The Challenging Cycling Tour
Two or three-day cycling tour in Ronda
The Challenging Cycling Tour
2 or 3 Days of Self-Guided Cycling
Visit some of Spain's most beautiful villages (Officially)
Spectacular landscapes and vistas
Bicycle rental included
Moderate to Challenging level routes
Classification
Moderate to Challenging
E-BIKE UPGRADE AVAILABLE
Our Challenging Cycling Tour is a collection of Moderate to Challenging routes for those who want to visit Ronda for a mini cycling holiday or explore the area in greater detail.
The first two days include our Olvera to Ronda route and our Rio Guadiaro route. Those who opt for the three days of cycling will get to experience a challenging Grazalema to Ronda route on day three. It is important to note that the order and route selection can be altered.
On your first day of cycling, you will ride our Olvera to Ronda route. A charming route from the historic town of Olvera, down scenic back roads and through the village Setenil de las Bodegas, officially one of Spain's most beautiful towns. Click here for a more detailed description.
Day 2 is another A-B ride called Rio Guadiaro. Starting in the mountain village of Atajate, you will descend and climb through four villages before you ascend back into Ronda from underneath its famous Puente Nuevo bridge. Click here for a more detailed description.
If you have selected the three-day tour, on day 3 you will ride our modified Grazalema to Ronda challenging route (modified to avoid route repetition from day 2). Starting in the beautiful village of Grazalema, you will start a stunning ascent to the viewpoint point Las Palomas, before descending through the equally beautiful village of Zahara de las Sierra and along the lake below the town. The route will then see you climb gradually through the hills and vineyards by the Roman ruins of Acinipo before your return to Ronda.
The day before the tour starts a short briefing session can be arranged depending on your accommodation to help prepare you for the following days, but the routes selected for this tour mean you will be in contact with us each day.
We are not a travel agency so we do not combine our bicycle rental with accommodation, this also gives you more flexibility in where you stay on your holiday. You can choose your accommodation before or after you book your experience with us, the accommodation you choose will not affect the price with us unless it is located outside the Ronda area.
Two Day Tour
2-4 pax: 140€ pp
1 pax: 210€ pp
Includes bicycle, helmet and mapping
Optional: E-Bike upgrade 40€ per bicycle, per tour (subject to availability)
Optional: Guide for 100€ per group, per day (subject to availability)
Three Day Tour
2-4 pax: 210€ pp
1 pax: 320€ pp
Includes bicycle, helmet and mapping
Optional: E-Bike upgrade 60€ per bicycle, per tour (subject to availability)
Optional: Guide for 100€ per group, per day (subject to availability)
Itinerary
Day 0 - Optional Briefing
The day before your first ride you have an optional meet and greet with a briefing, if you have opted for this, we will arrange a suitable location with you depending on your choice of accommodation.
Day 1 - Olvera to Ronda
Your first day on the saddle will be one of your easiest but a very interesting route.
Riding from the historic town of Olvera back to Ronda, via Setenil de las Bodegas, a very interesting village and officially considered one of the most beautiful in Spain.
This route starts with undulating roads, passing farmland and olive groves imbedded in the landscape, until you reach Setenil de las Bodegas, where we encourage you to stop, take some photos and enjoy a drink before the second section of your ride.
From Setenil you will find a large percentage of your climbing for the day, taking you to the highest part of the route. Once your ascent has finished, the route remains mostly flat until the end. The flat section uses popular cycle tracks through the stunning countryside, passing ranches and oak forests before bringing you home to Ronda.
43 km / 27 miles - Ascent 717m - Descent 537m
Day 2 - Rio Guadiaro
The second day in the saddle will start with a pickup and drop off just like your first day, but we will set you up just outside the white village of Atajate.
This route will be shorter than the first day, but the ascents increase.
Starting near Atajate, you will descend for the first 11 km, down to the village of Jimera de Líbar and over the river Guadiaro. From here you will start your first ascent, high above the river, looking across the valley before you drop into the village of Benaoján and up to the village of Montejaque where you can stop for a drink in plaza.
From here a nice descent will take you to the Cueva del Gato (Cave) and its natural swimming pool.
Your final section of the route will contain some ascent as you climb into Ronda from underneath its iconic bridge the Puente Nuevo.
40 km / 25 miles - Ascent 998m - Descent 1270m
Day 3 - Grazalema to Ronda
If you have opted for the 3-ride experience, then you will get to enjoy yet another great trip on the saddle, this time riding from one of Spain's most beautiful towns, Grazalema. Your route will start with an ascent up to Las Palomas Mirador (Viewpoint), before a long spectacular descent into the beautiful village of Zahara de las Sierra.
From Zahara a ride around the lake before another ascent and descent into the village of Montecorto.
After Montecorto, the route undulates as you gradually climb towards Acinipo, where you will meet vineyards and forests and a final descent before you ride up to Ronda.
60 km / 37 miles - Ascent 1518m - Descent 1637m
Moderate to Challenging
Leisure Cycling Classifications
The three routes selected by us for this tour all come under our moderate to challenging classifications.
Terrain
The first day is an even mix of paved and unpaved tracks. Nothing technical. The second and third days are mostly paved back roads.
Distance and Grade
The first day is the easiest route, although longer than day 2, it has less ascending. The third day is a challenging ride, consisting of big climbs and a long distance.
What's included
Transportation necessary for routes.
Bicycle rental, helmets and water bottles.
GPS mapping via GPS device or mobile app.
Bike locks depending on accommodation used.
What's excluded
Food and Snacks
Accommodation
Any other transportation
Insurance
Included - Focus Whistler - 27 speed - Front Suspension bicycles
What to bring
Any cycling excursion, easy or challenging, should still be treated the same in regards to preparation. For you all the difficult stuff like maintaining the bicycles and planning the routes have been done, so all you need to do is come prepared with suitable clothing for cycling (padded shorts are not necessary but recommended), hydrated and fuelled (have breakfast and drink water), bring suncream/sunscreen and most importantly expect to have an awesome day.
Not what you're looking for?
Customised routes and itineraries can be created, so we encourage you to contact us with any requests you may have. We can create customised itineraries including but not limited to: shorter/longer rides, different towns, different start and end points as well as multi-day tours from one base town.