Itinerary

Day 1: Portsmouth

Meet at Porstsmouth ferry terminal. Our overnight ferry departs at 1145.

Day 2: Bilbao – Tordesillas

234mi/377km

The twisties start immediately we disembark the ferry as we wind our way through Basque Country, over the Cordillera Cantábrica and onto the Meseta Plateau for our run to Tordesillas.

Day 3: Tordesillas – Llerena

318mi/511km

Quite a mix of roads today as we continue our ride across the Meseta Plateau and over the Sierra de Gredos, en-route to the country’s least populated province of Extremadura.

Day 4: Llerena – Benahavis

194mi/312km

More mountains and more twisties today as we cross the Sierra Morena en-route to Andalucia and the infamous A-397 from Ronda to Marbella.

Day 5: Benahavis – Chefchouen

127mi/205km

A short ride to Algeciras for our ferry crossing to Africa. Once the border formalities are completed we’ll head up into the Rif Mountains and the fabled Blue City. Same route as Atlas Eight.

Day 6: Chefchouen – Azrou

168mi/270km

Descend the Rif Mountains, stopping off at the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Roman ruins of Volubilis en-route to Azrou on the edge of the Middle Atlas. Same route as Atlas Eight.

Day 7: Azrou – Agoudal

176mi/284km

A network of undulating, minor roads through the Middle Atlas carry us across limestone plateaus, past polje lakes and through cedar forests (home to the Barbary Apes) en-route to the High Atlas.

Day 8: Agoudal – Agdz

Tarmac: 107mi/172km   –   Piste: 68mi/109km   –   Total: 174mi/281km   –   39% Piste

WHOO-HOO! It’s time to hit the dirt! Our first dirt road is virtually on the doorstep as we climb to the highest point of the tour, the 2906m Tizi n’Ouano, before descending through the well-photographed switchbacks of the Gorge du Dades. After lunch we’ll return to the piste for our crossing of the Jebel Sarhro via the Tizi n’Tazazert pass at 2316m. Beyond the pass the scenery changes dramatically, offering extraordinary views across basalt ridges and ravines to the Djebel Bani beyond. Our descent through Nekob takes us to the lush date palm oases of the Draa Valley and Agdz.

Day 9: Agdz – Tata

Tarmac: 66mi/107km   –   Piste: 98mi/158km   –   Total: 165mi/265km   –   60% Piste

Four stages of piste make up todays total of 158km as we head south west to the market town and former capital of Tata. After an undulating start we enter a wide flood plain dotted with acacia trees and sandwiched between the Anti-Atlas to the north and Djebel Bani to the south.

Day 10: Tata – Taroudannt

115mi/185km

It may all be tarmac but todays ride across the Anti Atlas takes us through what was surely once the centre of rock strata rave culture with some serious shapes being thrown down by Mother Nature. An early finish allows us time to enjoy this delightful walled city.

Day 11: Taroudant – Imi-n’Ifri

249mi/400km

A great look at village life as we climb into the High Atlas through a string of villages where donkeys outnumber cars. Passing beneath North Africa’s highest peak, Djebel Toubkal (4167m) we join the N9 for a twisty crossing of the Tizi n’Ticha pass at 2260m before returning to minor roads through farmland and forest as we descend to Imi n’Ifri.

Day 12: Imi-n’Ifri – Zaouiat Ahansal

Tarmac: 71mi/115km   –   Piste: 16mi/26km   –   Total: 88mi/141km

With a name that translates as ‘Valley of the Happy People’ who wouldn’t want to ride through the valley of Ait Bougmez!? We dive into the valley, dominated by the M’goun massif of the High Atlas, to wind our way alongside the Oued Lakhdar before climbing to the second highest point of the tour at 2764m, en-route to the medieval hamlet of Zaouiat Ahansal.

Day 13: Ahansal – Lac Bin el Ouidane

Tarmac: 35mi/56km   –   Piste: 36mi/58km   –   Total: 71mi/114km

We follow the Assif Ahansal (stream) north until our piste climbs away from the valley through pine forest, and winds its way beneath spectacular cirques en-route to an 1800m viewpoint overlooking Rocher de Mastrane (Cathedral Rock), a vertical 700m rockface, world renowned for base jumpers.

Day 14: Lac Bin el Ouidane – Fez

214mi/345km

With 9500 streets and alleys in the Old Medina will you remember your way back to our accommodation?

Day 15: Fez – Benahavis

270mi/435km

Last day in Africa as we return to Tangier Med and the ferry to Spain. How’s that tagine strapped to the top of your luggage holding up?

Day 16: Benahavis – Zafra

223mi/359km

Another chance to enjoy the twisty route through Ronda before we side-step Seville and ride through the ‘Parque Natural de la Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche’ to the white washed city of Zafra – nicknamed ‘Sevilla la chica’ (the little Seville).

Day 17: Zafra – Zamora

271mi/436km

Mid-west Spain is all about mountains and reservoirs and they continue today as we head across the Sierra de la Peña de Francia to Zamora. Sporting the highest number of Romanesque churches in all of Europe, it has been called a ‘museum of Romanesque art’.

Day 18: Zamora – Santander

240mi/387km

Back across the Cordillera Cantábrica but this time skirting the eastern end of the Parque Nacional de Los Picos de Europa and out to the coast for our evening ferry departure.

Day 19: Portsmouth

Arrive back in Blighty at 1945. Curse yourself for packing your waterproofs at the bottom of your luggage.