Spanish Pyrenees, Ainsa Spain
August 23, 2023 - by Muriel Dassen
The village of Ainsa was the capital of the old Kingdom of Sobrarbe and is a magnificent example of medieval urban development. The historic quarter of the village of Ainsa is declared a Historic-Artistic site and is formed by a group of houses that are packed together in the most harmonious and uniform of ways. Only the slender tower of the collegiate church as well as the enormous premises of the castle, almost as big as the rest of the town, stand out from the rest of the village.
Of course you can download the GPX / ITN files and full e-books of the 2 rides we have in this tour via our roadtrip planner but you can already find the info in this blogpost.
We loved the Plaza Mayor of Ainsa, strolling through the narrow streets of the historic part en the beautiful views on the South side of the Pyrenees and the village from the old castle walls. The historic part together with the modern part of Ainsa have enough facilities and it is perfectly located in the centre on the Spanish South side of the Pyrenees. Therefore Ainsa is a perfect central point for a the Spanish Pyrenees tour.
For the Spanish Pyrenees tour we want to recommended the following accommodations – all with suitable parking for your bike. If you want to support us to keep supporting you, we do ask you to book the accommodation via the links that we provide as an affiliate of Booking.com.
Recommended hotels:
Rating on Booking.com: Fabulous 8.9
With private parking, reservation needed and fee applicable
With bar and restaurant
15 minute walk to historic centre Ainsa
Rating on Booking.com: Very good 8.2
With free on site secured - covered and not covered - parking
With bar and restaurant
15 minute walk to historic centre Ainsa
Rating on Booking.com: Superb 9.0
With private parking garage, reservation needed and fee applicable
With bar and restaurant
20 minute walk to historic centre Ainsa
Rating on Booking.com: Exceptional 9.9
With free on site - not covered - parking
Self catered accommodation
35 minute walk to centre Ainsa
Rating on Booking.com: Fabulous 8.6
With on site - not covered - parking, fee might be applicable
With pool and spa
5 km / 3 miles outside of Ainsa
15 to 20 minute walk to Boltana
Ride 1
Ride 1 of the Spanish Pyreneestour is 195 km / 120 miles, taking you South of Ainsa. The first part contains some nice cruising. Don't worry, there will be plenty of smaller very winding roads! And a lot of beautiful views over the canyons in the Parque natural de la Sierra y los Canones de Guara. Of course we added some stops where you can stretch your legs,have a drink or a bite to eat.
Santuario de Torreciudad
Our first stop of this ride is at the Santuario de Torreciudad. It is a Marian shrine on the place where, since the eleventh century, Christians have venerated the Virgin Mary. There is a kiosk where you can get a drink and the shrine is situated in a place of great natural beauty with amazing views.
Alquézar
The village of Alquézar also has a spectacular location, overlooking th eRio Vero Canyon. We added a parking just some steps away from some nice terraces also overlooking the canyon. We really enjoyed the lunch with this stunning view. Even on a hot day, the breeze was very cooling.
Mirador del Cañón del rio Vero
After passing the Collado de San Caprasio, a 810 metres / 2.657 feet pass, we have added the parking of this mirador. It gives you a view on the canyon from the other side that we were on in Alquézar. With the nice winding roads a lovely way to explore this national park.
Ainsa
To end this ride 1 of the Spanish Pyrenees tour we added the parking North of the historic centre of Ainsa. Crossing the pedestrian bridge it will only take you a few minutes to get to the Plaza Mayor.
Ride 2
Ride 2 of the Spanish Pyrenees tour is 205 km / 125 miles long. And almost all the km /miles are winding! A great ride at the Spanish side of the Pyrenees. We added a stop in Jaca and we are going to take you as far as we can get into the Valle de Ordesa. Nice riding, beautiful views and nice stops. Ingredients for a perfect biking day.
Jaca
Jaca was founded on the crossing of two great early medieval routes: one form North to South and one from East to West. From the bike parking it is easy to visit the Ciudela de Jaca, the 16th century fortification. Or walk into the city centre with its medieval walls and towers and the Romanesque Cathedral. And maybe you fancy a coffee on one of the nice terraces in the centre of this typical Spanish city.
Valle de Ordesa
The biggest part of the Parque Nacional de Ordesa is only accessible on foot. We added a parking that is situated in the Valle de Ordesa "as far as you can get" on the bike. Nice roads to get there, so no problem to have to do a few miles double. If you fancy a drink, you can go to Torla de Ordesa or follow the route to Boto, where we added a stop to your GPX / ITN file.
Ainsa
We are ending this ride 2 of the Spanish Pyrenees tour at the parking North of the historic centre of Ainsa. Maybe you want to enjoy a refreshing drink after your ride on one of the terraces on the Plaza Mayor as we did.
Go on your own QUAZY RIDE
You can download the GPX / ITN files of the rides and the full e-books via our roadtrip planner and then we hope you will enjoy the rides you will be doing in this Quazy Rides Spanish Pyrenees motorcycle tour and your stay in Ainsa.
If you are posting on social media, don't forget to tag Quazy Rides or use the #QuazyRides, because we LOVE to see you having fun with our rides.
