Ronda, arrival
Whether you come by bus, train or car, you should try to get to this fabulous town as early as possible.
Have a stroll, see the oldest bullfight ring of Spain, and the famous "Puente Nuevo" (New Bridge) and take some good wines and tapas.
Ronda - Olvera (36 km)
We leave Ronda heading northwards and make for Setenil de las Bodegas, one of Andalusia's most surprising villages, a focal point of the Cádiz mountains white villages route. The people here made use of the gorge to build their houses. It is one of the finest examples of this type of architecture, which instead of excavating into the rock simply makes use of natural overhang, with the houses developed laterally along the rock face. Lose yourself in the village's intimate corners and tapas bars... We then follow the Trejo River and soon see the village of Olvera in the distance, with its typical church and 12th Century castle atop a hill.
Olvera - Puerto Serrano (38 km)
Olvera was originally to have been a stop on the Jerez-Malaga train line, but the line was never completed and the village went back to its business of producing olive oil. Eventually, new roads removed the need for a railway; now the railway has been given a new lease of life as one of the first Vías Verdes, or greenways (old re-conditioned railway lines), in Spain. We cycle for 36 km along this greenway (no cars), passing the Peñon de Zaframagón (Nature reserve with one of Europes' largest colonies of vultures). We pass through many tunnels (up to 30) - some up to 1 km in length - where lights come on automatically as soon as we enter! We follow the Guadalete River as far as Puerto Serrano, where the greenway finishes and where we sleep in a bungalow next to the old railway station, now a restaurant.
Puerto Serrano - Arcos de la Frontera (40 km)
You leave the hotel and follow a narrow country lane, almost a cycle lane, surrounded by gentle rolling hills covered in sunflowers, cotton and vineyards. You will pass the bodega Regantío Viejo and continue on the same road to get finally to the white village of Arcos de la Frontera. This town is situated on cliffs high above a meander in the River Guadalete. This is a typical defensive hill village with cobbled streets leading up to a castle, built in the 15th Century on Moorish foundations. The view from the castle and village is staggering. You will stay in a hotel in the historical centre of Arcos.
Arcos de la Frontera - Jerez de la Frontera (41 km)
If you booked the 5 days tour, then it finishes here in Arcos after breakfast. If you want to ride one day extra, to Jerez de la Frontera, you will leave Arcos de la Frontera through beautiful landscapes, pass the small village of Junta de los Ríos and you will follow a country road almost without any traffic until you arrive in the small and lively village La Barca de la Florida, where you can drink & eat something. The last 28 kilometers you will follow a road with a bit more traffic, which will lead you directly to your hotel in the center of Jerez.
Your accommodation is in the historical center of Jerez
Jerez de la Frontera - El Puerto de Santa María (27 km)
Today you can still visit one of the many sherry bodegas or the Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre, before getting on our bikes for a short tour half tarmac half on trails, between the sherry-vineyards to El Puerto de Santa María. Here we will be able to discover an authentic Andalusia, enjoy its beaches and promenades, taste its wines, tapas and famous seafood...
Or continue biking a short and almost flat route through the Bahía de Cádiz: around 28 km, completely on the flat, passing marshes, salt-flats and Mediterranean pine forests to end up on a beach with the finest of sands. Or, if you wish you can go to Cádiz and discover this delightful city.
El Puerto de Santa María, fin
After breakfast end of the trip. Or ask for an extra night to enjoy the beach, and to visit Cádiz!
Peñon Zaframagón
Olvera
Ronda
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