Picos - next year!

[Kahuna]

Hi Folks as the end phase of a long tour of France I'll be travelling from Biarritz to Santiago de Compostela.

Its a trip I've wanted to do for a long time having heard of the good riding in the Picos. I've done a bit around the Santander to Burgos area in the past but not all of the way along the northern coast.

What would be a good route along this path? I can take 2 days for it but really don't want the boring motorway along the coast line!

Appreciate Feedback.

 

[Wapping]

Get a good map is the place to start.

Being a mountain range, the well made (or at least reasonably solid) roads, driveable to a GS, a family car or a FireBlade, either run near enough along the top, or dip down and around using the valleys.

Outside of these, you are onto trails and by slow degree what are sometimes nothing more than sheep tracks.... many of which are shown on decent scale maps.

PS I will map you something out this evening.

 

[Kahuna]

Thanks Wapping - I'll be two-up and luggage'd after a 20 day French tour so I'll not be taking any tracks.

I'll be GPS'ing as usual - and just looking for something reasonably interesting rather than the coastal route!

Cheers

 

[Wapping]

Here you go, two Picos rides:

(1) Santillana Del Mar to N-6251 - 134 miles

(2) Colunga to N-6321 - 153 miles

They interlap at Cagas de Onis, so perhaps not a bad pace to stop?

Both doable two-up with luggage, even after bash through France.

 

[Kahuna]

Thanks Wapping - I'll take a look at those routes this weekend.

Appreciate your feedback as always.

 

[long-tall-round]

Picos plenty

wifey and I did the Picos a few years ago on a fully loaded goldwing (about 600kgs in total). There is not a lot of em' and the roads are OK for GS'ers more than big cruisers. Fuente De cable car is worth a trip if no clouds. Nice kinda late 1950's meets Scotish highlands. Roads were quite busy with GB plates. We went south west from there towards Portugal but should have stayed on North coast. Nth Portugal is brill, crossing the borders on and off the hills, lovely people and cheaper than most of southern Spain and Algarve. + much greener. Quiet (except biker Sundays near Porto). Want to go again, but so many places to see.