Trés Sierras: Cycling in the Alpujarra, Tejeda and Subbéticas ranges
As soon as the topography gets hilly Spain keeps on giving as a road biking destination and our last ramble through Andalusia proved that point. These are three lesser known ranges that are definitely worth a two wheeled visit.
Exploring the lesser known mountain ranges around Granada by road bike
Our trip first brought us into the Alpujarra which forms the softer sloping side of the Sierra Nevada (home to the highest peak in mainland Spain). Its deep vast valleys are home to beautiful alpine villages which are known for their Jamon de Serrano which is dried in then very low humidity air.
The road surfaces are mostly very good and are either up or down. Climbs can get pretty long and vary in pitch. Most roads top out at 1500 meters above sea level, however there are two passes crossing the Sierra to the north side at just 2.000masl.
You could easily spend a week or two just riding or seriously training here.
Just a bit further west, the Sierras de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama offer a gentler and even remoter vibe. Nestled in between Malaga and Granada this collection of „lesser“ ranges is dominated by olive and almond trees and crisscrossed by small roads that climb in out of green valleys.
There are longer climbs that connect the coast to the farming towns higher up like the Puerto del Sol and the Puerto de Zaffaraya.
A good basecamp would be Alhama de Granada with its long history and steep narrow streets.
Continuing towards the north and further inland the comparatively small Sierra Subbéticas has more to offer than a look on a map suggests. Peppered with small villages and towns, this range is in the heart of the largest olive oil producing area in the world with more than 200 million olive trees. Small roads undulate through the olive groves and offer up new views around every corner.
A highlight of the area is definitely the climb up to the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Sierra - a stunning road that curves through open rocky pastures.
So I continue my praise of the lesser known areas of Spain!