North Macedonia · Ohrid · Premium route guide
Mavrovo, Debar and Lake Ohrid
Mavrovo lake, the Radika gorge and the Galicica pass above Lake Ohrid.
The road-bike route from Skopje through Mavrovo National Park and the Radika gorge to Debar, then along Lake Ohrid to Sveti Naum and over the Galicica pass. Paved roads only, no TET off-road tracks.
- Distance
- 294.6 km
- Peak elevation
- 1,604 m
- Elevation gain
- 3,237 m
- Best months
- May–Oct
- North Macedonia · Western North Macedonia
- One-way
- 100% paved
The route
From Skopje to Tetovo and Gostivar, to Mavrovi Anovi and Mavrovo lake, down the Radika gorge to Debar, south to Struga and Ohrid, along the lake to Sveti Naum, and back over the Galicica pass to Ohrid.
1 verified stay within 30 km of the route. Click a stay pin to see details. Know one that should be here?
Works with Garmin, TomTom, BMW Navigator, Calimoto, Kurviger, komoot, MyRouteApp. Import as a track to ride the exact line. Road data from OpenStreetMap (ODbL); elevation from SRTM.
Track vs. route, how to load this into your GPS
What you are downloading is a GPX track, a dense, road-snapped breadcrumb of the exact line, with elevation on every point. It is not a GPX route (a short list of turn waypoints your device re-plans between). Tracks preserve our road choice; routes let the device pick its own way and can send you down a boring motorway shortcut.
How to use it on your navigator:
- BMW Navigator / Garmin Zumo / zumo XT: import as a track, then Convert to Route (or Trip Planner, new trip from track) if you want turn by turn prompts. Keep Recalculation off so it stays on our line.
- TomTom Rider: import the GPX in MyDrive, it loads as a track / itinerary. Enable Follow the exact route so it does not re-plan.
- Calimoto: open the GPX and choose Import as tour, Calimoto follows the track line.
- Kurviger / komoot / MyRouteApp: open the GPX and pick Import as track to keep the road choice. Only choose Import as route if you want the app to re-plan for your bike profile.
- Google Maps / Apple Maps: these do not read GPX. Use the map on this page for turn cues, or import the file into a GPX capable app first.
Rule of thumb: if your device asks "track or route?", pick track to ride our exact line, pick route only if you want the device to re-plan.
Elevation profile
From ~247 m at the base to 1,604 m at the top, 3,237 m of total climbing across the route.
Our track is 295 km with about 3,237 m of climbing, about 8 hours of riding. You asked for 350 to 500 km. Through these waypoints it is 295 km. It finishes in Ohrid, not Skopje.
Why ride it
Mavrovo lake under the Sar mountains, the deep Radika gorge, Lake Ohrid and the Galicica switchbacks with views over both Ohrid and Prespa.
Hazards
Trucks between Skopje and Gostivar, rockfall in the Radika gorge, livestock and summer traffic around Ohrid.
Fuel
Fuel in Skopje, Tetovo, Gostivar, Debar, Struga and Ohrid.
Best months and difficulty
May to October. Difficulty: moderate.
What to see along the way
- Skopje - Start.
- Tetovo - Painted Mosque.
- Mavrovo - Lake and the half-sunken church.
- Debar - Town above Debar lake.
- Struga - Black Drim outflow of Lake Ohrid.
- Ohrid - Old town and finish.
- Sveti Naum - Monastery and springs on the lake.
- Galicica pass - Highest point, views over Ohrid and Prespa.
Rent a bike
Rent a motorcycle or scooter for Mavrovo, Debar and Lake Ohrid
Flying in? Pick up a bike near the start of the route. We've pre-filled the pick-up city with Ohrid - change it if you're basing elsewhere.
Rentals powered by BikesBooking. StayToRide may earn a small commission - no extra cost to you.
Verified stays within 30 km
Automatically selected by proximity to the traced route, no editorial cherry-picking. Sorted by how close they are to the road.
Ridden this road and stayed somewhere great?
This whole directory grows one rider recommendation at a time. Add a stay and it will appear on this guide automatically if it is within 30 km of the route.
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