Searching for motorbiking perfection in the Spanish Picos mountains

This is not where I want to be. I’m sitting in a BMW motorbike dealership less than 100 miles into a seven-day tour of Spain and Portugal, waiting for a service advisor to potentially deliver this holiday’s death sentence.

Two hours prior to this nail-biting wait, I’d just finished eating a half-cooked burger whilst overlooking a stunning reservoir in the Spanish mountains, only to find my bike had been knocked off its stand in a hit-and-run.

My stomach turned (not burger-related) when I spotted my R1250RT had been damaged while I’d dined, panniers scratched, paintwork scored and the rocker cover on one of the exposed engine’s cylinder heads gouged.

At first, I thought I’d got away with superficial damage and an afternoon of simmering anger – but then I noticed the oil leak. The force of the bike toppling over and hitting the sharp granite cobbles had dislodged a seal in the engine and it was now gently weeping Mobil 1 all over my boot.

With 1,500 miles ahead of us, on some of the most challenging roads in Europe, the last thing I wanted to be worrying about was an oil leak, so some frantic web searching found a BMW main dealer fortuitously located on our route. On the outskirts of Leon, I used ChatGPT translations to explain my predicament and prayed they could find a solution.

After a diagnosis, Miguel delivered his mixed review. The rocker cover did need replacing but, miraculously, he could get the parts shipped overnight to his dealership and booked me in for 10am the next day for a full fix.

Riding away from the workshop back towards the mountains, less than 24 hours after disaster had struck, I couldn’t believe how quickly my luck had changed.

Our 10-day tour took in some glorious roads as we crossed northern Spain, briefly dropped into Portugal, and headed back on ourselves towards France and the Pyrenees.

The trip had been organised by the specialist travel agency Road Trip Co to take in some of the very best twisties, each day meticulously planned to combine challenging stretches of asphalt with relaxing hotels at the end.

The firm had provided a detailed planning book to accompany the holiday with each day’s adventure listed with suggested lunch stops and fuel stations, plus a handy QR code linked to a Google Map of the route.

Entrusting seven days of riding to someone else to plan is hard, but it worked fantastically and took a large amount of pre-holiday stress out of the equation.

The roads in northern Spain are simply glorious. Mostly immaculately surfaced, even in some of the remotest parts of the country, we crossed vineyard-strewn valleys and climbed breathtaking peaks in the Picos de Europa where we tackled first-gear hairpin bends to fifth-gear 50mph sweepers.

The terrain changes dramatically as you criss-cross the country. From Alpine-esque passes flanked by gritty limestone walls, to dusty-dry mountain ridges riddled with wildfires and Bombideros. At times, the surroundings could be mistaken for the Yorkshire Dales with dry stone walled farms, to the Welsh valleys, where temperature changes rise and fall 10 degrees within just a few miles.

The weather for mid-October was still searingly hot – most days topped 27 degrees C – which made for sticky tyres and sweaty bike gear. It was a wonderful exchange for storm-battered Britain.

We’d decided to travel to Spain and back via Brittany Ferries, hopping aboard the impressive ship Galicia in Portsmouth and arriving in Bilbao around 36 hours later. The plan gave us plenty of time on the ground before the return ferry back, which we decided would be far more pleasant than battling our way home across France in ever-worsening weather.

I can highly recommend the ferry as a way to get to and from Spain. We booked a cabin each way and access to the ship’s ‘club lounge’, which included food and drinks on tap for the entire trip, and made the crossing as much a part of the holiday as just transportation to get to it.

Our nomadic trip took us to a variety of four and five star hotels which varied in style and substance. Highlights included the stark former railway station, the Canfranc Estacion, nestled in the Pyrenees between France and Spain.

This imposing building is as much a sightseers’ destination as it is a five-star hotel. We enjoyed the indoor pool, less so the faint whiff of sewage from the plumbing that emanated around the corridors and the bathrooms. The surly service that accompanied a rather average dinner of lamb shoulder and raw steak took the shine off the immaculate rooms and unique location.

On a hilltop overlooking the dramatic San Sebastian cove, on Spain’s northern coast, we took in the incredible view from the Monte Ingueldo. This fortress-like four-star hotel felt a little dated but incredibly unique with a lobby that offered panoramic views of the Atlantic and the pretty beach below it.

That evening, we dined at the La Madame brasserie in the Old Town and enjoyed steak tartare and frothy carbonara dishes, twisted fusions of classic dishes accompanied by a hilarious introduction to each plate’s arrival by an am-dram Basque waiter. We booked this popular eatery in advance and it’s well worth a visit.

The enjoyable meal was an unusual highlight in a culinary-poor week of disappointing dinners. It’s worth remembering that the Spanish eat very late, so you’ll be lucky to dine before 8pm, and most hotels offer a limited menu. You’ll also find there is a poor choice for lunch on the road with most establishments closing for three hours between 1pm-4pm for a siesta.

But we weren’t there for the food – this trip was about biking and over 1,600-miles of saddle-sore-inducing days we experienced some of the very best. If I were heading back, I’d make sure to revisit the Picos mountains, Portugal’s picturesque Douro Valley and try to spend more time in the Pyrenees.

I can honestly say I have never ridden roads like them – they were quite simply the very best I have ever experienced. Yes, the trip there and back might look long but, believe me, every sea mile is worth 10 on the glorious blacktop that awaits.

The detail: Our holiday was organised by RoadTripClub.co.uk. Similar seven day tours can be had for around £1,500 per person, price dependent on hotels. Brittany Ferries crossing from Portsmouth to Bilbao, including cabin and lounge access, is around £537, depending on time of year.