30 must-ride routes in Spain
Ten climbs for road bikes, ten routes for gravel and ten destinations for mountain bikes. It is not an official ranking: it is a selection of very well-known routes with the essential facts.
How it was chosen. We gathered routes mentioned repeatedly by cycling guides and portals and grouped them by bike type, not by “beauty”. Numbers (km, elevation, gradient) appear only when the sources at the bottom of the page report them, and can differ slightly by side of the climb and how it is measured. Always check weather, road conditions and pass openings before you go.
Road bike: 10 climbs and rides
Alto de l’Angliru
Asturias
La Vuelta’s most feared climb, famous for its brutal ramps.
- 13.1 km
- 1,255 m of climbing
- 9.5% average gradient
- summit 1,555 m
- sections up to 23.5%
Pico de Veleta
Sierra Nevada (Granada)
A very long climb toward one of the peninsula’s roofs, with high-mountain scenery.
- 2,700 m of climbing
- summit 3,398 m
- sections over 20%
Teide
Tenerife (Canary Islands)
A volcanic ascent of nearly 50 km to the foot of Spain’s highest peak.
- nearly 50 km of climbing
Sa Calobra
Mallorca (Balearic Islands)
A road of impossible bends dropping to the sea between mountains: a Mallorca classic.
- max 10%
- gradients over 10%
Lagos de Covadonga
Asturias (Picos de Europa)
A legendary climb inside Picos de Europa National Park, with postcard lakes.
Bola del Mundo
Madrid (Sierra de Guadarrama)
Short but fierce: an almost relentless climb to the top of the Guadarrama.
- 3.4 km
- 402 m of climbing
- 11.8% average gradient
- summit 2,262 m
Alto de la Farrapona
Asturias
A long, steady climb through the Asturian mountains.
- 20 km
- 1,100 m of climbing
- 5.5% average gradient
- summit 1,708 m
Ancares
Lugo (Galicia)
A tough, quiet climb in a Galician mountain setting.
- 9.6 km
- 874 m of climbing
- 9.1% average gradient
- summit 1,660 m
Velefique
Almería (Andalusia)
A sunny climb through arid landscapes in the Sierra de los Filabres.
- 15.3 km
- 951 m of climbing
- 6.2% average gradient
- summit 1,830 m
La Pandera
Jaén (Andalusia)
A short, demanding climb with views over Jaén’s olive groves.
- 8 km
- 647 m of climbing
- 8.1% average gradient
- summit 1,840 m
Gravel: 10 routes
Camino del Cid
Castile and León, Aragon, Valencia…
A great historic route across inland Spain, with a dedicated gravel proposal.
- over 1,400 km designed for gravel and bikepacking
Montañas Vacías
Teruel, Cuenca and Guadalajara
“Empty Spain” by bike: wide spaces, few villages and plenty of quiet.
- 680 km
- 13,000 m of climbing
- almost all on solitary forest tracks
Ruta de la Plata
Seville – Astorga / Gijón
A north–south journey on historic roads, with long stages and changing landscapes.
- 800 km
- 800–1,000 km; 10–16 days; ancient roads and cattle tracks
Camino de Santiago
French, Northern and Portuguese ways
The Camino routes have gravel versions on rural tracks; the Northern Way has more asphalt.
- French ~780 km; Northern ~825 km; Portuguese 244 km (gravel versions)
Pirinexus
Girona, Costa Brava and Roussillon
From the Pyrenees to the coast on greenways and tracks: a friendly route to start with.
- 353 km
- 4–6 days; greenways, farm tracks and small roads
Badlands
Granada – Cabo de Gata
Andalusian desert and coast: a gravel adventure through almost lunar landscapes.
- 350–500 km; 5–8 days; firm sand, volcanic tracks and stony sections
TransAndalus
Andalusia (eight provinces)
A huge loop through all eight Andalusian provinces.
- 2,000 km
- loop on tracks, greenways and secondary roads
Valencia Mediterránea
Valencia – Castellón
Between coast and inland: rice fields, mountains and beaches on a multi-day route.
- 235 km
- Albufera, Sierra Calderona and Alto Palancia
Vía Verde de Ojos Negros
Valencia (Sierra Calderona)
A gentle route on a former mining line, ideal for starting out on gravel.
- 2–4 days; asphalt and compacted dirt; gentle
Los Pedroches – Al Ballut
Córdoba (Andalusia)
Dehesas, holm oaks and rural paths in the north of Córdoba.
- rolling terrain; rural paths and livestock tracks
MTB: 10 destinations and traverses
Transpirenaica
Pyrenees, coast to coast
The great Pyrenean traverse, from Catalonia to the Basque Country; a road version also exists.
- 1,000 km
- 27,000 m of climbing
- about 18 days
Transnevada
Sierra Nevada (Granada)
An Andalusian adventure on tracks and paths around Sierra Nevada.
- 450 km
- 10,100 m of climbing
- 8 days, adaptable
Altravesur
From Cádiz to Valencia
A very long traverse from south to east, recommended for MTB.
- 1,300 km
- 33,500 m of climbing
- about 30 days; much can be done on a gravel bike
La Molina
Catalan Pyrenees
A ski resort that turns into a full bike park in summer.
- bike park for families and experts; technical trails
Zona Zero Pirineos – Aínsa
Huesca (Aragon)
An Aragonese Pyrenees enduro destination with open routes for those who want to ride on their own.
- enduro destination; free access to most routes
Panticosa
Aragonese Pyrenees (Huesca)
A mountain bike park, demanding and with many trail options.
- technical trails with uphill and downhill options
Sierra Nevada Bike Park
Granada (Andalusia)
Trails with high-mountain views in southern Spain.
- trails for all levels
Aran Bike Parks
Aran Valley (Catalonia)
A Pyrenean valley with enduro and downhill trails for experienced riders.
- challenging enduro and downhill
La Pinilla
Segovia (Sierra de Ayllón)
One of the closest options to Madrid for trying a bike park.
- downhill and freeride for all levels
Manzaneda
Ourense (Galicia)
Descents in a Galician resort that opens to bikes in summer.
- ski resort with mountain biking in summer
Plan your ride with VeloAI
Choose start, distance, climbing and terrain: VeloAI offers 3 routes on real roads with a safety estimate, weather and a GPX file.
Sources
Data and descriptions derived from the pages below; always check up-to-date information before you ride.
- We Love Cycling – Puertos duros de La Vuelta
- Culture Trip – The most spectacular climbs to cycle in Spain
- Picuco – Bikepacking and gravel in Spain: 10 multi-day routes
- Brújula Bike – 5 bikepacking routes in Spain
- Forbes España – Camino del Cid gravel y bikepacking
- Tuvalum – 12 best bike parks in Spain and Andorra