The camper's door slides open. Two sleepy heads look around the corner of the door. On a stray Wednesday in May, these camper fans do not expect gravelly people. Let alone loud Dutchmen disturbing their serene peace. But nothing could be further from the truth. While we are already making noise and taking pictures, getting ready for a cool gravel adventure, the camper owners are stretching themselves once more. Coffee first and then they'll see. Where are we? In the Geoparque de Granada, just under an hour northeast of the famous Spanish city. We left the Alhambra behind for a while, as today the gravel adventure calls
Geoparque de Granda
For those who have never heard of the Geoparque de Granada, here is a brief intro. So the park is located about 45 to 60 minutes north of the city of Granada, in sparsely populated areas. It has an area of almost 4,800 km2 and took its main shape in the Quaternary, the geological period 2.5 million years ago. It is a UNESCO designated geo site and everything about it in terms of tourism is founded on 'sustainability'. That means no mass tourism, hiking, a bit of cycling, that work. That this is a gravel haven, I did not know beforehand. What's hot: I had never heard of the Geoparque until this trip. But now that's completely different.
Is this Arizona?
As we get our bikes ready, I am already photographing adrift. I see a beautiful hairpin bend and think: I must have it! The guides from Capitan Ways are barely laughing at me. 'Wait my friend, we'll have many more'. Ok, I do anyway. We roll off the car park with our new bikes, onto the red gravel. Soon I look around and think: am I in Spain now? Or is this Arizona? Beautiful red rock formations, colouring with the sun, that sometimes seem almost neatly carved into the landscape.
Badlands country
Badlans is a gravel event that captures the imagination of many. Not coincidentally, it also starts in this beautiful Geoparque. This, of course, also produces the beautiful, dramatic images. That is also exactly what we see when we drive around in it. Digging in the Geoparque de Granada is every time the film set you think, is this real? On the 30-kilometre route, it's highlight after highlight. Sometimes you can see for miles, other times you are in a gorge and can find dwellings where nomads have lived. The park is millions of years old, so history is there for the taking.
One on the house
So we end up making a lap of about 30 kilometres and are still met halfway by our support car. Water and fresh fruit are a welcome refreshment. It gets hot pretty quickly. So wearing sunscreen is a must. Meanwhile, some of us take very cool photos of the vast desert backdrop. Bikes go up in the air, there is laughter, but when we start climbing again, we hear the bikes and legs creak. After all, what you're going to find here is not always flat. The climbs are short and vicious, but at the top you again get the reward of the view of the red rock formations. So that colour red changes with the time of day. So every time it looks different.
Tips when graveling in Geoparque de Granada
- Despite the temperature being around 20 degrees, it gets hot very quickly in this Geopark. So make sure you have FULL water with you. In fact, there is no water point anywhere, except in the village at the end of our route.
- Your phone's range is also pretty poor, so prefer not to go out alone, but at least in pairs.
- You do need wide tyres. 40mm and above is fine for this environment.
Gravel riding in Geoparque de Granada
This route takes you through the Geoparque de Granada and this route really comes highly recommended. Near Gorafe, you will find the most beautiful spots.
