Just a quick one, trying to squeeze as much motorcycling out of the end of year, thought I might nip to Pyreenes for a quick tour round for a week or so. Weather for this time of the year (google) seems to be 12-21 degree's which is fine for camping.. But wanted to get some "Real world" opinions from anyone who's been over that way in this time of year..Oh and of course any recommened roads or advice of things to see would be great!

Here is a post I did for a specific question on a different forum. Perhaps some of it will be of use. Regarding November weather - it will be starting to get cooler in the mountains - think normal uk temps - but still much warmer in the lower lands. I'd still camp (have decent bag, and thermal sleeping map). Cheers


I'm back and forth the UK / Barcelona every month for work - and have done the trip by bike loads of times. In summer I always ride down through France, but use the Santander/Bilbao ferry in autumn / spring. So here is a suggested route across from Cantabria to Catalonia:

Santander CA141 to Bilbao (if coming into Santander) the coast road.
Worth a couple of hours in Bilbao - bike parking in centre really easy.
N634 to Donostia (San Sebastian) - beach/food/town fantastic.

If July then google "Langostino Moto" nearer the date and look for the date of the July bike meet in Ibarra, Basque Country. For 30€ you'll get Sat night camping, 3 course dinner (with wine), breakfast, 3 course Sun lunch (with wine!), bike show, games, ride out and loads of good music/entertainment on Sat eve. I guarantee you will be made welcome - and have the opportunity to see true Basque culture and hospitality (all bike types welcomed). To get there use E80/E5 south of Donastia. Ibarra is just passed Tolosa.

From Ibarra - or Donastia - N121A to Pamplona - again worth a few hours in the old part, and bike parking is easy.
A21 - N240 passed Yesa (ride around nice lake) and to Puente la Reina de Jaca
Turn south on A132 to Santa Maria (la pena lake) then A1205 to Anzanigo (8kms)
last bit road is poor, but will take you to a bike campsite (just passed the town, you'll know it when you see it) run by Emilio and his family. Cheap, and with pool. Must include dinner (3 courses with wine) which will be with all the other bikers staying there and his family - very sociable, very friendly, very knowledgeable about bikes and bike routes in the area (off and on road) - ask him for maps and rutas - and follow the finger!
A1205 on to Jaca (optional side track to Alto Monastry)
N330 to Sabinanigo
N260 to Biescas to Broto to Ainsa to Castejon de Sos and then to N230

2 options - north on N230 through tunnel to Vielha, Val d'Aran (fantastic - with lots of good camping just north of the town) then C28/C13 to Sort - N260 to La Seu D'Urgell; or
- south on N230 into Pont de Suert to Senterada to Segur to La Seu D'Urgell

From there you are around half hour from Andorra (north on N145) if you feel like a further detour - Andorra la Vella CG1 to CG2 to Pas de la Casa (some good shops for bike kit - long lunch breaks though) then N320 into France, N20 back into Spain at Puigcerda.

If you want a shorter route, N260 to Puigcerda.

Then you must do my most fav bike road - the N152 to Ribes de Freser. Remember to take some breaks to capture the scenery (completely covered in snow in winter), and chat the many other bikers who will also be parked up doing likewise (also one of the few roads where you'll find police bike spot checks!)

The N152 south to Ripoll and N260 east to Olot
C152 / C63 / N141 will get you close to Girona - don't miss this fab city. You can get right into the city centre, with a bike park on the river next to the jewish quarter, well worth a visit (and good place to lunch).

From there, and if interested in camping in the Costa Brava, take the C63 to Sant Feliu de Guixols - very pretty, like a Spanish Tenby!

There are loads of camp sites just north or south from there - just ask in the tourist information centre (in town hall on the prom) - you can park outside.

GI682 coast road south to Tossa is great (you'll find the start of it tucked behind the church/monastry in Sant Feliu). Tossa also has good coastal camping.

You can ride most of the way down to Barcelona on the N11 coast road, passing through some nice towns - but I don't recommend entering the city on anything other than motorway (it just gets too complicated). Take your time coming in, stick to speed limits,and follow signs to the centre. There is plenty of free bike parking right in the centre, but also plenty of bikes! So expect to have to look for a few minutes before finding a slot.

These are the best roads I've found for my style of riding across from Santander. I wouldn't recommend crossing further south (eg via motorway through Zaragoza) - it just gets hotter and windier! In general you can cross this route in July reasonably comfortably with standard bike gear - but expect to toast a bit from Girona onwards. I don't wear leathers at all from May to Nov - just highly vented textiles. You'll see plenty of 140kph t-shirts, shorts and flip-flops here at that time of the year!

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Pat
www.patonabike.blogspot.com

"You'll see plenty of 140kph t-shirts, shorts and flip-flops here at that time of the year!"

Ha,ha,ha, that is the crazy truth here. By the way, nice Spanish info from the other side. It is good to have a look inside ours from a foraigner eyes. I really liked

viajes de invierno. Barcelona-Dakar

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www.miquelsilvestre.com

Excellent info, Ill digest all that tonight. Thanks

Hi Midgy,

I guess you're here by now, November 18th, and will know all about the weather - it's the first weekend of skiing and the nighttime temperatures are down to below zero from now until February - enjoy!

A huge grácias to Miguel for his excellent Barcelona-Dakar blog. The images of Sidi-Ifni vividly brought back memories of our trip there in the early 'nineties!

Pat, good to see you on the HUBB again mate, how's things?

Regs

Simon

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Blogging around Iberia

Hi Midgy,

Rather more helpfully today; if you travel along the range of the Pyrenees proper, i.e. above around 2,000 metres, you will be in for serious cold every night and most days with precipitation always falling as snow from at least 1,500 metres (as I write it's down to 1,100). Camping is going to be difficult in both the valleys and on higher ground and I would suggest that this is for serious experts only and equipped to suit. Incidentally, RTVE, the Spanish national Tv station has just launched a new webside for the weather forcast. It's not in English at all but it's very easy to navigate.

However the Pre-Pyrenees, which run along the southern flank of the range from around Pamplona eastwards as far as Girona, are a bit more friendly. Not only is the average altitude lower, at around 1,500 metres, but the valleys are usually broader allowing more sunlight hours to heat things up a bit. But note that for free camping (most of the camp sites here are now closed) you should take advantage of a local phenomenon, thermal inversion, in which the higher ground on top of the sierras is about five degrees warmer than the valley floors, which harbour dense, freezing fogs - often lasting for weeks at a time in the winter!

The Pyrenees in general produce precipitation no matter where the Atlantic weather systems (a feature of November weather) are coming from, i.e. running along the north side or the south. The only respite is to head east along the range - which takes you to Girona (Spain) or Perpignan (Franc) notorious for strong, Mistral winds! - or go south, away from the Pyrenees altogether. I recommend the provinces of Teruel and Soria, which straddle the main Madrid-Zaragossa highway - not far from the Pyrenees really but, significantky, on the other side of the Ebro valley.

These are desolate and beautiful regions and although they are both bywords for cold, one or the other provincial 'capital' is always in the news as being the coldest place in Spain, they are much dryer. As for scenery, picture the Scottish Highlands, but without getting your feet wet if you drive for more than an hour in any direction! The biking really is fantastic - but avoid the main roads through these regions, just follow your nose as the maps are very poor!

If your idea was to escape to 'sunny' Spain and feel some heat then your only choice is the Mediterranian coast itself, and you will have to go right down to the south of the country, to say Murcia onwards, to feel really warm. But if you can't do that I recommend staying in or near the cities of Tarragona, where I live for much of the year, or Tortosa. Both are lively and interesting at night and both give access to some fabulous biking just inland - NB as soon as you cross the sierras that follow the coast your back into the cold zone, but the biking on the coastal strip itself is c***!. From Tarragona head inland through the comarcas (counties) of Baix Penedes, Alt Penedes, Conca de Barbara, and Priorat. From Tortosa head over or rather through the Els Ports natural Park into the Matarranya comarca and north towards Terra Alta and down the Ebro itself (or cross the river and head further east to Priorat), or south through Bajo Aragon and the Maestrazgo.

Hope this helps!

Simon

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Blogging around Iberia