◄-► 584km . . . 𖣫 2000m . . . 🇪🇸 South Spain - 🇵🇹 South Portugal: Nerja-Maro ► Málaga ► Pizarra ► Almargen ► (close to) Sevilla ► Huelva ► Ayamonte ► Tavira (Portugal) ► Faro ► Silves ★ This bicycle tour was a compromise between a walkabout and a Bike ride. On the walkabouts we like the secluded quiet hiking trails. This time, however, we wanted to visit friends in Portugal. 400 km as the crow flies - we decided on a bike tour, but made detours and used small paths, often we had to push the bikes. For us a good compromise!
► Málaga
► Pizarra
► Almargen
► Sevilla
► Huelva
► Ayamonte
► Tavira (Portugal)
► Faro
► Silves
◄-► 584km
𖣫 2000m
► Nerja𖣫 2000m
► Málaga
► Pizarra
► Almargen
► Sevilla
► Huelva
► Ayamonte
► Tavira (Portugal)
► Faro
► Silves
A bicycle tour on small roads - for us a good compromise!
We have some friends in Portugal and want to visit them. 400 km as the crow flies - how to get there, by public busses, aeroplane or car ridesharing? No, by bicycle...
The bicycle tour was a compromise between a walkabout and a bike ride. On the walkabouts we like the secluded quiet hiking trails. This time, however, we wanted to make more distance, to get to our friends. We decided on a bike tour, but made detours and used small paths, often we had to push the bikes. In Portugal we took a few times roads with much traffc, and we didn't like it at all. So we came to an average of 40 km per day. After all, that's twice as many as with our walkabouts. For us it's a good compromise.
My bike had a flat tire after almost a week in the town of Dos Hermanas, about halfway through the bike ride. I then bought a liquid from a bike shop and put it in the tube. It should be able to seal small holes. We bought puncture-proof tires for Aim'jie's bike before the tour.
Click on a photo for getting a better quality:
Saturday 16 Apr (50 km):
Improvment of Aim'jie's baggage. On my bike I put a removeable bucket in front. That's praktical for water, cap and especially the smartphone for navigation.
Sleeping place before Málaga between small boats. I use a carton instead of isolation mat.
Sunday (38 km):
At the port of Málaga we push the bikes.
To avoid car traffic, we use the beach promenade often.
Behind Málaga, we leave the coast and follow the hiking trail GR-248 northwards. The long-distance hiking trails are usually marked in white and red.
It's a hot day. We make long breaks.
The car road to Pizarra has little traffic and is fine for us.
Sleeping place before Pizarra with a great view
Monday (43km):
We make a detour before Pizarra...
... in the Sierra Gibralmora
View to Ardales
Tuesday (37km):
We slept before the village Teba under an olive tree.
Often we find small roads with very little traffic. For that we accept detours, ascents and road bumps.
Many poppies, wild radish, marguerites, etc. are blooming at the roadside in spring.
My impression is that Andalusia has more smelly livestock farms than Germany and France.
Here you can watch Aim'jie riding her bicycle...
Aim'jie is not really fit to ride a bike. Often she has to push it.
We prefer even dirt roads to asphalt roads with much traffic.
Many thanks to the makers of the hiking trails! Now we're on the GR-246.
Wednesday (55km):
Sleeping place, protected from the wind by bushes, protected from the rain by our tarps. There's rain in the night and in the morning. We relax and start in the midday.
Still some drops are falling. But so little, that we don't need protection. The plants are thanksful for the rain.
Cows in flower-power
Thursday (33km):
We like to sleep under bushes or trees. They protect from the wind. And if there's no wind, they protect from the dew and they reduce the temperature differences.
We are on a 40km long dirt road between Morón de la Frontera and Dos Hermanas. 40km no village!
Friday (6km):
We slept in this hotel. We didnt find a free roof that would be good enough for Aim'jie, and there was much rain and wind in the forecast. We leave the hotel at 4 pm.
We find again a route without traffic. But this time it was a mistake. Our map (Osmand) was wrong, we get into a dead end. And it starts to rain...
...and the dirt road becones a mud road. We find a dry place under a highway bridge, but our bikes are full of mud. We clean them under the bridge.
Finally we sleep under this highway bridge. With the bicycles we build a little windbreak. What a contrast to the **** hotel of the last night!
Saturday 23 Apr (42km):
We had to drive back to Dos Hermanas to avoid the muddy roads. Finally we leave Dos Hermanas.
The Municipality of Seville has done some good for cycling, even if some bike lanes are not maintained.
However, this bike path is an impertinence. It has more than 20 of those needless barriers where you have to get off the bike every time.
Here you are asked to stop at every property exit. Granted, these crossings are dangerous. But then better cycle lanes right on the side of the road!
It starts to rain - just as we decide to shop and eat at Aldi.
Sunday (73km):
We slept 18 km southwest of the center of Seville. In the morning two boys come and show us their hut they built under a tree only 10 m from our sleeping place.
Andalusia doesn't have many real forests anymore. Here is one.
About 10 times we have to ride through water like here.
There is a stork's nest on almost every one of these high-voltage pylons.
Monday (55km):
We slept under this tree, 10km north of the center of Huelva. In the daytime we ride to the coast, to get a first view over the Atlantic.
Tuesday (32km):
Overnight place, 4km from the coast. As we didn't find a good place under a tree, our sleeping bags are wet. No problem, we dry them in the midday sun.
After 7km close to the coast...
...we reach the border to Portugal in the town Ayamonte. The border is the river Río Guadiana.
We cross the Río Guadiana on a ferry. The next bridge for bicycles would be 100km landinside. Good bye, Spain!
Nice path at the coast at Altura in Portugal, approved for bicycles
Last break
Wednesday (47km):
We slept under this carob tree.
There are many salt lakes.
We are on the ev1 (EuroVelo1) from Scandinavia to Spain along the Atlantic coast.
Some sections of the ev1 are nicely made and marked. There we see often cyclists.
Video from the coast close to Olhão
This traffic sign is probably intended to warn of the slight narrowing caused by the wooden railing.
Once there, the sign unintentionally takes on a second meaning: the bike path ends suddenly, but there is a narrow gap through which we push the bikes.
Thursday (39km):
We slept in a wild area under this pine tree.
Friday (17km):
We slept here in an unused land, under the sky. This time there was only a little dew.
How did this big chunk get on top of the smaller stones? I guess it was a great collaboration. Or Obelix was here ;-)
We reach our first destination: the community Healing Circle Sanctuary, close to Silves.
Saturday 30 Apr (17km):
Overnight in the community
We reach our final destination, the "Terramana" project of Oiko and Sève. They buy 18.5 hectares of land between Silves and Portimão and create there a "spiritual rawfood community" on the Arade River.
Our food:
Cariza, found at the port of Málaga
Mulberries, tasting not so sweet like the ones in the Alpujarras
Butia, related to dates, collected from the ground
A tree of Butia
Nisperos
Wild radish, sow thistle and wild mallow
Yacon, a tasty and healthy root from our garden
We also still have eggs, sun-dried bananas and figs from our garden. And dried fish.
We asked a farmer if we could pick some of his oranges. "Wait a minute" he said, and brought a big bag full. We added wild peas and fennel.
The wild pea plant is the favorite of Aim'jie.
