Urkiola Pass & Elorrio — Durango MountainLoop.
Distance
60 km
Duration
1 day
Climb
1,200 m
Urkiola Pass & Elorrio — Durango Mountain Loop.
A tight, technical loop through the limestone heart of the Durangaldea. From Durango the BI-623 threads the crags of Mañaria and climbs to the Urkiola pass, where a lone neo-medieval sanctuary sits on the watershed beneath Anboto — the mountain Basque myth gives to the goddess Mari. The road drops to Otxandio on the Álava border, then loops back through the Renaissance palace town of Elorrio. Fast, wooded, and endlessly curving.
Quick facts
SurfacePaved
Distance60 km
Days1
Total climb1,200 m
DifficultyChallenging
Loading map...
The route.
DurangoStart · Lively market town at the foot of the massif. Head south on the BI-623 toward the pass.
MañariaScenic Point · Small village hemmed by vertical limestone crags — a favourite of Basque rock climbers.
Puerto de Urkiola (Sanctuary)Mountain Pass · The pass sits on the Cantabrian-Mediterranean watershed; its unfinished neo-medieval sanctuary and the Anboto peak above are steeped in Basque mythology.
OtxandioScenic Point · Historic border town on the edge of Álava, with an arcaded plaza. Turn back north-east toward Elorrio.
ElorrioScenic Point · One of the best-preserved Renaissance towns in Bizkaia, lined with emblazoned stone palaces.
DurangoEnd · Close the loop back in Durango.
More routes in Pv
Save this ride. Open the app.
Clone it to your planner, customize dates and stops, then ride. All free.
Open in MotoVault
Navigate this route with GPS