As the leaves on the trees changed colour, I felt an urge to travel. Where better to escape the cloudy rain days than in southern Spain? So, my mum and I hopped on our bikes and explored the secret corners of the cycle tour in Andalusia.
After a nine-hour journey from Austria, relaxation was definitely on the programme. We headed directly to the sea, which was only 200m away from the hotel. In the evening we ate grilled vegetables and seafood in a restaurant right on the beach.
Psst…a little tip: It’s best to book an extra night in Malaga in advance, then there really is enough time to visit the sights of this beautiful city.
The next day was pure sightseeing. In the morning the minibus went directly to Granana, and the main destination was the Alhambra. However, before we had an interesting tour of this important Moorish-style building, there was enough time to explore the city of Granada on our own. We visited the Alcaicería, an Arab bazaar. Of course, we picked up some bits and bobs to take home. In the late afternoon we drove to Antequera, our starting point for the next day’s cycle tour.
We eagerly awaited the first day of cycling. This was characterised by beautiful olive groves and wonderful views of the expansive Spanish countryside, so the somewhat challenging route was almost forgotten. Since we arrived at our stage destination of Lucena in the early afternoon, there was enough time to relax at the hotel pool before dinner.
After a night of recovery from the previous day’s long stage, we started the day with breakfast before heading towards Baena. The highlights of this stage were definitely the varied landscape and a huge flock of sheep that blocked the entire cycle path for a short time. The path led us past olive groves and along an old railway line. When we arrived in Baena, we first went to eat before exploring the hilltop town with its white houses and winding streets.
The third, hilly and therefore somewhat strenuous stage again led us through endless olive groves and an almost desert-like landscape. It ended in Cordoba, in a hotel right in the old town. The location was perfect because a city guide was waiting for us in the afternoon, and we only had to take a few steps to visit famous sights such as the Mezquita.
“An active holiday without a little adventure is not an active holiday”, we thought, and that’s why we got lost right at beginning of the fourth day of cycling!
Thanks to the help of friendly locals, we managed to get back onto the right path after a few kilometres. After these initial difficulties, we passed the beautiful castle of Almodovar before we reached our destination of Palma del Rio.
The last ‘long’ cycling stage was relatively easy and without noticeable hills. At a pleasant 23 ° C we went to Carmona, where we ended the day with tapas and Spanish red wine.
On the last day of the tour, a final, short leg was on the schedule. When we arrived in Brenes, we handed our bikes over to Alejandro, the Eurobike colleague on site. Afterwards we took a souvenir photo together. Despite being an individual tour, you always meet someone on the way or sit down at the breakfast or dinner table to share your experiences.
The subsequent 30-minute train ride brought us to Seville. At the beginning of the trip we got tickets for the sightseeing bus from our supervisor and we used them immediately. We could see the most important sights in Seville in a short time and now know where Christopher Columbus is buried. Then we enjoyed the last night of our holiday in Seville and made our way home the next day.
For me this trip was a perfect mix of an active holiday and sightseeing. I particularly appreciated the smooth running of the entire trip and the good organisation. I think October is the best time to travel because the temperatures are no longer too high, but pleasant for cycling and you can still enjoy a few rays of sunshine. Andalusia definitely has a lot to offer and is certainly worth a visit!
