Granada Geopark and Tropical Coast; Cyling from the Desert to the Sea
Type of Tour
Difficulty Level
Duration
8 days
Departure - Destination
Gorafe - Salobreña
Number of participants
2
Price from
€
A Magic Journey You Feel in Your Soul
Some places aren’t just visited — they are lived. The Granada Geopark is one of those rare landscapes where the earth seems to breathe, where silence has texture, and where every shape carved by time tells a story millions of years old. Here, nature doesn’t accompany your journey; it becomes part of it.
The Geopark is a vast open book. Erosion has sculpted gullies, ravines and canyons into whimsical shapes, painting the land with ochre, red and gold. As you pedal through this rugged terrain, you move through layers of history: a fossil record that reveals the evolution of European fauna over the last 6 million years. Every turn of the path feels like discovering a new chapter.
Gorafe desert
Your adventure begins in Gorafe, a quiet village nestled in a deep valley. Six thousand years ago, early communities settled here and left behind one of Europe’s largest megalithic parks: more than 240 dolmens spread across 20 kilometres.
Houses aren’t built here — they’re carved. You’ll spend two nights in an authentic cave dwelling, a sustainable home with a constant temperature year-round and a silence so deep it feels like a blanket. At night, the sky above Gorafe is pitch-dark and full of stars, certified as Starlight quality. It’s impossible not to feel the magic of this place.
Desert and Warm Water: Surprising Contrasts
From Gorafe, you ride into the “Desierto de los Coloraos”, a red desert that looks almost extraterrestrial. Later, the landscape shifts again as you reach Alicún de las Torres, where a 35°C hot spring emerges from the earth. Here you’ll see El Toril, a natural aqueduct unique in Europe — a living mineral wall formed over thousands of years, still growing today!
Guadix and Granada: Culture, History and Endless Views
Your route continues to Guadix, known for its impressive cathedral and cave neighbourhood, with over 2000 cave houses; some are rustic and untouched, others have Wi-Fi, kitchens and comfy beds. The next day, the ride to Granada is wonderfully varied: viewpoints like “Fin del Mundo”, winding mountain roads, long descents and the distant silhouette of Sierra Nevada guiding you forward. You end the day in Granada, where a Hammam bath and massage can soothe your body after the ride.
The Lecrín Valley and the Costa Tropical: Green, Blue and Citrus
Following the path once taken by Boabdil, the last Nasrid king, you cycle towards Nigüelas and its 15th-century olive mill. The air smells of olives, earth and tradition. Soon the valley opens into a sea of orange and lemon trees glowing under the sun. Suddenly, after one final climb, the Mediterranean appears — blue, warm and inviting. You reach Salobreña, a whitewashed village perched on a rock, crowned by a Moorish castle, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful villages on the Costa Tropical.
Here your journey ends… or your rest begins. Stay an extra day, walk along the coast, visit the rum bodega in Motril, or simply let the Mediterranean lull you while you enjoy fresh fish at sunset.
