Southern Spain Extreme - 4AN2601
Huihui what a day, some challenges, but all good! Riding in the Montagnas de Malaga and coming back to the seashore for lunch. Semana Santa, everyone is out and enjoying the beaches. After we tackle the Sierra Tejada, firstly some tourist villages but then we are basically alone again on the mountain roads and then we arrive at our beautiful hotel at a beautiful lake. A great first day and well done everyone!
A cool morning start from our beautiful hotel. We climb a pass, after we ride on a high plateau through agriculture, then pine trees and all of a sudden dramatic scenery, rugged mountains, the road 1.5 lane, bumpy but with good grip. Nice! We reach the coast again and have a nice lunch right on the beach in a Chiringuito we made a reservation upfront: Semana Santa. After we head in the mountains again, Alpujarras wow, what a ride. Final stage is the 2.000m pass over the Sierra Nevada. Today endless curves in paradise!
A cool morning start riding back on the 2.000m pass Puerto Ragua, then we follow the mountain ridge and drive through some Pueblos Blancas with their narrow roads, just beautiful. Now the Sierra de la Baza on bumby twisty roads and on top like an outer earth experience....no people, just nature and us. In the afternoon the crazy Las Menas single lane road up a canyon, after a blast going up to the Tetica pass. What a view from here down the 15 hairpins and the background the Mediterranean Sea. Another two highlights follow, on a single lane road tackling another pass plus through eroded sand stone formations to the outskirts of Almeria. Makes 7 passes today, just wow!!
Paul, Richard and David went for their own designed tour, our Italian crew explored Almeria and Scott, Sergio, Barry and Rudi came with me on tour. Firstly circumnavigating Almeria, then we took off into the backcountry in a supercurvy road. Later we enjoyed riding along the coast and had lunch in Mojacar. Another loop brought us back to the sea again where we enjoyed views of the beautiful rough Cabo de Gata coastline. Another great day!!
Mixed weather forecast for today but we are lucky. Crazy twisty roads in the Sierra de los Filabres, then riding over a desert like plateau before we reach Castril and take off into the Sierra de Cazorla. Wow, what a road, no traffic just fun! When we stop at the Puerto Tiscar the rain catches us, though still nice to ride the last 30km to our nice hotel in the Sierra de Cazorla overlooking the valley with all its olive plantations.