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Bardenas and Monegros, Spanish Deserts

Four days in the furnace

August 5, 2024

Up at 6:30… well, 7:30, okay, we’re not great at this! We pack up our gear, dawdle a bit, and hit the road at 9:30 under 30°C.


Plan for the day: a big loop through the Bardenas Desert, mostly smooth riding, except for a few challenges with climbs full of pebbles and some fun ruts. But wow, it’s stunning! Well… except for the fields of wind turbines, some of which have burned.

Lunch break in Tudela, top-notch Spanish cuisine: egg, chorizo, fries. A coffee, and we’re off again, not too keen on lingering in the concrete furnace.


The Bardenas landscapes are incredible, and the trails are smooth, we’re loving it! We stumble upon a cemetery in the middle of nowhere, perfect for refilling water. With this heat, we’ll have drunk 5 liters each by the end of the day.
Arrival at Ejea de los Caballeros for the night: a beer, a dip in the lifesaving pool, and a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, same deal!

August 6, 2024

Tough to get up this morning; the night was short. Lots of French folks at the campsite, and they all come to chat with us!

Finally, we hit the road at 10:00. Fuel up and head toward the Bardenas Negras. The landscapes this morning are gorgeous. At noon, we take shelter in the shade of a church. No idea why it’s there, but it’s a well-deserved break. The folding chairs were a brilliant purchase!
A quick nap, then we’re off again under 40°C…
The afternoon gets a bit technical with plenty of rocks, but we manage, despite a few overheated moments. The bikes do their job; the riders try to keep up. Arrival at the campsite at 5:30 PM, just in time to enjoy the pool—still a lifesaver.
 
This write-up deliberately skips the episode of Adeline’s tumble in a field after missing a turn… Let’s just say we’re making progress in off-road!

August 7, 2024


Morning in Zaragoza for supplies and quick bike maintenance. This city is an urban furnace, a chaotic mess of traffic lights… It’s driving us nuts! Alright, let’s go—back to getting lost in the desert, heading for Fraga!

August 8, 2024

We set off at 10:00, finding our groove on smooth, flowing trails in the heart of the Monegros. It feels like we’re riding on another planet…

Then comes the climb from hell with sharp, rocky steps, and disaster strikes: a puncture for Thomas in the middle of nowhere, a big gash in the tire, impossible to fix on the spot. We limp 50 km on a flat tire to the nearest town, arriving at 2:45 PM, just as the garage is about to close at 3:00!
 
Big thanks to Talleres Arenillas for the quick repair! We take the chance to chill nearby in Mequinenza, before our final day in the desert.
 

August 9, 2024

Breakfast by the lake, we pack up camp, and we’re off. It’s already swelteringly hot at 10:00, but we’re riding smoothly and have found our rhythm. Around 11:00, things get technical, but we’re having a blast.
 
Yesterday’s puncture trauma lingers, so we’re checking the tires every 30 minutes!
At 12:30, we stop in Albalatillo, in the shade of a small chapel for a picnic—such a cool spot. We hit the road again quickly; there’s a lot of ground to cover today. In the afternoon, the landscapes are insane, but the heat is stifling. We’re getting tired, and it’s technical… We’re less sharp, and Thomas messes up.
Nothing serious, but a real struggle to lift the bike on a climb in this heat.
 
We finally leave the desert behind, a bit sad it’s over but thrilled to have tackled those 850 km of madness!
A shower in the evening, a great meal at a restaurant, and tomorrow, off to the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean!