4AN240B- Southern Spain Extreme

Good morning Andalusia! The first riding day starts with bad news. The spanish meterology instutit has issued a warning of a heavy storms with floodings and fallen trees on the road. We prepare for the worst. Luckily we are not affected by this forecast at all. There's rain, yes, but we can handle it. So we start out in Malaga and head north into the Montes de Malaga. Curvy but wet roads bring us all the way up to Colmenar, where we turn east and stop in Periana, to grab a coffee, a small snack and make some new local friends. We head further south and reach the beach, which we follow all the way to Nerja. We have to decide. Are we checking out the stalactite caves of Nerja or.... or are we skipping it and take the now dried roads in the natural park of Sierras de Tejeda? The answer is as simple as it can be. Everybody has been excited for this trip for so many weeks and months and we are not here for the sightseeing. We are here for the extreme part of "Souther Spain Extreme" so we get lost in the mazes of all kinds roads in that area. It is said, that all roads bring you to Rome but here, it seems, they bring us to our beautiful hotel in La Vinuela which awaits us with great whine and an amazing dinner. What a day to start our adventure!
Our tour starts in Viñuela, and after just five minutes we find ourselves on winding roads - ideal for getting into the groove. We take our first break in a small village on the Viñuela reservoir. Over a café con leche in a typical Spanish bar, our bikes attract the attention of the villagers. Then things get challenging: slippery asphalt and a light drizzle demand our full concentration. But the road soon dries out and we enjoy the grip as we ride down the mountain road to the coast. An excellent lunch of fresh fish awaits us right on the beach. The sun comes out and the roads are dry - perfect conditions for the next stage. We continue into the Alpujarras, known for their white villages and spectacular routes on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada. From there, we ride past the imposing Sierra Nevada to Calahorra, with a short detour to the Castillo de La Calahorra. This 16th century castle offers a fantastic view of the surrounding area. The day ends in a cosy hotel, where we enjoy regional specialties - the perfect end to a great tour.
After tonights rain the roads are again wet. Still we head south over the Puerto de La Ragua, but turn left on a sleepy little road to cross to the eastern part of Sierra Nevada. On our plan today is to climb Sierra the Baza from the south. We're not in a hurry so we stop for a coffee in Abla. Our intermediate destination is the top of Puerto de Santillana. Here the view over the valley is magnificent. The roads are twisty and fade into a coniferous forrest. We're hungry, so we're looking for a lunch in Caniles. We find a little restaurant in the local park, with workers who are enjoying their worklunch. It's simple food, but darn good. Calamares a la plancha, seafood paella, jamon, grilled meats. Alls of this and much more is on our menu. Soon after it is finished we regret the feast. It's heavy in the stomach, but our highlight of today lies still ahead of us. So we saddle our bikes and continue. On our way we take the old road of Las Menas. No traffic at all but a lot of tight corners and switchbacks awaits us. We're having the fun of our lives here. In the end of our daytrip is Puerto de Tetico. It is enveloped in clouds. A mystic moment. To ride in it gives us goosebumps and we stop for a group picture with the switchbacks in the background. The day finally ends, we're exhausted but the mood is good. Andalusia, so far you didn't disappoint us. See you on the road tomorrow again!
The starting point of our tour is the province of Almería. From here, we head north, up into the Sierra de los Filabres. The first few kilometers offer us flowing curves that take us gently up to an altitude of around 1000 meters. However, the bends soon become tighter and, with their frequently changing radius, demand full concentration and precise vision. Good riding technique is required here! Again and again, these challenging, technical sections alternate with brisk, more relaxed passages, which makes for an exciting change of pace. After this morning exercise, we treat ourselves to some refreshments. There are various typical Andalusian tapas on the table, which prepare us well for the next section. We continue westwards, where we tackle Puerto Tiscar. Although the roads are narrow, the asphalt is in good condition. We have so much fun and improve our riding technique at the same time that we ride the pass twice. The whole thing is crowned by breathtaking views. On the last stage, our route takes us through seemingly endless olive groves and past the typical white villages of Andalusia. Our destination for the day is the Sierra Cazorla, an impressive region that awaits us at the end of this eventful day's ride.
The day starts.... well, storms and rain are not conducive to that motorcycling feeling. But the weather forecast promises improvement. So we don't set off until the afternoon in the direction of Cazorla, a small mountain town. After a winding ride, we have tapas in the town square. But the real challenge awaits afterwards: narrow roads, wet conditions and sandy bends. It requires full concentration, but the breathtaking views of valleys and mountains are worth it, see for yourself:
The plan for today: 350km. On the first glance it looks like its to much. We still go for it. What else should we do on our extreme tour? To our first coffeestop it is 70km. But our average velocity is higher than the last days. The road is beautiful. Fast corners follow fast straights. Everybody is having fun Until we arrive at our lunch stop, we already made 180km. Sometimes thatbdistance is enough for a whole day of riding. But the real highlight awaits us after the lunch. We're heading to Sierra de Andujar. The first half couldn't be any better. Awesome curves follows the next one and we're flying towards the next hotel. Thr asphalt is incredible, the landscape, too. Suddenly we enter the province of Andujar and the road surface changes rapidly. Suddenly we are on an adventure. The road is a mess, the riding still incredible. Before we leave Sierra de Andujar, we stop at a santuario for some sightseeing. One of the few occassions to sightsee on our trip, still we enjoy and gather some energy zo arrive safely at the hotel in Jaén.
Today was the last day of our unforgettable motorcycle tour. We started in Jaén, right past the impressive cathedral. From there we headed south, and after a short time the Sierra de la Pandera awaited us. Its winding roads invited us to take a few bends and offered pure driving pleasure. We enjoyed our lunch by the lake, surrounded by peace and nature. We then continued through the endless olive plantations - a typical Andalusian landscape that impressed us time and again with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. A short section on the highway finally brought us to the last mountain road that led us down to Málaga. It was the perfect end to a great tour, accompanied by fabulous weather and pure sunshine. Special thanks to our friends from Mexico who made this tour a once in a lifetime experience. It was an unforgettable time on two wheels!