Welcome to the page which lists some of the great roads that I have found in Spain.
Spanish roads - the Pyrenees | The middle bit! | The Mediterranean coast
Spanish roads - the Pyrenees
All the small passes over the pyrenees have great views, especially those in the middle, and are practically deserted. This is great for biking, but not during the off-season because the snow lingers for months, and nobody is prepared to clear roads that are hardly used. At towns like Jaca there are large boards displaying the passes which are closed, so if you are heading into France then this will allow you to make a suitable choice. Make sure that you view these boards in the months from October to May - I'm not even sure if any passes are clear in winter. I can't tell you much about Andorra because I have never been there. It can be crowded at times, I am led to believe. Eating in the Pyrenees can be good, because some local delicacies, such as trout, are cheap.
N240 Yesa to Jaca
This road runs roughly parallel to the pyrenees chain of mountains and runs along the side of a large reservoir, called the Embalse de Yesa, where people undertake water-related leisure activities. But what is the road like for bikers? Very good of course; the weather is usually fine, the road is basically straight with undulations and winding bends. Be careful of army vehicles and troops on foot in this region, because there are army exercise camps near here and they do a lot of yomping along the roadside. Its best not to round a bend and run 'em over.
N330 Huesca to Sabinanigo
A fun road with good views, but it suffers by virtue of the fact that it misses Los Mallos de Riglos, and the Castillo de Loarre, which you could see by taking a different route (see N240, below). If this road, with these views, with few cars, and with Spanish weather, were to be dropped onto England you won't be able to move for all the bikers. There is a high pass with good views and an open terrain with good bends and a good road surface. Well the road surface was good some years ago.
A132 Huesca to Jaca
This is a smaller road with good views but not the best road surface, although it is smooth and very fast before you get to Ayerbe. The road winds up and down the hills and is not very quick, partly due to the poorish road surface. Still, there is little traffic, the road rewards good riding, and there are ample photo opportunities. You can visit a castle, Castillo de Loarre, on the hills near Ayerbe and there is the weird rock forms of Los Mallos de Riglos to admire.
Somport, Bielsa and El Formigal passes
These three passes over the Pyrenees are all excellent, and you can't go far wrong with any of them. Your starting and destination points will tend to dictate which pass to use. For example, if you are travelling from Pau to Huesca then the Bielsa pass is the least convenient.
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The middle bit!
The main beauty of biking in Spain can be summed up with two facts: it has two thirds of the population of Britain and double the land area. This means that, except for a few crowded places, the roads are remarkably free of traffic and have huge gaps between towns. All the roads in this list have been travelled at least once by the author, and a couple are so good that I have been back for more. Because the distances between towns is generally much larger than in the UK you must make sure that your petrol tank is well topped up - this is especially so for bikes with small tanks and big appetites, such as the Honda VTR1000 Firestorm.
N122 Soria to El Burgo
The roads around Soria usually make good biking roads, because they are fast, varied, and have little traffic. There are often good climbs up to a high pass, and then a lovely winding road down again. In this case there are no passes (sounds like Mastermind, doesn't it) but it is fast and pretty.
C115 Soria to Arnedo
This is a tiny little road, and a bit bumpy too. However, it is deserted and has a lovely meandering terrain. You see old churches on corners and the odd sleepy little town, but not much else. This road may be worth a look if you feel like dropping your speed down a bit.
N111 Soria to Logrono
To be honest, I can't remember this road. But I can remember enjoying it, because practically all the roads around here are good for biking. This road comes from the town of Pamplona which is where the annual bull run occurs. This is the Fiesta de San Fermin, and involves the young men of the town being chased by bulls through the streets of the town. Don't bother trying to stay in town during this, because the hotels will be fully booked.
N11 Zaragoza to Medinaceli
This is quite a main road, but even so it is good for getting a fair distance without fuss. There is nothing special about it, its just good biking territory. Some of it is dualled because it is on the route from Zaragoza to Madrid. From Medinaceli to Madrid it is a boring dual carriageway. In this case I mean boring, not just in relation to other parts of Spain.
TE-901 Teruel to Albarracin
This is a cracking little road, parts of which were re-surfaced in 1993. It starts off rather open and fast, but then becomes more twisty as the hills close in. The photograph on the welcome page is a few miles before Albarracin. You can see that the traffic is practically non-existent. Yup, one of my favourites.
N420 Gandesa to Alcaniz
This road was in the process of being re-surfaced in 1991, and it needed it. I don't know if they have completed the job, but what had been done made an excellent biking road. It boasts various terrains from open and straight to hilly and twisty, and you can make good progress because there is practically zero traffic. Some of the views are good too.
N232 Monroyo to San Mateo
Coming from Alcaniz the road surface in this region was abysmal in the early 90s, in fact I nearly turned back at one stage - it was that bad. I'm hoping that it would have been resurfaced by now, but I somehow doubt it because there just isn't any traffic between Alcaniz and Morella. However, a few miles south of Monroyo (at the equivalent to a county boundary) the road surface suddenly becomes good and it is a hoot all the way to Morella, and then on until you approach the Mediterranean coast. Morella is an interesting old town perched on a hill and surrounded by an old wall. There is also the remains of an old aquaduct nearby, which can be viewed from the top of the town.
N234 Teruel to Segorbe
This road is one of the main non-dualled roads in this region and has a fair amount of traffic near the coast from Segorbe. Until then it is virtually empty, and because it travels across open countryside the views of the road ahead are clear and overtaking is no problem. You can usually dial-in a speed and stick to it, but there are many high-speed bends to enjoy in relative safety. Some of it is being improved, so there may be the odd hold-up due to road works. Once past Segorbe the scenery becomes more closed in, but as explained earlier the traffic starts to increase, and by the time you approach the Mediterranean it becomes a chore.
N320 Cuenca to Almodavar
Oh boy, oh boy; this is one of my all time favourites. The maps don't show it as being a beauty spot (because it isn't really) but the road was re-made in 1993 and has a fabulously smooth surface with a variable terrain. Some parts are hilly and twisty, and other parts are straight and open; but all parts have very little sign of life and there are very few junctions to catch you unawares. In fact there is only one town on this bit, Almodovar del Pinar. Some of the bends are 100mph but some go down to about 50mph. I can't remember any real hairpins, but plenty of flat out straights. This is sports bike country - they were invented for this sort of road. Sorry, my mistake. The Spanish invented this sort of road so they could go for a blast on a sports bike. The sunshine and lack of rain were invented at the same time!
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The Mediterranean coast
The mediterranean coast has got some fabulous scenery and some great roads slightly inland, but it is a disaster for travelling down from France. The motorways are tolled, except around the cities of Barcelona, Valencia, and Alicante, and the coastal N340 is nearly all single carriageway and very crowded. Because there are so many tourists, and industries, the traffic is relentless. If you do have to travel down via the coast then use the motorway around Barcelona and get off it at Santa Margarida. Travelling south from here to Castellon is reasonable, and good between the hours of 1 and 4:30 in the afternoon. This is siesta time and the truck drivers are having lunch. As you approach Valencia hop back onto the motorway to skirt the city and I would advise that you then keep on it until Alicante. It will cost you a pretty packet, but the main road is jam packed and there is a town or village every few miles.
C250 S.Feliu de Guixols to Tossa del Mar
This is a twisty little road littered with sharp bends where your highest speed will be slow. The beauty is in the constant accelerate-brake-lean that you need unless you are going to potter along at 30mph. The scenery in amongst the hills is great, but you won't have a spare second to look. This is exhausting but rewarding. There is some traffic, because it goes to a tourist resort, but it shouldn't cause much frustration.
A7 Autopista from Ondara to Altea
This is my favourite bit of Motorway - what a pity that you need to pay a toll. The road winds its way up into the mountains for a couple of miles, and then plunges down and straight into a tunnel. It then breaks out into more hills and after a bit gets back to sea level at Altea. If you are going to Benidorm then you will need to take the next exit after Altea. The swooping nature of the road and the superb views of the mountains and the blue Mediterranean make this one that shouldn't be missed. The only problem, is that you miss the other road (N332) which is even better during off-peak times.
N332 Benissa to Calpe
This is one of the few parts of this road, which follows the Mediterranean coast, that I can wholehardedly recommend. The views are stunning, the road surface is excellent, and at off-peak times this is a treat. It is even good in a car! Allow three times as long to do this five minute stretch, because you will want to go back up and do it again. I know this road very well because I have stayed at Calpe often, and have cycled up and down this road many a time. It isn't that steep a climb, it climbs from sea level to 800 feet in four miles, but it has constant bends that vary in speed from about 35mph to 70+. (You can overtake cars on the inside of some bends on a bicycle!) It is three lanes wide, so some of the time you can overtake easily using the overtaking lane, and sometimes you will have to wait a while. The locals have excellent lane discipline, so unless you meet a daft Brit in a hire car you can use all your legal width without worrying too much. If you are holidaying in the area, then you may want to ride it on a Sunday morning and join the local bike crowd, who ride up and down at least twice. Unfortunately, the local police know this and often sit at the bottom of the hill from about 9am onwards and stop you. Easy answer, go at 8am. The road climbs up the side of a valley with mountain views on one side, and sea views on the other - its magic.
Continuing the ride from Calpe to Altea is a great twisty coastal road with lovely views - alas this road is very crowded so it is a case of trickling along and enjoying the views.
N111 Motilla del Palancar to Chiva
It looks as if this road is now mainly dualled, which may be a shame for bikers, and seems a waste because it has very little traffic. The single carriageway parts are mainly the swoopy bits in the mountainous section.
N330 Almansa to Alicante
Another newly completed dual carriageway. This road is open but undulating with good views and high-speed bends. There are rather too many juncions for comfort in some parts, but it is a good ride and preferable to many of the single carriageway roads in this region.
N340 Xativa to Jijona
A tighter, more mountainous road than those further inland, this road has good views and interesting twists and turns. The problem is that traffic tends to be quite heavy because there are so few other routes in this mountainous region.
C3318 Orba to Callosa d'En Sarria
This road is never packed at any time of the year and is well worth a day-time ride for the lovely mountain scenery and varying road form. The road surface varies from smooth to bumpy, and the traffic varies from 'practically none' to 'none'. There are a few villages so that you can stop for a snack, and a couple of super places for a picnic. One is the Col de Rates which is a pass about 2000 feet up a mountain with superb views of the Jalon valley below, and the Mediterranean about 10 miles away. Continuing south you immediately plunge into a hidden valley. This uninhabited valley (well, there are a few farmhouses) is surrounded by mountains with old roman terraces up the slopes. After a bit there is a town, and later you come to civilisation in the shape of lemon and orange groves and then the town of Callosa. You can continue to Benidorm from here. The road in the hidden valley is bumpy and slow going, but the location and views make it special.
C3313 Callosa to Guadalest
I hesitated before putting this road into the guide, because it is not a typical bikers road. In other words it is very slow going. However, if you want to hone your hairpin skills, for twenty minutes or so, then this road is just perfect. It has recently been resurfaced and is a series of 20mph bends and tiny little straights leading to the pretty little tourist spot known as Guadalest. This is well worth a look for the spectacular mountain and reservoir scenery, but because of this the road is often packed with coaches and hire cars. Go first thing in the morning or off-season only, and beware the mini landslides which occur in these parts. You could round a bend to find a pile of stones strewn across the carriageway.
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