The Trip
I (Peter) will start my cycle from Faro to Almeria in May '23. Leaving Faro airport , the trip will see me cycling towards the Spanish border. Once in Spain, I will follow mainly a coastal route taking in cities like Huelva and Seville
From Seville, I will head inland and start climbing gradually towards Granada taking in towns like Arcos de La Frontera, Ronda, El Chorro, Montefrio,....
Visiting natural parks and monuments, I will climb high into the Sierra Nevada visiting the many white-washed towns.
From Seville, I will head inland and start climbing gradually towards Granada taking in towns like Arcos de La Frontera, Ronda, El Chorro, Montefrio,....
Visiting natural parks and monuments, I will climb high into the Sierra Nevada visiting the many white-washed towns.
The Stages
Day# 1 (30 Apr '23): Faro Airport to Monto Gordo (64.16 km - 247m elevation gain)
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Day# 1 was my arrival day in Faro.
It was my first decent cycle in 2023, so I was really excited about getting back on the bike. As my plane arrived around 12pm in Faro, I kept the distance short enough with an easy 65km. Following a mainly coastal route, I visited coastal towns like Olhao and Tavira with as end destination Monto Gordo. The many gravel routes kept me away from the Algarve's busier roads and brought me through the marshlands around Olhao, Cabanas,... |
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Day# 2 (1 May '23): Monto gordo to Aznalcazar (141km - 652m elevation gain)
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On day# 2, I left the seaside resort of Monto Gordo behind me and cycled to beautiful town of Vila real de Santo Antonio where I took the ferry across the Guadiana. Disembarking the ferry, I met 2 girls that were cycling around Europe. one of them had a broken wheel, so decided to help them fix it. Only starting my cycle around 12pm, i had a long way to go. Venturing of the beaten track, I ended up cycling on sandy forest roads and single tracks through the many forests . The day became a bit of a disaster when the only bridge (allowed for cyclists) ended up being closed. This meant I had to cycle a detour of around 35km around the Odiel and Rio tinto Rivers.
Rolling around 8pm in El Rocio, a beautiful village that reminds me of a fontier village in the Wild West. El Rocio attracts during the El Rocio pilgrimage nearly a million people from across Andalucia and from across Spain. |
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Day# 3 (2nd May '23): Aznalcazar - Arcos de la frontera (134.91 km - 695m elevation gain)
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Today was the first day when the first heatwave of the year kicked in. First week in May and temperatures hitting 35 degrees, it was a tough day in the saddle. Leaving El Rocio behind, I cycled through the planes south of Seville. With miles of gravel roads and the sun beaming down on me, it was critical to carry as much water as possible.
Cycling through the flatlands towards Arcos de la Frontera with no shadow nor any villages for critical supplies, I rolled into the village of Las Cabezas de San Juan without any water, drained from energy after having cycled for miles along those unforgiving gravel roads. After a refresh in the local supermarket, I was ready for the last part of the day which would be the start of an inland, more hilly track heading towards the Sierra de Grazalema. And that is where the headwind started. Where the sea breeze reaches the Sierra de Grazalema, it amplifies with as result a very strong headwind which I got to enjoy for the next 2 days. Around 8pm , I reached Arcos de la Frontera , one of Andalucia's most dramatically positioned white villages. The village balances atop a rocky ridge, its houses balancing on the cliff face which plunges down to the river below. |
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Day# 4 (03rd May '23): Arcos de la Frontera to Ronda (107 km - 2607m elevation gain)
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The cycle from Arcos de la Frontera to Ronda was a spectacular stage. With temperatures still well above 30 degrees and a crazy headwind, the cycle through the Parque Natural Sierra de Grazelema was tough but stunning.
The area has one of the largest colonies of Griffon vultures in Europe. The highest point of the day was Puerto del Boyar which with its 1103 meters was a not so climb. My lack of training for this trip really came to light and made my 2022 cycle a walk in the park compared to this years trip . Puncture 2 of the trip was obtained during the decent towards Ronda. End destination was Ronda where I visited some of th e towns tourist locations. |
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Day# 5 (04th May '23): Ronda to Antequerra (109.73 km - 2324 m elevation gain)
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Another though cycle seen me climbing towards towns like El Burgo and El CHorro.
The latter one is famous for one of the worlds most spectacular walks , the Caminito del Rey. El Chorro is also a rock-climbers paradise where many climb the surrounding cliff faces. Leaving El Chorro behind, next stop was the spectacular Parque Natural Torcal de Antequera. Declared a World Heritage Site by unesco, this unique natural site has spectacular rock formations. End destination of the day was the beatiful town of Antequera. |
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Day# 6 (05th Jun '23): Antequerra to Priego de Cordoba (89.1 km - 1514m elevation gain)
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Day# 6 is a short day in the saddle where i will visit the beautiful white-washed towns of Iznajar and Priego de Cordoba.
I will cycle through the rolling hills of the Parque Natural de las sierras Subbeticas. For the night, I will stay in an old convent which is now the towns hotel. |
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Day# 7 (06th May '23): Priego de Cordoba to Granada (110 km - 1676m elevation gain)
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Day 7 will see me cycling towards Montefrio. Montefrio is internet famous for being selected by National Geographic as a village with one of the top 10 views in the world.
From here it is a quick cycle towards Granada where i will spend the afternoon visiting Alhambra. During the evening, I will enjoy the many tapas on offer. |
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Day# 8 (07th May '23): Granada to Laujar de Andarax (122.01 km - 2271m elevation gain)
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First part of the day will see me cycling along the foothills of Sierra nevada towards the town of Guadix.
Guadix is famous for its cave houses. Leaving Guadix behind, I will climb through the Sierra Nevada towards the small town of Laujar de Andarax. In the afternoon, I will cycle over the Puerto de la Ragua which with its 2000m will be the highest point of my trip. |
Day# 9 (08th May '22): Laujar de Andarax to Rodalquilar (119.92km - 1251m elevation gain)
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Day# 9 will see me decending rapidly towards the sea. Taking a detour, i will visit Cabo de Gata . The Cabo de Gata-Níjar National Park is a natural park located in the province of Almería, Spain. It is the largest protected coastal area in Andalusia. (https://www.cabogataalmeria.com/en)
With stunning beaches and coves, it will be the perfect location to go for a swim and cool down. |
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