Day 1: From Bilbao to Burgos

Today I set off towards Santiago de Compostela, following the way of the pilgrims! I left Bilbao around 8:30 and first rode through some industrial areas near Barakaldo. A big cloud hung over the Basque Country, it was a bit foggy and drizzled every now and then. So I was a little wet the whole time.

To be honest, the first kilometres were tedious and a bit annoying. It was all city: left, right, up and down. I got lost twice, cars passed close by and buses blocked the way. But at some point I found myself on a wonderful bike path running alongside a river. Bit by bit I left the city behind and gained some altitude.

Then came the first sign pointing to today's destination: Burgos! Somewhere around there I wanted to crack the 150-kilometre mark. Before that, though, there were four bigger climbs ahead of me, and the second-to-last one was a real challenge.

At first I rode on relaxed, along small bike paths I mostly knew from my rides around here. There were plenty of nice stops to refill my water. Eventually I ended up somewhat in the middle of nowhere. Just country roads with hardly any cars.

A little off the route I found a small café. The kitchen actually didn't open until 3 pm, but the cook made me some patatas bravas anyway! They gave me plenty of energy for the climb that had been waiting for me all day. Up I went into the fog, it got cold and very wet. At the top there was… nothing. Just fog. You could barely see a few metres. So, onwards as fast as possible and down from there!

Only about an hour later the sun actually came out! From then on it was a gentle downhill all the way, along long roads with beautiful scenery. At Trespaderne I followed the Ebro to Oña and there climbed up onto a gravel path, through small tunnels and straight on and on. It's actually an old railway line that was meant to connect the Atlantic with the Mediterranean, but was never finished. I had no idea this gravel path would be so endless. I think it was at least 40 kilometres! Completely flat, and you could almost always see all the way to the end. Every now and then a small bend, and then it went on forever again. The last kilometres to Burgos dragged on and on.

In Burgos, by the way, you join the Camino Francés, the best-known Way of St. James. In the evening I treated myself to a falafel wrap and some fries, made a quick stop at the supermarket and then looked for a dry spot for my tent. I didn't find anything in Burgos, so I rode on in the dark to the next village. Nothing there at first either. A kind man wanted to help and showed me the pilgrims' hostel. I had a nice chat with someone who works there. Unfortunately, I still couldn't stay, because I don't have a pilgrim passport.

So I kept looking until, next to a campervan site, I found a large hall with a huge canopy roof, with things stored underneath. This is where I'm spending the night. Tomorrow it's very likely going to rain all day, so at least I can pack up in the dry.

Let's see what tomorrow brings!

🚴 174.06 km
⏱️ 9:28 h total time
⛰️ 1,649 m elevation gain
⚡ Avg. 18.4 km/h