SPAIN AND THE PYRENEES

SEPTEMBER 3RD TO 15TH. 12 NIGHTS.

With effect from May 2024, I will be leading tours for a major tour operator, so will not be offering further tours through Love Motorbike Touring.com. I will be happy to take calls and emails and help you find your perfect your. Thanks for your support. Steve Rawsthorne.

Spain has some of the best biking roads in Europe if you know where to look, and we are going to ride many of them. Our ferry leaves Portsmouth for Bilbao and after landing, within half an hour we will be into the mountains and some great scenery and twisty roads. Heading towards Pamplona, then south west towards Sabinanigo using some of the best parts of the famous N260 with enough twists and turns to satisfy any rider. The first time I rode this road I just could not believe how good it is, fantastic scenery, good surfaces, just a real delight. we'll continue on towards Ripoll, where we stay for two nights.

In Ripoll at the confluence of the Ter and Freser rivers, you can relax and have a day off the bike, taking in the local sights and sounds or join the ride up to Montserrat Abbey (https://abadiamontserrat.cat/en/ ) for an amazing day out. The abbey is set high in the mountains and is a huge complex, ride the cable car to the top of the mountain and hike over it or have a cold drink in one of the cafe's and restaurants. It's a great route and you can leave your kit at the hotel and ride unencumbered to make the most of the mountain roads.

From Ripoll we head north west toward the Pyrenees, inside the Spanish border still at this point before crossing into France near Saint Mamet and into the Pyrenees national park, simply stunning with vertiginous drop-offs on some of the roads and as many twists and turns as you can handle in a day. After we pass the beautiful town of Oloron Saint Marie, with over 2000 years of history, we will be crossing and recrossing the French and Spanish borders, picking the best roads the mountains have to offer before we arrive at Bergara, a huge Spanish gun making centre, everything from cannons and flintlock pistols to modern day guns and rifles.

After our final night in an excellent Spanish hotel we have time to relax in the pool, have those aches and pains massaged away in the spa or just chill with your mates and and have a crack over the ride so far and share photos before we head off to Bilbao to take the ferry home, arriving around seven pm the next day.

The price below is the cost for one bike and one rider with single use of double rooms and cabins. Please contact me for pillion rates or for two people on two bikes, sharing a room.

Oloron Sainte- Marie

WHATS INCLUDED.

Ferry for you and your bike from Portsmouth to Bilbao and back.

Single use of a two berth inside cabin both ways, no sharing.

Single use of a double or twin room in all hotels, no sharing

Breakfast on all mornings, hotel or ferry.

Fully guided tour, ride with the group or head off on your own and meet up later.

All sat-nav routes and guide notes.

WHATS NOT INCLUDED.

Fuel and road tolls.

Travel and breakdown insurance.

Meals other than those specified.

£2895 per person max.

ITINERARY

Day 1. Tour starts meeting in Portsmouth at 18.30 for a 21.30 sailing to Bilbao. We will be on board for two nights, so time to relax and get to know the other tour members.

Day 2. We arrive in Bilbao around 08.00 for a full day's riding. As we have had plenty of time to relax, we will push on and cover around 140 miles, in the mountains within half an hour of leaving the ferry port, heading toward Pamplona, famous for the running off the bulls.

Day 3. Sorry about this, more of the fantastic mountain roads, sun on your back and great scenery. Around 4.5 hours riding, heading south east.

Day 4. A shorter day today, just a hundred miles of pure delight before we arrive at our hotel with views over the lakes and mountains and an excellent pool to relax by for a few hours and catch some sun before dinner Around three and a half hours riding

Day 5. Today we reach our furthest easterly point in Spain, Ripoll, at the junction of the rivers Ter and Fresa. About 135 miles, taking in part of the N260 en-route. Four and a half hours of delight. We will be here for two nights

Day 6. Your choice of a rest day off the bike in Ripoll to enjoy the local food and a few beers or join me in a great ride to Montserrat Abbey, a round trip of about 140 miles with some amazing roads. More of the abbey here; https://abadiamontserrat.cat/en/

Day 7. From Ripoll we head north west up into the Pyrenees proper, with some good technical roads, around 140 miles towards Lucheron, a beautiful old town. You will be tired at the end of today, but happy!

Day 8. Today we will be riding another great section of the N260, which is simply stunning. Around 150 miles or four and a half to 5 hours riding time.

Day 9. Today we will spend pretty much the whole day in the Pyrenees national Park with brilliant roads and hairpins aplenty. There is so much to see and experience here, around 135 miles.

Day 10. We will ride around 130 miles today, heading out of the Pyrenees westward, to Bergara and Durango, where we spend our final night in Spain. Our luxurious hotel is equipped with a great pool and spa and the restaurant is excellent.

Day 11. Our ferry home sail at 16.30, so we have a morning to relax by the pool, sunbathe and sort kit OR if the group prefers we can head off on a lovely little jaunt through some twisties to bring us to Bilbao in time for the boat.

Day 12. We dock in Portsmouth around seven pm and having said our goodbyes on the boat, head off home, ready for the next adventure.☺