Andalusia Fly-Ride tour
Discover the amazing roads of Southern Spain
There's so much great riding in southern Spain – which is probably why so many bikes have been launched there. I did my first trip for work there in 2003 (riding the BMW K1200GT – remember that?) and over the years I've lost count of how many trips I've done... not only for tests but also just for my own satisfaction.
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That's easier when you can fly in and hire a bike. So this short-break is based around picking up bikes from a trusted local hire-firm and packing as much amazing riding into five days as it's possible to do – and down here, that's a lot...
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This is a real riding tour, stringing together so many of my favourite roads. Not just the ones that get used for bike launches: wilder, more beautiful, quieter and better ones. Add in Spanish sunshine, great food and friendly people and it's a brilliant riding holiday.
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What’s included on the route? Each day’s route has recommended places to stop for coffee in the morning and afternoon, a suggested lunch stop and planned fuel stops.
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How long is each day’s ride? Each leg of the tour is planned to be a full day in the saddle: check-out of the hotel and on the road at 9am, getting to the next location at 5:30-6pm. That's with coffee stops and lunch - they're full days but it's still a relaxed ride. Saddle-time rating: six out of 10.
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What are the highlights? There are so many. From the famous Ronda road and the Sierra Nevada to the fabulous coastal run from Mojácar to Carboneras and the alpine challenge of Alto de Velefique – which for my money is better than Italy's famous Stelvio Pass. But there are so many memorable roads – too many to name. Each morning and afternoon has one (or two or more) that could be your new favourite road.
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Why five days? Though it's five days of riding, really this is a seven-day trip. Fly out on day one, ride for the full five days, then fly home on day seven. That also means you can have a day off the bike if you like (though remember, you still pay for the hire even if you don't ride). The five riding days is enough to pack in all the must-see roads in Andalusia.
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How is it supplied? Each download consists of the GPX files for the routes and interactive ebook of notes. Garmin or BMW Nav VI users should download the full file; TomTom users or riders using a GPX compatible phone app (like Scenic or MyRouteApp Navigator; or the BMW Connected App) should download the individual files. However, I strongly recommend getting the tour pack which also comes with tankbag notes and a marked-up map (not sold separately). If you want the tour pack but need the individual route files for your nav/app, just let me know and I'll email them over!
Download the tour
Garmin/BMW users should download the complete-route file. Individual day files should be downloaded for TomTom or GPX-compatible phone apps.