A serene and healthy vacation
During the 'new normal', it is vital to avoid crowds, which is why it seems that - at least for the moment - we will see a decline in mass tourism. The beaches are not going to be what they used to be either, and air travel is still far from 'taking off', so everything is configured so that we dare with new ways of traveling: and how about doing it by bicycle?
To do so, there is nothing like being inspired by the complete guide to Spain by bicycle. 101 essential cycling routes (Geoplaneta, 2020). The same, written by the cyclist and journalist Sergio Fernández Tolosa, not only provides the promised information about the best routes to explore the natural wonders of our country; It also answers questions that anyone, amateur or neophyte, asks before embarking on a trip like this: Where to go? When? For how many days? Where to sleep? What clothes to wear? What time will it make? Will previous training be necessary? How to get to the beginning of the route?
The selection brings together itineraries of all levels, from the simplest and most affordable to the most demanding . They are not closed plans, but routes that everyone can mold at their own pace , dividing the route into the stages you prefer, taking possible shortcuts or taking extra detours to lengthen the trip, visit more places, etc. Here are some of our favorites from this book, which divides Spain into the following areas: Mediterranean, Pyrenees, Cantabrian Sea, North Zone, Central Zone, South Zone and Islands.
Cover of 'Spain by bicycle'
1.CABO DE GATA: GETAWAY TO THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD
"Vertiginous cliffs, movie beaches, defense towers … The volcanic landscape of the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park seduces the traveler with its wild reliefs on the shores of the Mediterranean, on a route that treasures one of the few stretches of virgin coastline in the country , in addition to countless lessons about the geological and human past of this unparalleled territory," reads Spain by bike.
Tolosa offers us a tour of two or three days in which we will observe flocks of flamingos perching on the San Miguel salt flats; we will peek at sirens reef , we will bathe in the beach where Indiana Jones he is saved by his father; we will visit the farmhouse in which he was inspired Blood Wedding , by Federico García Lorca and we will pedal to the interior of an old volcanic caldera.
"In some sections of the roads, the firmness and the steep slope force walk a few meters , but the beauty of the landscape compensates for all the effort", assures the specialist.
2. ORDESA, AÑISCLO CANYON AND OTAL VALLEY: PARADISE ON THE EDGE OF THE ABYSS
This journey through the periphery of the beautiful Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park runs through winding roads and mountain tracks that cross glacial valleys, legendary forests and unfathomable canyons.
According to the author, the route is perfect for looking out over the most aerial balconies of the Ordesa canyon; pedal along the spectacular highway Cambras gorge; walk through towns with cobbled streets and medieval mansions; get into the Bujaruelo Valley and contemplate the silent circus of Otal and meditate –or take a nap– on the banks of the Ara, the only great free river in the Pyrenees.
In addition, Tolosa ensures that the route, which can be completed in two or three days, is technically affordable , despite the high physical hardness of the unevenness.
Cabo de Gata, the last virgin coast of the country
3. PICOS DE EUROPA: TOUR OF THE ANDARA MASSIF
This tour of the beautiful landscapes that surround the Picos de Europa On its Leonese and Cantabrian side, it is a little more ambitious than the previous ones and ideal for mountain biking. It can last from two to three days, and the author, optimistic, writes: "The accumulated slopes, especially due to the very hard ramps of some tracks, which border on the absurd, and a couple of descents that are made on rocky paths are the only complications".
The effort, yes, will be worth it, giving us the possibility of crossing the national park through the Ports of Aliva , pedaling between the massifs of Los Urrieles and Andara; savor the blue cheeses handcrafted in mountain caves; visit the monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana; enjoy the autumn of a thousand colors in the beech forests of Cosgaya and, to complete the journey, enjoy a beautiful view of the Picos de Europa from the Col of Llesba.
4.CANAL DE CASTILLA: WHEN WEATHER MATTERED, BUT NOT SO MUCH
Ideal to start , this route that covers four to five days runs along the banks of the Canal de Castilla, where we will discover the secrets of the most important Spanish hydraulic engineering work of the 18th century, "a vestige of a not so distant era in which things moved literally at another speed".
The crossing offers us the possibility of observing the varied birdlife that inhabits the ecosystems of the Canal de Castilla; of savor palentine gastronomy -lamb, sheep cheeses, river crabs… -; to soak up the pilgrim atmosphere of the Santiago's road in Fromista; to visit the wineries and taste the rosés of Cigales and to complete the adventure linking Medina de Rioseco and Valladolid through the Castles Route.
The unparalleled beauty of the forests of the Picos de Europa
5.SIERRA NEVADA AND LA ALPUJARRA: THE GREAT ESCAPE
"Sierra Nevada, the Mons Solorius of Pliny the Elder, houses the highest peaks of the Iberian Peninsula and also the southernmost snows in Europe. To explore it, we propose a trip from the old capital of the Nasrid kingdom of Granada to the Alpujarra, along what was the highest-altitude paved road on the continent," reads our guide.
is a route for initiates due to the long ascents and the altitude reached, but those who carry it out, have the opportunity to explore the Sierra Nevada National Park pedaling above 3000 meters; park the bike for a couple of hours and walk to the top of Mulhacén; breathe peace in the white villages of the Alpujarra and savor the Trevelez ham ; culminate the journey in the magical Granada neighborhood of Albaicín and even visit the palaces, gardens and the Alhambra fortress.
6. RETURN TO IBIZA: JUGGLING THROUGH THE WILDEST PATHS OF THE ISLAND
This journey proposes us to discover the more natural face of the well-known island, leading us between dramatic cliffs and tempting coves with turquoise waters, "an authentic paradise for the practice of mountain biking".
Lasting three to four days and covering some technical trails that require some skill on the bike, the route is perfect for pedaling to the remotest watchtowers of the island; discover the jetty and the ruins of Sa Caleta , in the first Phoenician settlement on the island; take a look at the natural viewpoint of the islets of Es Vedra ; discover paradisiacal coves among the pines; sweeten the palate with the traditional ' orelletes ’ and return to the starting point through the unknown and authentic rural ibiza.
You will discover the other side of Ibiza