A pedals by Vitoria, Laguardia and Orduña: vineyards, walls, centenary universities and millenary dolmens

We continue with the return by Bike for Euskadi. We are now moving away from the coast and we are going to pedal inside Euskadi, finding sidrerías and vineyards, with hamlets and walls, with centenary universities and millenary dolmens, with leafy forests and with infinite cereal fields, with green and yellow.

In total they will be 376 km distributed in three stages: Donostia-Vitoria, Vitoria-Laguardia and Laguardia-Aorduña.

The third stage will be the longest and in which the hardest climb of all awaits us, the port of Herrera, not excessively long, but of continuous and steep ramps. Luckily, the rest of the stage will not be so complicated. We start.

Stage 4: Donostia-Vitoria

We are going to unite two of the Basque capitals, that of the beach of La Concha and the Pintxos with the Green-Capital Alavesa. We say to sea later for a few days and launched ourselves to pedal to cross Gipuzkoa and much of Álava.

The first 60 km will be ascending profile, but without dealing with any entity. Of course, Tolosa will have a repect at Amategi Aldea, near Altzo.

We left Donostia by Ondarreta to address south passing through the towns of Añorga and Hernani. Then we continue through Andoain and Zizurkil, in the area of ​​cider houses and avoiding at all times the busiest roads of this very populated region of Gipuzkoa. Without greater difficulty, we reach Tolosa (km 32). Tolosa, ancient capital of Gipuzkoa, gives name to the Tolosaldea region and receives us with its beautiful houses and the arches of the market appeared to the Oria River. Now we face that short but hard climb to the Amategi neighborhood to go down to Altzoazpi and continue tracing the Oriain river to Beasain (km 54).

Shortly after, in Zerain, we started the rise to Alto de Aztiria, about 5 km with some ramps close to 10%. Then, we linked with the port of Udana (km 75), but for the softer part, passing through the Brinkola train station, from where the iron ore from the Aizkorri’s slopes was transported to the port of Pasaia.

The descent leaves us in Oñati, where the magnificent and historical building of the University of Oñati is, founded in 1540 and where studies of laws, canons, arts, medicine and theology were taught, until 1842. It was the only university in the Basque Country until the inauguration of the University of Deusto in 1886.

We follow favorable route to Arrasate, Eskoriatza and Leintz Gatzaga (Km 104), where we start an entity rise to the high name.

Already on flat terrain, we change landscape and border part of the quiet swamp of Uribar-Gamboa to go without difficulty to the green capital of Euskadi, Vitoria.

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Stage 5: Vitoria-Laguardia

Although we leave the flat area of ​​Álava, of its capital, let’s not fool ourselves, since it is a mountain stage. We will first go to Agurain-Salvatierra on a comfortable land, pedaling along a secondary road and passing small towns surrounded by cereal fields. We arrive in Agurain (km 31) and we will begin to rise, first softly and then more abruptly, towards the port of Opakua.

During the climb to this port, which is not too demanding, we will enter another scenario of vegetation, crossing beautiful lush beech forests to ascend to the Sierra de Andia. This mountain range is part of the Sierra de Andia-Obasa that share Álava and Navarra and that provides many opportunities for enjoying both mountaineers and cyclists and setes.

After crowning Opakua (km 40), we are at the highest point of the route. We now have a flat area and a soft descent towards Kontrasta, where we return to the most ocher landscape in summer of cereal fields.

Rolling comfortably, we arrive in Santa Cruz de Campezo (km 62). Little later, the land becomes uncomfortable again to San Román de Campezo. After passing through this town, we return to descending land and reach the town of Bernedo (km 83), from where the last level begins of the day, the climb to the high of the village, whose beautiful peak encated between high rocks gives us access to Rioja Alavesa by the town of Lapoblation. We immediately start pedaling between vineyards, which will be of different color according to the time of the year in which we make the route.

A fast descent makes us pass by the Dolmen of the Llanos and then near the sorceress dolmen, in Elvillar (km 99), before finishing the route in Laguardia, a beautiful town surrounded by ancient walls that contains underground wineries inside.

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STAGE 6: Laguardia -ord

If it was not because at 20 km from the exit we have to upload the dreaded port of Herrera for its hardest face, we could say that this stage is not too difficult, since, after this hard climb, most of the stage presents many sections of llaneo. It will not be a total plain, but it will be appreciated.

We leave Laguardia rolling comfortably to the south by a road that is descending between vineyards to Elciego, where several renowned wineries await us. The smell of wine accompanies us. We now take a direction to Samaniego, with the same tonic in the landscape, although now with the highway picing up little by little. In Samaniego (km 15), we take the busy road A-124 until we reach the crossing where the climb to Herrera begins. They are more than 5 km that will be steep more and more. As we are ascending, we leave the vineyards and Hayedo begins to be noticed. Shortly before crowning, we can stop along the way to look at our left to the balcony of La Rioja, from where the fields of vineyards to the south seem infinite around the Ebro River.

After crowning the port (km 24), comes an up and down zone before starting the real descent towards Peñacerrada, which awaits us with its high walled door.

We now have a few kilometers of comfort, through Zambrana and then through the Puebla de Arganzón (km 66). Already in the Valles Alava region before arriving in Ribabellosa, some hard repect will make us suffer a little.

The tour will turn north, to Espejo, and from there, a turn will lead us to Salinas de Añana (km 100), which proudly shows us its terraces full of salt that have given the name to the town for more than 7,000 years.

Then comes a good climb after passing the town and then going through comfortable terrain to Pobes, where we turn again to the north, towards Kuartango and Izarra, before appearing, finally, to the cut of the sweeping. We only have to go down comfortably to the only city of Bizkaia, Orduña, where we end this stage under the watchful eye of the Virgin of Orduña that appears, imposing, on the mountain.

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