A four-day gravel biking tour of the Sierra Nevada backcountry in Andalucía offers a challenging but scenic journey, despite the rough terrain. The group, consisting of an Englishman, five Irishmen and a Scotsman, set off from Málaga, with only one member having no prior gravel biking experience. The tour covered approximately 60km a day, with a daunting 1,400 metres of climbing and descending.
The route took riders through the Sierra de Baza national park, passing a derelict film set that once portrayed the town of Flagstone in Once Upon a Time in the West. The area's dramatic landscape has also appeared in Sergio Leone's Dollars trilogy, Dr Zhivago and a KLF music video. Day two involved a 1,000-metre climb up El Chullo, the tallest peak in Almería, with a lunch of ham and cheese bocadillos near the summit.
Despite the beauty, the descents proved challenging, with bone-shuddering roads that drew complaints from professionals in the 2023 World Gravel Series. The author, who was new to gravel biking, received advice from guides Tim and Jenny and other riders on how to handle the rough terrain, including positioning hands on the drops and keeping weight back.
The area is notably empty, with few cars sighted, and locals are keen to attract more visitors. One sign read: '¡Macrogranjas no, turismo sí!' ('Megafarms no, tourism yes!'), reflecting a desire for tourism over industrial farming.
