1st time to Santander, now where?

[ChrisH]

Hi all, over the years been to Black Forest, Alps and Dolomites several times a year when possible.
So this is my 1st time to Northern Spain. Now where?
I eventually will head towards the Alps etc to make my way back up through the Black Forest and onto the ferry to Hull from Zeebrugge.
I do fancy spending some time in Northern Spain but to be honest have no idea where to head to first, it doesn't really have to be east. Just head me towards a good region for fantastic roads etc. Thanks guys...

Chris.

 

[neil 23]

Head for the Picos Mountains, great roads & scenery.

Have stayed at this place a few times, garage for bike, great food & drink & nice rooms which are very reasonable.

Caso Cayo
Calle Cantabra, 6
39570
Potes (Cantabria)

Tel 942 730 150

Enjoy

 

[jbodin]

Hi all, over the years been to Black Forest, Alps and Dolomites several times a year when possible.
So this is my 1st time to Northern Spain. Now where?
I eventually will head towards the Alps etc to make my way back up through the Black Forest and onto the ferry to Hull from Zeebrugge.
I do fancy spending some time in Northern Spain but to be honest have no idea where to head to first, it doesn't really have to be east. Just head me towards a good region for fantastic roads etc. Thanks guys...

Chris.

Try this one, Head west on A8 from Santander towards Picos de Europa, leave A8 on to N621 signpost for Potes. From Potes take N621 towards Riano. In Riano head towards Cangas de Onis N626. Leave Cangas de Onis taking AS114 back to Potes.
This route takes you round the Picos de Europa, and from leaving the A8 to Potes and back this is about 150 miles. All fantastic roads.Check it out on Google Maps.
Have a good one

 

[stick]

Where to

Hi all, over the years been to Black Forest, Alps and Dolomites several times a year when possible.
So this is my 1st time to Northern Spain. Now where?
I eventually will head towards the Alps etc to make my way back up through the Black Forest and onto the ferry to Hull from Zeebrugge.
I do fancy spending some time in Northern Spain but to be honest have no idea where to head to first, it doesn't really have to be east. Just head me towards a good region for fantastic roads etc. Thanks guys...

Chris.

Going to Spain in 2 weeks and have about 2000 miles + of gps routes( for a two week trip ) as have planed a route . My route is Picos (Spain)- Pied De Port(France)-Argels Gazost (France) Urgell (Spain) All these routes cover many cols and parts of the N260 - After Urgell up to Millau - Poiters - St Malo - Cean .
If you would like i could send you a copy so this may give you a rough guide and you could base your own routes maybe.

Stick

 

[wideparting]

Hi all, over the years been to Black Forest, Alps and Dolomites several times a year when possible.
So this is my 1st time to Northern Spain. Now where?
I eventually will head towards the Alps etc to make my way back up through the Black Forest and onto the ferry to Hull from Zeebrugge.
I do fancy spending some time in Northern Spain but to be honest have no idea where to head to first, it doesn't really have to be east. Just head me towards a good region for fantastic roads etc. Thanks guys...

Chris.

pecos mountains,stunning roads.about 2 hours or less from santander.

 

[ChrisH]

Thank you all very much, Pico's to start with then. Would like that route Stick my mate if you will. I'll pm you my email later if that's best for you, unless you want to simply place it on here?
Only thing I have to be careful of is the bloody Tour De France is on while I'm there so want to avoid this. I've found a web site listing everywhere it will be and when so just need to work round it. Perhaps a return from Santander would have been best this time
Thank again guys, any more idea's still welcome.

Chris.

 

[harry]

Potes is a nice little place, a good base for riding the Picos, about an hour or so from the ferry terminal.

 

[Watty100]

When you start to head east, get onto the N260 into the Pyranees, it must have been built by a biker. Hairpin after hairpin, fast sweepers, narrow gorges, high passes, its got the lot. When you get to a village called Sort, turn north onto the C13, which becomes the C28 near to Vielha. It peaks at around 6,800ft, and is so twisty if you rode it daily you'd never wear the centre of a tyre out first again. When you reach Vielha, you hit the N230. Head north and France is less than an hour away, or head south to eventually rejoin the N260 and repeat the fun again! Andorra is within reach if you want to tick another country off the list, however I can't reccommend the place. Its supposed to be a tax-free shopping haven but I found the only things cheap were fuel (1.20euros/litre last week), fags and booze. From crossing the border, its just one long high street, and Spanish customs are ready to pounce as you go back.
Enjoy your trip, theres no shortage of good traffic free roads in the region.

 

[drimcong]

or go towards Gijon and stop in Ribadesella for great Beaches, a great youth hostel just by the beach.

it is another gateway into the Picos.

here a link to the annual rallye, for ideas
http://http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=398923

there is more about the Picos on this site.

enjoy

Josey

 

[cookie]

When you start to head east, get onto the N260 into the Pyranees, it must have been built by a biker. Hairpin after hairpin, fast sweepers, narrow gorges, high passes, its got the lot. When you get to a village called Sort, turn north onto the C13, which becomes the C28 near to Vielha. It peaks at around 6,800ft, and is so twisty if you rode it daily you'd never wear the centre of a tyre out first again.

my pick as the best roads on the planet (ok, that i've ridden). the picos is really nice, going there in october, but the roads around vielha are beyond awesome

a way better ride than the stelvio, and do notice the almost total lack of traffic

 

[stick]

Route

Thank you all very much, Pico's to start with then. Would like that route Stick my mate if you will. I'll pm you my email later if that's best for you, unless you want to simply place it on here?
Only thing I have to be careful of is the bloody Tour De France is on while I'm there so want to avoid this. I've found a web site listing everywhere it will be and when so just need to work round it. Perhaps a return from Santander would have been best this time
Thank again guys, any more idea's still welcome.

Chris.

Sorry cant work out how to post on the forum - hate fu--in computers - pm and will send as been tryoing for an hour to post here geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[stick]

Oeer

my pick as the best roads on the planet (ok, that i've ridden). the picos is really nice, going there in october, but the roads around vielha are beyond awesome

a way better ride than the stelvio, and do notice the almost total lack of traffic

Remember it as if yesturday - awsome road - cool pics

 

[Hman]

do all as above but i found the french side of the pyreneese to be worse than the spanish especially the weather. ive done it four times now and it still amazes me every time. you'll have a great time.




Hman

 

[2 wheel humvee]

my pick as the best roads on the planet (ok, that i've ridden). the picos is really nice, going there in october, but the roads around vielha are beyond awesome

a way better ride than the stelvio, and do notice the almost total lack of traffic

I don't recall the weather being quite that good but it was that quiet and traffic free,
also rated as among the best if not the best and most enjoyable road I've ridden

 

[edzt]

Remember it as if yesturday - awsome road - cool pics

He's right, although when I rode it it rained so hard that when I got to the bottom, there was a canoe slalom event that was canceled. All the portaloo's were being washed down the river
Never seen a river rise so fast in my life:ek

 

[sven]

When you start to head east, get onto the N260 into the Pyranees, it must have been built by a biker. Hairpin after hairpin, fast sweepers, narrow gorges, high passes, its got the lot. When you get to a village called Sort, turn north onto the C13, which becomes the C28 near to Vielha. It peaks at around 6,800ft, and is so twisty if you rode it daily you'd never wear the centre of a tyre out first again. When you reach Vielha, you hit the N230. Head north and France is less than an hour away, or head south to eventually rejoin the N260 and repeat the fun again!

I loved the Spanish side of the Pyrenees and rode that road on the way from Bagneres de Luchon (where we stopped for three nights) to Carcassonne via Andorra (shithole, although the pass out of it north into France was OK). My favourite road was the N260 east of Sort to Ribera d'Urgellet - 35 miles of absolute heaven

 

[Deleted account Cooperman]

My July trip based upon good recommendations from here

Food for thought

 

[cookie]

can you fit the Route Napoleon into your return through france?

maybe your current route is taking in millau. i can't really tell.

 

[sven]

can you fit the Route Napoleon into your return through france?

maybe your current route is taking in millau. i can't really tell.

I went home via Millau and the Tarn Gorge to Le Puy-en-Velay then across to Barcalonette to ride the Route de Grand Alpes to Annecy via Briancon, before returning through the Vosges to Zeebrugge (well, my mates did as the ex was taken ill at home, so I had to thrash my K1200S the 575 miles back from Annecy on the motorway in one day to get the ferry home ).

This was a much, much more interesting route than heading across central France on the way down.

 

[Deleted account Cooperman]

I went home via Millau and the Tarn Gorge to Le Puy-en-Velay then across to Barcalonette to ride the Route de Grand Alpes to Annecy via Briancon, before returning through the Vosges to Zeebrugge (well, my mates did as the ex was taken ill at home, so I had to thrash my K1200S the 575 miles back from Annecy on the motorway in one day to get the ferry home ).

This was a much, much more interesting route than heading across central France on the way down.

My route back up through France is based upon the following recommendations:

Riders Rest
Take in the often missed Volcanic region Stay on the D940 down through Bourgenouff, Peyrat le Chateau, Eymoutiers, Treignac, cut over and through Muriac to Salers and ontto the D680 over Puy Mary, then Aurillac, Rodez and the Millau before cutting accross the Western Tarn to just south of Toulouse and over into the Pyrenees.

Bladerunner
Couldn't agree more!Peyrat le Chateau, Eymoutiers etc fantastic biking roads. I discovered them through a french biking mag - that's where they often do bike reviews. The roads are perfect for biking and each village is real purdy.

Having done the Alps a few times, this trip is about a bit of variety, and don't get me wrong - I'm not looking for Mways.