MTG1 16 Roundtrip Foix Gorges de Ribaouto
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert René Plücken (MRA Master)
Last edit: 20-08-2025
Route Summary A beautiful ride with lots of twists and turns, and naturally beautiful. Interesting sights along the way include the underground river, the cave above the road, and the charming little towns. I rate this route 5 stars.
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Verdict
Duration
5h 1m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
137.16 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review Bert Loorbach, the author, is an avid motorcyclist himself and lived in France for a year and a half. During that time, he dedicated himself to mapping France's lesser-known and beautiful back roads specifically for motorcyclists. Hotels, campsites, sights, parking lots, and restaurants are included as points of interest.
We start in Foix at Hotel Lons behind the castle and drive along the D1, a beautiful winding road that passes the underground river of Labouiche. It's definitely worth stopping to see this cave and river; Rivière souterraine de Labouiche is a cave carved out by a subterranean river.
It's the longest navigable underground river in Europe. At 60 meters long, it offers an exciting journey into the subterranean world. Even after years of exploration and visits, the Labouiche Underground River still holds many mysteries. You can take a boat trip along the subterranean river. Admission costs €16.50.
We continue to Le Mas-d'Azil and take the D119, which partly passes through the Mas d'Azil Cave. At the end of the cave, you can stop for a closer look and a drink at the small café.
We then take the D15 via Mérigon to Saint Girons. This is a wonderfully winding road through beautiful scenery. There are several restaurants and cafes in Saint Girons, so depending on the time, you can also stop there for lunch.
After Saint Giron, the spectacle begins, a 60km ride full of twists and turns to Torascon-sur-Ariège. This section is the Gorges de Ribaouto and is enjoyable from start to finish. For long stretches, we ride along the Arac and Saurat rivers, offering stunning panoramic views.
After this wonderful ride, it is a good idea to stretch your legs in Tarascon-sur-Ariège, with its terraces and nice shops.
On the way back, we take the D117, which is a bit nicer to drive than the N20, which on the original route takes us back to Foix, where you can stay overnight in a hotel or at one of the campsites nearby.
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Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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Occitanie
About this region
Occitanie (French pronunciation: [ɔksitani] (listen); Occitan: Occitània [utsiˈtanjɔ]; Catalan: Occitània [uksiˈtaniə]), Occitany or Occitania (), is the southernmost administrative region of metropolitan France excluding Corsica, created on 1 January 2016 from the former regions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées. The Council of State approved Occitanie as the new name of the region on 28 September 2016, coming into effect on 30 September 2016.The modern administrative region is named after the larger cultural and historical region of Occitania, which corresponds with the southern third of France. The region Occitanie as it is today covers a territory similar to that ruled by the Counts of Toulouse in the 12th and 13th centuries. The banner of arms of the Counts of Toulouse, known colloquially as the Occitan cross, is used by the modern region and is also a popular cultural symbol. In 2015, Occitanie had a population of 5,839,867.
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Route Collections in this region 25 Magnificent trails in France
This MRA route collection contains 25 beautiful motorcycle routes in different parts of France, such as the Ardennes, the Alsace, Vercors, the Drôme, the Ardèche, Cote d'Azure, Gorges du Verdon, the Ariège, the Dordogne and Brittany.
The routes have been carefully created by Bert Loorbach, who is an enthusiastic motorcyclist himself. He lived in France for a year and a half, during which time he devoted himself to mapping the unknown and beautiful back roads of France especially for motorcyclists.
The routes are bundled in the Motortourgids France part 1 of Kosmos publishing house and now also available in MyRouteApp.
I have taken over the routes in MRA and sometimes adjusted them slightly to make them even more interesting for the motorcyclist.
The routes have been carefully created by Bert Loorbach, who is an enthusiastic motorcyclist himself. He lived in France for a year and a half, during which time he devoted himself to mapping the unknown and beautiful back roads of France especially for motorcyclists.
The routes are bundled in the Motortourgids France part 1 of Kosmos publishing house and now also available in MyRouteApp.
I have taken over the routes in MRA and sometimes adjusted them slightly to make them even more interesting for the motorcyclist.
View Route Collection
24 Magnificent trails in France
It is clear that France is one of the most beautiful and best touring countries. It offers an incredibly varied landscape with good roads and a pleasant climate. It is not for nothing that you see so many motorcyclists there. My previous collection of 25 routes in France (25 Magnificent routes in France) were based on the route descriptions from the Motortourgids France part 1 made by Bert Loorbach.
This collection of 24 routes comes from Motortourgids France part 2. In this collection, a difference has been made between approach routes and motorcycle tours in a certain area. The approach routes can also be used in combination with the routes from Motortourgids France part 1
The routes are sometimes slightly adjusted based on the tips that Bert Loorbach gives in his description, or because of another place to spend the night, or to reach the minimum length of 2 hours for the MRA Library. For each route, the review contains a more detailed description, including options to stay overnight or places of interest along the way, which are also indicated with a POI and if possible with a short description.
Two or more routes have been created for a number of areas, such as for Burgundy, Auvergne, The Alps, Tarn and Cévennes and Nord-Pas de Calais. These routes can be nicely combined in a multi-day trip.
This collection of 24 routes comes from Motortourgids France part 2. In this collection, a difference has been made between approach routes and motorcycle tours in a certain area. The approach routes can also be used in combination with the routes from Motortourgids France part 1
The routes are sometimes slightly adjusted based on the tips that Bert Loorbach gives in his description, or because of another place to spend the night, or to reach the minimum length of 2 hours for the MRA Library. For each route, the review contains a more detailed description, including options to stay overnight or places of interest along the way, which are also indicated with a POI and if possible with a short description.
Two or more routes have been created for a number of areas, such as for Burgundy, Auvergne, The Alps, Tarn and Cévennes and Nord-Pas de Calais. These routes can be nicely combined in a multi-day trip.
View Route Collection