Navarra in Rock and Dust

0 km: Start at the Repsol petrol station at the end of D2 Route 1.

5 km: Cuevas de Arguedas (cave dwellings).

16 km: Cabezo de Castildetierra is the best-known and most iconic rock formation in the Bardenas Reales Nature Park, a semi-desert in Navarra, northern Spain. It is a striking, pointed “earth pyramid” formed by centuries of erosion of clay and limestone, and often serves as the symbol of the area.

196 km: An archaeological site in the province of Burgos, Spain, with around 140 early medieval (9th–11th century) graves carved into the rock. This rock-cut necropolis, once part of an older religious complex, is of great historical importance due to its excellent state of preservation and the insight it provides into the burial practices of the rural population of that period.

The morning light casts a golden glow over the tarmac as the engines idle quietly at the Repsol petrol station at the end of D2 Route 1. The coffee is gone, the tanks are full to the brim and the luggage is strapped tightly to the frames. A quick twist of the throttle, a deep rumble from the exhausts, and we pull onto the road. The motorcycle tour has officially begun.

We’ve barely warmed up when, after five kilometres, the Cuevas de Arguedas come into view on the edge of the village of the same name. The steep clay walls are riddled with hollows and windows—centuries-old cave dwellings where local people lived until the mid-20th century. We put the bikes on their side stands, take a moment to walk among the rock faces and imagine what life must have been like here, sheltered from Navarra’s scorching sun.

About ten kilometres farther on, we leave the inhabited world behind for the rugged, desolate interior of the Bardenas Reales Nature Park. The tarmac gives way to dry, dusty dirt tracks. A cloud of dust swirls up behind the rear tyres as we ride into the lunar landscape. After 16 kilometres, the area’s absolute highlight comes into view: Cabezo de Castildetierra. This iconic, pointed earth pyramid stands alone against the clear blue sky. Centuries of wind and rain have worn away the layers of clay and limestone to create this natural work of art. We take off our helmets, let the silence of the semi-desert sink in and take a few photos to remember it by.

Leaving Bardenas Reales, we open the throttle again for a long, beautiful ride through the changing landscape towards the province of Burgos. The roads wind delightfully through the hills, and the kilometres fly by beneath our wheels.

As the odometer reaches 196 kilometres, we arrive at our final destination for the day: a remote and mysterious archaeological site. Hidden away in nature is an early medieval rock-cut necropolis dating from the 9th to 11th centuries. Some 140 human-shaped graves have been carved into the massive rock slabs, a silent remnant of a vanished religious complex. As the engine blocks tick softly while cooling down, we walk in silence among the ancient graves. The tranquillity of the rural people of the past meets the adventure of today’s motorcycles—a remarkable end to an unforgettable day on the road.