Picos de Europa, Pyrenees, Andorra, Spain and more.....

[CarbonXKR]

Hello Wozy, thanks for the info, looks a great route and lovely hotel. Looked at the prices and is very reasonable too! Planning now for next trip

[Nimby]

CarbonXKR said:

No potholes on these roads ...... https://youtu.be/0ZCVEnX7mlE

Is that the Hermida Gorge road? We're just back from two weeks near Potes so did it twice. Lovely when clear but very few places to overtake if you're stuck behind something.

However the last few hundred yards to our casa was all like this:



The Picos is fabulous. Only one gripe (which probably applies to most of the non-touristy areas of Spain) - restaurants usually don't open until 9pm and you're lucky to be eating before 9:30; too late for us.

[Zed 44]

Wozy68 said:

Morning Zed

I'll put it on here and then anyone else can use it.

Head west out of Santander to Torrelavga, then take the N623 south for around 20 miles where you fork off easterly (Ebro lake is to your right) on to the N232 signposted ONA. This is a lovely fast and sweeping road in places, but narrow and slow in others.
From ONA (Petrol station and small café here) carry on the N232 all the way to Logrono (keeping off the autoroute which at times runs beside it).
From Logrono centre take the north easterly A-12 which is a free duel carriageway for around 20 miles until reaching Estella and heading east on the minor classed NA-132 to Tafalla. From here carry on the NA-132 until Sanguesa, then around six miles north to meet up with the A21 to head east for Jaca

The N-232 and NA-132 are fantastic roads. 95% of this route is on empty well tarmacked roads with some of the finest open scenery in the north of the country IMO..

Love it.

Hotel in Jaca is a 10 minute walk to the centre of the town and is on the right as you enter the suburbs from the west.
We stay here because it has secure underground parking and a couple of lads need this for their motorbikes, not because Jaca feels unsafe..

http://www.eurostarsreinafelicia.com/EN/hotel.html

EDIT. Jaca centre is nice, there's a small well stocked wine shop there where you can sit and have a drink and (if memory serves) Tapas.
I sat there ordering vino in my finest Spanish and all was going well until I expressed my delight in their locally sourced Rioja.
We had driven for mile after mile in and through the Rioja reason so I just presumed we were still in it. Nope, we had moved across the 'border' and we were now in the Province of Huesca.
The locals have a problem with the better known Rioja. I may as well said I preferred Manchester United to Liverpool, whilst drinking in a bar next to Anfield.
Biggo mistako to make o.
All finished amicably though.

Edited by Wozy68 on Tuesday 26th May 10:29

I have just checked this route out on Googlemaps using pegman (which I know can be deceiving) but the roads look very straight, with the odd few fast bends which might be interesting at higher speeds than I personally prefer to do on public roads. Is this a Googlemaps illusion I wonder?

We'll be staying in the hotel you recommended in September but I chose this one for my trip in June.

http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/el-churron.es.html

purely and simply because it was a bit rustic and looked like it might attract and be sympatico to petrolheads.

[CarbonXKR]

Nimby said:

Is that the Hermida Gorge road? We're just back from two weeks near Potes so did it twice. Lovely when clear but very few places to overtake if you're stuck behind something.

However the last few hundred yards to our casa was all like this:



The Picos is fabulous. Only one gripe (which probably applies to most of the non-touristy areas of Spain) - restaurants usually don't open until 9pm and you're lucky to be eating before 9:30; too late for us.

That's the one, lovely and smooth roads - no traffic when we were there. Re eating late, we soon got in to the habit, straight to bed after meal though....

[Wozy68]

Zed 44 said:

I have just checked this route out on Googlemaps using pegman (which I know can be deceiving) but the roads look very straight, with the odd few fast bends which might be interesting at higher speeds than I personally prefer to do on public roads. Is this a Googlemaps illusion I wonder?

We'll be staying in the hotel you recommended in September but I chose this one for my trip in June.

http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/el-churron.es.html

purely and simply because it was a bit rustic and looked like it might attract and be sympatico to petrolheads.

Hmmmm, you've got me thinking. Straight you say? Yes in places I guess they are, and from when we originally found it some of the villages have been bypassed, however we found these roads when we were all bikers which would mean many straights are just boring.

I may well be focusing more on the scenery and great tarmac and speed attainable than just how many bends there are, however I can't believe that would be correct, because at the end of the day bikers love corners.

I've never found the road boring, so though I admit there are some lovely long straights and I'm the first to admit its a totally different driving experience to the Pyrenees, we always find it extremely enjoyable to ride/drive. Well worth a visit at least once, and if you drive it, it would be interesting to know what you thought.

Rio Ebro, beautiful part of the route as you drive alongside it prior to arriving in ONA

Edited by Wozy68 on Tuesday 26th May 21:55

[Wozy68]

CarbonXKR said:

Hello Wozy, thanks for the info, looks a great route and lovely hotel. Looked at the prices and is very reasonable too! Planning now for next trip

Your welcome .... here's to your next trip. Santander to Jaca via the route I posted is a good distance if the ferry gets in around lunchtime.

[blueg33]

We driving to Le Mans this year from Santander, going via Biescas and staying in the same hotel, then up through the French wine regions, Bordeaux, Dordogne and Loire, with a couple of overnight stops, one being in Cognac. Trying to keep the driving to 4 hours per day, and stay off the autoroutes.

Really looking forward to it and less than 2 weeks to go.

[CarbonXKR]

blueg33 said:

We driving to Le Mans this year from Santander, going via Biescas and staying in the same hotel, then up through the French wine regions, Bordeaux, Dordogne and Loire, with a couple of overnight stops, one being in Cognac. Trying to keep the driving to 4 hours per day, and stay off the autoroutes.

Really looking forward to it and less than 2 weeks to go.

Enjoy your trip, the hotel is really nice and food was excellent again (second visit). 4 hours a day driving will make a nice relaxed trip

[blueg33]

CarbonXKR said:

blueg33 said:

We driving to Le Mans this year from Santander, going via Biescas and staying in the same hotel, then up through the French wine regions, Bordeaux, Dordogne and Loire, with a couple of overnight stops, one being in Cognac. Trying to keep the driving to 4 hours per day, and stay off the autoroutes.

Really looking forward to it and less than 2 weeks to go.

Enjoy your trip, the hotel is really nice and food was excellent again (second visit). 4 hours a day driving will make a nice relaxed trip

Thanks. We am to have lunch and coffee breaks us visit vineyards in all 3 wine regions.

[Zed 44]

Wozy68 said:

Morning Zed

I'll put it on here and then anyone else can use it.

Head west out of Santander to Torrelavga, then take the N623 south for around 20 miles where you fork off easterly (Ebro lake is to your right) on to the N232 signposted ONA. This is a lovely fast and sweeping road in places, but narrow and slow in others.
From ONA (Petrol station and small café here) carry on the N232 all the way to Logrono (keeping off the autoroute which at times runs beside it).
From Logrono centre take the north easterly A-12 which is a free duel carriageway for around 20 miles until reaching Estella and heading east on the minor classed NA-132 to Tafalla. From here carry on the NA-132 until Sanguesa, then around six miles north to meet up with the A21 to head east for Jaca

The N-232 and NA-132 are fantastic roads. 95% of this route is on empty well tarmacked roads with some of the finest open scenery in the north of the country IMO..

Love it.

Hotel in Jaca is a 10 minute walk to the centre of the town and is on the right as you enter the suburbs from the west.
We stay here because it has secure underground parking and a couple of lads need this for their motorbikes, not because Jaca feels unsafe..

http://www.eurostarsreinafelicia.com/EN/hotel.html

EDIT. Jaca centre is nice, there's a small well stocked wine shop there where you can sit and have a drink and (if memory serves) Tapas.
I sat there ordering vino in my finest Spanish and all was going well until I expressed my delight in their locally sourced Rioja.
We had driven for mile after mile in and through the Rioja reason so I just presumed we were still in it. Nope, we had moved across the 'border' and we were now in the Province of Huesca.
The locals have a problem with the better known Rioja. I may as well said I preferred Manchester United to Liverpool, whilst drinking in a bar next to Anfield.
Biggo mistako to make o.
All finished amicably though.

Edited by Wozy68 on Tuesday 26th May 10:29

Hello Wozy,

Using your suggestions, I've incorporated certain bits in but in the reverse direction as I will be heading towards the Picos. Any thoughts on this, particularly the bit between Tafalla and Logrono? It's a bit up and down but I really don't like autoroutes.

https://www.motogoloco.com/map?route=7626&key=...

[Wozy68]

Hi Zed,

No idea prior to Logrono coming from the east missing the A12, but A12 from Logrono to Burgos is IMO a pretty damn boring (if memory serves) duel carriageway/single road to Burgos.

Saying that I have no idea on a better route, though I'd personally head even further west from Burgos all the way to Leon to enjoy the roads north from there into the Picos de Europe.

From (If you have the time) Leon I've driven north taking the N-621 to Bonar, then travelled east on the DL626 to meet the N265 towards Riano, from there fantastic scenery north east on the N-621 (the road numbers get confusing) towards Santander (narrow in places) but stunning.

If you have time, take the coastal road N-634 and Da-131 to Santander rather than the A-8 motorway to finish your trip. You will see some lovely coastal areas and towns.

[Zed 44]

Wozy68 said:

Hi Zed,

No idea prior to Logrono coming from the east missing the A12, but A12 from Logrono to Burgos is IMO a pretty damn boring (if memory serves) duel carriageway/single road to Burgos.

Saying that I have no idea on a better route, though I'd personally head even further west from Burgos all the way to Leon to enjoy the roads north from there into the Picos de Europe.

From (If you have the time) Leon I've driven north taking the N-621 to Bonar, then travelled east on the DL626 to meet the N265 towards Riano, from there fantastic scenery north east on the N-621 (the road numbers get confusing) towards Santander (narrow in places) but stunning.

If you have time, take the coastal road N-634 and Da-131 to Santander rather than the A-8 motorway to finish your trip. You will see some lovely coastal areas and towns.

Thanks for that Wozy

Here's a general overview of the route I plan after doing the French side of the Pyrenees eastbound and the Spanish side westbound. I might make some minor changes as I go along. On the other hand, I might just drive the "world's best driving road", the A535 in Cheshire. Cheaper that way.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1ahuj2hTEP...