After 7 months of hard work on our van (which we converted from an ambulance), the time had finally come for our first #vanlife trip overseas…from Ireland to Spain! With four bikes neatly packed into our van and Trailforks of the region downloaded, our goal was to chase the sun and find some epic mountain biking trails.

The ferry from Rosslare in Ireland deposited us in the northern Spanish town of Santander. From there, we began winding our way eastwards and eventually south.

Why is Spain perfect for mountain biking in winter?

It’s no secret that Ireland gets cold in winter. But the cold combined with the wet is a gloomy prospect, especially when it is unrelenting. Now, Spain gets cold too, but it’s a dry kind of cold, and the further south of the country you get, the milder the temperatures are. In fact, we spent one glorious afternoon in Malaga basking in 20°C!

So, if you’re looking for a primo mountain biking holiday, you want to escape the bitter cold and the wet, plus you want to enjoy trails, free vanlife parking, and tourist attractions without crowds, Spain is your perfect winter bet.

Where is the best winter mountain biking in Spain?

After 5 weeks of winter mountain biking in Spain, we’ve compiled our top picks on where to ride in Spain in winter:

1- Aínsa / Zona Zero - North East Spain

Aínsa is a small medieval town that holds an extra special place in my heart, with its winding cobblestone streets, breath-taking sunrises and sunsets and perpetually stunning views of Peña Montañesa. Located south of the Pyrenees, there is ample mountain biking in this region. While the peak season seems to be April and September, winter is perfectly fine for riding. We spent four days here during the Christmas period and couldn’t have been happier. During the day the temperature was mild and the sun shone every day! Nights were cold, sitting at around 1 to -1°C, but our diesel heater was plenty able for it.

`From left: Views of Peña Montañesa at sunset + Barry at sunset`

The mountain biking area around Aínsa is known as ‘Zona Zero’ and the region is split into different sections. During this trip, we only rode in Zona Zero Centro. All of the trails include a lot of uphill, and we noticed a 50/50 split between e-bikes and normal bikes.

There are several companies that offer uplifts/shuttles, though the language barrier might be an issue when trying to book. (Perhaps in peak season it’s more common to get English-speaking tourists and hence English-speaking guides).

No worries though, because the uphills are part of the fun!

We parked our van at the Paid Motorhome Area in Aínsa (near the Plaza Mayor Aínsa) which has good facilities and easy access into Aínsa town. I imagine in Summer it gets packed!

Though we downloaded the recommended Z trails app, we found Trailforks easier to use for our chosen bike trails. You’ll also find the most popular routes (or “rutas” in Spanish) displayed on boards in town at the trail start points.

Trail recommendation: We rode ZZ007, which is one of the most popular routes in the region.

2 - Tremp - Catalunya

If it wasn’t for a local’s recommendation, we would have never heard of Tremp! This sleepy little town could do with some love…but luckily only ten minutes from the centre, you’ll find the hills where the gold is. There is a great (free) parking area available for vans/campervans, with drinking water and black water disposal available. (In winter the tap may freeze over, so be mindful of this!)

The parking spot was full of mountain bikers, most of them Spanish, so clearly this is an area the locals respect and regard highly. Despite the language barrier, we found the other mountain bikers really friendly and warm, with recommendations on which trails to ride and where to go next after Tremp.

Trail recommendation: Slick Rock. If you’re brave enough, try Dragon Khan too, with its infamous razor-ridge (we weren’t brave enough 😅)

Bonus tip: Be prepared for Spanish timing, as most places close in the afternoon and kitchens re-open late. 8pm for a meal after a full day of biking (in winter, with the diminishing daylight, you’ll be finished around 5-6pm) is a long time to wait!

3 - Riudarenes - Girona, Catalunya

Though you can’t walk two paces in Girona without spotting a cyclist, we were after biking of a different kind. Thanks to locals in Tremp who recommended a few mountain biking trails to us, we headed south of Girona to Riudarenes, a region known for its natural trails. There is a carpark at the base of the trails and toilets nearby.

After our epic missions in Aínsa and Tremp, we found the uphills in Riudarenes very forgiving, which means doing laps is very achievable. The trails were super fun, unique and we can’t recommend them enough!

Trail recommendations:

Dragon Khan, supposedly named after one of the best and most intense coasters in the world), this is a super fun and flowy trail with a 2.3km descent and optional features scattered throughout.
Kaste 2, 2km of really unique features on a trail unlike anything you’ve probably ever ridden.
Locals rate Spiderman highly as well. If you’re into jumping, this could be a fun option as well.

4 - El Sabinar - Murcia

Another day, another local recommendation 😁. El Sabinar (on Trailforks “El Sabinar-San Vicente del Raspeig”) is a 25min drive from the tourist town of Alicante. As we parked up in the dusty carpark, we passed a busload of Mondraker riders, which could only be a good sign! There are no facilities in the area, so bring plenty of water and snacks.

The first uphill from the carpark is called “Hija de Puta” which, if you know any Spanish swear words, should give you an indication of what the gradient is like!

From there the trails are fun, loose and technical. The terrain was a little too loose and dusty for my liking, but all in all it was a good day out on the bikes.

`Suggested route = 17.2km, 659m of climbing`

Trail recommendations: Peter Pan, Tractor, Joker 4

5 - Almendrales - Andalucía

Almendrales features the closest trails to Malaga town. With a large dirt car-park at the base of the trails, parking is no issue. You’ll still get a mighty fine workout from all the uphill, but the reasonably compact nature of this region means you can enjoy several laps. Climbing to the top up to “Subida Viewpoint” offers beautiful views of the city and surrounds.

`Barry checking out a line, 'tis dusty!`

We only rode blues here, but these are feature-packed with plenty of spice. They’re also loose, dry and dusty which took some getting used to.

Trail recommendations: Variante (the trail down from the viewpoint), Karakorum, Kawasaki and Skidder. See Trailforks here.

While it was a fun day, it just can’t compare to Aínsa or Tremp, but we put it in as it’s the closest trail network to Malaga town.

Most people tend to rave about mountain biking in El Chorro but we didn’t get a chance to explore the bike trails there (only the gravel riding) so you’ll be able to find more about that region on YouTube or other blogs.

Using Trailforks to find specific trails, and final thoughts

If you’re a mountain biker, you’re probably already using/familiar with Trailforks—but we thought it’s still worth mentioning one feature we found particularly helpful: “Discover”. All you have to do is zoom into a region, click “Discover”, then filter by the top trails or even better, the popular routes in the area. It’s an easy way to figure out what trails link well together.

Thanks for reading and we hope this blog was helpful! If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to our YouTube channel, where we make content on mountain biking, bikepacking and bouldering.

Top Picks: Winter Mountain Biking in Spain

Why is Spain perfect for mountain biking in winter?