White Villages of Andalucia Self Guided Gravel Tour
Our White Villages of Andalucia Gravel Biking Tour is based on our popular White Villages Tour but with 80% of the routes on Gravel tracks rather than public roads.
Escape the traffic and discover the authentic heart of Andalucia on our White Villages Gravel Bike Tour. Designed specifically for gravel riders, this self-guided adventure combines quiet country lanes, historic greenways, forest tracks and spectacular mountain scenery with the region’s famous white villages.
Starting and finishing in the stunning city of Ronda, this unforgettable journey takes you through the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park and Sierra de Nieves, alongside turquoise reservoirs, through cork oak forests and olive groves, and along some of southern Spain’s finest gravel tracks.
Unlike many European gravel destinations, Andalucia offers year-round riding with over 300 days of sunshine, making it the perfect escape from northern Europe’s winter.
Discover one of Europe’s best-kept gravel cycling secrets and experience the White Villages of Andalucia from a completely different perspective.
Included
- Accommodation
- Breakfast
- Emergency On-Call Support Van
Not Included
- Meals
- Travel Insurance
- Flights
Bookable Extras
- Airport Transfers
- Bike Hire
The Riding
Gravel cycling has exploded in popularity, but few destinations offer the variety found in Andalucia. This is adventure biking at its very best. Check our article on what to wear.
Each day combines flowing gravel tracks with quiet roads to create varied, enjoyable riding without technical mountain bike trails. Expect well-maintained vehicle width tracks, compact gravel roads, sections of the famous VÃa Verde de la Sierra and peaceful back roads linking Andalucia’s beautiful pueblos blancos.
Instead of riding remote wilderness for days, you’ll finish each stage in a historic village where you can enjoy local cuisine, relax with a cold drink and experience genuine Andalusian hospitality.
The riding is designed to maximise scenery rather than difficulty. Long climbs are rewarded with spectacular descents, dramatic limestone landscapes and endless panoramic views.
Daily distances range between 45–75 km, with 700–1,500 metres of climbing, making this gravel biking tour ideal for reasonably fit recreational cyclists.
Whether you’re searching for your first gravel biking holiday or looking for a new European destination beyond Mallorca or Girona’s gravel scene, Andalucia offers an authentic experience with quieter trails, spectacular scenery and far fewer crowds.
What to bring
Wearing a helmet while biking in Spain is mandatory, we recommend that you bring your own or we can supply you with a helmet.
It’s important to be comfortable when biking so we recommend wearing thin layers of clothing. Fast drying and hard-wearing synthetic fabrics are ideal as a base layer as these allow your skin to breathe and wick the moisture away from your skin. In my opinion cycling shorts are a must, if you are not comfortable on the saddle you will be less likely to want to ride. For most of the year you will need sunglasses, sun protection cream, aftersun lotion and a cotton scarf or buff to protect the back of the neck or top of the head.
Your luggage transported
We want you to enjoy your self guided gravel biking tour in Andalucia to the full so, for your comfort, we arrange the transportation of your luggage from one hotel to the next. All we ask is that you leave your suitcases in reception each morning, and a member of the Andalucian Cycling Experience team will ensure that they are waiting for you at your next hotel. All you need to carry with you are drinks, a camera, some cash and sun cream.
Villages on this tour
Zahara
The hill top village of Zahara, where the Tour starts, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful White Villages in the area.Â
Grazalema
Grazalema is another of the beautiful White Villages. I could sit all day in this plaza with a cafe con leche and cake watching the world go by. Happy days!Â
Ronda
Ronda is a beautiful mountain top town in Andalucia. Famous for it’s El Tajo bridge over the dramatic deep Gorge and Plaza de Toros (bull ring).
Setenil
Setenil de la Bodegas was recently voted one of the top 25 most scenic destinations in the whole of Spain. When you visit on this tour it is easy to see whyÂ
Arrive in Ronda. We meet you to provide your gravel bikes and make sure everything is correctly set up for the week ahead. We’ll also provide your GPS navigation, route information and everything you need to enjoy the ride.
There will be plenty of time to explore Ronda, wander through its historic streets and take in the spectacular views from the famous Puente Nuevo.
Your first day on the bikes takes you north from Ronda and immediately into the spectacular Andalucian countryside.
Leaving Ronda behind, you’ll descend into the beautiful Arriate Valley, following quiet tracks through farmland and vineyards before heading towards the cork oak forests that characterise this part of Andalucia.
The route then climbs towards the dramatic Sierra de Grazalema, with increasingly spectacular views as you approach the white village of Grazalema.
This is the perfect place to stop for lunch and experience one of Andalucia’s most beautiful mountain villages.
After lunch, the route continues towards Zahara de la Sierra. As you approach the village, the landscape opens up dramatically and you’ll be rewarded with stunning views across the turquoise waters of the Zahara-El Gastor reservoir.
Your destination is the beautiful white village of Zahara, perched dramatically beneath its Moorish castle.
Ride Distance
- Distance 60km Total Ascent 1300m
Today takes you from the mountains towards the rolling countryside of western Andalucia.
The route leaves Zahara behind and heads through a changing landscape of open farmland, olive groves and gently rolling hills.
Much of today’s riding is on vehicle-width gravel tracks, providing exactly the kind of riding that makes a gravel adventure special. With very little traffic, you’ll be able to settle into a rhythm and enjoy the scenery around you.
The landscape gradually changes as you approach Arcos de la Frontera, one of Andalucia’s most spectacular white villages.
Arcos is dramatically positioned on top of a limestone ridge overlooking the Guadalete Valley. Its narrow streets, whitewashed houses and spectacular viewpoints make it a fantastic place to finish the day.
Spend the evening exploring the old town and enjoying some traditional Andalucian food.
Ride Distance
- Distance 65km Total Ascent 1000m
Today’s route takes us deeper into the Andalucian countryside as we pick up sections of the old Jerez to Antequera railway line.
The abandoned railway once connected towns across Andalucia but today provides a fascinating route through the countryside, with sections offering excellent gravel biking and a real sense of adventure.
Leaving Arcos, you’ll ride cross-country through open farmland and rolling hills, using a combination of gravel tracks, rural lanes and sections of the old railway route.
This is a quieter side of Andalucia, where olive groves stretch towards the horizon and small white villages appear in the distance.
The day finishes in Montellano, a traditional Andalucian town situated at the foot of the Sierra de San Pablo.
Ride Distance
- Distance 53km Total Ascent 660m
Today is one of the highlights of the entire adventure.
From Montellano, you’ll join the famous VÃa Verde de la Sierra, one of Andalucia’s most spectacular converted railway routes.
The route follows the old railway line through some truly impressive landscapes, crossing bridges and passing through tunnels as it winds its way through the mountains.
The VÃa Verde provides fantastic gravel riding, with a relatively gentle gradient compared with the surrounding mountains, allowing you to concentrate on the scenery rather than the climbs.
Keep an eye out for the spectacular Peñón de Zaframagón, one of the largest vulture colonies in Europe.
Eventually, the route brings you towards Olvera, with its distinctive white houses and impressive church and castle dominating the hillside above the town.
Ride Distance
- Distance 45km Total Ascent 700m
Today is another spectacular day of gravel riding as we leave Olvera and head towards the mountains of Malaga province.
Our route takes us through the famous white village of Setenil de las Bodegas, one of Andalucia’s most unusual towns. Much of the village is built into and beneath enormous rock overhangs, creating streets unlike anywhere else in Spain.
After exploring Setenil, we continue through quiet countryside, following a mixture of gravel tracks and rural roads towards Ardales.
The landscape becomes increasingly mountainous as we approach the Ardales lake district, where dramatic limestone cliffs surround the turquoise waters of the reservoirs.
It’s a spectacular place to finish another day’s riding.
Ride Distance
- Distance 67km Total Ascent 1250m
The final day takes us back towards where the adventure began, but there’s no easy finish!
Leaving Ardales, you’ll head through increasingly dramatic mountain scenery before reaching the traditional white village of El Burgo.
From here, the route enters the spectacular Sierra de las Nieves, one of Andalucia’s most beautiful mountain regions.
The riding becomes more remote as you cross the mountains, with incredible views stretching across the valleys and peaks of southern Spain.
It’s a fitting finale to the tour, combining challenging gravel biking with some of the most spectacular scenery of the entire week.
Eventually, the route brings you back towards Ronda, where you’ll finish your Andalucian gravel adventure.
After seven days of riding, there’s no better place to celebrate than in one of Ronda’s traditional tapas bars.
Ride Distance
- Distance 45km Total Ascent 1200m
Hasta luego, Andalucia!
After breakfast, your Andalucian gravel adventure comes to an end.
Depending on your departure time, there may be an opportunity for a final stroll through Ronda or a relaxed coffee overlooking the famous gorge before your journey home.
Or, if you don’t want the adventure to end just yet, why not add a few extra nights in Ronda?
Prices start from
- €1250/Person (B&B Basis)
- €130/Person (Optional Airport Transfer)
- €250/Person (Optional Single Occupancy)
- €250/Gravel Bike (Optional Bike Hire)
- Hotel Upgrade in Ronda available upon request
Our White Village Tour runs all year round
Contact us for shorter or longer stay. We can customise this trip to suit your schedule
Our Services
We provide a full service holiday to make your cycling holiday as enjoyable, and troublefree as possible
Workshop
Free access to our fully equipped workshop to carry out repairs and maintenance on their bikes. Use of workshop is at clients’ own risks.
On Call Support
Our support van can come to the rescue at any time during your ride. Puncture, breakdown, fatigue, or just tired! Just call us. We will pick you up.
Bike Storage
We provide clients with Secure Bike Storage for the duration of their stay. Bikes can be stored at our facilities at no extra cost giving you peace of mind.
Guided Holidays
Experienced Guides with local knowledge helping you select the best routes for your ability, so that you get the most out of your cycling holiday.
Route Maps
We provide full route maps, plans and directions to help you select the best routes for your ability and ensure you get the most out of your cycling holiday.
Group Discount
Groups of 4 or more can enjoy discounts. Our returning guests get a special loyalty discount as a special thanks for coming back to us. Contact us for details.
Airport Transfer (optional)
Optional airport transfer from Malaga airport, also can arrange transfers from Jerez & Sevilla Airports. Check before booking your flights
Safety
Your safety is important to us so please bring suitable safety wear such as helmets, etc. and we ask you to follow our safety briefing for your own safety.
Travel Insurance (Mandatory)
Travel insurance to include health cover and repatriation to your country of residence is mandatory for all trips
Similar tours
Cycling Holidays for Singles
Singles Cycling holidays from specialist in Cycling Holidays in Andalucia Spain for individuals as well as groups, including airport pickup
White Village Tours
White Villages of Andalucia Tour. Fantastic cycling in the heart of southern Spain , through beautiful white villages with picturesque and dramatic scenery.
White Village Sporting Tours
Sporting cycling tour through Andalucia is suitable for the avid cyclist, sportive riders and keen road bike riders. Expect to ride 50-160km per day on this point-to-point tour.
Seville, Cordoba & Granada Tour
The self-guided bike tour through the historic cities of Seville, Cordoba and Granada combines incredible history with the beautiful countryside of Andalusia in Spain.
