Andalusia cycling near cadiz
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Andalusia

Discover Andalusia on two wheels, pedaling over its famed mountain passes, through peaceful countryside, and routes steeped in the culture of Southern Spain.

Highlights

  • The Sierra Nevada: Spain's highest road, a Vuelta classic
  • Pueblos blancos: Ronda, Grazalema, Zahara
  • 16 to 18°C winter highs in Seville and Málaga
  • Sherry, jamón ibérico, flamenco, Moorish architecture
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About Cycling in Andalusia

Known for its Moorish heritage, flamenco rhythms, and delectable cuisine, this southern jewel of Spain is a vibrant mosaic of traditions and landscapes.

For cyclists, Andalusia is a land of unparalleled variety and challenge. From the gentle, rolling plains near Antequera to the exhilarating mountain passes of the Sierra de Grazalema, there is a route for road, gravel and e-bike riders.

Quiet farm roads through olive country offer relaxed rides, while inland routes lead to dramatic climbs and thrilling descents, such as those in the Sierra de las Nieves or the long climbs to Puerto del Viento and Puerto de las Palomas.

Here, you’ll pass through quiet villages and bustling towns like Ronda perched above dramatic gorges while pedaling on routes that often wind through protected areas like the Sierra de las Nieves, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

A convergence of culture and nature, Andalusia’s Moorish heritage is evident in the iconic Alhambra of Granada, the Alcázar of Seville, and the labyrinthine streets of its whitewashed villages. Along your journey, you might pause to enjoy a flamenco performance, visit a centuries-old winery, or savor Andalusian delicacies such as salmorejo and gazpacho.

Whether you’re seeking a cycling holiday along quiet backroads, moderate routes through rolling countryside, or a road cycling challenge, Andalusia offers it all.

Its year-round sunshine, varied landscapes, and well-maintained trails ensure an unforgettable cycling experience.

Hassle-Free

We take care of route planning, accommodations, luggage transfers, and all logistics, so you can focus purely on enjoying your ride.

Tried & Tested Adventures

Our cycling routes are hand-picked & tested, to ensure breathtaking landscapes, smooth roads, and maximum safety - giving you the perfect ride every day.

Unbeatable Support

Our 24/7 customer support is where we show our passion, ensuring your cycling holiday runs smoothly and your well-being is always our top priority.

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We are a financially protected company, fully bonded and insured, keeping your money safe and allowing you to travel with confidence.

What to Expect When Cycling in Andalusia?

3,384 m: the top of the Pico Veleta road above Granada, Europe's highest paved road. From Pinos Genil it climbs 38.7 km at 6.8 %.

Above Hoya de la Mora a barrier stops the cars, but bikes may ride on. The last stretch is partly gravel.

Our Sierra Nevada cycling guide covers the whole climb →

Thirsty in Granada? Order a drink, and a tapa usually comes free, a custom most of Andalusia has dropped.

Córdoba's salmorejo is a cold soup of tomato, bread and oil. Antequera's porra is its cousin, served with diced ham and egg.

Cycling Holidays Andalusia starts in Antequera and rides through Córdoba. In Jerez, where the Villages tour sleeps, order the local sherry.

The Spain for Foodies guide lists the dishes worth stopping for →

Pick the landscape first, then the tour that rides it:

  • Sierra Nevada climbs: Sierra Nevada Climbing Tour

  • Ronda's passes: Ronda Cycling Holidays

  • Grazalema and Setenil: Ultimate Tour of Andalusia

  • White villages on gravel: Villages of Andalusia

  • Córdoba's farmland: Cycling Holidays Andalusia

Want both? The Almería to Seville challenge links the Sierra Nevada with Granada, Ronda and Seville.

On the Ruta del Sol roads around Granada, you ride over riders' names painted on the road. The race behind them, in short:

  • 1925: the first Vuelta a Andalucía, or Ruta del Sol

  • 2020: it joins the UCI ProSeries

  • 2022: the Vuelta a España starts a stage in Ronda

  • 2022: Hoya de la Mora finish, 22.3 km at 7.9 %

The Jerez to Málaga railway was never finished, and no train ever ran between Puerto Serrano and Olvera. Its bed is now the Vía Verde de la Sierra, a car-free greenway.

Its tunnels run up to a kilometre long and light up as you ride in.

Halfway along, the Peñón de Zaframagón crag shelters a large griffon vulture colony. Villages of Andalusia rides 36 km of it.

More greenways in our Andalusia cycling guide.

In Setenil de las Bodegas, many houses sit under rock overhangs, built into a bluff above the Río Trejo. The name is said to come from septem nihil, "seven times nothing", for the sieges the Moorish town resisted until 1484.

The Ultimate Tour of Andalusia sleeps here, and the Villages tour stops on its way to Olvera.

Frequently Asked Questions

Andalusia gives you dry roads and the Moorish cities. Seville and Granada average about 50 rain days a year, against 124 in Bilbao.

Our tours here link Granada, Córdoba and Seville. Other regions win on other things:

In July and August, yes, for most riders. Seville and Granada average 35 to 36 °C on summer afternoons.

Spring and autumn are kinder: Seville sits at 18 to 26 °C from February to April and in October and November. Granada, higher up, suits March to May and October.

Cycling Holidays Andalusia, Villages of Andalusia and the Almería to Seville challenge run all year. In December and January, Seville averages 16 to 17 °C, Granada about 14 °C.

The mountain tours keep to the warmer months: Ronda from April to October, Sierra Nevada from May to October. The Ultimate Tour of Andalusia runs from mid-March to mid-November.

No, but none is flat: every tour here is level 4 or 5 of 5.

Villages of Andalusia Cycling Holidays has the shortest days on this page, 18 to 40 km, on lanes and gravel paths.

Cycling Holidays Andalusia rolls through farmland from Antequera to Seville, at 43 to 69 km a day.

The mountain tours are another matter: their biggest days climb 1,750 to 2,630 m.

No. Every Andalusia tour is self-guided, so you ride alone or with your own group.

You get GPS tracks in an app, a digital guidebook with each day's route and 3-star hotels with breakfast. Our team supports you throughout, and the hotels are booked before you arrive.

Not on every tour.

  • The Ronda tour keeps one hotel in Ronda all week, with a different loop each day.

  • The Sierra Nevada tour stays in Granada throughout.

  • The Ultimate Tour of Andalusia spends two nights in Grazalema.

On the other tours you move most days, and your luggage goes ahead to the next hotel.

Fly into the airport nearest your start.

  • Málaga: Pizarra is about 35 minutes by road, Antequera under an hour and Ronda about 1 h 45.

  • Granada: the Sierra Nevada tour starts 20 minutes from the airport.

  • Almería: for the Almería to Seville challenge, which ends 20 minutes from Seville airport.

The Villages tour ends at El Puerto de Santa María, 25 minutes from Jerez airport. Renfe runs three trains a day to Ronda, and we can book a road transfer for you.

Three stand out on our routes.

  1. Arcos de la Frontera sits on cliffs above the Guadalete, under a 15th-century castle.

  2. Carmona still has its Moorish town walls, one stop before Seville.

  3. Zahara de la Sierra lies under a 12th-century castle, above a turquoise reservoir.

Córdoba is a city, not a town. Still, Cycling Holidays Andalusia gives you an evening at its Great Mosque.

For most of them, yes. The Ronda, Grazalema and Sierra Nevada tours rent e-bikes and e-road bikes for the whole tour.

Prices are on each tour page. The Almería to Seville challenge is road only, on a road bike or an e-road bike.

For gravel, the Villages tour rents gravel bikes and e-bikes.