Day 1 Monday 25th March 2019 – Brindle to Malaga
My first attempt at international cycle touring has had a slow, but satisfying start. A total of three hours riding, 6 hours in an airport waiting for a delayed flight and 2.5 hours in the air. My biggest concern (that the bike would get trashed by the baggage handlers) didn’t happen so once we rode out of Malaga airport, I was feeling very cheerful. The hostel was just 6 miles away and we were very quickly here, probably due to the fact that part of the journey was made on an autovia (a motorway!)
It’s a great hostel with three beds (two are doubles), room for the bikes, a very powerful shower and more towels that you can shake a stick at. We’re making the most of it, since the next two nights are under canvas.
Highlights:
– Easy ride to John Lennon airport (sunshine and a tailwind all the way)
– Smooth, if delayed, flight with free refreshments (it helps to know someone in the cabin crew)
– Clean, inexpensive hostel
Day 2 Tuesday 26th March 2019 – a day of five coffees. Malaga to El Chorro
After a hearty Spanish breakfast – ham and cheese baguettes with a couple of strong coffees – we took the route out of Malaga, which was flat, and the traffic became progressively quieter as the distance from town increased.
We followed the Rio Guadalhorce to Pizarra where we enjoyed a third coffee of the day along with a slice of cake. The fourth coffee (no cake!) came in the town square in Álora. At €1.20 a cup, it’s too good to miss.
Then came payback time. The climb to the B&B site was severe, especially with luggage. However, thanks to Jim’s contacts, (he knows the owner!) we were lucky enough to get an upgrade to bunk beds in a dorm, rather than camping. So we celebrated by buying a filled baguette each eaten on the terrace.
After an hour doing nothing, the urge to go for a bike ride came over us, so we cycled to Valle de Abdalajís along a ‘rolling’ route. That was Jim’s description. I don’t reckon he’s very good with English superlatives. 125 feet climbing per mile is seriously hilly in my nomenclature. Anyway, another coffee (this time with sugar) provided enough sustenance to get me back.
I saw my first griffon vulture today, and a herd of goats, but apart from that, we saw no other wildlife.
Now I’m enjoying a civilised beer (although Jim’s lowering the tone again by quaffing cider out of the bottle) while waiting for dinner (cracking value at €9)
Looking forward tomorrow’s ride without luggage. And perhaps fewer coffees.
Day 3 Wednesday 27th March 2019 – a day without luggage riding round the hills from El Chorro
After a substantial breakfast (dinner last night was great too!), we started today with more climbing, including over 400 feet in the first mile! But then it was downhill for quite a long way along a road which appeared to have been subject to an earthquake. We managed to avoid the biggest crevices and navigated (quite literally) some very large fords before arriving in Álora again. Álora is a hilly town. Did I mention that? Very hilly. And today, all the hills were up.
A coffee (and a few crisps) set us up nicely for the climb to Carratraca which was 15 miles distant (plus ~1500ft of climbing) on lovely, quiet roads. I couldn’t stop on the route just in case there were any KoMs to be bagged on Strava. (There were, but I fell woefully short of being a contender on any.)
Once at the top, we celebrated by sharing a scrumped orange, which was surprisingly tasty. In fact, had I known just how tasty, I’d have filled Jim’s panniers with them.
Lunch was taken at a rather posh restaurant (posh for us, that is) in Ardeles. After ordering food, we tentatively planned a further 20m loop, but after we’d eaten the substantial meals, we abandoned this idea and took the shorter route home alongside a reservoir and past the finish of the Camanito del Rey.
When I was back at the campsite (at 3pm) I began feeling guilty for having had such a short day – just 36 miles (but over 4200ft of climbing). I’ll get over it, so don’t fret!
The accommodation is great – simple and homely and filled with fascinating people, including a former nightclub-owning German who, at almost 60, doesn’t own a house, but divides his time between Portugal, France and Spain with his wife in their campervan.
I wonder who we’ll meet tonight?
Day 4 Thursday 28th March 2019 – the one with the headwind. El Chorro to Malaga
In any round trip cycle tour there has to be a headwind sometimes, and for this trip, it was today. So far – there may be more yet.
It was also the day Jim and I parted company, him heading west to finish up in Portugal for his flight home and me south so I could get back to UK in time for my next trip away on Saturday. (It’s a busy life!)
Starting from 1100ft and ending at sea level, surely today’s ride was all downhill? However, some peculiarity of the Andalusian geography meant that this wasn’t so, and I ended up climbing over 2500 feet on the day.
I can categorise the ride in thirds. The first third was marvellous – smooth tarmac, undulating just enough, great views, no traffic – whilst the middle third was just OK – flattish, suburban in parts, medium traffic. The last segment through Málaga was not nice – busy, noisy, and a bit scary in parts. I was following a route proposed by Garmin (yes, the same software that usually sends me down rough farm tracks) but this time, possibly due to the absence of any farms, it directed me by the new Escuela de Ingenierías Industriales, which I took to be an industrial engineering college. All brand new buildings and roads and not a soul to be seen! And several new cycle tracks that just ended – no explanation or apology, they just stopped. One ended at a tram stop which I guess was convenient for some.
Anyway, after a very slow and tortuous ride through the city, I arrived by the sea, and then cycled along the coast for a while. I am embarrassed to admit to being overtaken by two (yes, really) electric scooters that seem to have taken over the city. I was riding into a 15mph headwind (and so were they, truth be told) when they just zoomed past me! They must have been doing about 15mph, stood bolt upright. And there was I, panting heavily whilst crouching low over the handlebars.
The last time I came here I loved eating grilled sardines on the beach with a cold beer. So I did it again. And it was just as good this time, if a little lonelier.
The Larios hostel (I was disappointed to learn that it’s named after the street, not the gin) is very clean, but situated in a pedestrian street and is three floors up, with a tiny lift that won’t hold a bike. And my bike has to live in my room with me. It’s very cosy.
Currently having a lovely meal in a friendly restaurant trying not to think about packing my bike up for the flight home tomorrow.
Day 5 Friday 29th March 2019 – home again. Malaga to Brindle
It was an early start today, leaving Málaga at 7am (6am UK time). This was good, since the traffic was very light – useful in a city full roadworks and diversions. The wind had not abated since yesterday, but today it was coming straight off the sea so I was cycling through a mist of sea-spray.
After a few detours, I found a suitable cycle path and followed it probably halfway to the airport before being thrust into the main road network again. I think I avoided the autovía this time (daylight helped) although at one point Garmin just beeped at me and said ‘route error’ (or some such) and stopped navigating. Luckily, I was in sight of a huge sign telling me to take the next right for the airport.
Fun and games ensued at the airport trying to check in my bike The first woman just said “We can’t carry that!” gesticulating in a general direction towards to my plastic-bag-wrapped bike. When I said “But Easyjet carried it out like that on Monday”, she eventually relented (after consulting with her boss) and then proceeded to set me a series of challenges to get the thing loaded. I won (eventually), and everything worked out well in the end. Cycling from Liverpool to home was uneventful, but I really noticed the volume of traffic and the latent anger of British drivers compared to the Spanish.
All done now apart from the washing. Oh, and I need new front brake blocks after all that descending with a loaded bike.