Serrania "High Road" - White Villages Leisure Cycling Tour in Spain

Self-Guided Cycling Tour in Andalucia

Enjoy self-guided cycle touring in Spain; cycle at your own pace through beautiful, unspoiled countryside, visiting some of western Andalucia’s most charming pueblos blancos. Stunning views, quiet roads and delicious local produce offer something special on every day of this week-long self-guided cycle tour, giving you a delightful picture of rural Andalucian life. 

You will cycle through 3 Andalucian provinces – Malaga, Sevilla and Cadiz - and pass through the heart of the protected area of the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park. You will enjoy a variety of mountain, valley, river and forest landscapes and see a different character and unique feel of many small white villages. This “High Road” tour includes two challenging and spectacular climbs through the high passes of “Puerto de Las Palomas” and “Puerto del Boyar”, so you can experience the full beauty and drama of the Sierra de Grazalema mountains.

Our Andalucian cycling tour routes always take the less-travelled path. We avoid the easy-to-find roads in favour of more scenic, lesser-known minor roads and country tracks, to give you a truly unique experience of the real Spain.

Award Winning Tours & Service

Summary

START:  Ronda     FINISH:  Ronda

Duration *	8 days	7 nights	6 cycling days
Distance	210 km total	35 km daily avg     ( max 56km: min 20km )
Grading	Moderate to Challenging - route includes some hills each day (460m-960m per day), including 2 days with notable climbs into the mountains of the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park (although distances are kept short on those days. Route uses a mix of quiet roads, unsurfaced roads, and tracks to keep you away from traffic as far as possible.
Availability **	March-November. Choose the dates which suit you. Start on any day of the week. N.B. Supplements may apply during Easter week due to inflated accommodation prices.
Price ***	€975  per person based on 2 people sharing a double or twin room with breakfast     ( €1095  with e-bike )

  * Tour duration can be extended by adding rest days along the route; let us know your preferences when you enquire.

** Check out the local annual temperatures and rainfall here. 

*** Solo traveler and single occupancy prices are available upon request.

WHAT'S INCLUDED 7 nights of accommodation on a B&B basis  Luggage transfers Quality hybrid bike or e-bike Optional seat-post rear bag and/or handlebar bag for your daily needs (we recommend traveling light) Helmet & water bottle (or bring your own) Route GPS (phone App with daily routes, profiles, and maps, no Data-usage required) or GPX files Annotated route maps  Briefing Pack, incl tips, advice, and day-by-day route notes Briefing meeting on arrival   See our suggested KIT LIST for cycle touring in Spain.

ACCOMMODATION Your tour goes through a mix of large and small towns and more rural areas, so the accommodation style and standard will vary greatly. In the larger towns, we usually book 4**** or 3*** hotels; outside of these, you will stay in countryside haciendas, boutique B&Bs or traditional-style village hotels. All rooms have en-suite facilities. Our selections are based on clean and comfortable accommodation (if sometimes quite simple), friendly owners and staff, a warm welcome, bike storage, and sometimes a swimming pool too. Highlight on this tour is the Cortijo spa hotel overlooking Zahara lake.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Arrive in Ronda

Check in to your hotel and enjoy the sights and sounds of the beautiful clifftop town of Ronda. Briefing and bike set-up will take place on your first evening

 

Spain Bike Tour Day 1 - Ronda to Olvera

41km +530m

From Ronda, you cycle northwards, past vineyards and olive groves. Lunch in Setenil de las Bodegas, under huge overhanging limestone cliffs. Ancient "cave houses" built into the rock form the basis of many village houses, shops and cafes. Cycle on through limestone gorge and farmland, up into Torre Alhaquime village, with great views across to Olvera's striking skyline of Arab fortress and twin-towered Renaissance church. A final section through the olives brings you to your overnight accommodation in a traditional Andalucian-style hotel.

Spain Bike Tour Day 2 - Olvera to Montellano

38km +823m

Today you ride along the Via Verde de la Sierra, a disused railway line through the mountains and olive groves, with long tunnels (automatic lighting), viaducts, and a griffon vulture colony, perched high up on the rocks above the track. Lunch at one of the old station buildings before climbing up into the hills and onto the village of Montellano. You will stay in the village, with plenty of local dining options.

Spain Bike Tour Day 3 - Montellano to El Bosque

56km + 649m

Ride through farmland, passing through olive, sunflower, and cotton fields. Lunch in the small village of Prado del Rey - lots of little tapas bars and cafes close to the picturesque village square. Ride on past an area of natural inland salt deposits, Las Salinas de Iptuci, managed as salt flats since Roman times and where 300 tonnes of salt are still produced every year. Overnight in El Bosque in a traditional village hotel; an old mill wheel and fountain on the village square provide a lovely spot for dinner.

Spain Bike Tour Day 4 - El Bosque to Grazalema

20km +959m

Today's ride includes a steady 15km climb up "The Beast of El Boyar" to a high elevation of 1103m. The climb is tough and not to be taken lightly but it doesn't have to be tackled at a race pace, so should be perfectly doable if you take your time. Enjoy the views along the way and you'll forget about the climb! Continue on to Grazalema, set beneath dramatic mountains with fabulous views out into the valley below. You will stay in the center of the village, which is picturesque and well maintained with quite grand houses and a large central plaza and church. The village has lots of good restaurants for evening dining.

Spain Bike Tour Day 5 Grazalema to Montecorto

28km +681m

Another good but shorter climb today, up to Las Palomas Pass (1189m). Going in this direction, from Grazalema, is the easier way to enjoy this high Pass, as you ride up for 5km out of Grazalema and then have a fantastic 11km twisting descent down to the village of Zahara de la Sierra. All the way down you will have fabulous views of the beautiful blue lake below the village. Take a lunchtime stop here and then continue via an undulating road around the lake's edge to your spa Cortijo accommodation, overlooking the lake. A table will be reserved for you for dinner in the hotel restaurant. Spa treatments can be pre-booked for you on request.

Spain Bike Tour Day 6 - Montecorto to Ronda

33km +942m

The day begins with a climb up into the hills to the Puerto de Montejaque via vineyards and open countryside. A short descent is followed by a twisting climb up through the cork oak forest and past an abandoned dam to Montejaque village. Take a break in the picturesque village plaza before enjoying a fast descent down to the Cueva del Gato (Cat Cave), so-called because of the shape of the cave in the rockface. This is a local beauty spot with a year-round waterfall that cascades from the cave mouth into a crystal clear, blue pool of water. From here it is a gradual climb back up to Ronda to finish your cycling.

Day 8 - Depart Ronda

Check out from your hotel and have a safe trip home or to your next destination.

We can provide transfers to your next destination or airports of Sevilla or Malaga. POA

We hope to see you again in the future.

FAQ's

WHERE WILL I BE RIDING? Our cycling tour routes take you on a scenic journey away from traffic as far as possible. You will cycle mainly on quiet country roads and unsurfaced tracks. Daily distances vary according to the tour you select. We design all our routes so that you will have time after your cycling to relax and enjoy each overnight location. WILL I BE FIT ENOUGH? Our self-guided tours are designed for leisure cyclists rather than cycling experts or people looking for large daily mileage. There are hills throughout the region but we keep daily distances manageable, particularly on days with more hills. Climbing up "The Beast" to Grazalema and then up to Las Palomas Pass is a challenge but take things at your own pace. Anyone who is reasonably fit and happy to be on a bike for 4+ hours a day will enjoy this tour.

WILL MY LUGGAGE BE TRANSFERRED? No need for panniers or trying to pack light and risk leaving important items behind. We transfer your main luggage for you so you just take a few items for each day – water, snacks, and sunscreen. We provide an 8-liter capacity rear trunk bag. CAN I DO THIS LEISURE CYCLING TOUR WITH A GUIDE? We can offer a guided version of this tour with qualified guides and support vehicles or a semi-supported version with a support vehicle and driver who is a qualified guide.  There is a minimum person requirement of 4 to be able to provide this service.  Please do not hesitate to enquire about price and availability.

HOW WILL I NAVIGATE THE TOUR?   For self-guided cycling we provide a GPS application on your mobile phone.  We give free access to the application which can be used in offline mode for each day's ride. The application shows maps and the route in great detail.  We also supply quality phone holders on the bike to keep your phone safe.

Route Map