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Spain

Trans Andaluz

Guided Mountain Bike Holiday

Grade

1
2
3
4
5

Duration

7 days

Prices from

£1,795 P.P.
Spain

Trans Andaluz

Guided Mountain Bike Holiday

Grade

1
2
3
4
5

Duration

7 days

Prices from

£1,795 P.P.
BOOK NOW
This is surely the ultimate place to place mountain biking tour in Andalucia. With mountain biking in Southern Spain becoming ever more popular, this trip stands out from the crowd as a truly remote cross country journey. Getting away from the coast and into the mountains means we are unlikely to encounter more than an occasional other rider and will have these fantastic trails all to ourselves!
It’s a heady Spanish concoction, aimed at getting even the most seasoned mountain biker grinning. The riding during the tour varies from gentle flowing trails to technical sections that will test your mountain biking skills and endurance. The days are filled with fast trails, ancient roads, fresh mountain air and exciting singletrack meaning any regular off road rider with a good level of fitness should relish this challenge.
This adventure will take you from the Mediterranean through two UNESCO biosphere reserves and four Natural Parks, past the highest peaks in western Andalucia, alongside rivers and lakes, through olive groves, pine and oak forests, to finish at the white sands of the Costa de la Luz.
As we head north away from the busy Costa del Sol, the true ancient land of el Andaluz is reached; mountainsides dotted with white villages and surrounded by terraced land. You will experience southern Spain's hospitality, excellent mountain cuisine of stews, game and delicious cured meats and cheeses, not forgetting the fantastic seafood on offer when you arrive at the Atlantic. Accommodation throughout the week will be in tasteful and traditional small hotels situated in ancient Moorish castle topped ‘Pueblos Blancos’.
Biking highlights include the 1000 metre descent out of the Andalucia's Sierra de las Nieves, the thrilling ride through the terraces and olive groves to the Rio Grande, the challenge of crossing the Lifa pass, with its magnificent views down to Ronda and beyond, and the miles and miles of beautiful singletrack in the Guadiaro valley. Put all this together with the reasonably priced flights to Malaga and lashings of bright Spanish sunshine and we’ve come up with a beauty of a mountain bike holiday!
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Holiday Highlights

  • The brilliant singletrack ridge descending into El Burgo
  • Discovering the awesome ever-changing mountain scenery of Andalucia
  • Enjoying the eclectic mixture of great charming hotels along the way
  • A never-ending descent from Sierra de las Nieves to the magical Ronda
  • A last day picnic and dip in the sea on the the Straits of Gibraltar
  • The fun filled port of Tarifa with excellent tapas and funky bars

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Riding along an amazing single track, with some technical treats to add to the fun in glorious sunshine with a strong tail wind and Africa to the left. Just perfect!

Ian, Devon

Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival Malaga - Transfer to Tolox

You’ll be met on arrival at Malaga Airport (AGP) and transferred to the starting destination of Tolox (1 hour). This typical hillside white village is a little way inland right on the edge of the awesome Sierra de las Nieves mountain range, which reaches some 2000m/6500ft above the village and is the ideal place to start this Southern Spanish adventure. Bike building and fitting can be done in the gardens at the hotel with splendid views back down to the Mediterranean. The evening meal will be taken at a village restaurant, giving you your first chance to try the tasty local cuisine, while we discuss the week ahead.

Day 2
Tolox to El Burgo
22 Miles / 35 Kms Approx.
  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch
  • Ascent: 1,270 Metres Approx.

On well rested legs we'll pedal north up onto a ridge with great views across the park and surrounding area, then descend on a series of fantastic fast trails dipping and twisting into the deep valley of the Rio Grande. Past ancient water mills, the trail follows the river before the testing climb up through the orange groves to the white village of Yunquera, perched beneath the impressive Cabrilla Mountain. When we reach the village you'll understand why the Moorish founders chose the location. The village has a terrific commanding position and is the perfect place to take a snack with a view.

A track climbing steady heads straight into the mountains and then drops on some sexy riverside singletrack through tall pines and boulders. Another swooping descent down 'dust hill' will bring us to the enchanting picnic area at Fuensanta. A late (Spanish style) lunch is just the ticket to re-energise us for the last climb of the day to Puerto de la Mujer (Pass of the Woman). It's a truly beautiful area of towering limestone and huge pines.

The slice of singletrack to come is one of the highlights of the week and will have you buzzing all the way to our hotel in El Burgo. This village feels like the 21st century has passed it by and it offers excellent old fashioned hospitality. The hotel is a converted 18th century house. The home cooking is delicious, traditional mountain food.

Day 3
El Burgo to Benaojan
26 Miles / 42 Kms Approx.
  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch
  • Ascent: 1000 Metres Approx.

After a re-fuelling breakfast we will head out on what could be the toughest day of the week! We pick up a lovely trail from the village that heads up alongside the picturesque El Burgo River, passing smallholdings and dams in the shade of thick forest. We’ll pick up some tricky twisty singletrack down through forest and along the riverbed. This excellent path climbs, dips and traverses along the valley side before it begins to climb for real.

The climb is a great test of technical skill! There is no rush to get to the top so we can enjoy the open vista of terrific views. The path leads into a 4×4 track and the going becomes a little easier as we head for the Lifa pass, our summit. From the pass we look down onto the white town of Ronda and beyond to the Grazalema Mountains. It’s a great place for lunch.

Fast thrilling downhill will speed us towards the Ancient city of Ronda. Our route through the town will pass the oldest bullring in Spain and the Puente Nuevo over the impressive Tajo Gorge. We’ll head onto the excellent flowing singletrack that the local bikers have created and then drop down fast trails to the Guadiaro River. One last climb into the beautiful limestone of the Grazalema Park concludes in a fun switchback descent to Montejaque. The village is in a stunning setting nestled between huge craggy peaks with the hotel right on the lively village square.

Day 4
Benaojan to El Colmenar
30 Miles / 48 Kms Approx.
  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch
  • Ascent: 1,185 Metres Approx.

We set off in the morning sunlight, through the bright whitewashed lanes, with a day of truly fantastic mountain biking ahead. A short stiff climb to awaken our lungs and legs will give us great views back to the village and the Guadiaro valley, the main stage of our riding today. The track joins up with an ancient trader’s route, a perfect singletrack with a few rocky sections to test the skills and nerves.

We follow the river downstream, past the Cueva de la Gata to the village of Benoajan, a perfect stop for a morning coffee. The trail to come has to be one of the best stretches of singletrack in Spain. Firstly an 8km stretch of mainly smooth singletrack twists along the riverbank to the village of Jimera de Libar, followed by 10km/6miles of fast flowing trails and singletrack to the next village of Estacion de Cortes!

A steady climb to the beautiful hilltop village of Cortes de la Frontera will bring us to a deserving lunch stop. In the afternoon we head into the Alcornocales Natural Park, the continent’s largest cork oak forest, described by well known British botanist David Bellamy as 'perhaps Europe’s last real wilderness area.

The trails weave in and out of thick forest eventually picking up the GR-7, a long distance footpath stretching from Tarifa all the way to Athens. To end the days ride a mixture of singletrack and sweeping trails will drop us down to the Jimena de la Frontera, a village topped by its wonderful 13th century castle. The restaurant here is superb and the local game stews are definitely a must try; though there are veggie options available.

Day 5
El Colmenar to Jimena de la Frontera
23 Miles / 36 Kms Approx.
  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch
  • Ascent: 735 Metres Approx.

To warm the legs up we'll climb back into the forest park past smallholdings towards the Lomas de Camara peak where the views of the trail ahead are magnificent. We'll ride through ancient oak forests, on contouring tracks, dropping down to streambeds before climbing to the next viewpoint. As we ride alongside the picturesque Guadarranque Reservoir we'll catch glimpses of Castillo de Castellar, a classic Moorish fortress village perched on the hillside across the water. This is a great place for a lazy picnic lunch, with possibly a siesta under one of the huge oaks.

After some lovely twisting tracks we will begin a testing climb on afternoon legs to the summit of the Sierras de Montecoche. A terrific switchback path will take us down to the shores of the Charco Redondo Reservoir. A fast trail will take us around the water before a last descent to the small town of Los Barrios and our beds for the night.

This is a terrific day of wilderness biking where we will hardly meet a soul, let alone see a building. We wish to keep traffic in the forest to a minimum enabling us to appreciate the peace of the area. Therefore we will be taking our own supplies for snacks and lunch. However the support vehicle will never be too far away should we need it in case of an emergency.

Day 6
El Pelayo to Tarifa
25 Miles / 40 Kms Approx.
  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch
  • Ascent: 700 Metres Approx.

Our final day mountain biking of this superb Andaluz adventure is an absolute classic! After a short morning transfer we set off on a switchback climb leading us onto a high ridge overlooking the Mediterranean with spectacular view across the Straits of Gibraltar. Once we reach the ridge we have a panoramic view of the entire route we have travelled since the start of the week.

After the challenging climb it is now time for some fun. We have a choice of trails that local riders have opened up and built through the hills above Tarifa. These are the trails that our guides ride on their days off so they have unrivalled knowledge of the area and will select the routes that best suit the experience of the group. The exhilarating descents tackle excellent flowing singletrack with the odd rocky steep section to test our mettle.

Next off we head into the Straits of Gibraltar Natural Park. This is a beautiful stretch of wild, mountainous coastline that has fantastic views across to the majestic Rif Mountains in Morocco. The fast trail heads in a south westerly direction towards our destination, then takes a swooping descent to the shores of the historical channel to the fishing hamlet of Guadalmesi. A delicious beachside lunch will be ready and waiting our arrival and maybe a revitalising dip will fit the bill for some of us.

Re-energised we pick up a great trail that undulates close to the shores. Long stretches of brilliant singletrack flow around the headlands until we meet the eastern old town wall of Tarifa. Our final piece of riding will take us to the Isla de las Palomas. This is the most southerly point of mainland Europe as well as the natural divide between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Yeah, you’ve made it. Congratulations!! A ‘couple’ of celebratory drinks while we watch the sun set over the Atlantic is a memorable way to finish this tour. Back for a shower at the hotel in the heart of the old town and then out for some tasty tapas and drinks in the exciting bars that Tarifa has to offer.

Day 7
Departure Tarifa - Transfer to Malaga
  • Meals: Breakfast

Time to pack those bags for the last time after a relaxing breakfast, before transferring to the airport (1 hour 40 mins approx).

The route described in this tour is an example of the day to day riding. Certainly being a place to place trip some of the route will be obligatory, however the local guides will add and take some parts out to suit the groups abilities, weather and other variables throughout the week, to ensure the group has an fun packed and enjoyable trip.

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The Cycling

Terrain

This exciting place to place mountainbiking journey moves across Andalucia on a full range of trails with different surfaces. Sometimes well surfaced, sometimes rough and rocky jeep tracks of differing widths make up the bulk of the riding terrain. However plentiful singletrack is thrown in each day in good measure, ranging from smooth and flowing to loose, steep, rocky steps and tight switchbacks to keep you on your toes. Very technical sections on this route tend to be short lived. With Andalucia being mountainous some long climbs are inevitable, occasionally on steep and difficult surfaces, and will be a feature on every day.

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Mountain Biking Grade

1
2
3
4
5
Grade 4 : Challenging

Distances of 25-50 miles / 40-80 kms per day

For regular mountain bikers who have a good level of fitness

Routes with frequent moderate to difficult technical sections

Our grading guidelines have been carefully created based on our many years of cycling experience, as well as customer feedback from our trips. Of course, if you're still struggling to figure out where you fit on the scale, do feel free to give us a quick call and we'll be more than happy to help!

For more information about our grading system click here.

Is this suitable for you?

As well as keeping a good level of fitness you are also an experienced biker and enjoy riding more challenging trails. You usually ride most weekends and can cover between 30 and 50 miles over a full 8-9 hour day (with breaks). The routes you choose generally include more challenging 1-2 hour long climbs perhaps with sharp switchbacks and sections of large and loose rocks. You are comfortable riding most trails including sections of technical or exposed singletrack with some testing obstacles such as drop offs and steep downhills. Our grade 4 trips should suit you.

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The holiday lived up to all my expectations and much more. The most demanding but rewarding and enjoyable experience I have had in a long time.

Peter, London

Dates & Prices

Private Departures

Private Departures

Are you keen to only travel with your family or friends? Struggling to find the right date? Well, we can organise a private departure for this tour and tailor aspects to suit your group's specific needs. Contact our friendly team and we'll help you turn your dream into reality.

Start Date
End Date
Duration
Price p.p.
Start Date
22/10/2023
Return Date
28/10/2023
Duration
7 days
Price
£1,795.00

Whats Included Tick

A) Accommodation (shared twin / double en suite rooms)

B) Meals as per the itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)

C) Full tour service, including Skedaddle guides

D) Unless stated, at least one leader qualified in first aid

E) Support vehicle and luggage transfers

F) Airport transfer on scheduled arrival day from Malaga airport (AGP)

G) Airport transfer on scheduled departure day to Malaga airport (AGP)

What's not Included Cross

A) Bike rental (available if required)

B) Flights and charges for travelling with your bike (if applicable)

C) Meals not stated in the itinerary

D) Single room (available if required)

E) Travel insurance

F) Personal clothing and equipment

G) Personal expenditure (souvenirs, bar bills, hotel facilities etc)

H) Entrance fees to museums and other attractions en route

I) Airport transfers on days other than the scheduled arrival / departure days

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The Essentials

Travel Options

Your tour starts in Tolox and finishes in Tarifa.

Group airport transfers are included in the cost of your holiday and both the arrival and return transfer from / back to Malaga airport (AGP) will be co-ordinated with the group flight schedule.

We will provide you with details of suitable flight/arrival/departure schedules as flight timetables become available.

Please check with us before making any travel arrangements to ensure we have reached the minimum number required to guarantee your holiday and to make sure your arrangements fit with our scheduled transfers.

Please note If you make travel arrangements that fall outside of the scheduled transfer windows, there may be an additional charge for individual transfers.

Accommodation

Accommodation (shared twin or double rooms) will usually be en suite in 2/3 star hotels or guesthouses. Family run, personable, charming, comfortable and homely are boxes we tick when looking for places to stay. A million miles away from chain style hotels all with unique touches.

Bike Hire

If you don’t own a suitable bike or would prefer to avoid bringing your own we have bikes available to rent. For this trip the bikes are typically very good mountain bikes featuring full suspension, disc brakes and good quality components. We can include a helmet and all necessary spares for the trip. Please request helmets at the time of booking.

If you choose to rent a bike from us you are welcome to bring your own saddle with you, and if you would like to use SPD/clipless pedals you will need to bring these with you.

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