RIDE WITH US IN ANDALUSIA
The biking in Andalucia, starting from Almáchar, is varied, fun and challenging, incorporating spectacular views! The mountains surrounding the village range in height between 200m and 2000m, but the training begins down in the village. Some of the hills within the village are so steep that the tops can barely be reached by bike. Experiencing the village is a challenging yet pleasurable place for interval training, whether by bike or on foot.
Starting from the village you can go on 100 km or even 200 km bicycle tours without encountering heavy traffic. Meeting only a few cars in the space of an hour is not unusual at all, if you, for example, choose the climb to the village of Comares, (which is situated 600 meters above sea level) and then continue making your way along the mountainside until you reach the villages of Colmenar and Alfarnate situated closest to the mountaintops with peaks on 1500m. The restaurant Venta del Alfarnate started 500 years ago has a delicious menu, the prospect of which keeps you going during the 50 km challenging climb from Almáchar. The restaurant is popular with locals. Unlike many villages on the Costa del Sol, Almáchar offers cycling in immediate proximity to the Andalusian countryside with minimal traffic, and the possibility of encountering cyclists of all nationalities.
ALMÁCHAR - THE VILLAGE
ALMÁCHAR is a quintessential Spanish village with picturesque white painted houses climbing up the sun-drenched valley.With the spectacular mountain formations surrounding the village, the view from the terrace of Casa de Luz towards Mount Maroma is breathtaking. A peaceful, late afternoon is only interrupted by the sound of a guard-dog barking in the distance. The sky is blue, as is normal, and the only sound is the clutter from the footwear of a lone hiker walking by on the warm, cobblestone streets.
Almáchar is situated between two rivers, located in a green and fruitful farmland with vineyards and plantations. “Tranquilo” (calm), is the most common description of this authentic Andalusian village. Approximately 2000 people call Almáchar home. Very few tourists come here. The fact that most streets are too narrow for cars makes the village even more peaceful.
Many farmers use mules for transportation in the village. An unashamedly sunburnt man walks through the village, with each hand leading a mule, carrying fresh mangos to the local grocery. In Almáchar, a wandering tourist can truly meet the authentic, unsophisticated Andalusian village.
CASA DE LUZ, OUR HOTEL IN ALMÁCHAR
The hotel is a Vivienda Rural (countryside hotel). The 200 square meter living space contains five double rooms, two living rooms, a large ten-seat dining hall, a kitchen spacious enough for three chefs, two bathrooms (one with shower, one with a bathtub) and a guest restroom.
Altogether, the balconies measure 60 square meters. On the top terrace you have the refreshing plunge pool with the outstanding view of the mountains, big enough for five people. In wintertime it can be heated to 35 degrees.
All five bedrooms are beautiful with three incorporating rustic windows with stunning views. The family room, with enough space for at least three beds, has a charming interior window facing the atrium, the most significant part of the house with the tremendous light. Ten single beds which can alternatively be put together to create five king size beds, offer sleeping flexibility making the hotel perfect for small groups and families.
For those of you who want to enjoy breakfast outside under grapevines, the ground-floor terrace offers warm morning sun, even during February.
Entering the house one immediately finds the dining hall to the right. The core of the house is from the morish period 500 years ago, and the construction with the atrium has typical Arabic influences.
A cactus tree grows all the way up the staircase to the transparent roof. The ground- floor living room has a fully working Danish cast iron wood stove, a TV with 40 channels and a Marshall Stereo which is capable of filling the house.
THE MOUNTAINS SURROUNDING ALMÁCHAR
The mountain air is fresh and the possibilities many. You can take a different route each day and still cover 1000 km in a week´s cycling. Whilst you can learn Mallorca in a week, cycling is more limited there.
Around Almáchar, you can do tours of different degrees of difficulty. A short pass is the beautiful road past El Borge, the 8.15 km downhill run to Benamargosa, and the 40 km climb back to Almáchar.
A challenging daytrip for the physically fit is Almáchar–Pico Veleta up in the mountains of Sierra Nevada, 3398 meters above sea level. Unfortunately, you need to walk the last thirty meters! I once met a cyclist who, almost at the top, chose to lift and carry his bicycle through the last bit of tough, rocky mountain terrain. But it was perhaps worth it – his friend photographed him lifting his bicycle against the blue sky, with Pico Mulhacen, 3 493 meters above sea level, the highest peak in Spain, as the background. 310 kilometres and 7000 altimeters in a single day is a test in strength and endurance, even for the fittest. This trip is best in June when most of the snow has melted, and temperatures are still moderately cool. Even then, you still must make your way through seven-meter-high walls of snow to get up to the plateau, where you can see the Mediterranean Sea behind the mountains. Have you got energy for an extra eighteen kilometres? Cool down with a well-deserved sea bath in Torre del Mar. 328 km will then be the total distance travelled.
RUNNING OR HIKING ON YOUR OWN
Many do not share their partner’s craze for breakneck mountain biking. If you want to run or hike in the mountains on your own instead, just start directly from the door. There are plenty of excellent roads, pathways, and trails. Just take sufficient water and have a phone with you just in case!
A nice day route is to walk along the mountain ridge, which looms in front of the hotel’s terrace, to the right, towards the village of Moclinejo with a sea view. Here you can eat well in the beautiful square, stroll amongst the many colourful works of art that decorate the white facades and return full and satisfied. 18 km in total sounds short, but there are very tough climbs that get the pulse racing.
A slightly easier hike is to instead go down to the riverbed and aim for the village of Cutar situated to your left seven km away on the other side of the valley. On more ambitious days, you can continue down from there into the next river valley, and then climb steeply up towards Comares, which has the best view of the entire Axarquía mountain range and the coast with the sparkling sea. The hiking record then shows 50 km well back in Almáchar, so start early!
A challenging but beautiful hike is to go to the right and continue past the turning to Moclinejo, up the country road towards the sea. Turn right there for 200 meters, then left towards El Borge. Here I have also run many times, but take it carefully, the knees take a lot of punishment. The trip is 19 km.
In “winter” (the average temperature is 16 degrees in January), the often-snow-covered mountain La Maroma opposite Almáchar, 200 meters above sea level,
is the easiest to climb from Alcaucín. Cycling or driving to this village, which is a few miles up, is recommended. Otherwise, you won’t have time to experience the coolness of 2,000 meters on a hot summer day.
FAQ: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. “Why should you cycle in southern Spain?“
Because the weather from October to May is the best imaginable for training: the average temperature is 16 degrees when it is the coldest period in January and February. With sun 9 out of 10 days, short cycling pants apply. In Mallorca it is several degrees colder, and the weather is more unreliable in winter.
2. “Why cycle in Andalusia with Bike Casa de Luz and not with organizers of cycling trips to Mallorca, a major destination for cyclists since the 1970s?”
Our prices are approximately 800 Euro lower than the prices for cycling trips to Mallorca (see tab booking and prices). We skip bringing in expensive former cycling stars, lectures on diet and training, and support cars vehicles.
3. “But apart from the price, are there any other reasons to choose Andalucia with Bike Casa de Luz?
Almáchar, with just over 2,000 inhabitants, 30km from Malaga, is an excellent strategic location for cycling including altitude training for the more elite athlete. There are no less than four alternative mountain roads starting from here, which in turn branch off into more road alternatives. Those who like Spain like to climb and speed downhill. We offer that directly from the door in Almáchar. On the coast the options are often whether to turn right or left and quite flat. In Andalucia you have exploring excursions to do for several weeks, or months.
4. “Is there a lot of traffic and bumpy roads around Almáchar?”
Here we have a big advantage, no heavy traffic and on occasion, you may not see a car for a good hour! Motorists in the mountains show great consideration and keep their distance. The roads are in very good condition, both the downhill drive towards Rincon de la Victoria by the sea, and the road towards Cutar and Velez-Malaga. The concrete road closest to the hotel is somewhat bumpy, but extremely steep which keeps the speed down. Here you need to hang over the handlebars in parts, so that the bike does not lift. Cool, I say.
5. “Do you need your own bicycle to be able to participate?”
I have ten road (racing) bikes for rent. I also work with Marc from Belgium who has a bike rental in Torre del Mar. He will deliver rental bikes to the hotel door: biciterraneo.es or bikephilosofy.com
Bringing your own bike means a lot of unnecessary trouble. There is also a risk that it could get damaged on the flight.
6. “Do you have to be an elite cyclist to be able to participate?”
No, the leaders from Almáchar’s cycling club divide us into speed groups. Or we all run in the same group with this setup: the fastest turn around at the top and roll down and meet the others. The goal is to offer everyone a pace that you can power through every day for a week. If you’re tired, we won’t deny you a day of rest by the pool.
7. “Does one get full from the food served”?
The breakfast buffet is large and Swedish style with porridge and egg. The evening buffet is plentiful, always with a vegetarian alternative to meat or fish. You can buy a packed lunch from the breakfast buffet, or choose to eat one of the café/ bars on the routes.
8. “We are a large group of thirty cyclists. Is there room for us”?
Yes, we cooperate with a hotel near Casa de Luz: https://posadadelbandolero.net/
We can also offer apartments here: https://www.lalipa.es/
In total, between us we can accommodate 35 cyclists. Send us your details and we can check availability.
9. “If you break down during the trip and need to go back by car, do you have companion cars that pick you up then”?
No, I feel that it is not necessary, and contributes massively to the high price of similar packages offered elsewhere. It’s overkill. The freedom is to start on the bike and come home on the bike, whole and fresh with strength left for the next day. In case of emergency, there are taxis and, of course, emergency services and insurance-backed medical care available. Spain is a modern country.
10. “Is it dangerous to cycle in the mountains”?
It is significantly safer than cycling on the coast and on country roads in many other countries. The Spanish drivers show great respect for cyclists in the mountains by keeping their distance (legally required 1.5m) and waiting for the right opportunity to pass. We go through all the rules before the start. It is especially important to keep a safe distance from the cyclist in front, both going down and uphill. Take it easy on the downhill curves. Gravel, wetness and crushed fruit can make the roads slippery. If the adrenaline is pumping, feel free to show us your punch uphill. When we run two pairs, we signal change verbally. Although we stick to the rules, we are keen to always have a great experience.
