Gravel/low traffic cycling options in Spain/Portugal

rollingscone

Hi all,

Mrs Rollingscone is talking about doing a cycling centric holiday (I have checked. There are no other stroke warning signs present).

The conditions are:
1. We want to stay in one place and cycle out and back every day.

2. She's terrified of traffic and better at handling a bike on rough surfaces than someone who cycles twice a year has any right to be.

3. Somewhere with a decent number of rest stop and bail out options (so ideally a network of quiet or gravel roads) that won't force us to take on radical inclines.

Almost certainly need somewhere with rental available and preferably not the busiest/most expensive regions.

All of this may not exist in any combination but it's a start.

Any ideas?

nilhg

In my limited enough experience cycling on mainland Spain traffic isn't an issue once you get away from the coast/resorts/big towns, I know there's some gravel around Girona but am not familiar with the area personally. I've cycled out from Torremolinos in the Malaga area, if I was going there solely for cycling I'd be looking up around Alora or Pizarra, easy to get to from the airport but out in a quiet area, some hills but nothing mad.

I've also cycled from Sitges, south of Barcalona, if I was going to that area I'd be trying to find somewhere near Vilafranca des Penedes. Again some lovely quiet roads out away from the coast.

https://www.strava.com/activities/214186916

https://www.strava.com/activities/2341556983

smacl

We stayed in a lovely spot in the Alentejo area of Portugal a couple of years back that was all gravel roads in pretty much every direction. Owner was a Dutch woman who did a mix of hiking and yoga retreats and the place had a real hippy vibe, our kids were young at the time and loved the place. Very much gravel biking terrain, little or no traffic at the time and a couple of nice local lakes to swim in and one very local pub. Only thing is that was ~10 years back so don't know what its like now. I'd go back like a shot.

Edit: She had a couple of bikes you could use for free at the time, total hacks but you get what you pay for

ReReg Numpty

Corralejo, Fuerteventura. While a lot of the routes you might take are on roads, the surface quality is very good, the traffic volume is low to non-existent..and what you do encounter is respectful. Plenty of routes for a week of cycling with Corralejo as a base. Plenty of MTB options too.

I f**kin love Fuerteventura. You can crest a hill to find a valley that is a lifeless expanse of barren rock and wind, may as well be on Mars..

Ideally, bring your own bike but if not Easy Riders are a good bunch to rent from.
easyriders-bikecenter.com

smalltalk

Hi,have a look at this company https://www.andaluciancyclingexperience.com/ they seem to have a cycle holiday for every type of cyclist,I did a spring training camp with them a couple of years ago and found them really professional.They are based near Ronda in really beautiful country.Cannot comment on prices as it has been a couple of years since I was there.

selwyn froggitt

Sierra Nevada.

Just over an hour(ish) by car from Malaga airport.
Base yourself in any of the villages to the West of the mountain range.
Rental options locally.
Amazing well surfaced roads,gravel options also,devoid of traffic.
Absolute heaven on earth.