Why this ride
A dense sequence of passes, valleys and viewpoint roads. It also links naturally to Pyrenees-Mont Perdu.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Ordesa and Ainsa Loop
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 149 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 2 h 14
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Access context
Check heat, mountain weather and seasonal access restrictions. Specific flag: seasonal; park traffic.
Seasonal context
May-Oct
Scenic road chapters
Pyrenees N260 Route
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For 30 km this is Pyrenees N260 Route, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 30 km
- Named road
- Pyrenees N260 Route
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Aínsa
Aínsa sits on a hilltop above the meeting of two Pyrenean rivers, the Cinca and the Ara, and the old village on top is one of those places where the medieval layout has simply been left to get on with itself. You enter through a gate into a great sloping square of rough cobbles surrounded by stone arcades, with a castle and a Romanesque church on the high side and views out over the valley. It was once the capital of the little Kingdom of Sobrarbe, whose rulers, according to legend, rallied here against the Moors, and the town still stages a spectacular festival recalling that story every few years.
Read the complete Ainsa write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Aínsa sits at 0 km, early in the day. Next is Broto.
2. Broto
Planning note
Broto comes up 28 km in. Next is Bielsa.
3. Bielsa
Bielsa sits at the point where two Pyrenean rivers, the Cinca and the Barrosa, meet, and it feels like the last village before the mountains close in. Fewer than five hundred people live here, which is hard to believe when you see how many walkers and riders pass through in summer. Behind the town the Pineta valley climbs towards the Monte Perdido massif, one of the great limestone ranges of the Pyrenees, and a short ride up that side road brings you under walls of grey rock with a glacial amphitheatre at the end.
Read the complete Bielsa write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
At least 58 km in you reach Bielsa. Next is Aínsa.
4. Aínsa
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Ainsa write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Aínsa, late in the day.