A week in southern Spain
cw42
Posts: 205
I thought I'd share my experience of cycling in southern Spain in November 2009. Enjoy!?
I had 2 weeks off from work, and was given the go ahead from SWMBO to go stay with my mother and step father in Sierra de Yeguas, north of Antequera in Spain. I booked the flight in mid October and went with EasyJet as when I added my bike with other budget airlines, the prices went through the roof. EasyJet were only £35 extra. My flight was £115 all in, which was nice. Next I needed a bag to pack my bike in, so thanks to a message in the for sale/wanted section on here, I got a 2nd hand Pearson bike bag for £60. Excellent bit of kit, and kept my bike safe there and back with no problems whatsoever. Bike was dissasembled with the wheels going in the supplied bags, skewers put back on the frame, plenty of pipe lagging "borrowed" from work, derailuier taken off and ziptied to the frame and pedals taken off. Finally, handlebar was ziptied to the top tube and computer/mudguards/lights removed.
It was an early sunday morning flight, and the views from the plane were gorgeous. I had a window seat and the plane was relatively quiet.
Then, as we were nearing Malaga, I was lookinig out the window and spotted both where my mum liives and also the lakes which was my BIG RIDE GOAL for the holiday.
A warm welcome from mum and Dave, unpacked the bike, figured it was such a nice afternoon it'd be a shame to waste it lazing about. So went for my first proper road ride in Spain. I only took 1 bottle of water with me as my plan was to just do a simple 10 miler while checking that the bike was ok, and do a little aclaimatisation as well.
I took a quick photo with my iphone at the start of the ride, and when I stoppped I realised how windy it was. No wonder I was bowling along at 20mph!
The route was like this:
http://tinyurl.com/yhmpn4w
which as you can see, was a bit more than 10 miles! I called into a bar on the way round to pick up some more water, as I didn't want to start the holiday dehydrated! Still, I had a good first ride, and stopped in the village for a beer.
Well deserved I thought
Day 2, Monday, and a slightly longer ride planned for today. The town of Asuna was not too far away, and the route to it looked hilly and a bit of a challenge. This time, I went out properly prepared, suncreamed up, water bottle full, camelback full, bananas and a full breakfast to see me on my way. Once again the roads were terrific. Well surfaced with barely any traffic on them. Weather was gorgeous. Temp was around the 20’s, with a light breeze today and a clear blue sky. A little different from back home.
Even got to see the local wild fox
A busy day at the office
The area I was in was a big farming area. Mostly Olives, but also some pigs, a few goats and now wind power! I liken it to Yorkshire, with sunshine.
After cycling through Asuna, this was the view back:
And that is a busy main road?!
Route looked like this:
http://tinyurl.com/yhesxam
The road from Naverradonda to Martin de la jara was exceptional. Mostly downhill, but with some gorgeous twist and turns and barely a car in sight.
Day 3, Tuesday. Not a long ride today, as I’m not a big distance cyclist back in the UK and I wanted to save my legs for my BIG BIKE GOAL. So, a quick blast around the local lake and into Campillos, then head back to Sierra.
Weather wasn’t as good today, but no rain and pretty much perfect cycling weather.
Route:
http://tinyurl.com/yhhta7b
Day 4, Wednesday was going to be the day of my BIG BIKE GOAL, but my legs were aching by this time, and I thought it prudent to have a rest day. A little window shopping with mum and Dave in Campillos, then onto lunch with some of the other ex-pats they know. A nice afternoon in the garden reading, then planning my route for the following day, a few beers, and an early night.
Day 5, Thursday. BIG BIKE GOAL day.
My whole trip was based on the thought of doing this particular route. We’d done it as a family a few years earlier in the hire car, and back then I thought it would be good to cycle. So here I was, setting off earlyish for the big route. I figured it’d be around 64 miles, give or take, as no maps would show the whole route, so I packed accordingly. I planned to stop a few times on the way for provisions, especially water, as there was no way I could carry enough for the day.
The day started better then previously, very still, blue sky, light traffic.
I paused on the road out of Asuna to take this:
The road had just been completed and was as smooth as silk all the way to my turn off for the lakes.
Farmers had once again been out with their combs
I expected the first half of the route to be quite hilly, and it was, mostly downhill, which was nice
Seeing these roads again took me back to the time we’d done it in the car all those years before, wish the missus could have been with me at this point.
Anyway, onward and downward, pausing occasionally to check I was taking the right roads. Once I’d got my bearings down at the dams, and climbed back out of the valley, it was a great ride to my final destination, EL CHORRO.
You can see 2 climbers about to begin the climb upto the disused walkway here:
And a bit of youtube to see what they’re trying to get to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmDhRvvs5Xw
There is talk of the authorities reopening this walkway. Do you fancy it?
Stopping at the café to fill up on water, I took a quick phone picture to send to the family and post on facebook
Amazingly the internet connection was brilliant down there! I lose signal up Buxton sometimes!
Anyway, after that brief stop, it was time to do the meat of the ride. The climb out of El Chorro was always going to be a challenge, and I have to admit I neither had the gears or the power to cycle all the way. So a little bit of pushing was in order. After a while though, the road levels out and becomes a roller coaster ride all the way back through some lovely small towns and into Antequera.
Towards the middle part of the afternoon, the weather started to close in a little, and I was concerned that I may be getting wet that day
However, the weather held and the clouds stayed over the mountains. Eventually I made Antequera town:
And a well deserved rest stop in a café/petrol station.
Filled up with water, ham and cheese toastie, chocolate pastry, café con leche and another 1.5 litres of aqua, I was on my way for the final leg of my ride. This was mostly flat, but by now my backside was getting a little uncomfortable, and it was a bit of a struggle to get back to Sierra. I made it though, and did 68 miles that day, drinking over 5 litres of water in the process!
The route is hard to show on google maps as there’s a big gap missing near the start as you first head onto the lakes national park, but once on there off the Camillos – ardales road, it goes this way:
http://tinyurl.com/yzf3ckn
That night, I was tired but well chuffed with my achievement. Next time I intend to ride up to the top of the local mountain, which is a similar distance there and back but a much bigger climb.
Day 6, Friday. Needless to say this was always going to be an easy day. And so it was, with just a little ride around the local area, past the new high speed train terminal outside of Antequera, catching a photo of the train in action
And back to base for a rest.
Day 7, Saturday. My 42nd birthday.
As I had my packing to do in preparation for my return on Sunday, I wanted to get one final ride in. We’d been out for a little drive the afternoon before, and it was such a nice route I thought I’d give it a go on the bike. I hadn’t figured on the wind being so strong though, and I could finally feel a chill in the air in my summer riding gear.
The route took me down some now familiar roads and up one big climb out of Los Corrales, along a very very windy section, which saw me at one point leaning right over to stay upright, and finally dropping down to Campillos. One benefit of all that wind was that it was on my back from Campillos to Sierra. My did I fly back on my final trip of the holiday! Fantastic!
We went out for tea that afternoon, and mum made me a coffee cake, my favourite
Day 8, Sunday. Time for home. All packed, flight at 11:55 landing at 13:40 back in the UK. This was taken on the morning I was leaving in Spain
Rain for the first time in ages! I’d been very lucky with the weather in my week there.
I’d like to say the Spanish were wonderful. Drivers give you loads of room on the roads, the locals always say hello and can’t help you enough. Thanks to my mum and dave for putting me up for the week, and a special thanks to Joh my wife for giving permission for me to go in the first place
A cracking time, can’t wait to go back and stretch my horizons
Chris
I had 2 weeks off from work, and was given the go ahead from SWMBO to go stay with my mother and step father in Sierra de Yeguas, north of Antequera in Spain. I booked the flight in mid October and went with EasyJet as when I added my bike with other budget airlines, the prices went through the roof. EasyJet were only £35 extra. My flight was £115 all in, which was nice. Next I needed a bag to pack my bike in, so thanks to a message in the for sale/wanted section on here, I got a 2nd hand Pearson bike bag for £60. Excellent bit of kit, and kept my bike safe there and back with no problems whatsoever. Bike was dissasembled with the wheels going in the supplied bags, skewers put back on the frame, plenty of pipe lagging "borrowed" from work, derailuier taken off and ziptied to the frame and pedals taken off. Finally, handlebar was ziptied to the top tube and computer/mudguards/lights removed.
It was an early sunday morning flight, and the views from the plane were gorgeous. I had a window seat and the plane was relatively quiet.
Then, as we were nearing Malaga, I was lookinig out the window and spotted both where my mum liives and also the lakes which was my BIG RIDE GOAL for the holiday.
A warm welcome from mum and Dave, unpacked the bike, figured it was such a nice afternoon it'd be a shame to waste it lazing about. So went for my first proper road ride in Spain. I only took 1 bottle of water with me as my plan was to just do a simple 10 miler while checking that the bike was ok, and do a little aclaimatisation as well.
I took a quick photo with my iphone at the start of the ride, and when I stoppped I realised how windy it was. No wonder I was bowling along at 20mph!
The route was like this:
http://tinyurl.com/yhmpn4w
which as you can see, was a bit more than 10 miles! I called into a bar on the way round to pick up some more water, as I didn't want to start the holiday dehydrated! Still, I had a good first ride, and stopped in the village for a beer.
Well deserved I thought
Day 2, Monday, and a slightly longer ride planned for today. The town of Asuna was not too far away, and the route to it looked hilly and a bit of a challenge. This time, I went out properly prepared, suncreamed up, water bottle full, camelback full, bananas and a full breakfast to see me on my way. Once again the roads were terrific. Well surfaced with barely any traffic on them. Weather was gorgeous. Temp was around the 20’s, with a light breeze today and a clear blue sky. A little different from back home.
Even got to see the local wild fox
A busy day at the office
The area I was in was a big farming area. Mostly Olives, but also some pigs, a few goats and now wind power! I liken it to Yorkshire, with sunshine.
After cycling through Asuna, this was the view back:
And that is a busy main road?!
Route looked like this:
http://tinyurl.com/yhesxam
The road from Naverradonda to Martin de la jara was exceptional. Mostly downhill, but with some gorgeous twist and turns and barely a car in sight.
Day 3, Tuesday. Not a long ride today, as I’m not a big distance cyclist back in the UK and I wanted to save my legs for my BIG BIKE GOAL. So, a quick blast around the local lake and into Campillos, then head back to Sierra.
Weather wasn’t as good today, but no rain and pretty much perfect cycling weather.
Route:
http://tinyurl.com/yhhta7b
Day 4, Wednesday was going to be the day of my BIG BIKE GOAL, but my legs were aching by this time, and I thought it prudent to have a rest day. A little window shopping with mum and Dave in Campillos, then onto lunch with some of the other ex-pats they know. A nice afternoon in the garden reading, then planning my route for the following day, a few beers, and an early night.
Day 5, Thursday. BIG BIKE GOAL day.
My whole trip was based on the thought of doing this particular route. We’d done it as a family a few years earlier in the hire car, and back then I thought it would be good to cycle. So here I was, setting off earlyish for the big route. I figured it’d be around 64 miles, give or take, as no maps would show the whole route, so I packed accordingly. I planned to stop a few times on the way for provisions, especially water, as there was no way I could carry enough for the day.
The day started better then previously, very still, blue sky, light traffic.
I paused on the road out of Asuna to take this:
The road had just been completed and was as smooth as silk all the way to my turn off for the lakes.
Farmers had once again been out with their combs
I expected the first half of the route to be quite hilly, and it was, mostly downhill, which was nice
Seeing these roads again took me back to the time we’d done it in the car all those years before, wish the missus could have been with me at this point.
Anyway, onward and downward, pausing occasionally to check I was taking the right roads. Once I’d got my bearings down at the dams, and climbed back out of the valley, it was a great ride to my final destination, EL CHORRO.
You can see 2 climbers about to begin the climb upto the disused walkway here:
And a bit of youtube to see what they’re trying to get to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmDhRvvs5Xw
There is talk of the authorities reopening this walkway. Do you fancy it?
Stopping at the café to fill up on water, I took a quick phone picture to send to the family and post on facebook
Amazingly the internet connection was brilliant down there! I lose signal up Buxton sometimes!
Anyway, after that brief stop, it was time to do the meat of the ride. The climb out of El Chorro was always going to be a challenge, and I have to admit I neither had the gears or the power to cycle all the way. So a little bit of pushing was in order. After a while though, the road levels out and becomes a roller coaster ride all the way back through some lovely small towns and into Antequera.
Towards the middle part of the afternoon, the weather started to close in a little, and I was concerned that I may be getting wet that day
However, the weather held and the clouds stayed over the mountains. Eventually I made Antequera town:
And a well deserved rest stop in a café/petrol station.
Filled up with water, ham and cheese toastie, chocolate pastry, café con leche and another 1.5 litres of aqua, I was on my way for the final leg of my ride. This was mostly flat, but by now my backside was getting a little uncomfortable, and it was a bit of a struggle to get back to Sierra. I made it though, and did 68 miles that day, drinking over 5 litres of water in the process!
The route is hard to show on google maps as there’s a big gap missing near the start as you first head onto the lakes national park, but once on there off the Camillos – ardales road, it goes this way:
http://tinyurl.com/yzf3ckn
That night, I was tired but well chuffed with my achievement. Next time I intend to ride up to the top of the local mountain, which is a similar distance there and back but a much bigger climb.
Day 6, Friday. Needless to say this was always going to be an easy day. And so it was, with just a little ride around the local area, past the new high speed train terminal outside of Antequera, catching a photo of the train in action
And back to base for a rest.
Day 7, Saturday. My 42nd birthday.
As I had my packing to do in preparation for my return on Sunday, I wanted to get one final ride in. We’d been out for a little drive the afternoon before, and it was such a nice route I thought I’d give it a go on the bike. I hadn’t figured on the wind being so strong though, and I could finally feel a chill in the air in my summer riding gear.
The route took me down some now familiar roads and up one big climb out of Los Corrales, along a very very windy section, which saw me at one point leaning right over to stay upright, and finally dropping down to Campillos. One benefit of all that wind was that it was on my back from Campillos to Sierra. My did I fly back on my final trip of the holiday! Fantastic!
We went out for tea that afternoon, and mum made me a coffee cake, my favourite
Day 8, Sunday. Time for home. All packed, flight at 11:55 landing at 13:40 back in the UK. This was taken on the morning I was leaving in Spain
Rain for the first time in ages! I’d been very lucky with the weather in my week there.
I’d like to say the Spanish were wonderful. Drivers give you loads of room on the roads, the locals always say hello and can’t help you enough. Thanks to my mum and dave for putting me up for the week, and a special thanks to Joh my wife for giving permission for me to go in the first place
A cracking time, can’t wait to go back and stretch my horizons
Chris
live long, eat biscuit
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Comments
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62 views and not a single comment!
Have I said something wrong? live long, eat biscuit0 -
Not at all I think. I just had to view at home as work computer is far too slow and didn't load all the images.
Awesome, and I'm sure I travelled a couple of those roads when I did my spainish trip earlier this year
"This area left purposefully blank"
Sign hung on my head everyday till noon.
FCN: 11 (apparently)0 -
Cheers for the picture of your bike before being packed...
Some great tips on how i can hopefully pack my bike before first trip abroad next year...0 -
hisoka wrote:Not at all I think. I just had to view at home as work computer is far too slow and didn't load all the images.
Awesome, and I'm sure I travelled a couple of those roads when I did my spainish trip earlier this year
the roads in that area are something else, and they're in the process of improving loads of them too!live long, eat biscuit0 -
pmannion9 wrote:Cheers for the picture of your bike before being packed...
Some great tips on how i can hopefully pack my bike before first trip abroad next year...
easy enough to pack up. Just make sure your bike bag is up to standard. I'm pretty certain that's what kept my bike damage free.live long, eat biscuit0 -
pmannion9 wrote:Cheers for the picture of your bike before being packed...
Some great tips on how i can hopefully pack my bike before first trip abroad next year...
Have a look here: There is a good picture and guide on packing a bike.
http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=51840 -
Maybe you need a blog! or at least to resize the photos
el chorro's cool though eh? We spent 10 days there climbingblog: bellevedere0 -
I explored El chorro about 3 years ago - my mate lives in Antequerra, just up the road from the castle. I reckon it takes some guts to go on that walkway - I heard someone dies falling off it nearly every year, and it looks pretty precarious in places.
Anyway - thanks for this - I'll use it as inspiration and guidance as I've been meaning to take my bike over there for a few years now.0 -
Some great photos there, I miss Spain when it comes to roads!!!
Glad to hear you had a good time though – I am pretty sure there should be a club in the area (http://www.actiweb.es/cceltorcal/) so you could always go with them or ask them for routes as I bet they know the area to perfection.x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Commuting / Winter rides - Jamis Renegade Expert
Pootling / Offroad - All-City Macho Man Disc
Fast rides Cannondale SuperSix Ultegra0 -
LittleB0b wrote:Maybe you need a blog! or at least to resize the photos
el chorro's cool though eh? We spent 10 days there climbing
I've already resized the photos! They're only 70 ish kb in size and all 640 pixels wide.
I didn't want to do a blog as it would've been a one shot deal live long, eat biscuit0 -
gabriel959 wrote:Some great photos there, I miss Spain when it comes to roads!!!
Glad to hear you had a good time though – I am pretty sure there should be a club in the area (http://www.actiweb.es/cceltorcal/) so you could always go with them or ask them for routes as I bet they know the area to perfection.
I did hear of a couple of clubs in the area, one based just up the road at Humilladaro. Unfortunately they all seem to go out on sundays only! Not something you can do if like me you arrive sunday afternoon and leave sunday morning
Maybe I should go for 2 weeks next time live long, eat biscuit0 -
I spent 2 weeks riding around the Sierra Nevada a couple of years ago. I went in September flew to Granada for around £100 return with the touring bike and kit. I rode from the airport and over high passes and around Las Alpujarras which is a beautiful area. It was in the low 20s and i found the people and drivers great. Its a great place for riding, will be going back. 0
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Its so nice to have such a detailed trip guide - thanks for sharing it.0
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Thanks for the comments guys. I've edited the long url's of the routes to make them a bit smaller as per the mods request live long, eat biscuit0
