April 13, 2022 - Stretching the length of Europe’s west coast, the amazing and daunting Atlantic Coast EuroVelo 1 (EV1) route covers 11,000km and connects some of the world’s most beautiful seascapes in Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England, France, Spain and Portugal.

EuroVelo, a cycle tourism initiative spearheaded by the European Cyclists’ Federation, founded in 1983, features a network of cycling routes covering 90,000km throughout Europe.

Starting within the Arctic Circle, the EV1 route begins at the northernmost point of Europe in Norway’s North Cape on the Barents Sea coast. Riding south, along the coast where steep mountains rise high above the ocean, you say goodbye to the midnight sun.

From Trondheim, the EV1 heads south following the Atlantic Ocean Road, a spectacular route that runs across isles and bridges out to the Atlantic Ocean. You will also see the beautiful Art Nouveau–style city of Ålesund and cross Sognefjorden, the longest fjord in Norway.

Next up, it’s on to Scotland and the Celtic Glens for an epic ride starting in Aberdeen. Along the Moray Firth coastline, you might spot the world’s most northerly colony of Bottlenose Dolphins. The route links Inverness, the cultural capital of the Scottish Highlands, with the port city of Glasgow via the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Parks. Head for the Ayrshire coast and seaside towns and then inland to the countryside around Galloway Forest Park. Then travel to Stranraer for the ferry to Ireland.

Starting in the northeast corner, you’ll explore 250km of wild and rugged coastline in Northern Ireland and continue another 2,100km within the Republic of Ireland. These segments primarily follow coastal trails and roads, much of which are aligned with the popular Wild Atlantic Way (WAW) touring route, passing through many Irish cities outside of Dublin.

Further south at the ferry port of Rosslare Harbour in the county of Wexford, you’ll cross the Irish Sea to Wales and join the Celtic Trail along the southern Welsh coast and on to Bristol, England. The route continues south through Exmoor National Park and onto the Devon Coast to Coast route into Plymouth where you catch another ferry to France.

EV1 follows France’s longest marked cycling trail, La Vélodyssée, which lets you experience more than 1,200km of wild beauty, from Roscoff and Brittany, down the Atlantic coast to Hendaye and the border with Spain.

The ancient Vía de la Plata route is more than 800km long and allows you to cross Spain from north to south, where you will discover its historic, natural, cultural and gastronomic attractions.

The last 400km section of the amazing EV1 route heads north along the Portuguese coast from the shores of the Algarve in the south and crosses many UNESCO World Heritage Sites via rolling roads and quaint villages bursting with colours. The journey ends in Caminha, just north of Viana do Castelo, one of the most beautiful cities in northern Portugal.

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