The Pyrenees

What to see, and any suggestions of hotels or similar?

I have not spent time in that area with a bike, the maps make it all
look inviting but I would like to narrow it down a bit. Andorra I know
from previous trips, but the rest is new to me. Four of us are passing
through there in May en route from Santander to Calais and may hang
around the area for a few days.

 

The coast from around Zarautz[1] to San Sebastian is nice.

Restaurants in San Sebastian, probably hard to find a bad one.

Mountains.

Biarritz.

[1] I lived there for a while.

 

Pyrenees aren't exactly on the way.

 

Good question. When I did it (lots of years ago), we just picked the
skwiggliest roads we could find on the map and went for it. Then we'd
drive into a town and look for a hotel. Only time we got turned away
was when we crossed into France and they weren't taking any dirty
bikers. Which was just as well really coz it was pissing it down on the
French side, so we drove back through the tunnel we'd come from, back
into the sunshine on the Spanish side, and found a lovely hotel that
looked over the valley. This was before blogs and stuff, so didn't make
any notes, just did stuff.

Paging Domenec, Domenec to La Vuelta de Los Pirineos phone.

 

We're going the long way round, it's a holiday.

 

That's pretty much what I thought, but I want to take any suggestions,
too.

 

Colin Irvine of this parish was once happy when suggested to go to
http://www.hotel-lamorera.com/

I also used the ** Lacreu (not *** Petit Lacreu) when week-end long skiing
http://www.hoteleslacreu.com/
(the hotel was better than the shite site, and 3 courses dinner in half
board is unequaled in all the Pyrenees)

As Wilson said, you must be a total **** to find a bad restaurant in Donosti
(San Sebastián). Pintxos (tapas) in Fermin Kalbeton Kalea. If self
indulgence allows for a 100+ euros meal, then http://www.mugaritz.com/

A remarkable monument
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Château_de_Foix

A nice village with an affordable Michelin 1 star restaurant
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aínsa

I'd hang around the Dago group for suggestions of routes. When in Lleida
province, I'd look for coll de Cormiols, coll de Boixols, coll del Cantó,
Port de la Bonaigua... if a bit more to the east, collada de Toses...

You may also enjoy yourselves with some open air sports. May is an excellent
season for rafting, and these guys were good in their business.
http://www.yetiemotions.com/en/contingut.asp?Id=1
Ahem, I'd join you for some serious rafting (i.e. above the "for all the
family" level).

This is near Andorra, you may want to avoid, but last year they had a 36 eur
half board, and if the 3 rooms. 2 toiletts, large living room appartment is
available, it is an excellent choice. No bars in the micro-village, but they
will be happy to store beer.
http://www.calpauet.com/catala/index.htm

And in case you are one of those Longrow wannabes ;-), this place is a must
in Andorra. Opposite the street, Perfumeria Julia has all you need to make
missus happy at a good price.
http://www.cavabenitowhisky.com/

Oh, yes, and the well known motard camping.
http://www.anzanigo.com/inicio.html

 

"Speedgazebo MOTP #1" <> escribió en el mensaje de
noticias

That's pretty much what I thought, but I want to take any suggestions,
too.

In some parts of France that criterion does not always guarantee good
asphalt. Or asphalt itself.

 

As Domenec says, Hotel La Morera. You might get a few more ideas from
Days 8 to 11 here.

http://www.colinandpat.co.uk/Hol2004/index.html

 

Simon Wilson wibbled forthrightly:

Seconded. I'd probably go a bit further SW too, into the Basque
country. Some really nice roads around there too.

The French side okay, but it's different. I prefer the Spanish side.

 

Domènec wibbled forthrightly:

This is why I posted a second ago that Spanish roads are much nicer.
Especially in the mountains.

 

"Speedgazebo wrote...

Depending on your route up through France, you might be interested in a stay
at our mates' place near[1] Limoges, nice Gite that sleeps 4 (double
bedroom, double sofabed in the lounge), they're both of the motorcycling
persuasion and can show you some nice (wiggly, well-surfaced, quiet in the
week) roads up into the lakes and mountains national park nearby - email me
off-board if you might be interested?

Dave H.
--
(The engineer formerly known as Homeless)

"Rules are for the obedience of fools, and the guidance of wise men" -
Douglas Bader


[1] just down the road from St Leonard de Noblat, about half-hour / 40 mins
ride from Limoges itself, towards Claremont-Ferrand

 

Not to mention paysans herding cattle on the road, which gets you
suddenly riding in the middle of cows. Which is acceptable until a
bull appears among the cows and it spots you are a large moving red
point. YZF1000R San Fermines Edition.

http://images.google.es/images?q=san+fermines

 

In communiqué <IbRcn.207494$2>, Dave H.

Heh - 'neighbours', depending on what the [1] was going to be. My place
is near the Lac de Vassiviere. A great bike road from Eymoutiers to
there.
--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

If you want some peace, the Hotel Palazio in Nerin is worth a stay,
especially as the HU-631 that takes you there truly is God's own road
on a bike, closely followed by the N-260 which takes you to the HU-631
(if coming from the north/west). I could happily spend a week or two
there just riding up & down those two roads.

 

Some superb roads around there. One of my favourites is the road to
the North of Eyemoutiers from Gueret area. And indeed continuing South
towards Brive. Utterly sublime, even one time when I did it in the
pissing rain after a 6-hour wet ride across from the East.

 

We are right on a regular breakfast run route for the local motards, as
they do an almost Ramsey hairpin type corner to go up to the lake. The
road across Millevaches from Eymoutier towards Brive is great fun and
very rarely carries a lot of traffic even in high season.

--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

that road in Austria last year with the fog & cow shit was interesting.
Fortunately, I didn't actually encounter any cows on the road as I suspect
Preston's exhaust had made them clear off

 

Last time I was down there (2005) I was surprised to find long
sections of wide, recently surfaced roads with almost no traffic. I
guess that some of the relatively new motorways had impacted road
usage, but fortunately the roads themselves hadn't changed to reflect
this.

 

<adds pro's to the decission list on using the open end Yoshimura>