It is early in Bolnuevo. The sun is still low over the sea and the rocks behind the beach are orange. At a large sign with a blue circle and a yellow eight, a woman points to the map. Puntas de Calnegre, Calabardina, Águilas: one way. Puerto de Mazarrón and Cartagena: the other. Her daughter wants to know especially where the ice cream comes from.
This is how a day begins EuroVelo 8, The Mediterranean route, which runs from Cádiz all the way to Cyprus, and a nice part of it is located in Murcia. In the southeast of Spain, on the Costa Cálida. Those who cycle here get to experience two worlds in one trip: a warm coast with long cycling paths, and in the interior the green mountains of the Sierra de Guadarrama. Sierra Espuña.
EuroVelo 8 in Murcia: 217 kilometers in six stages
The Region of Murcia has divided its part of the route into six stages, together. 217 kilometers. You arrive in Águilas, on the border with Andalusia. Then you follow the coast to the northeast, turning off towards the city of Murcia and leaving the region along the Segura River towards Orihuela. A GPX file is available for each stage on the website of the tourism agency.
Águilas – Puerto de Mazarrón (53.2 km). Immediately the most beautiful and the hardest. You drive via the quiet Calabardina to Cabo Cope and the coast of Puntas de Calnegre. Then comes the Lomo Bas: 2.8 kilometers with an average of 7.5 percent, and stretches above ten. Then follow a few kilometers of unpaved terrain between Punta and Percheles, with the Sierra de las Moreras above you and small beaches below you. On a gravity bike this is pure enjoyment. With a full luggage bike it’s a lot of work.
Puerto de Mazarrón – Cartagena (37.2 km). A short stage with one long climb to Tallante: 9 kilometers with an average of 3.65 percent. The last kilometer is the most challenging. Then you roll through Perín and the natural reserve of La Muela and Cabo Tiñoso to Cartagena. Plan some time for that. The city has a Roman theater right in the center, and you end up at the marina.
Cartagena – San Pedro del Pinatar (58.2 km). The longest stage. After two short climbs, the Cruz Chiquita and the Atamaría, you reach the Mar Menor. This is a large salt-water lagoon, separated from the sea by a narrow strip of land. From here it is flat. You cycle along bike paths and boulevards past Los Alcázares, San Javier and Santiago de la Ribera, to the salt pans of San Pedro del Pinatar. Come here around sunset. Then the water turns pink and the flamingos are in the shallow pools.
San Pedro del Pinatar – Murcia (48.5 km). Now you leave the coast behind you. Quiet country roads take you via Sucina to the real climb of the day, to Garruchal: 3.8 kilometers at 2.7 percent. Then you descend to the city and drive through the Vía Verde Murcia.
Murcia – regional border (14.6 km). The final section is short and straight. You follow the green corridor along the Río Segura, partly on unpaved paths. Ideal for children or as a way to get home after a day of city sightseeing.
Do take a day off in Murcia though. The cathedral is a feast of Baroque, the terraces around the square are packed up in the evening, and the Huerta around the city supplies the vegetables for your plate.
The Sierra Espuña: the green heart of Murcia
Anyone who cycles along EuroVelo 8 will see the mountains in the interior of the country. A short hour’s drive from the coast at Mazarrón lies the Sierra Espuña, a protected regional park. After the barren coast, it’s a surprise: pine forests, limestone cliffs and quiet, well-maintained roads. We wrote about it earlier Rocks in the Sierra Espuña; the green heart of Murcia. This story is the addition: the coast along the way, and the classic climb from the other side.
The classic for race cyclists is the Collado Bermejo from Alhama de Murcia. Twenty kilometers of climbing, 1152 meters of elevation gain, an average of 5.7 percent. The road winds up through the forest in a twisting loop. The higher you go, the further you look: from the valley of the Guadalentín to the mountains near the coast. You can find our GPX route here: Sierra Espuña: Collado Bermejo from Alhama de Murcia.
Would you prefer a shorter and steeper climb? From the Aledo side, the climb is about 12 kilometers with 600 meters of elevation gain, with sections up to 12 to 15 percent. Maks rode it from that side and describes each turn in The gravel story about Sierra Espuña.
Near the Collado Bermejo are the snow wells, The snow pits. In the past, in the winter, snow was pressed into ice here. In the summer, the ice was transported by mules to Murcia and Cartagena. The round stone domes still stand there. A beautiful place to stop for a while.
If you have a gravel bike, you’re in for a treat here. Wide forest paths wind around the sides, and at Fuente del Hilo you’ll find a terrace in the middle of the forest. Maks rode around there with two long gravel sections, together covering about twenty kilometers, from the top of the Collado Bermejo. You can read about how that went, plus the gravel and road route on Komoot, in Rocks in the Sierra Espuña.
Practical: how to combine the coast and the mountains
Starting point. For the coast, choose Puerto de Mazarrón or a place on the Mar Menor. If you want to climb especially, sleep in Alhama de Murcia or Totana, at the foot of the Sierra Espuña. With two bases, you get the best of both worlds.
When. Spring and autumn are ideal. In winter, you often ride in short sleeves on the coast, but take a windbreaker with you for the descent of the Collado Bermejo. In July and August, it is too hot during the day: then cycle early.
Signage. Along the route there are the blue EuroVelo signs with the eight. Handy, but still load the GPX per stage onto your bike computer.
There. Fly to the Región de Murcia International Airport at Corvera, or to Alicante. Bring your own bike or rent one in the region.
Curious about the other routes in the network? In our overview of all EuroVelo routes The farther you dream, the more you read about cycling in the region on our website. destination page Murcia.
This article was created in collaboration with Turespaña Netherlands and Turismo Región de Murcia.
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