THE GLR 23
Font de Colle de Jou - Alquezar 446km
257km off-road April / October

Quick GLR 23 overview

The GLR 23 motorcycle adventure route leads you for over 446 kilometers through the Aragon and Catalonia regions of Northern-Spain. 257 of those kilometers will traverse over off-road sections. If the going gets tough, The Back-up Tracks will support you with 17 different sections. With a total of 4 connecting GLRs to this GLR 23, you’re able to continue to Adventurise the region. Let’s get going!

GLR 23 Quick Overview Map
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GLR 23 Route Info Map Overview

GLR 23 Route info

With the high Pyrenees at the horizon, you start your off-road adventure in the semi-arid region of Catalonia and Aragon. From Font de Colle de Jou, you embark eastwards for a 30-kilometer on-road section to the lower hills around Oliana. With the Oliana reservoir to your side and an overview of the Pantà de Rialb reservoir, your first off-road kilometers start to add up. After about 130km of traveling to the south, your route starts to turn east. Transitions between on-road and off-road sections occur regularly and you’ll probably enjoy the speed of some off-road sections. At Embalse de Santa Ana, another welcoming reservoir in the landscape of northern-Spain, you cross the border into the province of Aragon. It’s here where you encounter the most beautiful 60 kilometers of off-road sections of this route. With one section of almost 40km of non-stop off-road, it’s here where you become a real adventuriser! You finally end your GLR 23 adventure after 446km in Alquezar, where you have again multiple options to continue your northern-Spain adventure.
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REGION THE

GLR 23 Region

The GLR 23 crosses the Pre-Pyrenees in the north of Spain. The route traverses the provinces of Lleida and Huesca from east to west. Read all about the region down below!

Lleida

In the north-east of Spain, you find the province of Lleida. As it’s located in the west of the autonomous region of Catalonia, it’s often referred to as the “west”. The capital, which carries the same name, houses 30% of the population. With the Pyrenees to the north, it’s especially an upcoming destination for adventure tourists. In the north, you also find Catalonia’s only National Park: Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park. As this may be a beautiful area to explore on foot, for us as motorcycle riders it’s a little more difficult to find the trails we long to. A little more to the south, in the Pre-Pyrenees, lots of mountain trails lead us through the hills. Due to its alpine climate, it can be quite chilly in spring, so expect the occasional snowdrift when planning your ride. If we progress even more to the south, we find the central plains of Lleida. Freedom becomes a new expression in this area. Here you’re able to ride amongst the fields, meadows and century-old olive groves. With its inland climate, the summer can be hot. The many gorges and little lakes provide you with occasional refreshments. Besides the abundance of natural features, Lleida has also a rich Romanesque heritage. You’ll encounter many ruins while exploring the backcountry. One of its main features is the churches of the Vall de Boi, which have been declared part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
GLR 23 Region Small Overview
GLR 23 Region Lleida Map Overview
GLR 23 Region Huesca Map Overview

Huesca

Huesca is a province located in the Aragon region of northern Spain. Almost a quarter of its population lives in its capital. Since the gross of the population lives in the city, the rural areas are kept pristine. Huesca feels wild and like a frontier. Perfect for us as adventure motorcyclists. Huesca’s main attraction is its natural beauty. The province has the tallest mountain of the Pyrenees, the Aneto (3404m). It houses the National Park of Ordesa and Monte Perdido and hides many gorges in its landscape. The climate in the region gets dedicated by the Pyrenees, with an alpine climate to the north. Like most northern regions of Spain, the winters can be very cold and summer hot. Of Course, also depending on the altitude. Further to the south, the continental Mediterranean climate gets overhand, which can be very dry. This is also visible by the vegetation with dry brushes and thorny overgrown. The south of Huesca is very dry and can be scoring hot during summer.
DO THINGS TO

Adventurising isn’t only about getting as fast from A to B! A Region has so much more to offer! That’s why I give you some suggestions about things to do while Adventurising the GLR 23.

Castell de Cardona

Castell de Cardona is situated on a cliff overlooking the river valley of Cardona. This Medieval fortress is seen as the most important of Catalonia and arguably the most important of Spain. Originally constructed in the 9th century, nowadays it’s a luxurious hotel.
more info

Montsec Astronomical Park

If you love science as much as I do, this astronomical observatory is worth visiting. The remoteness of the region and the lack of light pollution makes this the perfect place to gaze at the sky!
more info

Mont-rebei gorge

Leave your bike behind for a hot day and get into a kayak to discover the beautiful gorges of Mont-rebei. The color of the water is an astounding dark blue. Besides some adventurous activities near and around the gorges, it’s also possible to just take a quick refreshing dive.
more info

Castell I Capella de la Mare de Déu de la Pertusa

It’s not just the chapel that makes it worth visiting, it’s the location! Build on a sharp ridge, this chapel stands proud over the region! A nice 20 minutes hike will make this visit worthwhile.
more info

GLR 23 TNTM Overview
DOWNLOAD NOW

Thank you for downloading the GLR 23! Good luck with Adventurising Europe. Speaking of Adventurising Europe, to keep the project going and free, we’re relying on a mix of sponsored advertisements and Adventuriser donations. Do you like what we’re doing and you want to support the project? Please consider a donation. You can read more about donations and support here.

ADVENTURISER BECOME AN

The Adventurising Europe project is all about documenting Europe through the eyes of adventure riders. Do you want to contribute to this mission? Become an Adventuriser! As an Adventuriser you’re part of our community and you enjoy the benefits of accessing the back-up tracks of the GLR-Network. Also you receive our regular updates on the project. It’s completely free, so enlist now!

CONTINUE YOUR ADVENTURE

Continue your GLR 23 Adventure by connecting different GLRs. To make your life even simpler, I’ve put together all the options down below!

Connections in Font de Coll de Jou

You’re in Font de Colle de Jou and you want to continue your motorcycle adventure? Great, because I have two connecting GLRs for you. First, the GLR 16 will lead you further east. This 342-kilometer long GLR will hop the border with France in its last few kilometers. With a total of 113 km of off-road sections, this is an adventure worthy GLR.

On the other hand, you can choose the GLR 17. This GLR is the only route crossing Andorra. This 216-kilometer long GLR will guide you over the infamous Smugglers Pass back into Spain. Be aware of the season. Snowdrifts early in spring and summer will block your passage at altitude! With 87 km of off-road sections through the Pyrenees, you won’t be disappointed.

GLR 23 Connections Overview Font de Coll de Jou
GLR 23 Connections Overview Alquezar

Connections in Barjac

In Alquezar you have again two options to continue your motorcycle adventure. Take the GLR 24 directly up north. This motorcycle route will lead you for over 182 kilometers to its destination in Jaca. With a little less than 39 kilometers of off-road sections, it shows you the great interior of Northern Spain.

If you aren’t ready to go straight up north, take the GLR 25. This route loops around to the west, before turning up North. This GLR is one of my personal favorites with an overall length of 659 kilometers. With more than half of the total distance in off-road sections, this is a real adventurous motorcycle route!

ADVENTURISING EUROPE THE PROJECT

Explore.Ride.Adventurise.

Exploring Europe through the eyes of an adventure rider. Making Europe a better place for adventure riders by creating the GLR Network. 

BACK-UP THE TRACKS

As an Adventuriser you get access to our special Back-up Tracks for the GLR-network. These routes function as a back-up when the going gets tough. In the event you need to circumnavigate a piece of the original GLR, the Back-Up Track will lead you via paved road to the next section.

Sign in to download this Back-up Track!

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Support the Adventurising Europe project

As a Patron, you gain access to the latest 5 GLRs before Everyone else! That's at least 2,5 months! Besides that, you support 1 kilometer of that GLR. You enable me to continue the Adventurising Europe project and keep the GLR Network free. Please consider becoming a Patron if you think I provide any value to you.

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