The camper van door opens. Two sleepy heads look around the corner of the door. On a lost Wednesday in May, these camper fans don’t expect any gravel enthusiasts. Not to mention a few gravel enthusiasts who disturb their serene tranquility. But nothing could be further from the truth. While we are already making noise and taking photos to prepare for a cool gravel adventure, the campers stretch out again. First, they have some coffee, and then they’ll continue. Where are we? In the Geopark of Granada, a little hour northeast of the famous Spanish city. We left the Alhambra behind for today, because today calls for gravel adventure.
Geopark of Granda
For those of you who have never heard of the Geoparque de Granada, here’s a brief introduction. The park is located approximately 45 to 60 minutes north of the city of Granada, in a sparsely populated area. It has an area of almost 4800 km2 and took its main form in the Quaternary, the geological period that lasted 2.5 million years ago. It is a UNESCO-designated geo-location, and everything that has happened in terms of tourism has been based on ‘sustainability’. That is to say: no mass tourism, hiking, a bit of cycling, that kind of thing. That this is a gravel heaven, I didn’t know before this trip. But now it’s completely different.
Is this Arizona?
While we are getting our bikes ready, I am already snapping away. I see a beautiful hairpin bend and think: I have to have that! The guides from TunTunTrip I’m not quite laughing at me yet. ‘Wait my friend, we’ll have many more’. Okay, I’ll do that anyway. We roll down the parking lot on our new bikes, over the red gravel. Soon I look around and think: am I in Spain now? Or is this Arizona? Beautiful red rock formations, that blend in with the sun, which sometimes almost seem neatly carved into the landscape.
Badlands country
Badlands It is a gravel event that speaks to many people's imagination. The event has grown into a very popular happening, for which the tickets are sold out very quickly. Not surprisingly, that also takes place in this beautiful Geoparque. That naturally also produces the beautiful, dramatic images. That is exactly what we see when we drive around it. The gravel roads in the Geoparque de Granada are always the filming set of a movie. After one spectacular scene, you think, is this real? On the 30-kilometer-long route, the highlight is one after another. Sometimes you look for kilometers, then you find yourself in a canyon and you can find houses where nomads used to live. The park is millions of years old, so the history is right there for the taking.
Beautiful round through the park
In the end, we make a round of about 30 kilometers and are still met in the middle by our follow car. We then get some food and drink, which is very welcome. It gets quite warm in the meantime. So, refueling is a must. Meanwhile, we take some great photos of the vast desert landscape. The bikes go up in the air, laughter is heard, but when we go climbing again, we hear the bikes and the legs crackling. It’s not always flat what you find here. The climbs are short and venomous, but at the top you get the reward of the view over the red rock formations. The color red therefore changes with the time of day. Every time it looks different.
Tips if you go graveling in Geoparque de Granada
- Despite the temperature being around 20 degrees Celsius, it gets very warm in this Geopark. So make sure you have enough water with you. There is no water point anywhere, except in the village at the end of our route.
- The range of your phone is also pretty poor, so don’t go alone, but at least go out with at least two people.
- You do need wide tires. At least 40mm, with good sipes is nice for this environment.
- We come across many bikepackers who are packed and ready to go. There are several routes crisscrossing the park.
Gravels in Geoparque de Granada
This route takes you through the Geoparque de Granada and is truly a must-see. Near Gorafe you’ll find the most beautiful places.
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