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7 day Independent or Escorted tour
Beginning in Royal Granada with its magnificent Alhambra Palace, ride from the "Last Arabian Frontier", tracing the footsteps of the Caliphs, the Islamic rulers. Enjoy time in traditional white villages against green backdrops, sample traditional tapas and enjoy tremendous scenery of national parks, mountains, gorges, lakes and the sea. Finish your journey in Ronda, Hemmingway's muse and the perfect ending to a cycle-touring adventure.
Highlights:
- Encounter enchanting white villages in dramatic settings
- Granada and Ronda, two of Spain's most beloved towns
- Roman Antequera, her churches and Moorish fort
- Sierra de la Nieves national park vistas, the gigantic El Chorro gorge & the lunar-scape of El Torcal
- Tapas and rural dishes : rabbit, fresh trout, sheep and goat's cheese, seasoned olives, kid, egg plant with honey
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DAY TO DAY ITINERARY
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Day 1: Individual arrival in Malaga or Granada
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The journey from Malaga to Granada takes approximately 2 hours. Depending on your arrival time you will be able to visit this beautiful city with its famous Alhambra (Arab palaces), try some typical “vino & tapas” and wander in the old silk market or the ancient Moorish Albayzin neighbourhood.
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Day 2: Granada to Alhama (60 km)
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Setting out from Granada, you cycle over smooth hillocks and through small villages to Alhama, once a very important town in the Nasrid Kingdom, now famous for its thermal baths. You can see the original cistern where its hot water, with medicinal properties, has been collected since times gone by. It is built on a Roman foundation and crowned by Moorish arches in the Caliphate style. You can have a bath yourself in “El baño de la Reina” (Queens’ bath)
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Day 3: Alhama to Axarquia (31-53 km)
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(Due to limitations in accommodation in this area we may have to adapt the route according to availability).You leave Alhama and cycle to the “Boquete (gap) de Zafarraya”, a strange hole in the otherwise impenetrable mountains. You are now in the Axarquía region, with views of undulating hills and mountains south towards the Mediterranean. Follow a disused railway line in continuous descent to the town of Periana, and from there you continue through the mountains with beautiful views of the villages and biking that await you.
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| Day 4: Axarquia to Antequera (40-53 km) |
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Today you cycle up and down through the Axarquia and its villages. A good climb brings you close to the El Torcal Nature Reserve with its limestone mountains. Then you head down fast to Antequera, approaching this ancient town by its oldest route of access, enjoying beautiful views of its white washed houses and the Peña de los Enamorados (Lover’s Rock), named after a local legend about the impossible love of a young Christian man and a beautiful Moorish girl, driven to the top of the cliff by the Moorish soldiers. Rather than renounce their love, they chose to hurl themselves into the abyss.
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Day 5: Antequera to El Chorro or Ardales (32-45 km)
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In the morning you have some time to visit Antequera, the castle, the dolmens (megalithic tombs) of Menga, Viera and Romeral, the “Iglesia de Carmen”, etc. Afterwards you cycle over smooth hillocks through Holm oaks and olive groves, passing the Abdalajís Valley and its village, to El Chorro, a beautiful spot next to a lake, surrounded by mountains.
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Day 6: El Chorro or Ardales to Ronda (47-60 km)
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Today the biking will be a bit more challenging. You start with a beautiful ride through a strange, lunar landscape to the villages of Ardales and El Burgo. Then you have to climb to the Puerto de los Vientos (Mountain pass of the Winds, 1190m), crossing the beautiful Sierra de las Nieves Nature Reserve. A long descent will bring you finally to the lively town of Ronda.
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Day 7: Journey home or extension of stay
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Depending on your departure time you can visit this romantic town, with Spain’s oldest bullring, three bridges over its spectacular gorge, Arab baths, old town wall and gates, its churches and palaces, interesting museums. You can also decide to stay for an extra night in Ronda and see an evening flamenco show!
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PRICE & DETAILS
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| Price & Schedule |
DEPARTURE DATES:
Independent tours depart everyday from March to November.
| Price per person, double occ. |
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$1695 |
| Single room surcharge |
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N/A |
Escorted tours may be arranged if you have four or more in your party. Contact us for pricing.
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| Included |
- Accommodation in family owned 3 star country inns, in a double room with private facilities.
- buffet breakfast each day
- quality trek hybrid bike (27 gears), disc brakes & pannier
- luggage transport between hotels
- comprehensive maps and route notes
- welcome meeting and tour orientation
- 24/7 emergency help line
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| Rate |
MODERATE: The tour uses mainly quiet country roads with some forest and wide land rover track which are stoney in places, some sections are also narrow. There are some climbs on this tour of which some are long.
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| Airport / Transfers |
Fly into Granada or Malaga. Airport transfers can be arranged at extra cost.
Regular trains run from Malaga to Granada for approx Euro 22.00.
m the terminal.
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Tours 
