When it comes to mountain roads and border-hopping, the Pyrenees have it all

The N-260 is the most famous road in the Spanish Pyrenees… for a reason. It’s utterly brilliant.

You might just have the ride of your life in the Pyrenees. They have everything – from swooping, rolling hill-country roads to towering passes with hairpins and huge vistas, not to mention tiny roads and hidden villages. The most famous road is the N-260, running the length of the mountains and delivering a fabulous ride – but there’s so much more to discover. You could spend the next ten years exploring the Pyrenees and never have a dull ride.

WHERE TO STAY

AINSA

This quiet town in the central Pyrenees really is at the heart of this great riding area. Whichever way you go, there’s a great road. Routes 31, 32 & 33 Hotel tip Mesón de l’Ainsa

PAMPLONA

There’s much more to the beautiful city of Pamplona than the annual festival that sees the running of the bulls. It’s packed with character and history – and it’s the perfect base for exploring. Routes 29 & 30 Hotel tip Pamplona Catedral

RIPOLL

This Catalan ski town might just be the ultimate Pyrenean base. There’s a wide selection of hotels, the town centre bustles with life and it’s ideal for exploring both the Spanish and French sides of the mountains. Routes 34, 35, 36 & 37 Hotel tip La Trobada

OFF THE BIKE

BARDENAS REALES

Not so much off the bike as off the tarmac. Bardenas Reales is Spain’s northern desert (where desert scenes for Game of Thrones were filmed). It’s 42,500 wildly beautiful hectares.

CASTLES

Plenty of impressive fortifications to visit. The fabulous Javier and Loarre castles are on our two-castle route (route 40) but the most impressive is the fairy-tale spec Royal Palace of Olite. www.turismo.navarra.es

GORGES

Between Pamplona and Jaca are two gorgeous gorges: Foz de Lumbier and Foz de Arbayún. Great views… or pack walking shoes to explore properly.

ISABENA RALLY

A light-hearted organised rally – mostly on the road, with a little light off-roading on simple tracks. The Isabena Rally is based around a bike-friendly mcamp site (also has chalets). The Rally is on September 1-2; the campsite’s good all year round.

SAN JUAN DE LA PEÑA

In the hills south of Jaca is a monastery built into a cliff. San Juan de la Peña’s as impressive as it is bizarre – well worth a visit.

SOS DEL REY CATÓLICO

A well-preserved walled town with a 12th century castle, Gothic palace and impressive church. Like stepping back in history. www.sosdelreycatolico.com

TORRECIUDAD

Perched on a hilltop with a spectacular view to the south of Ainsa, Torreciudad is a religious centre that even the secular can appreciate.

ZARAGOZA

Okay, not so much in the mountains as in the plains below them, but Zaragona, Aragon’s largest city has a spectacular cathedral and the biggest Moorish site outside Andalusia, the Aljaferia palace.

OUR MOTORCYCLING ROUTES IN THE SPANISH PYRENEES

Map of motorcycle routes in the Spanish Pyrenees

29 PAMPLONA TO FRANCE

Start/finish Pamplona
Distance 195 miles
Riding time 6 hours From
Pamplona into the Pyrenees, across the epic Col de la Pierre St Martin, riding along the quiet, twisty French side of the mountains to St-Jean- Pied-de-Port, then back on the even twistier Col de Garzéla.
Route map, Download the GPX files

30 BASQUE PYRENEES

Start/finish Pamplona
Distance 175 miles
Riding time 5.5 hours
Never mind France or Spain, this route’s Basque all the way… regardless of the national flags. It’s a full day of glorious gorges and passes, mostly on the Spanish side of the mountains , with a short detour to the French side – but ask the locals and it’s all one country.
Route map, Download the GPX files

31 AINSA ROUTE 1

Start/finish Ainsa
Distance 165 miles
Riding time 5 hours
A relaxed taste of highmountain riding (including the impressive Vielha and Aragnouet tunnels) looping into France before returning to Ainsa.
Route map, Download the GPX files

32 AINSA ROUTE 2

Start/finish Ainsa
Distance 235 miles
Riding time 6 hours
A longer day in the saddle, sweeping through the foothills of the Pyrenees before climbing into the peaks with mile after mile of amazing riding.
Route map, Download the GPX files

33 AINSA ROUTE 3

Start/finish Ainsa
Distance 190 miles
Riding time 6 hours
A mix of broad, smooth roads and narrow, bumpy, fiendishly twisty ones through the majestically untamed mountains. Ideal for adventure bikes, not so suitable for pillions.
Route map, Download the GPX files

34 RIPOLL ROUTE 1

Start/finish Ripoll
Distance 170 miles
Riding time 5 hours
Some of the twistiest roads you’ll ever ride – wide, wellsurfaced and guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Spectacular views are just a part of the package.
Route map, Download the GPX files

35 RIPOLL ROUTE 2

Start/finish Ripoll
Distance 190 mile
Riding time 6 hours
Got a taste for the mountains? Try this longer ride that takes in even twistier, occasionally narrower roads. If you like corners, the GI-402 might just blow your mind.
Route map, Download the GPX files

36 RIPOLL ROUTE 3

Start/finish Ripoll
Distance 195 miles
Riding time 6 hours
How many bends do you want to ride on one trip? This fullday’s ride skirts the cities of Girona and Vic, stringing together another seemingly endless succession of madly twisty roads.
Route map, Download the GPX files

37 RIPOLL ROUTE 4 – FRENCH ADVENTURE

Start/finish Ripoll
Distance 220 miles
Riding time 7 hours
A seriously challenging day in the saddle, crossing the border to ride the narrow, often bumpy passes and gorges of the French Pyrenees – including the awesome Col de Pailhères. Great for adventure bikes, tough on passengers though. Must-ride road C-28 Sort to Vielha Climbing high into the mountains, towards France, it’s two lanes of perfect tarmac with the finest hairpins and best views in the Pyrenees.
Route map, Download the GPX files

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.