2,001 km
of
bends
 
2,001 kilometres of bends. Navarre is the odyssey...

ROUTES: Barcelona - Pamplona (715 km)

GET A FEEL FOR THE ASPHALT!

Distance: 715 km
Date prepared: 0000-00-00
Date updated: 0000-00-00

Description

Spectacular journey that will take us near Navarra by taking us up to the Catalonian Pyrenees, to then enter Navarra through the Roncal Valley after a lovely drive on an abundance of winding roads.



Roadbook

715 km. (21 sections)
Motorways and highways: 67 km
Local / Secondary: 648 km

section1

BARCELONA - Cervera (96.5 km)

We leave Barcelona on the A2, towards Cervera. We stay on this highway for 96 km, when we leave it, taking Exit 520 towards Girona.

section2

Cervera - C-1412a (26.5 km)

We join the L-311, a fast, widish road, with very few curves, and drive past towns such as Tarroja de Segarra, Guissona or Cabanabona until, past the kilometric point 29 (milepost 29), we reach a T-junction with a Stop sign.

section3

C-1412a - Ponts (4 km)

We turn left, towards Ponts and Andorra, and after only 4 km, we reach Points, where we can have some "huevos con rostas", the house special, for breakfast.

section4

Ponts - Tremp (59 km)

We leave Ponts behind us on the 127th kilometre of our route, and head for Tremp.

These next 59 km are on good tarmac with plenty of bends that start after we cross a bridge over the Sagre river and which take us to the towns of Benavent, Biscarri, Isona and Temp, where we change roads by turning right at a roundabout, towards Sort and Pobla de Segur.

section5

Tremp - La Pobla de Segur (13 km)

We continue on this wide road with good tarmac, accompanied by the biggest sweet water reserve in Cataluña, the Panta de Sant Antoni, until we reach Pobla de Segur. Here we change roads by turning right at a roundabout, towards Sorrt, and cross a river over the Flamisell river.

We are now on the 199th km of our route, and can stop to top up at a petrol station that stands at the entrance of this town.
 

section6

La Pobla de Segur - Sort (27 km)

We drive past Gerri de la Sal, where the road narrows down. We reach Sort, where we must stop to buy a lottery ticket at the Bruixa d'Or, and where we can also have some designer "tapas" in the Pessets Restaurant. They are magnificent, and three or four are enough as a good meal.

section7

Sort - C-28 (30 km)

Once past Sorts, we go north on the C-13. This stretch is great, with wide curves and great tarmac, running alongside the Nogera Pallaresa river.

We can see, along the side of the road that takes us to Llavorsi, a lot of small companies that organise rafting, kayak or hydrospeed down this river, of which we mention Yeti Emotions.

Soon after that, the road divides into two beside a petrol station. We take the left fork, changing roads.

section8

C-28 - Vielha (42 km)

We head towards Vielha, North-east, heading up the legendary port of la Bonaigua, 2000m above sea level, and with fantastic views. Watch out for horse and cow dung on the way!

The descent towards the Baqueira station is very narrow, with some blind turns and badly-kept tarmac. It's closed off during most of the winter, and when open the use of chains is necessary.

From Baqueira we can opt to take a detour to the right to reach the Pla de Beret, 10 km away, where we have great views of the Arán Valley.

We also recommend trying out the burgers they serve at the Escornacrabes hamburger and crepe bar, in Baqueira, at the foot of the ski slopes.

It is also worth it to stop for a walk in Artiés, a village that was restored after the floods, or in Vielha, where we can have some "tapas" in the numerous pubs that stand in the Old Quarter.

section9

Vielha - N-260 (33 km)

We head on South after Vielha on the N-230, which takes us into the new tunnel of Vielha, after a steep, bendy ascent.

Soon after we leave the tunnel we reach the Senet water reserve, and once we have left behind the towns of Bono, Forcat and Vilaller, we leave this national road and take a turnoff to the right, beside a Repsol petrol station.

section10

N-260 - A-139 (30 km)

45 km away from Benasque, we join the N-260 and drive into the province of Huesca, towards Castejón de Sos.

These 30 km will make you enjoy the beautiful open mountain scenery that flanks this nice, recently re-surfaced road that rises to the Coll de Fadas and descends to Castejón de Sos.
 

section11

A-139 - Benasque (14 km)

These last 11 km are on an uncomplicated road.

If you want to spend the day in Benasque, there are some walking routes that include the climb up to the Aneto or simpler routes around the town. http://www.cerler.es/rutas-y-excursiones/excursiones-sencillas.html.

Going up to the LLanos del Hospital (10 km away from Benasque) is well worth the effort, as is going up the 3 km to te viewpoint that stands on the Cerler road, from which all the valley can be seen.

You have ample choice of restaurants and hotels in this town, of which we would like to mention the "tapas" and "raciones" (bigger than tapas) in the Veedor de Viandas, in the Old Quarter.

section12

Benasque - N-260 (23 km)

After the overnight stay in Benasque, we start off on this route that will take us to Pamplona through 300 km of mountainous terrain.

We take the A-139 towards the South for 13 km approx., and change onto the N-260 beside a Repsol petrol station.

section13

N-260 - N-330 (123 km)

We continue heading South until Navarri, where we turn West towrds Ainsa, where we cross the Cinca river and reach a bendy stretch just before we reach Jánovas.

On the 117th km of our route, we reach the top of the Cotefaflo mountain road at an altitude of 1423 m, and after driving through a narrow tunnel, we start driving down 12 km towards Biescas.

We turn left, once more to the South, and after a stretch of straight road, we join the N-330 in the outskirts of Sabiñánigo.

section14

N-330 - Jaca (16 km)

After Sabiñánigo, we turn West and drive towards Jaca on a straight road. You can step on it on the 16 km of the E-07 double-lane road that separates these two towns.

Once in Jaca, which stands on the 156th km of our route, it's worth it to stop and stretch our legs to visit the Cathedral, and admire the “Cuna del ajedrezado Jaqués”.

section15

Jaca - A-1602 b (27 km)

Once we start off again, we turn towards Puente la Reina on the N-240, and reach this town after turning right over the Aragon river, and soon after that we leave this road by turning right again.

section16

A-1602 b - NA-176 (30 km)

The road takes us straight to Biniés after which we start on a bendy uphill through the Ansó valley, at the highest point of which we change provinces.
 

section17

NA-176 - NA-137 (12 km)

The road narrows down even more on this downhill. These first 4 km in the province of Navarra let us enjoy some nice curves, to then take us on a mostly straight road that goes past Garde.

7 km on, we reach a t-junction by the Esca river, where we turn right towards Roncal and Isaba.

section18

NA-137 - Isaba (9 km)

10 km away from the T-junction, we reach Isaba, on the Roncal valley, after driving through the towns of Roncal and Urzanqui. Once in Isaba we take the NA-140 towards Uztarroz and Ochagabia.
 

section19

Isaba - N-135 (58 km)

The NA-140, together with the N-135, probably has the most entertaining kilometres of this route, at least on its Navarrese section. The surface is very good, and, driving around the curves, we pass towns such as Ochagavía, Ezcaroz, Las Abaurreas, Garaioa and Garralda. 8 km after Garralda we reach a Stop sign, where we turn towards Pamplona.

section20

N-135 - PA-30 (35 km)

We drive past towns such as Erro, on the NA-135, and drive up to the Mezkiritz high point, 922 metres above sea level. The descent to Zubiri is spectacular, on a lovely wide curvy road.

We continue on this national road until we reach the PA-30, the ringroad around Pamplona, 11 km on.

section21

PA-30 - PAMPLONA (7 km)

We drive through the Ezcaba tunnels and reach Burlada, a town that has been annexed by the capital of Navarre, Pamplona.