Ruta de la Pasa
80km 1210hm
Ruta de la Pasa means the road of raisins, when you get deeper in the mountains you will see why. Right next to old white houses stand unique structures, facing the sun, created for drying grapes and thus creating, known from the route title, raisins.
This cycling route will take you through some of the most traditional white towns of the Axarquía. You will see the evident Moorish influence these towns hold nowadays. And not just by the look of their streets and houses, but the artisan production techniques used still today. Over the course, you will find beautiful vines, whitewashed villages and the typical raisin dryers, a structure that looks like an open rectangular tent-like space that allows the grapes to get dried and protects them from humidity at night. All of this, binded with excellent weather conditions that allow vine growing, has brought “Malaga’s raisins” to be acknowledged as World Agriculture Heritage by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations).
First kilometers roll right by the sea, which is a great opportunity for a peaceful warm up. We turn into the mountains in Rincón de la Victoria, following the signs for Moclinejo. There is only one climb on the route, with pretty steady gradient and endless corners.
There are 12 kilometers of climb from the first turn. Although the slope incline remains steady as we climb, sometimes it is possible to reach 11% grade, with challenging sections of 15% or 21%.
Moclinejo is a small hilltop village set among vineyards and terraced hillsides, east of Málaga. It has a compact historic centre with simple streets and traditional houses, reflecting its agricultural past. The surrounding area is known for small-scale wine production, especially sweet Málaga wines, which have long been part of the local economy.
Just before the top of the climb, at almost 600 m.a.s.l., we highly recommend turning right into a small gravel road from which there is a great viewpoint on Axarquia valley, from where you can see Comares or Ventas de Zafarraya.
This short unpaved section is better suited to a gravel bike than a road bike. If you ride it at an easy pace, it is well worth including, as it offers some of the most open views in the area. Taking your time here makes sense, allowing you to stop and look around before continuing.
After enjoying the views, a pretty fast and steep descent is waiting, followed by a little up-and-down on rolling roads all the way down to the coast, where you can easily find a place for lunch or a coffee break. From there, it is an easy way back home, especially beautiful in the late afternoon. And then it's an easy way back home, especially beautiful late afternoon.
This route was previously published as a road bike route on our old Escapada website. We updated the content to reflect our new Travel & Adventure concept while keeping the same region and key highlights.
Images and text by Escapada Cycling