Via de la plata from Malaga/Cadiz

[Kaiplentz]

Hi, I wonder if anyone can help me with my next Camino I am planning on my bike. I'll be arriving in Malaga on the 30th of May 2015 (flight and bike already booked). I have not yet made up mind to start the Camino in Malaga via the Camino Mozarabe or in Cadiz via the Camino Augusta. In any case, I plan to cycle all the way and have no intention to get a bus or train to Cadiz should I decide to start the Camino from there. What does appeal to me is going along the coast to Cadiz via Gibralter but I don't know how safe it would be along the roads/coast to Cadiz from Malaga on a bike. I'll be cycling on a MTB and therefore I am not restricted to roads only. In fact I would prefer to stay on designated cycle routes and off road if possible. So my question is, are there are safe cycle routes along the coast which avoid main roads and busy traffic from Malaga to Cadiz via Gibralter. Thanks for any answers.

 

[KinkyOne]

Hi, there, and welcome to the forum!

I was thinking about Via Augusta & VdlP seriously to walk this year but for not known reason I've decided for Levante & Sanabres But I do remember that I've found some info here:
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/via-augusta.125/
and also here:
http://mundicamino.com/rutas.cfm?id=68

Good luck and Ultreia!

 

[amancio]

Hola!

I am pretty sure there is some route inland over the mountains to go from Malaga to Cadiz, but it will be hard route, uphill and downhill all the time, over Grazalema or Ronda, or further inland over Antequera and then enter the flat valley of Guadalquivir

Along the coast, there is lots of traffic, from málaga to gibraltar you have the toll motorway (not for bicycles!) and the dual carriage road which is extremely busy, has virtually no hard shoulders and has lots of dangerous entries and exits. There may be some other route, but I do not know of it.

Once in Gibraltar, you cross Algeciras and you come to the Atlantic, the stretch between Algeciras and Tarifa is extremely windy, uphill and very busy too. From Tarifa onwards, things should be a lot easier.

Buen camino!

 

[Kaiplentz]

Hi, thanks for the replies. After reading your responses and checking out Google maps it would appear that the most sensible thing to do is to take the inland route to get to Cadiz from Malaga, as suggested by amancio. Has anyone cycled the route amancio is suggesting?

 

[amancio]

Actually, I believe there is a lovely flat as flat can track be from Seville to the sea following River Guadalquivir by bike, with the National PArk of Doñana on the other side of the river, lots of wildlife around, and ending up in Sanlucar de Barrameda (absolutely amazing food). That is the route that Christopher Columbus followed one day!

check here for mountain bike routes in Andalusia, there are probably even too many!

http://es.wikiloc.com/rutas/mountain-bike/espana/andalucia

you will find the route from Seville to Sanlucar de Barrameda by the sea here (actually, you can also follow it the other way round to start Via de la Plata)

http://es.wikiloc.com/rutas/mountai...&lto=&a=mountain-bike&q=Sanlucar+de+Barrameda

use the search tool in that page, the route seems to go over Ronda, but that would be a killer of climbing, believe me.

So, you have two routes

1) by the coast, very very dangerous
2) via Ronda, really really hilly
3) via Antequera/Sevilla, you would be climbing the first day, maybe two days, then it would be flat and easy

Buen camino!

 

[Kaiplentz]

Hi amancio, thanks for the reply. You seem to be really knowledgeable about this part of Spain/Andalucia. After I read your comments I think I have made up my mind and will start my next Camino from Cadiz cycling to there from Malaga. It is now obvious to me that I won't take the coastal route due to the dangers that come with using the busy roads. I do like a challenge and I do not discount the route via Ronda (the hard one), which is one of the routes you suggest. I can see on the map that there are quite a few serpentine roads if I go trough Ronda but that's what I like. I prefer going uphill to downhill, although I know what goes up must come down at some point. So, thanks for your replies and I will check out the web links you provided to make up my mind which way to go to start my next Camino in Cadiz.