Crossing the Axarquía valley

Route

This is one of the routes that I frequent the most: it’s long enough to be able to lose yourself in the moment and think about nothing, hard enough to stay in shape, and the hardest part is at the beginning, leaving the second half for pure relaxation. I call it a lovely ride but make no mistake, at 110km with 1600m of climbing, this is not a ride for beginners. Especially with the strong winds that come from the Atlantic, riding on the flat can be just as bad as riding uphill.

This route is a medley of the greatest hits of rides in the area. The route starts with the climb of the Puerto del León, followed by a descent to Colmenar and Riogordo. You follow the route Puerto del Sol, but instead of turning sharp left at the crossroads, you keep on following the road to nearby Periana, known for its exquisite olive oil.

From here, it’s all the way down to the coast, passing through Viñuela and hamlets like Puente don Manuel and Los Gómes along the A-7205, which is the much quieter road that runs in parallel for much of the valley with the busy A-356 that connects the coast with Casabermeja.

The A-7205 takes you to the outskirts of Veléz-Málaga, which as in many other routes, is inevitable and you’ll want to cross it as quickly as possible due to its traffic. And like any other route that heads west on the way back, you may be in bad luck of the wind is blowing in the wrong direction, and I’m sad to report, it does quite often.

Fueling up

Balcon de los Montes would be the first stop after the climb and descent of the Puerto del León. Further down in Riogordo will there be other opportunities to fill up your bottles. To Periana, there is 1 cafe about halfway where you could rest your weary legs. Periana is a decently-sized town and has ample opportunities for a coffee break. In the onward journey, many places on route in Torre del Mar and Veléz-Málaga, and once you reach Rincón de la Victoria, it’s almost non-stop, so you’d have to do something really special to run out of water and snacks on this route.

Tips

The same tips as with Puerto del León apply. Traffic may be busier than usual in the Montes de Málaga, and motoring enthusiasts will likely spoil the tranquility of this otherwise serene environment with their loud engines and agressive drive style. Leaving early is the very simple remedy.