ANDALUSIA AND THE SIERRA NEVADA
Come with us on a journey through Southern Spain's stunning national parks and ranges
Dates
5th - 12th October 2024
(Minimum numbers of 10)
Price
£1,645 pp
(Single supplement of £280)
Experience level
This tour contains considerable amounts of climbing - A good level of fitness is recommended
Andalusia is famous for its flamenco, fiestas, bullfighting, architecture and food...and it also has the Iberian peninsula's highest mountains. Nearly 15 percent of its terrain is over 1,000 metres, which whilst challenging, makes a stunning setting for a cycle tour!
On arrival in San Pedro, we'll have a warm up ride out to a picturesque local town. Our journey then commences properly out into the hills - much of Andalusia's tourism is centered around the coastal destinations, with the hill villages and towns remaining relatively untouched, so we'll get to enjoy the stunning scenery in a relatively quiet setting.
We'll spend two nights in the town of Ronda, one of the oldest towns in Spain and a haven of culture, before heading over to Antequera. After a night here, we'll continue our journey to Granada, a vibrant city at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, and home to the Alhambra Palace. We'll spend two nights here, factoring in a loop into the Sierra Nevada, before finishing our journey with a scenic ride down to the coast.
You'll enjoy stunning scenery, challenging riding, culture and great food on this amazing cycling journey.
Day 1: San Pedro de Alcantara to Ronda (76km, 2,100m)
We start our journey away from San Pedro and head into the National Park of the Sierra Bermeja, an ampitheatre of mountains that runs from Marbella to Estepona. We'll be climbing pretty much as soon as we move away from the coastline - you can see the mountains looming in the distance and the views when we get up here will not disappoint!
After c.20km of ascent we'll reach the top, and enjoy the stunning views before heading onwards to the pretty whitewash villages (pueblos blancos) of Juzcar and Farajan nestled into the hillside. Our second climb of the day takes in more whitewash towns, with striking views of the Sierra Bermeja to the south. Our day finishes up in Ronda where we'll have two nights to explore this famous Andalusian town.
Day 2: Ronda loop via Olvera (95km, 1,800m)
Today we ride a loop out to the North East of Ronda, passing through the picturesque towns of Arriate and Sentenil de las Bodegas on our way out to Olvera.
Olvera is a historical town in the province of Cadiz, dominated by the Castillo de Olvera which towers over the town. On leaving here we'll loop back round towards Ronda, hugging the western coastline of the Zahara-el Gastor reservoir and passing through the town of Zahara de la Sierra, a stunning hilltop town overlooking the valley.
Upon your return, there's plenty to explore in Ronda including the Puente Nuevo ("new bridge" over the Tajo de Ronda gorge), the Plaza de Toros (bullfighting ring) and the Banos Arabes (Moorish Baths).
Day 3: Ronda to Antequera (100km, 1,800m)
Today we head east into the National Park of Sierra de las Nieves, a 300 square km area encompassing Ronda. It's famous for its stunning mountainous landscape, fresh produce and wealth of wildlife, and provides us with some superb views on our journey to our next base. The day is full of jaw dropping scenery, but one of the highlights is Gobantes, where we'll enjoy stunning panoramic views of the lake.
Our day finishes in the historical town of Antequera, a picturesque whitewash town with ancient cobbled streets and a striking Moorish fortress.
Day 4: Antequera to Granada (143km, 1,700m)
A fairly flat start to today will help to loosen the legs for the first climb up to the 800m town of Archidona. We will spend some 10km up at this altitude as we weave around the slightly busier towns and villages before descending into the Genil Valley.
Here we find vineyards and olive groves a plenty, not to mention stunning mountain views! We'll be climbing again out of the valley as we leave the small town of Villa Mesia, topping out to see views of our base for the next two days, Granada.
Day 5: Puerto De Los Blancares (74km, 1,700m)
We start our day with a loop of Monachil, a village in the Granada province within the Sierra Nevada National Park. The views here are simply spectacular, and you'll be surrounded by unspoilt landscape for miles!
The next stage of the route takes us up to the Puertos de Los Blancares, up to a height of 1,300m. We'll lunch on the way back down with a view over the Quentar reservoir, before rolling to town through the outer suburbs of Granada, back to base. There's plenty to explore here, and the Alhambra Palace is not to be missed!
Day 6: Granada to Playa Granada (90km, 1,500m)
Our final day sees us heading due South, making a bee line for the sea with great views of the Sierra Nevada off to our left. We'll climb steadily as we leave Monachil before the most incredible 23km descent along the edge of the mountain range of Sierras de Tejeda Almijara y Alhama.
After this we'll have one more sting in the tail before a gentle descent to our final destination at Playa Granada. Here we'll enjoy our final hours on the beach before heading home!
Package includes:
- Transport to / from Malaga airport (based on group arrival / departure times)
- 7 nights hotel accommodation including breakfast
- Lunch and refreshments on each riding day
- Welcome briefing and daily route briefings
- GPX files for route guidance
- Support & guidance of a ride sweeper
- Support vehicle
- Luggage transfer
Not included:
- Dinners
- Extras in hotels
- Transport to and from the tour
- Travel insurance
- Tourist tax
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