Why this ride
321 km from Zarautz to Zarautz, about 4 h 22 of riding. On the way it passes Cathedrale de Vitoria-Gasteiz, Collégiale de Ziortza and back through Cathedrale de Vitoria-Gasteiz. It suits an unhurried touring pace.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Altxerri and Collégiale de Ziortza
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 321 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 22
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Altxerri → Cathedrale de Vitoria-Gasteiz
Speed drops and stays down. Park rather than crawl through. 86 km through ground somebody thought worth listing. The road passes it rather than bypassing it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 86 km
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Altxerri
The Basque coast between Orio and Getaria is a place where steep green hills fall straight into the Bay of Biscay, and Altxerri is a cave in those hills, a few kilometres from Zarautz, one of the great surf and holiday towns of the province. Zarautz has a long beach, a seafront promenade and over twenty thousand people, which means fuel, lunch and everything else you might need.
Read the complete Altxerri write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Altxerri is where the day begins. Next is Cathedrale de Vitoria-Gasteiz.
2. Cathedrale de Vitoria-Gasteiz
Vitoria-Gasteiz is the capital of the Basque Country and possibly its most underrated city. It sits on a high plateau, the Llanada Alavesa, surrounded by low mountains and wide farmland, and its medieval old town climbs a small hill in the shape of an almond, with the old cathedral of Santa María at the top. This is the cathedral the label refers to, a Gothic church begun in the thirteenth century as both a temple and part of the town's defences.
Read the complete Cathedrale de Vitoria-Gasteiz write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Cathedrale de Vitoria-Gasteiz comes up about 86 km into the recorded legs. Next is Collégiale de Ziortza.
3. Collégiale de Ziortza
High on a green hillside above the village of Bolibar, in the Biscayan interior, the collegiate church of Ziortza looks out over a valley of meadows, farmhouses and eucalyptus and pine plantations. It is a tranquil, solid place, a church and cloister built of grey stone with a fortified look, and it stands on the Camino del Norte, the coastal route to Santiago, so you will often see pilgrims resting on the benches outside.
Read the complete Collégiale de Ziortza write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 160 km into the recorded legs you reach Collégiale de Ziortza. Next is back through Cathedrale de Vitoria-Gasteiz.
4. back through Cathedrale de Vitoria-Gasteiz
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Cathedrale de Vitoria-Gasteiz write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Cathedrale de Vitoria-Gasteiz, late in the day. Next is Altxerri.
5. Altxerri
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Altxerri write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Altxerri. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Altxerri to Cathedrale de Vitoria-Gasteiz
Altxerri → Cathedrale de Vitoria-Gasteiz is 86 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Cathedrale de Vitoria-Gasteiz to Collégiale de Ziortza
Cathedrale de Vitoria-Gasteiz → Collégiale de Ziortza is 74 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Collégiale de Ziortza to back through Cathedrale de Vitoria-Gasteiz
Collégiale de Ziortza → back through Cathedrale de Vitoria-Gasteiz is 73 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Cathedrale de Vitoria-Gasteiz to Altxerri
back through Cathedrale de Vitoria-Gasteiz → Altxerri is 88 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.