Barcelona is great for a city break, but the best motorcycling roads are out of town...

Catalonia has so many amazing roads - this is the C-242 outside Tarragona

There’s so much to Catalonia than just Barcelona. This huge and prosperous province extends from the Pyrenees down to the mouth of the Ebro river – and in between is a land rich in landscapes. Mountains, plains, rolling hills, forests, farmland and ancient towns… Catalonia has it all. It feels different to other parts of Spain, busier in places – which makes the miles of empty, curling tarmac all the more rewarding.

WHERE TO STAY

COLERA

Colera nestles on the coast, where the Pyrenees meet the sea. Quieter than bustling Tossa, it’s an ideal base for biking with a bit of a beach break thrown in. Route 26 Hotel tip Hotel Totsompops

REUS

Tarragona’s a fascinating city – it makes a great base. Reus, just a few miles inland, has less to do off the bike but is better value and is even closer to some of the best roads in all of Spain. Both are brilliant but we’ve based our two routes around Reus. Routes 27 & 28. Hotel tip Brea’s Hotel

TERRASSA

Like all huge cities, Barcelona’s ringed by satellite towns and suburbs where you get more for your money. Terrassa’s handy both for getting into the city, if you want to explore it, and for getting out into the hills. Routes 22 & 23 Hotel tip Don Candido

TOSSA DE MAR

Halfway between Barcelona and the French border is the fabulous seaside resort of Tossa de Mar. Yes, it’s a touristy place… which makes it perfect for biketourists. Especially with the array of amazing roads around it. Route 25 Hotel tip Hotel Windsor

OFF THE BIKE

BARCELONA

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia is packed with culture. There’s an efficient public transport system if you want to enjoy the nightlife, too. From Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia cathedral and other mad buildings and Güell Park, to the Las Ramblas promenade or the museums in Montjuïc (get there on the cable car), there’s something for everyone.

DALI

Salvador Dali was born in the Catalan town of Figueres – and he designed the museum here dedicated to his life and work. Well worth a visit (tickets are €14). You can also visit his house in nearby Cadaqués (€11).

LLEIDA

Dominated by its huge cathedral, set in the walls of an ancient fortress, Lleida’s a fascinating small city packed with monuments. As well as the La Suda cathedral, be sure to visit the Templar Castle of Gardeny while you’re there. www.turismedelleida.cat

MONTSERRAT

Perched on the side of a mountain like the setting for a Game of Thrones siege, the Abbey of Montserrat – still home to monks – is truly impressive. You can ride up to it or arrive in style by cable car…

ROSES

The small seaside town of Roses is packed with history – from megaliths to fortresses.

OUR MOTORCYCLE ROUTES

Map of motorcycling routes in Catalonia, Spain

22 MONTSERRAT MAJOR

Start/finish Terrassa
Distance 170 miles
Riding time 6 hours
Loosely based on routes for bike launches, this ride takes in the majestic Montserrat massif before rushing off on quieter, twistier roads.
Morning route map, Afternoon route map, Download the GPX file

23 MONTSERRAT MINOR

Start/finish Terrassa
Distance 150 miles
Riding time 5 hours
Running in the other direction, this alternative loop throws in a few different roads before climaxing with the run up the majestic Montserrat range.
Route map, Download the GPX file

24 WEST OF BARCELONA

Start/finish Castelldefels
Distance 155 miles
Riding time 5 hours
This route starts with broad, smooth roads in the morning, but things get narrower in the afternoon, before crossing Sitges to return on the coast road. A crazy corner count.
Route map, Download the GPX file

25 WHO GIVES A… TOSSA DE MAR

Start/finish Tossa de Mar
Distance 160 miles
Riding time 5.5 hours
Another route that combines madly twisty coastal roads with the insane inland mountain roads of Catalonia. Measure it not in miles per hour but corners per hour.
Morning route map, Afternoon route map, Download the GPX file

26 COLERA

Start/finish Colera
Distance 200 miles
Riding time 6.5 hours
Biking surf ‘n’ turf: from the coast to the peaks. This full day in the saddle takes the incredibly twisty N-260 over the border to France, hugging the coast to the tourist favourite Collioure, before piling into the Pyrenees.
Route map, Download the GPX file

27 REUS ROUTE 1

Start/finish Reus
Distance 160 miles
Riding time 5 hours
Even in a country packed with amazing riding, the roads around Reus are something else. So many corners you could get dizzy? Maybe...
Route map, Download the GPX file

28 REUS ROUTE 2

Start/finish Reus
Distance 220 miles
Riding time 7 hours
An alternative route, with even more astonishingly twisty roads. Most are broad, some are narrow, all are beautifully surfaced. A long day’s ride. Must-ride road BP-1103 Montserrat Hugging the foot of the mountain, joining the equally scenic BP-1101 – a brilliant riding road in a landscape like a sci-fi movie set: out of this world.
Morning route map, Afternoon route map, Download the GPX file

Please note: This page contains the route files for The RiDE Guide to motorcycle touring in Spain and Portugal which came free with RiDE magazine in July 2018. These website page are not regularly updated, so please check all critical information before you travel. All route files are in .gpx format. Garmin and BMW users can download the main file, which contains all the routes and our recommended hotels as separate waypoints. TomTom users can download the individual routes and use the Tyre software to convert them. For many routes we also have Google Map links. However, as Google Maps will not plot routes over seasonally closed high Alpine passes (such as those in the Pyrenees) when they’re shut, these may not work for every route all year round.