Murcia

Murcia sits between Almería and Alicante, often skipped by cyclists chasing the bigger names on either side. That's a mistake. The interior hides the Parque Regional de Sierra Espuña, a pine-forested range that climbs to over 1,500 m, with quiet roads and the kind of long, steady climbs that make a region worth a trip.

Base yourself around Totana or the convent of Jardines de la Santa just above it, and you have direct access to the park's main roads without ever needing to face traffic on the coast. Below the sierra, the terrain rolls through citrus and almond country before tipping back up into the hills.

It's quieter than the Costa Blanca, drier than Andalucía, and almost empty of cyclists outside of weekend club rides. Bring everything you'd take into the mountains: villages are sparse once you're inside the park.