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Let’s head south – cycle in Andalusia with me and my dog

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Bike touring routes & trails

Let’s head south – cycle in Andalusia with me and my dog

Ana Carmen

Let’s head south – cycle in Andalusia with me and my dog

Bike Touring Collection by Ana Carmen

37 Tours

191:37 h

2,141 km

24,160 m

Friendly people, wild and free places, beaches and mountains, colourful landscapes and history – there are many reasons why we – Dexter (my dog) and I – decided to set off on a ride through Andalusia.

This loop crosses national parks and mountain passes and follows rivers, lakes, and the Mediterranean coast, trying to avoid large urban centres as much as possible. We found the rural and peaceful cycle adventure that we were looking for.

I like to ride on dirt tracks or paths with little traffic so that Dexter can run around freely.
This route follows several well-known greenways, long-distance trails (such as the GR 66 and GR 67), different variants of the Camino de Santiago, EuroVelo 8, local routes, and some lonely roads.

Our list of places to visit was quite long: the Sierra de Cazorla, Cabo de Gata, Sierra Nevada, Sevilla, and Los Pedroches. We also spontaneously stopped at other places along the way, which I’ll tell you about in the stage descriptions.

You’ll probably need around five to six weeks to complete the route. We also gave ourselves extra time in case of breakdowns or bad weather and if we made new friends along the way.

Before starting the route, my nerves were on edge, as it was the first time I’d used this combination of bike and trailer. I’d welded the bike frame a few months ago and had assembled it with components from other bikes I had at home, so I didn't really know how it was going to perform on such a long trip with such a heavy load. How many kilometres could I do before the bike broke down?

I like to sleep in nature away from civilisation and, if possible, to wild camp under the stars. I love to end the day watching a sunset in the middle of nowhere while savouring the best meal of the day.

“A girl, alone, on a bike and with a dog, aren't you scared? Is something going to happen to you?” This is probably the phrase I hear the most while travelling. It’s time to put aside prejudices and established norms and change beliefs for experiences; it’s the best way to eliminate fear!

On this trip, I had a deeper reason that motivated me to pedal. I adopted Dexter and wanted to raise awareness for all the abandoned pets we meet on the road. To do this, we decided to dedicate our journey to the work done by the local animal shelter in Almansa. We already raised €666. Here’s the link to the campaign (in Spanish): migranodearena.org/reto/vamonos-pa-l-sur

Without further ado, let the action begin!

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Vámonos pa'l sur — Sobre tres ruedas y con perro

1,989 km

21,720 m

21,720 m

Last updated: May 8, 2024

Tours

  1. Stage 1: Alpera to Mount Arabí – Let's head south

    03:16
    35.8 km
    11.0 km/h
    250 m
    280 m

    @Hans no worries my bags are nearly empty now. I carried the dinner for 2 🤣

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  2. After a big breakfast, Kilez gives me a hand to fix the front support that had been bent from the falls the day before.

    

    Whenever I have the opportunity to spend time with a friend, I make the most of it, because I don't know when I'll see him again. This time the perfect excuse was to go explore the mountain

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  4. We said goodbye to my friend Lala and continued towards the Cordovilla salt marsh. Here we can see large plants typical of arid zones that, together with the whitish ground due to salt, form a very curious panorama to explore.

    

    We arrived at Hellín by the funny paths of the yesares near the city and we

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  5. The day begins with a pleasant pedaling along the reservoir that serves as a warm-up to face the slope that we find before reaching Liétor.

    

    Liétor is a small town located on top of the mountain with cobbled streets that take you back in time. In addition, it offers views of the valley and the Mundo River

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  6. The stage begins with a bittersweet taste, as we leave the high mountains that we were going to face behind us and head towards the coast.

    

    We pass several charming mountain villages and, immediately, we reach the Region of Murcia where we cross the Sierra de Moratalla to reach Calasparra. Here, we could

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  7. At dawn we have a visitor that Dexter doesn't like at all, but I love it. The mountain goats sneak up to say good morning to us. What a gift to start the day!

    

    Today's day follows the course of the Segura River and crosses several towns where Holy Week processions are held for hours. Luckily, the roads

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  8. After breakfast, we ride the bike and say goodbye to the girls. Something arrives that we do not want at all: leaving a city full of people and vehicles. We dodge several parked car doors that magically open in our path and we arrive at the bike path that reminds me of my childhood days when I played

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  9. We begin to feel that the days are getting hotter, we no longer even need to set up the tent to spend the night and every opportunity we have to take a dip or refill water is golden.

    

    Today's tour takes us into the natural park in search of a source, we already knew this mining area so we did not spend

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  10. The stage follows EuroVelo 8 along a path parallel to the coast, in this section there are small coves bathed in crystalline waters that hide precious corals. The tour continues in the direction of Cabezo de las Víboras, the most recognized steep mountain covered by Mediterranean vegetation in this area

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  11. @Maripepa It is... but I didn't have the strength to go up the slope hehehe... Then we did it on foot and it's incredible.

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  12. There comes one of the stages that we really wanted to discover. We enter the natural park of Cabo de Gata. We are eager to learn about its landscape diversity, from its rocky cliffs to its sandbanks and even deserts.

    

    The EuroVelo 8 continues to be our partner. We ride the lonely roads that go into the

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  13. The day begins in the best possible way: a good breakfast on the beach watching a beautiful sunrise. Once we prepared the saddlebags, we left for San José, a fishing village with typical white houses and cobbled streets.

    

    The route takes us along a dirt track along which we discover two paradisiacal beaches

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  14. Before starting the day we realize that we have another three broken radios. We quickly change our route and head to the nearest bike shop in Almería.

    

    On a cycle route, whenever a setback happens, something good happens for sure. And this time we meet a cyclist on the bike path on the way to the store

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  15. This day is the hardest, in terms of accumulated positive level, of the entire adventure. We decided to continue our journey through the Sierra Nevada instead of going around it on the Camino de Santiago.

    

    The route takes place along quiet roads passing through the villages of the Alpujarras in Almería

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  16. 01:55
    7.98 km
    4.2 km/h
    530 m
    520 m

    Before continuing the tour with the bike, we decided to climb the highest peak in the province of Almería. It is Chullo at 2612 meters above sea level. It is quite a gift to sit at the highest point and contemplate the views of the surrounding mountains, especially the Mulhacén peak, still painted white.

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  17. As soon as we finished the walk, we got on the bike and went to the fountain to refill the water bottles. Unfortunately, the streams and springs are drying up and we don't know when we will find water again.

    

    We continue the tour along the Transnevada cycling lane, a compacted dirt track that winds along

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  18. Thanks @Alvaro Hernandez !!! The day will come when we ride the bike together! Hehehe 😜

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  19. @Hans thank you! I don't really know how much everything weights.. I only know Dexter is 27kg and the landscape decides the speed 😃

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  20. 07:14
    72.6 km
    10.0 km/h
    1,160 m
    1,640 m

    This journey is a continuous seesaw through the hills full of olive groves and on occasion they leave room for another type of crop such as asparagus.

    

    The route takes us close to the Sierras Subbéticas and gives us the opportunity to visit the Iznájar reservoir, located at the foot of these. It is the

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Collection Stats

  • Tours
    37
  • Distance
    2,141 km
  • Duration
    191:37 h
  • Elevation
    24,160 m

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