At the eastern shores of Almería is the beautiful and popular town of Mojácar. Just north of the famous Cabo de Gata natural park, this area might be overlooked by most cyclists.
But, as anywhere, if you look closely, you can actually find a nice couple of routes. In this day and age, cyclists have to go great lengths to encounter quiet roads without having to fear reckless drivers. This route fits that bill, and it’s got a bit of everything. What it has a lot of, is desert.
The route
You can start in either Mojácar pueblo or the Mojácar costa. The first few kilometers are fairly easy over undulating terrain. About 10km, you start the climb towards Bedar and by extension Lubrin.
I’d say this is a typical easy Spanish climb, with a few steeper banks of 10%, and the occasional random downhill section. I don’t want to sound repetitive, but the desert landscape makes this ride quite dramatic, and brutal in Summer months.
For the next 50 km, the road generally goes downhill, taking you passed villages like Sorbas. But, in Spain, ‘just’ downhill does not exist, so you’ll be faced with enough bumps that you’ll call this road undulating.
Arguably, the most spectacular comes at the very end on the way from Carboneras to Mojácar, where you’ll find an alpine-esque climb with hairpins, tunnels, and massive drops. It’s only 2.5 km with an average of 6.5%, this climb is majestic. And, after 100 km in the saddle, it might be put up a bit of a fight and be a worthy contender before you ride back into Mojácar.
Fueling up
The aforementioned towns of Bedar and Lubrin have a few places where you can stop. Otherwise, this still being desert, you won’t find many options inland. Along the coast is the larger town of Carboneras.
Tips
You’re in a remote area with little civilization. Bring lots of water, spare kit and tools.