Summary.Amazing climbs, deserted roads, decent drivers, hot, sunny, good food, wide range of hotels/villas and BA fly there for about £75 return. Can’t really ask for a lot more than that can we?
Note - I know that I am missing lots of accents, but I don't have relevant fonts installed.
The Rides. For all of these, my base was the Punta de La Mona, which is a headland next to the village of La Herrradura. The nearest town of significance is Almunecar. This is all about 60 Km east of Malaga, and about an hours drive from the airport.
Ride 1: The Old Road To Granada. As a child, I remember being driven on this road – clinging to the mountainside, dodging lorries with iffy brakes and generally being terrified out of my wits. These days, it has been replaced by the N-322, and the road is deserted apart from traffic to the villages of Otivar and Jete. There is the occasional tourist doing the scenic route, but all traffic of note now uses the N-322.
The directions for this ride are really simple: take the road to Otivar out of Almunecar and keep going. When you think you have had enough, turn round and come back. In terms of getting home, life is good, because it is mostly downhill on the way back, so you can ride out until exhausted and coast home.
Jete is the first village you will reach after Almunecar, and up until this point, the ride is uneventful. It is deceptively flat, with occasional short climbs and descents to put you off your pace. Your destination is clearly visible: it’s the thumping great mountain ahead of you – yes, you are going over the top of it, and there is more behind the bit you can see. Riding through Jete, you get a taste of the climb ahead – steep and relentless. Jete to Otivar (about 3 miles) is probably the grimmest part of the ride from the mental perspective. It gets steep (average 6%, a lot more in places), the road surface is new and reflects heat back onto you, and you know there is a much more to come. If you can reach Otivar in a cheerful frame of mind, then you have this climb licked, despite only having climbed less than a third of the distance. Enjoy the short descent out of Otivar – it’s your last for a while.
The last stage of the climb into Otivar. Look at the perfect road quality - this is where you can go nuts on the way back.Otivar to the first peak is 6 miles of 6 - 10% gradient punishment. Zone out, enjoy the scenery, do whatever you have to do to keep the pedals turning. The first peak is marked by an orangish building, which will swing into view around various bends – it is in fact a petrol station which is invariably closed. About 300 yards before that petrol station, there is a spring set into the road side on the right hand side as you are climbing. The water is fine to drink, and is an absolute lifesaver because you only need to take one bottle on the climb – refill here, and you can make it to the next bar. One word of caution: it appears that every single bee in Southern Spain has found this spring, and our colourful cycling kit is strangely attractive to them. I’ve been stung once in about 20 visits – if you are allergic to stings, take care.
The view from about half way up. You are heading for the notch in the mountain (approx. centre of picture). It looks really easy in the photo - but that notch is about 4 miles away, and 550 metres above you.
Ignore the graffiti - the water is fine. It's best to take it from the pipes rather than dunk the bottle in - but don't hang around if the bees are in residence.So you’ve reached the orange petrol station. Stop and enjoy the view – you’ve earned it, and the worst is behind you. Altitude is about 1000m, and you’ve covered a paltry 15 miles since leaving Almunecar.
Very close to the first peak, the orange petrol station is just round the cornerFrom here on, the road undulates for a few miles, then you have a short descent into what I have christened “Death Valley” – dry, inhospitable and very hot. A very twisty 300m climb awaits you, and then you’re done – 1300 meters, the highest point of the ride. Shortly after the peak there is a bar on the left hand side of the road – refill water bottles here, it’s your last chance for quite a while. For the next 30 Km, the ride is undulating, with some short climbs and descents and eventually you reach the new road (N-322). I have to admit, that I have never reached the new road, always either running low on water or time, and turning back. That said, it’s a 60 mile round trip, which with 2000m of total climb, is not exactly shabby.
The road to nowhere. This is as far as I got - 15 miles from the nearest house and no more water. The roads really are this deserted, I didn't need to wait to take this shot.The return is clearly the reverse of the ascent – but one warning on descending. Many of the curves are blind, have variable radii, and there is the odd pothole or corrugation. This is not the place to dial in 53 x 11 and see if you can break the sound barrier. Lorries and coaches do occasionally venture up here, and on a hairpin, they may well be on your side of the road. If you want to go crazy, wait for the bit of road between Otivar and Jete – smooth tarmac, clear sightlines, go for it.
Ride 2: Almuncear -> Pena Escrita. So you’ve done Ride 1 a few times and the idea of a 6 – 10% gradient is getting a bit tame. OK then, how about going to roughly the same altitude in about half the distance? Oh, and there’s a valley in the middle, so you do a fair chunk of the altitude twice. The Polar computer reckoned that this was a 12% average gradient – and there are some truly savage bits on the way.
To be absolutely honest, I don’t remember a lot about this ride, it was rather grim. You take the same road out of Almunecar, but before you completely leave the town, you take a sharp left which is sign posted with a large white board “Pena Escrita parque ecologico”. The first 200 yards gives a taste of what this will be like – very steep and very narrow.
There is a section of this ride that I do remember, and I have christened “the corkscrew” – a truly insane switchback climb of about 70 meters. You’ll know it when you get to it – don’t stop for a break, you’ll never get started again.
Just follow the wooden signs for Pena Escrita. There is a bar at the top, at the end of the concrete bit of the road, they sell good hot chocolate. It’s only 10 kilometres from the bottom, but it is the toughest 10 k I have ever done. If you can do it on a double, you’re a lot stronger than I am.
The descent back home isn’t fun. Tight bends, very steep and the challenge is staying on the bike rather than getting down fast.
Ride 3: Headland Bagging. This ride is quite handy because you don’t stray too far from the coast – making it easy to fit around family commitments if you have them. Each headland is about a 100 m climb, and we’re going to visit 4 or 5 of them.
Take the beach road out of Almunecar, heading west with the sea on your left. Keep going until the road disappears into what looks like a cliff face. Welcome to Cotobro...a mean climb with a 10% average gradient. At the top of this, you reach a T-junction, turn left, and ride along a flat road for about 300 yards. At the, er, sculpture (flower thing, grey and orange) keep left and you are now on the Punta de la Mona. Follow the signs for the “Marina Del Este” – which basically means follow the road, but turn left when you can. Beware of the surfaces around here – there are some pretty invisible dips in the road that will have you 2 feet above the bike if you are not paying attention. Descend the eastern side of the Punta, down to the marina at the bottom. Marvel at the empty shops, expensive boats, and nasty development – there are some good bars if you want to break here. Turn around, climb back up the hill and when you get to the top again, turn left. You are now on the loop road of the Punta…a short climb, then a descent to sea level, and the village of La Herradura.
Follow the beach road (there is a short one way system diversion) to the next headland which is Cerro Gordo. This is long and steep, but nothing frightening. Halfway up you will reach the N-340. Make a left turn (technically illegal, get off and walk if you are law abiding), and then turn immediately right onto the rough narrow road. Keep going up (not that hard now), until you reach the top. Follow the road round into the descent.
If you are absolutely nuts, read this paragraph. If you are not nuts skip to the next paragraph. There is a left turn on the West side of Cerro Gordo, sign posted “Cantarrijan – playa naturista”. Yup, it’s a nudist beach at the bottom of the steepest hill known to mankind. The Polar reckoned this was 15% average, and it can’t be far wrong. When you are descending it, your back wheel starts to lift as you brake. You can hear cars coming because they spin the inside wheel going through the bends – you think someone is coming up fast in a Porsche – but no, it’s a 1.3 Seat lighting up the front tyres as it struggles for grip. Anyway, enjoy, and I’d be really interested to know if anyone has ever done the first bend up from the beach on a bike. I was out of the saddle in 30 x 27, and I was nowhere close.
Continue the descent on the West side of the Cerro Gordo until you reach the N-340. You can either turn back, or carry onto Nerja on the N-340 – despite being busy, it really isn’t that bad. Assuming you don’t go back on the N-340, the total distance is about 20 miles with about 800 meters total climb.
Alternative Rides. I have only scratched at the surface of the possible rides. If you want alternatives, just get a map and plan a few routes. There are some great 120+ mile rides looping up into the mountains and back down to the coast.
What Kit Will I Need?Obviously a bicycle. It does not need to be anything special, though given the climbs involved, the lighter the better. In terms of gears, a triple is a wise investment – many of these rides can be achieved on a double (probably all of them if you are strong enough) – but having some very short gears to fall back on when tired is no bad thing. My bike (el platano – because it is yellow and bent) is a Condor steelie that is the veteran of thousands of miles of A4 commuting. I retired it to Spain after a particularly unpleasant smash near Heathrow in 2003.
Yes, I know that tri-bars & bull-horns aren’t entirely sensible for mountain climbing – but you can get to insane speeds on some of the descents. The default option is of course a road bike – but a slick tyred mountain bike or ‘crosser would not be a bad idea – there are loads of trails in the mountains that beg to be explored.
I’ve done all of these rides on a bike with hopeless single pivot brakes, and, after upgrading, I can heartily recommend dual pivot. Being able to stop is a huge advantage.
Clothes are variable according to the season. For the hottest period (June – September) shorts and a top are all you need. Perversely, I have taken to using a long sleeved top, which has the advantage of shielding your arms from the sun – however it is vital that it has a zip that can be completely undone so that you can dump heat from your (shaded) front. In the winter, do bear in mind the altitude (1300m is close to low ski resort levels) and dress accordingly. I would be pretty cautious about venturing into the remote mountains on my own in the winter.
All of the coastal bike shops that I have found have been pretty poor by UK standards – generally they sell bikes as a sideline to mopeds, and the availability of decent spares is suspect. As a minimum, I’d take a couple of tubes, a spare outer and a spare set of brake blocks.
A bottle of the strongest sun goop you can lay your hands on is a good idea. You will be out for several hours in the blazing sun at altitude – unprotected skin will fry. Speaking from bitter experience…remember that your ears need protection from the sun as well.
Those rides are the sort of thing I take my Granny on. Isn’t there anything really hard? Yes, Lance, there is some harder stuff. Spin up Ride 1, and continue to Granada. (about 50 miles). When you get to Granda, follow the signs to Pico de Valeta. 3400 meters of goodness – this is a whopping climb, with a reasonable chance of getting altitude sickness at the top if you are not acclimatized. It would make great altitude training, but I’ve never managed to find the time to do it.
I’ve heard that the Spanish are awful drivers. Is it safe?The roads in the area used to have some of the most awful fatality rates in Europe – you could pretty much guarantee that tens of people would die on a 200 Km stretch of road over a holiday weekend. There have been considerable upgrades to the roads – mainly eliminating some of the most dangerous turns, as well as the addition of passing places so that overtaking can happen in relative safety. However, the competitive spirit still exists in most drivers there, and it is not uncommon to have some lunatic 2 feet off your rear bumper at 120 Km/h.
Reading the paragraph above, you might think it is all rather grim for cyclists. The reality is that this is pretty much cycling nirvana. Nearly everyone has grown up using 2-wheeled transport (mainly mopeds), and the gaps they leave when overtaking are amazing – 4 ft minimum. I have also had 48 tonne articulated lorries slowly chugging up a hill behind me with no tooting and flashing. Cycling is viewed as a sport for athletes – there is none of the attitude and prejudice that is attached to it over here.
I can’t recommend the N-340 as a sensible place to do long distance cycling – especially when there are so many good routes elsewhere – but the prospect of doing a few miles on it to reach somewhere new is not something to be worried about.
When is the best time to go?Without doubt June and September are the best months; you are guaranteed sunshine and, apart from at the weekends, no-one is about. July and August are pretty hideous as the heat is stifling, and hordes of people descend onto the coast. If you have to go in school holidays, then stay away from the coastal strip, or get a villa that has a pool so that you don’t have to go out that much. Yes – it really is that bad. All other months are deserted, but the chance of persistent poor weather increases. Feburary -> May is probably the worst period from the weather perspective; it has been known to rain for 3 weeks solid in April.
What else is there to do? (How do I sell this to the family?)If the rest of the family want a traditional beach holiday rather than joining you on the bike, then they won’t be disappointed. Almunecar and La Herradura are typical Spanish coastal towns – they have an old centre, and plenty of fairly hideous developments in the periphery. That said, they are not as bad as some places, and they cater for a mainly Spanish market, so the incidence of lager louts is minimal. The only downside is that they can hardly be described as “kicking” – if you want nightlife, then stay in Nerja, a few miles west along the coast.
