Bike Tour in Andalucia - Historical Villages and Jerez Wine Country
Known for thevibrant Andalucian lifestyle of tapas, sherry wine and bulls, the Andalucia is much more than that.
There is a beautiful landscape of farmland to explore, you'll ride in quiet backroads along the olive oil groves, cork oak trees and vineyards with the backdrop of the mountains in the distance.
Perched on top of the hills you'll find historic villages of whitewashed houses reflecting the sun, dominating the plains and in the historic villages and cities of Córdoba, Ronda, Antequera and Granada you will find the rich history of this area in the form of astonishing monuments like the Mezquita of Córdoba or the Alhambra citadel, both testimony to the Arab presence and magnificence in this region.
You will also experience this region's world famous gastronomy, with incredible food, with "tapas" dominating, but where you'll find both small family run restaurants and bars that offer the regional specialties as well as sophisticated and modern interpretations of the regional and national specialties.
On your Andalucia cycling holiday you'll confirm that this region is also a famous wine region especially because of the Sherry wines but there are plenty of sub-regions producing other heavy dessert wines like the Moscatel (Muscat) and more recently some brilliant red wines that thrive in the warm sunny climate of this region.
To top this you'll be able to enjoy the region's hospitality in a mix of carefully selected hotels from the sophistication of some of the city hotels, the rural farmhouses and manor houses that let you experience the rural living with all the comforts, to the historical buildings and palaces located in some very special places now converted in to modern hotels.
Transfer from Cordoba Airport or meet at our hotel in the historical city of Córdoba. from Madrid by fast direct train.
Tour briefing and bike setup.
Free afternoon to visit the spectacular monuments of the city like the magnificent Mezquita, a Mosque-Cathedral, the city's roman bridge and the Alcazar.
Hotel – Eurostars Palace Córdoba or Hospes Palacio del Bailio ("premium" option)
Breakfast at your hotel;
Start of the ride to the white washed village of Zuheros, across this area known as the Olive Oil Route where unsurprisingly you'll find yourself riding surrounded by olive tree groves once you clear the urban area of Córdoba, and all the way to the mountain village of Zuheros, considered by many the most beautiful village of Spain.
Hotel Casa Rural Don Lope or Casa Olea ("premium" option)
Breakfast at your hotel;
Today you'll have a long but easy ride from your mountain top Zuheros hotel all the way to Osuna, a ride that will take you first downhill and the on the flat farmland areas of Andalucia, till the historical town of Osuna, known for its rich and beautiful Collegiate Church built in the 1500's.
Explore the town and the monuments.
Optional ride to Priego de Córdoba and Lucena through the Parque Natural de la Sierra Sub-Betica mountainous area and ending the ride in Lucena. From there you'll board a car and transfer to Osuna.
Hotel – Hospedaria del Monasterio or La Casona de Calderón Gastronomic and Boutique Hotel ("premium" option)
Breakfast at your hotel;
As opposed to yesterday's ride, today's will take you mostly climbing from Osuna to the marvellous town of Ronda. The ride starts from the flatlands of Andalucia and you'll head south through the Betica mountain range, an uphill ride with 2 steeper climbs to Puerto de Encina and the longer one to Alcalá del Valle, where you'll ride the plateau all the way to Ronda. Explore this magical town, the iconic gorge and views as well as the lively city centre with its historical buildings.
Hotel – Alavera de los Baños or Hotel Catalonia Ronda ("premium" option)
Breakfast at your hotel;
Today you'll have a majestic ride from Ronda to the ancient town of Antequera. Leaving Ronda, you'll start riding the plateau and then gently uphill to Cuevas del Becerro and from then a long downhill section that will take you to the Conde de Guadalhorce Dam and El Chorro, one of the gateways of the famous Caminito del Rey walking trail. The roads along the dam and the trial are magnificent, carved on the hills and mountains but also a roller coaster, where you'll be riding up and down most of the time until you reach Bobadilla. From there a long flat-ish road will take you to Antequera and your hotel.
Explore this Ancient town and its monuments dating from the neolithic, to roman to arabic.
Hotel – Parador de Antequera or La Fuente del Sol ("premium" option)
Breakfast at your hotel;
Today's ride will take you northeast to the foothills of the Iznájar dam where the whitewashed town of Iznájar and castle dominate the glorious scenery. Heading north from Antequera you'll start riding up the hills filled with olive groves until the eye can see as you make your way up to the Izájar dam. You'll pass your hotel as you start heading downhill to the dam. As you cross the dam you'll start seeing the village dominated by the castle. Make you way up to visit this town and its dominating views. Once you've visited the village you just need to track back across the dam on the same road and climb to your hotel.
Hotel – Cortijo la Haza or La Bobadilla ("premium" option)
Breakfast at your hotel;
This last ride will take you from the olive oil grove hills to the city of Granada. Leaving your hotel you'll start heading downhill to Loja, leaving the hilly olive grove area and entering the flatlands that lead to Granada, along the Genil river. As you get closer to Granada you'll have a clearer view of the Sierra Nevada mountains and the urban landscape starts to get denser with plenty of small towns and villages as you enter this city.
Granada has a bustling and historical city centre worth a visit and you should not miss a visit to the Alhambra citadel.
Hotel – Hotel Eurostars Catedral (upgrade to superior room in "premium" option)
Breakfast at your hotel;
At the scheduled time transfer to Cordoba Airport or train station
/ I ride my bike an average of 100 kilometres or more per week and enjoy a fast paced ride for an extended period of time. I love to train, improve and be challenged by other riders. I enjoy all riding experiences, from big climbs to long, technical descents, especially the ones that allow me to push my limits and make long lasting memories.
You’ll get to ride in a peloton along with your peers but also challenge them on the long climbs. Lead the pack and take on the special extra-challenges we have in store for you – try to keep up with our guides as you go for the extra mile just before your well deserved rest and massage at the hotel!
Our guides and support vans will provide you with nutrition and hydration along all our guided tours so that you can better enjoy your ride.
Ricardo "El capitán" Costa is the"roadie" in charge of designing this tour. Having ridden all over the world, from Malaysia to the USA, it is in Portugal that he found some of the best rides in the planet. Ricardo has picked some of the best roads in the region, that will introduce you to his favorite vineyards, coffee stops, viewpoints, hotels and other secret spots.
