AL-ÁNDALUS

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20-28 April 2024

TRIP OVERVIEW

Andalusia, the land of great civilisations. Frontier of many wars. Cradle of cultures that have changed the history of the world. Al-Ándalus, or Land of Venús in Arabic, remains a fascinating territory where a bicycle trip quickly becomes an adventure. It’s where deserts meet high mountains and fertile valleys, large cities and small towns stay rooted in the land and history—where the hospitality of its people, the diversity of its cuisine and the infinite number of historical buildings make our journey an unforgettable and always-surprising experience.

Before we start cycling, we will enjoy a day in Granada, visiting the magical gardens of the Alhambra.

We will set out from the beautiful city of Granada, where the Alhambra is located, crossing two deserts: the Gorafe and Tabernas, with the final two stops by the beautiful Mediterranean Sea!

The Gorafe desert is a natural paradise that is still almost unknown, with an intricate network of ravines through its famous ‘calanques’ and surprisingly abundant fauna and flora.

The Tabernas Desert is famous for being the ultimate setting for most of Western films of the last century. Practically all productions of the so-called “Spaghetti Westerns” were filmed here.

Finally, we will cross the Sierra Nevada, Baza and the Sierra Alhamilla to reach the coast and cycle through the paradisiacal Cabo de Gata to finish in the seaside city of Almería.

It is a journey of great contrasts that crosses an area that helped birth a historic union between differing peoples and cultures.

During each stage, we will carry on the bike what we need for the day: some clothes, spares, a few snacks… the rest (our travel suitcase) will be waiting for us when we arrive at our destination.

Throughout our adventure, we will sleep in big and modern hotels, in small hostels by the sea, in a comfortable rural house and even in an incredible cave-house.

Refund and cancellation

Where, for whatever reason, one person is obliged to withdraw, the person must give written notice to Project Adventure Cycling.

Refund will be calculated with this penalty:

– Within 45 days from date of departure the penalty fare is 10% of the total cost of the trip.

– Within 30 days from departure the penalty fare is 30% of the total cost of the trip.

– Within 21 days from departure the penalty fare is 60% of the total cost of the trip.

– Within 14 days from departure the penalty fare is 75 % of the total cost of the trip.

– After this date no refund will be given.

No refunds for those who will not show at the start or withdraw during the course of the tour.
No refunds for those who could not make the tour due to lack or inaccuracy of the personal travel documents (i.e Visa or Passport). Traveler understands that some destinations pose more risk than other destinations due to weather conditions, political conditions and the geography of the region. Traveler acknowledges that factors such as, but not limited to, weather conditions, landslides, floods, flight cancelations or delays, strikes, labor troubles, failure of power, restrictive governmental laws or regulations, riots, insurrection, war or other reason of a like nature not the fault of Project Adventure Cycling (hereinafter “Force Majeure Event”) can hinder, delay or even prevent the Traveler’s ability to make or complete the trip.

Traveler acknowledges that the Project Adventure Cycling shall not be liable to Traveler for any delay or cancelation of the trip due to a Force Majeure Event. Traveler shall not be entitled to a refund or any other payment for damages from the Project Adventure Cycling in the event that the trip is cancelled or delayed due to a Force Majeure Event. Please note that we are never responsible for any airfare ticket expenses.

COVID 19

In the event that you are unable to fly due to COVID 19 restrictions because of a declared state of emergency, PA Cycling, SL, guarantees:

RETURN OF QUOTE* (Except for expenses incurred up to the time of cancellation of the trip)

QUOTA FREEZE UNTIL NEXT DEPARTURE*.

FEE FREEZE UNTIL THE DEPARTURE OF ANY OTHER TRIP ORGANISED BY PA-CYCLING, SL*.

* The above conditions ARE NOT VALID in the case of a positive individual.

The price includes

– Bike guides from PA Cycling (specific number of guides depends on the number of participants)

– Transfer Malaga-Granada ed Almeria-Malaga

– 1 night stay in a hotel in Granada and welcome dinner.

– 1 night stay in a hotel in Almeria and goodbye dinner.

– Luggage transfer between lodgings.

– All hotels/hostels during all 6 stages

– All dinners and breakfasts during the 6 stages

– Lunches during the stages and in Granada/Almeria.

– Travel insurance coverage

The price does not include

– Return airfare and baggage fees, bike equipment

– Excursions, extra activities

– Additional costs in case of logistical changes (extra transfers etc.)

– Anything not included in “The price includes” section.

  • Dates
    20-28 April 2024
  • Duration
    9 days
  • Stages
    6
  • Length
    420 km
  • Elevation
    6500 m
  • Difficulty
    Medium-High
  • Price
    1.950 €

THE TRACK

THE STAGES

Stage 01. Granada–Gorafe – 94 km | 1700 m

The longest and hardest stage will be on the first day. We will start by “climbing” the beautiful city of Granada until we reach the Llano de la Perdíz, above the Alhambra. From there we will move away from the city to the landscapes of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Through tracks and small roads, we will reach our first destination: Gorafe.

 

Stage 02. Gorafe Loop – 67 km | 1300 m

This is probably the most incredible stage of the trip: a tour of the Gorafe desert that will not leave you indifferent. Ravines, caves and endless landscapes. We will return to the village of Gorafe for dinner and rest.

Stage 03. Gorafe-Gérgal – 84 km | 1100 m

The transition stage between deserts. We will travel at full speed along the ramblas and tracks between huge wind turbines to completely change the landscape and reach the gates of the Tabernas Desert. We will sleep in Gérgal.

Stage 04. Gérgal-Níjar – 75 km | 1500 m

The “second queen stage” of the trip will leave us speechless. We will start by crossing the incredible Tabernas Desert and, after regaining our strength, we will attack the Sierra de Alhamilla mountain pass and then descend to the village of Nijar. Three absolutely different landscapes in a single day’s journey.

Stage 05. Níjar-Isleta del Moro – 45 km | 450 m

We will leave Nijar and approach the coast, passing through greenhouses to get to know the old mining area of Cabo de Gata, where the famous gold was extracted. Tracks and paths will take us to the small village of Isleta del Moro, where we will rest on the beach, enjoying the fresh fish and the sea breeze.

Stage 06. Isleta del Moro-Almería – 60 km | 600 m

On our last stage, we will skirt the spectacular Cabo de Gata to leave the beaches and enter the city again, after six days of travelling through the least populated part of this territory. It will be a day of tracks, sands, flamingos and beaches.

YOUR GUIDE

Willy Mulonia

Willy Mulonia

Founder & President

Willy Mulonia, expert lonely traveler and cyclist for more than 30 years. He made several solo expeditions, but the most important is without a doubt the 28,640 bike trip from Ushuaia (Patagonia) to Prudhoe Bay (Alaska). He raced in the Crocodile Trophy (Australia) in ’98 and the famous Iditarod Trail Invitational (ITI) in Alaska in 1999, 2000, 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2022 as well as many other mountain bike stage races all over the world. In 2003 he founded the bike travel agency Progetto Avventura, now renamed Project Adventure Cycling. In 2010, with the help of all the team of PA-Cycling he created the Mongolia Bike Challenge, one of the most important MTB stage race in the world. Today you can find him guiding most the tour offered by Project Adventure Cycling.

Julian Bueno Risco

Julian Bueno Risco

Travel Logistic Coordinator & Guide

Julian Bueno is a geographer, photographer, traveler, digital-map-maker, bike lover and route & event designer. In this way, and as an active and passionate person, Julian has collaborated and published several spanish mountain bike guide books and he is an active member of the Spanish Mountain Bike School (EEMTB). He likes to share his passions and to discover new routes and friends, spending also time steering many people through different cycling destinations. Overall, he feels movement as part of his life and he used to participate in marathon, roller skates challenges and general long distance events. You can chat with him about life, GPS secrets and innovative cycling gadgets. Now, he is part of the Projecting Adventure Cyclism.


Me ha gustado mucho. Paisajes espectaculares, bien organizado y buena gente.

Lo recomendaría a un amigo, pero no a cualquier amigo, es un tipo de viaje que a mi me gusta mucho, pero no a todo el mundo le gusta, tiene que ser gente a la que le guste de verdad.

Fantastico !!!!!!!!!
E difficile trovare parole giuste per descrivere la esperienza appena fatta in questa avventura, che mi dispiace che è finita.
Aver potuto a farlo insieme a Willy, Julian e Edoardo e resto della fantastica gente del gruppo.❤️
Vedere ❄️ neve in deserto e una cosa che non si dimentica mai piu, partire con 3 gradi e finire con 20 gradi vicino mare e una cosa fantastica
Invito tutti che hanno passione per bici 🚲🚵🏼‍♂️🚵🏼 a participare questi viaggi con voi.
Ancora un grande GRAZIE 🤩 per tutto

Si. Molto avventuroso ed al contempo ben organizzato. Ottimo in generale mettere l’hotel più chic alla fine. Proporrei, viste le condizioni avverse che abbiamo trovato giusto alcune cose : 1 fornire il furgone di un vd40 e qualche panno vecchio per pulire alla meglio la catena (oppure esplicitarlo tra le cose da portare se non sta già esplicitato) 2 Il percorso con acqua/vento diventa molto duro! Per questo cercherei, dov’è possibile, di trovare un’alternativa al percorso tradizionale, perché, come abbiamo fatto con Julian è stato per me fondamentale fare un po’ di asfalto al posto del letto del fiume. 3 io personalmente avrei iniziato a pedalare 30/60 minuti prima delle tappe più lunghe (le prime 4 compreso il loop non fatto)

Viaggio dalla Natura vera, selvaggia ed intensa nella sua asperità, ma anche nella sua bellezza.
Il tempo atmosferico è stato un elemento predominante…. siamo passati dalla neve di Gorafe, al sole marino della costa vicino a Almeria..
Bellissima la tappa all’interno del deserto di Tabernas. Percorso tecnico, ma spettacolare.
Non meno lo sono state le due tappe lungo il mare, che riempe gli occhi quanto il deserto passato nei giorni precedenti.
Suggerirei di specificare che il viaggio sia più adatto alle mtb piuttosto che alle Gravel, o per lo meno specificare che in tal caso occorre essere esperti nella guida del mezzo rigido.
Ottime tutte le location dove siamo arrivati……Gorafe una cosa eccezionale.
Un plauso alla capacità di tutte le guide, in particolare a julian, che ha saputo gestire soluzioni a vari problematiche che si sono presentate durante il percorso a causa del maltempo che in alcuni casi è stato accentuato.
Buona anche la serenità del gruppo di noi che abbiamo pedalato.
Riproponete questo viaggio, avrà sicuramente successo!!!
Un abbraccio a voi, ed un sincero GRAZIE…… è stato un ripartire non solo per PA cycling, ma anche per me!!!

Catapultati in un mondo parallelo a sole poche ore di volo da casa. L’Andalusia in bici ti offre emozioni sia per gli occhi che per lo spirito! Grazie infinite a Willy,Julian e al gruppone di viaggiatori…ci si vede in Patagonia!!
Ps Super consigliato!

Itinerario con paesaggi incredibili, un grande ringraziamento a Willy e Julián che con la loro esperienza e organizzazione hanno reso questo viaggio super

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