Spain
by Road Bike

After an early morning flight from Zagreb with minimal sleep — bike in oversized luggage, logistics eating into the night — we landed in Málaga just after 9 AM under clear skies. Shuttled to Mijas by Switchbacks Malaga, bike assembled, and out on the road within the hour. A short leg-opener down through Fuengirola and along the coast toward Torremolinos — flat, warm, and exactly what the legs needed after a cramped flight. A first reading of the terrain and a quiet promise of what was to come.

The afternoon was spent in Mijas — a whitewashed village above the coast with narrow cobbled streets and sweeping views toward the Mediterranean. Lunch was over open flame: chicken and pork skewers grilled on charcoal, served with vegetables. That evening, a proper introduction to Andalusian food culture — a tapas spread of shrimp, spiced potatoes, octopus, and chicken wings, shared at a table and eaten slowly. The right way to start.

True to form, the trip opened with its hardest day. From Mijas, the route climbed deep into Sierra de las Nieves — Andalucía's newest national park — before descending through the gorge beneath the famous Caminito del Rey walkway, a place I would return to on foot later in the trip. Lush green landscapes, reservoirs scattered across the terrain, long steady climbs through protected forest. Nearly seven hours in the saddle. The kind of day that immediately justifies the whole journey.

After seven hours on the bike, the evening asked for very little. A short walk through Mijas, a look at the town's well-known donkeys, and an early night. Conversations with the Switchbacks group over dinner gave a window into their enduro riding day — which sounded exceptional. There was a faint sense of missing out, balanced entirely by the satisfaction of what the road had delivered.

Planned as a recovery ride. It wasn't. From Mijas, down to the coast and on toward Marbella, then inland via Ojén toward Coín — over 1,600 metres of climbing in total. The coastal stretch between Fuengirola and Marbella was a low point: highway-adjacent, infrastructure absent, at one point a flight of stairs to cross over the road. Not recommended. The climb from Marbella up to Ojén was the opposite — steep, quiet streets rising through one of Andalucía's characteristic white villages, views opening over the coast with every turn. Easier on the numbers than the days before, but full of character.

A stop in Marbella for coffee and a chocolate pastry offered a brief window into the city's atmosphere before pressing on. The day ended measured and unhurried — both the rider and the Switchbacks group returning visibly tired — leading to another quiet, recovery-focused evening.

The ascent from Málaga to El Torcal de Antequera is long, relentless, and unlike anything else on this trip. Over 2,300 metres of climbing through terraced olive groves before the plateau opens into a landscape of limestone karst towers — alien in the best sense, shaped by erosion into forms that don't belong to the ordinary world. A natural fountain in a village just before the final push was invaluable in the heat. The descent into Antequera that followed was one of the day's great rewards: long, flowing, earned.

After the ride, Málaga offered a welcome change of pace. A pizza instead of tapas — a deliberate break from the pattern. A visit to the Picasso Museum added a cultural counterweight to the physical effort of the day. The evening finished at Bun and Coffee — exceptional doughnuts that stand as one of Málaga's clearest recommendations.

The Queen's Fountain Loop above Málaga — a route well known to local cyclists and those riding with Eat Sleep Cycle. What was planned as a solo recovery day became a social one: two other cyclists joined at the start — Ron, a pilot, and Gali, working in language-learning software. They rode the full loop together at a relaxed pace. The descent back was the standout: technical, winding, threading through several tunnels — more dynamic than the easy-day numbers suggested.

Post-ride, a meal of salmon with vegetables and potatoes near Málaga Cathedral — quality food in a setting worth sitting in. The afternoon included Bioparc Fuengirola, a wildlife park with a genuine conservation focus. The evening back in Mijas brought the Switchbacks group together for a final shared dinner — duck with vegetables, stories from the trails, and an easy end to a well-balanced day.

From Rincón de la Victoria, a loop through the Axarquía — Málaga's largely unvisited eastern comarca. White villages clinging to steep hillsides above terraced mango and avocado groves, roads so quiet you could hear your own breathing. More measured than the days before, but the views were not. The kind of ride that rewards steady pacing and full attention to the surroundings.

The ride finished in Málaga, where a traditional plate of octopus with potatoes provided one of the trip's better meals. A short walk through the city followed, and a return visit to Bun and Coffee confirmed its consistency. A quiet, deliberately low-key evening — the right close to the solo riding phase of the trip.

The morning in Mijas brought goodbyes as the Switchbacks group packed bikes and headed for their flights. Then a drive to Málaga Airport to collect my wife — and with that, the second chapter of the trip began: a road trip across Andalucía. The first stop was Nerja: coastal, unhurried, built around the Balcón de Europa — a clifftop promenade with exceptional views over the Mediterranean. Tapas in the evening included the classic Padrón peppers. The day closed with a drive up to Frigiliana — one of Andalucía's most beautifully preserved white villages, with narrow cobbled lanes, Moorish architecture, and panoramic views over the coast. Quiet and genuine in a way that the more tourist-heavy towns never quite manage.

From the centre of Granada, a climb toward Pico Veleta — one of the most celebrated cycling ascents in Europe and one of its highest paved roads. Significant snow on the upper slopes meant only half the full climb was possible, but what was there was more than enough: sweeping views over the Sierra Nevada, a reservoir, and the city of Granada spread out below. The shortened distance did nothing to reduce the physical demand. A key highlight of the trip.

The day opened at Herradura Coffee & Fruit Farm in La Herradura — a working plantation growing coffee alongside tropical crops including bananas and avocados, a genuinely surprising find in southern Spain. Lunch in Granada at Aylin Art Cuisine was a quality meal before heading into the mountains. The rest of the day was kept deliberately relaxed, focused on settling into the city and its atmosphere.

From Loja, a loop west toward Iznájar and its surrounding lakes. One of the most enjoyable rides of the trip: virtually no traffic, uninterrupted flow, and scenery built around the turquoise waters of the Iznájar Reservoir set against terracotta hills. The town of Iznájar itself — perched high above the water — was one of the clearest examples of what makes Andalucían white villages worth seeking out. The legs felt strong, the light was extraordinary, and the roads delivered everything.

Loja exceeded expectations: a four-star hotel at an honest price and a town with genuine local character rather than tourist polish. With Iznájar as the day's centrepiece, little else was needed — the ride and the landscape said enough.

From Córdoba's historic centre, north into the protected hills of Sierra de Hornachuelos Natural Park — one of Andalucía's least-visited parks. 112 kilometres through ancient dehesa woodland and cork oak forests with virtually no cars, no other riders, and long stretches without mobile signal. Large birds of prey — eagles — visible overhead. The kind of ride that reminds you how much of this landscape remains entirely untouched.

The evening before had included a visit to the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba — arguably Andalucía's most architecturally striking landmark, where Islamic and Christian elements coexist in extraordinary detail. We stayed right in Córdoba's historic centre, next to the cathedral complex, which made the entire experience feel fully immersive rather than merely visited.

A full day in Seville, dedicated to recovery and culture. Plaza de España delivered on every expectation — its semi-circular colonnaded design and tiled canal system one of the city's most photographed settings, and rightly so. Metropol Parasol, the striking modern structure rising above the old quarter, offered panoramic views over the city from its upper walkway, while the market beneath it served some of the trip's best tapas. The day finished with a flamenco performance — authentic, energetic, and the right cultural close to a day spent entirely on foot.

From Zahara de la Sierra, a climb toward Cerro de las Lomas — predominantly uphill and physically demanding. The planned full loop was cut short by heavy roadworks near the summit, forcing a turnaround. On the return, three structured VO2 max / anaerobic intervals made efficient use of the remaining distance. An interrupted day by circumstance, but a solid training effort by outcome.

A rest in Zahara de la Sierra's central square — tapas with views over the reservoir — offered a natural pause before the afternoon. A stop at Setenil de las Bodegas followed: a village with houses and bars built directly into the overhanging rock face, unlike anything else encountered on the trip. The day ended in Ronda, with dinner at a restaurant overlooking the Puente Nuevo. First encounter with oxtail — rich, fatty, deeply flavoured, and entirely worth it.

A shorter ride from Ronda toward the Caminito del Rey area — reduced volume as the main focus of the day was always going to be the walkway itself, not the kilometres. A solid effort nonetheless, and a scenic transition toward the inland gorge.

The Caminito del Rey walk was one of the trip's defining experiences: roughly 7 kilometres of suspended pathways, narrow canyon trails, and elevated bridges pinned to steep rock walls — visually unlike anything else on the itinerary. Afterward, we moved to Torremolinos for the final days of the trip. The evening brought a DJ party on a catamaran out of Málaga — sunset, music, a good send-off for the active phase of the journey.

The morning was spent in Torremolinos with a relaxed walk along the beach and a coffee by the sea. Around midday, lunch at Tela Marinera Chiringuito — traditional grilled sardines, fresh and simple, and highly representative of the local cuisine. After lunch, the afternoon shifted to Málaga for city exploration, including a guided visit to the Alcazaba of Málaga — a Moorish fortress with strong historical context and impressive views over the city.

The day started with a drive to Málaga to join the first group ride of the trip, organised by Eat Sleep Cycle. Around fifteen cyclists gathered at their hub and split into two groups based on route difficulty. The longer route — a smaller group of six — took us into the hills surrounding Málaga, through a mix of sustained climbs and flowing roads. The group dynamic added a different dimension to the trip: pace set collectively, shared effort, conversations mid-climb. Riders had come from various parts of the world, which further enriched the atmosphere. A fitting way to close out the riding portion of the journey.

Afterward, a drive up to Mijas — where the trip had begun. My wife saw the place for the first time while I packed the bike for the return flight. The day finished with dinner at Koco Bistro — the best meal in Mijas across the entire stay, and a good note to close on.

The last morning. Bags loaded, bike in its case, and a drive to Málaga Airport. Sixteen days, eleven on the bike — Andalucía delivered everything the original plan had promised, just on different roads.