Andalusia is a beautiful land, vast and exceptionally diverse. His landscapes range from snowy peaks of high mountains even the paradisiacal ones turquoise water beaches, passing through wetlands, dense mediterranean forests, thousands of farming terraces, valleys crossed by spirited rivers and dotted with white house towns, and cities in which man imposes his limits on a nature that, if she were, would gladly take that asphalt to turn it into orchard.
That asphalt, however, can serve as a relief for the brave cyclists who undertake the adventure of traveling the transandalus route, whose trace of something more than 2,000km goes into some of the most beautiful, and less traveled, parts of the eight Andalusian provinces.
In this titanic challenge, cyclists will roll on paths, some other paved road and livestock trails, trying to absorb the essence of Andalusia: its wonderful landscapes, its ancestral culture, its marked customs and its tasty gastronomy.
Sunset over the olive grove, on two wheels.
THE BIRTH OF A DREAM OF CYCLISTS FOR CYCLISTS
They say that the best projects are those that are born from dreams and unconditional love for something. And that's how it came about the bike route which in 2005 received the name of Transandalus.
The idea, however, had been conceived much earlier, when, while almost the whole world was celebrating the entrance of the new millennium, two bikers –Antonio C. Álvarez and Juan Manuel Muñoz– lovers of getting lost on the trails with their mountain bikes they wanted to create a route BTT that covered all of Andalusia, a region whose climate makes it an ideal place for traveling by bicycle with panniers.
The project was beautiful and exciting, but it required a huge effort and many more hands. In February 2002, After almost two years of work, Transandalus (which did not yet have a name) was completed on the map.
Since then, the help of dozens of volunteers and lovers of the BTT world has made it possible for any cyclist who wants to undertake this fantastic adventure to have available to him, and free of charge, a complete guide with tracks and sections documented with route meters and GPS links.
With this invaluable help we will be able to go through a circular route that, above all, connects us with the andalusian nature, since 35% of it runs through protected natural areas. putting up the magnifying glass over each province (in no predetermined order), these are some of the best places the Transandalus explores.
Sierra de Andújar Natural Park.
JAEN, GREEN I LOVE YOU GREEN
The Transandalus draws an almost perfect bow passing through the province of Jaen, which is perhaps a one of the most unknown in Andalusia from the tourist point of view.
To the scenic appeal of the Sierras of Cazorla, Segura and Andújar, we must add the endless fields of olive groves, the farmhouses scattered here and there, and historic towns, such as Baths of the Oak, with its mighty castle from the Umayyad period (10th century) dominating the fields from its elevated position, and Navas de Toulouse, in whose surroundings one of the most important battles of the Reconquest was held. If you want to learn all about it, you can make a stop at the Museum of the Battle of Navas de Tolosa.
Of the aforementioned mountain ranges, perhaps Andújar is the least explored. Here we will find the sanctuary dedicated to the Virgen de la Cabeza –the most important place of pilgrimage in Andalusia after Dew – and a fauna dominated by red deer and the largest population of Iberian lynx in the world.
The desired Tajo de Ronda.
MÁLAGA, WITH VIEWS TO THE MEDITERRANEAN AND WITH A MOUTH SOUL
A route of just over 210 km reveals Malaga to us through trails as diverse as Cañadas Reales, the GR-7, mountain paths and the Route of the Almoravids , created by the Andalusian Legacy Foundation.
Round, with its gorge and its architectural beauty, is one of the treasures of this section, along with the Torcal of Antequera –with its strange and ancient rock formations– and the beautiful Sierra de las Nieves Biosphere Reserve.
ALL ROADS LEAD TO… SEVILLE
In the province of Seville, a section of about 200 km of the Transandalus will take us to explore the unknown Sierra Norte, a place that offers us a natural environment of unique beauty, charming towns with history, a mining legacy and many plans for outdoor activities.
The route passes through towns such as Alanis, with its imposing castle built by the Arabs, and Cazalla of the Sierra, with those typically Andalusian streets and the magnificent church of Nuestra Señora de la Consolación, a work of art in the Mudejar style.
Aracena, postcard.
HUELVA, NATURE IN ITS PURE STATE
The route enters the province of Huelva from the Sierra Norte of Seville. and as if between saws the game walked, here we walk the legendary Sierra de Aracena, where the colorful and historic Minas de Riotinto are located, with that strangeness of seeing a little piece of the old colonial Great Britain in Huelva lands.
The meadows here they are wide and generous, as dark and clear are the skies on nights that are ideal for contemplating the stars in the firmament.
The path then heads towards the coast, bordering the Doñana national park, where we find the largest wetland in Andalusia and one of the most diverse ecosystems in the Iberian Peninsula, before returning to the province of Seville. In total, almost 300 km of little difficulty on the bike.
Sunset in the pasture.
CÓRDOBA, OLIVE GROVES, VINEYARDS AND PASTURES
In Córdoba, the route merges with that of the Long Distance Trail GR-39, entering the largest meadow in Europe, the Valley of the Pedroches . Here we can enjoy the sweet fragrance of ancient oaks and the culture of towns such as Añora, Dos Torres or El Viso, famous for its hams, chorizos and blood sausages.
Also, near Seville, it runs through part of the Guadiato Valley, completing a route of about 180 km that does not present great difficulties from a merely technical point of view.
Sierra Nevada National Park.
GRANADA, TWO WHEELS THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS
The province of Granada, with the GR-7 as the main protagonist, adds another 300 km to the route, but in this case it will cost blood, sweat and tears on the saddle.
As a reward for such effort, we will be able to explore the unknown Lecrin Valley, with natural beauties like the Durcal River wave El Padul lagoon, in addition to towns as charming as Nigüelas either Mondujar, in which the ruins of Roman baths are mixed with Christian churches and ancient Arab fortresses.
Steep slopes will take us to the white villages of the Alpujarras , What Lanjaron, pampaneira either endure, a chilling place where witches seem to have taken over.
Almería, the only provincial capital through which the route passes.
ALMERIA, CITY, DESERT AND ARCHEOLOGY
Another area of the Alpujarra, Almeria, is part of the 340 km from Transandalus that run through the province that became famous, among other things, for the cinema.
We will be able to recognize the marked Arab legacy in Laujar de Andarax, Before going through the lonely and hard Sierra de Gador on the way to the city Almeria.
It is the only moment in which the route touches a provincial capital, but then it compensates for that passage through the asphalt with two natural spectacles that will make us feel, on countless occasions, the need to put our foot down and leave the bike parked for a few hours, or days. These are the Cabo de Gata Natural Park – Nijar and the Mountain range of the Filabres.
desert landscapes, mediterranean forests, dream coves and archaeological sites in a section that deserves to be traveled with all the parsimony in the world.
Sierra de Grazalema, fascinating.
CÁDIZ, PARADISE ON TWO WHEELS
Gastronomy is once again present in the Cadiz stages. And it is that nobody can pedal for Zahara of the Tuna without stopping to taste their fish and shellfish.
we will take sections of the greenway that runs along the old railway linking Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Chipiona, Puerto de Santa María and Rota, but also the Sierras del Estrecho and Los Alcornocales, before leaving the province, not without great physical effort, down the ramps of the fascinating Sierra de Grazalema.
Some 342 km divided into about a dozen stages (although that will always depend on the pace of each cyclist) that they will cover Beaches, leafy laurel forests, arid valleys and many other contrasts, both landscape and cultural. A great example of the latter is Rota, that place that has been halfway between Spain and the United States since the middle of the last century.
And it is that the Transandalus is not only a journey in space, but also It is a journey that connects different eras in a region whose beauty has been transformed over the centuries. An adventure to keep all our senses awake and appreciate the fortune of being alive.