid and Barcelona airports have left-luggage (consigna) facilities. Car hire depots and hotels used for first/last night stays are often helpful.

      All bikes need to be prepared for a journey by air. Allow plenty of time for this at both ends. Packing is particular to each type of bike bag or box, but the following guidance should help particularly those using a bag. Remove the wheels and place in their pockets. Remove the pedals and re-insert them on the inside of the cranks; position the cranks so that one pedal is inside the frame triangle and the other protrudes below the chainring. This will protect the chainring teeth. Turn the handlebars through 90° to reduce width and lower them. Rotating the handlebars will give protection to brake levers and gear changers. Lower the seat. If possible remove the rear derailleur and tape it inside the rear pannier rack. Some carriers expect you to deflate the tyres. Secure pumps and other accessories. Packing tape can be very useful.

      If camping, there are a number of items which must not be carried on an aircraft, all of which can be easily obtained in Spain. Complete lists are available from the airline. Aiport staff will check to see if you are carrying something forbidden. The list includes compressed gases (such as used in camping stoves), flammable liquids and solids (such as methylated spirits and solid fuel) and friction matches (but not safety matches). If taking a decent knife or any sharp or pointed objects put them in your hold luggage as they are likely to be confiscated during baggage checks and will not be allowed into the cabin. Bar locks too are best placed in hold luggage as airport staff can take exception to them as hand luggage. Take all valuables – expensive items and those that cannot be replaced – into the cabin as hand luggage. Tools must travel as hold luggage.

      See Appendix 4 for further details on travelling to Spain by air.

Getting Around

      This book has been written on the premise that entry into Spain will be via one of the main airports. A number of the routes start or finish some distance from any airport, and for these routes railway stations have been used instead. To get there from the airport one of the following options can be used; these are described in more detail within each tour.

      Railways

      Bicycles are accepted on regional and long distance trains if there is either sufficient space in the carriage or a specific area for them. At the time of writing there is no easy way to find out which train services will take bikes so it is a case of calling