Ronda to Tarifa

Self-Guided MTB Tour in Spain

XC MTB tour from the Andalucian mountains to the most southern tip of Europe

This self-guided XC mountain bike tour offers huge scenic and trail variety as it heads from the high mountains of Ronda down to the most southerly tip of Spain and the characterful town of Tarifa.

This is a real MTB adventure, with some great climbs, thrilling descents, stunning views, and quiet remote trails while enjoying delicious local food, wine, beer and hospitality throughout.

(Looking for a shorter tour experience? Why not book a Mountain Biking Day Tour from Ronda or an unforgettable Guided Hike in Andalucia?)

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Overview

 

START:  Ronda     FINISH:  Tarifa

This tour can be started in Malaga, adding 2 or 3 extra days of riding. Price on request.

Price	From €1095 p.p. based on 2 people sharing a double or twin room with breakfast
Duration	8 days	7 nights	5 riding days
Distance	192 km total	38 km daily avg     ( max 47km - min 30km )
Difficulty	Moderate (incl 1 more challenging day) - route includes a daily average ascent of 649 metres. Riding is mainly on unsurfaced tracks and quiet roads with some extended sections of technical single track. Competent MTB skills are required for some sections, particularly on day 1.
Flexible Availability	March - June | Sep - November  Choose the dates which suit you. Start on any day of the week. Add extra sightseeing days in Tarifa if you wish. Note: Supplements may apply during Easter week due to inflated accommodation prices.
Set Dates	We offer this tour on set dates to make the tour available to solo travellers.  Requiring a minimum number of participants for the set dates, 2 pax.  Available start dates for 2023 are: 5th March 2023   10th September 2023

 

Ronda to Tarifa Mountain Bike Tour Highlights

Riding Highlights Remote Mountain Biking Trails Natural Trails and Single Track Changing landscapes every day Outstanding routes through Natural Parks	Experiences Ronda "City of Dreams" Hilltop Towns and Fort of Castellar de la Frontera Amazing views of Africa Finish at the most southern tip of Europe in Tarifa

Itinerary

 

Arrival Day in Ronda

Extra sightseeing days can be added on request

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

 

Riding Day 1 - Ronda to Cortes de la Frontera

36km +924m

The first day’s ride heads out of Ronda down limestone cliffs and then on forested single-track down to the Guadiaro River. The rest of the ride explores along and above this river, including a great section of technical undulating single-track which follows the water as it cuts through a mountainous gorge. You will ride high up into the hills above the river and drop right down to the valley bottom. Lots of ups-and-downs and twisting single-track, with a good refreshment stop mid-way at a small white village in the base of the valley. This is probably the most technical riding day, requiring minimally Intermediate level MTB skills and confidence on stony trails.

Riding Day 2 - Cortes to Jimena de la Frontera

42km +684m

A true rural experience today, riding steadily up into the hills above Cortes and then seeing only forest and countryside for the rest of the route. During the ride, you may come across the odd farmer or landowner but other than that, your only riding companion will be nature. You finish your riding day with a fabulous long descent into the village of Jimena de la Frontera, which sprawls down the slopes of a peaked hill, topped by a large castle.

Riding Day 3 - Jimena to Guadacorte​

47km +503m

Today's ride begins with easy riding through open countryside and farmland, before a short, sharp climb up to the castle town of Old Castellar. The original village was built within a castle which was surrounded by high mediaeval battlements. The resulting fortified town is no longer lived in (the villagers were moved to New Castellar, closer to the coast, in the 1970s) but is still an impressive structure. The descent from the town is a fast, twisting country road which heads into the forest near the bottom, then it’s more countryside and a couple of minor climbs to reach your overnight location.

Riding Day 4 - Guadacorte to El Bujeo

35km +725m

Another nice easy, flattish start to the day but you then need to get your climbing legs in order for a long steady ascent up through acres of pine and oak forest, up into the mountains behind the busy seaport of Algeciras. This route enjoys beautiful mountain peace and quiet, well away from the hustle and bustle of the coast. The views from the top across the Mediterranean Sea are spectacular and your climbing efforts are rewarded with a great descent to finish the day.

Riding Day 5 - El Bujeo to Tarifa

30km +412m

Today’s final section opens by climbing upwards to the ranks of wind turbines which sit on the hilltop, overlooking the Straits of Gibraltar. Silently turning under the power of the coastal winds, these huge structures provide a hint of why this region is a hub for kite surfers. The route passes through a long-abandoned military site and down to the coast, where you will enjoy a spectacular section of twisting coastal pathways all the way to Tarifa.

Chill-out Day in Tarifa

Take a well-deserved rest and explore the seaside town of Tarifa. Walk through the old town, exploring the ancient maritime and Moorish history of this important seaport. Check out the chill vibe in bars and clubs or simply sit at a cafe with some tapas and a chilled beer or glass of wine and watch the local life go by. 

Or swap continents and take a ferry over to Tangier for a day out in Morocco.

Departure Day

Extra sightseeing days can be added on request

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.

What's Included

 

WHAT'S INCLUDED 7 nights of accommodation on a B&B basis  Luggage transfers Quality Hardtail MTB Helmet & water bottle (or bring your own camelbak or bottle) Toolkit (multi-tool, chain tool and speed links, tyre levers, inner tube, pump, puncture repair aerosol) Overnight lock Route GPS (phone App with daily routes, profiles and maps, no Data-usage required) or GPX files Annotated route maps  Briefing Pack, incl day-by-day route notes Briefing meeting on arrival   Bike collection at finish

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.

ROUTE NAVIGATION For self-guided mountain biking, 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 app. shows maps and the route in great detail. We supply a quality phone holder on the bike to keep your phone safe. We also provide a large-scale, annotated map, designed specifically for your tour by Hike and Bike, giving you a perspective of where you are at all times.

FAQs

 

IS THERE A LOT OF TRAFFIC ON THE ROUTE?

Our Mountain Bike Tours are designed to maximise off-road riding through changing landscapes, on a mixture of single-track paths, double-track, forest tracks, cycleways and occasional linking sections of quiet roads. The single-track is not groomed for mountain biking, so the technical requirements vary through each section. Check the individual tour Itinerary for more details. You will sometimes be riding in remote areas.

 

HOW FIT DO I NEED TO BE?

Our Mountain Bike Tours are graded from ‘Moderate’ to ‘Challenging’, with daily distances of 40-70km, depending on the specific tour. They are designed for cross-country mountain bikers who have reasonable off-road biking skills and good fitness. To ensure the maximum time off-road, there are notable climbs and technical sections in every tour. Check the individual tour Itinerary for a daily breakdown of distance and ascent.

 

WHAT’S THE WEATHER LIKE?

Our cycling tours run from March through to November, with the best cycling weather from March to June and from September to November. Most routes are also possible during the summer months but we recommend an earlier start to beat the main heat of the day, and don’t forget to carry plenty of water.

 

WHAT HAPPENS TO MY LUGGAGE?

We transfer all your main luggage for you. We provide a rear seat trunk bag or small side pannier and a handlebar bag (per couple) to carry a few essential items with you each day e.g. water, snacks, sunscreen, but we recommend you travel light.

 

HOW DO I NAVIGATE EACH DAY?

Navigation on this tour is very easy with our phone app. RidewithGPS. We provide personalised daily routes from door-to-door of each day’s accommodation. The app shows maps and daily routes in great detail, with distances and route profiles, so you always know what is coming up. The app is used in offline mode so you do not need to use Data on your phone and can still navigate in areas where there is no phone signal.

 

WHAT HAPPENS IF I HAVE A PUNCTURE OR PROBLEM WITH MY BIKE?

On this self-guided tour we provide all the necessary kit on your bikes for you to fix your own flat tyres or deal with minor mechanical issues (e.g. broken chain). If you do not know how, ask a bike mechanic at home to show you before your holiday or check our Bike Repair notes at the bottom of every webage. If you need our assistance, you can call us on the number provided and we will help as much as possible on the phone; we may be able to attend minor mechanical issues but this may be subject to a charge. In the case of a more major mechanical issue, we we will come to repair the bike or bring a replacement.

 

WHAT MEALS ARE INCLUDED?

All accommodation includes breakfast (unless specifically stated). Lunch and dinner are not included, so you are free to eat when and where you wish. We mark up your map with suggested lunch locations. Your hosts can recommend dining options, or sometimes they will serve dinner – this information will be included in your daily route notes.

 

IS THIS TOUR AVAILABLE WITH A GUIDE / SUPPORT?

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/mechanic. There is a minimum requirement of 6 people to be able to provide this service. Please do not hesitate to enquire about price and availability.

 

WHAT IF I NEED TO CANCEL OR CHANGE MY BOOKING?

If you need to cancel or change the dates of a booking, we have a scaled set of charges based on the work already completed and any costs already incurred which we cannot get back. If you re-book a holiday with us within 12 months of a cancellation which has incurred charges, we will credit up to 50% of the retained amount to the new holiday. Our full cancellation policy can be found here