September / October 2008 - Dordogne / Picos

September / October 2008, I will be repeating my trip down the West of France, over the Pyrenees and into the Picos de Europa mountains of Northern Spain.  Click on photos to enlarge - don't know why these excellent shots display poorly as thumbnails, but they are great when clicked. 

Tour synopsis

We take the ferry from Portsmouth to Le Havre and ride down to the Dordogne (Perigord region) and spend 3 nights in the medieval village of Beynac. 

Most guests grab the opportunity to fully experience the views and imposing castles from an open Canadian canoe.  It's an optional extra (cheap enough) to do a  22km river descent by open canoe and it's the best way to see the Dordogne valley and its magnificent castles. We stay on a half board basis here, and our riverside restaurant offers splendid local delicacies to satisfy the discerning gourmet!

We then cross the Pyrennes (with a one night stop over) to spend a further 3 nights in the Picos de Europa - a hidden jewel, still undiscovered by many seasoned tourers.

We return by mini-cruise, all the way back from Spain to England, where if lucky, you'll see whales breaching in the Bay of Biscay.

See sections to right hand side of page for photos and further information.

This a tour of medium difficulty, designed for riders with average to good riding skills.  It isn't as demanding as my Alps tour, and it's only half the mileage.The run down through Western France is no great shakes, but it's a long day of approx 400 miles.  Easy riding though, with some motorway sections now.

The Dordogne is a pretty, scenic area; a place to be savoured rather than ridden to the edge.  Riding over the Pyrennees raises the bar a little, almost on a par with the High Alps:)

Crossing the mountainous border from France into Spain, and across the plains to the Picos is "only" a 270 mile day - but it feels more -especially if it's swelteringly hot.

The Picos region is simply stunning.  In many ways, a bit like the Yorkshire Dales, but more extreme in it's peaks & gorges. Great hilly, twisty mountain riding.  Very different to the Alps or Pyrenees.