ATS1901 - Andalusien Tour

We had a fantastic week and a wonderful group. We hope to see you all again somewhere on this planet. Safe travels and thanks for everything Ursula, Claudia and Dieter 6. Day: Ronda - Malaga Our last riding day - unbelieveable! Whoever did not get enough curves so far on this tour, well there are plenty left. The loop down towards the beaches of Marbella, where the rich and famous go to play, offers great riding and vistas. The road back to Ronda ranks among the most beautiful motorcycle routes in all of Spain. 5. Day - Restday Ride around Ronda What a beautiful morning to start to our Restday ride. A loop through the cork-oak orchards of the Sierra de Ubriwue and the national reserve of Cortes de la Frontera. Ursula prepared us a yummy picnic at the top of Las Palomas. Thank you very much :-), we enjoyed it. 4. Day: Arcos de la Frontera - Ronda Hopefully you are well rested, because a fairly busy day lies ahead of us. Across the vast rural plains we leave the Arcos and enter into a more hilly area. The road we travel on is called Ruta de Toros because the fiery Andalusian fighting bulls are bred in the many haciendas along the way.  On tiny back roads with little traffic and fantastic panoramas, we climb up the Sierra de Ronda. So expect a good workout before dinner! 3. Day: Antequera - Arcos de la Frontera Two areas of distinctively different scenic beauty will be our playgrounds for today. Through barren, almost desert-like mountain landscapes, we approach the fertile valley of the Guadalhorce River. A narrowing canyon leads us to the Garganta del Chorro, a narrow crevice carved into a sheer 600 ft. sandstone cliff. Truly one of Andalusia’s natural wonders! After tonight the word "Parador" will have a different meaning for all of you and you maybe wish to come back and stay in some other paradores. Arcos is preparing for the Semana Santa - a very special event all over Spain. El Torcal is a spectacular limestone rock formation south of Antequera in the otherwise very rural area. 100 million years ago, the whole area was still covered by a huge ocean.  2. Day: Granada - Antequera Today we will take you out of Granada and off the beaten tourist paths into the heart of the real Andalusia. Seemingly endless olive orchards will be our companions as winding back roads lead us through the rolling hills of rural Spain. The ride along the majestic limestone range of the Sierra Loja will mark the end of a perfect riding day. Our final destination is Antequera. 1. Day: Malaga - Granada We welcome quite a range of nationalities - US, Canada, Thailand, Norway, Germany, Switzerland. Everybody is a bit excited. The weather is fine - so lets go. Countless turns up the Montes de Malaga will put your riding skills to the test. In return, you will be rewarded with breathtaking vistas of Málaga, the Mediterranean Sea and the unique mountain scenery of the natural preserve to the west. After a nice lunch at the Mediterranean Sea we head into the mountains again towards Granada. Granada is certainly a highlight of any Andalusian trip, simply because of the Alhambra. This impressive architectural work was created under the Caliphs of the Nasrid dynasty, Ismail I, Yusuf I and Mohammed V. In order to conceal the disappearance of their secular power, they created their idea of a paradise on earth. It was very difficult to get entrance ticket - a big thanks to Sarah in the office, she managed it. We will meet Carlos at the entrance, our guide for the gardens and the palace.  Arrival Day in Malaga