Last Updated on 17 February 2026 by Cycloscope
Cycling Andalucia and the southern Spanish coast
1684 km from Valencia to Cordoba
Bicycle Touring with Alessandra Croce
DISTANCE
1684 Km/ 1046 Miles
DAYS
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80
SURFACE
90% paved secondary roads or cycleways.
10% off-roads, mainly gravel
SETUP
Frame Bag – Ortlieb
Rear Panniers – Ortlieb
BIKE
Rockrider 560
Escaping months of growing Covid frustration, I have hit the road this first (of many?) bike and couchsurfing trip in Southern Spain.
Beautiful coastlines, lush valleys, breathtaking mountains, stunning canyons, quiet lakes, seas, and oceans alike have been my delight and companions in the discovery of some of the richest and most varied regions I have ever visited.
Despite the pandemic, I hosted 75% of the trip and had the chance to share conversation, food, thoughts, and stories with some truly amazing and inspiring people.
This bikepacking route, built following advice from friends, locals, and the irreplaceable planning app Komoot, takes you across cities, the coast, and the countryside, hitting all major urban and natural sights of the region and guaranteeing a very balanced combination of landscapes.
A necessary requirement to keep away from any potential boredom of long-term solo-pedalling. A truly wonderful bike trip that I just couldn’t recommend highly enough!
check also
Cycling Northern Spain – bikepacking route and GPX track
Both food and water are very easy to find. I think there are no stretches of the trip where you would have trouble finding a bar or restaurant to have a snack or refill your bottles. I was self-sufficient in my cycling days and found out that 1.8 litres of water were enough for my needs. If you plan on cooking, though, you obviously need more.
Since I planned to travel during the COVID pandemic, I had doubts about my accommodation. An overly positive response to some requests I’d sent out before the trip began has convinced me that the Couchsurfing community was as welcoming as ever.
I have therefore decided to travel as light as possible, not carry a tent, and have ended up being hosted 75% of the time, with the remaining 25% choosing the cheapest hotel or Airbnb option.
I had plenty of options because of the peculiar moment I was travelling, but always ask if you can bring your bike inside. 95% of hotels/Airbnbs are accommodating, but you don’t want to accidentally find yourself booking one of the remaining 5% at the end of a long day of cycling.
An interesting thing I have found out during this trip is that, although you are not allowed with your bike on motorways (and rightly so), in Spain, alongside each motorway are the “Vias de servicio”, which are paved or gravel service roads running parallel to each motorway. Although cars are allowed to ride on the vias de servicio, I have seen far more cyclists than cars on them.
They are not ideal for quiet, relaxing pedalling, but they are very good if you have to get to your destination straight away. Should you want or need to bring your bike on a train, bear in mind that only the “Media Distancia” or the Cercania trains allow you to bring your bike without having to dismantle it. Have a look at this page for details of how you can travel in Spain with your bike.
Hopefully, we should be back to a “normal” lifestyle soon, but if you are hesitating to hit the road because of regional or provincial travel restrictions, bear in mind that I have never been stopped and questioned by the police during the full 2.5 months my trip has lasted.
I’m not encouraging breaking the law, but bear in mind that this sort of trip, where you spend most of your time by yourself or in nature, is much safer than staying in a city, no matter how antisocial you might consider yourself.
THINGS TO SEE ALONG THE ROUTE
This bicycle touring route begins and ends in two of the most beautiful Spanish cities, Valencia and Cordoba.
If you can, we recommend saving a couple of days to visit both cities and their surroundings, especially the many and magnificent day-trip opportunities from Cordoba.
The route itself will bring you around some of the most famous landmarks in Spain, such as
- Valencia & Parc natural de l’Albufera
- Altea
- Guadalest (detour)
- Cartagena
- Cabo de Gata & Playa de Monsul (detour)
- Desierto de Tabernas (detour)
- Capileira
- Granada
- Caminito del rey (Ardales)
- Ronda
- Tarifa
- Playa de Bolonia & conjunto arqueológico Baelo Claudia
- Vejer de la Frontera (detour)
- Parque nacional de Doñana
- El Rocio
- Sevilla
- Cordoba
MY EXPERIENCE
This trip was far beyond my highest expectations, especially in the weird times I ended up traveling.
In southern Spain, and in Andalucia in particular, I have found anything a traveller would hope for, including mouthwatering (and cheap!) food, welcoming and generous people, an impressively rich culture, fascinating traditions alongside gorgeous vestiges of the past, and, maybe most important of all, an outrageously beautiful landscape.
And the list is far from being exhaustive. So, what are you waiting for to hit the road yourself? 😉
check also
Bikepacking the Pyrenees – GPX track and advice
Cycling the Isle of Skye in Scotland
Alessandra Croce
A self-proclaimed urban explorer, Alessandra has an endless thirst for people’s stories and a boundless passion for travelling. After several years of developing the left side of her brain, she eventually quit her scientific job to fully dedicate herself to her wanderlust and her artistic and creative passions.