Today we'll meet up in Santander, Spain, and set off towards the magnificent Pyrenees.

Our 9am departure time allows for tour members arriving on the Santander ferry on 9 October.

The club-moto team and tour members who may have travelled down through France with us, will be staying near Santander on 8 October, anyone joining us earlier, either on the Bilbao ferry arriving 8 October, or by other means, would be very welcome to join us.

Or you may wish to join the tour along the route.

Please contact us for further details.

Leaving Santander, we’ll head straight for the hills to ride some simply superb roads with twisties and hairpins. The high terrain of the Pays Basque provides simply amazing views: lush forests, boulder-strewn strata, valleys and rushing rivers.

As we head towards the Pyrenees over near-empty fantastic roads we’ll travel through isolated hamlets, dark wooded areas and natural parks. Riding alongside a beautiful lake and then criss-crossing a river we’ll reach our hotel.

This evening we’ll be staying in the Jaca area, ‘The Pearl of The Pyrenees’. Set in the high Aragonese mountains, this attractive old town, once the capital of Aragon, is well known for its food and lively atmosphere. The imposing 11th century cathedral has Romanesque and Gothic frescoes and the 16th century pentagonal military citadel is one of only two in Europe.

Today the ride is glorious, mile upon mile of bends in the Pyrenees. Following rivers through valleys surrounded by towering peaks and climbing up past cascading waterfalls will take your breath away. These mountains are truly beautiful – an absolute ‘playground’ for bikers. Parts of the day will include the classic and iconic N260 – well known to many motorcyclists.

Puigcerda in La Cerdanya region which spans France and Spain is our home for tonight. This lively town has dramatic views down to the valley floor and up to the mountain peaks. The large lake surrounded by black poplars is artificial and was built in the 13th century.

Our route today takes us along a high (nearly 3,000ft) valley road with soaring mountains to either side. Mountain passes, thickly wooded hills, rivers, deep lakes and empty roads are our backdrop as we head out of the Pyrenees. We’ll ride across high plains with their dusty, dry and deserted terrain that stretches far in to the distance.

Tonight’s stop is in Alcaniz, we’ll be able to see its castle perched on high from quite a distance away.

We’ll wind our way up through the town to the Parador, a former castle convent with Gothic murals, and Baroque frescoes. The castle overlooks the town and the surrounding countryside filled with orchards and olive groves.

The Plaza de Espãna is the liveliest place in town with café terraces beneath the arcades.

If there’s racing taking place at the nearby Motorland Aragon Circuit you’ll probably hear it!

Miles of uninhabited territory, high hills and twisty, bendy roads that are a thrill to ride lie in wait today. The rugged landscape of many colours, fortifications and ‘time stood still’ villages is stunning. Over sierras, along valley floors and across plains all with smooth tarmac, this is a great day’s riding.

Our final leg of the day is straight across the plain to Almansa for a nights rest.

Our elegant and modern hotel has a pool and spa. The town is overlooked by an impressive castle. Please be aware that some of the local wines are very, very strong, which we found out to our cost!

Today we’ll be heading further south on yet more incredible roads that take us near to a spectacular volcanic chimney eroded to an amazing shape, past castles and white villages. Prepare yourself for a ride through the arid, almost lunar plains and rocky mountains of Sierra Maria-los Velez nature park, the long series of bends and hairpins is truly exceptional.

As we head towards the coast through miles of olive groves and almond plantations we’ll end our day riding gentle sweeping roads across the top of the Cabo de Gata-Nijar nature reserve, one of the most arid areas of Europe.

We’ll be staying for two nights in Carboneras, right on the edge of the nature reserve. Our hotel in Carboneras has a pool, sun terrace and gardens and overlooks the beach.

We’ll enjoy a group meal at a fabulous restaurant this evening.

A day off! Enjoy the 17km of beaches, white houses and restaurants overlooking the sea. Wander into the old town for a bit of sightseeing and shopping. Take a hike in to the nature reserve with its craggy coastline and semi-desert landscape or there are activities such as snorkelling, kayaking, diving and boat tours.

Or pop out for a ride around the local area.

Riding away from the coast, we’ll head towards the mighty peaks and steep slopes of the Sierra Nevada. This vast, unique, sparsely populated region was the setting for many spaghetti Westerns – a real ‘mini Hollywood. The astounding, unusual sandstone scenery threaded with fantastic roads is full of beauty.

We’ll cross the biggest reservoir in Andalucia, providing amazing views and great roads that pass through the barren and dramatic nature parks of the sierras.

Our stop for tonight is in Lucena. At first glance this town seems to be all about furniture factories, though head in to the historic Andalusian town and the famous Moorish church and castle can be found. Our hotel was once a convent and still has a beautiful cloister. There are plenty of restaurants to be found nearby.

We start our day riding across undulating terrain with gentle sweeping bends that lead us up into rolling hills covered in dense evergreen oaks. We’ll eat up some miles over flat plains that have a mountain range rising like an island in the middle of open country.

The final part of our ride today takes us alongside a huge reservoir with turquoise waters then beside the river to Merida.

The Merida Parador is our home for two nights. This gorgeous hotel was originally a convent that was built on top of a temple. An inner courtyard, pool and beautiful gardens are there for you to enjoy, with many eateries nearby.

Merida is one of the best-conserved archaeological sites in Spain, rich in Moorish and Roman history. The Roman bridge and Diana’s Temple are a both a short walk away. There’s also a Roman theatre, amphitheatre, an Islamic fort and much more to be seen.

Streets lined with boutiques and tapas bars are well worth exploring.

Today we’ll cross two roman bridges, one that takes us into Portugal. Granite-built houses, enormous skies, and ruined castles on the hilltops all form part of the wonderful panorama.

Sensational ribbon-like roads take us through an expanse of scrubland with cork-oak tree forests that stretch into the horizon.

Superb hairpins and twisties take us up over rocky craggy mountains followed by sweeping bends through valleys towards our hotel for the night in the Parque Natural de Serra da Estrela, Portugal’s oldest and largest protected area with the country’s highest mountains and spectacular landscape of rocky outcrops, boulders and crags.

Travelling along roads that are an absolute joy, we’ll ride through the district of Guarda, a rural landscape with fields, orchards and rocky outcrops. Our route takes us alongside the incredibly beautiful River Douro and up into the deserted terrain of the hills. Yet more splendid roads await us as we enter a ‘hidden’ area of Spain with medieval villages and half-timbered houses.

In Léon, our spacious, quiet, modern hotel features a rooftop terrace with views across the city. The historical and architectural heritage of the city is obvious – the cathedral, one of the most beautiful in Spain is a ten-minute walk from our hotel.

Tonight we'll have a group meal – we’ll get together in a very traditional restaurant and enjoy our great memories of the last few days before heading to the Picos in the morning ...

We’ll travel north away from Léon to cross the simply incredible roads of the Picos de Europa. The route is spectacular: over rivers, through gorges and up into the jagged, deeply fissured mountains. As we cross the Riaño reservoir the glorious views of the mountains are breath-taking. We’ll stop for a ‘must-do’ photo opportunity at the bronze statue of a deer overlooking the mountain pass at San Gloria.

Tonight we will stay in the Picos, a true biker's paradise.

We'll arrive early afternoon in the area, and after lunch, tour members will have option of riding with us in the area, doing their own thing, or just chilling out.

Today we'll run a route around the famous 'Potes triangle' an amazing blend of roads through this stunning area.

Smooth flowing twisties, slower challenging parts through gorges and valleys and always surrounded by amazing scenery. Plenty of photo opportunities!

Tonight we'll have a final group dinner, and no doubt chat bikes, roads and sample a bit of the local wine!

It’s time to say adios to all our old and new friends as we finish our trip in Potes, allowing ample time for anyone heading to Bilbao that day or Santander the following day.

We can arrange a ride out should enough people want this on the final day.