Picos or Pyrenees?

A mate and I on two bikes (either 2 1150GSes or a Yam Diversion and a K12Gt) will be spending some time in Northern Spain in late July/early August (unfortunately, only time we're both available)

Sailing into Bilbao we're undecided whether to head for the Picos or Pyrenees.

Is there anyone out there who can give us the pros and cons of both?

Cheers

Mike

How much time will you have? If you haven't been to the area before I'd have a look at both,they aren't that far apart.Then perhaps go back next year for a better look at your preferred location.

Tony

I went to the Picos last year, and the Alps for the previous 2 years. I am off to the Pyrennes in 4 weeks time. The Picos are very nice - nice roads and scenery and very wild looking. There are also some nice small roads that you can take that are fairly quiet - however, there isn't a huge selection or variety of routes so many of the roads you travel on, such as the one that pretty much does a loop around the whole of the picos, will be very busy in July/August. I am glad I went to the Picos as it is a great place to ride, but I have missed the scale and dramatic scenery of the alps and the fact that every pass road seems to be like a twisty scalextric track. I am hoping the pyrennes may be a little more like that.

Whilst there is plenty to see in the Picos, you could certainly get a good taste of the highlights in 3 days of riding, so maybe as suggested, you can combine both the pyrenees and the Picos even though it will involve a bit of doubling back.

Either or both. You won't be disappointed. We've done both a couple of times, and would be hard pressed to pick one over the other.

Thanks for that.

We're probably going to spend 3/4 days in the area and then head up through France to Zeebrugge.

Any more replies very welcome.

Mike

I'd guess if the Spaniards are on holiday the Picos roads could become a bit crowded as said earlier there's not that many roads in the area. On one organised trip went from Santander via Riano to Leon. From there to Baiona, then back to the north coast via Santaigo de Compostela, through Cangas de Onis and back to Santander. Gave a bit more scenery and it wasn't just up and down and hairpins type of roads.

I'd guess you could easily have a few days in the Picos and the use the N260 to go along the Pyrenees. Nice places to stop, the parador at Sos del Rey Catolioco and Ainsa. Then it's an easy hop past Toulouse into the Massif Central, cahors etc or the Auvergne and Millau etc.

I done both stayed in the picos for 4 days in early june at potes.From here i
went across to pamplona, then picked up n240 to jaca then n330 followed by
n260 ( mega road ) right across pyrenees to puigcerda. I then went across the border into france and back across the pyrenees d618 d918 which covers
most of the cols ( passes) towards lourdes. If you go to the picos get michelin map 572 which covers that area in detail.

Again....thanks lads



Mike

Pyrenees for me