Andorra has 21 mountain passes, which gives you an idea as to why the Vuelta de España and the Tour de France locate their world-class competitions here! Arcalís, Arinsal and Cabús are just a few of the many mountain passes on offer to visitors, with a wide range of cycling routes available to cyclists of all ages and experience levels.
Cycling fans come to the Principality of Andorra from all corners of the globe, and although our cycling routes can be enjoyed all year round, the most sought-after seasons are spring and summer. The tough mountain passes are sufficiently difficult to offer expert cyclists a good challenge, and the plentiful and diverse cultural heritage is a wonderful bonus and is appreciated by all. The asphalt on Andorra’s roads and cycling routes is of the highest standards, ideal for cycling tourism, and even supports more specialised activities such as enduro cycling with endurance road bikes. All of Andorra’s cycling routes feature useful information panels – check out our full online guide so you can easily plan your visit ahead of time and see if there are any incidents or road works in and around the area you wish to visit.
You’ll find that Andorra is very much geared up for cycling tourism, and proof of it is the wide range of cycling services on offer. Many of Andorra’s hotels specialise in biking and are perfect places to take a well-earned rest while you’re on one of our stunning cycling routes. You can easily spot our specialty hotels by their cycling pictogram. They offer storage facilities for securely storing your bike, bike pumps for topping up air, dedicated spaces for bike cleaning as well as plenty of tourist information of particular interest to cyclists.
Discover every cycling route in Andorra
There are plenty of different cycling routes in Andorra to keep you busy, and even come back for more! For example, you could try out fan favourite route number 2, Coll d’Ordino. It’s a moderately difficult cycling route, 8.9 km (5.5 mi) long and with a gradient of 457 m (1,500 ft). It’s classed as a 2nd category route, meaning that it’s fairly accessible to all cyclists. It starts in the town of Canillo, at the roundabout that leads to the Coll d’Ordino on the Montaup road. At this point, there is a gradient of 6.8% that ends at 6.1% – its average gradient along the whole route is 5.1%. Note that the end of the Port marks the ascent to Cim de Casamanya (2,740 m or almost 9,000 ft), located right in the centre of the Principality and one of the most visited spots in Andorra.
Another cycling route to try out is 13, Certés, which is also moderately difficult, 5.2 km (3.2 mi) in length and with a gradient of 420 m (1,380 ft). This stunning route begins at 1,310 m (4,300 ft) above sea level. It’s an accessible route in terms of its expertise level, but perhaps not suitable for beginners. Its average slope is 7.8%. One of its features is that half-way to Certés is another small town, Nagol, which preserves two Romanesque chapels, Sant Martí and Sant Cerni, both with beautiful panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
Which cycling route should I choose?
Experienced cyclists will want to check out our route 9, Beixalís, 8.7 km (5.4 mi) long and with a slope of 594 m (1,950 ft). The route begins at the roundabout connecting the CG-3 road towards La Massana parish with the CS-310 road towards the small town of Anyós. Its average slope is 6.8%. The route will pass through the church of Sant Cristòfol d’Anyós (its construction began in the 12th century, although it’s been modified multiple times since then), containing mural paintings from the Gothic and Baroque periods. The route ends at the Collada de Beixalís.
For those in search of a truly challenging itinerary, take a look at route 18, Port d’Envalira, with a whopping distance of 26 km (16 mi) and a slope of 1,345 m (4,400 ft). Port d’Envalira is in fact the highest mountain road in the whole Pyrenees territory. This itinerary has an average gradient of 5.2% with some sections reaching 7.5%, and it passes through three different local towns: Escaldes-Engordany, Encamp and Canillo.
Route number 1, El Forn, might just be the one you’re after: it has an accessible distance of 5.2 km (3.2 mi) with a slope of 388 m (1,272) ft. It starts in the town of Canillo with a 6.2% slope which increases all the way to 9.9%, with an average inclination of 7.5%. It passes through the Romanesque church of St. Miquel de Prats, a wonderful example of the rural Andorran Romanesque style.
Finally, another moderately difficult cycling itinerary, and suitable for non-expert cyclists, is route 3, Coma de Ransol. It has a distance of 4.5 km (2.8 mi) with a slope of 280 m (920 ft). On this itinerary you’ll cycle down the entire CS-260 Coma de Ransol road. The starting point is located at 1,664 m (5,460 ft) above sea level and the route ends at 1,944 m (6,380 ft) above sea level, with an average slope of 6.2%.
Rent a bike in Andorra
Need more ideas for routes? No problem! Our route number 4 is a fun route to try. Called Els Cortals, it’s classified as difficult, has a length of 8.9 km (5.5 mi) and a gradient of 754 m (2,470 ft). It begins at the roundabout at the exit to the village of Encamp in the direction of the Cortals d’Encamp, at which point the route has a gradient of 10.2% but which then softens to 5.4%, coinciding with the Bordes de Rígoder area. The route’s average ascent is 8.5%. At the top of the port you’ll find the Grandvalira ski resort.
Need something a little easier but still offering a challenge? Route number 5, Port d’Envalira, is a moderate cycling itinerary with a distance of 4.9 km (3 mi) and a gradient of 319 m (1,045 ft). It’s classified as an accessible route. The ascent to the port of Envalira from Pas de la Casa has an average gradient of 6.4%. This port was the stage for the Tour de France, the Vuelta de España and the Volta a Catalunya! A fun idea would be to follow more than one route from the Vuelta de España world-class competition! So if you’ve already tried out number 5 and enjoyed it, perhaps you can combine it with our cycling route number 6, Collada de Beixalís – but be warned, it’s classified as a difficult route! The route has an average slope of 8.4% with a positive gradient of 556 m (1,824 ft) and a total distance of 6.6 km, or 4.1 mi.
Passes and tickets
So, where to start? Check out the official Visit Andorra website to plan your cycling trip in Andorra! You will find all the information you need on e-bikes, our full list of cycling itineraries, the specialised hotels and accommodation for cycling tourists, and even a directory of routes especially designed for e-bikes – everyone’s needs are covered!
