Category: The rides

This is a fantastic cycling route, out along the coast and back with stops for tapas and coffee along the way.

One of our joys is when you start to get to know a road’s nature a little bit more, so we use this ride to give you the chance to attack the descent to Torrox that you’ll have some knowledge of having done it both ways already.

Once we get down to the coast we’ll be sharing the thrill of the descent while we regroup and prepare for some peloton riding along the coast towards Nerja and beyond.

The beauty of this ride is that it encompasses the old coast road beyond Nerja. Until recently (early 2000s) this was the only road to take you east but the opening of the main A7 motorway has meant that this road is now barely used by cars.

A wide road with super tarmac, gives ample opportunity to maintain the peloton formation without coming into conflict with other road users.

With the sea breeze we travel through some superb scenery with an opportunity to see El puente de Aguila or the Eagle´s Bridge, a 19th century aqueduct, similar to the ones built by the Romans. Look out for passing Ibex on the sides of the cliffs.

The roads are gently undulating for the next 6 miles before getting to the right turn taking us up to Cerro Gordo.

This 1.5 mile climb takes us to a view point to look back towards Nerja. At the top there is a typically Spanish café, sometimes it’s open and sometimes it isn’t!  This is the only section of road that we’ll take you on that is unadopted meaning the short descent back down is littered with potholes and you spend more time looking down than up.

However, remember we’re not in a race and take your time to back off a bit and maybe pull over for some photos over the cliff edges.

Riding back through Nerja will give us another opportunity for a tapas lunch before taking the coast road past Torrox Costa and back up the Algarrobo climb.

With slightly fresher legs than some of our other rides, you may find yourself wanting to have a bit of a crack at some segment times while we climb back towards the village and a welcome beer.

This 60 mile return with 4,000 foot of climbing is taken at a really easy enjoyable pace after the challenges of the other rides. Take a look at the full route here.

Cycling, but not as we know it!

All keen cyclists deserve a break and we support that by taking you on routes that take in the most delicious tapas.

Whether it’s a flat(ish) longer ride to Malaga ride to nearby Nerja, we’ll showcase the excellent local cuisine. Short rides to the coast can involve stopping in nearby Competa for a mixed tapas plate with views right down the mountain that we have just climbed up. Even just a top up snack on the ride, grabbing some coffee and pan con tomate or churros for a second breakfast or an individual tapa for a quick snack, your taste buds will be buzzing!

On a rest day, we can even arrange a local vineyard tour with a 5 course tasting menu to follow at the nearby Bodegas Bentomiz (Gourmet Food and Wine Tastings at Restaurant Bodegas Bentomiz). A tasting experience that you’ll be telling your friends about for years as the only thing missing there is the Michelin Star!

For us, the food is almost as important as the cycling, and we love sharing our love of Spanish food with our guests.

Well, I say winter but if you’re coming from the UK, this is definitely more like spring!

You’ll need arm warmers and a gilet, but coming out over the winter months is perfect for your mental health. Blue skies and smooth roads are the perfect antidote to get away from the grey of the UK.

This is a relaxed way of turning those indoor miles that you will have been knocking out back home, into sunshine cycling. It’s always great to put your shorts on in January.

The one difference is that if it does rain, the roads become very slippery. Fortunately, rain is rare (it’s not called the Costa del Sol for nothing) but if it does, this is the prime opportunity to try the local tapas.

A day in the saddle with cyclemalaga.com

With our friends at cyclemalaga, a group did the Ruta de Cabra in reverse. We created this video to give people an idea of just how wonderful the cycling in our area truly is. You can see how smooth  and traffic-free the roads are. You also get a feel for the views on this stunning ride. A long day in the saddle but truly worth it.

The queen stage of any trip to this neck of the woods.

This route is the perfect challenge for any amateur rider and is so perfect you can ride it either way round.

The Cabra itself climbs up from the coast at Almunecar and just keeps on climbing, for the next 20 miles!

Once away from the coast, the start of the climb is fairly gentle but then starts ramping up as you climb to the village of Otivar.

This is the last you’ll see of civilisation for quite a while, so is the perfect place to stop and refuel before attempting the difficult part of the climb that has total gains of over a 1000 meters, traversing switchbacks, in the rocky mountains.

As you approach the top, keep a look out for the water tap on the right. Whilst not the tastiest of water, this is well worth topping up as there’s still a way to go before any other opportunity to refuel.

The views at this point are amazing, so whilst you might be at the limit of your climbing ability, do not forget to look around you!

The Route

View the route on Strava

A cycling tour not for the feint-hearted!

I love this ride. I love it for the simple reason that you get to feel like you are riding a closed road event over the vast majority of the 88 miles.

Essentially a three peaks challenge as you have a fairly gentle climb to get the legs going up to the neighbouring village of Corumbela which sits 650m above sea level. This part of the ride is in the shadows while the sun rises over the mountains and makes for a very serene start to the day.

The twisty descent, down into the town of Velez-Malaga, continues to give glimpses of the coast before hiding the view away again in the mountain valleys. All the time, the tarmac will be adding to your smile by never having to worry about any potholes. This part of the ride will have you wondering where the inhabitants hide away as you go can the 9 miles without seeing another vehicle on the road on some days.

Leaving the town takes the ride on a quiet road, adjacent to the main road, up to the village of Puente Don Manuel, the start of the second peak. Here we’ll make a stop for pan con tomate or a chocolate mousse coupled with the local specialty of a café bonbon (coffee with condensed milk, making it very sweet), before heading off towards the next town of Periana. This part of the ride covers just over 12 miles of climbing but at an average of just 2.6% gradient, however the tough bit comes about a mile after the coffee stop where we then start to see the gradient racking up through the 5, 6 & 7%.

Once at Periana you’ll be able to take in the breath-taking views over Lake Vinuela, the reservoir that provides water for the region, before finishing the climb on the oft used La Vuelta climb to the summit of the Puerto Del Sol. This is 1085m high and your legs will know every meter of it as the climb is basically from sea level.

The descent through the villages of Alfarnate, Alfarnatejo and Riogordo will provide you with the biggest smiles you’ll have on a bike. A word of caution here as you do feel like these are closed roads because there is so little traffic (on one ride I literally saw 2 cars from Periana to Riogordo) so, while you’ll want to be taking the apex, do remember that there could be something coming the other way.

Once back to the coast, we have the gentle climb of the third peak, back up to the village, through Algarrobo and Sayalonga. For those who’ve had enough by this point we can provide transport back from the coast to rest those weary legs.

The Route

View route on Strava

Along the Route

Cycle Puerto Del Sol with BudVelo

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A 75 mile ride, to the southernmost city in Europe, full of cultural sightseeing and yummy food.

Perfect for peloton riding, if you take this trip on a Sunday you’ll see the many Malagueños cycling clubs riding out on the same roads.

This ride takes in the descent to Torrox as this is one of the quieter roads down to the coast. At just over 10 miles from the outskirts of Competa down to Torrox Costa, this gentle start will get the legs going ready for the flat riding along the coastal road west to Malaga.

Passing through some picturesque seaside villages and towns provides a plethora of coffee stop opportunities to enjoy the local café bonbon and churros to give you the energy to ride into this most awesome city.

For me, the best part of the ride is the little climb just as we reach Malaga. This 2km ramp leads up to the panoramic viewpoint where the city and the port opens up. The view is stunning and gives a real idea of the scale of the city and the importance of the port. On a cruise day you’ll see the enormity of the mighty cruise ships and no doubt wonder how on earth they stay afloat.

Dropping down into the heart of the city, we’ll jump off the bikes briefly (it’s a pedestrian area, and the local Guardia Civil are very strict, better to avoid the fine), stop for photos at the ancient Roman theatre and the famous Cathedral of Malaga before a quick tapas in one of the city’s many restaurants. We then head back on the coast road and the Algarrobo climb back up to the village.

All in all a beautiful day out on the bike with 3500 foot of climbing and the perfect combination of sea and mountain air to fill the lungs while you ride.

The Route

Along the Route

Book this ride with Bud Velo

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This wonderful road bike ride takes us to the beautiful whitewashed village of Frigiliana

In total this is just over 41 miles but a real leg-tester, with climbing totalling just over 4,000 feet. The route takes us down to the coast through Competa and Torrox on beautifully smooth roads. The descent to the coast is over 7 miles on gentle turns with stunning views. The final section after Torrox joins us up with a more major road, described as ‘being on a cycle motorway’. The road is wide and fairly straight as you drop from Torrox to Torrox Costa.

Turning left on the coast road takes us along our first flat stretch towards the resort of Nerja, described as the first resort away from Malaga without large, ugly, concrete hotels! Depending on time, we will pop to the Balcón de Europa to take in the picturesque views of the bays.

Leaving Nerja will give us a 6 kilometre climb up to the main stop of Frigliana. With architecture throwing back to its Moorish ancestry, referenced as “Spain’s most beautiful and well-preserved village”.  The route will take us through narrow streets to our tapas stop and more beautiful views down the valley.

After the tapas stop the return home takes on a circular route through the mountains back to Torrox. This 8.6 mile stretch is technically downhill by 0.8% but by the time we get to Torrox, your legs will be telling you that’s a lie! Some early ramps hit 14% before finally getting a break on the downhill about 4 miles into this stretch.

Don’t enjoy the descent too much! The last half a mile into Torrox kicks again before taking us back to the intersection that you’ll recognise from the descent. This last stretch, to take us home, never hits double figures and has some lovely false flats before taking us to the top of Competa.

A ride you’ll love for a long time. You’ll be the envy of your Strava pals with the photos you’ll be able to upload.

The Route

View route on Strava

Cycle the Picturesque loop via Frigliana with Bud Velo

Limber up and book this leg tester today – you will not regret it!