Ride nbr + name:	1. Montes de Malaga ½ loop number 1		Ride length/duration:		15 km / 3 hrs
Max altitude/gain (m):	950m / 200m	Difficulty:	2-Easy	(1=Trivial, 6=Severe)
Trailhead nbr + name:	None – it starts at Los Curriches!	Best ridden during:	Spring, Autumn, Winter
Special features:	Very quiet location, heavily forested, with some views to the sea and to Malaga

(Note that we provide a map for each ride which is not included on this webpage, but obviously is provided in the apartment!)

 

Ride summary

 

The ride up to the park is very steep in places. Included in the cost of the bike hire is the option of being taken to the top of our track in the car, to avoid this tough section of the ride (you will have to ride back down from the park though!).

 

This ride includes a 2km off road section.

 

Once in the park, there is a reasonable about of shade, although it is probably still too hot to cycle here during the summer unless you set out before 8am!

 

Ride detail

 

From the property ride past the neighbours house and turn right on the main track. The road immediately starts climbing quite steeply. Follow this track up for 2 km. At this point (1), be careful not to cycle into someone’s drive as the road hairpins back on itself and the (straight-on) drive is wider than the road at this point! The track now climbs very steeply again so pick a very low gear here.

 

After another 3 km you will come to a junction with 3 other roads (2). Turn sharply left here – this is the track into the park. At some points along this track you might be able to see the city of Malaga to the south of you. Follow this track for 1 km past the park entrance signs and continue on for another 2km until you reach a junction with another major track (3).

 

Turn left on this track, and after another 500m, turn left again at the large, triangular, white road sign (made out of concrete and in the middle of the road!) (4). There is usually a chain across the track at this point so look out for that! Continue past the chain. The track curves initially right and then back to the left – don’t turn here, but if you look right you might be able to make out the path which you will be coming back along (5).

 

Continue along the track as it begins to descend, and simply follow the track for another 3km. You will eventually come to a wide area of track on a sharp right hand bend, with a spur going off to the left and a ridge going up to your right (6).

 

Turn right up the ridge and off the track. You are initially following a firebreak, but look for a small path leaving the firebreak to your right, and take this track. The track zigzags up the hill, crossing and re-crossing the firebreak. After about 500m, make sure that you veer left off the firebreak onto the obvious path to the left.

 

This path skirts the top of the hill and after a few hundred meters starts to curve around to the right on the far side of the hill (7). At this point look slightly behind you and to your left (south east) and you might be able to see the sea at Velez Malaga.

 

You should now be heading west, along an ill defined path. After about 500m, you should rejoin the track which you cycled in on (5). Turn left here to go back to the triangular white road sign (4), turn right here and 200m later, turn right again on the first track you see (3). Follow this track back out of the park until you arrive back at the road junction at the top of our track (2). Turn right here and descend back to Los Curriches.

 

About 1km down, be careful not to divert off the track onto a track to the right which might appear to be the main route (8)...you can see a No Through Road sign a short distance down the track.