Badlands Cycling Journey: Granada to Cabo de Gata in Spain

7 Days, Multiple Departures

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Badlands Cycling Journey: Granada to Cabo de Gata in Spain
  • About
  • Gallery
  • Itinerary
  • Location
  • Things to keep in mind
  • FAQ

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The adventure begins in the historic city of Granada in the shadow of the Alhambra palace. Journey east to the town of Gorafe and the desert that gives Badlands its name. Head to Tabernas Desert and the Mediterranean wild coast of Cabo de Gata.

A tour designed in colaboration with the Badlands team, we aim to share the best of the riding, food & culture of this incredibly varied region. Stay in carefully selected, unique accommodations, rated for the warmth of welcome & cultural experience instead of the number of stars. Enjoy a wealth of traditional food along the way and indluge in life, Andalucia style.

Enjoy the full support, care and attention of our guide team along the way. The support van will meet the group along the route with welcome refreshments and be on hand to provide mechanical assistance and a ride if required. Our guides will keep the group on the route and will share stories of the Badlands race and the history and traditions of the route.

Tour highlights

The city of Granada and the opportunity to visit the Alhambra palace

Ride through the Sierra de Huétor

Sleep in a traditional cave-house

Badlands of the Tabernas desert

Cabo de Gata nature reserve and the Mediterranean sea

Exclusive Welcome pack

Duration: 7 days

Distance: 464 km

Region: Andalucia

Terrain: Gravel

Level: Epic

Average distance x day: 77 km

Average time x day: 5 hours

Full Support

Enjoy small group sizes and professional, personal support all week from your guides & support vehicle.

We work with an industry leading guide to guest ratio – expect up to 4 guests per guide on the trip with guides leading the way on the road and a support vehicle close by at all times. Note that for groups of 4 riders or less this tour is run as a guided trip without the support vehicle.

The ride support vehicle is stocked with natural ride nutrition, electrolytes and water, as well as a full set of tools to resolve any mechanicals. On selected days the support crew will serve a delicious picnic lunch in a scenic location en route. Enjoy local foods chosen to keep you feeling energized and healthy.

Our guides are experienced riders from all walks of life united by a love of cycling who’ll help to keep the group safe, motivated and savoring the trip of a lifetime.

All guests will receive access to our digital Road Book and routes, giving everyone the flexibility to ride at their own pace.

About

Cycling: Full support

Accommodation: 2* to 5*

Food: Full-board

Airfare

Fly to Granada or Málaga Airport.

We recommend you bring your own bike.

"The whole team was great. Nothing was too much trouble, our itinerary was spot on and was tweaked on the fly according to our wishes and how the group was traveling. Can't recommend them enough, with a special shout out to Peter who was with us for the entire time and really made the trip something special."

- Mark, Australia

"Awesome service, we rented 2 Kona’s to ride the Vies Verde to Olot, the staff in the the rental shop was top notch. I’ve been a competitive cyclist for 30 years and I’ve seen a lot, these guys are number 1 in my book! Already looking forward to a longer stay in Girona."

- Brian, Canada

Gallery
About The Host
Rafa and Fernando

Rafa and Fernando

Rafa is from Barcelona and has made the city of Granada his home. Alongside guiding Rafa works as a cycling coach. He rides both road and gravel and has probably climbed the Pico de Veleta more times than anyone else!

Fernando lives in the Montes de Málaga! He's spent a career traveling extensively and working with the UN. A Malagueñan, Fernando rides MTB and road and continues to love to travel.

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrival in Granada!

Meet & greet, warm-up ride in Granada city. Test your bike & equipment ahead of tomorrow’s big ride. Arrive early and book to see the incredible Alhambra palace.

Eat: Light lunch on arrival, welcome meal with the group in Granada with views of the Alhambra

Sleep: Hotel

Cycle: Short warm-up ride around the city, 16 km, 300 m

Day 2 Granada to Gorafe

The ride starts from Granada City Center with a steep climb up into the Sierra de Huétor Natural Park, a mountain range over the valley of Granada covered in pine, cedar, and fir forests, with amazing views of Sierra Nevada. Enjoy one of the most diverse areas in Europe when the route heads into La Hoya de Guadix, a natural plain with plenty of gullies and badlands, the natural transition between the forest and the desert. This landscape deeply marked by the erosion of the basins of the Rivers Fardes and Guadix, contains the largest concentration of cave dwellings and dolmens in Europe. Tonight sleep in the Cave houses of Chumbera.

Eat: Breakfast at the hotel, lunch en route, evening meal in Gorafe

Sleep: Resort

Cycle: Point to point from Granada to Gorafe, 94 km, 2,100 m

Day 3 The Gorafe Desert

Today ride into Gorafe Desert, one of the most stunning landscapes in Europe. Start by riding north east to the picturesque village of Gorafe, at the bottom of the Gor Canyon and considered the entrance to the desert. Los Coloraos is one of the most popular areas of the desert, owing its name to the predominant red colour and its similarity to the Grand Canyon. The ride continues to the gravel climb to Los Altos de Alicún, before turning back and closing the loop at the village of Gorafe. We continue to climb south to the village of Gor, and another cave dwelling - the newly renovated caves at El Atochal.

Eat: Breakfast at the hotel, lunch en route, evening meal in Gorafe

Sleep: Hotel

Cycle: Gorafe Desert loop, 74 km, 1,300 m

Day 4 Gorafe to Bacares

Climb from the caves into the Sierra de Los Filabres, the largest mountain range in Almería Province. It's a remote area, frequently over 2.000 m height. This mountain range was a historic crossroads of cultures, and its legacy includes remains of Roman aqueducts or Arab castles. Climb the Puerto de Escúllar en route to the highest point of the day, the observatory at Calar Alto. The rides ends in the small village of Bacares where we stay in a rural guesthouse in the heart of the Sierra de los Filabres.

Eat: Breakfast at the hotel, lunch en route, evening meal in Gérgal

Sleep: Inn

Cycle: Sierra de los Filabres, 87 km, 2,000 m

Day 5 Badlands: The Tabernas Desert

The day starts with a climb to the Puerto de La Venta Luisa before a welcome descent to the village of Gérgal. From here we ride into the Tabernas Desert, officially considered to be the only real desert on the whole European continent. The track goes through some dry and sandy river basins known as Ramblas: Rambla de Lanujar (14km), Rambla de Tabernas (7km) and Rambla del Búho (3km) before the village of Tabernas. These omnipresent sand-covered gullies known as Badlands has been widely used as a set for films such as A Fistful of Dollars, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Conan the Barbarian or Game of Thrones.

Eat: Breakfast at the hotel, lunch en route, evening meal in Lucainena

Sleep: Hotel

Cycle: Tabernas Desert, 97 km, 1,400 m

Day 6 Cabo de Gata

The route starts with a long and soft descent from Lucainena de las Torres into the Cabo de Gata Natural Park, the largest protected area of the European coast. This unique landscape, shaped by the erosion on the rocks solidified magma that flowed from the volcanic formations into the sea, is considered the ecological boundary with Africa. The ride continues in a mixture of terrain with secondary roads, gravel and sandy sections along the coast until the final destination, the village of Retamar.

Eat: Breakfast at the hotel, lunch en route, evening meal in Retamar

Sleep: Hotel

Cycle: Cabo de Gata Natural Park, 96 km, 940 m

Day 7 Departures

Eat: Breakfast at the hotel

Location
Things to keep in mind

More than 90 days - No Cancellation Fee 

61 – 90 Days - 50% of Tour Price

31 – 60 days - 75% of Tour Price

0 – 30 days - 100% of Tour Price

The parties agree to this combined travel contract, which is subject to the following PARTICULAR CONDITIONS.

TOUR NAME. As established in the Trip Notes, sent to the guest.

DATE OF TOUR. As established in the Trip Notes, sent to the guest.

PRICE. As established in the Trip Notes.

PLACE OF DEPARTURE AND RETURN. As established in the Trip Notes.

PLACE, METHOD, AND CALENDAR OF PAYMENT. As established in the Trip Notes

SCHEDULE. As established in the Trip Notes.

ITINERARY AND PREVIOUS SERVICES. As established in the Trip Notes and supplemented with the documentation that will be delivered to the guest before departure in the Tour Itinerary.

ACCOMMODATIONS AND MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED, CATEGORY, CHARACTERISTICS, AND SITUATION. As established in the Trip Notes. The guest expressly acknowledges being informed of this, giving his/her agreement to the categories, characteristics, and situation of the hotels and means of transport that will be used in the contracted trip. Hotels may vary depending on their occupancy.

MINIMUM NUMBER OF PEOPLE. The completion of this trip requires the minimum number of people that the Trip Notes expressly indicate (if a minimum is not required, this clause is not applicable). The Agency may cancel the trip if a minimum number of people is required and this minimum is not reached. See Trip Notes for the specific conditions of your tour.

EXECUTION OF THE TOUR. The Agency is responsible for the correct execution of all travel services included in the contract (by article 161 of Bill no. RD 1/2007). The Agency shall provide adequate assistance without undue delay to the traveler in need of assistance. The Agency may invoice a reasonable surcharge for such assistance if the need for assistance has been caused intentionally or due to the negligence of the guest. Said surcharge will in no case exceed the actual costs incurred by the Agency. The guest must inform the Agency without undue delay of any lack of compliance observed during the execution of a travel service included in the contract.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR FOREIGN GUESTS. Visas, passports, fees, and other necessary documentation may be required, as established in the Trip Notes.

INSURANCE

Assistance Insurance. The contracted trip includes the option to obtain travel assistance

Cancellation Insurance. The consumer declares that he/she has been informed by the Agency of the possibility of contracting insurance, paid by the guest, which covers the costs of cancellation and to have assistance covering the cost of repatriation or transfer to the place of origin, in case of accident, illness or death as well as other eventualities.

Insurance in case of insolvency. The purpose of the insurance is to respond to the fulfillment of the obligations arising from the provision of services to the contractors of a combined trip and, especially, to the reimbursement of the funds deposited in the event of insolvency or bankruptcy of the Agency. By European, Spanish, and Catalan legislation, The host has contracted insurance with the following company:

FAQ