The Southern Section — European Divide Trail

Once past Valence you're into what I would class as the south of Europe. The mistral wind blows along the Rhone Valley here, and it can be excruciating to ride against, or amazing to ride with it, as it can get up to 100 km/h at times!



The surfaces once again change constantly, and once into the South… read more

From the southern edge of France's Massif Central you'll really start to notice that you're in Southern Europe now. The route touches the edge of the Mediterranean Sea, so it might be a good chance to stop and recharge for a few days.



The weather through this section can be very changeable due to winds… read more

Out of Perpignan you'll cross through farmland until starting to climb over the Pyrenees. The crossing is at a low pass with some interesting history and you'll find yourself into Spain.



Spain is the second most mountainous country in Europe, so expect very little flat riding until you hit the Atlantic… read more

North of Barcelona you'll pass the beautiful mountain of Mont Serrat, then ride through a series of valleys and along high ridges with sea views at points, and plenty of dirt roads.



Crossing through the town of Mont Blanc you're then into a series of big climbs and descents, intermixed with some easier… read more

The terrain gets a bit wilder and the population more spread out as you make your way gradually higher into the emptiest area of Spain. Be prepared for drawn out climbing, loose surfaces and some amazing canyons and ridges to ride.



Stock up with food where you can as there's not much out here, but there… read more

Here you enter the area known as Spanish Lapland, firstly for its similar population density as Lapland in Scandinavia, but also for its temperature extremes. It can get down to -20°c in the winter and up as high as +40°c in the summer.



Teruel is the only city in this area and it's an out-and-back journey… read more

Here you'll ride out of the really big mountains and across some plains, but as with most places in Spain they plains are not so flat.



Then it's through the city of Albecete, along a via verde, the green routes (disused railway lines) of Spain, and into yet another range of mountains, the Sierra de Segura y Carzola.

Into another wild and beautiful area of Eastern Spain, but with its own route finding issues: there's not that many good, legal dirt roads to ride so there's a fair bit of paved riding in-between the good bits. Having said that, it's still a very peaceful and beautiful place to ride.



You climb through… read more

Out of the high mountains and into the land of vineyards and olive groves, and some more populous areas. You'll ride from the coldest areas of Spain to the hottest here, as the geography of the landscape means that the heat and humidity gets trapped by the surrounding mountains.



From Carzola you ride… read more

On this stage you'll travel through the beautiful city of Cordoba with its mosque with a Catholic church built in the middle of it, and through some more olive groves and vineyards before turning into the mountains again.



Here you'll follow some parts of the TransAndalus mountain bike route. This is a… read more

Crossing from Spain into Portugal, the routing of the trail becomes an issue once again, with lots of private land causing problems. There's also a big river to cross into the last country on the route, so there's a fair bit of paved riding in-between the trails, but it's a very quiet area so not much… read more

The final section across Portugal is characterised by the change in environment but also in weather patterns as you get close to the Atlantic Ocean, and away from a more continental air flow. Expect wind and rain, but also milder weather and pleasant riding conditions.



The trails and tracks through here… read more