The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

Andalucia and White Villages

April 20th to May 5th

Ride Coordinator: Claude Monnier
Report by: Maryanne Moloney

A total of 23 (14 female / 9 male) riders participated ranging in age between 52 & 73 yrs., the majority of whom were in their 60’s. There were 5 Tandem riders, 11 Single Bike riders (4 rentals) and 2 E-Bikers (2 rentals). All experienced cyclists/triathletes –12 veteran BAC bike riders and 11 first-timers.

WEATHER: Morning temps averaged mid-50’s and warmed to mid-60’s by midday. There were a couple of chilly mornings and a couple of long sections where strong headwinds prevailed. And only two half-days of rain at the start of the rides.

ROUTES: The total mileage for 12-days of biking was approximately 1050km (652 miles) w/ 15,000lm (49,213ft) of climbing. (Not including optional ride on the rest day in Ronda and optional diversion climbing 762m (2500ft) to Puerto de las Palomas Summit via Zahara on the way to Grazalema.)

There is no escaping the hills that abound on every ride. The gradients averaged between 5-7% and a few steep pitches at 12-15% that made for a challenging day on the saddle. A couple of days of seemingly endless winding uphill roads took your breath away, both literally and figuratively!

Overall, the road conditions were excellent. There were a couple of rides that had approximately 10 miles of rough patches and a steep gravel road climb on the last day.

FYI: for a more comfortable ride wider tires are recommended.

There was some flexibility built in around the departure times depending on distance, weather, lunch stops but on average everyone started riding by 10am and arrived the next village by 4pm allowing ample time to regroup and meander around town.

HOTELS: The accommodations were top-notch for comfort, amenities and location. FUN FACT: there is a degree of elevation gain on most of the routes leading “UP” to the hillside villages. In a few cases, the approach to the entrance of the hotel required walking the bike up a steep incline to the entrance or hoisting the bike up set a cobble-stoned steps.

EXCURSIONS: The add-on excursions required purchasing tickets in advance including the NOT-TO-BE-MISSED Alhambra in Granada and Caminito del Rey in Pasada del Conde. FYI:  UNESCO sites sell out quickly at least 3 months prior to preferred dates. Group outings were organized including traditional Flamenco and guided tour of Historic Old Town in Cordoba. And one of our bike routes included a stopover at Setenil de las Bodegas famous for its dwellings built into rocky overhangs.

BIKE MAINTENANCE: There are several well-stocked bike shops for replacement parts, accessories and apparel in Cordoba and Ronda (the two places where we stayed an extra night).

To conclude, the planning and collaboration between the local tour company and the BAC ride coordinator made this trip a unique experience enabling us to travel thru a wide swath of southern Spain traveling thru numerous small hilltop villages that offered spectacular views at every turn (and that most cycling outfitters cannot even match). Springtime in southern Spain was a spectacle of colors covering the fields and hillsides with purple, pink, yellow and white blooms. Wildflowers and poppies were in full lining the roadsides.

The best part was the moral support and shared enthusiasm with each of the other participants and the new bonds of friendships formed.

RESTAURANTS:  A few memorable meals were on our own and would highly recommend (most restaurants open at 8pm are closed Mondays).

Antequera:

Arte de Cozina https://discover.silversea.com/destinations/the-art-of-cooking-s-a-l-t-experiences-transports-you-to-andalucias-culinary-revival/

Ronda:

Sensur Gastrobar https://sensurgastrobar.com

Meson El Sacristan https://mesonelsacristan.com/restaurante/

Vejer de la Frontera:

Casa Vero: https://casavaro.com/en/home/