Cycling for leisure

Véloroute of the pyrenean foothills - V81

In the Pays de Nay, the "leisure and tourism" bicycle takes on all its importance. Thus, there are different touring routes from the departmental cycling scheme: cycle tourism loops, the "Route du Piémont" and of course the "Véloroute linking Bayonne to Perpignan (V81) which crosses the Pays de Nay.

The Véloroute Pyrénées Gave Adour

Itinerary not far from the major rivers of the department, it allows you to discover villages steeped in history or natural areas of great beauty.

But let's start from the beginning, will you? What is a véloroute ?

It's a long-distance, safe cycling route, with alternating dedicated sites (green lane or cycle path) and low-traffic roads (in the Atlantic Pyrenees, roads with less than 500 vehicles/day are chosen).

The technical characteristics of the Bayonne-Perpignan Cycle Route in the Pays de Nay:

25 km long, including 12 km of green lane, reserved for non-motorized uses
Use of existing roads, as much as possible, to encroach as little as possible on agricultural land
Between 2.5 and 3m wide
Mixed asphalt coating, chosen to allow rollerblading, for easy access for people in wheelchairs. They also have the advantage of lasting over time and generating little maintenance (less need and transport of quarried materials for less GHG and a reduced maintenance budget)
A grassed shoulder on each side for walking or running
Access limitation systems in sections reserved for non-motorized use
The permanence of shoreline access is ensured
Rehabilitation of an ancient heritage: the so-called Baburet footbridge, on the route of the old railway line from the Ferrières valley to Coarraze

Download the Véloroute 81 map in Pays de Nay.