Picos May 2018 - Route Planned, Feedback Sort!

What dates? I think you said "when you're not there". Nice!

That stretch from Navia to Grandas de Salime is a great road. I've taken the muppet above on it twice. There is a great cut through which follows the windfarm and goes to Sta Eulalia de Oscos. There you will find a great restaurant there called Casa Pepe with outside tables under a vine. Portions a bit too large for my liking if you go for the menu of the day, especially if you have a long ride ahead of you. If you're interested PM me because it's too long to explain and I need to look on a sat pict anyway.

First stop outside of Santander should include San Vicente De La Barquera or Lastres. Lastres is where they film the Spanish "Doc Martin" (Dr. Mateo). San Vicente is a great place to park up, find a bar with chairs outside and enjoy the view of the bay with a cold beer in hand.

Couple of things: I agree, it's a lot of ground you are hoping to cover and it will be somewhat hectic.

Be careful of the shadowed surfaces where moss grows, especially on the corners. Surfaces are variable but the grip is great almost anywhere without moss.

If you wanted to, you could skip Galicia altogether and you'd have more than a weeks entertainment in Asturias and cantabria alone.

In May you will have no trouble finding accommodation (except maybe Potes and surrounds, the rest no worries) and it gives you flexibility to avoid weather; you may be forced south or north along the coast. Get the eltiempo.es weather APP and look at the rain radar .gif for 48hrs.

I hope you are lucky with the weather and have a great time.

Thanks all, very useful

Arsey said:

Yup,

I’ve just booked up for July 18 staying at paradors in Cangas de Narcea, Cangas de Onis and then 4 nights at the Hotel del Oso

Click to expand...

Hotel Del Oso is possibly the best value for quality I've had on a biking trip, excellent.

Taking a keen interest in this thread, our trip isn't planned yet..............although looking on the website the ferry from Plymouth to Santander return with an inside cabin is £608 That's a lot of money before you even get there.

Quick update. We're all booked up, ferry to Santander on Friday 4th May. A nice variety of accommodation booked via booking.com

As I said, we like riding rather than being cultural tourists so mileage is between about 170 and 220 a day, similar to our Pyrenees trip last year. But we will stop for coffee and cake, lunch and have a nice drink in the evening! Cost for the ferry and accomodation for 7 nights is about £600 each. We booked early, which helps.

Looking forward to it!

Following with interest, 6 of us booked, arriving Santander on May 19th

Sanxenxo is a good beach town. Worth a look.

Cooperman said:

Sanxenxo is a good beach town. Worth a look.

Click to expand...

Comillas is my favourite, fabulous architecture as well as the 'typical' north coast fishing port, with beach ...

Regs

Simon

PS note to self, remember to take Mrs S there this year!

I'm sure that whatever you choose to do will be the right thing, anyway. If May brightens up (and it might well do) then is a great time too because it's green and empty.

Guys'n'gals. I can't stress enough how important it is to have good tyres that have, at least some, rain abilities. That goes for anyone intending to visit the north.

Despite my request to our group last year to ensure they had good tyres, one of them ended up stripping his to the chord by the last day. (many of) The roads in the north are like sandpaper, which is great for grip, not great on older or part worn tyres. He had a Kwakker 1000 SX but I don't know how old or how worn they were when he arrived. He was, however reluctant to change them for anything other than kawa recommended rubber so I imagine they were.... just that.

I used the Anakee III's and they were faultless in the wet and the dry, and they lasted two seasons (and would have likely lasted another but I sold the bike).

As I said, enjoy it. I'm sure you will.

Let us know how you get on.