Extremadura: A Motorcycle ride from Santander to Caceres, Spain in 1036 km and 14 Hours
Distance: 771.9 Km / 480.9 Mi Duration: 11:14:04
Great riding through the centre of scenic Spain. A motorcycle route of 1036 km which can be done in under 14 hours or, for the historical buff, over the course of 4 days.
From the historical port city of Santander, Cantabria located on the north shore of Spain on the Bay of Biscay to El Burgo De Osma, Soria. The roads through the farmlands of Cantabria have many twists and turns through the snow capped mountains. Santander, a city with history going back to the middle ages, famously made a name for itself after participating in the Battle of Seville in 1248 AD. There are many beaches dotted along the beautiful coastline.
Mountains in Cantabria
From El Burgo De Osma located just south-east of Santander to Consuegra, Castilla-La Mancha located in the centre of Spain south of Madrid. Castilla-La Mancha has many winding roads through the Windmills made popular in the book "Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes. Scenery to see in this area includes the best example of 13th century gothic architecture in Spain: the Cathedral of Burgo De Osma. The food here is fantastic, various wines from local vineyards may entice you to stay the day.
The Cathedral of Burgo De Osma
Windmills in Consuegra, Castilla-La Mancha
Vineyards in Castilla-La Mancha
From Castilla-La Mancha go to Almaden, Ciudad Real located to the west. Continue on your winding road through the windmills. The roads in this region are filled with good opportunities to go off road or cruise on your motorcycle to the next stop. There's not much to see here: Almaden is home to the world's largest reservoirs of mercury extracted from cinnabar, which is now closed.
Almaden, Spain
From Almaden to Caceres, Extremadura is located due west of Madrid just east of the border of Portugal. On this route see the scenery of various wheat fields surrounded with cork trees and olive groves. In this region Black Bulls are bred and storks adorn their nests on top of each church and high point in the city. Take advantage of the surroundings, after 1100 kilometres of tarmac and motorcycle, twist and turn through the many deserted roads which offer a great chance to lean into corners. For the history buff this city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring many Roman remains: The ruins at Caceres and the monuments of Merida both are well worth the trip.
UNESCO Word Heritage Site Old Town of Caceres, Extremadura
Ruins of a Roman theatre in Merida
Tourism Extremadura
The city of Caceres rarely sees many tourists and it's a shame that not many people see the beautiful region or are able to experience the winding roads. Just take this journey from Santander to Caceres and you're sure to have the motorcycle ride of your life!
Check out another great route is Spain by clicking here: San Pedro de Alcántara to Ronda
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