The best motorcycle roads in Spain
Spain is one of the most mountainous countries in Europe, and it has the empty roads to go with it. The north has the green, steep Picos de Europa and the long chain of the Pyrenees. The centre has the granite ridges of the Sierra de Gredos. The south has the white villages and limestone sierras around Ronda, and the islands add Mallorca’s Tramuntana and the volcano roads of Tenerife.
This list ranks the roads we would plan a trip around. Every entry gives the road number, a rough length, the months it is at its best and where to stay. Many of them are in regions where you can ride for days without meeting much traffic, on surfaces that are often better than you expect.
Seasons matter more in Spain than the maps suggest. The north and the Pyrenees are best from late spring to early autumn; the south is at its best in spring and autumn, when the heat of midsummer has not yet arrived or has gone. The Canaries and Mallorca are rideable in winter.
1. Picos de Europa gorges and passes
- Road
- N-621, N-625 and AS-114
- Length
- About 210 km
- Best season
- May to October
The Picos de Europa rise straight from the Atlantic coast to over 2,600 metres, and the roads through them follow deep limestone gorges. The N-621 runs through the Desfiladero de la Hermida to Potes, then climbs to the San Glorio pass; the N-625 drops through the Desfiladero de los Beyos to Cangas de Onís; the AS-114 links them along the northern edge. A loop of the three is one of the great rides in Europe. Expect cows on the road and mist on the passes.
2. Serra de Tramuntana and Sa Calobra (Mallorca)
- Road
- Ma-10 and Ma-2141
- Length
- About 110 km
- Best season
- March to June, September to November
The Ma-10 runs about 110 km along Mallorca's north-west mountains from Andratx to Pollença, a constant run of bends between pine forest, olive terraces and the sea. Halfway along, the Ma-2141 drops from the Coll dels Reis to the cove at Sa Calobra in about 12 km of hairpins, including the famous Nus de sa Corbata, where the road loops under itself. It is a dead end, so you climb back up the same way. Avoid midsummer, and ride early to beat the coaches and cyclists.
3. Pyrenean Axis (Eje Pirenaico)
- Road
- N-260
- Length
- About 500 km
- Best season
- May to October
The N-260 crosses the Spanish Pyrenees from Portbou on the Mediterranean via Figueres to the Aragonese valleys, passing through the old towns of Ripoll, La Seu d’Urgell, Sort, Pont de Suert, Aínsa and Sabiñánigo. It is a long, varied ride over several passes, including the Coll de Canes and the Port del Cantó, with sections of brand-new road and sections of narrow, crumbling mountain road. Ride it over three or four days, and use it as a spine for side trips to Ordesa and the high valleys.
4. Port de la Bonaigua
- Road
- C-28
- Length
- About 50 km
- Best season
- May to October
The Bonaigua climbs to 2,072 metres between Esterri d’Àneu in the Pallars and Vielha in the Val d’Aran, and it is one of the highest road passes in the Pyrenees. The eastern climb from Esterri is a long staircase of hairpins with views over the Àneu valley; the western side runs down through the green, Atlantic-facing Val d’Aran. It is usually kept open in winter for the Baqueira ski area, so expect snow banks into late spring. Combine it with the Vielha tunnel and the N-260 for a loop.
5. Portalet pass and the Tena valley
- Road
- A-136
- Length
- About 50 km
- Best season
- May to October
The A-136 runs up the Tena valley from Biescas past the Búbal and Lanuza reservoirs to the Portalet pass on the French border, at about 1,794 metres. The Spanish side is wide and fast, with long sweeping bends; the French side drops steeply toward Laruns and links with the Col d’Aubisque. Together they give a cross-border loop through some of the finest scenery in the central Pyrenees. Stop at Sallent de Gállego for the view of the Peña Foratata.
6. Ronda to San Pedro de Alcántara
- Road
- A-397
- Length
- About 50 km
- Best season
- March to June, September to November
The A-397 drops about 50 km from Ronda in the mountains of the Serranía de Ronda to San Pedro de Alcántara on the Costa del Sol, through a long chain of wide, well-surfaced bends with views down to the sea and across to Africa on a clear day. It is one of the most popular biker roads in Andalucía and busy at weekends, so watch out for traffic and police. Ronda itself, with its gorge and bridge, is a great base for a week of loops.
7. Sierra de Grazalema
- Road
- A-372
- Length
- About 30 km
- Best season
- March to June, September to November
West of Ronda, the A-372 climbs from the white village of Grazalema over the Puerto de las Palomas and drops through hairpins toward Zahara de la Sierra and El Bosque. The limestone landscape is wild and rocky, with views across the reservoir at Zahara. The road is narrow and twisty, with a few tight hairpins and some broken edges. Combine it with the roads to Ubrique and Arcos de la Frontera for a full loop through the white villages.
8. Puerto del Pico (Sierra de Gredos)
- Road
- N-502
- Length
- About 40 km
- Best season
- April to October
The N-502 crosses the granite wall of the Sierra de Gredos west of Madrid over the Puerto del Pico at about 1,395 metres. The southern climb from Ramacastañas and Mombeltrán is a beautiful run of hairpins, and beside it you can see the well-preserved Roman road that took the same line. The northern side runs across high grassland. It is quiet outside weekends and makes a fine day out from Madrid, Ávila or the Tiétar valley.
9. Somiedo pass (Puerto de Somiedo)
- Road
- AS-227
- Length
- About 60 km
- Best season
- May to October
In the Cantabrian mountains of Asturias, the AS-227 climbs from Belmonte de Miranda through the Somiedo natural park to the pass on the border with León. The road follows a deep, green valley past stone villages and thatched shepherds’ huts, then climbs through open mountains to the top. It is narrow in places and very quiet, with cows and the odd horse on the tarmac. It is the kind of road that makes the Cantabrian mountains such a good alternative to the Picos.
10. Teide National Park (Tenerife)
- Road
- TF-21 and TF-24
- Length
- About 90 km
- Best season
- All year
On Tenerife, the TF-21 from La Orotava and the TF-24 from La Laguna climb through pine forest and above the clouds to the volcanic crater of Las Cañadas, around 2,000 metres up, with Mount Teide towering above. The roads are smooth and sweeping, and the landscape inside the crater is unlike anywhere else in Europe. The TF-21 then drops south to Vilaflor. It is rideable all year, but it can be cold at the top and it is busy with tourist traffic in the middle of the day.
How to plan a trip around these roads
Spain is big, so choose one area per trip. Riders from the UK often take the ferry to Santander or Bilbao and spend a week in the Picos de Europa and the Cantabrian mountains, then ride east along the Pyrenees. Andalucía suits a base in Ronda or Grazalema for a week of loops in spring or autumn.
Plan lunch for two or three in the afternoon, as Spanish restaurants do, and avoid riding the southern sierras in the midday heat of July and August.
- Many Spanish motorways (autopistas) are tolled; the free autovías run alongside many of them.
- Spain requires riders to carry their licence, registration and insurance documents. Check the DGT (Spanish traffic authority) for current rules on kit and equipment.
- Mountain roads in the north are often wet and misty, even in summer. Pack for rain in the Picos.
- Watch for livestock on the road in the Picos, the Pyrenees and Somiedo, and for gravel on the inside of bends.
More of the best motorcycle roads
Questions riders ask
What is the best motorcycle road in Spain?
The roads through the Picos de Europa gorges are the classic choice. In the south, the A-397 from Ronda and the Grazalema roads are the favourites, and on Mallorca the descent to Sa Calobra is famous.
When is the best time to ride in Spain?
May to October in the north and the Pyrenees. In Andalucía and central Spain, spring and autumn are best, as midsummer is very hot. Mallorca and the Canary Islands are good in winter.
Are Spanish roads good for motorcycles?
Mostly yes. Main roads and many mountain roads are well surfaced, and traffic away from the coasts and cities is light. Watch for gravel on bends and livestock in the mountains.
Can I take the ferry from the UK to ride in Spain?
Yes. Ferries run from the UK to Santander and Bilbao, which put the Picos de Europa and the Pyrenees within a day’s ride. Check the ferry operators for current routes and timetables.
Where should I stay for a Spanish motorcycle trip?
Potes or Cangas de Onís for the Picos de Europa, Aínsa or Biescas for the Pyrenees, and Ronda or Grazalema for Andalucía.