Ingles / When the spirits are low
When the spirits are low, A cycling trip surrounding Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama
“When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.” Arthur Conan Doyle.
Text and images by Escapada Cycling
Beyond the Malaga mountains and the region of Axarquia, the provinces of Malaga and Granada collide on a large natural park known as Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama. An area surrounded by ridges and high plains that exceed 1500 meters of altitude to dramatically fall down a deep ravine towards the mediterranean coast. We here present a recap of our adventures, for all of you interested in living your own Escapada, whether with our help, our road bike rental or our guided routes.
It all starts on a Saturday morning at the Escapada Cycling headquarters. With sleepy eyes but high on energy and coffee we slip on the suits selected by Escapada for the occasion, we rush to depart and enjoy the morning breeze. With all equipment loaded in the van, only a half an hour drive distance ourselves from Torre del Mar, the seaside town we are due to start.
After a few minutes of minor adjustments, we leave Torre del Mar and head straight to less busy roads, crossing Vélez-Málaga on the way. It’s at that very moment when the fun begins. As we journey over several hills, we easily find the right cycle speed that allows to enjoy our surroundings. We are still not far from town and we can already find croplands, orange and lemon trees all around, and the typical fincas of La Axarquía.
La Axarquía is a place of historical relevance. Some of its towns and cities (Vélez-Málaga, Zafarraya, Alhama de Granada, etc) were moorish territories until the end of the 15th century and still today have preserved castles, defensive walls and towers. In this first stage our aim is to reach Alhama de Granada. However, the proximity of all these towns and villages makes this route ideal for the cyclist to stray and quickly explore them without increasing too much kilometrage.
“we can already find croplands, orange and lemon trees all around, and the typical fincas of La Axarquía”
We move closer to the most demanding part of the route, the road weaves up the hill and the slope inclination grows so we are forced to temper the pace. Certain discomfort over the saddle cause us to stop in the middle of the climb to make minor adjustments. We take the opportunity to cool down and have our kind of energy bar: dates. We don’t stop for long, the climb is waiting and we have unintentionally stopped on a private exit ramp, whose owner would like to use to get the car out. Pushed by the gentleman’s car horn we get back to business to enjoy one of the best views of the trip. On the right we can see the Sierra de Tejeda, with La Maroma’s peak as(2069m) the highest point of the Axarquia and Malaga province. As a kind of natural border, the valley tightens on a “V” shaped hill that opens the way to the province of Granada, leading to a high plain that extends to Alhama de Granada. There is some way to go while the clock strikes noon and the sunshine falls hard over our heads. We decide then to take a break and sink our heads under water at a drinking fountain, walking down the stairs right in front of the hotel Los Caños de la Alcaiceria. In about 30 minutes we arrive to Alhama de Granada with our mind set on the swimming pool at the hotel what will host us tonight.
Around Alhama de Granada, there are all kinds of accommodations. In our case, we decided to book our stay out of the urban area, in Apartamentos Turísticos Cortijo Garces, near a popular thermal baths. This place is a good option if you ride in group and need a car park and a place to store the bikes safely. Their rooms are large and comfortable; there is a kitchen and a garden with a swimming pool, so you will be able to cook or freshen up at the pool. If you are traveling solo or in a small group without car support, an alternative is staying in town, with shops, bars and restaurants closeby.
This town is well known by its thermal baths, where people from all over Spain come to enjoy a few days relaxing at the Hotel & Spa Alhama de Granada. Those traveling on a budget are also welcomed to enjoy the natural thermal pools outside the building onto the river. The best time to do it is at night, so there is a higher temperature contrast in and off the water, and less crowded as well.
After a generous late lunch, a few dips at the pool, it was end of octuber and even we had time for tanning under the sun for a couple of hours, and a mandatory siesta time, we decide to walk along the beautiful streets of Alhama de Granada. As mentioned before, it used to be an important town and one of the keys to end the Christian Reconquest of Spain. In addition to its famous Spa, Alhama possess historical monuments aging more than 500 years, such as the Iglesia Mayor, the Old Prison, the Inquisition house or the Queen’s hospital. You can find them around the town center within walking distance, so it’s relatively easy to visit them all. On the way back home we stop at the Spa to have a drink and tapas. For those staying at the country houses near the Spa but without cars to get some food, this hotel is available to eat during their mealtime schedule.
The morning after, with fewer hours of sleep than we should, we wake up at 6 am. We stuff our faces with muffins and coffee and suit up for the new day, the second and longest one. The goal today is to reach Nerja before it gets too late and spend some time having lunch or relaxing by the beach before getting back to Torre del Mar.
The start isn’t easy, specially when you have to face 7 steep kilometers as warm up and feel the accumulated tiredness and an incomplete digestion. Even after a light breakfast, the muffin and coffee weights more than it seems. The ones who didn’t have breakfast don’t have better luck either, and struggle to deliver strength to their deprived legs. 7 kilometers after, with breakfast fully digested we tackle a descent to Los Bermejales reservoir, a beautiful area to take a break if needed. We skip the break in search of more fun, we are excited to get to the road known as “carretera de la cabra” (The Goat’s Path) as soon as possible. We speed up and find a good pedaling rate that helps to sort the next 20 kilometers gap to that place. The first stop is at the “Refugio de Piedra”, a simple restaurant run by a centenarian lady and her son. We order a coffee with toasts for everyone, and even though it must have been the largest toasts we have ever seen, we finish them all. The truth is we had to cancel half of them and share, all except one of us, our Belgian star who could have had a whole loaf of bread.
“We decide then to take a break and sink our heads under water at a drinking fountain”
Batteries recharged, we jump on the bikes to ride the next seesaw that lasts about 8 kilometers. And here comes the climax; The “Goat’s Path”, as is known this section of the A-4050, is a road that connects Granada province hinterland with the coast. It’s the old way families used to take when going to the beach from Granada city. This road witnessed the frequent stops car drivers and their families were forced to take in the 70s as cars were not able to endure the hilly terrain (specially the owners of the Seat 600). Nowadays, this way has been replaced by the highway, leaving the cyclists an incredible opportunity to ride without traffic. The descent is an authentic joy for the senses. It starts with little inclination, on one side a giant rock wall, on the other, behind the old stone crash-barriers, impressive views towards a huge ravine. We may be tempted to start the descent; however, it’s necessary to comply with a break, take a few pictures, breathe the clean air and enjoy the quietness of the mountain. Pursuing our arrival to the coast, we zigzag down the narrow path to arrive to Otivar, where we push harder to take advantage of the down gradient and skip the traffic on our way through Jete and the entrance to Almuñecar.
Pursuing our arrival to the coast, we zigzag down the narrow path to arrive to Otivar, where we push harder to take advantage of the down gradient and skip the traffic on our way through Jete and the entrance to Almuñecar. Following the old but well paved N-340 we arrive to Nerja, leaving behind a beautiful landscape of cliffs and crystal-clear waters.
The stop in Nerja comes at the right time before weakening after 95 kilometers. Nerja is a very good place to have tapas if you sneak into town and look for small bars out of the crowded center. However, if you want to have a proper meal, there are lots of restaurants both in the town center and by the beach at the so called “chiringuitos”. We don’t even look at the watch and spend a relaxing time having a well deserved tapas and soft drinks. Some of us find the time to plunge into the water at the local beach of Calahonda, a beautiful cove by the famous Europe’s balcony, in the heart of the town.
Freshened up and filled with strength to deal with the last 20 kilometers, we get back to the road to start the way back where it all began the day before, Torre del Mar. Fortunately, it’s a flat course that works as a kind of cool down and let us pedal at ease. At every turn, we are welcomed with beautiful views to the sea and lovely seaside spots as a way to say goodbye to two days of cycling in great company.
A few hours later at home, after an entertaining weekend with so many good memories, one cannot simply rest but wonder where the next adventure will be; and the first hours of sleep become timeless traveling through all the possible escapadas one can fantasize about. Adventures we would like to share with you, our public, as living witnesses of our story.
