Europe
Spain
Picos de Europa, Andalusian sierras and empty inland plateaux.
Why drive here
Driving in Spain
Spain is the most underrated driving country in Europe. It has empty roads, cheap fuel, good surfaces and an astonishing range of landscape, from the wet green limestone of the Picos de Europa to the dry sierras above Ronda and the volcanic moonscape of Teide.
Andalusia is where most drivers start. The roads around Ronda and Grazalema string white villages together with long, sighted corners through cork oak country, and the season runs almost all year. The north tells a different story: the Picos and the Aragon Pyrenees are steeper, wetter and considerably more dramatic, with roads like the climb to Lagos de Covadonga that feel closer to the Alps than to the Costa.
Then there are the islands. Mallorca's Ma-10 along the Serra de Tramuntana is a genuine world class coastal road, Sa Calobra is the most photographed piece of tarmac in the Mediterranean, and the Canaries offer volcanic roads that stay open and warm in the depths of a northern European winter.
Regions
Where to drive in Spain
Editors' picks
Top 5 roads in Spain
Mallorca, Spain
Sa Calobra Road
A driver's icon that loops through a knotted 270 degree hairpin down to the cove.
Coll dels Reis to Sa Calobra · 12 km · Ma-2141
Driving
9.5
Scenery
9.7
Mallorca, Spain
Ma-10 Serra de Tramuntana
Mallorca's spine road strings together sea cliffs, terraces and mountain villages.
Andratx to Pollenca · 75 km · Ma-10
Driving
9.3
Scenery
9.6
Andalusia, Spain
Ronda to Coin Road
Endless third gear curves cut through cork oak hills between two fine Andalusian towns.
Ronda to Coin · 50 km · A-366
Driving
8.7
Scenery
9
View full route
Tenerife, Canary Islands
TF-21 Teide Road
Volcanic moonscape unfolds as the road spirals up past pine forest into Teide's caldera.
La Orotava to Vilaflor · 45 km · TF-21
Driving
9
Scenery
9.8
Asturias, Spain
Lagos de Covadonga Road
Hairpins climb from the Covadonga basilica into limestone peaks above two glacial lakes.
Cangas de Onis to Lago Enol · 24 km · AS-262
Driving
9
Scenery
9.8
Quick facts
Planning your trip
When to go
Spring and autumn are ideal almost everywhere. Andalusia and the Canaries are superb in winter, while the Pyrenees and Picos want June to September.
What to drive
A light, agile car suits the tight island and sierra roads. Air conditioning matters more than power once you are south of Madrid in summer.
Sample itinerary
Andalusia's White Villages in Four Days
4 days
Base in Ronda, loop the Grazalema sierra, run down toward the coast through El Burgo, then finish with a day in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
The library
Every great road we have mapped in Spain
9 roads, scored for driving quality and scenery, with seasonal notes where they matter. Any of these can be threaded into a journey in the planner.
Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
GC-210 Roque Nublo Road
Tejeda to San Bartolome de Tirajana · 22 km · GC-210
Ridge top curves reveal the volcanic finger of Roque Nublo above pine covered barrancos.
Driving
8.8
Scenery
9.5
Castilla y Leon, Spain
Puerto de Panderrueda
Posada de Valdeon to Boca de Huergano · 30 km · CL-625
A ribbon of tarmac threading beech forests beneath the jagged western Picos de Europa.
Snow possible November to April at the summit
Driving
8.7
Scenery
9.5
Andalusia, Spain
Sierra de Grazalema Road
Ronda to Grazalema · 30 km · A-372
Whitewashed villages and vulture cliffs frame this twisting run over the Palomas pass.
Puerto de las Palomas can see rare snow in winter
Driving
8.9
Scenery
9.2
Asturias, Spain
Puerto de Somiedo
Pola de Somiedo to Aguasmestas · 25 km · AS-227
Tight switchbacks climb past bear country lookouts to a windswept pass over 1400 metres.
Frequent snow closures in winter
Driving
8.5
Scenery
9.4
Aragon Pyrenees, Spain
Valle de Tena to Portalet
Sabinanigo to Portalet Pass · 45 km · A-136
A long alpine valley run past reservoirs and ski towns to the French border ridge.
Portalet summit closes in heavy snow
Driving
8.6
Scenery
9.3
La Palma, Canary Islands
LP-2 Cumbre Vieja Road
El Paso to Fuencaliente · 28 km · LP-2
A ridge road along the volcanic spine of La Palma with views to both Atlantic coasts.
Affected periodically by volcanic activity closures
Driving
8.6
Scenery
9.3
Sierra Nevada, Spain
Road to Trevelez
Orgiva to Trevelez · 35 km · A-4132
Terraced Alpujarra villages give way to Spain's highest inhabited settlement on this climb.
Higher stretches icy in winter
Driving
8.5
Scenery
9.3
Sierra Nevada, Spain
Carretera del Veleta
Granada to Pradollano · 32 km · A-395
Europe's highest paved road climbs relentlessly toward Veleta's summit above the treeline.
Upper section beyond the ski resort closed to traffic year round
Driving
8.3
Scenery
9.4
Aragon Pyrenees, Spain
Road to Ordesa Valley
Torla to Pradera de Ordesa · 8 km · HU-631
A short dramatic climb into a canyon rimmed by sheer limestone walls and waterfalls.
Closed to private cars in peak season, shuttle bus required
Driving
8
Scenery
9.7