ROUTES IN ANDALUSIA

In Andalusia there are ten mountain bike routes (called Al-Andalus routes) which link Granada with the main andalusian cities (Sevilla, Cordoba, Jaén, …) following the old arab roads. They are published (in english) in the book “The routes of Al-Andalus” (El Pais-Aguilar, 1995) and they are signposted in every city. These routes will show you the real beauty of Andalusia ignoring the ugly and crowded coastline resorts. You can cycle them at any season but avoid the hottest days of the summer!.

We have cycled several of these routes (see map below):

- In the spring of 1997 Roser, Maria and me we cycled the Alpujarras route which links Alhama de Almería with Lanjarón (172 kms). Probably is one of the best and most beautiful routes that you can do in Spain, cycling through the south side of Sierra Nevada mountains. We made this route in three stages, sleeping in Laujar (taste its wine!), Mecina Bombarón, Trevélez (taste its cured ham!) and Capileira.

- In Christmas 1997 María, Gabi and me we made the Almorávides route, roughly 200 km long, which links Algeciras, Ronda, and Antequera. Due to the bad wheater we had to stay 2 nights in the very beatiful village of Gaucín. We also slep in Ronda, Ardales and Antequera, knowing one of the most beautiful areas of Spain: The Serrania of Ronda and the "white villages" where we have came back several times later.

- In spring 1998 Maria and me we link two routes: a) the Washington Irving’s route from Sevilla to Granada (225 kms), sleeping in Osuna, Antequera and Loja and b) the Califato route from Granada to Córdoba (198 kms), sleeping in Alcalá la Real and Baena. We still remember the deep emotion that we felt when we arrived to Córdoba in a sunny spring day cycling between green fields.

- In the spring of 2001 Gabi, Contxa, Ricardo, María y me we have cycled the route of Almohades from Ubeda to Granada (169 kms), going through Baeza, Jaén and Iznalloz.

Some of the Al-Andalus routes