Overview, Timing and Costs

Riding around the Pyrenees and Picos in France and Spain offers the full variety of riding from warm, lower altitudes to higher and cooler mountain passes. The French side is noticeably more lush (and rainy when I went in September 2008) than the Spanish side. Also noticeable was that the roads on the French side were narrower but with much more vegetation and more villages to stop off at. The surface wasn't always as good as the Spanish side, where roads were better surfaced, wider and better for higher speed riding.

As already mentioned, my trip was in September, when weather on the French side was in the mid teens (centigrade) and quite wet. Immediately, upon crossing to the Spanish side, it was warmer. The Picos also had good weather with blue skies and temperatures in the early twenties.

Accommodation is easy to come by, especially in France where there are small hotels and Chambres d'hotes (I usually paid EUR 35 to 45 for a 3* single room including breakfast). Camp sites are easy to find, costing EUR 4 to 12, but because of the wetter and cooler weather in France, I generally opted for hotels.

Fuel is also not a problem in terms of finding it. French unleaded 95 was EUR 1.55 a litre versus Spanish fuel at EUR 1.16 a litre! Quite a difference. As context, this was at a time when UK fuel was £1.19 a litre.

Options for getting there and back are to ride down from Calais/Caen or to take an overnight ferry to Bilbao/Santander. I went down by riding the 1000 miles or so from Calais and then taking the ferry back. I took some autoroutes (very boring) on the way down and reckon that tolls for the going the whole way down would have been around EUR 50-60 on a bike.

I used the Rough Guide Pyrenees and Andorra Map with a 1:250,000 scale and stayed off of the gravel roads as I was only there for 7 days. It was a great map with plenty of detail and was tear proof. For the Picos d'Europe, I didn't take a map but would have benefited from one (probably Michelin 572).

Pyrenees Route

The generally agreed route that bikers like to take are the D918 and D618 in France and then drop down into Spain and take the N260 and N240 back.

I generally followed this route, starting in France from Bayonne, going as far as Bourge-Madame before dropping down into Spain towards Ripoll and back across towards Pamplona, with the following comments and detours:

- Just south of Tardets-Sorholus, I took the D26 south into Spain along a superb windy pass. This road became the NA2011. I branched off towards Izaba and then back up the NA1370 to the Col de La Pierre St Martin into France. Both roads were superb, but I preferred the road down (D26). A very worthwhile detour. I rejoined the D918 at Arette.

- The D918 from Arette to Arudy is great!

- D934 from Louvie-Juzon down to Laruns to rejoin the D918 is nothing special.

- The D918 from Laruns across to Arrena is the main stretch for the "Cols". The surface is mixed but the roads great. A sunny day helps!

- D618 is fast moving, has little traffic and good bends.

- At Tarascon, the N20 heading south to Spain/Andorra is fast moving and nothing special.

- South of Puigcerda, take the N152 towards Ripoll. This goes via the Col de Toses and is one of the best roads that I have ridden. Good, fast moving bends, plenty of overtaking opportunities and spectacular scenery. At Campdevanol, take a right back for the B402 until la Pobla de Lillet where you take a right back towards La Molina and back onto the N152. I carried on to the C16 and took the Tuel de Cadu and had to pay a EUR 9 toll for nothing special. Back at Puigcerda, get on the N260 to La Seu d'Urgell (this section of the N260 is nothing special).

- Carrying on along the N260 is nothing special until after you have taken the N230 link road and get back on the N260 just after Vilaller.

- The next section of the N260 took me by surprise as you head to Biasurri and on to Campo. There are amazing canyons that you ride along.

- From Campo to Ainsa is wide and  fast with few bends.

- From Boltana to Fiscal, you follow a stunning river and great scenery.

- There's a nice campsite in Oto but it's out of town.

- The N330 to Jaca is nothing special (I would not stay in Jaca as it's massive!) The N240 from Jaca to Punte la Reina de Jaca is equally uneventful.

- Branch off the N240 here onto the NA176 for Hecho. Much better scenery and good straights with bends later on. There's a nice campground at Anso (also nice to have a look around the town).

-From Anso, continue up to Enaquesa and then the NA137 starts off OK but then becomes great. Head towards Ustarroz until the junction with NA140 and NA2011 (which I took up to France as a return trip to Larrau as it was so good!

- Back on the NA140 and west to N135 where you can go south towards Pamplona.

(At this point, I wanted to head west to the Picos)

- The N135 to Saigos (N138) has some good bends. At Urtasun, take NA2520 to Olague, which is excellent and well surfaced.

- From Olague, I tried a short cut via NA4230/NA411 to get to the A15. This wasn't the fastest of routes!

- Continuing towards the Picos, I hit the coast at Ondarroa and followed the road along to Leheitio which is a lovely little town where I stayed for the night. From there, I took the motorway across to Potes in the Picos d'Europe National Park.

Picos d'Europe Route

Most people use Potes as a base. I stayed in the campsite there which had good facilities and was 1.5km from town. Town is very touristy and you can't get any food much earlier than 9pm! In September, the weather seems to start off overcast and then clear by 11am.

- The N621 into Potes follows a canyon. I thought it wasn't anything special but OK riding.

- One 'diamond' shape day trip that I was recommended to do took the CA184 SE to Piedrasluengo (fairly dull). I stopped at the side villages of Cahecho (average), Aniezo / Somaniezo (v good) and Piasca (has a nice monastery). Then take the CI627 to the CI626 to Guardo. This is fast but fairly dull and a massive town (wifi in the town square!). Then to the 215 and onto the 621, which is a great road with good surface. Around 30km short of Potes, I turned off of the 621 at Portilla de la Reina and found a whole other part of the park that I hadn't been told about!

Here's where I found that the national park spans more than one province. Potes is in Cantabria and represents around half of the park, whilst the other half is in Castilla y Leon. There's actually a third 'half' but I didn't get there!

- From this turn off, head for Santa Maria de Valdeon. This is a great road with spectacular scenery and great view of the Picos. I got lucky and found the restaurant Albergue La Ardilla Real for lunch which had the best food that I ate in Spain! They're only open Fri to Sun and have accomodation there too. Carry on along this road and follow a canyon and eventually get to Cain which is only half as touristy as Potes but a much better access if you're serious about hiking. If I hadn't visited this road, I would have come back from the Picos happy but underwhelmed! There is also a campsite in the area.

- On the 621 back to Potes, I took a side road down to Cucayo. Good windy road and nice view from the top.

[If I was doing the Picos again, I'd camp in Potes for the first night, then head down the CA184 to visit Somaniezo and Piasco before heading back to Potes, taking the 621 down to Portilla de la Reina and camping/staying in Santa Maria de Valdeon for 1-2 nights and hiking up Cain. If you look at a map, Cain pretty much backs onto Fuente De (the main cable car attraction 15km out of Potes), so you're seeing the same thing but it's less touristy and more remote.

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