Motorcycle trip

Spain

Geography Spain

Spain is a country that opens onto the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. In the South, the Gibraltar Strait separates Spain and Morocco. A vast European country, Spain includes Balearic archipelagos, Canary Islands as well as two enclaves in Africa. The Spanish territory is a vast plateau, protected in the south by Sierra Nevada and the Betic Cordillera and in the north by the Pyrenees and the Cantabrian Mountains. Three rivers meander through this limestone plateau: River Ebro runs from west to east and flows into the Mediterranean Sea in Catalonia; River Douro and River Tagus run from east to west and flow into the Atlantic Ocean, in Portugal. Contrary to popular belief, Spain is a very mountainous country. In the north, Cantabrian Mountains are an extension of the Pyrenees and attain an altitude of 2 648 m in the very beautiful massif of Picos de Europa. In the northwest, the Iberian cordillera characterizes the frontier with Andalusia. A motorcycle tour in Spain also provides an opportunity to discover the beautiful cities of Barcelona, Madrid or Seville. Head to Spain for a fascinating motorcycle adventure between the sea and the mountains.

History and culture in Spain

During your motorcycle tour in Spain, you will discover a country with a unique identity marked by its turbulent past. First occupied by the Romans, the barbarians, the Visigoths and then the Muslims from the 8th century, they would leave significant traces of their presence in Spain. The Christians then started the Reconquista till the fall of the Kingdom of Granada in 1492. The Spanish monarchy became the most powerful European country notably thanks to its immense colonial empire. Progressively weakened, Spain lost its colonies, the Bourbon monarchy was overturned, the first republic saw the light of day in the beginning of the 20th century. The Spanish popular front won the elections in 1936 but the civil war started and General Franco took over in 1939. Spain then experienced 36 years of dictatorship till the death of the Caudillo in 1975. Juan Carlos I came to power, reinstated democracy and the country experienced a true economic miracle. With an economy that changed radically over twenty years, under the influence of the European Union, this old self-sufficient and rural country became a true modern power. Today, Spain is finding it difficult to recover from the 2008 crisis, but tourism is an ever-expanding sector.