Decades ago, the Basque Country was home to one of the densest narrow-gauge railway networks on the Iberian Peninsula. The difficult orography of this territory was largely responsible for the growth of a network that followed the terrain, bringing together towns and flourishing factories while promoting the socioeconomic development of the Basque Country. So far, the Basque Country has converted 7 Greenways covering over 180 kilometres, where users can learn about the history, culture and nature of this beautiful territory.

Check out the Basque Navarre video to get an idea of the spectacular attractiveness of these routes.

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• Greenways
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Grand tours

A mountain bike, panniers and a desire to enjoy and discover wonderful places is all the traveller needs to start out on this adventure around Álava Plain Grand tour, very famous, which begins and ends at the Ataria Visitor Centre.It is advisable to do it clockwise, thus encountering the six short routes; Green Ring, the old route of the Basque-Navarre Railway, the Ullíbarri-Gamboa reservoir, Camino Real de las Postas, Camino de Santiago and, once again, the Basque-Navarre Green Way on its Estíbaliz branch.

To enjoy all the route has to offer, it is ideal to do it over 2-3 days, dividing the stages to adapt to the abilities of each cyclist. The intermediate towns of Maturana, Narbaiza, Araia and Agurain-Salvatierra are perfect stop-offs on our journey, equipped with facilities and places to stay overnight.In addition, part of the route is connected by train, which allows us to return or access the route quickly and easily.

The route is designed with all kinds of people in mind. Alone, with the family or with a few friends, it’s the perfect opportunity to go deeper into a land, Álava, which offers infinite possibilities. You just need to see for yourself.Cycling through Álava means delving deep into the history of this land, while a colourful landscape accompanies the cyclist on an unforgettable journey

The Ignatian Way
hroughout the Basque Country, the Ignatian Way is signposted as the GR 120 long distance path with the approved red and white markers for those following it on foot. This guide suggests several options to avoid those stretches which can be more complicated for a mountain bike with saddle bags. Consider your physical fi tness when deciding which route you’re going to take. The Ignatian Way for bikes is not marked as such. Get yourself a GPS or app on your smartphone with the route to follow. Do not forget to use a helmet, reflective clothing, a good padlock, sunglasses, sunscreen and the necessary material to carry out basic repairs. Be extremely careful on stretches of road. As you get closer to pilgrims on foot, reduce your speed when passing them by.

Route

The Way Of St. James by bicycle
The Inland Camino de Santiago in Euskadi is marked to be done on foot along a route which has been named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This web page suggests several options to avoid those stretches in the Camino which can be more complicated for a mountain bike with saddle bags.

Consider your physical fi tness when deciding which route you’re going to take.

Route