Cabo de Gata NP Easy Mountain Bike Tour

Today you arrive in Almería, its incredibly mild climate will welcome you as you can walk around the city and stop in some of the many nice terraces and tapas bars before you start your bicycle adventure.

 Challenge: Arrive to Almería

Villages along the way: Almería

Today, after getting your rental bikes in the morning, you will start a long coastal cycling path for 10 km / 6,2 mi to get familiar with your bikes on the flat while breathing the salty air. The fun starts close to Almeria airport, when you paddle alongside dark gravel beaches past Cabo de Gata village and Salt bassins in different colours. A first steep uphill section along a quiet tarmac road to reach Cabo de Gata light house and enter the Nature Park, then a second ascent, twice as long but necessary to get on top of the cliffs. The views across the deep blue see and riffs that make this coastline so special are fabulous. With the last downhill section you will reach the beach town of San José where you will stay 2 nights.

Challenge: 46 km / 28,5 mi, 400 m ascent

Villages along the way: Almería, Cabo de Gata, San José

A relatively short loop ride take takes you to the beach and viewpoint Morrón de los Genoveses along dusty gravel tracks across the cliff, then down to the beautiful beach of Monsul and return through the private estate Monsul. Take your picnic and swimming gear with you to spend part of the day at the beach.

Challenge: 17.5 km / 11 mi, 350 m ascent

Villages along the way: San José

An adventurous start today, with a steep uphill climb to the cliffs above Cala Tomate where you will follow an old route from one military post (in ruins) to another. You might prefer to walk your bike during short steep sections.

From the beach of San Felipe, a quiet tarmac road takes you across two steep and barren hills and then suddenly the ‘oasis’ of Rodalquilar comes into view. You can check in directly at your beautiful rural hotel or extend the route to the white beach of the turquoise cove of Rodalquilar or the coastal town of Las Negras, for lunch.

Challenge: 19 - 34 km / 11 - 21 mi, 500 / 725 m ascent

Villages along the way: San José, Rodalquilar, Las Negras

If you only do the loop ride west of Rodalquilar, a totally different and in origin volcanic landscape awaits, with old mining areas, isolated cortijos and the modern plastic landscape of greenhouses. The barren hinterland of Almería has served as film sets for numerous westerns, mostly so called ‘Spaghetti westerns' (made by Italian directors like Sergio Leone). In the village of Albaricoques you can walk in Clint Eastwoods’ footsteps as you cross the main street made up of low ‘mexican’ type adobe houses. Back in Rodalquilar after 22 km, you can decide to visit the beach and/or ride up to the Punta de la Polacra lighthouse (at 245m altitude) or just spend the afternoon around the pool.

Challenge: 22 - 37 km / 14 - 23 mi, 400 / 725 m ascent

Villages along the way: Rodalquilar, Albaricoques

Today, again, a very steep section at the start. But fortunately we can use a gravel track during part of the ascent and then enjoy the luxury of a long glide downhill, along the main road. In the old mining town Fernán Pérez, you can recharge at the local bar before you take a secondary road to Agua Amarga, mainly downhill. If you want to avoid a last nice but steep down- and uphill off-road sections to the Cala del Plomo beach, you can take a short cut along and old cattle track “Cañada de Méndez" and shorten the route with 8.5 km (and 200 m of ascent less).

At the end of the day your bikes will be picked up

Challenge: 34 - 25.5 km / 21 - 16 mi, 500 / 300 m ascent

Villages along the way: Rodalquilar, Agua Amarga

After breakfast your arrangement ends. You can travel back by public bus to Almería or arrange a private taxi-transfer.