Areas with their own rules: what green, amber and red mean on your route

Last reviewed: November 4, 2026

Your plan's badge sums up whether the route goes through areas with their own rules: protected areas, Natura 2000, public forests and drove roads (vías pecuarias). Green, clear route. Amber, it goes through some, shown on the map. Red, a section that could not be avoided. It describes what Corally has checked; the signs on the ground take precedence.

What each colour means

Green · Clear route

We checked the four layers along the route and it goes through none of them. If it only grazes the edge of one for a very short stretch, that does not count either. It is what we checked, not a permit: signs, barriers and the day's closures still take precedence.

Amber · Goes through areas with their own rules

The route enters areas that have their own rules. Open the details to see each one with its name, the km of the route inside it, the km where each pass starts and, when we have it, the rule that applies, with a link. The map layer turns on by itself so you can see them.

Red · A section that could not be avoided

The route goes through an area Corally detours when it can, and this time it found no reasonable alternative: none fitted your difficulty level or the detour was too long. On an analysed GPX, red marks a section through an area best detoured. Look at the section on the map and decide: move a stop, try «Avoid this section» or ride that part on the road.

The four layers Corally checks

Protected area
Parks, reserves, natural monuments and protected landscapes. Their plan (PORN or PRUG) says where you can go.
What it is and what it means
Natura 2000
SACs, SCIs and SPAs, the European network. Their management plan decides, together with the regional law.
What it is and what it means
Public forest
Forests in the Catalogue of Public Utility Forests. Each region says how their tracks can be ridden.
What it is and what it means
Drove road
Cañadas, cordeles, veredas and coladas. They only count if the route runs along them, not if it crosses them.
What it is and what it means

What the planner does with each area

With its own rules: The most common case. Corally tells you the route goes through it, without changing it.
With rules for motor vehicles: The area has a reviewed rule for motor vehicles. Between similar routes, the planner prefers the one that spends less time in it.
Corally detours it when it can: The planner looks for another route that avoids it, as long as it fits your difficulty level and is not much longer. If there is none, the section shows in red. Today it does this on A to B routes; on out-and-back and loop routes it only tells you, for now.

The map layer

In the map's Layers menu, «Areas with their own rules» draws the four layers, each in its own colour. Tap an area to see its name and type.

It turns on by itself when you open the details of a plan's badge. It starts switched off so the map stays light.

What Corally does not know

Whether a given track is open today: one-off closures, chains and barriers.
The day's closures for wildfire risk, hunting or wildlife. It does tell you about the region's wildfire season if your ride falls within it.
The signs on the ground, which always take precedence.
What each area's plan says: it tells you that you are inside so you can check it.
Areas not yet in the public data: a drove road or a recently declared area may be missing.

Where the data comes from

From the public layers of Spain's Ministry for the Ecological Transition (MITECO) and the regions, which Corally loads every month. The badge details say which month they are from. It is public data and can lag behind what is on the ground.

Frequently asked questions

Does green mean I can ride without a second thought?: It means the route goes through none of the four layers Corally checks. It does not replace signs, barriers or the day's closures: if you see a sign on the ground, the sign takes precedence.
Why is it amber if it is an ordinary dirt track?: Because the track runs inside an area with its own rules, even if you cannot tell: a public forest, an SPA or a park. It does not mean you cannot go through; it means that area has its own rules and it is worth knowing them.
What do I do with a red section?: Look at it on the map. You can move a stop, use «Avoid this section» or ride that part on the road. If you decide to go through, read that area's rules first.
Where do the areas come from?: From the public data of MITECO and the regions, which Corally loads every month. The badge details say which month they are from.
Why is an area I know not showing?: It may not be in the public data yet, it may be another kind of area (a hunting reserve, a military zone or a greenway, which Corally does not check yet) or the route may only graze or cross it.
How do I turn the layer on?: On the map, open Layers and switch on «Areas with their own rules». It also turns on by itself when you open the details of your plan's badge.

Plan a route What the law says, region by region How Corally works out the difficulty of every dirt track

Guidance based on public data. It is not legal advice: each area's rules and the signs on the ground take precedence.