málaga & granada Cycling route:
Sierras de Tejeda,
Almijara and Alhama

For all of you cycling enthusiasts who are familiar with the areas surrounding Malaga city, or for those who have chosen to enjoy a few days of holidays in the region of Axarquia; we present a 2-day circular route that will take you to know the Natural Park Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama. A rugged relief that contrasts with high plains and beautiful valleys; well known by local cyclists from Malaga and Granada, but a little bit out of the woods for foreign visitors.

Images by María Giner and text by Escapada Cycling .

The Plan.

The original plan is a circular route that lasts 2 days. The first one covers the distance between the coastal town of Torre del Mar and the inland Alhama de Granada, with a total distance of 50 kilometers and 1300 gain. The second stage is longer, 117 kilometers with a 1800 gain. The reason behind such difference is to allow spare time to visit Alhama de Granada the first afternoon. As you can see, the difference is significant however, almost 70% of the second stage consists of flat lands and above all: descents, with almost 2700 meters drop.

We offer you a circular route in two days that give you know the Sierra de Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama park natural.

1st day.

It starts at Torre del Mar, a town 40 minutes away from Málaga by car. From that place the ride will take you to go around the city of Velez-Malaga, following the A-356. We must leave that road as soon as possible to join others of less traffic, such as the A-7205. At this point you start to enjoy the surroundings, with croplands, orange trees, lemon trees, and the beautiful typical country houses of the Axarquia region.

Historically the Axarquia has been a relevant place. It still has remains from other civilizations such as the muslims, with castles and walls that date from the 15th century. Although the aim on the first day is reaching Alhama de Granada, the route follows a course that brings us close to other towns and villages that can be visited without excessive deviation, being an interesting stop on the way.

Following the A-402 to the direction of Ventas de Zafarraya, the road goes up zigzagging over the hill. On the right the Sierra de Tejeda stands with la Maroma’s peak (2069m) as the highest point of Malaga province. At the end of the climb, two hills merge on the road opening the landscape to the high plains of Granada province. Ventas de Zafarraya is a good place to stop after the climb. There are water fountains and bars to fill up the water bottles. From here the way to Alhama de Granada is about 20 flat kilometers through the A-402. Lots of cyclists usually stop at the fountain by the Hotel Rural Los Caños de la Alcaiceria, halfway between Ventas de Zafarraya and Alhama de Granada.

There are two main options to spend a night in Alhama de Granada. You can either book your stay in the very center of town, with shops, bars and restaurants nearby. Or you can book your stay  in the outskirts, near the famous Hotel & Spa Balneario de Alhama, staying at the hotel or at the rural houses close by. The are also free thermal pools by the river that flows next to the hotel. We recommend the Apartamentos Turísticos Cortijo Garces, a rural house that is a good option when traveling as a big group, there is place enough to park the cars and keep the bikes safe in their large fully equipped rooms.

Alhama de Granada is well worth a visit. In addition to its known Spa, it has historical buildings with over 500 years of history, such as the Iglesia Mayor, the Old Prison, the Inquisition House, or the Queen’s Hospital.

2nd day.

The second day of adventure is the longest one. The recommended plan is to stop for lunch or a late lunch at the coastal towns of Almuñecar or Nerja. In that way you won’t leave many kilometers at the end.

It starts with a short climb departing Alhama de Granada by the A-402 Northwest. Later on, find a diversion of 10 kilometers through the A-338 that takes you towards Los Bermejales reservoir, a beautiful place for a short first break, with a couple of restaurants to find water or coffee if necessary. We highly recommend to delay the first stop until reaching the “Goat’s path” as it’s known this road. For this purpose you get the GR-3307 down the reservoir and then the GR-3302 to the direction of Jayena. After 20 kilometers the road gets to the A-4050, where we must follow directions to Otivar-Almuñecar.

Here is where we suggest to stop, a roadside restaurant known as “Refugio de piedra” (choose Mesón los Prados if closed). They are easy to find before the descend to the coast starts. Both are good places to have a coffee, fill up the water bottles and stretch your legs before the next assault.

From that site, the way takes you to possibly the most beautiful area of the whole route. “The Goat’s path”, as it’s known this place, is the old road that used to connect the coast with Granada city. After the highway was built, it was left into disuse and nowadays it’s a cycling paradise. You will be amazed by its breathtaking views of the Sierra de Tejeda with an impressive ravine behind the old crash-barriers.

One of more beautiful routes in this journey is La Carretera De La Cabra. This is the old road route where they communicated the coast and the Granada city.

A dizzying and fun descent marks the way to Otivar first, Jete afterwards and Almuñecar at the end before the coastline. Depending on the time you arrive to Almuñecar, you can decide whether you want to stop there or continue a little bit forward to Nerja through the old but well paved N-340. A road surrounded by a beautiful landscape of cliffs, rugged hills and crystal waters underneath.

Both towns are good choices for the second and last stop. They are popular tourist destinations and as such there are specialised shops to solve any inconvenience that may arise. After a good break, a nice meal or even a dip into the waters, we are good to go and face the last flat kilometers through the N-340 on our way back to Torre del Mar.