Road cycling in Andorra, the climbs of the Tour and the Vuelta

Few countries this small have so much cycling history. The Volta a Catalunya first came in 1934, the Tour in 1964 and the Vuelta in 1965, according to Andorra Turisme, and since then its climbs have decided stages that fans know by heart. Andorra Turisme publishes sheets for 21 road routes, one per climb, with a profile and a GPS track, and I rate them among the best things to do in the country in summer if you’ve brought a bike.

The climbs that made history

The most legendary is Arcalís in Ordino. From El Serrat to the ski area it’s 10.5 km at 6.9%, graded very hard, and the Tour finished there in 1997, 2009 and 2016. In 1997 Jan Ullrich won the stage, took the yellow jersey and went on to win the race. The road delivers you to the high mountains at the base of Ordino Arcalís.

The Collada de la Gallina in Sant Julià de Lòria is the toughest of the famous ones, 12.2 km at 8.4% and 1,019 m of climbing to 1,910 m, with a monument to Purito Rodríguez at the top; Alessandro Ballan won a Vuelta stage there in 2008. The Collada de Beixalís above Encamp is 6.6 km at 8.4% and has seen the Tour in 2016 and 2021 and the Vuelta in 2015 and 2018. The 2015 Vuelta queen stage, won by Mikel Landa, is described by Andorra Turisme as the one many consider the hardest in the race’s history.

Which is the highest climb?

The Envalira pass, at 2,408 m, billed by Andorra Turisme as the highest paved pass in the whole range. You can ride it in full from Escaldes-Engordany, 26 km of the CG-2 climbing 1,345 m at an average 5.2% and ramps of 7.5%, or just the short side from Pas de la Casa, 4.9 km at 6.4%. It has featured in the Tour, the Vuelta and the Volta a Catalunya.

It’s the longest but not the hardest. To me it’s the one to do if you’ve come from abroad, because it explains the country’s geography, from the valley floor to the French border.

Kinder climbs to start with

The Coll d’Ordino has two faces. From Canillo it’s 8.9 km at 5.1%, from 1,523 to 1,980 m, the gentlest of the big climbs. From Ordino it’s 9.9 km at 7%, and Andorra Turisme notes it’s a regular in the country’s time-trial championships. At the top there’s a viewpoint and orientation table, and descending the other side closes a lovely loop.

For a day of tired legs, route 19 from Escaldes-Engordany to La Comella is 4.1 km at 5.8% to 1,347 m, and route 03 from Ransol to the Coma de Ransol is 4.5 km at 6.2%. On a rest day, the Bici Lab in Andorra la Vella, 1,700 m² given over to cycling, is where I’d spend a wet afternoon.

La Massana and the west

La Massana gathers several climbs that start in Erts. Pal, 8.4 km at 6.7%, was a stage finish in the 1993 Tour, won by Oliverio Rincón. Arinsal, 7 km at 8.2%, was a stage of the 2005 Volta a Catalunya, won by Leonardo Piepoli. And the Port de Cabús, 15.6 km at 6.2%, is one of the longest signed routes in the country and ends beside the Oppenheim sculpture at the Coll de la Botella.

Sportives, the Vuelta and the practical bits

If you’d rather ride in company, the two sportives with the biggest names are the Jorma Volta als Ports, with more than 40 editions, and La Purito, which follows stage 11 of the 2015 Vuelta. I haven’t seen their 2027 dates yet. The Vuelta was back on 25 August 2026 with a 105 km stage 4 starting and finishing in Andorra la Vella, over Envalira, Beixalís, the Coll d’Ordino and La Comella.

The good season runs from late spring to early autumn. The high passes are another story in the cold months; between 1 November and 15 May every car needs chains on board or winter tyres fitted. There are around twenty bike shops with workshops, mostly in La Massana, Sant Julià and Santa Coloma, and cyclist-friendly hotels with bike storage. If you’d rather ride off-road, the trails are in mountain biking in Andorra. One last thing, a GHIC is worthless here, so get cover that includes cycling.