Spain Bike-Astur www.bike-astur.com Review

Overall Rating

Excellent bikes provided - Royal Enfield Electra with left foot gear change. Great guide who is an excellent rider and takes good care of his guests. Lovely hotel with big comfortable rooms. Hotel breakfasts were a sumptuous feast served buffet style.

Insurance limitations prevent hired bikes to be used without a guide. The hotel did not offer evening meals, but we enjoyed eating out in the nearby town (15 mins walk).

We did a fly ride tour on 500cc Royal Enfields; you can also bring your own bike, with special dates available for classics. A lovely holiday at a relaxed pace, staying in one hotel with guided rides out through the countryside, stopping at scenic locations. We visited pretty seaside places, or ventured inland to the stunning Picos de Europa mountains. Over the course of the holiday your cornering ability is likely to improve greatly due to the amount of practice you will get. It was a great pleasure to follow our guide, confident that he too was riding a bullet and knew their limits, they really do perform extremely well on the sharp corners and steep gradients encountered, and surprisingly the tyres still grip in pouring rain whilst cornering.
The Royal Enfield Bullets are Electras, with electric start 500cc engines and left foot gear change. I was used to riding Japanese motorcycles, and having experienced a BSA Bantam many years ago was not quite convinced that I would get on well with my Bullet. I need not have worried, Rita was a delight to ride, (they all have names) and only slightly more temperamental than my Honda (which is naturally impeccably behaved, but rather bland). Both Rita and Marilyn sometimes had an extra neutral on the way down the gear box, you quickly get used to this. Panniers are fitted so there is no problem carrying waterproofs, camera or shopping.
The hotel used in 2007 was La Arquera, one and a half kilometres out of Llanes. It is rather like the motorcycles; an immaculately presented classically styled piece of living history. Our room was actually a suite, with hall, bathroom, kitchen, and large bedroom with spacious living area. The family run premises are set in large grounds and consist of a cluster of attractive buildings, the centre of which is an old grain store. The service is friendly, helpful and professional, we were made most welcome.
Llanes is a seaside tourist resort, mainly catering for Spanish visitors. The fifteen minute walk to get there is mostly along the main road, or the taxi ride cost up to five euro.
The end of tour group evening meal was top quality, with more than anyone could eat. The best fish my husband has ever eaten was served that night. We were professionally looked after by our very welcoming hosts and hope to return one day.