Big climbs, big sky and big smiles in the Sierra de Los Filabres
Most road cyclists know Mallorca, Calpe and maybe the Sierra Nevada as destinations to ride stunning roads in great weather. However there is much more to explore in Spain - like the many climbs, quaint villages and beautiful landscape of the Sierra de Los Filabres.
Exploring this lesser known southern Spain cycling paradise
A bid overshadowed by its larger brother the Sierra Nevada the Sierra de Los Filabres sits just north of Almeria in Andalucia and is about 100km from east to west and 35km from north to south. A few peaks reach above 2000m above sea level but the roads here reach almost the same height.
The eastern part of the Sierra is crisscrossed by many very well developed roads that stay below or just at 1000m asl. This area is more developed in general with many picturesque white villages (and great bars on every corner).
One reason for the good road network might be the large marble quarries that pepper the landscape. The climbs are very moderate in steepness (hovering around 4-5% average).
The central and western mountains have fewer roads than the eastern parts but those top out much higher. Maybe the crown jewel among the great climbs found here is the Alto the Velefique that climbs steeply out of the village of the same name to scale almost 900m in just 13km (and tops out at 1800masl). Its many switchbacks in the last kilometers are reminiscent of the Stelvio pass in the alps.
Another great example is the Puerto de la Venta Luisa that reaches almost 2000masl. It is quite simple to rack up 2.500 meters of climbing in 80km doing a loop in this part of the Sierra.
In summary: There is more than enough to ride here for a longer trip or on the way towards other areas like the Sierra Nevada just a bit further south.
Adventurers: Bengt